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SCHOOL NEWS | Two School of Distinction award winners crowned in Federal Way [2]
VOL. 14, NO. 50
Mirror
F E D E R A L WAY
division of Sound Publishing
OPINION | Roegner: Answers to your political questions [4] Firearms Lawyer: News story shows gun store in a false light [4] BUSINESS | Buffalo Wild Wings opens new restaurant next week at the mall [6] CRIME BLOTTER | Police officers inspect a suspicious pair of women’s underwear [8]
SPORTS | Big win for Federal Way native CALENDAR | Local holiday entertainment includes two Centerstage shows [15] FRIDAY, Dec. 14, 2012 | 50¢ Benson Henderson at KeyArena [16]
Wallet thieves target shoppers By ANDY HOBBS editor@federalwaymirror.com
Federal Way police are warning holiday shoppers and retailers about a possible pickpocket operation in the region. Police believe three or four well-dressed black male suspects are stealing wallets from shoppers at Fred Meyer, Walmart and Walgreens. Similar thefts have been reported in Kent, Mercer Island, Bellevue, Seattle and unincorporated King County between Nov. 2630, according to police. One incident occurred Nov. 26 at the Federal Way Walmart Supercenter, where an 80-yearold widow’s wallet was stolen from her purse as she shopped in the early afternoon. The wallet contained cash and credit cards, along with the victim’s Medicare card and ID. Immediately after the theft, transactions for $500 pre-paid Visa gift cards were made in quick succession at Walgreens and Bartell’s stores in Des Moines, Tukwila and South Seattle. The spree included failed attempts to withdraw cash at ATMs with the victim’s bank card. The total cost of the fraud and stolen cash is about $2,100, according to the police report. [ more THIEVES, p. 22 ] NEWSPAPER RACKS: To see a list of rack locations for the print edition of The Mirror, visit federalwaymirror.com/about_us.
Memorial garden will honor veterans School district agrees to help find a suitable site By GREG ALLMAIN gallmain@federalwaymirror.com
The Federal Way School Board unanimously approved a decision to let Superintendent Rob Neu
negotiate the placement of the Veterans Memorial Garden of Puget Sound on district property in the near future. During the board’s Dec. 11 meeting, Federal Way City Councilman Bob Celski, along with Federal Way Community Gardens Foundation director Mike Stanley, were on hand as part of the veterans garden
steering committee. Both took the time to describe their vision for this project. “We know that Federal Way lacks a place to recognize veterans,” Celski said, “but, what Federal Way as a community does have is a great location.” By location, Celski meant Federal Way’s central placement between
the military installations that dot the Puget Sound, and other related veterans facilities, such as Veterans Administration hospitals. “Our vision is to provide a destination, a place that’s a destination for the entire Puget Sound region,” Celski continued. “We want to make a very special place, worthy of [ more VETERANS, p. 22 ]
Students study nuclear reactor in man’s garage By GREG ALLMAIN gallmain@federalwaymirror.com
Education
NEWS
Decatur High School freshman Makayla Long and her grandmother Betty Long work on stockings for Christmas House. To learn more or donate, visit www.multi-servicecenter.com. COURTESY PHOTO
Teen fills thousands of Christmas stockings with gifts for children By TRICIA SCHUG For The Mirror
Children in Federal Way may not know 15-year-old Makayla Long, but because of her, they know the fun of getting a stocking filled with gifts on Christmas morning.
For the past 10 years, Long has helped to fill between 10,000 and 15,000 stockings for needy children. This year, she and her grandmother, Betty Long, also of Federal Way, packed 1,500 stocking stuffer bags, which will be distributed
next week through Christmas House, a cooperative effort of area churches and Multi-Service Center. At Christmas House, parents shop for their children in a store-like setting at Steel Lake Presbyterian Church. [ more STOCKINGS, p. 22 ]
Usually, when teenagers gather together in a garage on a Friday night, it means they’re likely up to no good. However, in Federal Way, a group of local teens gathers every Friday, from 7 to 9 p.m., to study nuclear physics and science. As crazy as that may sound, it’s true. Thanks to Carl Greninger and a partnership with Federal Way Public Schools, a select group of students are given the privilege of performing scientific experiments with Greninger’s fully functional IEC-9000 nuclear fusion reactor. Greninger works as the IT operations program manager for Microsoft by day and moonlights as a nuclear physics and science teacher by night. The chance to work with the students who gather at his house every Friday night is one Greninger relishes. “I love it. I am totally about this. These are the best of the best, and there isn’t a bozo in the bunch,” he said. “They are top flight kids.” Greninger’s love for all things nuclear came from his family and his time in the military. “After I got out of the Army, I did five years with the Air Force at Fairchild Air Force Base, and then I went on to do another five years at Submarine Base Bangor, and did things I will not confirm nor deny,” he said with a chuckle. On Dec. 7, Aviation High School student Jake Hecla was giving a lecture on the plastic known as C-39, and how it can be used to study the ways radiation interacts with matter. The intent of an upcoming project that Hecla and parts of the group will be working on is to study how neutrons are emitted from Greninger’s reactor. The C-39 will be integral in their experiment. While that lecture was going on, Greninger gave a tour of his facility that’s located in his Federal Way garage. Tucked away behind something of a hidden door, one walks into a dark room full of strange and [ more NUCLEAR, p. 14 ]