June 2015

 
DES MOINES, Wash. — Dr. Gene Sharratt has been recognized for his dedication, passion and outstanding contributions to education by Highline College. Currently Executive Director of the Washington Student Achievement Council, Sharratt will be honored as the 2015 Distinguished Alumnus Award winner during the college’s commencement ceremony on June 11 at the ShoWare Center in Kent.

“Dr. Sharratt represents the ideal Highline College graduate,” said Dr. Jack Bermingham, President of Highline. “He has dedicated his life to improving education and fostering student success. He remains an unabashed community college advocate whom we are proud to recognize as the college’s 2015 Distinguished Alumnus.”

July 20, 1923 ~ May 23, 2015

Andrew Hess was born July 20, 1923 in Abilene, Kansas.

Andy attended the University of Kansas and University of Pennsylvania prior to entering the WWII Naval Midshipmen’s Program. He finished his undergraduate studies at the University of Washington, earning a BA in Political Science. Andy continued graduate studies at the UW working on a Master’s Degree in Economics. Prior to completing this degree, he entered public service as a state legislator. He was a longtime member of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity, KU Chapter.

Andy served as a Lt. (jg) United States Navy, C.O.U.S.S. on different vessels. He was the Executive Officer on the Subchaser 1326, Pacific Theatre, and was the Commanding Officer when this ship was decommissioned in Seattle, WA at the end of WWII. There, he met his future wife, Dorothy Fields. She had also served honorably during the war as a flight nurse with Medical Air Evac Squadron 804 in the Southwest Pacific. They were married June 14, 1946.

Burien Police and Burien C.A.R.E.S. rescue passed out dog in hot car

By Andrea Reay, Executive Director, Discover Burien


Save the date because this Father’s Day weekend, June 20th and 21st marks a sacred annual tradition in Burien, The Wild Strawberry Festival! Downtown Burien will once again be transformed as we gather to celebrate together as a community. The festival will include a stage with live music and dancing, wandering street performers, arts and crafts, and of course great vendors and spectacular food including the now famous strawberry shortcake; the signature food at the event. All proceeds from the shortcake sales go to help fund the good work that Burien Arts does for our community. What could be sweeter than that?

New this year is the addition of the Touch a Truck event on Saturday. Kids of all ages will have the opportunity to explore, and learn about a variety of trucks. For more information on all the activities and events at the Wild Strawberry Festival please visit www.burienstrawberryfestival.org.

By Tim Clifford

On June 3 the 17-year-old suspect who was shot in the head by a King County Sheriff’s Deputy was released from Harborview Medical Center and booked into a Youth Service Center. The teenager car theft suspect is currently facing charges of 1st Degree Assault, Attempted to Allude Police, and two counts of 1st Degree Malicious Mischief.

A Decline hearing to determine if the suspect will be charged as a minor or an adult is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on June 15 in Juvenile Court. While the Highline Times does currently have the name of the suspect since he is a minor we will not publish it pending the results of his Decline hearing.

On May 28 the suspect was spotted at 8:10 p.m. driving along S. 216 Street in SeaTac in a white 1996 Lexus that had earlier been reported stolen out of Federal Way. KCSO deputies Josh Fowler and E. Hall (first name unknown at this time) teamed up in two different patrol vehicles to pull the suspect over.

By Tim Clifford

Two counts of Vehicular Assault and two counts of Reckless Endangerment are facing 42-year-old Des Moines resident Justin Ozbun following a wrong way collision on June 1 that left multiple people injured. According to the charging documents, one of the victims is currently in critical condition at Harborview and is not expected to survive her injuries at this time.

According to the documents, dispatchers received multiple calls around 11:15 a.m. on June 1 of a 5-car collision near the I-5 northbound off ramp on S. 320th Street in Federal Way. Numerous witnesses at the scene informed responding officers that the cause of the accident was a black 2008 Dodge Challenger that was moving an estimated 100 mph in the wrong direction of the eastbound lane.

Pot deal turns to armed robbery

The Chamber of Shipping of America (CSA) has recognized 75 Foss Maritime vessels with the 2014 Jones F. Devlin award for outstanding safety records.

The award is given to self-propelled merchant vessels that have operated for two full years or more without a crewmember losing a full turn at watch because of an occupational injury. The Jones F. Devlin award publicly recognizes the skills and dedication of the hardworking men and women who are responsible for those safe vessel operations.

The 75 Foss vessels were recognized at the CSA Annual Safety Awards Luncheon held this year on May 28th in New Orleans.

Both hybrid tugs the Carolyn Foss and Campbell Foss achieved five or more years of safe operations.

Altogether, the Foss vessels achieved the equivalent of 529 years of incident-free operation. Sixty-three vessels had five or more years, and ten vessels boasted 10 to 21 years without a lost-time injury.

"Foss takes safety very seriously," said Paul Stevens, Foss president and CEO. "The safety of our people and the environment are always our top concerns, and this is evident in all of

by Mike Gain
Berkshire Hathaway Real Estate

Locally home prices are continuing to rise at a steady pace and continue to outpace both inflation and wage gains. Seattle is still experiencing historic lows in inventory of homes for sale when measured against the demand. However, the supply and demand fueled by historically low interest rates, a growing economy, improving consumer confidence and consumer finances, continue to push up the numbers of homes selling and the home prices. Also the King Counties jobless rate just dipped to 3.3%; its lowest in seven years. Only five cites saw prices increase at a faster pace than Seattle's, according to Standard & Poor's/Case Shiller home price index. Trulia also ranked Seattle as the sixth fastest-moving housing market in the Country. Locally the average prices of homes listed and sold in May 2015 at Berkshire Hathaway  Northwest Real Estate with offices in King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties were up 8% over May 2014 and are up year to date 13% compared to 2014. Median prices for the entire MLS were up 11% in May with the greatest price increases outside of King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties.

By Pat Cashman

Ten years ago this month, the author delivered a commencement address to the graduating class of Highline Community College. Here, in part, are those remarks---with only a few additions tossed in:

I stand before you today because no chair has been provided.

This is the very first commencement address I have ever been asked to deliver.
Well, there was one other. It was to the graduating class of the Federal Way Kinder Care. And what I told those graduates, I also say to you today: “Do not…under any circumstances…run with scissors. If you must run with something…how about a spatula?”

That’s what I told THOSE young people---and then after making a couple of other remarks, I quickly wrapped up that speech because it was time for the graduating classes’ nap.

Looks like some of you are also beginning to doze. Excellent idea. Experts say we need seven hours of sleep each day. Please feel free to get the first two in as I continue this speech.