THE GOVERNMENT: Debates and dissension give way to newfound spirit of cooperation:

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Progress Sunday, March 24, 2002

Steve Bloom/The Olympian
Rainier Mayor Sherry O'Dell's salon is a good place to go to keep up on local politics and issues, along with haircuts. Martha Baker is getting her locks trimmed.

THE GOVERNMENT:
Debates and dissension give way to newfound spirit of cooperation

RUTH LONGORIA THE OLYMPIAN

RAINIER -- A feeling of escaping to Mayberry is one reason some of the nearly 1,500 residents here call this city their home.

Rainier is one of the few cities where you can get a haircut from the mayor and park your car in one location to be within a block or two of whatever downtown business you might need.

"I really like it here; it's nice and quiet," said Jeanne Losch, 73, a 21-year resident of Rainier.

Losch and her husband, Larry, moved to their 11/2-acre Rainier retreat after the couple retired from civil service jobs at Fort Lewis.

"This is a really nice place to live, and I really like the new mayor," Losch said as Mayor Sherry O'Dell washed and set Losch's hair during a recent Friday afternoon appointment at Sherry's Hair Design.

O'Dell said owning and operating her own business in town is a plus for serving as mayor.

"I bring in my city paperwork and read and do that during breaks and on lunch, and then I'm available for official business anytime," she said. "People always know where to reach me, and my customers don't mind -- that's why they elected me."

A block away at City Hall, city staff say O'Dell's accessibility isn't the only reason she was elected last fall.

"Sherry is professional but compassionate," said Beth Prihoda, 33, city clerk. "She's down to earth and cares about the people and what they have to say."

The progress O'Dell has been making in working with the City Council is making many people excited about Rainier's future, Prihoda said.

Rainier has long had a history of debates and dissension at council meetings.

"But all that has changed. I won't stand for it," O'Dell said.

"Everybody cooperates now, and we're getting things done without putting things off," she said.

Improvements

Some recent improvements in the city include clearing drainage areas and stopping flooding problems on Center Street and making plans to add railroad crossing bars where the train tracks pass through town, she said.

"We're also planning to put in a new modular home for the police department within the next few months," O'Dell said.

The modular building will be placed next to the mobile home that houses City Hall. The police department has been temporarily housed at a school district building since the roof of the previous police department collapsed after heavy rains last year.

O'Dell said she is looking forward to many more improvements in the city during her term as mayor.

"There's been a lot of progress, and we're doing real well here in Rainier," O'Dell said. "I'm proud of everybody who is working with us."

But progress isn't the only reason people choose to live in Rainier.

Some people prefer Rainier's slow-moving atmosphere, Prihoda said.

'No lights, no traffic'

Prihoda moved to Rainier from California a few years ago.

"When you live in the big city, you deal with all the traffic. But then you come out here and there are no lights, no traffic, this is wonderful," she said.

Prihoda's co-worker, Tracey Hughes, 41, courts clerk for the city, said there are many other reasons people choose to live and work in Rainier.

"I hear all the time about people moving here for the great school system. Rainier has really good schools," Hughes said.

"I moved here from Georgia because my husband was military," she said.

"My husband and I split up, but I chose to stay in Rainier because it's such a great place. I really like it here, and I've even lost my Georgia accent," she said. "This is where I want to stay."

Ruth Longoria covers Rainier for The Olympian. She can be reached at 360-754-5435 or email at rlongori@olympia.gannett.com.

Rainier by the numbers

- Population: 1,4921, up from 1,145 in 1992.

- Demographics in 2000: 92.6 percent white, 3.9 percent Hispanic, 1.8 percent American Indian or Alaska native, 0.5 percent black, 0.7 percent Asian, 0.8 percent other race, 3.3 percent two or more races.

- Business growth: B&O taxes received were $2,486 in 1992 and $36,865 in 2000.

- City history: A former sawmill town, Rainier was named by railway officials in 1884 for its proximity to Mount Rainier.

Rainier was settled in 1890 by homesteaders Albert and Maria Gehrke. The town was platted in 1891 by George Ellsbury of Binghamton, N.Y., which could be how the main street through town came to be named Binghampton, although the explanation for the spelling discrepancy has been lost.

The town was incorporated in 1947. In 2001, City Council members voted to change Rainier's status from a town to a code city. A code city changes the ruling form of government by allowing the mayor to have veto power in city council issues, something not possible in a town. Code city status also makes Rainier eligible for state grants that it would not be eligible for otherwise, such as for sidewalks.

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