May 2012

Deadline for receiving items for Community Calendar is 5 p.m. Wednesday for the following week’s Times/News. Events are published based on timeliness and space availability. Email submissions to: hteditor@robinsonnews.com Items can be accepted from nonprofit groups and government agencies only. Others may call Dona Ozier at 206-708-1378 for inclusion in our “Out & About” advertising section.

Art Exhibits

Burien Community Center—Marquetry art by Dennis Harrison. Marquetry is an art form that uses only natural and dyed wood veneers in its presentation. It is a little-known art form in America, but it is hundreds of years old as practiced elsewhere. Through May 31. 14700 6th Ave. S.W. Mondays-Thursdays 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Fridays, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Call to artists

Pills, Pills, Pills, where is the ONE big one that does it all?

When you are 92, you can't remember all of them so One pill seems like a good idea. Sort of like the One-A-Day brand vitamins, but this one would fix whatever ails you.

I take one pill to energize me in the morning, another to give me a restful night. Then I swallow a mood pill, a cholesterol pill, a neuropathy pill, salt pill, and a pepper pill to go with my eggs.

I take a baby aspirin, some milk of magnesia, a zinc thing and some iron to build up my biceps, I think. My doc says to elevate my legs, keep my back straight at the dinner table and keep both hands in my lap until after grace is said. I guess that means I'm goodest boy on Russet Street.

Ponce De Leon was looking for the fountain of youth in Florida ages ago. He never found it but he did find some hot springs, which I think is the next best thing.

Welcome to your award-winning Highline Times.

In April, our ace freelancer, Deanna Duff picked up four awards from the Washington Press Association for her work in the Highline Times.

She won a second place award in WPA’s 2012 Communication Contest for chronicling her food tour of SeaTac. It turns out that thanks to all those business travelers with their generous expense accounts we locals have access to some great restaurants over on the highway.

And who knew there was a Japanese preschool in Des Moines? Deanna wrote about it and garnered an honorable mention for general news.

In the education category, Deanna won second and third places for “Earth heroes get dirty” and “Students walk toward future.”

Deanna, a “more than full time” freelancer, also earned three more awards. Those were mostly for her articles in those glossy regional “lifestyle” magazines you see at your dentist’s office or in the supermarket checkout line.

Overall, Deanna placed third in the state press association’s “Communicator of Excellence” sweepstakes award.

To beautify the fine cities in South King County we might consider defying the British custom of lawns and encourage the growth of meadows in all lawns not used for sports events.

Meadows are friendlier to our animal and plant variety cohabitants and don’t require herbicides etc, which get into out drinking water.
John Corr
Des Moines

In a May 19 Highline Community College appearance, Lilly Ledbetter laid out her long personal journey that lead to President Obama signing a pay equity act named after her.

Ledbetter’s talk was the final event of Highline’s 30th annual women’s programs celebration.

After a 19 year career as a nighttime supervisor for Goodyear Tire, Ledbetter learned she wasn’t being paid as much as her male colleagues. She filed a pay discrimination suit and a jury awarded her over $3 million, later reduced to $300,000. Later, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that she was not entitled to the compensation because she filed her claim more than 180 days after receiving her first discriminatory paycheck.

Congress then passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which was the first real legislation President Obama signed after his inauguration. The law changes the Civil Rights Act so can workers can sue up to 180 days after receiving any discriminatory paycheck.

Ledbetter told the Highline audience when she started as a Goodyear supervisor in 1979 she wanted “to work hard and support my family.”

The Barnes Creek trail may get a makeover worth more than $1 million if the City of Des Moines’ grant application is approved.

The City Council will reapply for a grant through the Washington Recreation and Conservation Funding Board. The grant has been denied in previous years.

The request is for $650,000. The city currently has $850,000 secured from the Des Moines Urban Trails Fund and the King County Conservation Futures.

The money requested will help with the purchase of 25 acres of land in the SR-509 corridor, currently owned by the Department of Transportation. The land spans in a narrow area from Kent-Des Moines Rd. to South 220th Street.

The Barnes Creek Trail, which heads off at Kent-Des Moines Road (near South 216th Street), meanders through the woods northward to 15th Avenue South. The improvements will provide access to several other area trails, and also connect with Des Moines Creek Park, Des Moines Beach Park National Historic District and the marina.

There will also be continuous trails connecting to places such as the Mt. Rainier Pool, the Des Moines Activity Center and Highline Community College.

Press release:

Join us as we celebrate National Cancer Survivor Day with a life-affirming exhibition of art by survivors and their families, friends and caregivers.

This free public exhibit will showcase select pieces of art from the Lilly Oncology On Canvas com­petition. Mini-acupuncture and yoga demonstrations.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Highline Cancer Center
16233 Sylvester Rd SW, Burien WA 98166
1:00 – 6:00 pm Open House
Honoring Survivors and Supporters

This event is free and open to the public. For more information about Highline Cancer Center visit www.HighlineCancerCenter.org.

Burien boy almost swept over large waterfall
A 13-year-old Burien boy almost got swept over Wallace Falls, a large Snohomish County waterfall, May 9 and had to spend the night perched on a rock. The boy was hiking with his father and a friend when he slipped in the river and was swept over a 10-foot waterfall. He made it to a rock off shore where he was later rescued.
During a rescue attempt, a responder fell into the river from a helicopter but was saved by his safety line.
The boy was checked out by a medic but did not need to go to a hospital.

Former firefighter arrested in Burien for assault & domestic violence A former Department of Public Safety firefighter, Alan Santos Aguon, was arrested in Burien for domestic violence May 10. He has been in King County jail since. He was charged with two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and domestic violence harassment. His bail was set at $500,000.

SPANAWAY - Nguyen and Nguyen won key matches to lead coach Doris Burdin's Evergreen Wolverines in state qualifying efforts from the Class 2A West Central III/Southwest II bi-do=istrict tournament.

Fighting fiecely in boys doubles, the unrelated pair of Michael Nguyen and Cong Nguyen opened up with a 6-2, 6-1, triumph over D. Fagan and J. Landram of Klahowya before A. Villanueva and S. Bayna of Lindbergh stroked past the Wolverine duo, 6-4, 6-1. The first set featured some tight action, but the Eagle pair won most of the key points in a rough second set for Evergreen.

Nguyen and Nguyen proceeded to defeat the North Kitsap duo of Steven Breitmayer and Alex Olson 6-2, 6-4, in a loser-out, winner-to-state match. The Wolverine tandem closed out with a 6-2, 6-3, win against J. Motto and E. Radoi of Interlake for the bi-district fourth place.

Reed Welch and EJ Troutman of Bellingham loom as the EHS pair's first opposition at state.

Saturday, May 19
Baseball
Mossyrock 2, Seattle Lutheran 0
There will be no three-peat for the Seattle Lutheran High School baseball team this year.
The West Seattle-based team advanced as far as the regional level of state 2B play before being shutout by Mossyrock, 2-0, to end its season.

The action took place at Daniels Field in Anacortes with only the team that wins two games going on to state this coming weekend in Ellensburg.

Seattle Lutheran had won the past two Class 2B state championships.

Track and field
3A Sea-King District
Athletes from Seattle's Metro League and the Kingco Conference of eastern King County converged at the Southwest Athletic Complex across the street from Chief Sealth High School in West Seattle for the Class 3A portion of Sea-King District action.

The West Seattle High School girls team scored 34 points for 10th place, led by the win of Kris Tollefson in the 400-meter run. Tollefson broke the ribbon in a time of 56.30 seconds.