January 2015

Rep. Gael Tarleton (D-Ballard) introduced a bill, HB 1162, that would limit the use of suction dredging in Washington rivers and streams. Suction dredges are aquatic vacuums used by miners to collect and sort precious metals at the bottom of river beds. The practice can harm fish habitats and their spawning grounds.

Suction dredging is mostly unregulated in Washington state. Tarleton’s bill would require the state Department of Fish and Wildlife to establish a workgroup and study the impacts of suction dredging on native fish habitats. The workgroup would include diverse stakeholders such as Native American tribes and recreational groups. A moratorium would also be imposed while the department studies the practice.

“Washington state lags far behind our Pacific Northwest neighbors in placing reasonable restrictions on suction dredging,” said Tarleton. “It’s time for us to ensure that regulations protecting access to public lands and waters apply to everyone – fishers, hunters, and miners alike. We must protect access for future generations.”

BY GERARDO BOLONG
Contributing Writer

After seven consecutive losses, the continually learning Mount Rainier girls basketball team persevered to claim a 48-42 win at South Puget Sound League 3A Auburn on Mon., Jan. 19. It was the team's first win since Dec. 19, 2014.

The Rams improved to an overall 4-11 record.

"I was happy they reacted to the pressure," said MR head coach Salvo Coppa. "They played with character and personality, scoring with free throws."

Tied at 35-35 with 6:20 remaining in the fourth quarter, the young Rams finally ascended the mountain top of victory. Simone Johnson, CeCe Tafia, Kenzie Gandy and Ami Yoshino combined for seven consecutive points to establish a seven point lead -- the largest of the game -- with just more than three minutes showing in regulation play.

The next sequence provided positives for each team, but essentially turned the proceedings in favor of Mount Rainier. Nya Yat stole the ball for the home Trojans and proceeded to convert a standard 3-point play to bring Auburn within 42-38 with three minutes left.

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

Friday, Jan. 16
Boys basketball
Bainbridge 50, West Seattle 47
The Wildcats of West Seattle were edged by their visitors from Bainbridge Island in Friday action.
Nathan Hale 57, Chief Sealth 56
Host Nathan Hale slipped past Chief Sealth by one point Friday.
Shorewood Christian 67, Muckleshoot 36
Shorewood Christian of West Seattle won against the Muckleshoot Tribal School this Friday.
Kennedy 79, Highline 38
The Lancers sank the Pirates in Friday's game.
Hazen 75, Evergreen 43
Hazen hammered the Wolverines Friday.
Kent-Meridian 66, Mt. Rainier 50
Mount Rainier took a road loss to the Warriors on Friday.
Charles Wright 54, SCS 40
Seattle Christian came up short Friday.
Seattle Luth. 66, MR Luth. 64
Seattle Lutheran scored a close win over Mount Rainier Lutheran this Friday.

Girls basketball
Chief Sealth 56, Nathan Hale 15
Chief Sealth cruised to victory on the road against the Rams on Friday.
MR Luth. 57, Seattle Luth. 49
Seattle Lutheran fell to Mount Rainier Lutheran in a Friday game.
Kennedy 54, Highline 36

By Ed Shepherd
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

Darwin Jones has made it to the point that hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of youth league soccer players in the USA want to make it to but do not.
Major League Soccer.

"Overwhelming, exciting feeling, knowing that the time has finally come," said Jones, who just finished, in November, helping the University of Washington men's team play in an NCAA Tournament Elite 8 game against Michigan State, a 3-2 loss, but not before going into overtime and a shootout.

And Jones, the leading scorer on the Huskies in this his senior season, made it to the professional ranks in the best way possible -- getting signed by the home team Seattle Sounders prior to having to enter the MLS draft.

"Home" because Jones is from Des Moines, having played soccer in high school for Mount Rainier, having helped lead the Rams into the playoffs each of his four seasons there, including the championship game when he was a sophomore.

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

Thursday, Jan. 15

Wrestling
Highline 46, Hazen 29
Highline continued its winning ways Thursday by pinning a Seamount League loss on the Highlanders of Hazen.
Kennedy 42, Evergreen 36
The Lancers edged Evergreen in Seamount League action Thursday.
Kennedy 52, Tyee 12
Kennedy Catholic also defeated the Tyee portion of the Evergreen/Tyee team Thursday.
Federal Way 60, Mt. Rainier 22
Mount Rainier was topped by the Eagles on Thursday.

Boys swimming
Evergreen/Tyee/Highline
Lindbergh defeated all three members of the combined Evergreen/Tyee/Highline team Thursday.
The Eagles outdistanced Highline by a 101-59 score, defeated Tyee, 142-3, and Evergreen, 142-0.
Mount Rainier 93, Puyallup 77
The Rams rallied to sink the Vikings in Thursday action.

Wednesday, Jan. 14

Boys basketball
Evergreen 58, Tyee 47
Evergreen topped the Totems on Wednesday.
Kennedy 68, Foster 53
The Lancers were winners against the Bulldogs this past Wednesday.
Renton 57, Highline 49

information from Andersen Construction

Andersen Construction will be de-constructing the tower crane for the West Seattle Junction project on 1/24/15. This work will require closure of the north end of the 4700 block of 42nd Ave. SW.

42nd Ave SW will remain open during this work from Edmonds to the Safeway parking ramp.

This work will be performed during the hours of 5:00am – 9:00pm.

Please note, this work is being managed under direct supervision of Andersen Construction, and will be performed as efficiently as possible.

Federal Way man charged in 20 Soundside and Pierce robberies
A 21-year-old-man from Federal Way suspected in twenty robberies in south King County and Pierce County was taken into custody and charged on Wednesday, January 7th. Prosecutors from both counties are now investigating the roll of Valoaga Falaniko in the robbery of twenty 7-Eleven locations in Auburn, Des Moines, SeaTac, Tukwila, Lakewood, Tacoma, Spanaway and Federal Way in November and December. Flank’s alleged spree was ended after the clerk from the robbed 7-Eleven in Federal Way on Christmas Eve followed him out of the store to get the license plate number and a description of the getaway vehicle.  Falaniko is now being held on $100,000 bail. 

Crimes reported between 12/28/14 and 1/11/15

Home and Business Larceny/Burglary:

By Anastasia Stepankowsky

Nate Pryor juked, drove and soared his way to 28-points. With a sudden twist of his body, he passed the ball or drove down the court to put the ball through the net. But it wasn’t enough for the West Seattle Wildcats to upset the Rainier Beach Vikings in Metro Conference Sound Division boy’s basketball Tuesday night.

Pryor netted more than half of the Wildcats’ points in a 62-48 loss to the defending state 3A champions at Rainier Beach High School.

West Seattle (5-5) stuck with the first place Vikings (9-1) until well into the second half, and coach Keffrey Fazio was pleased with the Wildcats’ effort.

“When you come into this gym you know what kind of game you need to bring with you. I thought we did that,” Fazio said. “It just speaks that when we put our mind to something we can compete with just about anybody.”

The game opened with stingy defense. In fact, almost four minutes had elapsed from the first quarter, before either team got more than one score from the field. Rainier Beach led only 15-9 after the first quarter.

Moshier potters have teamed up with Discover Burien and Burien Parks and Recreation to host Empty Bowls 2015.  Empty Bowls events can be found around the country raising money to combat hunger in our communities.  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, drink and dessert donated by area businesses.   Proceeds will go to the Highline Food Bank and White Center Food Bank.
 
To celebrate our 10 year anniversary we will have new elements this year: a raffle/auction of beautiful handmade serving bowls, gift baskets and more; wine sampling from 4-5pm, and wine for purchase from 4-8pm!

Information: (206) 988-3700 
http://www.burienwa.gov/index.aspx?NID=840
 

By Gwen Davis

On Tues. Jan. 20, work stopped at Terminal 18 at the Port of Seattle for the entire day after Longshoremen walked off the job.

Today, the terminal reopened and workers are back, according to Bob Watters, SSA Marine's senior vice president.

Workers left on Tues. because they demanded that the operator hire more workers for Terminal 5, something SSA wasn’t willing to do.

According to Watters, however, workers’ request was outside of SSA’s jurisdiction.
“They were asking us to hire more people yesterday, but we did not need more people at Terminal 18,” he told West Seattle Herald. “Workers said to us ‘if you don’t hire more people for Terminal 5 we’ll walk off and might be back at noon.’”

“We said, ‘if you’re going to walk off, don’t bother coming back until tomorrow,’” Watters responded to them.

SSA Marine only operates Terminal 18 and doesn’t have rights to operate Terminal 5, which is property of the Port of Seattle.

Watters said that he doesn’t know why workers asked SSA to hire more people for Terminal 5.
“There’s no work over there,” he said. “I don’t know why there was a request for workers.”