June 2010

The Evergreen High athletic program has been marred by another damaging incident after a sex offender was discovered working as a football team volunteer.

LaShawn Jamar Ferguson, a level three sex offender, was immediately escorted off campus by Evergreen principals Paula Montgomery and Vic Anderson after female team managers reported he had made inappropriate comments to them on Monday, June 7.

King County Sheriff's Deputy Steve Beets, Evergreen's school resource officer, determined Ferguson was convicted of a sex offense in 1998. He is now in police custody for failing to register as a sex offender.

District officials emphasize that Ferguson had been on campus only twice before June 7-- once for a team meeting and one Saturday working in the equipment shed.

The principals determined that a background check on Ferguson had not been completed. Evergreen is split into three autonomous small schools, each with its own principal.

Armed guard at the Social Security Office, middle school students performing sex acts on the school bus, school district hires “Success Coordinators” to monitor the progress of students who are in danger of dropping out, local Superintendent of Schools suggests that “Punishment” has never worked to educate kids.

What do all of these “events” in the past week have in common? I would like to suggest that we, that’s you and me, have given up on the idea that there are any “absolutes” left in our society. Geezers can’t be expected to behave in a Social Security lobby, looking at some who are there I can see why this may be the case; kids are “free of any responsibility for behavior;” schools have to take over the duties of “Parents” to boost their graduation rates isn’t there anyone left who bears any responsibilities for their actions?

Local artists Pam Gray and Anne Baumgartner snuck in the installation of more panels for their "On the Fence" project at the Avalon Ballard site June 10 before the rains set in.

"On the Fence" is a series of collage panels, each inspired by a different letter of the alphabet, that will decorate the fence surrounding the vacant lot on the corner Market Street and 14th Avenue Northwest where the Sunset Bowl once stood.

In the first few days "On the Fence" panels have been up, Gray and Baumgartner have already learned a handful of lessons.

For example, what goes up on the fence may not stay on the fence. The beaver from the B panel was stolen soon after the panel was put up.

Also, cardboard does not withstand rain well. Baumgartner and Gray will be moving forward with waxed cardboard and plastic parts donated from a nearby sign shop to combat the weather.

The artists eventually plan to install a panel for all 26 letters of the alphabet.

When Ella Bacolod de Guzman passed away May 17, West Seattle, the Greater Seattle Filipino community, and Ella's Filipino community back home lost a kababayan, a Tagalog term meaning "fellow community member." She was 75 and had fought a tough battle with cancer. She left behind four sons, two daughters and a husband, "Doc Camilo" de Guzman, who owns the Animal Clinic of Roxbury he opened in 1979. But, according to her family, she also left behind a smile and laughter.

"She always smiled and that is how the community here knows her, the lady who smiles all the time and brings laughter," her husband said.

"The de Guzman's are a great family and Ella was their heart and soul," former Mayor Greg Nickels told the West Seattle Herald. He was invited to speak at her memorial. "When we attended Filipino community events she always went out of her way to make us feel welcome. Her children reflect that spirit of inclusion and it was on full display at Ella's Memorial."

Over the last year or two, our economy has been going through a little slump. I know, I know, many of you are thinking, “Whatever do you mean, Lindsey? I had not heard.”

Well for those of you that haven’t been living with a remote tribe deep in the Amazon forest, you have probably been affected by this and have had to make changes in your life as a result.

One of the biggest changes for Americans out there is a decrease in, or loss of, disposable income, which is where many of us get our funds to get out and enjoy local nightlife.

I myself have exchanged my regular Friday VIP bottle service table at Venom Nightclub for the Friday VIP Netflix section on my couch.

King5.com is reporting that the coach of the Evergreen High School football team has been fired after a level three sex offender was allowed to volunteer with the team. LaShawn Jamar Ferguson is a convicted rapist and failed to register as a sex offender which is a felony. He is now being held without bail in King County Jail. Evergreen is now seeking a new head coach.

Our own coverage of this story is here.

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Sex-offender-allowed-to-volunteer-for-f…

Crews working on the Spokane Street Viaduct Project will close the intersection at First Avenue S and S Spokane Street for the weekend, beginning at 8:30 pm tomorrow (Friday, June 11). The intersection will be closed to all through traffic until early Monday (June 14) at 6 a.m. The closure is required to complete work on the water main under the roadway.

The eastbound off-ramp from the Spokane Street Viaduct (from the West Seattle Bridge) to First Avenue South will remain open. Detours will be provided for north and southbound traffic on First Avenue.

High High School student Bikram Subba and his class got to watch a special performance by Cirque De Soliel performers, not knowing the entire assembly was put together for him.

Bikram, who moved here from Bhutan, South Asia, was chosen for the Scholarship because of his work in the community. He is a dance teacher who leads children and youth in an informal dance club in Burien. Birkram regularly goes to New Futures, and because of his calm demeanor and age he is looked up to by other students as a mentor, helping them with math and other homework.

The scholarship was given to him by Sun Life Financial, who gave $1 million nationally this year to students and non profit organizations.

He has decided to pursue a career in medicine, after watching the difficultly many of his community members have had within the healthcare system.

The New Futures Education Program's mission is to ensure students who are at the highest risk of school failure are inspired to stay in school.

Highline Public Schools has announced a simplified summer free-food program for children.
The district is cooperating with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in the program. Under USDA guidelines, meals will be made available at no charge to all children age 18 and under. The child does not need to be a Highline schools student. There are no forms to fill out and no names are taken. Food cannot be taken off the premises.

Most sites will begin serving free lunches on July 6.
Burien sites are Highline High, 225 S. 152nd St.; Hilltop Elementary, 12250 24th Ave. S.; Seahurst YMCA, 14603 14th Ave. S.W.; and Seattle's Union Gospel Mission, 15003 14th Ave. S.W.

North Highline locations are Beverly Park Elementary, 1201 S. 104th St.; White Center, 10015 6th Ave. S.W.; King County Parks-White Center, 1321 S.W. 102nd St.; and Southwest Boys and Girls Club, 9800 8th Ave. S.W.
Sites in SeaTac are Big Picture High, 2450 S. 142nd St.; Bow Lake Elementary, 18237 42nd Ave. S.; Madrona Elementary, 20301 32nd Ave. S.; Valley View Elementary, 17622 46th Ave. S.; New Futures, 17229 32nd Ave. S. and Somali Community Services, 15027 Military Rd. S., Upper Terrace #3.

(Editor's note: The Times/News received 15 other letters from students in Jamie Soule's 6th-grade class at Normandy Park's Marvista Elementary School expressing similar views. Thanks for writing, kids. We should note however that since this letter was originally sent and posted, it appears that it may well be untrue. We are still checking, But for now be advised that this may not in fact be accurate. We will keep it online for the time being because the kids intent is positive but the UPC code designations may not be what they say).

Hello all of you (probably) Unknowing GMO Produce Buyers.
I, Emma Hart, have the latest news on the produce you are purchasing.

Have you ever wondered what the UPC code (sticker on produce with a number on it) means? Sure, you probably know that if the code starts with 4, it isn't organic but is fine to eat, and if it starts with 9, it is organic.
But, have you ever seen a 3 start the code? Could the apple or carrot sitting in your refrigerator have the deadly "3" sticker on it? After reading this letter hopefully, you will never again buy the #3 produce!