January 2015

By Kyra-lin Hom

Emotion is a strange monster. We villainize rage as a bad temper, typecast bouts of extreme sadness as depression, and label boredom as an attention deficit. Yet we also revere heroic vengeance, dramatize traumatic grief and exemplify the arrogance and impatience of genius. I'm not speaking medically, I'm talking about our attitudes as layman, civilians, non-medical personnel and, particularly, the producers and consumers of media. All of this sends a very mixed message.

We're taught, especially in the Northwest, that emotions are to be contained. We are allowed to feel happy, inspired, interested and even a little upset, but negative emotions are not socially acceptable. True anger, jealousy, anxiety, regret, despondency – you get the idea – are viewed more as indulgences with social consequences. Or to be more precise, the expression of such 'negative' emotions is ill-desired by our social standards. That's one of the reasons violent and melodramatic books, TV shows, movies and games are so popular. They are cathartic, vicarious experiences for us civilized folk.

The Highline Historical Society is hosting a “Now and Then” presentation by popular documentary photographers/historians/authors Paul Dorpat and Jean Sherrard on Saturday, January 24, 2 PM at SeaTac City Hall.

Dorpat has written his popular column for The Seattle Times’ Sunday magazine since 1982, and has published a dozen books, including three volumes of regional now-and-then photographic comparisons drawn from his column, and “Building Washington,” an illustrated encyclopedic study of the state's historical development that he co-authored with Genevieve McCoy. Dorpat's collaboration with Jean Sherrard began in 1999 with the production of bumberchronicles, a video history of Bumbershoot, for KCTS-9. In 2004, Sherrard began helping with the “now” photographs for Dorpat’s column.

This program is free to Highline Historical Society members who can show their current membership card. An $8 donation is requested of all others. SeaTac City Hall is located at 4800 S 188th Street in SeaTac. Parking is free. For more information, visit www.highlinehistory.org

by Ed Shepherd
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

What Kennedy Catholic's got the Evergreen basketball team needs to find, said, Joseph Thach, the team's leading scorer of a loss against the Lancers.

The visiting Lancers wrote this game's ending early, grabbing a 27-7 lead after just the first-quarter, en route to a 73-40 Seamount League win Friday.

The Lancers improved to 7-0 in the Seamount and 11-2, overall while the Wolverines dropped to 2-4 and 3-10, overall.

And, what do the Lancers have that Thach's team needs to find?

"Teamwork, playing within a system," said Thach. "And, we are not going to just play as a team, we are going to play physical, bump the screen. I felt like that was the difference-maker. They played hard 'D' and switched off the screens. We have got to do that, too, get low, put a hand in their face, contest every shot"

Burien, WA– Families, community members, and staff are encouraged to attend upcoming community meetings about Highline Public Schools’ proposed levy and bond measures on the February 10 ballot.
 
Renewal of an Educational Programs and Operations Levy would pay for basics such as teachers, books, buses and other essentials not fully funded by the state.
 
The bond would replace the district’s two oldest schools, build new schools to accommodate growing enrollment and lower class sizes, and make critical repairs and technology upgrades district-wide.
 
Meeting participants will:
• Learn the facts about the proposed levy and bond measures.
• Learn how the bond proposal was modified based on community input.
• Have the opportunity to share concerns and have questions answered.
 
Community Meetings
 
Wednesday, January 14
6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Highline High School cafeteria
225 South 152nd Street, Burien
 
Thursday, January 15 (primary focus: Des Moines Elementary replacement project)
6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Des Moines Elementary School cafeteria
22001 9th Avenue, Des Moines
 

Thief makes off with cash, leaves computer

By Ed Shepherd
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

Getting first places in nine of 12 events, along with having much greater depth for seconds, thirds, fourths and fifths in races, the traditional state power, Kennedy Catholic boys swim team easily handed the Tyee/Evergreen/Highline co-op team a loss in a swimming meet at the Evergreen Pool Thursday.
The Lancers, top 10 in the state in boys swimming at state last season, look to grab that kind of spot for a finish this time around, too, or, higher, like the year before at state, when the fourth place honor was mustered, or top five the year before that.

"Top 10 looks good for us and we might be able to fight our way to fifth or sixth," said Sean Prothero, Lancers coach, who attended Kentwood High School, 1999-2003, and still helps hold the 400 yard freestyle relay pool record at that 4A school. And, he is helped by his little sister, Marley, who won the state title in the 200 IM (individual medley) when she was at Kentwood a decade ago.

"We have a chance to make our mark, again," said Prothero.

After collecting feedback on parking recommendations from Ballardites, SDOT has issued a plan for the proposed parking changes in Ballard.

Through the Ballard Partnership for Smart Growth, SDOT, City officials and the Ballard Chamber of Commerce banded together to study parking in Ballard’s urban core and the surrounding area. Their work in 2014 developed short-term changes to parking with an aim to improve parking access in the neighborhood.

The proposal is designed to help customers and visitors find parking while equalizing the needs of local employees and residents. The feedback was used to revise their original proposal.

 “Through that process, we heard from many different stakeholders about the challenge of parking in the Ballard commercial district,” stated SDOT.

SDOT shared the findings on parking with the community Ballard.

Wide scale parking changes have not been made in Ballard since 2005.Come spring of this year, SDOT will implement the parking changes and will continue to monitor parking conditions through their annual citywide parking survey.

By Ed Shepherd
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

Kennedy Catholic wolfed down the Evergreen Wolverines Friday, getting out to a 27-7 lead after the first quarter en route to a 73-40 chewing of the home team Friday.

The Lancers improved to 11-2 overall, and 7-0 in the Seamount, while the Wolverines dropped to 2-4 in league and 3-10 overall.

"We took care of what we should have taken care of," said Lancers coach Don Hoffman.
Munch. Munch. Munch.

The biggest eater, so to speak, was Parker Diller, as the Lancers senior really led his team, scoring-wise, early on, getting 13 of those 27 first quarter points for his team. And he gobbled up game scoring honors, too, with 19.

But Hoffman didn't single out any players on his Lancers squad.

"Everyone played well," said Hoffman. "Everyone shot well."

The first quarter. It really was the crushing blow. The Wolverines missed every single two-point field goal shot they took, 0-for-6 in the first quarter, as the Lancers snapped in 7-for-10 shooting in the same frame.

By Ed Shepherd
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

Highline placed seven wrestlers in finals and received 10 placers overall and that was good enough to hold off a hard-charging Shelton Highlanders squad as the Pirates laid claim to the first place honors of the Highline School District Invitational held at the Mount Rainier Rams gymnasium Saturday.

Pirates head coach Casey Rice answered the question matter-of-fact when he was asked if he thought his 3A Highline team could beat out seven other schools competing for the invitational title, including 4A school Skyline and current Narrows League co-leader Shelton with a 6-1 record.

"Thought we had a chance," said Rice.

The Pirates scored 186.5 points. Shelton followed with 165.5, then Skyline (Issaquah) had 144.5, Lakes 126 and Mount Rainier 109. Anacortes scored 76, Evergreen-Tyee 66 and Enumclaw 43.5.

It was close, though, in the end, comparatively speaking, as, entering the championship matches, the Pirates owned a bigger cushion than the end over second place Shelton. The Highlanders had 146.5 points going into the final, to the Pirates' 172.5, so the foe picked up 20 points to the Pirates' 15 in the last round.

By Ed Shepherd
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

Mount Rainier got some strong efforts from its wrestlers in the Highline School District Invitational that had eight teams participating from all over the state of Washington and was hosted in the Rams' gym on Saturday.

"It was a good tournament for us. We had a girl get first and two girls get third, and a freshman in the final but we are rebuilding. We have a lot of ninth graders," said Ruben Cortinas, the Rams' head wrestling coach.

That said, it's no surprise to say the Rams did not win the tournament or place (second), or show (third), they weren't event showing up in fourth place in this race. Fifth. But, they tried hard, fought hard. And, out of the eight teams in attendance, plus a few more schools there on the girls side, separate from the boys, the Rams did alright, with, perhaps, the most exciting ending of a wrestling match out of the whole invitational by James Davis.

Highine won with 186.5 points, Shelton finished second at 165.5, Skyline third 144.5, Lakes fourth 126, Mt. Rainier fifth 109, Anacortes sixth 76, Evergreen-Tyee seventh 66 and Enumclaw eighth 43.5 points.