Tukwila Reporter, December 16, 2015

tukwila reporter 12 • 2015

Merry Christmas

coverstory | page 10

AN EKBERG ‘FIRST FAMILY CHRISTMAS SCHOOL CONNECTIONS: Tukwila School District update, pages 14-16

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2 h DECEMBER 2015 «

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Local residents become naturalized citizens REPORTER STAFF

Azemina Gurdic was all smiles.

The young woman, who came to America from Bosnia-Herzegovina, officially became a U.S. citizens in a special naturalization ceremony at the Renton Library. She calls Tukwila home recently and works at Nordstorms.

“It’s a special day,” she said. “It also means I can now have a passport and travel.”

Gurdic, one of 29 new U.S. citizens, including from Tukwila, who took the Oath of Allegiance at the ceremony, led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Megan Kenny, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Seattle Field Office Supervisory Immigration Services officer, administered the Oath of Allegiance at the ceremony, the first of its kind in the library since its renovation.

The new citizens, who all live in the local

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Azemina Gurdic, of BosniaHerzegovina, leads the new U.S. citizens in the Pledge of Allegiance during Monday’s ceremony at the Renton Public Library.

Gurdic lives today in Tukwila, MARK KLAAS, Reporter

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area, come from 17 nations.

Syveste and Glody Divava, brothers who immigrated with family from the Congo nearly more than five years ago, enjoyed the moment. They both live and work in Kent.

“It’s a special day,” said Syveste, 19, who works for Amazon. “I took a lot of work but it’s great to become an American citizen.”

Glody, 21, who works for UPS, added: “It feels great. I can now have a passport.”

Gary Wasdin, King County Library System director, was the keynote speaker.

One of the new citizens, Auburn’s Na “Nay” Young Park, performed the National Anthem. She sang professionally in her home country, South Korea. Park works in supply chain support for TMX Aerospace in Kent.

USCIS invited new citizens and their families and friends to share the experience via Twitter, using #newUScitizen.

206-243-4455 • www.ftpc.org

Finding the Connection

Dave Perkins

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With the New Year on the way, we want everyone in the community to consider coming down the Tukwila Pool and enjoy the warm water. There are many benefits to swimming and you don’t have to just swim laps to get some good exercise. Just playing in the pool is a physical activity that can be beneficial to your health. So, whatever age you are, the Tukwila Pool is a place that can be part of your healthy lifestyle.

For you serious lap swimmers out there, we are going to start posting the “Workout of the Day.” We hope this program will provide you some added motivation to get that laps.

We also want to remind every-

A SWEARING IN On Monday, Nov. 30, 2015 at 6 p.m. history was made at the Tukwila Pool as the first independently elected Tulwila Pool Metropolitan Park District Commissioners were sworn in before a standing room only crowd. Incoming Commissioners Vanessa Zaputil, Ellen Gengler, Christine Neuffer, Jeri Frangello-Anderson and David Puki were elected by Tukwila voters in the November General Election. Attendees included Mayor-Elect Allan Ekberg as well as City Council Members Joe Duffie, Dennis Robertson and Kate Kruller who administered the oath. Melissa Hart, community member and City of Tukwila Deputy Clerk generously volunteered her time to notarize the oaths. Also in attendance were family members, community members, District staff and State Senator Bob Hasegawa.

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one that Tukwila Pool will host its monthly special event on Dec. 16 from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. The theme this month is “Winter Fiesta” and we will be having music from around the world, a cannonball contest and food for you to enjoy. So come join us for this fun event. Price is only $3.

Some important dates coming: • Dec. 16, Swim Lesson registration for the January session will begin.

• Dec. 21-24, Winter Break. Pool will have open swim from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. and the price is only $2.

• Dec. 25, Pool will be closed.

• Jan. 1, Bring a friend for free to the Tukwila Pool.

Thanks again for taking the time to read this update. We hope to see everyone in the pool soon!

Dave Perkins is aquatics manager of the Tukwila Pool.

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Tukwila to celebrate its diversity at cultural event Dec. 17 The Tukwila Heritage Event 2015: An Evening of Poetry, Music, and Food, is 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 17, at the Tukwila Community Center banquet hall.

Tukwila Parks and Recreation together with Project Feast is presenting an evening of stories, music, and food to celebrate the diverse heritage of Tukwila residents.

This year’s heritage event will serve as the book release celebration for The Stories of Arrival: Refugee and Immigrant Youth Voices Poetry Project. The ELL students at Foster High School have written poems that share their experiences of leaving home and arriving in a new country.

The students collaborated with Project Feast graduates to cre-

ate a book that interweaves poetry with recipes, highlighting the connections between food, identity, and home. Copies of the book will be available for sale and proceeds will go toward a college scholarship fund for the student poets.

There will be live poetry readings, a variety of dance performances from different cultures, chat with local service providers, and sample a variety of bite-sized dishes prepared by Project Feast graduates.

The free event will also feature a live performance by Yamato Taiko, a traditional Japanese drumming ensemble based at Highline College.

Tukwila’s schools organized their own version of a flash mob, coming together at Foster’s Neu-

Man shot in head on TIB A 19-year-old Federal Way man was in critical condition Dec. 8 at Harborview in Seattle, after he was shot in the head during a fight with several others on Tukwila International Boulevard, according to the Tukwila Police Department.

His name wasn’t released the night of the shooting.

The investigation is continuing.

Witnesses reported the man was shot once at close range during the fight at about 5:15 p.m. in the 14800 block of the Boulevard. Immediately after the

shooting, the group fled in different directions. A K-9 track was unable to locate any of the suspects in the immediate area.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact the Tukwila Police Department, 206-433-1808, and refer to case No. 15-8709.

Students, school district staff and the community gathered Nov. 25 at Neudorf Stadium at Foster High School to welcome refugees to Tukwila. Sara Niegowski/Tukwila School District dorf Stadium recently to celebrate their diverse student bodies.

The festival is 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Tukwila Community Center, 12424 42nd Ave. S., Tukwila.

The day before Thanksgiving, students, school district employees and community members came together to make this point: We welcome, support, and care for every one of our families; we are all now neighbors, no matter our origins; and we believe in the

unlimited potential of every student.

Students made signs written in Nepali, Samoan, Vietnamese, Arabic, Somali, Burmese, and Spanish. Among the immigrant families now in Tukwila are ones from Syria.

“This was not a political statement,” said Sara Niegowski, the district’s spokeswoman. “This was about our community coming together to support our diverse

r a t S e h T

families. We are a global community.

Foster High’s immigrants and refugees have been working with professional poet Merna Hecht to tell the stories of leaving their home countries and coming to Tukwila.

The Tukwila School District has posted photos and a video of the recording session here, http:// tinyurl.com/jy7x3pe

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ourculture

Tukwila will celebrate its rich diversity on Dec. 17.

4

ourschools

School Supt. Nancy Coogan writes about the importance of the upcoming bond and levy election to the district’s STEAM program.

6

ourstory

Longacres barns are long gone, but if you go to the Nelsen mansion, you’ll see one that was saved from the wrecking ball.

10

ourmayor

Learn about our new mayor, Allen Ekberg, and his family. The cover photo this month is by Bryan Camozzi.

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ourpolice

Read about one of Tukwila’s outstanding police officers.

tukwila reporter i19426 68th Avenue South i Kent, WA 98032 i253.872.6600 i www.tukwilareporter.com

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tukwilacommentary

Levies, bond key to STEAM

regional publisher polly shepherd publisher ellen morrison

Fire annexation a critical issue

publisher@tukwilareporter.com

The Tukwila Reporter encourages reader participation in your community newspaper.

Share your thoughts in a letter to the editor (200 words or less) including your full name, address and phone number.

HERE’S HOW To submit a letter to the editor, E-MAIL: editor@ tukwilareporter.com FAX: 253.437.6016 MAIL: 19426 68th Ave. S., Ste. A, Kent, WA 98032 STORY IDEAS: dradford@ tukwilareporter.com ONLINE CALENDAR: tukwilareporter.com

Fffirst Lllast

COMMENTARY

circulation jay krause 253.872.6610

ommended April 16. There was some concern about cost of the election, but that doesn’t seem quite as important when you think about the magnitude of the annexation. It will take time to get this right.

Regionalization is not a new issue facing voters. In fact, two in our area, the City of Renton’s annexation to the King County Library System and the strategic alliance between UW Medicine and Valley Medical Center, became intense community and political debates. Those issues included ones Tukwila voters face today: costs and the loss of community (or hospital) identity.

But despite the controversies, Renton has a bright new library and services at Valley Medical Center (which serves many Tukwila residents) have improved and become more extensive. Think new fire stations and more efficient fire services as corollaries to what happened in Renton and at Valley Medical.

This is one of those decisions for Tukwila voters to require their attention. And it’s good that the City Council is doing their due diligence for their constituents as they go through the process.

[ more COOGAN page 5 ]

Chuck Parrish

editor@tukwilareporter.com

425.255.3484, ext. 5150

The Tukwila City Council is wise to take its time deciding whether to place before voters a measure to annex the city to the Kent Fire Department Regional Fire Authority.

It’s a major decision for council and voters and there are myriad questions that need to be answered, probably a bunch that no one has thought of yet. And all property owners need to have a pretty clear picture of what the RFA’s new financing model will affect their pocketbooks.

The city administration has said there will be a robust and transparent process to vet the annexation.

In the next few weeks, it will take what learned from City Council members at their meeting Dec. 7 and return with more information to answer the council’s questions, including what does it cost to operate the fire department right now.

Right now, the council isn’t even considering a date for the election, although the administration had rec-

COMMENTARY

editor dean radford

Nancy Coogan

iwrite staff

Almost daily, I am out in the community providing information about our three school measures — two levies and one bond — that will be on the Feb. 9, 2016, ballot. Just as frequently, I get questions about one of the bond’s most significant projects: a new STEAM academic wing at both Foster High and Showalter Middle schools. Thus, I want to take the time to talk more about these proposed new classrooms that (if the bond’s approved) will solve critical space needs and spearhead our movement toward enhanced, innovative, and relevant educational programs for preparing students for high-demand jobs.

First things first, we need more space at all of our schools. As you can see, and your students have certainly told us, the buildings are full, and we expect between 18 and 44 percent more students in the coming decade! The bond, therefore, funds construction to provide additional classroom space for grade spans.

At Foster and Showalter, that comes in the form of a new academic wing on each campus.

COMMENTARY

4 h DECEMBER 2015

No Chuck Chuck Parrish is taking a break from his column this month.

letterto the editor Once again welcome to the persecuted During this season of Thanksgiving, the difference between our lives and those fleeing violence around the world is thrown into sharp contrast. While we eat turkey, Syrian families are doing the

best they can to keep themselves safe.

I hope that the leaders of our nation and people in my community will take the opportunity this Thanksgiving holiday to learn more about the struggles refugee families are facing. We cannot close our doors to them during this time of overwhelming need.

Our nation is great because we stand by our humanitarian ideals. Our ancestors were welcomed centuries ago and I hope this holiday season sees America’s shores once again welcoming those seeking protection from persecution.

Verna Seal, Tukwila

www.TUKWILAREPORTER.com » DECEMBER 2015

i 5

tukwila’sstory

From farms to furlongs at historic Nelsen mansion

BY LOUISE JONES-BROWN TUKWILA HISTORICAL SOCIETY

James Nelsen, with brothers Herman and Fred, immigrated to the Duwamish River valley from Denmark in the 1880s. The farms they established stretched from Renton Junction (in the area of Interurban Avenue and Grady Way) to the area known as Orillia as well as Westfield Southcenter. A family home was built in 1905 and the structure is now known as the Nelsen Family residence. Helen, the youngest daughter of James Nelsen, was born in the home in 1906. She was a local businesswoman, former Tukwila City Council member and founding officer of the Tukwila Historical Society.

A 1909 ban on gambling closed the racetrack known as “the Meadows” located on the south end of present day Boeing Field. The ban was lifted after a bill became law on March 20, 1933. Then on June 20th, 1933, Vinson “Joe” Gottstein founded the Washington Jockey Club.

Some of the dairy land originally owned by James Nelsen was purchased

by Gottstein and others to operate a one-mile track which became Longacres Racetrack in August 1933. A permit was obtained and the Longacres Racetrack was created in only 30 days.

The Longacres Racetrack was in operation from Aug. 3, 1933 until Sept. 21, 1992. At the time of the sale to the Boeing Co., the track was owned and operated by members of the Alhadeff family, who were related to the Gottstein family. This facility hosted an exhibition by Triple Crown winner, Seattle Slew, and saw the famous jockey, Gary Stevens, on several mounts at the track. A former paddock barn (featured in the photo by Richard McLeland-Wieser) which was originally located at Longacres can still be seen next to the Nelsen House.

Our annual December Holiday “Open House,” which is hosted by the Tukwila Historical Society and the Nelsen Family Residence Trust, will be held on Thursday, Dec. 17, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tours of the home and refreshments will be provided. Please join us to celebrate the Season.

Louise Jones-Brown is president of the Tukwila Historical Society. The society operates the Tukwila Heritage and Cultural Center, 14475 59th Ave. S., Tukwila. The center can be reached by phone at 206-244-HIST or via email at tukwilaheritagectr@tukwilahistory.org.

[ COOGAN from page 4] So why focus on STEAM for the additions?

STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math, and the Tukwila School District is moving toward becoming a premier STEAM leader across the nation. STEAM is much more than just a focus on these certain academic subjects; it is a way of teaching that helps students think deeply and critically as they use content knowledge to collaboratively solve real-world problems. Because business and industry are calling attention to the importance of these subject areas and their relationship to preparing students for the competitive workplace — where they will be expected to collaborate, cooperate, and communicate with team members using project-based scenarios—the district must respond accordingly. Therefore, Tukwila School District will began to redesign its facilities and curriculum to mirror the real world, to ensure content knowledge is interwoven, layered, and sophisticated, not experienced in isolation such as in traditional education settings (separate math time, separate science time, etc.). The district’s commitment is that every student

ABOVE is how the paddocks barns appeared at Longacres Racetrack in an historical photo. BELOW is a photo by Richard McLeland-Wieser that shows one of the barns that was moved to the Nelsen property.

will have many opportunities, from preschool to graduation, to see and experience relevant, high-demand career-focused programs to pique their interest and build their skills. Our goal is to strengthen global competitiveness for our students.

We have chosen to dedicate the new academic wings at Foster and Showalter to STEAM because it will allow us to create class spaces to promote STEAM methods of teaching. We don’t know exactly what that looks like yet, but we are exploring innovative classrooms, creative spaces and 21st century state-of-the-art technology.

One potential model is called SmartLabs — a fully integrated learning environment where everything from the furniture to the technology to the curriculum work together to support hands-on, minds-on learning. If you were to peek into such a lab, you’d see students moving and creating, inquiring, building, exploring, and collaborating, working in pods with presentation stations. There is a buzz! Students lead their own learning with teachers guiding and facilitating. Students with all different abilities and skills—not just those who gravitate toward math and science— are engaged and successful. This is particularly powerful for gifted students who want to dig deeper, for special education

students who may learn kinesthetically, for English language learners who understand through hands-on experiences, for unengaged students who need relevancy in classwork—okay, this is a powerful model for all students! Our teachers and educational leaders will be involved in every aspect of designing the new classroom spaces to match these instructional practices.

We are also working on exciting new partnerships and programs that fit our STEAM focus. Our region is rich with industry: manufacturing, technology, medical care, aviation, and more. After meeting with business leaders, it is clear that they are hungry for graduates with skills to fill their job vacancies. We are speaking with some of these corporations about a national certificated program that would usher a student directly into a living-wage, careeroriented job. If a student is college-bound, she or he would enter with advanced credits and skills. If we can train our students, business leaders have told us they have space for them in abundance! Our efforts with students will begin early, helping even elementary children to identify career interests with job shadows, career presentations, STEAM clubs, mentorships, science and technology fairs, field trips and more.

Perhaps most simply stated, STEAM is

our effort to prepare our students with 21st Century skills for 21st Century jobs.

This is our commitment to invest in our local and global economy. We will create clear pathways for every student to a skilled, living-wage job that matches their interests. We will enhance our community through ensuring our students are well prepared for future employment with local industry. All of this will take focused business partnerships, and we have started those conversations. We already have an analysis in hand of the top 25 jobs in our region that will be the most in demand in the next few decades. Our students will be ready to fill them.

I hope this gives you some sense of the vision that’s included in our bond construction projects. If you want to learn more about the three school measures on the February 2016 ballot, please visit our homepage, www.tukwila.wednet.edu. You can also give me a call, 206-901-8006, because I am happy to talk with individuals or groups, wherever and whenever you’re available.

In service, Superintendent Nancy Coogan Tukwila School Supt. Dr. Nancy Coogan can be reached at 206-901-8006 or at ncoogan@Tukwila.wednet.edu.

6 h DECEMBER 2015 «

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How to submit storm damage reports from recent rainfall

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Flooding, wind, and landslides from recemt storms have impacted residents and businesses across King County.

Those that suffered property damage or other losses in the storm may be eligible for assistance to get their property back in order.

Eligibility is determined through a damage assessment process which takes into account the total reported losses within King County.

In order to compute the losses, individuals and businesses are encouraged to submit reports to King County Emergency Management. A webpage, www.kingcounty. gov/damage, is now open to receive damage reports for individuals and businesses in King County.

In addition, a hotline number, 1-800-523-5044, will be available for individuals and businesses to record a damage report Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. beginning Dec. 14.

Submitting a report does not guarantee reimbursement.

Damage reports are for uninsured losses. Before filing a damage report with King County, residents and business owners should contact their insurance provider about existing coverage and deductibles. They are also urged to document damage with photographs and keep records of all cleanup and repair costs.

Residents in unincorporated King County whose

homes were damaged in the storm can obtain free building inspections from the King County Department of Permitting and Environmental Review (DPER). DPER has waived the associated fee to help residents speed up repair to their property. Priority service will be given for damaged structures requiring permits for repair work.

Inspectors will evaluate the integrity of structures, assess if a structure is safe to occupy, and whether a permit is required for repair work. Inspection staff may also advise customers of the need to pursue a more detailed inspection from a licensed structural engineer to determine the full extent of the damage. While storm damage inspections are free, standard permit fees still apply.

To request a damage assessment inspection during business hours, call 206-296-6630. DPER’s customer service center operates 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. The center is closed on Wednesdays. For minor repairs, permits may be issued over the counter at the DPER offices at 35030 SE Douglas St., Suite 210, in Snoqualmie.

Residents in the process of removing yard waste and woody debris can visit www.kingcounty.gov/solidwaste to identify local trash haulers, or companies that recycle wood.

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Valley Med earns top award for safety

206-444-4656 • 123 S.W. 158th St. • Burien Valley Medical Center this month received a Grade of “A” for hospital safety by The Leapfrog Group, a national, independent nonprofit organization which evaluates and scores 2,500 hospitals

across the country, according to a news release.

Leapfrog is the nation’s premier advocate of transparency to promote giant leaps forward in quality and patient safety in healthcare.

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hospitals in the state with an A grade (43 were graded). The Hospital Safety Score is the gold standard rating for patient safety, compiled under the guidance of the nation’s leading patient safety experts and

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“This “A” grade demonstrates that Valley Medical Center is one of the safest hospitals in the region, and the nation, for patients to receive care. Our team is committed to delivering safe, high-quality patient care day in and day out,” Kathryn Beattie, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Valley Medical Center, said in a press release. “The safety of our patients has always been a top priority here at Valley, and we will continue to strive to provide the best possible care to our patients and the community we serve.”

Developed under the guidance of Leapfrog’s Blue Ribbon Expert Panel, the Hospital Safety Score uses 28 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to produce a single A, B, C, D, or F score, representing a hospital’s overall capacity to keep patients safe from preventable harm.

More than 2,500 U.S. hospitals were assigned scores in October 2015, with 773 hospitals receiving an A grade.

www.TUKWILAREPORTER.com » DECEMBER 2015

i 7

Under new coach, Bulldogs learn science of basketball

BY DEAN A. RADFORD DRADFORD@TUKWILAREPORTER.COM

Under new head coach James Johnson, the Foster High boys basketball team will learn how to play the game – and understand the science of basketball.

The Bulldogs got a boost in confidence in their come-frombehind win Monday, Dec. 7, over Sultan High School, 59-56, at Foster. The following Wednesday night, the Bulldogs beat Tyee, 5852.

The Bulldogs lost their first two games to two seasoned teams, Chief Sealth, 65-46, on Dec. 1 and Kennedy Catholic (where Johnson has coached) 70-30. Johnson had hoped for a least a moral victory over Kennedy Catholic, but 40 points is moral victory, he said.

In the Sultan game, the Bulldogs took an early lead but at half were behind. In the fourth quarter, behind by eight points, the Bulldogs rallied, stayed composed and won the game.

“It’s a good win. They see they can come back and win those sort of games,” Johnson said, and it’s something the team and coaches can build on.

Johnson replaces Isaac Tucker, who coached the Bulldogs for three seasons. Last year’s season ended one win short of the state

Coach James Johnson works on positioning with his players during a recent practice, including, from left, Mehtaab Buttar (5), Jordan Hunter (23), and Musa Leigh (3). Dean A. Radford/Tukwila Reporter tournament.

The Bulldogs lost some starters from last season. Ronnie Roberson graduated and younger brother Freddie is now a sophomore at Rainier Beach High School.

But new leaders are already stepping up.

Camet Soe, a 5-foot-9 junior guard, was an all-Seamount League running back. “He definitely looks like a football kid playing basketball. But because of

his toughness - he’s willing work hard - he’s providing all that on the floor,” Johnson said.

Tyler Amin, a 5-foot-11 junior guard, hasn’t played basketball but he’s a “basketball stud,” said Johnson. “He’s playing great defense just because he’s a great athlete and a hard worker,” the coach said.

Senior Jordan Hunter, a 6-foot1 wing, didn’t play basketball last year but played JV as a sophomore at Renton High, so this is

his first action “in a long time,” Johnson said.

But he scored 16 or 17 points in the Sultan game. “He has come into his own,” Johnson said.

“The biggest thing that we are trying to preach here is showing respect for your teammates, coming every day, working hard, being on time. Those three guys have done that all year long,” Johnson said It’s a learning year, Johnson said.

“We are just learning. We are just teaching. It’s just taking one day at a time. We are preaching progress and process. We aren’t trying to rush ahead. We are not trying to implement extra stuff.

Not trying to do more stuff. Keep it simple. If you get good at simple stuff, then you’ll be surprised at how good you can be,” he said.

And it’s a rebuilding year, Johnson added, but he thinks “we have pieces that if they work together and we can learn a little quicker, I think they can shock some people,” he said.

Becasue many of his players are inexperienced and his tallest player is Hunter, Johnson said he’s keeping his offense simple. And he said everyone will get a chance to score, “playing good team basketball.”

The Bulldogs aren’t the tallest team in the Seamount, so they’ll rely on their quickness and athleticism on defense, Johnson said.

They’ll extend their pressure to half-court but haven’t worked on extending the defense to full court, yet, he said.

Johnson talks about his role as coach. He has extensive experience coaching throughout the region, including at high schools.

“As far as me, any coach isn’t just a coach. He’s a friend, he’s an uncle, he’s a mentor in a sense. [ more HOOPS page 13 ]

8 h DECEMBER 2015

www.TUKWILAREPORTER.com Âť DECEMBER 2015 i 9

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City of Tukwila • 6200 Southcenter Boulevard • Tukwila, WA 98188 • 206-433-1800 • Online: TukwilaWA.gov

TUKWILA CITY PAGES

Military aircraft to test at Boeing Field

Tukwila Transit Plan needs your input

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A final Mayor’s Message – Looking back proudly

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Council position to be filled by appointment

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by Kate Kruller, 2015 Council President

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MAYOR: Jim Haggerton COUNCIL PRESIDENT: Kate Kruller

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www.Ready.gov [Get Ready for Winter, Follow Ready on Social Media, Ready Publications] Community.FEMA.gov [grassroots campaign for action to increase community preparedness and resilience] www.FEMA.gov [download the FEMA app] www.RedCross.org [disaster alerts, preparedness tips, ways to get involved] win211.org Č? /""Çž ,+Ćœ!"+1& ) 0"/3& " %")-&+$ -",-)" Ćœ+! 1%" ), ) /"0,2/ "0 1%"6 +""!Čž www.wrh.noaa.gov [Information for Seattle and other cities]

City-owned motels to be demolished

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Council Chat Speak with a Councilmember about what’s on your mind!

Billy Baroo’s at Foster Golf Links 13500 Interurban Avenue S 10:00͛ͧ to 12:00 ͨ͊͊ͨ

Next Chat: Jan. 9

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Meeting agendas, City programs, recreation activities, publications and more‌ get the most current information at TukwilaWA.gov!

10 h DECEMBER 2015 «

www.TUKWILAREPORTER.com

coverstory

Getting to Tukwila’s new ‘first family’ (EDITOR’S NOTE: Here’s a look at the personal side of Tukwila’s new “first family,” newly elected Mayor Allan Ekberg, his wife Trish and their children Karlin and Erik. It’s almost a politics-free zone.

-Dean A. Radford.)

BY DEAN A. RADFORD DRADFORD@TUKWILAREPORTER.COM

C

hristmas at the Ekbergs is usually low-key, a day to hang out, play cribbage or watch football and maybe dine on ham or pizza and chicken nuggets – the request of son Erik and uncle Bryan one year.

And there was that “awesome” chicken fettuccini, says Allan Ekberg – Mr. Mayor starting at 12:01 a.m. Jan. 1.

Ekberg has been known to make a cake or pie and the pumpkin cookies he baked Thanksgiving morning “turned out pretty good, actually,” he says.

For years Trish Camozzi-Ekberg has baked rolled butter cookies for her family from a recipe in her mother’s 1960s cookbook. The cookies take time to make but they are good, she says. And you can paint them. (The recipe is on page 11.)

Trish “is actually a good cook,” Allan says of his wife, which apparently worked out well for him.

Trish’s first taste of an Allan-cooked dinner came before they married. He mixed together macaroni and cheese out of a box, tuna fish and frozen mixed vegetables.

“It was great,” says Allan, of his “bachelor food.”

“I realized then that I would have to be the cook if we actually ended up becoming a family,” says Trish.

The Ekbergs celebrated their 30th anniversary in April. During that time they’ve raised daughter Karlin, 25, and son Erik, 23, who both graduated from Global Connections High School at the Tyee Educational Complex in SeaTac. Karlin, 25, lives in Ellensburg, where she owns and boards horses, and works for Kittitas County. Erik, 23, is checking out graduate schools to pursue a doctorate degree. He graduated in May from Washington State University, earning bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and psychology (in four years).

Y

ou could argue the Ekbergs will now take their place as Tukwila’s “first family,” with the election of Allan as mayor in November. Sharing the house with the Ekbergs are first-dog Nikki, 12, an Alaskan Malamute; Kermit, about 15, the Quaker parrot, who does a good job of imitating blue jays and crows at the top of his voice, and Sara, about 12, the Indonesian box turtle.

“He has yet to say, ‘Go Hawks’,” Trish says of Kermit. “I keep working on that.”

Allan and Trish Ekberg have three pets at home, including their Alaskan Malamute, Nikki. Dean A. Radford/Tukwila Reporter.

ONE THE COVER: The Ekbergs, from left, Karlin, Allan, Trish and Erik, stand with their Christmas tree at home in McMicken Heights.

The Ekbergs live in McMicken Heights, a down and I asked her out. We went out and block south of South 160th Street, the bor- one thing led to another,” Allan says. der between the Tukwila School District Trish grew up mostly in northern Cali(north) and the Highline School District fornia; her father worked at hatcheries (south). He thought his kids would go to operated by the California Department his alma mater, Foster of Fish and Wildlife so they High School, when the moved around a lot, mostly in family bought the house. the middle of nowhere, as she During that time, the says. After living a rural life, Ekbergs have built very living in an urban area “took similar and successful caa little bit of adjustment,” says reers in the technology Trish. field. They met, more or Allan grew up in Riverton less, at a class in COBOL at South 126th Street and 35th programming (used by Avenue South, within walking businesses for data prodistance of Southgate School cessing) at Humboldt as a grade schooler.

State University in northIt was during this time that ern California. A classhe formed a close relationship mate offered to introduce Allan Ekberg, on his court- with Paul and Betty Gully that the young woman sitting ship with Trish would last for decades. Alnext to him. lan hung out with the Gully’s Allan said, without son Craig; Betty Gully was the looking, “Get out of my face. I am trying to Cub Scout den mother and Allan’s mom get some code done.” helped out, too.

But the classmate insisted. “So I turned Allan found escape with the Gullies and looked at Trish and said ‘hello’ and when his parents Phyllis and Roy “were when I looked, ‘It was love at first sight for going through some rocky times” when he me’.” (Trish laughs from the couch.) was 11 or 12.

Then he turned back to his coding.

“They always welcomed me to come in “Three or four days later I chased her and be part of their family and do din-

“Three or four days later I chased her down and I asked her out.

We went out and one thing led to another.”

ners with them,” Allan said of the Gullies.

“There were always like my second mom and dad as a little kid.”

Allan’s parents eventually divorced. Allan was 20 when his father died; his mother died in 1997 while he was serving his second term on the Tukwila City Council.

Paul and Betty Gully were the first recipients of the “Treasures of Tukwila” award, now given annually by the City of Tukwila.

B

etty Gully was heavily involved in the Tukwila community, especially the schools. Allan remembers punching out button lapels for a school bond at the Gullies’ home, “just being part of the family.”

From Betty, he learned the art of compromise, Allan said, to get something accomplished.

“You have to be flexible, adaptable and take in what people are telling you and then formulate an opinion,” he said. “It may not be the opinion they want to hear but you have acknowledged what they’ve told you.”

Allan graduated from Foster in 1977 in the Top 10. He was a member of the National Honor Society. “I was a very studious student,” he said. He was a law enforcement Explorer Scout. [ more MAYOR page 11 ]

www.TUKWILAREPORTER.com » DECEMBER 2015

[ MAYOR from page 10] He hung out with the jocks, the scholarship students and the “rowdy people,” he says. At the request of legendary coach Werner Neudorf, he helped out with the track team in a support role.

“He (Neudorf) saw something in me. He pulled me out of my shell basically and got me engaged,” Allan says. It also allowed him to hang out with the jocks, he says.

Ekberg wasn’t political at Foster – never gave a thought to running for mayor someday – but he served on the student council in college.

FINAL ELECTION RESULTS After graduation, Ekberg joined the Air Here are the final certified results from Force, serving as a sergeant in the security the Nov. 3 general election. The turnout force at March Field in California, with the was estimated at about 35 percent in TukStrategic Air Command. At the same time wila. he earned his associate degree in criminal MAYOR justice in 1981 from Riverside City College Allan Ekberg, 1,471 votes or 52.84 perin Riverside, Calif. cent He went on to Humboldt State UniversiDe’Sean Quinn, 1,302 votes or 46.77 ty, where he met Trish and earned a bachpercent elor’s degree in business administration, CITY COUNCIL, Position 2 concentrating on Computer Information Kathy Hougardy, 1,997 votes or 98.52 Systems, in 1984. He got a job right out percent of college. He and Trish married in April CITY COUNCIL, Position 4 1985.

Dennis Robertson, 1,920 votes or 98.01 “I’ve always been focused on what’s the percent next step in my life, what do I want to do CITY COUNCIL, Position 6

“I’ve always been focused on what’s the next step in my life, what do I want to do differently.”

Allan Ekberg

Kate Kruller, 1,758 votes or 71.15 percent Charles Richard Tyson, 696 votes or 28.17 percent TUKWILA SCHOOL BOARD, District 2 Steve Mullet, 1,293 votes or 62.04 percent Kevin O’Brien Gaw, 785 votes or 37.67 percent TUKWILA SCHOOL BOARD, District 4 Dana Scott, 1,416 votes or 95.87 percent TUKWILA SCHOOL BOARD, District 5 Dave Larson, 1,659 votes or 99.04 percent TUKWILA POOL PROPOSITION 1, creating a separately elected commission Yes, 1,706, or 66.77 percent No, 849 votes or 33.23 percent POOL DISTRICT, commission position 1 Vanessa Zaputil, 1,749 votes or 97.30 percent POOL DISTRICT, commission position 2 Ellen Gengler, 1,748 votes or 97.38 percent POOL DISTRICT, commission position 3 Christine Neuffer, 1,731 votes or 97.30 percent POOL DISTRICT, commission position 4 Jeri Frangello-Anderson, 1,726 votes or 97.40 percent POOL DISTRICT, commission position 5 David Puki, 1,445 votes or 70.73 percent Michael Robert Neher, 559 votes or 27.36 percent

differently,” he says and what he needs to do to reach that goal. “I’ve always been that type of guy.”

Ekberg’s last day as a senior project manager in information technology at BECU is Dec. 25.

The Ekbergs worked at Weyerhaeuser, Trish for 26 years until she was laid off in a round of budget cuts. Now, she’s working for Alaska Airlines as an Office 365 coordinator. Like her husband, she says she’s a bridge between workers and the technical tools that they use on their jobs.

Before the election, the Ekbergs didn’t talk about the expectations Allan’s new job would place on the family, Allan says.

Trish figured the routine of Monday night City Council meetings and other duties would just continue. But when Allan won the election, Trish realized it’s probably not going to work out that way.

“I think to me it was just kind of like, ‘OK, he’s going to be mayor. That’s cool’.

And then everybody at work is like, ‘Your husband is running for mayor.’ And, I am thinking, ‘Wow, maybe this is a bigger deal than I thought’.”

A mayor’s spouse will attend some occasions, mostly ceremonial, and Trish says she’ll support her husband. But she jokes that she’ll attend three events a year, so “use them wisely.” And Allan says: “That’s her statement to me.”

“We’re pretty easy going. We go with the flow,” Allan says.

Ekberg, 56, says he “had no vision what it would be like to be mayor.” He’s seen other mayora at work, so he understands the role.

“But until I get into it, it’s going to be pretty fascinating to uncover what’s going on and the people you get to meet,” he says.

i 11

City Council looking for council candidates

BY DEAN A. RADFORD DRADFORD@TUKWILAREPORTER.COM

The City of Tukwila is looking for candidates for the City Council seat left vacant with the election of Allan Ekberg as mayor.

The City Council will appoint a new council member in mid- January to fill the final two years of Ekberg’s four-year council term through Dec. 31, 2017. Position 3 will be up for election in the November 2017 general election.

Ekberg will be sworn in officially before Jan. 1 so that he’s in charge at 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 1. A ceremonial swearing in is planned at the Jan. 4 council meeting.

Applications for the council seat will be accepted until 5 p.m. Monday, Dec. 28, at Tukwila City Hall, 6200 Southcenter Blvd., 98188, Tukwila. To be eligible, candidates must be registered to vote in King County

and a resident of Tukwila for at least a year prior to appointment.

To receive an application packet, contact City Council analyst Laurel Humphrey at laurel.humphrey@tukwilawa.gov or 206433-8993. Application packets are also available at Tukwila City Hall.

Candidates can hand deliver the completed and signed packet to City Hall, mail it City Hall (attn: Laurel Humphrey, council analyst) or email it as a PDF to laurel.humphrey@tukwilawa.gov.

The City Council will interview the candidates at a special meeting tentatively scheduled for Monday, Jan. 11. If necessary, the interviews would continue on Jan. 13.

After the interviews, the council will meet in executive session to discuss the candidates’ qualifications, then return to open session to vote. The new council member would be sworn in on Tuesday, Jan. 19.

Sian Hoih was born about three months prematurely.

‘Miracle baby’s first birthday A bright-eyed Sian Hoih celebrated her first birthday on Dec. 5, a year after the death of her mother Ciin Nuam, a Burmese refugee.

Ciin Nuam was cooking dinner for her family on Dec. 2, 2014, when she collapsed and died. The medical examiner determined she suffered from heart disease.

She was six months pregnant with Sian Hoih, who was treated at the Swedish Hospital neo-natal unit in Seattle.

The Tukwila community and the larger

community as well joined with her family to mark her first birthday at at the Showalter Middle School Commons.

It’s that community that raised $52,000 through an online donation drive to help the Zam Khap family move forward and stay together in Tukwila. Six of the family’s children were enrolled in Tukwila schools.

The family is reported to be doing well and has moved into a new apartment. And Sian Hoih has been attending plenty of school and family functions.

12 h DECEMBER 2015 «

www.TUKWILAREPORTER.com

Finding his smile fighting crime in Tukwila Allan Baalaer honored as outstanding Tukwila officer

BY DEAN A. RADFORD DRADFORD@TUKWILAREPORTER.COM

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or 10 years Tukwila’s drug dealers, prostitutes and car thieves have given Allan Baalaer, a Tukwila Police officer and detective who has been recognized for his service, something to grin about.

“My niche is narcotics and being proactive,” Baalaer said. “That is what really puts a smile on my face.”

It was Baalaer who wrote the search warrant that SWAT, detectives and police officers served in August on a Tukwila house they believed was associated with a vehicle-theft ring.

After weeks on the run, a prime suspect is in custody.

Just six months into his career in Tukwila, Baalaer in 2006 became a hero, saving a handcuffed man on drugs from drowning in the Duwamish River.

“At that moment in time, I was just thinking this guy is going to die, if I don’t jump in right now,” he said. “I had to make a decision that fast.”

He decided to risk his own life. Now underwater, 10 feet from shore and in full gear, he grabbed man’s white t-shirt.

The man started fighting and yelled, “Let God take me. Let God take me.” Backup officers arrived and helped Baalaer pull him to shore.

Baalaer received the Governor’s Lifesaving Award and the City of Tukwila’s Medal of Valor Award in 2006 for his heroic actions that day.

His life-saving awards and his work ethic as a police officer were cited in the nomination the Tukwila Police Department sent to the Delta-White Center Masonic Lodge in Tukwila, which has honored Baalaer earlier as its outstanding police officer for 2015.

“Once he got to Tukwila, he hit the streets running,” the nominating letter reads. “He has proved himself in a very short period of time to be a proactive, reliable police officer.”

B

aalaer was hired by the Tukwila Police Department after four years as a Detroit police officer. He was one of hundreds of police officers laid off by that financially troubled city. He looked west to Washington, where he has family, for a new job. He considered Seattle and Tacoma and then only applied with Tukwila.

This was 2005.

On a ridealong as part of the interview process, he saw the city – “the beautiful mall” – and Tukwila International Boulevard, which he was told was Tukwila’s high-crime area. He had worked in a “really, really bad area” of Detroit, but he didn’t see any bars on Boulevard buildings nor did it seem intimating.

Tukwila Police DETECTIVE Allan Baalaer has been recognized for his police work and life-saving efforts. Dean A. Radford/Tukwila Reporter He started to second-guess himself, down from Canada, so he was busy.

“It’s a fruitful area for narcotics,” he said. wondering whether he would find excitement in Tukwila. He decided to give Tuk- Local agencies handle the street-level drug wila a shot. And that smile appeared on his crimes.

Baalaer worked at the Neighborhood face. “It was like ‘Wow,’ I started getting a lot of dope arrests, stolen cars and guns,” Resource Center on The Boulevard, which he said. Not quite like Detroit, but Tukwila he calls a “great resource” for officers because they can monitor criminal active on did have a high-crime area.

“I just really enjoyed myself,” he said, cameras from there.

“It’s like you are sitting next to them at a pointing out he wasn’t comparing Tukwila’s to Detroit’s crime. But the job matches bus stop and watching them,” he said. An his proactive style of police work, he said, officer can develop probable cause to make an arrest from what’s seeking out and acseen on the camera. tively preventing He credits the camcriminal activity in eras for many of his known high-crime arrests. areas before it can Baalaer patrolled happen.

The Boulevard at a “Once you become time when criminal a police officer, evactivity at four moeryone finds their tels was at its peak, niche,” he said, from he said. He was very processing accident busy. scenes to writing “They were hartickets to commuboring all these drug nity policing. He had found his in Tukwila.

Allan Baalaer, deals and prostitutes.

Tukwila Police detective And literally it was He was promoted almost like shootto detective in 2009. ing fish in a barrel,” He served on the fedhe said. “I mean you eral Valley Narcotics Enforcement Team, one of the leading of- could sit out there and you would watch ficers to make drug arrests for three years drug deal after drug deal or Johns picking in a row. Later he would join a task force up girls for prostitution.”

With the closure of the motels, crime has that targets vehicle thieves.

Duty on the narcotics task force took decreased on The Boulevard. “It’s not like him to Mexico, basically wherever large- it used to be. But obviously there are still scale organizations operated. At home, the drugs and there are still things going on,” task force would seize packages at airports, he said. “It’s just not in plain view like it hotels or the post office or other parcel- used to be.”

A member of Tukwila’s Civil Disturdelivery locations.

Washington is on the West Coast drug bance Unit at the time, Ballaer was part thoroughfare between the main source, of the multi-agency raid in August 2013, which is Southern California, and Canada, in which the federal government seized he said. Marijuana to Alaska flies out of The Boulevard, Great Bear and Travelers Seattle and ecstasy and marijuana comes Choice motels. The City of Tukwila later

“That just makes me happy, knowing that the streets are that much safer every time you take somebody off the streets who shouldn’t be on the streets .”

purchased the Spruce Motel. A contract has been awarded to demolish all but the Travelers Choice.

The crime rate on The Boulevard has dropped since the raid. “It made a huge difference,” he said. “It was a great time for Tukwila.”

Last July, Baalaer was assigned to the P.A.T.R.O.L. Auto Theft Regional Task Force. Soon, he was writing the search warrant SWAT and investigators needed to look for Kevin Michael Vaughn and anything related auto theft early on Aug. 27 at the house on 51st Avenue South next to Interstate 5.

He and other task force detectives were in the Tukwila Police briefing room, waiting for SWAT to secure the house so they could begin their investigation. “That’s the way it usually works,” he said.

Then “shots fired” came across police radios. “To hear that on the radio — shots fired — your instinct is ‘I want to get in my car and go down there’,” he said. But they couldn’t.

Two motorcyclists southbound on Interstate 5 had fired at least seven times at investigators at the house. No one was hurt.

The search began for Kevin Vaughn, who almost was taken into custody at least once. Baalaer had to cancel one interview, without saying why. Later, he explained that that attempt to arrest Vaughn at that time “didn’t work out as planned.”

“It would be great if somebody called me right now and said we have him in custody,” Baalaer said at the time. “I would be so happy. He’s been a thorn in a lot of people’s side.”

Vaughn was arrested Oct. 15 in Lynnwood on numerous warrants and was being held without bail in the King County jail downtown.

B

aalaer wasn’t able to say much about Vaughn, other than describing him as a prolific car thief who has multiple convictions.

“The problem is when you get somebody who is reckless and fearless, that’s a bad combination,” he said. “When you’re not fearful of ramifications of your actions, that could be a really bad recipe for the safety of the public.”

Now, 10 years in Tukwila and despite initial uncertainty, the city has given Baalaer plenty of professional excitement.

“I love it here. Tukwila has given me so much opportunity,” he said, including the two specialty task forces and his patrol duties, which many other police officers don’t get.

“It’s a fun place to work. I enjoy getting up every morning an dcoming to work,” said Baalaer, who plans to retire in Tukwila.

And he’s making a difference – smiling – knowing that at least for awhile someone he’s arrested won’t be committing another crime.

“That just makes me happy, knowing that the streets are that much safer every time you take somebody off the streets who shouldn’t be on the streets,” he said.

www.TUKWILAREPORTER.com » DECEMBER 2015

i 13

Engines of Moon-bound Apollo 12 land in Tukwila The Museum of Flight in Tukwila showed off for the first time Nov. 19 the restored remains of the F-1 rocket engines used to launch NASA’s historic Apollo 12 and Apollo 16 missions to the Moon.

Apollo 12 landed on the moon 46 years ago on Nov. 19, 1969, four months after Neil Armstrong became the first human to walk on the Moon.

The historic engines were recovered from the sea by Seattlebased Bezos Expeditions in 2013 and have been under conservation at the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center, according to a Museum of Flight news release.

At the request of the Bezos Expeditions team, NASA has now given the artifacts to the Museum for permanent display in Seattle.

Speakers at the event included museum President and CEO Doug King and Jeff Bezos, founder of Bezos Expeditions.

One Apollo 12 artifact are on temporary public display .

“These artifacts not only launched humanity’s first expeditions to the Moon, they fired the imagination of young people who Jeff Bezos at the Apollo rocket engine unveiling ceremony at The are now today’s leaders in the Museum of Flight shows the injector plate from an F-1 rocket used second great era of space explo- on Apollo 12. Ted Huetter/The Museum Of Flight ration,” said King. “We trust that the legacy of these engines will continue to inspire a new genera-

tion of explorers who will set foot on Mars and other new worlds.”

These engines boosted the 40-story Saturn V rocket from liftoff until the edge of space, then separated with the first stage of the rocket and fell 40 miles through the atmosphere and into the depths of the Atlantic Ocean.

Subsequent stages of the rocket propelled the Apollo spacecraft into orbit and on to the Moon.

For the next 43 years the F-1 engines were lost and beyond grasp, deeper than the wreck of the Titanic.

Bezos Expeditions found and recovered the engines from the bottom of the Atlantic in 2013.

The engines were the last missing links to the first adventures to the Moon, according to the release.

“It took a lot of 21st century underwater tech and an extraordinary team of skilled professionals to find and recover these historical treasures and, thanks to them, NASA, and The Museum of Flight, now a whole new generation of young people will be able to see these amazing engines on display,” said Bezos. “When I was five years old, I watched Neil Armstrong step onto the moon and it imprinted me with a passion for science and exploration

- it’s my hope that these engines might spark a similar passion in a child who sees them today.”

The relics are now part of The Museum of Flight, and will be on view for the public for the first time. One section of the Apollo 12 engine - the injector plate will be previewed at the museum until Jan. 4, 2016. Then it will be moved to the museum archives until early 2017, when it will return with the rest of the F-1 artifacts as part of a new permanent Apollo exhibit at the museum.

This new permanent exhibit will showcase the salvaged Apollo 12 and Apollo 16 F-1 remains, other Apollo artifacts including lunar rocks, and large display the career of Apollo 12 Commander Pete Conrad.

The Museum of Flight is located at 9404 E. Marginal Way S., Tukwila, Exit 158 off Interstate 5 on Boeing Field halfway between downtown Seattle and Sea-Tac Airport. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Admission is $20 for adults, $17 for seniors 65 and older, $17 for active military, $12 for youth 5 to 17, and free for children under 5.

For more information, call 206764-5720 or visit www.museumofflight.org

County Council creates paid parental leave pilot program The King County Council has unanimously approved a proposal to create a one-year pilot program to offer up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave, making King County one of about a dozen public employers across the country to offer this type of program.

The program was proposed by County Executive Dow Constantine.

“I’m proud that King County is among the leading employers in the nation to offer a program that has a positive, lifelong impact on a child’s development,” Constantine said in a press release. “It also demonstrates our commitment to recruiting and retaining the talented workforce we need to deliver the best outcomes for our community.”

The one-year pilot program will start Jan. 1, 2016.

King County joins a few other major employers in the region – including Microsoft, Amazon, the Gates Foundation and the City of Seattle – to begin offering paidparental leave as a way to attract high-caliber talent. King County and Seattle are the only public employers in the state to offer this type of program. Slightly more than a dozen governments — mostly cities — offer paid parental leave, though most do not offer as much as King County.

The program aligns with Constantine’s Best Starts for Kids initiative, designed to improve the health and wellbeing of the region by focusing on birth through 5, when 92 percent of brain growth occurs.

Boeing completes final assembly of first 737 MAX 8 Thousands of Boeing employees in Renton recently marked another milestone in the evolution of the 737 – the completion of final assembly of the first 737 MAX 8, named the Spirit of Renton.

The 737 MAX 8 rolled into the paint hangar on Nov. 30, the exact date in the development schedule defined four years ago, and emerged with a special teal version of the Boeing livery.

Next, the Spirit of Renton, written

in script under the cockpit window, will continue to undergo pre-flight preparation in the Renton plant, before heading over to Clayton Scott Field at the airport to continue flightreadiness testing, according to a Boeing news release.

The airplane is on track for first flight in early 2016. The launch customer is Southwest Airlines The 737 MAX family has nearly 3,000 orders from 60 customers worldwide, according to Boeing.

“Today marks another in a long series of milestones that our team has achieved on time, per plan, together,” said Keith Leverkuhn, vice president and general manager, 737 MAX, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, in the news release.

“With the rollout of the new 737 MAX – the first new airplane of Boeing’s second century – our team is upholding an incredible legacy while taking the 737 to the next level of performance,” he said.

It will also confront the inequity that exists in the county’s existing leave policies, which are less accessible to newer employees and have an adverse impact on those who are at the lower end of the pay scale, according to a press release.

“Providing paid parental leave is the right thing to do for a progressive employer like King County, and an essential piece of the compensation structure for a best-run government that attracts and keeps quality employees,” said Dustin Frederick, Business Manager for the Public Safety Employees Union Local 519 and King County Coalition of Unions Co-Chair.

[HOOPS from page 7] My way of connecting with my kids is I just try to get to know them on a personal level, other than just basketball and school,” Johnson said.

And it helps, he said, that he’s a paradeducator at Foster.

“I get to see these kids. One thing I think my kids should know is that I care about them,” he said, checking on their grades, how they are doing. His players are “buying in.

“Wins will help that too. That’s a slow process. My kids know that this year, we preach it’s about a process, it’s a process, it’s a process. We’re not really worried about wins in the month of December. We’re kind of concentrating about wins in January, when we’ve had some time under our belt.”

14 h DECEMBER 2015 ÂŤ

www.TUKWILAREPORTER.com

school connection Tukwila School District #406

DECEMBER 2015

Thorndyke named School of Distinction, state’s highest award for student growth Thorndyke Elementary School has tives that are continuing this year with added emphasis. been honored as a 2015 School of Educators at Distinction for being in the top 5 every grade level percent in the frequently come state for sustogether in Profestained growth sional Learning in language Communities to arts and analyze data and math. Thorncreate support dyke joins an plans for specific elite group students. Thirty of only 90 minutes every schools across school day is the state (51 Unity te mo pro s der designated for elementary lea t Thorndyke studen . Each schools) to earn Day to take a stand against bullying tue and literacy and math hlights a new vir intervention for the award. month, the school hig student role models. recognizes outstanding each child—stu“I’m so dents receive proud,� said Thorndyke Principal Kathy Page. “This instruction that matches their exact need, whether they are excelling or is one of the hardest working staffs struggling. Thorndyke also identifies I have ever seen in over 15 years of students for additional before- and being a principal. They are continuafter-school acaally searching demic services, for ways to which have been reach stustrengthened dents, thinkthis year with ing outside of more effective the box. They intervention take to heart tools. the unique In and out of needs of each the classroom, student, and it staff members shows.� recognize that With a study—ap Queen—Ima Never Tar positive, caring dent population The Tardy ly to recognize classes that have pears month the of rt pa as s relationships that is 83 perdie tar the fewest number of  m. gra with students cent in poverty, pro l Beat the Bel are the founda50 percent Engtion for learning. Using a system lish Language called Positive Behavioral IntervenLearners, and 20 percent homeless/ tions & Supports (PBIS), the school housing insecure, Thorndyke educalast year began analyzing discipline tors’ do much more than teach the data and working to get to the root curriculum. “They look at everything, of what’s actually causing students which means being in tune to meeting even the basic needs of students,� to act up. They have also started proactive and fun campaigns to “beat Page said. That often includes food, the bell� (resulting in a 30 percent clothing, shelter, medical care, and decrease in tardies last month), to transportation, she added. clearly define behavior expectations, Page took over this year for longto highlight and reward a new virtue time Thorndyke principal Brian every month, and to catch students Hutchison, who led the school during when they are being role models the period of growth recognized by rather than misbehaving. the School of Distinction award. Dur“It’s all about relationships,� Page ing that time, the school began many said. “All the research shows that we intentional, student-focused initia-

need to connect to kids to increase their engagement behaviors, and that’s what we have been doing.�

Tukwila Superintendent Nancy Coogan said she is “exceptionally proud� of Thorndyke. “Our students come to us from every corner of the globe, with a vast array of backgrounds and educational experiences,� Coogan said. “Our learning goals do not include a uniform bar of achievement. We aim for more than a year’s worth of growth for each student during the school year. So to be recognized as the top in the state for growth is a phenomenal honor, directly in line with our strategic plan.�

The School of Distinction awards are based on five years of performance improvement on state assessments in language arts and math.

They are sponsored by the Center for Educational Effectiveness (CEE) in partnership with the Association of Educational Service Districts (AESD), The Association of Washington School Principals (AWSP), Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA), and the Washington Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (WASCD).

Thorndyke staff will be honored in January during an awards ceremony at the Puget Sound Educational Service District.

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happened since we passed our last bond in 1998! We need to: Alleviate overcrowding and dependence on portables. We are critically in need of space, according to demographers who project up to a 44% increase in student enrollment in the next decade.

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www.TUKWILAREPORTER.com » DECEMBER 2015i 15

Tukwila School District #406

DECEMBER 2015

Stories of Arrival book release on Dec. 17 – get your copy!

“Voice is at the heart of our project. We believe that our community is made stronger when the voices of those who are not often heard are more widely celebrated.” —Poet Merna Hecht Foster High immigrants and refugees are once again working on their “Stories of Arrival” poetry and art project—and this year, it’s bigger and even more beautiful. With the help of professional poet Merna Hecht, these students wrote about their incredible experiences leaving their home countries to come to Tukwila. The students’ poetry will be published for the community in two ways:

Foster High’s immig rant and refugee students recorded th eir Stories of Arrival poetry at Jack Straw Studios in early December.

• Students recorded their poetry at Jack Straw Studios in early December. These audio clips will be featured on 91.3 KBCS 91.3 radio in April for National Poetry Month.

• A book with their poetry, “Our Table of Memories: Food and Poetry of Spirit, Homeland, and Tradition,” will be released during the Tukwila Cultural Heritage Festival, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Dec. 17, at the Tukwila Community Center. Come get your copy!

To learn more about the project and support it, go to www.indiegogo.com and search “Stories of Arrival.”

Free “Grab & Go” breakfast for all Showalter students started in December Breakfast makes brighter brains We know that students learn more and concentrate better when they have a nutritious breakfast, which is why we were excited to kick off the Grab & Go Breakfast program at Showalter in mid-December. It’s simple: All middle-schoolers now pick up a sack breakfast as they arrive, which they can either eat in the cafeteria or during the first 10 minutes of class.

Showalter joins our elementary schools and an expanding network of schools across the country that provide free breakfast to eakfast or a Hmmm—delicious br all students as part of the regular school dents didn’t day. The problem with most typical schoolgood book? Some stu g the Grab & Go rin du se oo ch to breakfast programs is that students do not ve ha ! off k kic participate. Students must qualify and sign st Breakfa up based on their family income, arrive 30 minutes before the start bell, and eat in the cafeteria. Many students would rather not eat than deal with the added time and stigma. Grab & Go Breakfast (and Breakfast in the Classroom at the elementary level) removes these obstacles. All students get breakfast, simply by showing up to school at the normal time.

In its first week, Grab & Go Breakfast at Showalter increased the number of students eating breakfast by about 400 percent!

One of the best parts? The breakfast is free to students and almost cost neutral to the district. With our demographics, the number of students who qualify for free meals is not much less than the student population in total. With Grab & Go Breakfast, we maximize our reimbursement from the federal government because almost all incomeeligible students receive a meal.

Tukwila grows its high percentage of National Board Certified teachers!

Foster High French teacher Claudia Van Cleemput has proven she’s among the best educators in the U.S. by recently earning her National Board Certification (NBC), one of the highest designations for professional excellence in teaching.

“Très bien, Claudia!” said Tukwila Superintendent Nancy Coogan. “The certification process is very rigorous, requiring deep content knowledge and best practices in instruction. When a teacher earns certification, it’s really our students who reap the reward—so thank you to Claudia and all of our National Board teachers.”

Washington led the nation in the number of new NBC teachers for 2015, a title our state has earned three years running; and in a state that tops the nation, Tukwila has one of the highest percentages of NBC teachers for a school district—about 23 percent of its total certificated staff.

NBC is a voluntary assessment program designed to recognize and reward great teachers—and make them better. While state licensing systems set basic requirements to teach in each state, NBC teachers have successfully demonstrated advanced teaching knowledge, skills, and practices. NBC is the only credential process that compares a teacher’s knowledge and skills with a national set of professional standards. Certification requires teachers to think about how they form and deliver lessons and how they demonstrate leadership in their schools and communities.

“The process helped me grow so much as a teacher,” Van Cleemput said. “It allowed me to reflect deeply on my teaching and how to effectively teach each student in my classroom. As a result, I feel like I am a more effective educator.”

k like ered what it would loo Have you ever wond ing mm ra og at a school pr to have every student ior jun a e lik me time? (Maybe computers at the sa did ol ho Sc alter Middle Microsoft?) Well, Show Code, part of the Hour of as 9 just that on Dec. try le op pe ich millions of a global event in wh nt de stu er alt Each Show their hand at coding. lex mp co to ple lowing sim spent three hours fol el of lev ir the on , depending online coding projects expertise.

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