November 2016

Proposition 1 or ST3 the proposal from Sound Transit that ptoposed bringing light rail rapid transit to West Seattle and Ballard among other suburbs is leading in King County.

Full results available here:
http://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/elections/results/2016/201611.aspx

The measure vote count in the latest release was:

Proposition 1, Light-Rail, Commuter-Rail, and Bus Service Expansion

Approved 298089

Rejected 210838

The bond from Highline Public Schools District 401
Proposition 1, Bonds to Construct New Schools and Replace and Renovate Deteriorating Schools

Approved 18913

Rejected 10196

City of Seattle
Initiative Measure No. 124

Initiative 124 concerns health, safety, and labor standards for Seattle hotel employees.

Yes 168111

No 49021

The next vote count will be released tomorrow at 3:30pm

Other results in the election were:

State Measures

Initiative Measure No. 1433
concerns labor standards.

Yes 436,737
No 169,827

By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

Saturday, Nov. 5

Girls soccer
Sumner 4, Kennedy 0
The Lancers took a loss in Saturday's battle for the West Central District's No. 6 and No. 8 berths to state.

Cross country
State 1A girls
Sage Gibson of Seattle Christian took 10th place in Saturday's race at the Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco, where all of the state cross country action took place, posting a time of 19 minutes, 24.8 seconds.
Teammate Rachelle Mayes came in 64th in 21:10.7 and Katherine Anderson of the Warriors placed 87th in 21:35.1.

State 2A girls
Highline's Jessica Bedolla-Mendoza took 96th in a time of 21:37.0 with Vesenia Bedolla-Mendoza 102nd in 21:49.5.
Nancy Jimenez of Foster was 128th in 22:41.0 and Highline's Makenna Cowan 130th in 22:47.5.

State 3A girls
Gabrielle Rackner of West Seattle came in 114th in Saturday's action in a time of 20:46.9.

State 4A girls
Kennedy Catholic's Lily Grassley snagged 76th place Saturday in a time of 20:00.3 and teammate Marissa Tweedy took 133rd in 21:02.7.

One of the reasons people who come to West Seattle (or who were born here) tend to stay here is that we have it all. From beautiful scenic views to culture and entertainment, recreation and because we believe in shopping locally, thriving local businesses.

That's why every year, the West Seattle Junction merchants sponsor Hometown Holidays, their seasonal celebration of all the great things we have right here to have fun or enhance and complete your holiday shopping.

It all gets underway on Nov. 26 with what is actually a national event, Small Business Saturday.By shopping locally we all help keep our local business district healthy and our neighborhood safe and strong.

On Dec. 3 the Junction Tree Lighting ceremony takes place at Junction Plaza Park at 5pm Also happening that evening is the popular "Night Market" event with local farmers and other vendors offering goods to make your holiday home dining and giving even better.

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.