January 2014

By Cindi Rinehart

I need you to know that in my entire life, I have NEVER been fired from any of the 30 something jobs I had before coming to Seattle. There was about to be a first. During my career at KOMO TV, I did a lot of outside jobs and pilots. I did an entertainment segment for Great Weekend at KABC in Los Angeles.

They liked my work so we were able to do it out of Seattle. George, the producers hired me as the talent, Janelle (My, then KOMO producer) to produce it and we hired my husband Jim for finding location, lighting and well…just about everything else. We worked on the weekends and I was thrilled because it was about a grand a week and Jim and I were eating beans dogs to try and save money. It was mostly stand ups at theatres and different places around Seattle.

By Scott Anthony

For years I worked in a big printing plant in Tukwila. We had about 50 guys there, from all walks of life and of varying degrees of smarts. I learned a lot of things about human nature and working relationships there and one day I’ll probably use some of those lessons to write that book that I kid myself about.

Our foreman, Bill ‘Willy’ Blauvelt was a great mentor. Part disciplinarian and part drinking buddy, one of the best things he taught me was that even the most disagreeable, stick-in-the-mud individuals could still have something worthwhile to offer.
Because most of us worker bees were young and unencumbered by notions of punctuality and work ethic, we would frequently try to skip out on a day of work here and there. Willy, having done his own time calling in with the ‘beer bottle flu’ was on to us from the get-go, but he would make note of the best excuses and remind us of what worked and who, eventually, had to come to work. The following anecdotes are todays worthwhile offerings from me.

(Riiiiiiing)
Marty- 'Can't make it in to work today, Bill'

Bill: 'Why not Marty?'

By Matt Wendland

Burien Police find squatters living in former Burien City Hall
Burien Police located a group of squatters living within the former Burien City Hall property on the morning of January 17th. The building is located on the northeast corner of the Burien Town Square development just north of where the new City Hall sits above the Burien King County Library. The squatters appeared to primarily be living in a detached shed on the northeast corner of the building near a loading dock and port. This is not the first time transients have been asked to leave the grounds. On multiple occasions previously, transients have been found living under the cover of an entrance or in the shrubbery surrounding the building. The former City Hall is expected to be removed later this year when ground is broken for two buildings that will bring the Burien Town Square development nearly to completion. Construction for those buildings is expected to last between one and one and one half years.

Stethoscope used to assault Metro driver in northern Burien

PARKLAND, Wash.—Prospective Pacific Lutheran University student Alicia Hoag, from Mount Rainier High School, has been awarded a prestigious President’s Scholarship worth $22,000 a year—along with the opportunity to earn even more.

PLU offers a number of merit scholarships to recognize academic achievement, leadership and service, as well as the promise of continued success in these areas as a PLU student. The Presidential Scholarships are renewable for three additional years of undergraduate study.

More than 600 incoming freshmen apply for Presidential Scholarships each year, and the standards are high: Students who have demonstrated significant leadership and service and have achieved a 3.8+ GPA or 1,250+ SAT (critical reading and math only) or 28+ ACT are eligible to apply.

Pool District welcomes new commissioners, district manager

DES MOINES – Three new faces are gracing the offices of the Des Moines Pool Metropolitan Park District with the swearing in of two new commissioners and the appointment of a new district manager.

Schell Ross and Toni Overmyer were recently elected to the board of commissioners, replacing Bernadette Barrett and Marty Martinson, respectively. Ross and Overmyer are the first new commissioners for the board since its formation in 2009 when voters overwhelmingly approved creation of the district to save the Mount Rainier Pool from closure.

Also attending his first board meeting Jan. 7 was Rodger Bennett, the district’s new manager. Bennett has more than 25 years of experience in city and financial management, most recently as the financial officer for the Snoqualmie Tribe and city manager for Florence, OR.

2014 EMPTY BOWLS

Join us for a meal and help fight hunger in our community!

Friday, January 31st
Lunch: 11am-2pm
Dinner: 4-8pm

Burien Community Center, 14700 6th Ave SW
$15 minimum donation, $10 for children
Empty Bowls events can be found around the country raising money to combat hunger in our communities. Moshier Art Center Potters have donated bowls to be filled with soup at this fun event...all are invited! Your donation will get you the opportunity to pick out a beautiful handmade bowl, as well as a simple but wonderful meal of soup, bread, dessert and drink; all donated by local businesses.

Proceeds go to Highline and White Center Food Banks.
Event brought to you by Burien Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services and Discover Burien.

www.BurienParks.net
parksinfo@burienwa.gov
206-988-3700

Sports Watch

Pros

Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are ready and waiting in New Jersey for their second Super Bowl appearance ever after flying into Newark on Sunday.
Denver will provide the competition in the Big Game that is scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 2 at Met Life Stadium.
The action will be shown in the Puget Sound area on KCPQ Channel 13 and nationwide on the Fox network.

Thunderbirds
Seattle visits Everett for a 7:30 p.m. match at the Comcast Arena this coming Friday and drops in on Portland for 7 p.m. action against the Winterhawks on Saturday.

Colleges

Men's basketball
The University of Washington visits Washington State University for 3 p.m. action at Friel Court in Pullman on Saturday with Pac-12 cable carrying the action live.
Seattle University visits Idaho in nearby Moscow at 7 p.m. that day, with Gonzaga going to Santa Clara at 8 p.m. Wednesday and to San Francisco at 7 p.m. Saturday.
Both Gonzaga games will be shown on the ROOT sports cable network.

Friday, Jan. 24
Boys basketball
Lindbergh 49, Evergreen 33
Kevin Ford knocked in nine points for the Wolverines in Friday's loss.
Highline 61, Tyee 59
The Pirates edged out the Totems by two points in Friday's game, led by the 17 points of Montae Rainwater.
Ahmed Hersi hit a game-high 18 for Tyee.
Kennedy 74, Foster 61
Ben Mitchell tallied 28 points for Foster, but it was Kennedy with the 21 points of AJ McGrew that won Friday's game.
Kentwood 76, Mt. Rainier 55
Andrew Lenneberg led the Rams with 24 points this past Friday.
Vashon 46, SCS 34
Cody Miller hit 11 for Seattle Christian in a loss on Friday.
Girls basketball
Mt. Rainier 66, Kentwood 42
Mount Rainier was led by the 33 points of Brittany McPhee in Friday's game and Emily Fiso was next with 16.
Evergreen 48, Lindbergh 39
Caroline Tupa scored 17 for the Wolverines in Friday's win and Marleisha Cox finished with 14.
Tyee 61, Highline 38
Zareya Flowers hit 21 points and Zakeya Flowers 28 as the Totems won Friday's game.
Zoe Beyene led Highline with nine.
Vashon 33, SCS 32
Madelyn Weber's 15 points led Seattle Christian in Friday's loss.

In a spate of changes at the Seattle Police Department, Interim Chief of Police Harry Bailey announced on Jan. 29 that Southwest Precinct Commander Joe Kessler was being promoted to Assistant Chief, Patrol Operations Bureau and replacing him in the role of Commander would be Captain Steve Wilske, who was promoted to that rank in August. Captain Pierre Davis, who has often met with media and done community outreach in West Seattle has been promoted to East Precinct Commander.

Bureau and Precinct Command Assignments
by Interim Chief of Police, Harry Bailey on January 29, 2014

Since I have become the Interim Chief of Police, I have made it a priority to keep the employees of the Seattle Police Department informed about all of the changes occurring—I want you to hear about them from me first. With that in mind, I would like to give you some information about the reorganization of two bureaus and make some important personnel announcements.

Bureau Changes

By Bob Sims

Federal Way's "Vicious" Vincent Thompson's shot at the big time turned sour Saturday night in distant Bethlehem, Pa.
Travis "My Time" Kauffman, a native Pennsylvanian, dampened the dream.

The heavy-hitting, 6-foot-3, 237-pound Kauffman defeated Thompson by unanimous decision in the 10-round main event at the Sands Bethlehem, securing the previously vacant WBA Fedelatin heavyweight title before a raucous crowd rooting on their favorite son.

"I think they were shocked and surprised I pushed his ass 10 rounds and didn't get knocked out," said Vince Thompson by phone Monday. "He's known to knock people out early on his home turf."

Thompson said he was taken aback by the level of rancor and epithets directed at him by fans at the venue, even by children.

"I proved a world-class heavyweight couldn't knock me out in his own house," said Thompson, who took the fight on short notice, despite the odds.

Thompson, throughout his short career, has said he will take on anyone, any time.

The judges scored the fight 100-90, 100-90 and 98-92.