....I’d like to highlight a special partnership that’s been developing between the City and one of the programs of the Sumner-Bonney Lake School District. The District’s program, called Community Based Transition Program (CBTP), teaches job skills to special education students who are 18 to 21. They work with local businesses and organizations to give students skills and experience for life after school. We are proud and honored to be one of those partners.
....Last week, students went out with our Parks Supervisor and Arborist Dan Gates. He taught them how to prune a tree properly and why. Even the advisors talked about how much they learned about proper tree care too. Then, they helped prune street trees along Meade McCumber and Wood Avenue. And, they did a great job! Students are scheduled to join more of our staff in different departments to learn more skills. Of course, we love the extra help, but what’s really important is for us to share our skills with the next generation.
....I can’t tell you how proud I am of people like Dan, who work for our city. They are industry experts in everything from tree care to policing to accounting, and like so many others, they’ve had a heck of a time these past two years. Yet, they continue to develop partnerships like this to share their expertise and experience, especially with the next generation. If you have a business or organization in Sumner and think you might also be a good partner with CBTP, check out the program. I guarantee you’ll get way more rewards for a small investment of time. We did.
Mayor Bill Pugh
