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Governor Rosie the Riveter
Gov. Gregoire spends the day learning aerospace industry beginning to end
Council rejects motion to delay West Hill vote By DEAN A. RADFORD
By DEAN A. RADFORD
dradford@rentonreporter.com
dradford@rentonreporter.com
The vote on the annexation of West Hill to Renton will occur as planned on Nov. 6, despite ongoing concerns by the City of Renton about its ability to pay for services there. The Renton City “There is a lot of Council voted 4-3 Monday night to reject a economic potential up there.” Steve motion to delay the anHolman nexation vote indefinitely and remove it from the November ballot. West Hill residents and business leaders spoke in favor of letting the vote move forward. They’ve waited four years for the vote; the annexation petition setting the process in motion was certified in December 2008. “There is a lot of economic potential up there,” said Steve Holman, who lives in Bryn Mawr. West Hill is a “diamond in the rough,” he said, before the council vote. The City Council discussed the issues at length during its Committee of the Whole meeting prior to its regular meeting. Preserving a sales-tax credit from the state, a critical piece of the financing package, was a key consideration. The vote came after council members
Gov. Chris Gregoire uses a rivet gun Wednesday at an airplane assembly class at Renton Technical College, under the watchful eye of class instructor Howard Blinder. Keeping the piece of metal steady was her classroom partner, Michael Bourgeois. dean a. radford, Renton Reporter ranked the No. 1 manufacturing region in the country and in large part that’s due to aerospace,” she said. The aerospace program at RTC is all about ensuring “Boeing continues to have the highest-skilled workers,” she said.
Duck Hunt III begins
Gregoire started her day at about 8 a.m., sitting with the other students in front of instructor Howard Blinder, who went over the goals for the project. Each student had a partner; Bourgeois sat with her. The students are learn-
[ more west hill page 9 ]
Former homeless honored at ARISE celebration By TRACEY COMPTON tcompton@rentonreporter.com
Even a bright light couldn’t force this rubber ducky to reveal its location, so you’ll have to figure it out yourself. The game card for Duck Hunt III is on page 4. Renton Reporter
ing how to assemble jetliners. Their tools are drills and rivet guns, used to install the fasteners that keep an airplane together. The students had already done preparation online; now was the time for the hands-on [ more gregoire page 11 ]
Crack cocaine derailed the life of Wayne Harlan Whitehead for about four years before he discovered the ARISE Men’s Homeless Shelter and got back on his feet. Prior to his transformation, Whitehead was involved with the drug and would get so depressed he didn’t venture outside except to buy beer.
Crack made him so paranoid that he finally turned himself in to a hospital’s mental-health ward where he started his “little comeback.” Whitehead would eventually seek refuge at the ARISE program in Renton. “The first night I was there and I slept on a mattress on the floor, it just felt like all the weight was lifted, it was safe,” Whitehead said. He was one of three formerly homeless men honored for their accomplish-
ments at a June 5 celebration at Harambee Church in Renton. Now Whitehead has permanent housing, spends some of his time volunteering and is working on securing a job. ARISE is an acronym for Area of Renton Interfaith Shelter Endeavor. Although the program has existed since 2004 and helped many men find jobs, permanent housing or treatment, this was the first time it held a formal celebration [ more arise page 14 ]
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Gov. Chris Gregoire received high praise Wednesday. “That’s a good-looking hole,” said her classroom partner, Michael Bourgeois, who is training to become an aerospace assembly mechanic at Renton Technical College. Bourgeois says he never expected to be drilling holes with the governor of the state. But, on Wednesday Gregoire wanted to see the production of an airplane from start to finish, beginning with an aerospace classroom at RTC, followed by a visit to the 737 production plant in Renton and finally time in a flight simulator. “The whole day is about learn it, build it and fly it, and what the aerospace industry means to the state of Washington” said Gregoire Wednesday morning before she headed out for the rest of her tour. “Puget Sound has now been