January 2010

Highline Community College's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Week is one of the college's biggest events and features nationally known authors and scholars discussing a variety of topics, including diversity, politics and the legacy of Dr. King.

This year's event includes an exhibit featuring local social activists and revolutionaries who played a significant role in the civil rights movement in Washington state. The exhibit is on display throughout the week in the Highline Student Union.

The activities will take place Jan. 19- 22 at the college's main campus, 2400 S. 240th St. in Des Moines. They are free and open to the public.

The events are sponsored by HCC's Center for Leadership & Service, Multicultural Services and Learning & Teaching Center.
Highline College has the most diverse population of any college in Washington state,

Events include:

Tuesday, Jan. 19:

Dream Fulfilled? The Legacy of Dr. King in an Obama Age, 9 a.m. and 10 a.m., Building 7.

During the first Des Moines City Council meeting of the new decade on Jan. 7, Bob Sheckler was elected to a fourth consecutive term as Des Moines Mayor in a 5-2 vote.

Councilman Dave Kaplan will serve as the new mayor pro-tem.

At the end of 2009, the council passed a budget with an over $200,000 hole, something the city plans to fill with incoming revenue.

Newly elected council members Matt Pina and Melissa Musser, along with re-elected Council members Carmen Scott and Kaplan were sworn in.

After the swearing in, lawmakers began the process of choosing a new mayor. Kaplan nominated Sheckler. Scott Thomasson nominated Pina, who declined to have his name in the vote for what he described as a variety of reasons. Councilmember Dan Sherman then nominated Thomasson.

Thomasson received votes from Sherman and himself. The rest of the council, Scott, Kaplan, Musser, Pina and Sheckler voted to give the former mayor another two-year term.

Starting off the selection of a new mayor pro-tem, Scott nominated Kaplan. Thomasson then nominated Musser. Kaplan won 4-3 with Sheckler, Pina, Scott and Kaplan voting for him. Musser, Sherman and Thomasson voted for Musser.

Joan McGilton was selected Jan. 4 for a third consecutive term as Burien mayor by fellow council members.

The vote was 5-1 with Councilman Jack Block Jr. voting against McGilton. No one else was nominated.

Rose Clark was elected as deputy mayor on a 6-0 vote.

Councilwoman Lucy Krakowiak attended the council meeting but arrived after the votes.

McGilton said she was "very pleased" to be selected again as mayor.

"I think my strength is at facilitating meetings and making sure every council member has a voice," McGilton said.

McGilton was first elected by Burien voters in Nov. 2001 and reelected four years later. She served as deputy mayor in 2005.

McGilton is retired from the Boeing Company where she was an environmental engineer and project manager. Prior to Boeing, she worked as an engineering consultant and on the staff at the city of Seattle Engineering Department.

This is Clark's fourth term as deputy mayor.

Clark served on the council from 1999 to 2003. She returned to the council for a second time after being elected in Nov. 2005.

She also served on the Burien Planning Commission from 1995 to 1997.

During the murky days of January, some people have reported seeing a ghost wandering Des Moines' Beach Park.

And that formidable castle on the hill, Landmark on the Sound in Des Moines, formerly known as the Masonic Home, can look downright spooky in the right winter light.

The change of season does not bring about any paranormal change according to ghost hunter Stephanie Davisson, but the Puget Sound Ghost Hunters (PSGH) do get more calls in the winter.

"People are inside more so they notice strange things in their houses." Davisson said. "Plus it's darker, we're not nocturnal animals; our senses get heightened in the dark."

PSGH is a volunteer paranormal investigation and research organization. Their primary goal is to assist clients in identifying and understanding the paranormal activity they may be experiencing.

The group is based in the Burien/Des Moines area and they hold meetings from time to time at the Des Moines Library.

Davisson grew up in a haunted house and has been ghost hunting for several years. According to her, most hauntings are not physical in anyway; most hauntings are just really quiet.

With Dow Constantine, who represented Burien and North Highline on the county council, as the new King County Executive, Burien officials are expecting improved relations with county government.

The first result of the new cooperation is an agreement announced Jan. 6 to transfer ownership of Puget Sound Park to the city of Burien.

That clears the way for April 1 as the recommended formal date that Burien will annex the southern portion of North Highline.

Voters in the area approved the annexation in August. Burien officials were hoping to complete the annexation on March 2 but decided to hold off because of the dispute over the county's proposed sale of a part of Puget Sound Park to be used as a county library.

The park is located at Southwest 128th Street and First Avenue South. The location is the former site of Puget Sound Junior High School.

With the agreement, April Fools Day is the new formal annexation date recommended by City Manager Mike Martin.

"We thought it foolish to put off something so obvious and inevitable," Martin quipped.

Federal Way High School graduate Morris Anderson was named as the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the week for Dec. 27-Jan. 2.

The 6-3 senior scored 35 points, 13 assists, eight rebounds and five steals in the two-game week.

Anderson ranks ninth nationally for his 44 of 48 free throw shooting, and was last year’s GNAC Newcomer of the Year.

Hoops on holiday

Decatur and Federal Way will both play in Martin Luther King Jr. boys basketball tournament action at the University of Washington this coming Monday, Jan. 18.

The Gators play Rainier Beach at 4 p.m. and defending 4A champion Federal Way plays Oregon champion Jefferson of Portland at 6 p.m.

Here are 10 quick, easy things you can do to help yourself and your family live longer, healthier lives. Make these tips your New Year’s resolution. They are delicious ways to be healthier.

10. Avoid meats that are labeled “enhanced.” That means they are injected with saltwater and have up to 10 times the salt of regular chicken, turkey, pork, etc.

9. Instead, have a nice talk with your butcher. Ask the butcher to point out meats that are fresh and don’t have saltwater added.

8. Avoid packaged meals that just need a microwave to heat them up.

7. Instead, make your own fast frozen meals. Whip up two casseroles, portion one into individual containers and freeze. Then when you need a quick meal, your microwave can be your best friend!

6. Avoid foods labeled “instant” or “quick.” Often those words mean the manufacturer has added salt to speed up the cooking.

5. Instead, take just a few minutes more and make real oatmeal in the microwave, or put rice in a rice cooker while you make the rest of dinner.

4. Avoid lunch meats and processed meats and cheeses.

The Ballard High School gymnastics team hosted a dozen other teams from around the state for the Washington Open Winter Invitationals Jan. 9, and the Beavers beat them all.

Ballard came in first with a team score of 103.5. Columbia River was second with 101.65, and Mead rounded out the top three with a score of 99.8.

Ballard's Taylor Stern took the top all-around honors with a score of 37.15. Followed by Jennifer DeBellis of Columbia River and Tristan Peterson of Southridge.

Stern placed first on the bars, floor routines and vault with scores of 9.15, 9.65 and 9.3 respectively.

The only event Stern didn't own was the beam, which was won by Peterson of Southridge.

The Beavers' next meet is at 7 p.m. on Jan. 14 at Inglemoor High School against Woodinville.

Photographer Kurt Howard captured these images from two nights of SPSL gymnastics. Click on the photo for more images from the meets.

Thomas Jefferson handed host Federal Way a 54-18 loss in wrestling Thursday.

TJ moved to 2-0, but their wins against the winless Eagles and Auburn-Riverside will not be much in comparison to South Puget Sound League Central Division foes -- Todd Beamer and Decatur -- who yet to come on the season schedule.

But Raiders coach Jess Workman gave the lower teams in the league compliments.

"They're the dangerous teams, but they've got something to prove," said Workman, whose team won 10 of 14 weight classes and two of those four losses by his team were from forfeits at 103 and 112.

The Raiders' strongest guy on the mat is Kyle McIntosh, who uses sheer strength to bully most foes to defeat. He won his match by technical fall, 5:30 into the six minute duration broken into three rounds as is the customary timeframe for high school wrestling.

The final score of McIntosh' match was 28-12, the highest point total of any one wrestler and that's explained from McIntosh constantly shooting in and taking down his opponent or letting his opponent shoot (lunge) at him before taking him down.