Tukwila Reporter, June 18, 2014

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coverstory see page 5

WE ARE

FosterProfi les of three graduates

SCHOOL CONNECTIONS: Tukwila School District update, pages 10-11

DON’TFORGET

TO CHECK OUT THETUKWILA

RESIDENTS’GUIDE

INSERTED INSIDE THIS EDITION

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Riders traveling between Burien, SeaTac, Tukwila and Renton now have more fre-quent all-day bus service, as King County Metro Transit has launched the RapidRide F Line.

This is the sixth line in the RapidRide program – which is supported by state and federal funding – and replaces routes 110 and 140. It is the first east-west Rapid-Ride line. The 12-mile-long route better links communities and riders to Westfield

Southcenter Mall, Boeing, The Landing and downtown Renton, and major transit hubs including Sound Transit’s Link light rail and Sounder rail stations, according to a Metro Transit news release.

The frequent all-day weekday service is 4:45 a.m. to midnight and weekend service is 6 a.m. to midnight. Service is most fre-quent – every 10 minutes – during peak commutes.

The corridor will see an overall 69 per-

cent increase, compared to Route 140 ser-vice prior to extending to The Landing.

“RapidRide is helping us build the most efficient all-day transit network, one that offers a great customer experience and bet-ter positions King County for the growth coming to our region,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine.

Voters approved RapidRide in 2006, and now the program has 113 red and yellow low-floor buses in six corridors. RapidRide

A-F lines carry more than 50,000 rides a day – more than 12 percent of Metro’s 400,000 daily total ridership.

Based on the previous Route 140 service, the F Line starts out carrying about 3,500 weekday riders. Along the route, the mi-nority population is higher than the county average and the income is lower than the county average.

The F Line began service on Saturday, June 6.

RapidRide F Line providing bus service in Tukwila

www.TUKWILAREPORTER.com » JUNE 2014 3

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2 flineKing County Metro Transit has launched the RapidRide F Line, which will link Renton, Tukwila, Burien and SeaTac with frequent bus service.

3 onthemoveA whopping 500,000 cubic yards of dirt is on the move in south Tukwila as part of Mario Segale’s massive Tukwila South project.

4 keeplearningSchool is out for the summer but that doesn’t mean that learning, especially reading, should take a vacation, writes Supt. Nancy Coogan.

5 coverstoryThree Foster High School graduates are profiled in an effort to show the breadth of life experience of the Class of 2014.

12 topdawgsSeveral Foster High School athletes and Foster’s baseball coach were recognized by the Seamount League with all-league honors.

index

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

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BY DEAN A. RADFORDD R A D F O R D @ T U K W I L A R E P O R T E R . C O M

What Tukwila’s public works director calls a “whopping” 500,000 cubic yards of dirt is on the move for developer Mario Segale’s massive Tukwila South project.

It’s the largest grading project ever in the city, says Bob Giberson.

The work has been under way for sev-eral weeks, noticeable to anyone driving on Southcenter Parkway or on Southeast 196th Street/200th Street.

The project calls for removing the hill-side at South 180th Street and Southcenter Parkway and hauling it south less than a mile where it’s being used to create new ar-eas for development.

The city will build a new fire station where the hillside once stood.

It will take about 16,700 truck trips to make that happen, mostly traveling on

land paralleling Southcenter Parkway to the east. The trucks still need to cross the parkway at two points.

The “disappearing hill” is being graded flat in several stages, according to Giber-son.

Stage one is the removal of 75,000 cubic yards of dirt to make way for Puget Sound Energy to relocate its high-pressure gas line along the north side of the new fire station site, according to Giberson. That’s about 2,500 truck trips.

Stage two is to remove old South 178th and the former high-pressure gas line. The relocated gas line will allow the removal of an additional 425,000 cubic yards, or an-other 14,177 truck trips.

There is no specific date when the work is to be completed, he said.

Once the grading is complete and utili-ties are in place, Segale can apply for build-ing permits.

Largest grading project in city under way

A massive earth-moving project is under way in Tukwila, in the Southcenter area on Southcenter Parkway. Dean A. Radford/Tukwila Reporter


Welcome to summer break! I hope your family has a safe, energizing, and fun respite from school during the next few months. As the district’s lead educator, however, there is one seasonal danger lurking in the warm weather that I must warn you about: Summer slide.

No, I’m not talking about the popular playground toy! Summer slide occurs when children do not actively learn during break, and they “slide” backward in their knowledge and skills. Th is is particularly devastating for low-income students, as research shows that more than half of the achievement gap between them and higher-income youth can be ex-plained by unequal access to summer learning opportunities. Th ink of it this way: Th eir rate of learning may be the same during the school year, but a child exposed to summer educational experiences advances one month while a child not exposed to summer educational experiences falls back by two months. Th e gap widens. By the end of fi ft h grade, the child with no summer learning is about three years behind — three years!

Th e issue is so critical that state lawmakers just formed an Expanded Learning Opportunities Council to create a comprehensive plan to stop

summer learning loss. We are very fortunate to have a seat among the select group: School board member Mary Fertakis will be representing Tuk-wila children.

We don’t have time to wait, though, because summer is already upon us. Let’s join together to make sure we stop summer slide now. Our schools have laid the foundation. Th ey are off ering a strong

summer-school program with emphasis on supporting academic strug-glers and English language learners in literacy and math. A group of in-coming freshmen will learn study skills while preparing for Advanced Placement coursework. High schoolers will be able to retrieve credits and move ahead. At the middle level, incoming eighth graders have an op-portunity to participate in a forensic lab at Swedish Hospital through the Seattle Science Foundation’s Kids in Medicine program. In addition, we just began a program that will expand to provide 12 new books to every kindergartner through second grader to read over the summer.

But schools can’t go it alone. We need the help of every family to rein-force learning and good brain habits. Even if your children do not par-ticipate in any formal programs, please make sure they:

1. Read and write every dayCheck out books at the King County Library System’s Foster Library

and join the summer reading program there to earn fun rewards.Read aloud to children and have them read aloud to you.Subscribe to a new magazine for your children.Allow your children to stay up later than normal at bedtime as long as

they are reading. Buy postcards for children to send to friends and family describing

their summer fun. 2. Use math every dayPractice multiplication by having every point in a soccer game (or

other athletic competition) worth 5 points (or 6 or 7 . . .). Have children make change at restaurants and stores. Have children use fractions while measuring during cooking or divvy-

viewpoint

writestaff

regional publisherpolly shepherd

publisherellen morrison

[email protected]

editordean radford

[email protected]

425.255.3484, ext. 5150

circulationjames kostoroski

253.872.6610

The Tukwila Reporter encourages reader

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STORY IDEAS:dradford@

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Our fi rst-ever Residents’ Guide for the Tukwila community is in this month’s issue of the Tukwila Reporter.

Th ese community guides have been one of my favorite projects over the years. Th ey’re always evolving as we try to fi gure out new ways to give our community use-

ful information and to react to changes (such as the internet and social me-dia) in how we share that infor-mation.

Please let me know if there’s something in the Residents’ Guide that you need to know but isn’t there. I’ll keep a list and include your ideas in next year’s edition. As always, any kinds of suggestions are welcome.

Obviously we are a community newspaper, so “community” is im-portant to us.

Th ere are only a few times when a community comes together to celebrate its success and high

school commencement is one of those.

Inside today’s issue are my pro-fi les of three Foster graduates, Tulasa Ghimirey, Connor Forsyth and Ardo Hersi, who all come from wildly diff erent backgrounds. But each of their stories helps illu-minate why Tukwila is so unique and special.

When I attended Tukwila’s schools, I couldn’t imagine sit-ting next to a child from Russia. Of course, the reason why is that in the 1950s and 60s, Russia was the Soviet Union and the U.S. and the Soviets were engaged in a Cold War.

Now, it’s hard to imagine walk-ing into a Tukwila classroom where there aren’t kids whose roots are in Russia – or in Bhutan or Somalia or Congo or Mexico.

Tukwila has changed for the good.

Talking about change for the good: Th e groundbreaking for Tukwila Village is coming in Au-gust. Read about the project in next month’s Tukwila Reporter.

Our first guide to city of Tukwila

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What does “access to justice” mean? Lots of things but let’s talk about legal fi nancial obligation (LFO): fees, fi nes, courts costs and restitution.

If a court imposes LFOs that are unaf-fordable to the off ender, what happens? Th e amount grows with interest and col-lection fees. Non-payment oft en results in more court hearings and more LFOs locking people into the justice system. Some even go to jail, in eff ect debtor’s jail,

for non-payment. Th is means the taxpay-er gets to pay north of $100 a day for non-payment of LFOs that are unlikely to ever be paid. Some communities even require that LFO payments be taken from pub-lic payments for subsistence. Th is drives people deeper into poverty. Does any of this make sense?

Understanding that people need a chance to improve their lives and contrib-ute, our Tukwila court works to combine

accountability and justice with compas-sion and opportunity to move in a better direction. Th e judge might, for example, conditionally reduce or waive LFOs or al-low community service to be performed to “work off ” the LFOs. We can be proud of our court and Judge Walden. Now, if we just had more resources for our court....Tukwila Reporter columnist Chuck Parrish

can be reached via email at [email protected]

Tukwila shows way to ease burden of court fees

tukwilacommentary

[ more COOGAN page 12 ]


Ardo Hersi wants to change the world.“I don’t know how. But I am going to do it,”

she says.Where will she start?“Home. It’s the best place to start.” For Ardo, the middle one of eight children, Tukwila

is home and her older siblings, Hufan, Fosiya and Gass, are all graduates of Foster High School. Ardo joined them Friday, aft er speaking at Foster’s commencement.

“We are just really ingrained in Tukwila. We love it here,” she says.

Ardo, 18, is the daughter of Somalian refugees Sahra Hussein and Abdulkadir Hersi, who fl ed the civil war in that African na-tion in the early 1990s. She was born in Fresno, Calif., but arrived in Tukwila in time to go to Tukwila Elementary School. “Go Tigers,” she says.

“Th ey defi nitely came here not just to escape the war but because my siblings and I can get a chance at an education,” she says of her parents, and for a better life.

“I feel like I owe it to them to be the best I can be,” she says.

Ardo is personable, articulate, fi erce – and a story teller, including Foster’s. She has her causes: she’s pro-moting composting at Foster and raising money with other students to help the displaced Rohingya people of Myanmar in south Asia.

Aft er Foster, Ardo is fi rst headed for South Seattle Community College and then she wants to transfer to the University of Washington. At the UW she’ll prob-ably major in international relations and political sci-ence, with a minor in journalism.

She’ll be the fi rst of her brothers or sisters to go to a university.

Ardo keeps on top of what’s happening in the world by watching Al Jazeera and RT – Russia Today. She wants to become a journalist in part because she wants such stories as the Rohingya to be told on American television, she says.

“I feel very strongly about human rights,” she says.Ardo and a group of friends started “Rights for Ro-

hingya.” For her work, Ardo was a fi nalist for the Ernst & Young “Young Entrepreneur of the Year” Award, which recognizes youth who are trying to resolve social issues.

Ardo credits her Islamic faith as her motivation for helping others. Some people see Islam as a terrorist re-

Connor Forsyth has his feet fi rmly planted in Tuk-wila.

He has good friends, good teammates and a stable life that he appreciates and uses as a launching pad to help others.

He’s grown up in the most diverse school district in the nation, something else he appreciates.

“It’s so normal here to have this huge amount of di-versity,” Connor says of Foster High School.

His diploma was 12 years in the making at Tukwila Elementary School, Showalter Middle School and fi -nally Foster.

His parents, John and Lisa Forsyth, have lived in or near Tukwila for nearly 30 years. John teaches math at Showal-ter and Lisa is a substi-tute teacher in the Tuk-wila School District and volunteers for Young Life.

Th ere’s brother Jeff , 27, who graduated from Highline High School, and brother Alec, 22, a Foster graduate.

Connor, 18, was born at Valley Medical Center

in Renton. For about fi ve years his family lived in the Samara Apartments, just west of Foster on South 144th Street, and in SeaTac in what he describes as “a dinky little house” with two bedrooms and one bathroom.

Money was tight, he says.He learned the value of service to the community

from his parents and in turn was inspired to serve. For many years his father was a Young Life volunteer at Fos-ter.

With his own safety needs met, Connor was able to reach out to other students at Foster new to the country to help them feel safe and comfortable. It’s why he chose to become part of the student leadership team at Foster; he’s ASB vice president.

“Me having those safety needs helps other people at Foster get those safety needs by either being a friend, making them feel comfortable or just straight up saying ‘hi’ to them in the hallways every day at Foster,” he says.

“I have always enjoyed serving. And I have a passion for serving. Th at’s why I love to help others,” he says.

Connor’s favorite sport is baseball, his passion, he says, and for three years he ran cross-country.

He played wing on the Foster boys basketball team that fell just one game short of making it to the state tournament last season. It was a hard-fought game against Hockinson High School that left the Bulldogs emotionally drained.

When the strong winds blew, they held onto their house made of bamboo, plastic and stone. When it rained, the water dripped on

them as they slept.Tulasa Ghimirey remembers well her life in the refu-

gee camp in Nepal, where her parents had fl ed from their native Bhutan and where she was born.

In the early 1990s, civil war divided Bhutan, a small country that sits on the southeast corner of the Himala-yas, both subtropical and mountainous. Its neighbor on almost all sides is India. To the north is China.

Tulasa’s parents were at the heart of the civil strife. Om Nath Ghimirey and his wife Bhagawati fl ed religious and cultural intolerance and persecu-tion in their homeland for the refugee camp. Th e Ghimireys are Hin-du.

For 20 years, the fam-ily scratched out a liv-ing, running a restaurant from their home. Work outside the camp typical-ly wasn’t allowed because it might take a job away from a native Nepali.

Th e Ghimireys wanted their children to dream and have those dreams come true.

“Th e refugee camp was not the place where your dreams would come true,” Tulasa said.

Tulasa’s last day in Nepal came on Nov. 8, 2010. She was 14, almost 15. Th e day before was just another nor-mal day in camp, playing with her friends.

But that night, everyone talked about how aft er to-morrow they would not see each other again. Th ere were tears and stories were told. Tulasa was lost; she had questions but she couldn’t ask anyone for the answers.

But her experience taught Tulasa to understand “the plight of a refugee fl eeing a harsh world,” as she wrote in an essay that won her a fi rst place this spring in a contest sponsored by the Washington State Holocaust Education Resource Center

Th ey were headed for America and the opportunities the Ghimireys sought for their children.

Arriving in Seattle, Tulasa fi rst attended the Seattle World School before transferring to Rainier Beach High School.

About 18 months later Tulasa’s mother asked her whether the family had made the right decision to move to the United States. Tulasa couldn’t understand her mother’s expression. She told Tulasa she missed her brother and was lonely when her girls were at school.

On Feb. 10, 2012, Tulasa’s mother killed herself.

coverstory

Stories by Dean A. Radford/Editor, Tukwila Reporter

We are Foster

Tulasa Ghimirey Connor Forsyth Ardo Hersi

Born as a refugee in Nepal, Tulasa Ghimirey follows dreams

Connor Forsyth’s two passions:baseball and serving others

Ardo Hersi to change the world, starting right here in Tukwila

[ more TULASA page 9 ] [ more CONNOR page 9 ] [ more ARDO page 9 ]

6 JUNE 2014 « www.TUKWILAREPORTER.com www.TUKWILAREPORTER.com » JUNE 2014 7

TUKWILA CITY PAGESMAYOR: Jim Haggerton COUNCIL PRESIDENT: De’Sean Quinn

As part of Tukwila’s “Clean and Green” summer, residents are encour-aged to rid their yards of junk vehicles. So what is a “junk vehicle”? It’s a vehicle that meets three or more of the following requirements:

The City has made arrangements for junk vehicles in Tukwila to be picked up AT NO CHARGE to property owners. You may call one of the licensed hulk haulers listed below and make arrangements to have the junker(s) removed. (They may even pay you something!)

Affordable Auto Wrecking ........206-723-9820Budget Auto Wrecking ..............206-244-4314Binford Metal Recycling ............253-854-8000ADJ Auto Recycling ....................206-331-6750JunkThatCar.net ..........................206-707-2833All West Coast Auto Wrecking .206-433-8069South End Auto Wrecking ........425-251-8555

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

Tukwila Community Garage Sale August 9 & 10

Be part of Tukwila’s 21st annual Community Garage Sale! Sign up to hold a garage sale at your Tukwila home

on the same days as your neighbors all across the city!

Your sale will get free publicity—Tukwila’s Recycling Program will publish sale addresses in local newspapers, put a sale map on City of Tukwila website, and

distribute printed copies. When you register, you’ll get a free Yard Sale Kit with a small sign, tips for a great sale,

and a list of reuse agencies that take donations.

Although the discharge of fireworks is not allowed in Tukwila neighbor-hoods, your holiday plans might end up exposing your pets to noisy July 4th celebrations that frighten them. To help your pet cope with the noise from fireworks and reduce the chance of running away, Tukwila offers these tips:

problems in the past. Sometimes, pets become sensitive to loud noises later in life.

audible. You can also use soothing music or television as a distrac-tion. Some pets will stay calmer when placed in a secure crate in a darkened, quiet room.

in a garage or basement while fireworks are going off.

check back often. It may take some time before spooked pets are brought to shelters.

be a pet license and personalized tag, a license and a microchip, or all three (license, tag, and microchip). Pets with ID have a much greater chance of being returned to their owners.

Pet licensing helps reunite owners with their beloved animals. If you haven’t yet licensed your pet, now is a great time to do so! Contact the City of Tukwila for pet licensing information at 206-433-1800, or go to www.TukwilaWA.gov.

Help Tukwila celebrate National Night Out Against CrimeTuesday, August 5 marks the 31st anniver-sary of National Night Out (NNO) Against Crime – a night for America to stand to-gether and promote awareness, safety, and neighborhood unity. NNO showcases the vital importance of police-community partnerships and citizen involvement in the fight for a safer nation. On NNO, neighborhoods nationwide join together and “give crime a going-away party”.

Starting at 5:00pm on August 5, Tukwila’s Police and Fire Depart-ments – as well as City Council members, Code Enforcement officers and Human Services representatives – will visit each neighborhood event “registered” by Wednesday, July 30. Tar-get Corporation is a national sponsor of NNO. Employees from Southcenter Target will travel with City personnel, visiting neigh-borhood parties with free prizes for kids.

For a third year, the Tukwila Police Department partnered with Tukwila School District 5th grade classes, holding a poster contest with National Night Out Against Crime as a theme. Copies of the winning artwork will be provided to event hosts to use as a part of your neighborhood flyers.

Types of neighborhood events vary. Most neighborhoods plan a potluck, taking advantage of the wide and wonderful ethnic food contributions offered by Tukwila residents. Whatever your idea, this is your time to bring neighbors together for a fun evening and make this the biggest Night Out Against Crime ever in Tukwila!

Sign up early to receive a packet of crime prevention materials for handing out at your event. Get more information or register your event online at TukwilaWA.gov/Police/PDCrimeP.html. You can also contact Community Policing Coordinator Chris Partman at [email protected], or call 206-431-2197.

UK ELITE SUMMER SOCCER CAMP AND SCHOOL July 7–11

For ages 5–8 & 9–12 Time: 9:00AM to 12:00PM Location: TCC Cost: $130 Register at www.UKElite.com; use code WA063A

A dynamic global curriculum introduces participants to soccer games and activities from Brazil, England, Spain, Holland and USA. Daily themes will teach players new skills and techniques, and include small sided world cup scrimmages

BASKETBALL CAMP July 14–17

For ages 7–11 Time: 9:00AM–12:00PM For ages 12–15 Time: 12:30–3:30PM Location: TCC Gym Cost: $48/$40 resident

Teaching the basic philosophy and fundamental values of basketball. Develop skill sets such as ball handling, shooting, passing defense and rebound-ing – all the things needed to be successful and to contribute to your team’s success.

JUNIOR GOLFER CAMP July 21–24

For ages 6–11 Time: 11:00AM to 2:00PM

Learn proper etiquette, game fundamentals and fair play, and improve skills with on-course, short game, and swing instruction. Clubs are provided. Need a basic understanding of golf, be able to swing the club and participate in on-course instruction.

TUSK YOUTH SOCCER CAMP August 4–7

For ages 6–11 Time: 9:00AM to 12:00PM

Players of all ages and abilities learn, improve, and have a great time in this upbeat camp. Instruction on passing, receiving, heading, shooting, dribbling and crossing, then testing new skills through interac-tive games and scrimmages. Shin guards required.

BULLDOG TENNIS CAMP August 11–15, 18–22 & 25–29

For ages 7–13 Time: 2:30 to 4:30PM Location: FHS courts Cost: $48/$40 resident

Serve, volley, and lob your way into the great game of tennis. This fun camp will acquaint you with a life-long sport you’ll LOVE. Tennis racquets are required.

The City of Tukwila recently selected a contractor and con-struction management firm to begin reconstruction of a portion of Interurban Avenue South from Fort Dent Way to South 143rd Street. The roadway construction work is expected to begin in July and last 12 to 16 months. Throughout significant portions of the work there will only be one lane of traffic in each direction within the construction zone. Access to local businesses will remain open during construction, but some limited interruptions can be expected, and access may be restricted at specific locations to accommodate the modified traffic patterns. Drivers moving between the I-405 and I-5 interchanges are encouraged to find other routes during construction.

This $7.5 million project will include a new retaining wall to support the roadway adjacent to the Green River, ex-tensive storm drainage improvements, new pavement, lighting, pedestrian facilities, landscaping and other im-

Planning Commission public hearing set for June 26 on Comprehensive Plan updateTukwila is updating its Comprehensive Plan, the long-range guide for how the community grows and develops over the next 20 years. During June 2014, Tukwila’s Planning Commission will hold a work session (June 24) and public hearing (June 26) on three chapters: Parks, Recreation and Open Space; Community Image and Iden-tity; and Roles and Responsibilities.

The public is invited to give input at the public hearing on June 26, 2014 at 6:30pm in Tukwila’s City Council Chambers, 6200 Southcenter Blvd.

In July the Planning Commission will review other chapters, including Tukwila South and Economic Devel-opment, with Residential Neighbor-hoods, Housing, and Transportation corridors to be considered throughout the summer and early fall. Planning Commission recommendations will be forwarded to the City Council for review and public hearing, with final action by mid-year 2015.

Information is available for review prior to the meetings. Please visit TukwilaWA.gov/CompPlan.html, call 206-431-3683, or send an email to [email protected].

Team Tukwila Summer Sports CampsFuture Stars Mini Sports Camps

These camps are geared towards ages 4–6, with a focus on fun!

SPORTS FOR SHORTS July 1–3

For ages 4-6 Time: 9:30 to 11:30AM Location: TCC gym Cost: $25/$20 resident

First-time athletes learn the basic how-to skills of sports, games, fitness and group interaction through running, jumping, ball-handling, and group games.

UK PETITE SOCCER CAMP July 7–11

For ages 3–5 Location: TCC Register at www.UKElite.com; select time: Time: 9:30 to 10:45AM – use code WA063APA Time: 11:00AM to 12:15PM – use code WA063APB Cost: $80 (1 class/day)

A perfect introduction to the world’s most popular sport enables players to develop motor skills, social skills, coordination and general athletic ability in a stimulating, motivating, educational environment. All participants are required to wear shin guards.

MINI MOVERS DANCE CAMP July 22–24

For ages 4-6 Time: 9:30 to 11:30AM Location: TCC Dance Rm Cost: $25/$20 resident

This camp is a unique experience for young girls and boys to learn fun ways to express themselves through dance and high energy fun! Dances will include ballet, tap, hip hop, and creative movement.

TINY TOT TENNIS CAMP August 19–22

For ages 5-6 Time: 2:30 to 4:00PM Location: FHS courts Cost: $25/$20 resident

Introducing tennis to participants through group instruction, as well as skill-related games and activi-ties. Players will use age specific equipment includ-ing smaller racquets, and special tennis balls (please bring your own child-size racquet if you have one).

EXTENDED CARE

Looking for care for your athlete before and after sports camp? Register with our day camp (Camp

Tukwilly) and join the fun before and/or after sports camp. Please contact Tukwila Community

Center staff for schedules and pricing. This makeshift pathway along the river will be replaced with a full sidewalk, protected by a concrete traffic barrier and a metal handrail on the river side.

provements. Utility companies are planning to relocate their facilities just ahead of construction to accommodate the roadway improvements.

The contractor will work to limit the equipment noise, dust and other unpleasant consequences that are a nor-mal part of the roadway construction process.

Project status updates will be posted on the City website at www.TukwilaWA.gov/IURoadway.html.

Tukwila preparing to start construction on Interurban Avenue South

Protecting your furriest friends on the Fourth

Tukwila City offices will be closed on Friday, July 4, in observation of the Independence Day holiday

◗ Is three years or older

◗ Is extensively damaged (broken window; missing wheels, motor, etc.)

◗ Is apparently inoperable

◗ Is without valid, current license plates or is unregistered.

◗ Has an approximate fair market value equal only to the value of the scrap in it.

◗ Is partially disassembled, or is individual parts of vehicles no longer attached to each other.

FREE Junk Car removal available to residents

If you need assistance with obtaining the required affidavit or want more information about the program, please contact the Code Enforce-ment Office at 206-431-3671, or email [email protected].

NOTE: All wrecking companies require valid title or signed junk car affidavits at time of pick-up.

The registration deadline is generally five business days prior to the start of camp.

Tukwila Parks & Recreation brings you these exciting summer camps for KIDS.

DON’T MISS OUT, SIGN UP NOW!

Register by July 10 to hold a sale.

Online: TukwilaWA.gov/yardsale.html

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 206-433-7178

Mail: City of Tukwila Recycling Program 6300 Southcenter Blvd Tukwila, WA 98188

Come discuss what’s on your mind

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

speak with one of your Tukwila City Councilmembers about anything

on your mind regarding your community.

CouncilChat

Next Chat: July 12

And don’t forget! Tukwila’s Annual

Residential Curbside Clean-up

coming up on Saturday, June 21

One-day only – 7:00AM


Turn a simple snack break into a brain-building moment.

The first 5 years are when your child’s brain develops the

foundation for all future learning.

The Tukwila Histori-cal Society is asking for community involve-ment in a new program it’s launching in June called STEPS Program – Standards and Excel-lence Program for His-tory Organizations.

STEPS is an oppor-tunity for the Tukwila Historical Society to begin a new chapter in its efforts to preserve the city’s rich past, look at its present programs, and design a future re-sponding to the city’s changing community.

Through the Tukwila Heritage and Cultural Center, which is a partnership with the City of Tukwila, the society is exploring how it can include more community members in its programs and displays and how it can be more of a resource to those interested in local history.

The first STEPS meeting will look at the mission of the Tukwila Historical Society and begin the process of set-ting out a vision of its work over the next few years. That meeting is at 6:30 p.m. June 19 at the Tukwila Heritage and Cultural Center, 14475 59th Ave. S., Tukwila.

Sandwiches will be served, and participants are welcome to stay for a short business meeting to follow. Those wish-ing to attend are asked to RSVP to the Tukwila Historical Society at 206-244-4478.

History society looks at mission

Society calendarJuly 17, 7 p.m.: “The History of

Military Road” presented by local

historian Karen Meador at the Nelsen

House, 15643 W. Valley Highway.

(Parking is available on the south side

of the residence next to the hotel).

Refreshments will be served.

Aug. 9 and 10: Tukwila Community

Garage Sale. The Tukwila Historical

Society will participate in this year’s

garage sale as a fundraiser for the

society. The society is accepting do-

nations of items in good condition for

the sale. Call the center at 206-244-

4478 for additional information.


ligion, she says, but that’s because her faith is misunderstood. The Prophet Muham-mad preached peace for all and fairness. “That is where I get my drive,” she says.

Ardo already has a head start telling the stories she wants told. It started with a flyer for KUOW’s RadioActive program in a hallway at Foster. She’s now an advanced producer for the youth-produced radio news programming.

It was hard picking her first story, but she chose to write about the Tukwila School District, the most diverse in the nation. Among her interviewees were Foster Prin-cipal Pat Larson, who grew up in Tukwila, and long-time Foster teacher and coach Mike Shannon. She’s now working on a story for July.

It’s “pretty amazing,” she says, how every-one gets along at Foster. She was sitting at

lunch one day, watching boys from Congo, Somalia and Burma play something they all enjoy, soccer.

“These are kids from all these different countries who literally escaped war and famine just last year. They are all shaking hands and having fun together,” she says.

But many of these first-generation im-migrants also struggle with losing what makes them Burmese or Somalian or Con-golese, she says.

That’s true for Ardo, too.“It’s like I am too American for the So-

mali kids. And the American kids, I am too Somali for them. I am in this paradox,” she says.

She worries that she, and especially her younger siblings, will lose their native lan-guage or not learn it at all.

“I think it’s so important to not forget where you come from,” she says.

“This was the worst nightmare of my life, and I will never forget it,” she wrote in her essay. “She was my hope, strength, inspira-tion, and I always wanted to show my po-tential to her.”

Tulasa and her sisters moved in with her father and step-mother Sabitra at their apartment in Tukwila. She enrolled as a ju-nior at Foster High and graduated on time, sixth in her class, last Friday.

Her sister Benu is a junior this year at Foster.

She’s headed for Western Washington University, where she likely will study something in the medical field, with the support of a $2,000 Tukwila City of Op-portunity Scholarship, among other schol-arships.

In the application for that scholarship, she wrote she wanted to become a general practitioner at a public hospital, because she said in an interview, “it’s the place where the most help is needed.”

Tulasa has already gone where help is needed. She’s volunteered for organizations serving refugee women, senior citizens and members of her Bhutanese/Nepali com-munity. She is driven to help because she has lived a life of struggle.

“I don’t want to see other people go through what I’ve gone through,” she said.

She wants to set an example of service and leadership for her siblings and other members of the Bhutanese/Nepali com-munity.

“If I choose the wrong path, they might choose the same path that I did. I want them to follow the right path,” she says.

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[ TULASA from page 5]

[ ARDO from page 5]

Afterword, the locker room was quiet, except for the crying, he says.

“That was rough. That was rough. But I mean we were just grateful for the run that we made and how fun our season was and how close we came as a team,” he says.

Sports and academics take up much of Connor’s time. He mentors freshmen for Ignite, a youth mentoring program. A Christian, Conner and his good buddy Max Montoya do the program for Young Life on Monday nights.

They eat dinner, have fun, play games and put on silly skits. “I am a hyperactive third grader,” Connor says.

And they talk about their faith, the Bible and Jesus, “what a life with Jesus looks like, what a life with God looks like,” Connor says.

All faiths or those with no faith at all are welcome, he says.

“It’s awesome to see how much fun we can have together,” he says.

After graduation, Connor is headed for

George Fox University in Oregon on an academic scholarship. He plans to walk

on the baseball team. His major is human structures and systems – human anatomy. His ultimate goal is to become a paramedic or an ER doctor, where he can use his inter-est in medicine to serve others.

It’s a hypothetical question, but not un-realistic: Family friends serve as missionar-ies in Nepal.

What if Connor had to move to a for-eign country, learn the language and go to school? For sure, he would know how to relate to the people of a foreign country because of his experience at Foster, he says.

“Even though it’s a different situation over there, I still have personal stability and I would be able to jump into the culture and the schooling that would go on there. It would be a completely different experi-ence but it would be an awesome experi-ence, for sure,” he says.

[ CONNOR from page 5]

Residential property values in the Tuk-wila/Riverton Heights area have grown nearly 20 percent over last year, according to the King County Assessor’s Office.

The assessed values are used to deter-mine how much property taxes are owed

for the year, in this case 2014, on a piece of property.

The 19.8 percent is a general increase and individual property values will vary from that figure, according to the assessor’s office.

Go to tukwilareporter.com for more on commencement and Foster’s senior class.

Property values jump by nearly 20 percent


school connectionJUNE 2014Tukwila School District #406

schoolconnection

is presented by theTukwila School District

Tukwila School District #406

www.tukwila.wednet.edu 206.901.8000

4640 South 144th StreetTukwila, 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

Superintendent:

Dr. Nancy Coogan 206.901.8006

Foster High School gradu-ated its fi rst class of AVID se-niors this June, and each one has already been accepted to a university or college; what’s more, they have collectively earned more than $222,000 in scholarships. For many, they are the fi rst in their families to attend college (for some, they are the fi rst in their families to graduate high school). The AVID (Advancement Via In-dividual Determination) pro-gram’s mission is to close the achievement gap by preparing all students for college suc-cess. In the Tukwila School

District, students participate in AVID beginning in sixth-grade. They learn to envision them-selves as college-bound and make concrete goals/plans for getting there.

Athletic registrationmoves online

Sign up now for fall sportsGreat news for Foster Bulldog and Showalter Viking athletes:

The registration process is now online, allowing families to sign up for sports from the convenience of their home. Registration for fall sports is now open. Go to www.tukwila.wednet.edu to get more information. For families without online access, the district athletic department will open a school computer lab before each season; for fall 2014, families can go to the Foster High comput-er lab Aug. 11-22 during business hours to register. Questions? Call athletic secretary Suzi Splaine-Duchsherer at 206-901-7991.

Congratulationsto Foster’s 2014 AVID

graduates:

Amran Abdi, Highline Community College

Makayla Anderson, South Seattle Community College

Carlos Brambila, Bellevue College

Lea Adelaine Martin Buenavista, Seattle Pacifi c University

Perla Cisneros, Highline Community College

Jayme Cringle, South Seattle Community College

Maria Azucena Enciso, Central Washington University

Tulasa Ghimirey, Western Washington University

Ardo-Khadra Hersi, Seattle Central Community College

Edgar Lopez-Allende, University of Washington Tacoma

Nadia Keren Merino, Eastern Washington University

Bre Mills, Western Washington University

Yesenia Morales-Maceda, Washington State University

Stephanie Orellana, South Seattle Community College

Lorena Ramirez-Diaz, Bellevue College

Deroyce Rowland, Green River Community College

Yoshio Sanchez-Flores, Bellevue College

Sergio Tun, Bellevue College

Foster’s 2014 AVID graduates are all college-bound,with more than $220,000 in scholarships


Tukwila School District #406 JUNE 2014

Facebook’s the place: Ask questions, see what’s happening in schoolsConnect with the Tukwila School District on a social level—you will get critical information/alerts plus access to the day-to-day happenings in schools. Here’s where to fi nd us: www.facebook.com/tukwilaschools, www.twitter.com/tukwilaschools www.youtube.com/tukwilaschools, www.fl ickr.com/photos/tukwilaschools

Tukwila Elementary fi fth-graders Melanie Moy, Aria Wheeler, Christopher Garcia, Tyreese Tucker, and Timothy Noa (from left) were so concerned about the Oso landslide victims that they organized a community-wide penny drive to help. They ended up collecting $224.26 and raising awareness about the tragedy throughout their school.

Holy Smoak! Several Seattle Mariners—including fi rst baseman Justin Smoak—visited unsuspecting Cascade View Elementary students during a surprise assembly in May. The professional baseball players talked about the importance of staying in school, having goals, showing respect, and saying no to drugs.

2014-15 schoolyear calendar

It’s hard to think about returning to school when summer break just started, but it’s never too early to start planning! In August, each family will receive a printed one-page version of the school year calendar for home reference. In the meantime, here are important district-wide dates for the 2104-15 school year:

Aug. 18-19: New student registration

Sept. 3: First day of school

Oct. 10: No school for students (staff workday)

Nov. 12-14: Early release for conferences

Nov. 26: Early release

Nov. 27-28: No school (Thanksgiving holiday)

Dec. 22-Jan. 2: No school (winter break)

Jan. 26: No school (staff workday)

Feb. 16-17: No school (mid-winter break)

Feb. 18: No school OR snow make-up day if needed

March 11: Early release (elementary and high school conferences)

April 6-10: No school (spring break)

May 22: No school OR snow make-up day if needed

May 27: Early release (middle school conferences)

June 12: Foster High School graduation

June 17: Last day of school (early release)

For always-up-to-date district and school calendars,visit www.tukwila.wednet.edu.

Tukwila School Districtsummer hours

Schools are closed to the public until August, but the Tukwila School District Administration Building is open 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. fi ve days a week throughout the summer (excluding federal holidays). If you need assis-tance, call us at 206-901-8000 or visit us at 4640 S. 144th St., Tukwila.

It’s off to kindergarten for Mia Perez Morales (second to right)! In June, she and her family celebrated the end of the school year in Thorndyke Elementary’s Early Childhood Education and As-sistance Program (ECEAP); there were certifi cates, hugs, and ice cream for all. Early learning is such an important foundation for kindergarten success that a full time coordinator will work throughout the Tukwila community next year to support all pre-schoolers and their caregivers.


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ing up a pizza.Count cars while driving (or pine cones while hiking…).3. Get outside and playPhysical activity is good for the brain! Swim, walk, bicy-

cle—play, play, play!

School break and fun can be synonymous with learning, and I want all students to show up in September ready to resume class aft er a summer full of hands-on educational experiences.

Have a wonderful (and educational!) summer break. In Service, Superintendent Nancy Coogan

Dr. Nancy Coogan is superintendent of the Tukwila School District.

[COOGAN from page 4]

tukwilasports

BY DEAN A. RADFORDD R A D F O R D @

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

Th ree Foster High School track and fi eld athletes fi nished in the top 10 in their events at the state 2A tournament last month in Tacoma.

• Senior Sierra Parsons placed fi ft h in the high jump with a leap of 5-foot-2, which matches her previous personal best.

• Senior Alem Belete fi nished eighth in the 3200-meter run with a time of 11:42.70, just shy of her season’s best. Last fall, she placed 10th in the state 2A cross-country meet.

• Sophomore Shakila Omar placed ninth in the 400-meter dash with a time of 60.22, also just shy of her season’s best.

Last fall, Parsons was rec-

ognized as the Seamount League’s girl Athlete of the Year for soccer and Belete was recognized as the league’s girl Athlete of the Year for cross-country.

Overall Foster’s team tied for 36th place at the state 2A tournament with fi ve points. Sehome High School of Bell-ingham placed fi rst.

Lindbergh High and Rent-on High, two of Foster’s Sea-mount rivals, fi nished 14th and 19th, respectively, in the girls division.

Foster didn’t send any boys to the state tournament.

In other postseason action, the Foster boys soccer team lost its fi rst game in the district tournament. Th e boys fi nished in second place in the Sea-mount League with a record of 9-2-3.

Foster girls place in state trackSeamount recognizes coach, athletesFoster High’s baseball coach, Eric Hall, is the Seamount

League’s Coach of the Year for spring sports.Hall and several of Foster’s athletes were recognized by

Seamount League coaches with all-league honors.The Foster girls softball team was recognized for

sportsmanship.BaseballFirst team: David Em, Connor Forsyth, Max Montoya,

Yoshio Sanchez and Tyler Solemsaas.Second team: Mitchell Forhan and Patrick Straight.

Honorable Mention: Drew JorgensenSoccer (boys)First team: Jalal Haji, Mamadou Leigh and Santa Magar.

Second team: Mohamed Duntow and Juan Rios.Honorable mention: Ramil Amirov and Tanka Sangu-

ralaSoftballSecond team: Bre Mills and Dulce Pestrana.Honorable mention: Nancy Lopez and Kathy VoTennis (girls)First team: Eunica Serafi ca. Honorable mention: Amna

Masic, Jody Tran and Jessica Vilai

Th e Tukwila Emergency Communications Team (TEC-Team) annual Field Day exercise is June 28 at Tukwila Fire Station 51 in Southcenter.

Th e public exercise, noon to 5 p.m. at the station, 444 Andover Park E., is part of the national Field Day event, organized by the American Radio Relay League, the na-tional association for amateur radio.

Th e Field Day has many purposes:• Simulate setting up and operating communications

equipment in less-than-ideal circumstances to prepare for an emergency,

• Educate the public on the value of communications during an emergency,

• Opportunity for unlicensed citizens to “get on the air” and make radio contacts across the state or country.

Emergency Field Day is June 28

Documents

Tukwila Reporter, June 18, 2014