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Friday, February 14, 2014
Auburn no longer a hot spot for stolen vehicles
CONNOISSEUR OF COMICS
By ROBERT WHALE rwhale@auburn-reporter.com
Comic books have been a big part of John Hill’s life since he was a boy. Today he makes them his business at his own comic book store in Auburn. “I wanted to create a family environment where kids can come,” Hill said. shawn skager, Reporter
PASSION FOR PAGES OF COMICS By SHAWN SKAGER
sskager@auburn-reporter.com
John Hill wasn’t quite ready to open his own comic book store. According to Hill, 43, owner of the freshly opened Hills of Comics store at 14 Auburn Way S., it just happened. “I planned on opening a store in Tukwila originally but not for a couple more years,” the Skyway
Auburn’s Mauricio Martinez escaped his trouble-filled past to flourish at school and in his community. MARK KLAAS, Auburn Reporter
Tickets: www.auburnwa.gov/arts | 253-931-3043
native said. “I’ve been doing trade shows and conventions for about 30 years (and was going to keep doing that).” Hill, by day a custodian at Auburn High School, said he was content selling comics and toys online and at conventions. But when a chance to lease the retail space in the Auburn Freemason’s lodge popped up, he and his
[ more COMICS page 8 ]
Auburn has a reputation for being a dicey place to park one's car. Honda Accords and Honda Civics are particularly juicy peaches to the thieving set, consistently topping the list of models stolen, according to state crime statistics. But that rap against Auburn as some south-end car-theft haven is undeserved, said Auburn Police Chief Bob Lee. Indeed, Lee told the Municipal Services Committee on Monday afternoon, Auburn's numbers are in line with or below what's happening in other
south-end cities of comparable size, including Kent, Federal Way and Renton. As of January 2014, thieves had stolen 49 cars in Auburn, compared to 92 in Renton, 93 in Federal Way and 76 in Kent. Like every other police agency in the state, the Auburn Police Department reports its crime statistics yearly to the Washington Association of Sheriff 's and Chiefs. And the good news is that as far car thefts go, the numbers are down considerably from what they once were. [ more THEFTS page 8 ]
Schools’ tech levy passing Reporter staff
In early returns Tuesday, voters within the Auburn School District were approving the district’s $22 million technology capital projects levy by a 54-to46 percent margin.
As of 8:15 p.m., 4,901 votes were yes, and 4,160 were no. The early results reflect a moment when only 9,070 votes had been counted, 23.67 percent of the total pool of 38,320 [ more LEVY page 23 ]
Teen gets his life in order to help others Martinez shares his story at AYR benefit breakfast Friday BY MARK KLAAS mklaas@auburn-reporter.com
His mother and father’s frequent fights filled the air with dysfunction and rancor.
To shut out the hell at home, Mauricio Martinez turned to drugs and alcohol. He began to smoke marijuana by age 11. He fell into the “wrong crowd,” and paid for it. “I liked it. I thought it was a way to escape my problems. It became an everyday thing,” Martinez said. One problem led to another. His life
spun out of control. But when the boy found the professional help he needed, all the bad stuff stopped. Martinez, a junior at West Auburn High School, shares his story of recovery on Friday as a guest speaker at the Auburn Youth Resources and Enumclaw
bravo [ more TEEN page 23 ]
February Comedy at the Ave | February 15, 7:30 p.m. | $17/$15, Auburn Ave. Theater AveOlympics Movie: Downhill Racer | February 16, 2 p.m. | Free, Auburn Ave. Theater Ave Kids: Goldilocks | February 22, 2 p.m. | $8, Auburn Ave. Theater 953313