Find adventure, enjoy scenery rafting on the Sauk, D6
Baseball player of the year: Cascade’s KJ Brady, C1
SUNDAY, 06.08.2014
Bumpy switch to 777X at Boeing 777 sales nose-dived after the new jet was unveiled, which may force a slowdown of the Everett production line.
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EVERETT, WASHINGTON
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$1.50 (HIGHER IN OUTLYING AREAS)
class of 2014
A new heart new horizons and
After transplant, Everett senior can, at last, live on her own terms
By Dan Catchpole Herald Writer
EVERETT — The Boeing Co.’s 777 has been one of commercial aviation’s most successful airplanes. But the company has been struggling to sell it since unveiling a successor — the 777X — late last year. Right now, the company’s Everett plant churns out 100 of the popular airplanes a year — an historically high rate for a wide-body jetliner. At that pace, existing orders will keep the line busy until about January 2017, three years shy of the 777X’s scheduled entry into service in 2020. Boeing continues to be upbeat about getting enough orders for existing 777 models to bridge the gap at the current production rate, but aerospace analysts think that is a bridge too far. The 777 faces stiff competition — including two long-range Airbus models — as well as an uncertain air-cargo market. Boeing will likely have to slow production to keep the line running, analysts say. The Chicago-based company has only received a trickle of orders since formally unveiling the 777X in November. Customers could wait for the new airplane or choose competing products that are not near the end of their production run. Boeing executives have repeatedly said they are confident about bridging the gap. But the company hasn’t ruled out slowing the production rate. “It’s our plan to stay where we’re at and have a successful transition,” said Randy Tinseth, vice president and head of marketing for Renton-based Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “At the same time, we always monitor the market” to make sure supply and demand are balanced. See 777, Page A8
By Sharon Salyer Herald Writer
GENNA MARTIN / THE HERALD
Micaela Powell, 18, had a heart transplant in February. She will graduate from Everett High School on Saturday despite missing three months of school while she recovered.
standout graduates
happy days
Read more stories about notable grads from the class of 2014 on Pages A6-7.
See photos from recent graduations on B1 and at www.heraldnet.com.
EVERETT — Micaela Powell walked from her Madison neighborhood home to nearby stores last week, an 18-year-old in search of a summer job. It took her more than an hour to walk the one-and-ahalf-mile loop. Even at this distance, it was a milestone, the longest walk of her life. Powell, an Everett High School senior, was born with multiple heart problems. They included a hole in her heart and a heart valve that helped regulate blood to her lungs that didn’t close properly. “She turned blue really easily,” said her mom, Jennifer Powell. “Her heart didn’t have enough ‘pump’ to it.” Micaela Powell had her first heart surgery in 2003, when she was 7. Two more surgeries followed in 2007 and 2012. “The surgeries would give her a little bump in energy,” her mom said. “She got better for a while, then she would progressively decline. Her heart was oversized, overworked and slowly wearing out.” Her third surgery, when she was a high school junior, caused her to miss two months of school. Doctors at Seattle Children’s Hospital first broached the subject of a heart transplant about five years ago. “It took her a while to come around, to be convinced that she needed one,” said Dr. Erin Albers, a transplant cardiologist at Children’s. “She was nervous See HORIZONS, Page A10
NO TRIPLE CROWN
EVERETT REVIVAL
About 300 purses will be auctioned off at a fundraiser in Everett. Good Life, D1
California Chrome’s bid falls short as Tonalist wins Belmont Stakes. Sports, C1
Music festival shows that downtown could be a vibrant place to live. Viewpoints, B9
Celebrations . . A10 Classified . . . . . E2
Crossword . . . . D4 Dear Abby. . . . . D5
Horoscope . . . . D4 Lottery . . . . . . . A2
Moneywise. . . . E1 Movies . . . . . . . D5
Obituaries. . . . . B5 Viewpoints . . . . B9
Soothing 69/52, C8
VOL. 114, NO. 125 © 2014 THE DAILY HERALD CO.
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