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REPORTER
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KIRKLAND
FRIDAY, MAY 31, 2013
A DIVISION OF SOUND PUBLISHING
Kirkland Wednesday Market returns to Marina Park
JHS students protest security guard’s controversial dismissal
Kirkland Reporter
J
uanita High School senior Rachel Sibley waved a picket sign that read “We support you, Jeff ” as she sat atop a student’s shoulders on May 23. The principal and an official with the Lake Washington School District looked on as more students joined the crowd out on the football field. More than 100 students protested the dismissal of their beloved security
guard Jeff Lewis. “Bring Jeff back!” the crowd cheered, while others chanted, “Jeff is an awesome guy, [the] accusations are a lie!” At the end of the day about 500 had signed a petition to bring the former Staff Star back. “Our school really isn’t the same place without him,” said student Ryan Keyes, co-organizer of the student-led walkout. “Everybody looked up to him.” Last March, Lewis was recognized as an exem-
plary staff member. “[Jeff ] looks the part of a tough, no-nonsense security guard. But once you spend a little bit of time with him, you see the gentler side. You see a man who cares a lot about the students, staff and school where he works,” stated the district article written about Lewis when he received the Staff Star recognition. Lewis worked at the school as a security guard for six years. But the man who once served special needs youth for 11 years at Lynnwood
delivering a “food experience” at the park this year, according to O’Neal. After two years on The market will host Park Lane, the Kirkland returning vendors, such Wednesday Market will as Veraci Pizza and Steel return to Marina Park to Wheel, who were at serve its 2013 season. Marina Park prior but left “[Marina Park] can when the market reloaccommodate about 20 cated to Park Lane. more vendors,” said mar“We just really want to ket manager Jeni O’Neal, support our local farmadding that there will be ers while bringing fresh 58 vendors throughout healthy produce to the the summer. “We’re really Kirkland residents,” said excited.” O’Neal. The new location is But new craft vendors expected to bring a bigsuch as Mindzeye Fused ger crowd to the farmers Glass, Navarro Jewelry market. and SB Design (that speAlthough O’Neal could cializes in hand painted not estimate just how silk scarves), will also many more people are have a significant presexpected to attend the ence at the market. market throughout the Story time for the chilsummer, dren will be she said every other the Park week and Lane locathe Humane tion drew Society plans about to host a pet 2,000 to adoption 4,000 visievent. tors daily, O’Neal with 40 said the marvendors. ket wouldn’t “We’re be possible definitely without the expectsupport of ing those Evergreennumbers to A vendor prepares flowers at Health Medithe Kirkland Wednesday Market. increase,” cal Center, FILE PHOTO O’Neal the market’s added. main sponA new sor. food truck called Falafel The Kirkland WednesSalam will join Buns, a day Market will run from food truck selling burg2 p.m. to 7 p.m. every ers, to add flavor to the Wednesday between June 37 other food-related 5 and Sept. 25. vendors. For more information, The Kirkland Wednesvisit www.kirklandday Market will focus on wednesdaymarket.org. BY RAECHEL DAWSON
rdawson@kirklandreporter.com
Juanita High School students show their support on Tuesday for the school’s security guard that the Lake Washington School District dismissed following an incident with a female student.The students held a walk-out at the school on May 23; however, the district would not allow the Reporter to take photos of that event. Pictured are students Rachel Sibley, Nick Jensen, Thomas Zapletal, Ryan Keyes, Garrison Whaley-Sharp, Myles Williams, Eric Brown, Darby Swayne, Michael Macleran, Ashley Manawa, Alaina Sanders, Thanh Truong, Emma Frostad, and Itzell Rolon. CARRIE RODRIGUEZ, Kirkland Reporter BY RAECHEL DAWSON AND CARRIE RODRIGUEZ
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High School, was put on paid administrative leave in January after an incident with a female student. School district spokesperson Kathryn Reith, who was at the student-led walkout, said because the terms of Lewis’s dismissal are a “personnel matter” the district cannot speak to the specifics. “… And that’s hard for the kids too because they don’t have the information that was gathered by our HR department about [ more PROTEST page 3 ]
Police seize electronics that may contain child porn from home during search BY CARRIE RODRIGUEZ AND RAECHEL DAWSON Kirkland Reporter
Kirkland and Seattle police seized some electronics from a Kirkland home the morning of May 21 that police be-
lieve may contain child pornography. Kirkland police and the Seattle Internet Crime Against Children Task Force served a joint search warrant at the home in the 13000
block of 129th Ave. NE in Kirkland’s Evergreen Hill neighborhood. Kirkland police Sgt. Rob Saloum said he was unsure exactly what devices were seized, but that detectives would “most likely” be
looking for “some type of child pornography.” Seattle police will assist Kirkland police by conducting the digital forensic examination of the electronic devices that were seized, said Seattle
police Capt. Tag Gleason, who declined to comment on the case. A neighbor reported seeing a resident in handcuffs, however Saloum said that police may restrain residents during the search
warrant process. “At this point, no arrests [have been] made until they get a chance to look at some forensic evidence,” said Saloum, adding that this is an active investigation.