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GONG! | Renton’s craziest talent competition returns this weekend. [10] FLYING HIGH | Hazen snowboarder Austin Buza is on his way to Colorado to compete in the national championships [Sports 15]
NEWSLINE: 425.255.3484 FRIDAY, MARCH 14, 2014
City, PSE at odds over $34,000 Renton says the money is owed over delays to a construction project By Brian Beckley bbeckley@rentonreporter.com
Hazen Gold team member Jesse Choi, right, competes in the team relay event at the World Sport Stacking Association 2014 Northwest Regional Championships this past Saturday at Auburn High School. Shawn Skager, Auburn Reporter
Hazen students compete at ninth annual regional sports stacking competition By SHAWN SKAGER
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FAA cancels tower lease, but plans to stay
sskager@auburn-reporter.com
A
uburn High School’s gymnasium resounded with the rapid fire, click-clack of plastic stacking cups last Saturday, as competitors from throughout the Western States and Canada, including Hazen High School, pitted their skills against one another in the Northwest Regional Sports Stacking Championships. For the past nine years, regional stackers have vied for world, national and personal-record times in various events, all featuring timed stackings of a set of 12 uniformly-sized cups, placed upside down on a flat surface, stacked in one of three configurations and disassembled quickly. The goal is to complete a stacking cycle in as little time as possible. Winners at the regional competition earn a berth in the U.S. Sport Stacking Association’s National/Kansas City Open championships on March 29 in Kansas City, Mo. From there, stackers can take it to the next level at the WSSA World Sport Stacking Championships on April 26 in Jeonju, South Korea. For the past seven years, Hazen High School has fielded a team composed of special needs students in the special stackers division. Last Saturday, keyed by 19-year-old Pierce Harris – world record holder in the 3-6-3 and cycle events – Brittney Drebert – world record holder in the pairs 3-6-3 and cycle events – and Jesse Choi and Manuel Bettencourt, the team won its division’s head-to-head relay competition. Although the accolades, ribbons and trophies are all part of the fun, special educa-
By Brian Beckley bbeckley@rentonreporter.com
Last year, during the federal government sequestration, the City of Renton fought with the Federal Aviation Administration over keeping the Renton Municipal Airport tower open. Funding was secured and the tower, which houses FAA air-traffic control staff, remained open. But this spring, a new wrinkle has ap-
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The work to widen Garden Avenue North and realign the intersection with Logan are complete, but the City of Renton is still wrangling with Puget Sound Energy over $34,000 the city says PSE owes for part of the project the city believes should have been the responsibility of the energy purveyor. The money is part of a $200,000 increase in the project budget that was recently approved by the City Council. According to Public Works Administrator Gregg Zimmerman, a series of delays on the Garden Avenue project, including changes to the design to allow new sidewalks to connect with the planned Highlands to Landing trail, changes in