1. Annual Tacoma Firefighters’ Christmas Projects donates more than $10,000 in food, clothing, gifts

The Tacoma Firefighters’ Christmas Project will donate more than $10,000 in food, clothing and gifts to 110 Tacoma children and their families this year. Deliveries will be made on Dec. 21 and Dec. 23 by “Santa” and his firefighter helpers riding a red fire engine.

The Tacoma School District’s Head Start Program and the YWCA Women’s Shelter provided the names of the 110 families.

The food, clothing and gifts come from individuals and organizations that have generously contributed to this project, including: Active and retired Tacoma Firefighters, Tacoma Professional Firefighters Local #31, the Tacoma Fire Department, the Pierce County Office of the County Council and the Pierce County Assessors Office.

The annual Firefighters’ Christmas Project began in 1989 under the direction of Lieutenant Jim Lee and Firefighter Ron Ernst. For more information about this project, contact Lieutenant Lee or Firefighter Ernst at the numbers listed above, or by checking the Tacoma Fire Department Web site at http://www.tacomafiredepartment.org.

2. Council cancels meetings for Dec. 28

The City Council has announced that the study session and regular Council meeting for Dec. 28 have been cancelled to mark the holiday season. The Council will resume its regular meeting schedule on Jan. 4, 2005.

3. City offices closed; garbage, recycling, yard waste collection on schedule
City of Tacoma administrative offices will close Dec. 24 and Dec. 31 for the holidays. Garbage, recycling and yard waste collection is not affected by these holidays, so collection will be on the normal schedule. The City of Tacoma’s landfill, recycling center and household hazardous waste facility will close at 4 p.m. on Christmas Eve and be closed all day on both Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.