February 2016

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

Penner scores big for SPU

Mitch Penner, a Kennedy graduate, hit over 20 points twice last week for the Seattle Pacific University men's basketball team.
Penner scored 27 in an 81-71 victory over Northwest Nazarene on Thursday before hitting 21 in a 71-68 loss to Central Washington University on Saturday.
Penner also had seven rebounds and one assist Thursday and five rebounds and four assists Saturday.

McPhee sinks 16 in win

Mount Rainier High School graduate Jordan McPhee swished in 16 points for the Seattle Pacific University women's basketball team in its 61-56 victory at Simon Fraser on Saturday to go with seven rebounds and three assists.
She had four points, eight rebounds and one assist, one block and one steal in a 60-43 loss to Western Washington University on Thursday.

Gandy hits eight twice

Mount Rainier graduate Kina Gandy scored eight points in Western Washington University's win over SPU on Thursday to go with two rebounds, three assists and one steal.
She also had eight points in an 81-52 victory over St. Martin's on Saturday and added five rebounds and three assists.

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

Saturday, Feb. 20

Boys basketball
Seattle Lutheran 72, Shorewood Christian 50
Seattle Lutheran won the Tri-District tournament title with a victory over nearby West Seattle rival Shorewood Christian at the Lummi Nation school Saturday.
Both teams now advance to the regional level of the state Class 1B tournament, playing games at Renton High School this coming Saturday.
Seattle Lutheran meets Columbia Adventist at 8 p.m. and Shorewood Christian plays at 2 p.m. against Naselle.
Lincoln 49, Kennedy 46
The Lancers of Burien finished sixth in West Central District Class 3A play with Saturday's loss to Lincoln at Rogers High School in Puyallup.
Kennedy will still play in regional action but will have to go all the way to Spokane to do it.
The Lancers meet Shadle Park in a 4 p.m. Saturday game at University High School.

Girls basketball
Mercer Island 48, West Seattle 44
The Wildcats took another close loss Saturday at Bellevue College to finish fourth in Sea-King District 2 action.

Article courtesy of Gerardo Bolong

SUMNER - After a season battling through injuries, the Seattle Christian girls basketball team fell victim to energy drop offs, turnovers and rebounding struggles in a 49-33 West Central District III 1A loss to Olympic League No.1 seed Coupeville on Fri., Feb. 19 in a 2016 winner-to-state Hardwood Classic regionals, loser-out game at Sumner High School.

Hard working Seattle Christian finished with a 4-4 third place Nisqually League record before defeating Klahowya 60-35 and losing to No. 1 Nisqually League Bellevue Christian, 54-44, on the way to the Coupeville game. The Warrior overall record ended at 10-8.

"This was a game where the ball just didn't go in the hole," said SC head coach Dave Jansen. "I'm proud of them and everyone tried hard. The energy level we had in the first quarter against Bellevue made me think we were the best team in the league before we ran out of gas. That level of energy just wasn't there tonight. Give Coupeville credit. (Makana) Stone was really tough inside."

Article courtesy of Gerardo Bolong

SUMNER - After a season battling through injuries, the Seattle Christian girls basketball team fell victim to energy drop offs, turnovers and rebounding struggles in a 49-33 West Central District III 1A loss to Olympic League No.1 seed Coupeville on Fri., Feb. 19 in a 2016 winner-to-state Hardwood Classic regionals, loser-out game at Sumner High School.

Hard working Seattle Christian finished with a 4-4 third place Nisqually League record before defeating Klahowya 60-35 and losing to No. 1 Nisqually League Bellevue Christian, 54-44, on the way to the Coupeville game. The Warrior overall record ended at 10-8.

"This was a game where the ball just didn't go in the hole," said SC head coach Dave Jansen. "I'm proud of them and everyone tried hard. The energy level we had in the first quarter against Bellevue made me think we were the best team in the league before we ran out of gas. That level of energy just wasn't there tonight. Give Coupeville credit. (Makana) Stone was really tough inside."

Police are investigating the cause of a fire that left one in the hospital and 44 people without a home. The fire was first reported about 1:20 a.m. on Feb. 20. Emergency responders arrived to the complex on the 3200 block of S. 192nd Street in SeaTac to find units on the second and third stories of the complex already ablaze. One woman was found injured on the grass below the balcony of her second story unit. She was rushed to a local hospital with severe burns. Firefighters believed that many residents were still asleep in the their units and began to evacuate the building while fighting the fire. Red Cross responded to help assist those who were displaced by the fire and King County Metro Transit provided a bus to keep residents warm and provide transportation to wherever they would be staying. By the time the fire was put out, 18 units had been damaged but only one person faced any serious injuries. According to the apartment complex management, many residents will be offered units in other apartment buildings they own and all tenants were required to have renters insurance. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. 

Westside Baby will hold it's 15th Annual Communitea on Sunday March 20, at the Hilton Seattle Airport & Convention Center at 17620 International Blvd. in SeaTac. The event will run from 2pm to 4:30 pm.

The keynote speaker will be Vicki Clark, noted consultant and trainer who has devoted the past 25 years to strengthening nonprofit organizations.
Individual tickets are $45 with a suggested minimum donation of $100 at the event.

WestSide Baby was formed to meet the basic needs of children living in poverty in King County. The organization has provided diapers, clothing and equipment to children in need.

King County Elections certified the final results of the February 9, 2016 Special Election today. Total voter turnout was 29% percent.
On Mon., Feb. 22, by 4:30 p.m., the department will post its final electronic canvass (e-canvass) results, including precinct-by-precinct information, on the Elections website.

• Registered voters  627,083
• Ballots issued  637,442
• Ballots returned  179,706
• Ballots counted  176,617
• Ballots cast on accessible voting units  28
• Ballots returned at drop boxes  31,595
• Signatures initially challenged  1,726
• Signature challenges resolved  874
• Ballots returned too late  1,994
• Ballots returned as undeliverable  6,046
• Calls to voter hotline  1,626
• Emails from voters  612

Normandy Park, WA — Local Author Georgette Vikingstad Valle will celebrate the launch of her third book, Hi Diddle Diddle, Read a Bird Riddle with a book signing at the February 25th Normandy Park Art Gallery Champagne Reception. Illustrations from the book by Debra Valpey of Burien’s Artists United will be featured in this exhibit, along with works from five other artists. Attendees will be treated to live classical guitar duets, champagne, hors d’oeuvres and a chance to purchase a signed book copy from Georgette.

DES MOINES, Wash. — Ekkarath “Ekk” Sisavatdy has been selected as the Director of the AANAPISI program at Highline College. It is a new position at the college, resulting from a five-year, $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to increase enrollment of and provide extra support for Asian American and Pacific Islander students.
 
Highline is an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution—or AANAPISI—because it has an undergraduate enrollment of at least 10 percent Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students. The enrollment threshold is determined by the U.S. Department of Education. Highline serves the most diverse community in the state, which is mirrored in its student population that includes approximately 70 percent students of color, more than 20 percent of whom are AAPI.
 

Olympia – Legislators honored a select group of educators from around the state this week as a part of Civic Education Day on Presidents Day.  Professor T. M. Sell, a political science professor from Highline College, and Jennifer Muscolo, a 7th and 8th grade teacher at Pacific Middle School in Des Moines, were recognized for their efforts to develop civically minded students.
 
Sell, who has taught courses in political theory, government, and economics at Highline College since 1996, integrates into his curriculum regular trips to Olympia so that students can experience what government looks like in action. In addition to engaging students in the process, Sell encourages students to go into their community and learn through service by helping citizens register to vote and raise funds for local initiatives.  Professor Sell regularly invites local municipal, county and state elected office holders to discuss their views with his students in the classroom.