November 2016

Highline’s graduation rate has risen for the third year in a row, to nearly 75 percent for the Class of 2016.  The official graduation rate of 74.8 percent represents a jump of more than 12 points in two years.
 
The increase comes at a time when standards for graduation are higher than ever and increasing numbers of Highline students are taking challenging, advanced coursework.
 
Evidence that students are meeting higher standards includes the following:
 
• Classroom instruction is based on new, more rigorous state learning standards that challenge students to learn at higher levels than previous state standards.
 
• Increasing numbers of Highline students are enrolled in challenging coursework, such as Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB).  Last year, 941 students took AP classes. Seventy-four percent of last year’s seniors took at least one AP or IB class. Students at all four main high school campuses took advantage of expanded computer science offerings, an option few high schools in Washington offer.
 

Elva Jean LaPlante, born June 11, 1923 in Reubens, Idaho, passed away on October 23, 2016, in Des Moines, Washington, outliving her brother, Louis Heuett, and her sister, Betty Johnson. Elva is survived by her two sons, Brian and Greg, and her daughter, Jeanine; daughter-in-laws, Peggi and Linda; grandsons, Nelson, Brandon and Robert, and only granddaughter, Aubrey, and granddaughter-in-law, April (Nelson). Elva was educated in Cheney, Washington at Eastern Washington State College and earned her Master’s at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma. Elva taught elementary school in Des Moines for many years. After an early retirement, Elva loved traveling the world, golfing with friends and her grandsons, reading, tending her flower garden, volunteering at her church, Prince of Peace Lutheran, and the U.S.O. at Sea-Tac Airport (which her son Greg, an ex-Marine, found as an honor). She loved being a grandma and gave her grandchildren a love for golf and travel. She was the hub of family gatherings and will be greatly missed. Interment was held at Mountain View Park Cemetery on Saturday, November 5, 2016 where she was laid to rest along-side her husband, Aubrey LaPlante.

by Rob Clay
Bob Ward has lived in many places, worked in all of them and raised a fine family. At 100 that is saying something.

Bob was born John Robertson Ward in Dewey, Oklahoma November 4th 1916. Bob’s folks moved to Topeka, Kansas, living there until Bob turned 11. Then it was off to Carthage, Missouri. Before long, during the beginning of the Great Depression, some family moved to the Pacific Northwest. Bob’s mom and dad followed n 1932.

As a teen, in those years, Bob took the old Kirkland ferry boat over to Seattle to learn to play the alto-saxophone at Sherman Clay Music downtown. He also loved to hunt and fish with his dad in the Snoqualmie Forest foothills. It was then he learned that smoking and a box of .22 caliber shells was the same out of pocket. He opted for the shells like the good boy scout he was; reaching the rank of Eagle scout.

Burien Arts Association’s 9th Annual Vision 20/20, Burien’s biggest annual art party and fundraising event, is set for Saturday, Nov. 19 at the Burien Community Center, 14700 6th Ave. S.W. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

There will be the usual affordable art, buying frenzy, silent art auction, fabulous food from local restaurants, marvelous music by Trio Abaraka, refreshing beverages and great raffle prizes.

And this year, student art from Highline High School will be featured.

Also this year, fancy dress is encouraged—everything from tux and tails to tiaras and tutus.

Admission is free but donations for Burien Arts programs are gladly accepted.

Veteran Vision 20/20 participants will know to browse carefully the 500 pieces of small artworks from over 50 artists and then stake out a spot by their favorite pieces. Because when the bell rings, there will be a buying frenzy as they snatch their favorites off the wall and head over to the waiting cashiers.

Each 8”x 8” work is only $40 and the money goes to support Burien Arts great programs throughout the year.

By Amanda Knox
 
I accelerated into the mostly empty parking lot and veered a wide arch into a spot. I pulled up the parking break at the same time that I unclipped my seat belt. Chris already had the passenger side door open. We were on a last-minute mission to buy temporary black hair dye for my Jessica Jones costume, before heading to a haunted house with my family, and we were running a little late. We bounded toward the entrance to Walgreens when, suddenly, I jerked to a halt. Chris swept by me, but paused after a few steps, looking back. “What’s up?” he asked.
 
I stared through the passenger side window into the other lone vehicle in the parking lot. Inside, a man—tall, lean, white, 30s, with short, dark hair, wearing jeans and a plain, long-sleeve T-shirt—was slumped in the reclined driver’s seat, apparently passed out. His right arm lay stretched out in his lap, and his left hand curled limply around a needle sticking into the cubital fossa of his outstretched right arm. I stared. “Look!” I said to Chris. “He’s…Should we do something?”
 

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

Thursday, Nov. 3

Girls soccer
Orting 1, Highline 0
The Pirates' season ended with Thursday's close playoff loss to Orting.
Kennedy 2, Olympia 1
Kennedy Catholic kept its season going with Thursday's playoff victory at Sparks Stadium in Puyallup.

Volleyball
Klahowya 3, Seattle Christian 2
The Warriors suffered a season ending loss in a playoff match that lasted the full five sets.

Tuesday, Nov. 1

Girls soccer
Olympic 3, Highline 1
Highline took a loss at Olympic in Silverdale in a seeding playoff Tuesday.

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

Federal Way High School graduate and former Robinson Newspapers freelance sports reporter Gordon Wittenmyer became a part of history when the Chicago Cubs won their first World Series title in 108 years Wednesday night with a wild 8-7 win in 10 innings in Cleveland.

Wittenmyer was in the press box as he has been the entire postseason as the Cubs' regular beat reporter for the Chicago Sun Times.

"I can't remember the last time I had a day off, but I wouldn't have missed it," Wittenmyer said. "It was a crazy ride."

Wittenmyer previously covered the Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Angels and Minnesota Twins for various newspapers before moving to Chicago to cover the Cubs team he grew up as a fan of.

"You know I've covered four different teams over the years. Who would have believed I'd have to go to the Cubs to cover one in the World Series," said Wittenmyer, who started off as a freelance reporter for Robinson Newspapers in the early 1980s.

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

Saturday, Nov. 5

Football
Mariner 51, Kennedy 6
The visitors from Mariner of Everett spoiled the Lancers' playoff party Saturday, ending their season in the preliminary round.

Friday, Nov. 4

Football
Lincoln 54, West Seattle 22
West Seattle's playoff run also ended early as the Wildcats took a preliminary loss at Lincoln High School of Tacoma on Friday.
Skyline 41, Mount Rainier 7
Mount Rainier's magical season coming off years of struggle ended with Friday's preliminary playoff loss at Skyline.
Highline 21, Evergreen 18
Highline won Friday's non-playoff crossover against a crosstown foe with a fourth quarter field goal.
The two teams were tied at 18-18 by the end of the first half.
Foster 35, Renton 3
Foster prevailed against Renton in another non-playoff game Friday.

Volleyball
Curtis 3, Kennedy 1
The Lancers opened West Central District action with a loss to Curtis on Friday at the Kentwood gymnasium.
Kent-Meridian 3, Kennedy 0

Article courtesy of Gerardo Bolong

PUYALLUP - It took more than 90 minutes of action, but the NPSL 4A John F. Kennedy Catholic girls soccer team used its high energy battle techniques to batter down the walls in gaining a penalty kick shoot out 2-1 victory against SPSL 4A Olympia Thurs., Nov. 3, at Carl Sparks Stadium, earning a 2016 first round Washington state high school first round match.

The Lady Lancers moved on to a Nov. 5 West Central III/Southwest IV showdown versus Sumner for a No. 6 or No. 8 seeding into state.

In the shoot out, Olympia received the first shot. Rosie Augsburger attempted to shoot to her right side of the net, but Lancer keeper Jaclyn Seifert dove to her left for the stop. Lancer Natalie Gagne then stepped up to deliver a lightning-like shot right into the middle of the goal.

After Bella Hood evened the score for Olympia, Bailey Hall scored for Kennedy. On Killman's turn for the Bears, Seifert smothered the ball on the shooter's attempt to go right side.

For the Lancers, Julianna Trejo-Lamphere notched a left corner goal.

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

High schools

Girls swimming
State meets
The King County Aquatics Center in Federal Way is hosting the state girls swimming and diving meets for Class 4A, 3A and 2A this Friday and Saturday.
Class 4A preliminaries start off the day at 9:45 a.m. Friday, followed by the 2A preliminaries at 2 p.m. and the 3A preliminaries at 6:30 p.m.
Saturday's finals get underway with the 4A at 9:30 a.m., followed by the 2A at 2:15 p.m. and the 3A at 7 p.m.

Pros

Seahawks
Seattle hosts the New England Patriots in a rematch of the Super Bowl two seasons ago at 5:30 p.m. Sunday on Channel 5 television.

Sounders
Seattle won its Western Conference semifinal series against Dallas and will advance to play the Colorado Rapids in the conference finals series. The Sounders will be at home Tuesday, Nov. 22.

Thunderbirds