Tukwila Reporter, June 19, 2013

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SCHOOL CONNECTIONS: Tukwila School District update, pgs. 14-15

Summer DRINKSSummer COOL

2 JUNE 2013 « www.TUKWILAREPORTER.com

BY STEVE HUNTERS H U N T E R @

T U K W I L A R E P O R T E R . C O M

Sound Transit will start construction Monday on a new $46 million Tukwila Sounder Station to replace the temporary facility.

A groundbreaking cer-

emony is set for 10 a.m. Monday, June 24, at the sta-tion, 7301 Longacres Way. Construction is expected to be completed by fall 2014.

“The goal of this project is to accommodate cur-rent and future demand for ridership on a popular commuter rail route that

serves up to 10,400 board-ings each weekday by im-proving rider access to this location,” said Kimberly Reason, Sound Transit spokeswoman, in an email.

Voters in 1996 approved the Sound Move ballot measure, which included Tukwila Station as one of

nine stations that serve South Line Sounder. That measure approved Sound Transit’s regional transit authority (RTA) taxing base of a 0.9 retail sales tax as well as a 0.3 percent vehicle license tabs tax for those in the Sound Transit district.

Sound Transit delayed construction of a perma-nent station to allow the cities of Tukwila and Rent-on to complete their long-range transportation plans,

Reason said. Sound Transit opened the temporary fa-cility in 2000.

“Now that these planning efforts are complete, Sound Transit is able to move for-ward with construction of the permanent station,” Reason said.

Sound Transit is funding the station through its retail sales tax and vehicle license tab tax as well as $14.2 mil-lion in grants. That includes $8 million in federal High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail funds; $4.6 million in Federal Transportation Ad-ministration (FTA) Ameri-can Recovery and Reinvest-ment Act funds; and $1.5 million in FTA formula funds.

Besides serving Sound Transit riders, the station also handles Amtrak’s four trains per day and numer-ous King County Metro Transit buses, including the new Rapid Ride F system

to begin in June 2014 that will operate between Bur-ien, SeaTac, Tukwila and Renton. That bus service will replace Route 140.

There also are a variety of other bus routes that meet the commuter trains and link the commuter train passengers to their work sites throughout Tukwila, South Seattle and Renton, said Moira Carr Bradshaw, a Tukwila city planner.

“The services offered by all the station’s transporta-tion partners is a great ben-efit for the city’s businesses, employers, and residents,” Carr Bradshaw said.

The improvements with a permanent station in-clude 390 parking spaces (up from 208); improved walkways for pedestrians and bicyclists and a secure bicycle structure to hold 40 bikes as well as bike lockers and racks to hold 36 other bicycles.

The station will feature two 600-foot long plat-forms with shelters, ramps, stairs and ticket vending machines. Crews also will improve the underpass connecting the two plat-forms.

The temporary station will remain open during construction of the new station along the Burl-ington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railroad tracks.

Planning partners with Sound Transit for the sta-tion include the City of Tukwila; City of Renton; King County Metro Tran-sit; BNSF Railway; Amtrak; Boeing Company; and the Washington State Depart-ment of Transportation.

For more information, visit www.soundtransit.org/Projects-and-Plans/Tukwila-Sounder-Station.

The detailsNew Tukwila Sounder

Station What: Sounder Station

Groundbreaking Ceremo-ny

When: 10 a.m. Monday, June 24

Where: 7301 Longacres Way

Sound Transit to start building new station

794107

727925

Sound Transit will start construction this month on a new $46 million Sounder Station. Courtesy graphic, Sound Transit

www.TUKWILAREPORTER.com » JUNE 2013 3

Tukwila will celebrate the nation’s birthday with the Family 4th at Fort Dent Park July 4.

It’s a day full of fun, food and the fireworks at 10 p.m.

The festivities begin at 9 a.m., when the park opens to the public. Organized activities begin at 4 p.m.

As usual, barbecues and portable grills are allowed only in designated areas; pets must be on a leash.

And, fireworks are not allowed within Tukwila city limits.

Here’s the schedule:

• 9 a.m. – Park opens to the public. Parks and Rec-reation Department staff will be on-site for event set-up and to answer any questions; look for the red information tent.

4 p.m. – Kids inflatable bouncers begin, free

4 p.m. – Kids hands-on activity area

4 p.m.-7 p.m. – Roving clowns

6 p.m.-9 p.m. – Games 2U – 4D Theater

7 p.m.-9 p.m. – Rov-ing entertainment by Eric Haines, stilt walker and juggling

Stage schedule

4:30-6 p.m. – The Mark Whitman Band

6 p.m. – Welcome by Mayor Jim Haggerton

6:10 pm – Presentation of Colors, Girl Scout Troop No. 704

6:15 p.m. – National Anthem sung by Tukwila fireighter Cathy Browning

6:30-8 p.m. – Alma Vil-legas

8:30-10 p.m. – The High Rollers Band

10 p.m. – Fireworks dis-play

Food vendors

• Reigning Kettle Corn – kettle corn and water.

• H&D Foods – Elephant ears, hot dogs, sausage, gar-lic French fries, corn dogs, root beer, lemonade, soda and water.

• My Newt Mini Donuts and Shaved Ice – Mini do-nuts and Hawaiian shave ice.

• California Pizza Kitch-en – Spicy chicken que-sadilla appetizers, pizza by the slice, lemonade bar.

• Cow-boyz – Ice cream

Other opportunities

• Tukwila Sister Cities Committee will be selling glow items such as neck-laces, hair extensions, light sabers, glasses, etc. Most glow items cost $5. Pop-corn and candy concession sales too. Cash only. • Tuk-wila CERT & Block Watch with information about current and future commu-nity programs.

For information about the Jul 4 celebration and other Tukwila special events, call the Tukwila Community Center at 206-768-2822 or visit the city website at http://www.ci.tukwila.wa.us/recre-ation/recevent.html

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2 newstationSound Transit will break ground on a new Sounder transit station this month in Tukwila

3 thefourthOne of the biggest parties of the year is a birthday party at Fort Dent marking the birth of our great nation

4 newfriendsFirst graders at Tukwila Elementary School have developed a new friendship with a centenarian with whom they have much in common

6 classof2013Foster High School graduated about 175 seniors last week at the school’s stadium

10 coverstoryWith the arrival of summer comes the chance to cool off in Tukwila with some alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

index

19426 68th Avenue South Kent, WA 98032253.872.6600 www.tukwilareporter.com

tukwilareporter

Tukwila to celebrate the 4th grand style

The High Rollers Band is playing right before the the big fireworks show.

Then comes the 5th cleanupVolunteers are needed to help clean up Fort Dent Park

following the big Fourth of July celebration.The work party is 6:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. July 5 at the park,

14800 Starfire Way, Tukwila.Volunteers are needed to assist with cleaning up debris

and garbage at Fort Dent Park. The city will provide equip-ment. Just show up to help; no registration is required.

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100-year-old Thelma Flaquinti poses with the first graders in Sandra Munoz’s (in the background) class at Tukwila Elementary School. Flaquinti and the students shared experiences, including roller skating. Dean A. Radford, Tukwila Reporter

BY DEAN A. RADFORDE D I T O R @


At 100, Thelma Flaquinti still finds it easy to relate to 6 and 7 year olds.

The centenarian, who turns 101 on Sept. 18, spent some time Wednesday with the first graders in Sandra Munoz’s class at Tukwila Elementary School.

They already know each other a little, having ex-changed special cards over the last several months, in-cluding for Valentine’s Day and Easter.

The cards hang on Fla-quinti’s bedroom door.

Munoz has been con-necting her students with someone who is 100 years old for several years. Fla-quinti is the mother of Elaine Canon, who taught in the Tukwila schools for 45 years, including at Tuk-wila Elementary School.

Flaquinti lives with her daughter in Tukwila. She was born in 1912 in Minne-apolis. For most of her life, she was a stay-at-home-

mom says Canon.The students had cards

all ready for her again Wednesday. Mya Campos’s was typical. It read:

Dear Mrs FlaquintiYou are a nice person.

You are the best. You are awesome. Love Mya.

Flaquinti writes back with the help of her daugh-ter. “The kids are just thrilled,” Munoz said, when they receive her letters.

For the visit, the first grades made a sign wel-coming Flaquinti. They stood outside their class-room with the sign as she

approached down the hall-way, smiling. Then they posed for photos.

Inside, the students sat on the floor in front of Fla-quinti and her daughter and their teacher, excited finally to meet their new friend. It was, perhaps, the first time they had met a centenarian.

Each related something they liked to do, from play-ing basketball, to reading, to solving math problems to roller-skating to jumping rope.

Mya’s nickname is “mon-key”

“I like the monkey bars,” she told Flaquinti.

It turns out Flaquinti was an accomplished jump rop-er at that age.

“Oh, I used to jump rope. I used to jump rope to 500,” she said, to the amazement of the students. They were given the challenge to go outside and count to 500 jump roping.

And Flaquinti roller skated, using a hockey stick as a brake. She was athletic, playing baseball, even be-fore high school in a trav-eling women’s league. She graduated from Roosevelt High School in Seattle dur-ing the Depression.

Munoz said the connec-tions she’s making between her students and centenar-ians are both educational and social, helping them with their writing skills and teaching that you can have a friend of any age.

Munoz stresses the im-portance of family.

“We try to nurture that feeling of respect and com-passion for all people,” she said.

Tukwila centenarian wows first graders at Tukwila school

Mya Campo works on the letter she was writing for Thelma Flaquinti. Dean A. Radford, Tukwila Reporter

BY MICHELLE CONERLY

Tukwila School District’s new superintendent Nancy Coogan hosted a conver-sation to address race and other topics of interest within the district.

About 50 parents, School Board members, commu-nity partners and admin-istrators voiced their opin-ions and suggestions to the new administration May 28 at the Foster High School PAC.

Those attending included Mark Wahlstrom, School Board president, Pat Lar-son, newly appointed prin-cipal of Foster High School, and Mellody Matthes, the interim superintendent, along with other adminis-trators.

Caprice Hollins, former Seattle Public Schools di-rector of equity and race relations, facilitated the conversation. As commu-nity members spoke, both Coogan and Larson took extensive notes.

One of the main con-cerns expressed by the crowd was the diversifica-

tion of the teaching staff in the district. Many wished that there were more teach-ers of color, but Jennifer Johnson, candidate for the Tukwila School Board, be-lieves that teachers can still connect with students who are of a different race or culture.

“Just because (the teach-ing staff doesn’t) look like a child that doesn’t mean they aren’t sensitive to the challenges the student fac-es,” Johnson said.

Another topic of con-versation focused on sus-taining any changes made within the district. Coogan told the crowd that in col-laboration with the School Board and other admin-istrators, she will draft a three-year strategic plan to mark the progress the dis-trict is making in various areas. Many members of the audience appreciated this effort and hoped more conversations like the one held that night would con-tinue throughout the year.

“We have to start some-where, and this is a great start,” said one community member.

Tukwila talks about schools

www.TUKWILAREPORTER.com » JUNE 2013 5viewpoint

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tracey compton reporterbrian beckley reporter

circulationjames kostoroski

253.872.6610

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At Foster High School, we know how crucial it is for our students to pursue a post-sec-ondary education. Many chal-lenges already face the high school graduate: rising tuition, limited enrollment, a recovering job market, and a rapidly chang-ing workforce, to name just a few. In this new world, students must prepare for success, and it’s our job to help them.

To that end, several years ago we created Advisory classes, in which students use the Navi-gation 101 curriculum to help prepare for life aft er high school (you can visit their website at

navigation101.com). In Advi-sory, students learn about career

p r e p a r a t i o n and college readiness. As we continue to develop our Advisory class-es, one of our chief goals is to help students understand the actual paths

they might follow to certain ca-reers or occupations. To this end, our advisories work to teach stu-dents how to plan for their fu-ture: how to understand their

graduation requirements, how to choose courses of study, and how to ensure that all their time in high school is valuably spent.

An equally important goal is to help our students understand that they can, in fact, achieve anything. Th ey can go to col-lege; they can enter advanced ca-reers. In our advisories, we help students understand how to set and reach these goals, and we help our students work towards reaching them, through teaching advocacy, good study habits, and college and career awareness.

Th rough such programs as Navigation 101 and IGNITE (a

new program in which older stu-dents work as role models and mentors for younger students) we continue to teach positive academic skills, mentorship, and the value of working together. We continue to help students un-derstand and prepare for a suc-cessful life beyond high school.

We’re excited for next year; and we’re looking forward to working with you, the Tukwila community, as we continue this eff ort.

Josh Stevenson is a teacher at Foster High School.

Foster IGNITED with possibilities

tukwilacommentary

Change is in the air at Tukwila School District (TSD). A new superintendent. A new Foster principal. School board elec-tions are coming soon. Voters in the fi rst and third district will be the decision makers.

District 1 has three school board candidates: incumbent (17 years) Mary Fertakis, John Barbee and Jennifer Johnson.

District 3 has two candidates: incumbent (4 years) Alicia Wa-

terton and Bobby Cruz.

District 1 c a n d i d at e s are excel-lent. District 3 candidates are good.

Th is elec-tion is dif-ferent. Last

year, there was an intense eff ort from some school district em-ployees and community mem-bers to force Fertakis to resign her position. Strong push back from other community mem-bers ended that eff ort. Change is better sought through the elec-tion process. To the benefi t of all, voters now have choices.

Th ere have been other trou-bling developments. Th e district is awaiting a decision from the

Equal Employment Opportu-nity Commission in response to complaints from Tukwila School District employees. Th is year nine African-American district employees fi led suit against the district for racial dis-crimination.

In the past year, Tukwila School District has lost sev-eral key personnel including the district superintendent. It has been ugly. Th e buck stops with the school board. Th is is where accountability, however one judges it, has to take place.

Incumbents will talk about their experience. Th at is im-portant. If experience is the

only consideration, challengers should simply go home. How about the ability to anticipate and deal with problems before they become major issues to be adjudicated in courts and com-missions?

Th ere is general agreement that an all-white school board does not refl ect the diversity of the community and student population it serves.

Regardless of legal outcomes, the unrest in the school dis-trict is such that it is diffi cult to imagine good things happening without some changes in board leadership, energy and direc-tion. Instead, voters are asked to

elect the same board members. How does accountability enter the picture?

Th e school board needs direc-tors with exceptional social skills and community awareness. Th e ability to engage in respectful, collaborative interactions with staff , teachers and community members is paramount.

Directors must be intentional in attitude and action to address real or perceived shortcomings in policy implementation.

Voters, too, must be inten-tional. If the past is prologue, then it is likely that only a small group of regular voters will de-cide this election. In off -year elections, general election voter turnout is normally poor and turnout in primaries is even worse.

Regardless of election out-comes, let us remember that school board members volun-teer their time and energy with-out pay.

Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Our school board members do their best and de-serve our thanks for their ser-vice.

Chuck Parrish can be reached at [email protected].

Tough times for schools, board

Chuck Parrish

Josh Stevenson


Foster High School CLASS OF 2013

Commencement for the Foster High School Class of 2013 (here in the class photo taken earlier) was Friday, June 14, at the Foster High School Stadium. About 175 seniors received their diplomas. Student speakers were Emina Dacic and Huan Nguyen. Tukwila School District

FOSTER’S TOP 10: Top row, from left, Kumar Khanal, Naufal Rizaldy, Ngoc Tran, Eduardo Rojas and Huan Nguyen (salutatorian); bottoom row, from left, Esmeralda Bailon, Moa Arquiza (valedictorian), Charanpreet Samra. Michelle Conerly, Tukwila Reporter

Two Foster High School graduates, Micah Breland, left, and Miguel Maestas are headed for college. Michelle Conerly, Tukwila Reporter

Here are two Foster High School graduates who worked hard in and out of the classroom and in their community. The stories are by Michelle Conerly.

Miguel Maestas:Passion for service

For Miguel Maestas, senior at Foster High School, being a lead-er is in his blood.

His uncle, Roberto Maestas, was a longtime social justice ac-tivist in the greater Seattle area who also founded El Centro de La Raza, a community center for the Latino and Spanish-speaking community.

Drawing from his late uncle’s passion and activism, it is no wonder that Maestas was award-

Two Bulldogs who made a difference

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ed the Act Six scholarship, a full tuition, full need award based on service and lead-ership, to attend Gonzaga University in the fall.

The scholarship requires all recipients to meet once a week for the seven months prior to college to discuss societal issues and develop leadership skills.

This fall, Maestas will join three other students in attending Gonzaga with “a sense of purpose as service-minded leaders and agents of transformation” accord-ing to the Act Six website.

“They have a cool, pro-gressive message,” Maestas said of Gonzaga’s Jesuit tradition and teachings--a very similar message Maes-tas was taught once arriving to the Pacific Northwest.

Moving from his home-town of Albuquerque to Se-attle two days before begin-ning high school, Maestas encountered people from all backgrounds and races, something he’d never expe-rienced before. From there, he decided bridging the gap between people of different cultures was an issue worth fighting.

“I want to be a social justice leader (and) make people aware of the issues,” he said.

Witnessing the changes his uncle made for people of all creeds and colors, Maestas was inspired to fol-low in his footsteps.

“I’ve always just been around that culture of standing up for what is right,” he said. “My family has taught me and trained me to stand up for what I believe in, (and) it’s about making a change in the community.”

Micah Breland: Not just athlete

For Micah Breland, cap-tain of the Foster High School football and basket-ball teams and a member of the track team, there’s more to life than just sports.

Not only is Breland ASB president and a part of the National Honor Society, he also gives back to the com-munity that raised him by volunteering with Young Life, a Christian youth group, and being an Ignite youth mentor as well.

“My passion is to help those who have been through a lot,” Breland said.

It is those accomplish-

ments paired with his skill on the field that earned Breland a full-ride scholar-ship to attend Idaho State University this fall.

Although Breland re-ceived multiple offers from schools around the coun-try, he appreciated the bal-ance between school and sports he witnessed with the Idaho Bengals.

“I see the focus on aca-demics not only in the ad-missions office but (with) the coach as well,” Breland

said. And with a good head

on his shoulders, Breland believes that being a good person and well-rounded student precedes any suc-cesses earned on the field.

“If I can’t communicate with people, what’s the point of playing sports?” Breland said. “I realize you have to be a student first.”

But knowing school and sports could propel him far in life, Breland put his heart and soul into both, using

what he learned on the field in the classroom and other areas in his life.

“With sports being a big part of my life, it helps me deal with people in gener-al,” he said.

With the motivation and determination to succeed, Breland advises others to not limit themselves and pursue their dreams.

“You are your own great-est enemy,” he said. “Don’t close a door before you walk through it.”

[ GRADS from page 6]

10 JUNE 2013 « www.TUKWILAREPORTER.com www.TUKWILAREPORTER.com » JUNE 2013 11

TUKWILA CITY PAGESMAYOR: Jim Haggerton COUNCIL PRESIDENT: Kathy Hougardy

TUKWILA The city of opportunity

The community of choice

Come join the talk from 10:00AM to 12:00PM at FOSTER GOLF CLUBHOUSE

13500 Interurban Ave S

Council Chat is a monthly chance to stop by and informally talk with one of your Tukwila City Councilmembers about anything

on your mind regarding your community.

Next Chat: July 13

CVoiceouncil

by Kathy Hougardy, 2013 Council President

CouncilChat

EVERYONETUKWILA’S FAMILY 4TH starts at 4:00PM at

Fort Dent Park, starting with food, activity

booths and entertainment, and ending with

the annual fireworks display at 10:00pm.

FAMILIES & KIDS OF ALL AGESKing County Library again hosts their SUM-MER READING PROGRAM. Kids track books

they have read and receive prizes just for

reading. The Library also will be hosting

storytimes in English, Somali and Spanish.

Take advantage of additional programs that

the library offers, including computer help,

classes on job hunting skills, play groups for

preschoolers and their caregivers, a teen

book club, and art/drama/science times for

kids. Go to KCLS.org or call 206-242-1640 for

more information.

Summer’s a great time to enjoy the TUKWILA POOL. Enjoy lessons, lap swims, fitness class-

es, and various open swims every day of the

week. New programs include a Female-Only

Swim and the Tukwila Tiger Sharks Summer

Swim Team. Three special events will be of-

fered: Splash into Summer on June 22; a

Scout’s Swim Day on July 20, where Scouts

can complete skills needed to earn merit

badges and interest projects; and a Floating Movie Night on August 31. Call 206-267-2350

for more information.

KIDSKids need some run-around and get-it out-of-

their-system time? Drop them off at Cascade

View Community or Foster Memorial Park for

the SUMMER PLAYGROUND PROGRAM. It’s

for children ages 5–12 and it’s free! Times are

11AM to 2PM, Monday–Thursday, July 1 through

August 22. (The hours may be adjusted for

bad weather.) In conjunction with the City of

Seattle, Tukwila offers the FREE Summer Sack Lunch Program for the first 100 participants

daily, ages 1—18. Lunchtime is 11:15AM—12:15PM

In 1999 the City of Tukwila – along with the cities of Bellevue, Issaquah, Kirkland, Redmond and the Sam-mamish Plateau – and Skyway Water and Sewer Dis-tricts joined together to form a corporation called the Cascade Water Alliance (CWA). The mission of this alli-ance is “to provide water supply and meet current and future needs of our members in a cost-effective and environmentally responsible manner.” It provides a safe, clean and reliable water supply to almost 400,000 residents and more than 22,000 businesses.

An important goal of the CWA is water conservation. As summer approaches with its traditional water usage increases, here are some tips for saving water:

➊ Run dish and clothes washers with full loads only.

➋ Wash your car at a commercial car wash.

➌ Keep irrigation systems maintained and leak-free.

➍ Set your sprinklers to water only the area needed (overspray uses extra gallons of water).

➎ Use a broom to sweep sidewalks and driveways rather than a hose.

➏ Fix leaky faucets; small drips add up to many gallons of water lost.

➐ Maintain a cover on hot tubs and swimming pools when not in use to cut down on evaporation.

The CWA has a program that provides conservation items such as showerheads, shower timers and faucet aerators for free; you pay only the postage. This pro-gram is available to any homeowner whose water pro-vider is a member of the Alliance. If you are interested, contact CWA by phone at 425-453-0930 or online at CascadeWater.org.

Summer also sees a water bill increase as summer wa-ter rates go into effect from June through September – a pass-through of the raised prices from our provider. If your bill is higher than usual and shows increased consumption, other things to consider are:

Saturday radio communications event On Saturday, June 22 the Tukwila Emergency Commu-nications Team (TECTeam) invites you to join them for their annual Field Day exercise, held from 12:00–5:00pm, at Tukwila Fire Station 51, at 444 Andover Park East. This exercise is part of the national annual Field Day event, organized by the American Radio Relay League, the na-tional association for amateur radio.

The purposes of Field Day are multifold. This drill is an opportunity to: simulate setting up and operating com-munications equipment in less-than-ideal emergency circumstances; educate the public on the value of com-munications during an emergency; get unlicensed citi-zens “on the air” making radio contacts across the state or country; and it’s a competition to make as many radio contacts as possible during the event, while promoting interest in the hobby and having fun!

Visitors can try their hand at operating a High Frequency radio (no license necessary as they’ll be accompanied by a licensed operator), learn about the communica-tions facets of the City’s Emergency Preparedness plan, learn about the volunteer opportunities with the TECTe-am, and get any questions answered relating to amateur radio or emergency communications.

The Tukwila Emergency Communications Team was formed 18 months ago, recruit-ing volunteers who live or work in Tuk-wila to learn about amateur radio com-

munications (also known as “ham radio”), emergency preparedness, formal incident command structure, and other skills needed in an emergency. The Team is pro-viding its time and skills to the City of Tukwila Office of Emergency Management for deployment in the event of an emergency requiring unconventional communica-tions. Experience has shown that traditional communi-cations – cell phone, landline phone, commercial radio, Internet – can be impacted early on in an emergency. Amateur radio communications get through when these other systems which rely heavily on infrastructure fail.

For more information about the TECTeam or to learn more about amateur radio, its relevance in the 21st cen-tury and its use in Emergency Preparedness, visit the TECTeam website at www.TukwilaRadioClub.org.

The Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting has been awarded to Tukwila for its 2011 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR). This attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management, the highest level of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting.

These awards are issued by the Government Finance Officers Associa-tion of the United States and Canada (GFOA), a non-profit professional association that promotes the professional management of govern-ments with policies and practices that enhance sound financial man-agement of public resources. The CAFR was evaluated by an impartial panel to meet the high standards of the program, including the dem-onstration of a constructive “spirit of full disclosure”, to clearly commu-nicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the CAFR.

At the May 28 City Council Meeting this Certificate was presented to Finance Director Peggy McCarthy, along with an Award of Financial Reporting Achievement for an individual, department or agency des-ignated by the government as primarily responsible for preparing the award-winning CAFR. The City is proud to receive recognition for our high standards in financial reporting.

You can find this document online at TukwilaWA.gov/Finance/CAFR_2011.pdf.

Frogs and stormwater quality were the emphasis for this year’s public education and outreach at Tukwila Elementary School. As part of its Surface Water Management Pro-gram, Tukwila’s Public Works De-partment provided a storm water presentation to Mrs. Fisher’s third grade class on May 16, 2013. The surface water presentation was in support of the students cur-rently learning about recycling and

In 2003 the City of Tukwila imposed a Utility Tax and added surcharge to Seattle City Light customers as a contract fee. The City established policy to rebate these additional taxes and contract surcharge fees to low-income seniors (62 or older) or permanently disabled residents who may be eligible for electric and natural gas utility rebates.

Criteria for eligibility

◆ At least 62 years of age or permanently disabled.

◆ Have combined income of less than $31,150 or less than $27,250 if single.

◆ Be a Puget Sound Energy or Seattle City Light customer.

Required information due by June 30, 2013

❖ Completed application and notarized supplemental affidavit at the Finance Department in Tukwila City Hall.

❖ Copy of 2012 Income Tax Return.

❖ Copy of Puget Sound Energy or Seattle City Light 12/31/12 billing statement as verification of customer account status.

Payment process

Those applicants determined to be eligible will receive a rebate check from the City based on the actual taxes and surcharges paid for 2012. For additional informa-tion, call Fiscal Coordinator Lily Jue at 206-433-7190.

You may be eligible for 2012 utility tax rebates

Jim Haggerton, Mayor

Mayor’s Message

♦ Cars being washed more often than at other times of the year

♦ Watering a summer garden or landscaping in addition to normal outdoor watering

♦ Recently filled a swimming pool

♦ Additional people in the home, including guests

♦ Irrigation system leaks

♦ Leaking toilets

Leaking toilets can add up to the needless loss of many gallons of water which in turn increases your water bill. To check for a leak, do the following:

◗ Lift the lid on the toilet tank and place a few drops of food coloring in the tank.

◗ Wait 15 minutes. DO NOT FLUSH TOILET.

◗ If color seeps into the toilet bowl, it is likely that the toilet flapper is worn out and needs to be replaced.

◗ Remove flapper from toilet tank and place it in a plastic bag. Take bag to the hardware store where their staff can assist you with purchasing a new one, if help is needed.

If your consumption still seems high beyond the above possibilities, a meter read is advisable. While NO WATER IS BEING USED, check whether or not the meter is turning; a moving meter can mean a possible leak. However, with a really slow leak the turning may not be noticeable initially, so read the meter, wait several minutes and then read it again. A different read indicates a leak.

Senior or permanently disabled citizens meeting certain criteria qualify for a reduced water rate in Tukwila. As always, our City staff would be happy to answer any questions you may have about your water service or billing. Call us at 206-433-1835.

ENJOY THE SUMMER!

frogs. The students were shown the storm drainage plan of their school’s campus, learning how the campus drains to the Joe Henry Duffie Learning Center, a pond for the students where – along with

other aquatic life – certain frogs make their home.

A variety of aquatic life relies on every person making sure that nothing but rain goes down the storm drain. The third graders signed pledge cards to do their part to keep pollution out of the City’s storm drainage system and thus keeping the water quality we depend on at a very high level… even for the FROGS!

KIDS AND YOUTH CAMPSNeed someplace for your kids to go during the

summer while you are at work, or do you want

to get them off the couch and away from their

video games? Send them to Tukwila Parks and

Rec SUMMER CAMPS. Their days will be full

of activities that include field trips, games,

arts and crafts, swimming and more. There

are now even specialty camps including Crit-ter Camp (animals), Fashion, Cooking and

Theater, and of course many different sports.

Extended camp hours are available for work-

ing parents. Also, ask about the revamped

financial assistance program to make camp

affordable for your family budget.

TEENSMiddle and High Schoolers: After your last

day of school on June 18, head on down to

the football field for the SUMMER KICKOFF FESTIVAL FOR TEENS at Werner Neudorf

Stadium. There will be lots of great events

including obstacle courses, bouncers, 9-hole

mini golf, volleyball, basketball tournaments

with trophies, video game systems, and lots

of great food at prices teenagers can afford.

Then you can keep up with your friends at the

SUMMER TEEN LATE NIGHTS every Friday

from June 21 through August 16, at both the

Tukwila Pool and Tukwila’s Community Center.

SENIORSThe TUKWILA COMMUNITY CENTER has

some great, creative trips lined up this sum-

mer for adults 50 years young and over, in-

cluding Suquamish Museum, a Grandparent/

Grandchild trip to the zoo (how fun is that!),

outdoor theater and a Mariner’s baseball

game. There are also several different trans-

portation options offered by Tukwila to get

you where you need to be. Call 206-768-2822

or check your Parks and Recreation brochure

for more information.

OUTDOORS & SPORTSTUKWILA PARKS AND REC PROGRAMS will

host summer outdoor field trips for adults

and older children, including hiking and white

water rafting. They also offer swimming les-

sons, martial arts courses, and adult fitness

classes. Summer sports camps for kids include

baseball, cheer, basketball, tennis and soccer.

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENTMOVIES ON THE GREEN (at Foster Golf Links)

and the FAMILY OUTDOOR SUMMER CINEMA

(at the Tukwila Community Center) will of-

fer free outdoor movies on certain evenings

throughout the summer. For more informa-

tion, check your Parks Brochure or visit www.

tukwilawa.gov/recreation/recmain.html.

Do you like being involved in the performing

arts? Tukwila’s Community Center offers arts classes for kids and adults in dance, music,

piano and ukulele.

LOVERS OF FLORA & FAUNAA Tukwila GARDEN PARTY AND TOUR event

will be held on July 13, featuring select gar-

dens of our own Tukwila residents. The $10

pre-admission, or $15 admission on the day of

the event, will include the tours, snacks and

refreshments, plus musical entertainment.

The Community Center is offering a class se-

ries titled Grow, Eat, Grow, featuring farm

tours, an introduction to composting, and

a class on raising and keeping chickens. Is it

time for your dog to become a well-mannered

pup? There are obedience classes for that,

too, at the Community Center.

LOVERS OF SALES & BARGAINSOn August 17 & 18, it’s the 20th Annual TUK-WILA COMMUNITY GARAGE SALE! Whether

shopping for some treasures or selling for some

extra cash, this event will make you happy!

One of the things I love about living in Tukwila is that we have the advantages of living in a large metropolitan area, and yet Tukwila still retains the small town feel. In fact, you don’t even need to leave town for summer activities. Our city does a great job of providing things to do and places to go with friends and neighbors. Here are some of the upcoming events that you can enjoy this summer; I’ll give you even more suggestions next month.

at the Tukwila Community

Center, and 12:00—12:30PM

at Cascade View Community

and Foster Memorial Parks,

Monday thru Friday. Lunches

are served at each location

regardless of the weather.

NEED MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THESE EVENTS?Unless otherwise listed, you can call the Tukwila Community Center at 206-768-2822; consult the

Parks and Recreation Spring/Summer Activities Guide, or visit the City’s website at TukwilaWA.gov

Ideas for summer fun in Tukwila (part 1)

Information about summer water bills and consumption

Tukwila students learn about connection between stormwater and healthy frogs

City offices will be closed

on Thursday, July 4

TUKWILA COMMUNITY GARAGE SALESaturday, August 17 and Sunday, August 18

Sign up by July 20 to hold a sale; we’ll give you free publicity & more!Register online at TukwilaWA.gov/yardsale.html,

call 206-433-7178, or email [email protected]


TRACEY COMPTONT C O M P T O N @


It’s summertime and when the weather’s fi ne, it’s oft en cause for celebration with some seasonal cocktails. Local retailers and res-taurants have put out their sum-mer cocktail supplies, recipes and drink menus.

Here are some recipes, tips and insight for how to plan your own summer cocktail experience.

“People are inventing cocktails every single day that they do, in-stead of being told what to invent now because they have so much to work with,” said Vicki Mathes.

She is a team member at Total Wine & More at Southcenter and has been in the beer, wine and spirits business for 16 years. One can fi nd all the ingredients for the cocktail recipes Total Wine & More provided, plus all of the bev-erages needed for the entertaining purposes, weekly classes and tast-ings. Th ey even have a humidor fi lled with specialty cigars.

“Cocktails go by seasons, just like clothing or anything else,” Mathes said. “Since it’s gin season again, gin sales are up. People are wanting to try gin if they’ve never had it before.”

For the 20-something set, Man-hattans are all the rage.

“Manhattans are really big again,” she said. “Th ey’ve come back like Capri pants when I was little. I would say Manhattans are

assumed to be one of the most popular drinks and rye whiskey has made a huge comeback.”

Mathes attributes the drinks’

popularity to the media and shows like “Mad Men.”

For something more tropical, or at least representative of a hot

zone, tequila season will never leave.

“Once the weather gets warmer (it’s) tequila season, margaritas all that,” Mathes said. “People shop for tequila, like they shop for a fi ne bourbon because they’re making so many fi ne tequilas today with specifi c fl avors.”

Mezcal tequila, which is made outside of Jalisco, Mexico, has made a real comeback, she said. Th e Mexican government man-dates only tequilas made in Jalisco to be called tequila.

A lot of Mezcal Tequilas have an earthier fl avor, Mathes said.

If you’d rather be served an ex-otic libation than serve one your-self, there are plenty of restaurants in Tukwila with ample drink and happy-hour menus.

Bahama Breeze is packed and lively during its early evening and late-night happy hours, lunch and dinner.

Th e restaurant, located next to Westfi eld Southcenter Mall, re-cently introduced their new Leg-endary Island Cocktails. Th ey are fi ve drinks from fi ve tropical lo-cales.

“Our most popular drink is the Frozen Bahamarita,” said Ashley Lee, head bartender. “We probably have 20 signature drinks that are unique to other restaurants.”

Bahama Breeze has a deck, with seating, a stage, additional deck bar, live music stage and fi re pit that transports visitors into a trop-ical setting.

coverstory

Summer drinks that cool the heat

LIME IN A COCONUT

1 oz Largo Bay Silver Rum

1/2 oz Drillaud Coconut Liqueur

1 oz Largo Bay Coconut Rum

2 oz Club Soda

2 dashes of lime juice

Pour both rums and coconut li-

queur into a glass with ice. Stir. Add

soda water and two heavy dashes of

lime juice. Re-stir and garnish with

a lime.

CUCUMBER MINT GIN FIZZ

1 1/2 oz Greenall’s Gin

1/2 oz lime juice

1/2 oz Sensational Simple Syrup

1/2 cup peeled and chopped

cucumber

4 mint leaves

2 oz Fever Tree club soda

Add 1/2 cup peeled and chopped

cucumber and 4 mint leaves to a

cocktail shaker. Muddle to extract

all of the juices. Fill the shaker with

ice and add Gin, lime juice, and

Sensational Lime Syrup. Shake well.

Strain into a glass fi lled with ice.

Top with Fever Tree club soda and

garnish with mint leaves and a cu-

cumber slice.

Ashley Lee, head bartender at Bahama Breeze, mixes up a Yaka Hula Hickey Dula and a Zombie. Tracey Compton, Tukwila Reporter

Here are some favorite summer drinks without alcohol.

LEMONADE

Combine in a saucepan

1. 1 cup sugar

2. 1 cup water

3. rind of two lemons, cut into pieces

Stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved.

Boil about 7 minutes. Cool.

Add

1. 1 cup lemon juice (5 to 6 lemons)

2. 4 cups ice water

Pour over ice in pitcher or tall glasses

Makes 6-8 servings

A bit of grenadine syrup makes pink lem-

onade

Add some bruised mint at bottom of

glasses for minted lemonade

RED FRUIT PUNCH

Mix together

½ cup sugar

1 cup lemon juice

1 cup cherry juice

2 cups pineapple or pear juice

Cover and chill until fl avors are well

blended. Just before serving, add 1 quart of

carbonated water or ginger ale

Makes 10 servings

SHERBERT PUNCH

Fill a punch bowl with a lemon-lime soda

and add scoops of lime sherbet. Delicious

and refreshing.

SHARE YOUR IDEAS

Do you have your own favorite non-alco-

holic summer drunk? Please email the recipe

and include your name to editor@tukwilare-

porter.com and we’ll publish those in July.

Recipes from Total Wine & More in

Southcenter

On the cover, the two drinks are from Bahama Breeze’s Ledgendary Island Cocktail collection. Tracey Compton

noalcohol


BY MICHELLE CONERLY Th e Tukwila School District has placed

former Foster High School Assistant Prin-cipal Daryl Wright on paid administrative leave and reassigned him to work at Cas-cade View Elementary School for the up-coming school year.

Wright was placed on paid administra-tive leave earlier this week. A letter dated May 31 from interim Superintendent Mel-lody Matthes states Wright will transfer to the role of K-8 teacher at Cascade View Elementary eff ective for the 2013-2014 school year.

Th e reason for the transfer, she wrote, is due to “the district’s staff needs and your expressed desires . . . to work with and make a diff erence to the district’s most di-verse community and student body.”

But Wright’s attorney off ered another reason for the transfer

“Mr. Wright views this as a demotion and retaliatory action by the specifi c peo-ple he has complained about in terms of their unwillingness to respect him as an African-American male and role model in the community,” said Joan Mell, the at-torney representing Wright and the other eight plaintiff s in a lawsuit against the school district.

Wright has requested a stay of this deci-sion until the new superintendent, Nancy

Coogan, and new principal of Foster High School, Pat Larson, have begun their terms this summer so that they can make a fi nal decision.

“Th ey (the current administration) are trying to get rid of the color in Tukwila,” Mell said. “Th ey didn’t move him into an-other leadership role. Th ey took him out of a leadership role.”

Th e original lawsuit, fi led Feb. 12 in King County Superior Court, outlines is-sues of racial discrimination experienced by nine faculty and staff members within the school district.

“Th e Tukwila School District and its of-fi cials endorse a white agenda and system-atically repress equality in education and teaching,” the lawsuit states.

Wright’s placement on administrative leave, in addition to other infrastructural issues such as overcrowded spaces on cam-pus and student achievement, are outlined in the amended complaint Mell submitted.

Mike Patterson, the district’s attorney, wrote in an email June 7 that Wright’s as-signment transfer was not connected to the lawsuit in any way.

“Th e district strongly refutes any sug-gestion that transferring Mr. Wright to a teaching position for which he is qualifi ed and endorsed is in any way related to his pending litigation or as a consequence of his allegations in the lawsuit,” wrote Pat-

terson. “Th e district has, and continues to, dispute any claims that it discriminates against any of its employees or students based on their race and can state with cer-tainty that no reprisals of any kind have been taken or will be taken by any school administrator or the board against any dis-trict employee because of his or her partici-pation in past or present grievance proce-

dures or litigation.“Th e district embraces and implements

processes and programs expressly designed to ensure that its staff and all its students enjoy a positive environment in which to teach and learn, and it takes great care han-dling all personnel concerns to come to fair and just decisions that are in the best inter-ests of all parties.”

Foster administrator moved to Cascade View


AAA Congratulates

T U K W I L A E L E M E N T A R Y

2013 AAA School Safety Patrol

Every school day, thousands of school safety patrollers dedicate themselves

to the safety of their classmates. From more than 22,000 patrollers across

Washington, 10 were inducted into the 2013 AAA School Safety Patrol Hall

of Fame.

Trescege Ramirez-Diaz of Tukwila Elementary was chosen as a 2013 Hall

of Fame inductee. AAA, the founder of the School Safety Patrol program,

and the community of Tukwila will be forever grateful for her dedication, and

that of her fellow patrollers, to the safety of her classmates. Congratulations

Trescege, you are a true everyday hero!

A family FourthTukwila’s Family 4th at the Fort is 4 p.m-10 p.m. at Fort

Dent Park, 6800 Fort Dent Way.Th e park opens to the public at 9 a.m., with family ac-

tivities beginning at 4 p.m., including infl atable bouncers and slides and an entertainment stage. Th ere are desig-nated areas for barbecues and food can be purchased from vendors.

Th e fi reworks show is at 10 p.m.

A garden partyJuly 13 is the day to see some of Tukwila’s fi nest gardens

during the annual Garden Party and Tour.Th e event kicks off at the Tukwila Community Center,

12424 42nd Ave. S. Th e tours are 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 on July 13. Admis-

sion includes tours of private gardens, snacks and refresh-ments, and musical entertainment.

Tickets are available at the Tukwila Community Center or by calling 206-768-2822. Tickets also can be purchased at the Brown Paper Tickets website, www.brownpaper-tickets.com/event/401283.

A description of the farms is available online at www.backyardwildlifefestival.org/tour.html.

Summer moviesTh e Movies on the Green at Foster Golf Links are July

19 and 26, beginning at 8 p.m. Outdoor seating opens at 8 p.m. and movies begin at dusk. Th e movie July 19 is “Sky-fall,” rated PG-13 and the July 26 movie is “Here Comes the Boom,” rated PG. Th e golf course is at 13500 Interur-ban Ave. S.

tukwilacalendar

BY STEVE HUNTERS H U N T E R @ T U K W I L A R E P O R T E R . C O M

A 19-year-old Tukwila man was sen-tenced to 18 years in prison for the 2012 stabbing death of Jasmyn Tully, 17, of SeaTac.

Kolby Jordan Clark pleaded guilty in March to second-degree murder. He was 17 at the time of the murder but was charged as an adult under state law because second-degree murder falls under the seri-ous violent off ense of a Class A felony.

Clark faced a sentence range of 12 to 20 years in prison, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Offi ce. King County Superior Court Judge Bill Bowman sentenced Clark on May 31 at the Norm Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent. Prosecutors recommended 16 years.

Tully was found in an apartment in the 11600 block of 42nd Avenue South by Tuk-

wila Police offi cers at about 3 a.m. March 17, 2012, unconscious and suff ering from stab wounds, according to Tukwila Police. She was transported to Harborview Medi-cal Center in Seattle by Medic One but died a short time later.

Offi cers questioned Clark, who lived at the apartment. Police arrested Clark and booked him into the King County Youth Services jail for investigation of second-degree murder.

Tully had a stab wound to her neck as well as defensive wounds to her right hand, according to charging papers.

Both Tully and Clark had been spending the night at the apartment rented by other residents. Clark had left the apartment when police arrived, but offi cers found him about 15 minutes later several blocks from the apartment walking on the street with-out any shoes. He had a cut to his left wrist.

Tukwila teenager sentenced in murder

tukwila’sstory

BY LOUISE JONES-BROWNA C T I N G D I R E C T O R , T U K W I L A H I S T O R Y

M U S E U M

Th omas Ray has been credited with building the 1882 farmhouse referred by local residents as the Ray –Carrossino House.

Th omas or T.K. and Lucretia (Julian or Julien) Ray were married on Dec 5, 1880

in Duwamish, Washing-ton Territory. Th omas was born in 1853 and the family lived in Iowa where he attended school while working the family farm and learning to be-come a teamster (driv-ing teams of horses or mules).

Th omas and Lucretia’s fi rst child, Clara, born on August 4, 1881, was followed by Dorothy (1884), Rhoda (1886), Eldra (1888), Viola (1894), Cecil (1894), and then Eugene (1903). All of the children except Clara are believed to have been born in the farm house. It was stated by Rodney Ray, who currently resides in the Auburn area, that his father, Eugene was born in an upstairs bedroom of the house. Th e parents of Th omas, Abner Ray and Mary Ann (Keith) Ray also came to Duwamish, Washington

Territory and are buried in the area. Lu-cretia’s father, Jacob Julian, came to King County where he purchased 68 acres of farmland on the Duwamish River. He sold the land and purchased a larger farm where he continued to successfully farm for 20

years. Jacob Julian was a Democrat and the Duwamish precinct is where he faithfully voted for twenty seven years. It is noted that he was very active and infl uential in local area public aff airs serving as school director and road supervisor. He passed away in 1905.

A property of 10 acres on the Duwamish River was purchased by Th omas in 1881 or 1882. He was very successful with his arm with growing fruit and vegetables in the furtile river bottom soil and also provided a ferry service for those living on the South side of the Duwamish. Th e family lived in the sturdy farmhouse until 1910 and it has been said that they lived very comfortably. Th omas had taken on farming land in the Auburn area where he moved the family. He lived there until his death in 1940 at the age of 87. Lucretia passed in 1945 at age 83.

I just recently met 3 direct descendants of Th omas and Lucretia Ray, Carol Bruce (Clara), Judie Stewart (Eugene) and Gwyn Vukich (Eugene). Th ey provided our or-ganization with a host of family photos some of which are featured in this article along with many stories of the Ray family. We also made a trip to visit the farm house with the Ray descendants and it was very sad to see the once lively home boarded up and isolated by the local business de-velopment. Th is land was once a thriving farm and family residence which was the center of the Ray family. We happily dis-covered that there was a family connection between the Maple and Ray families by the marriage of Mary Van Asselt and William Julian in 1886 since Mary’s mother was Catherine “Jane” Maple.

Tracing historic home

Thomas Ray


Fourteen athletes from the city’s Tukwila Turtles Special Olympics Swim Team won 30 medals at the at the Special Olym-pics Washington State Games June 1 at the King County Aquatic Center.

Th ey won 10 gold, nine silver and 11 bronze med-als at the games.

Th e team’s boys and girls unifi ed 200 freestyle relays capped off the meet with the boys, Paul Kang, Kenneth Nishino, Phillip Th elin and Michael Dizon, winning gold medals, and the girls, Jillian Quigley, Lynsey Yunker, Julie Roles and Kenna Ramey, win-ning silver medals.

Th is year is the eighth season for the Special Olympics Washington Tukwila Turtles swim team.

Eighteen swimmers were registered for prac-tices with four unifi ed swimmers (two boys and two girls non-special Olympians) joining the team for the regional and

state competitions in re-lays.

Practices are on Fridays, 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. mid-February until the end of May. Th e regional tour-nament is mid-April and state tournament is the fi rst weekend in June.

Th e coaches are Tukwila Pool Aquatic Coordina-tor Malcolm Neely and Aquatic Specialist Amy Kindell, with assistance from Wendy Neely with

Blue Wave Aquatics.Th e Metropolitan Park

District, City of Tukwila and Special Olympics Washington sponsor the team.

Signups for next year’s team will be early in 2014, but there are other op-tions available for Special Olympic athletes to swim throughout the year at the Tukwila Pool. Call 206-267-2350 for more infor-mation.

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Tukwila Turtles win medals at state meet

ABOVE: Members of the Tukwila Turtles Spe-cial Olympics swim team. AT LEFT: Paul Kang, Kenneth Nishino, Phillip Th elin and Michael Dizon, won gold medals. City of Tukwila

Applicants are being sought for a vacan-cy on the Valley View Sewer District Board of Commissioners.

An applicant must be a registered voter and live within the sewer district. How-ever, applicants do not need any technical knowledge about sewers or how they work.

Th e board meets twice a month to con-sider policies, projects and budgets of the sewer district.

Th e board will appoint an individual to

serve in Position 1 until the 2015 election, when the position will be on the ballot for a two-year term.

Applications are due on June 21 and are available online at www.valvue.com or at the district offi ce, 3460 S. 148th St., Suite 100, Tukwila.

Valley View Sewer District serves parts of the cities of SeaTac, Burien, Tukwila, as well as unincorporated King County.

District seeks applicant

Concerned about preserving and im-proving our roads, bridges, highways, and Metro bus service? Here’s a chance to learn about potential funding solutions and share your views.

King County has scheduled a transpor-tation open house for 5:30 p.m. June 19 in Bellevue City Hall to discuss transit.

As the state Legislature seeks common ground on transportation funding, elected offi cials from cities and King County will hold an open house and town hall meeting to highlight what’s at stake for our roads, bridges, highways, and transit service.

Speakers will include mayors and other local and state elected offi cials.

Come ask questions and share your thoughts about how you might be aff ected by cuts in transit service or by lack of fund-ing to improve and maintain highways and roads.

County offi cials will be recording your views to show elected offi cials what you want for your transportation future.

Th e June 19 event begins at with an open house and comment period at 5:30 p.m. and will be followed by a moderated panel discussion and questions from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Bellevue City Hall is located at 450 110th Avenue Northeast, Bellevue.

Bus meeting is set

!The best in

community sports in print & onlinewww.tukwilareporter.com


school connectionJUNE 2013Tukwila School District #406

Bellevue, WA(June 4, 2013) –

Trescege Ramirez-Diaz, a fi fth grader at Tukwila Elementary, was inducted into the 2013 AAA School Safe-ty Patrol Hall of Fame on Friday, May 24, in recognition of her ded-ication to safety, com-munity stewardship and leadership.

Ramirez-Diaz was one of 10 outstanding patrollers from across Washington recognized at the evening awards ceremony held before the Seattle Mariners game at Safeco Field. As a long standing tra-dition, AAA Washington and a panel of judges from the Nation-al Highway Traffi c Safety Administra-tion, the Offi ce of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Washing-ton Traffi c Safety Commission select top patrollers from schools across Washington each year, and honor their accomplishments through induction in the AAA School Safety Patrol Hall of Fame.

Patrollers are evaluated and judged on their commitment to traffi c safety, citi-zenship, leader-ship skills, and contributions to school safety patrol programs. Nominations re-quire input from both the patrol-ler and their ad-visor, including responses to a series of es-say questions. Ramirez-Diaz was chosen for her outstand-ing leadership

as described below:· Ramirez-Diaz is a true role model

at Tukwila Elementary. As a more ex-perienced patroller, she has taken it upon herself to be a mentor and re-source for new patrollers. She helps with training, takes shifts when need-ed and provides guidance to help new patrollers be successful. She also helps enforce the rules and has implemented new ways for patrollers to communi-

cate in order to protect the safety of fellow schoolmates. She is viewed as a role model for younger students and her positive and helpful attitude is contagious to those around her. As her advisor, Irma Guerrero-Kusmirek, wrote in the nomination, “I believe that Trescege has many qualities that help her stand apart from the other patrols, one is that she is very self motivated.”

Mark Owen, school safety patrol ad-visor at Highland Terrace Elementary School in Shoreline, was also recog-nized as the second annual AAA School Safety Patrol Advisor of the Year. More than 700 people, including fellow pa-trollers, family, friends and community leaders, attended the Mariners game

to honor the 10 inductees and Owen.

THE 2013 AAA SCHOOL SAFETY PATROL HALLOF FAME INDUCTEES:

Tyler Ashley - Tiff any ParkElementary - Renton

Andrew Counter - HighlandTerrace Elementary - Shoreline

Blakely Doerge - Little Mountain Elementary - Mount Vernon

Sydney Grayson - StevensElementary - Seattle

Victor Grishko - CooperElementary - Spokane

Alyssa Larson - MichaelAnderson Elementary -Fairchild Air Force Base

James Lasswell - WestviewElementary - Spokane

Jaylin Miller - Star LakeElementary - Kent

Trescege Ramirez Diaz -Tukwila Elementary - Tukwila

Payton Zitterkopf - ImageElementary - Vancouver

AAA SCHOOL SAFETY PATROL ADVISOR OF THE YEAR:

Mark Owen - Highland Terrace Elementary School - Shoreline

schoolconnectionis presented by the Tukwila

School District

Tukwila School District #406

www.tukwila.wednet.edu 206.901.8000

4640 South 144th Street

Tukwila, Washington 98168

Board of Directors:Mark Wahlstrom, President,

206.243.9855Steve Mullet, Vice-President,

206.244.7553Mary Fertakis, 206.767.6053Dave Larson, 206.244.2313

Alicia Waterton, 206.248.4302 Interim Superintendent:

Dr. Mellody Matthes, 206.901.8006

Tukwila Fifth Grader Inducted to 2013 AAA School Safety Patrol Hall of Fame

Trescege Ramirez-Diaz

received recognition as an

outstanding school safety

patroller

The AWC Center for Quality Communities Scholarship Fund supports active and involved senior high school students inlocal communities who plan to continue their education. The AWC Center for Quality Communities goal is to develop a broad understanding of the important role of cities and towns across the state.

Emina Dacic was nominated by the City of Tukwila and was one of 6 students chosen from 49 applicants from across the state. Emina had the opportunity to visit with Mayor JimHaggerton so he could personally congratulate her on this honor.

Emina will be travelling to the AWC’s Annual Conferencein Kennewick where she will be recognized. Emina will beattending the University of Washington where she has beenaccepted into the University Honors Program.

Mayor Jim Haggertonand Emina Dacic

Emina Dacic chosen for AWC Centerfor Quality Communities Scholarship


Tukwila School District #406 JUNE 2013

Tukwila School District and WASA Honor Pastor Jan Bolerjack with Community Award

On May 17 at the Puget Sound ESD, the Washington Association of School Adminis-trators honored Tukwila School District Nomi-nee Jan Bolerjack, pastor at Riverton United Methodist Church for her service to the Tuk-wila community. Fourteen districts nominated community members and organizations to receive the award. All were recognized for their contributions to their communities and service to their school districts. Pastor Jan was chosen by the WASA selection committee to receive the overall individual award. Tukwila School District is grateful to Pastor Jan for all she does for our community and our district.

Foster High School Principal Selected

The Tukwila School District is proud to announce the new Principal at Foster High School is Patri-cia Larson. Currently Mrs. Larson is the Principal

at the Career Academy at Truman High School in Fed-eral Way. She will be join-ing Foster High School and the Tukwila School District this summer. Patricia Lar-son is returning to Foster where she taught for four years. After leaving Foster she worked for the Tacoma

School District as an Assistant Principal and then in the Highline School District and Federal Way School District as a Principal. She has obtained degrees and certifi cations from Highline Commu-nity College, Central Washington University and Seattle Pacifi c University. Patricia holds a Master’s Degree in Education Administration and over 20 years of experience in as a teacher, assistant prin-cipal and principal.

Patricia is also a community member and alum-ni of Foster High School. Having lived in this com-munity her entire life Patricia is looking forward to giving back to her Alma Matter and community.

Foster High School’s Class of 2013—175 students, has earned $2.1 million in scholarships to pursue education and training beyond high school.

Those scholarships include two $180,000 Act Six Leadership and Scholarship grant given to Miguel Mae-stas and Aven Zemo to attend Gonza-ga University, and a full-ride football scholarship to Idaho State University to Micah Breland, valued at $96,000.

Thirty-three Foster graduates will share just over $1 million dollars in College Bound scholarships.

The College Bound Scholarship pro-gram, which students sign up for n seventh and eighth grades, pro-vides annual college tuition up to the amount for the most expensive four-year public university in the state. There is also a small book allowance to eligible students and their families.

Students in the program must grad-uate with a GPA of 2.0 or higher, dem-onstrate good citizenship and stay crime-free; apply for fi nancial aid by fi ling the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and apply to an eligible program and college.

This is the second graduating class to receive money for this program.

The seniors were honored at the Senior Awards Night at Foster High School on June 12, 2013.

Here are the scholarship wins:

Act Six: Miguel Maestas, $180,000

Act Six: Aven Zemo, $180,000

AWC Center for Quality Communities: Emina Dacic, $1,000

Catherine Snelson:Francely Diaz, $500

Costco Diversity Scholarship:Eduardo Rojas, $40,000

Idaho State University: Micha Breland, $96,000

Highline Community CollegeBreakthrough: $1,000

Leaadership 1000:Michel Baños, $20,000

Mullet Brothers:Veronica Sun, $5,000

Parker Family:Charanpreet Samra, $1,500

Riley McCarthy Memorial:Emina Dacic, $2,000

Sea Mar: Michel Baños, $1,000

Sea Mar: Daniel Caracoza, $1,000

Sea Mar: Eric, Cortes, $1,000

Sea Mar:Alejandro De la torre, $1,000

Sea Mar:Alan Flores Torres, $1,000

Sea Mar: Carlos Garcia, $1,000

Sea Mar: Eduardo Rojas, $1,000

Seattle Swedish Communities:Emina Dacic, $3,500

Sisters of Samoa:Ngoc-Hoa Thi Hong, $700

Southcenter Rotary, John GruszMemorial Scholarship:Anvar Alandinov

Southcenter Rotary:Sarah Al Obaidi, $1,000

Southcenter Rotary:Michel Baños, $1,000

Southcenter Rotary:Emina Dacic, $1,000

Southcenter Rotary:Alan Flores Torres, $1,000

Southcenter Rotary:Seham Hamid, $1,000

Southcenter Rotary: Phoung Malie Pheng

Southcenter Rotary:Charanpreet Samra, $1,000

Southcenter Rotary: Veronica Sun

Tukwila Police Offi cer’s Guild:Sarah Al Obaidi, $1,000

Tukwila Police Offi cer’s Guild:Emina Dacic, $1,000

Tukwila School District Academic: Seham Hamid, $1,000

Tukwila School District Academic: Charanpreet Samra, $1,000

Washington State Employees Credit Union: Veronica Sun, $2,000

Washington State Opportunity:Sarah Al Obaidi, $12,000

Washington State Opportunity:Bhagi Biswa, $12,000

Washington State Opportunity:Naveed Shaiwayana, $12,000

Class of 2014 earns$ 2.1 million in scholarships


AWARDSBESTOF2013tukwilareporter SPOTLIGHT

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tukwilareporter

Tukwila Reporter, June 19, 2013

Documents

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