January 2016

A Seattle woman is behind bars after a man was fatally injured after being struck by her SUV just days before the new year. The crash took place on Dec. 28 just after 5 p.m. near the intersection of S. 152nd Street and Military Road S. in SeaTac. King County prosecutors allege that Katherine D. Ferguson was driving under the influence when she struck and killed Abdul Mohamed and injured a man he was walking with as they crossed a street. Emergency responders arrived on the scene to find that the victim had been hit by a GMC Suburban before being drug a short distance on the pavement with the SUV. Mohamed was rushed to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle in critical condition but was declared dead a short time after arriving. Filing paperwork shows that Ferguson told police that she had been pulling out of a Taco Time parking lot when “two men came out of nowhere” and walked in front of her vehicle. Officers on the scene noted that she appeared to have been drinking though she denied being under the influence before failing several field sobriety tests.

Lawrence Bird was always ready to pitch in and help, whether it was scouts, the church, or later, Optimus Club. He was a driving force in his family and the community. Born January 28, 1922, Bob was the only surviving child of Hazel Lorinda (Harter) and Lawrence Earl Bird.

Bob grew up in south central Nebraska around Hastings and had a difficult childhood. His father left town and his mother died unexpectedly when he was 2. Bobby was then raised during the Great Depression by his soon widowed maternal grandmother. After graduating from high school in 1941, he joined the Federal Youth Corps, where he learned to make radios and other electronic listening equipment. He went on to study radar, joined the Army Reserves, got a security clearance and went to South Carolina for training in the Signal Corps. In 1944, Bob served in Europe as a Tec 4, and as he once said, “in the 20/40 Club,” which meant he eared $20 per week for 40 weeks.

After WWII he worked at a grain elevator and used the GI Bill to put himself through Hastings College, and managed to graduate summa cum lade in just three years.

Lawrence Bird was always ready to pitch in and help, whether it was scouts, the church, or later, Optimus Club. He was a driving force in his family and the community. Born January 28, 1922, Bob was the only surviving child of Hazel Lorinda (Harter) and Lawrence Earl Bird.

Bob grew up in south central Nebraska around Hastings and had a difficult childhood. His father left town and his mother died unexpectedly when he was 2. Bobby was then raised during the Great Depression by his soon widowed maternal grandmother. After graduating from high school in 1941, he joined the Federal Youth Corps, where he learned to make radios and other electronic listening equipment. He went on to study radar, joined the Army Reserves, got a security clearance and went to South Carolina for training in the Signal Corps. In 1944, Bob served in Europe as a Tec 4, and as he once said, “in the 20/40 Club,” which meant he eared $20 per week for 40 weeks.

After WWII he worked at a grain elevator and used the GI Bill to put himself through Hastings College, and managed to graduate summa cum lade in just three years.

Longtime Des Moines resident, Ed Hensen passed away January 9, 2016.

At a young age Ed left his home in Germany to travel the world. Travel he did and he found his place in the Northwest of the USA, in Des Moines, Washington – between the Rocky Mountains of the Midwest and the Pacific Ocean.

He owned his own construction company, European Builders.

Ed is survived by his sister and his brother, seven nephews and their children, of Germany.

If you like to say farewell, send your condolences, or leave a good story, please email his nephew, Kai Buerger, at: kabuerger@gmx.de.

Published in The Highline Times Section of The Westside Weekly January 22, 2016.

By Matt Wendland

A 36-year-old man was found with life threatening injuries by police after officers responded to reports of a shooting at the Heights at Burien apartment complex.

The shooting took place around 4 p.m. on Wed., Jan. 13 at the complex located on the 13700 block of 12th Avenue South, just off Ambaum Boulevard in Burien. According to Sgt. Cindi West of the King County Sheriff’s Department, officers arrived on the scene to find the man with at least one gunshot wound. He was rushed to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

West also reported that a second man arrived at the Highline Medical Center in Burien with a gunshot wound, but police are investigating whether the two incidents are related.

This shooting comes just five days after officers found a teen, later determined to be Highline High School student Alberto Zavala, shot dead in the very same parking lot on January 8.

Now that I am among those people who did not win the Power Ball lottery, I can finally
reveal that if I had won---I would have used the money to send all the kids of our area to Disneyland. Or---if they preferred---Toyota-thon.

But alas, not only did I not win---neither did you. And my ticket was not even close to the winning combination. In fact, it only contained three actual numerals. The rest were fractions and a semi-colon.
Salving our collective wounds are the many stories about lottery winners for whom things went terribly awry after collecting their prizes. It is a litany of drugs, gambling, crime, bankruptcy and human misery---everything that would make a terrific Netflix series.

One guy in West Virginia won big in 2002---followed by a chain of ugliness. His car was broken into on two occasions. The first time, $545,000 in cash was stolen. The next time, $200,000 was swiped. Note to all of you future lottery winners: Do not keep your winnings in your car. Cash should always be kept under a mattress.

Born March 25, 1997 and raised in Burien, WA, Paije Glover, 18, passed away December 27, 2015 at Harborview Medical Center from an automobile accident.

Paije is survived by her parents, Donna and Kevin Glover; brothers, Josef and Patrick; and many family members and friends. Paije is now with her aunt, Tabitha Bly, who recently passed away.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, January 23, 2016, 4–8 p.m., at Tyee (ACE) High School, which Paige attended, 4424 S. 188th St., SeaTac, WA. Come celebrate Paije's life, which was taken too soon.

Published in The Highline Times Section of The Westside Weekly January 22, 2016.

By Amanda Knox

I don’t know how old I was exactly, but I was as old as you are when you stand eye-level with the kitchen counter. All the neighborhood kids were gathered in my backyard and we were playing pretend. In this game, I was a cat that bestowed wisdom and favor from my lazy yet daring perch atop the swingset. It must have been late afternoon, because I was hungry and assumed everyone else was hungry too. Without further ado, I found Mom in the kitchen and asked, “Mom, can I make everyone peanut butter sandwiches?”

She was standing at the kitchen sink, looking out at the backyard through the window, and there was a moment before she responded, as if she were entranced. From my kitchen-counter angle, all I could see of her view were the first orange hues in the sky. Finally she turned to me and said, “I’m glad you thought to do that. Of all the things I wish for you to become, I wish that you be kind.”

taff at Highline Public Schools is seeking input from students and community members in developing a long-term plan for ensuring every student in the class of 2026 will graduate bilingual and biliterate.
 
The public is invited to participate in a series of community meetings and an online survey. 
 
"We value community input to shape our action plan," said Bernard Koontz, Language Learning and Teacher Development Executive Director. "Our programming for biliteracy has grown significantly over the last few years. Dual Language programs have expanded, and World Language programming continues to get stronger. However, to reach our 2026 goal, we need to do more to ensure that all students learn to read and write in two languages."
 
Do you have ideas for strengthening bilingual education in Highline? Join the conversation and invite others to participate. 
 
Open Community Meetings:
 
Meetings will begin with a presentation, followed by a group conversation. 
 
Tuesday, January 25 
6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Highline Public Schools
Central Office - North Classroom
15675 Ambaum Blvd. SW
Burien WA 98166