Renton Reporter, December 16, 2011

Page 1

RENTON .com

REPORTER

A DIVISION OF SOUND PUBLISHING

FRIDAY DECEMBER 16/11

TISH GREGORY | A giving heart cannot just go cold turkey [4]

End of an era | Bob Bridge sells his Toyota Scion dealership in Renton to O’Brien Auto REPORTER NEWSLINE 425.255.3484 Group [3]

First look | Previews for Hazen boys, Lindbergh girls, Liberty girls and Liberty boys basketball teams [12]

Southwest launches MAX with record order Machinists OK contract extension by 74 percent BY DEAN A. RADFORD dradford@rentonreporter.com

Boeing and the Machinists who build the Next Generation 737s are at peace for at least five years, with union ratification of a

contact extension last week. The Machinists’ request to drop its complaint against Boeing over its 787 assembly line in South Carolina was approved by the National Labor Relations Board. And Boeing continues to sell lots of 737 MAXs, including 150 firm orders from Southwest Airlines announced Tuesday, which ensures the Dallas-based

company will fly the first 737 MAX commercially as the launch customer. Boeing, workers and Renton are all having a run of good aerospace news. While Renton has diversified its business base over the years, those family wages Boeing pays are a backbone of the city’s economy. Building the MAX in Renton ensures the future of

those jobs for decades. The International Association of Machinists District 751 and its 28,000 members, along with other Machinists across the country, made history when they approved the new contract on Dec. 7 by 74 percent. That vote gave Boeing the assurance it needed to move forward with building the 737 MAX

in Renton, where all 737s now flying have been built. “As a result of this vote, we have the strongest commitment to the future of aerospace jobs in Washington state that we’ve ever had,” union leaders wrote to members after the vote. History was made again this [ more MAX page 16 ]

Thieves making rounds of homes: be on the alert BY DEAN A. RADFORD dradford@rentonreporter.com

King Parker donned this festive holiday hat Monday night to let fellow council members know what he plans to do on Monday nights, now that he has retired after three terms on the council. Strapped to the hat’s sides are cans of Bud Light beer. DEAN A. RADFORD, Renton Reporter

BY DEAN A. RADFORD dradford@rentonreporter.com

King Parker spent a busy night Monday, his last as a Renton City Council member, calling on fellow council members to approve numer-

ous changes to city land-use and zoning regulations. Those procedural votes capped eight months of work by city planners, the Planning Commission and the City Council, including Parker’s Planning and Development Com-

[ more KING page 16 ]

[ more BURGLARIES page 16 ]

206.949.1696 www.marciemaxwell.com Marcie Maxwell Associate Broker, Realtor & CRS

Lisa Lam

Realtor, CRS, ABR & ASP

549223

King Parker says goodbye to City Council after 12 years

mittee He leaves behind a clean slate of committee work and a legacy of 12 years on the City Council that will shape Renton for years to come. There was the last time he would say, “Thank you, Mr. Mayor,” at least at a council meeting. There was even one last “Geez Louise.” He listed what he felt were his biggest accomplishments, including developing the Renton Ahead of the

Christmas is the season when residential burglaries and vehicle break-ins increase as thieves try to steal the spirit of the holidays. But neighbors and other shoppers in those vast parking lots can fight back by keeping alert. Renton Police Det. Robert Onishi encourages residents or anyone to call 911 immediately if they see something suspicious in their neighborhood or the community. That means 90,000 pairs of eyes keeping watch, he said, of the city’s popula“The first line of tion. defense is the “The first line of defense is the neighbors.” Renton neighbors,” he said. If something Police Det. Robert Onishi doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t, he said. And it’s a lot cheaper to put all those unwrapped presents in a trunk, rather than paying to replace a broken window on a car. Last week, a residential burglary in the Highlands drew a large police presence as three police agencies - Renton, Bellevue and the King County Sheriff ’s Office – searched for two suspects. Sierra Heights Elementary School kept students indoors and locked doors until it got an all-clear from police. Bellevue Police and sheriff ’s deputies were already on alert because of recent burglaries in those areas. One of four suspects in that residential burglary Dec. 8 in the Highlands was charged Tuesday – and has admitted


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.