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Automotive class preps students for careers
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Covington looks for community to weigh in
BY REBECCA GOURLEY
BY SARAH WEHMANN
Reporter
Reporter
Amid a slowly recovering economy, one industry remains in high demand and the Tahoma High School has been tapping into that this year. Luke Thompson, automotive technology instructor at Tahoma, said there’s a MAPLE high demand VALLEY for technicians in the automotive industry. Thompson, who is an Automotive Service Excellence master certified technician, teaches Tahoma students the skills they need to get a job in an auto body shop. The program is a three-course series and Thompson said he taught 150 students over the course of the last year. Twenty-
The city of Covington is looking for community members to run a Parks and Recreation Priorities Advisory Committee or PRePAC. City Manager Regan Bolli said in an email the city is looking COVINGTON for about 15 people to serve on this committee. He said Covington is looking for “a citizen-based effort to recommend strategies for creating the stable, sustainable funding stream needed to develop and operate recreation and parks in Covington.” Bolli said the committee would meet “no less than once per
Camille Watson, left, sings “The Star Spangled Banner” during Kentwood’s graduation ceremony on
13 at the ShoWare Center. Kentlake graduate Rachel Diccicco, top right, her mother Vandy and Start of a June friend Holly Rogers celebrate following commencement. Tahoma graduates Taz Campos and Shayden New Chapter Freebairn share a kiss before the ceremony June 11 at the White River Amphitheater.
[ more CAREERS page 10 ]
DENNIS BOX, The Reporter
[ more COMMUNITY page 15 ]
Young pilot wants to break records and raise money for multiple sclerosis BY REBECCA GOURLEY Reporter
Brett Easter, a 14-year-old student pilot living in Covington, has a grand goal. This summer he hopes to become the youngest person to fly solo across Washington. Easter has been taking flying lessons at Crest Airpark in Covington since he was 11. His passion for flying no doubt was embedded by his dad, Bill, a former pilot himself. “(My dad) always talked about it,” Easter said. Another part of Easter’s mission is to raise money and awareness for multiple sclerosis, a disease his mom, Kyna Lawless, was diagnosed with in 2006. Easter said his mom is coping well with her disease, but endures flare ups once in a while. Easter started a GoFundMe page (https://www. gofundme.com/brettsultralight) a couple months ago to help him both buy the plane he needs to make the trip across Washington and raise money for National Multiple Sclerosis Society. His goal is to raise $10,000.
About $4,000 of that will be put toward the purchase of the plane, which is called an ultralight. An ultralight aircraft, under Federal Aviation Regulation 103, can be legally flown solo by someone who is 14 years old or older. Any other aircraft requires the pilot to be at least 16 years old to fly it. After fuel expenses and storage fees for the aircraft are paid, the rest will be donated to the MS society, Easter said. The trip Easter plans to take is 270 miles from Westport to Spokane. In all, the trip will take him six to seven hours he said because the plane goes about 48 knots, or 55 mph. Easter said he’s not nervous about making the journey, although his dad has a different view. “I would be (nervous) if he were leaving today,” Bill said. He said the aircrafts his son has been training with for the last three years have been very different from the ultralight he wants to use for the trip. [ more PILOT page 15 ]
Brett Easter, 14, wants to be the youngest person to fly across Washington state in an ultralight aircraft (not pictured). Courtesy Photo