On Sunday (June 6), a woman who suffers from Usher syndrome came in third place in WLB Advertiser Archery Bistro’s 5K “Running Blind,” which raised money for the very same disease.

Amelia Westerfield finished the 5k with a time of 24:52, and her successful run was especially celebrated since she suffers from Usher syndrome, the leading cause of deaf-blindness. Amelia’s participation raised much-needed sponsorship money not only for the event but also for the upcoming 2nd Annual Usher syndrome family conference being held at Seattle Children’s Hospital on July 10th. The conference is being sponsored by Hear See Hope, Seattle Children’s Hospital and The Decibels Foundation. At the conference Amelia will be participating in a panel discussion and facilitating a breakout session on being a young adult with Ushers.

This was Archery Bistro’s first 5K Run, intended to benefit the Hear See Hope Foundation for Usher syndrome.

Race winners include the first place male finisher Tyler Freeberg with a time of 19:33. Second place male was Ben Christian with at time of 21:30 and third place was David Knox with a time of 21:49. The top female finishers were Cindy Sagmoen in first place with a time of 21:54 and Michelle Secrist in second place with a time of 23:35.

Rain didn’t hamper the turnout for the first-time event – over 225 people attended with 98 actually participating in the 5K run. Archery Bistro’s staff and customers came out to support the McKittrick family by volunteering and participating. Todd and Lane McKittrick, part owners of Archery Bistro have two sons, Conner and Dalton, who also suffer from Usher syndrome. The McKittick family founded the Hear See Hope Foundation in 2004 to fundraise and bring more awareness to Ushers.

“We truly appreciate the support of the community and our sponsors for making this run possible,” said Todd.

The fun-filled day wasn’t just for runners but for all who attended. A root beer garden was available for kids and a beer garden for adults. A maze was set up for children to maneuver through blindfolded and with ear plugs so they could experience what it would be like to have Usher syndrome. Archery Bistro Chef Brandon La Vielle skillfully worked the barbecue, flipping and serving burgers to hungry race participants and their families. The Burien/Normandy Park Fire Department offered fire hats and fire safety lessons to children.

“The community came out and supported us and we appreciate all the time and effort the volunteers and participants put into making this, our first run, such a great success,” added Todd.

One of the race highlights was the 1K “Blind” walk where over 40 participants wore blindfolds to experience walking blind. “You really had to rely on your partner for guidance,” said one participant. “It was a bit scary.”

For more information on the Hear See Hope Foundation, visit www.hearseehope.com.

Here are the top 15 finishers, grouped into male and female runners:

MEN:
1. Tyler Freeberg 19:33
2. Ben Christian 21:30
3. David Knox 21:49
4. John Nelson 22:23
5. Kris Sagmoen 22:47
6. Grant Meyer 22:59
7. Brett Wittner 23:29
8. Tim Daly 23:57
9. Bob Neff 24:14
10. Ray Krueger 24:18
11. Nicholas Young 24:19
12. Cole McKittrick 24:51
13. Kostia Birulin 24:52
14. Greg Nelson 25:39
15. William Codd 25:56

WOMEN:
1. Cindy Sagmoen 21:54
2. Michelle Secrist 23:35
3. Amelia Westerfield 24:52
4. Karen Love 25:27
5. Hillary Ritenburg 25:40
6. Sharon Daly 26:09
7. Taylor Stordahl 26:39
8. Josefin Kannin 27:42
9. Kaiti Freeberg 27:48
10. Jeannie Bodle 27:53
11. Robin Hoefer27:56
12. Tiffany Nessmer 28:46
13. Nancy Love 29:20
14. Christine Daly 29:20
15. Crysta Sugamura 29:45

Photos courtesy Dustin Keeth.

Highline Community College’s “Unity through Diversity Week” is coming April 26 through May 1st, and the theme this year is “Institutions, Power and Privilege.”

One of the more interesting offerings will be the third annual “Drag Show” Tuesday evening, April 27th from 6pm–8pm (and no, we’re not talking about car racing here…).

Here are the details:

WHAT: Highline College’s Unity through Diversity Week: Institutions, Power and Privilege

WHEN: April 26-May 1, 2010

WHERE: Various locations around campus; see schedule below for specifics:

SCHEDULE:

Monday, April 26:

• Racial Microaggressions and Experiences of Students of Color in Higher Education Lecture by Dr. Miguel Ceja 11:00-11:50 Building 7 (Co-sponsored by the Learning & Teaching Center): Racial Microaggressions are defined “subtle, innocuous, preconscious, or unconscious degradations, and putdowns” (Pierce, 1995). Using critical race theory as a framework, this talk will explore the educational experiences of students of color in higher education. Furthermore this talk will examine the campus racial climate in an effort to understand the concept of racial microaggressions and their adverse effect on students of color. Dr. Ceja is an Associate Professor, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at California State University, Northridge.
• Enhancing and Strengthening the Campus Racial Climate: A Collective Effort Workshop facilitated by Dr. Miguel Ceja 1:30-3:00 HSU- Mt. Constance room: Workshop for faculty/staff (Sponsored by the Learning & Teaching Center): In this interactive workshop participants will have the opportunity to discuss issues of diversity in higher education and propose recommendations for developing and sustaining a healthy campus racial climate for faculty, staff, and students. Dr. Miguel Ceja is an Associate Professor, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at California State University, Northridge

Tuesday, April 27, 2010:

• The Color of the Race Problem Is White Lecture by Dr. Robert Jensen 11:00-11:50 Building 7 (Co-sponsored by the Learning &Teaching Center): In The Souls of Black Folk, W.E.B. DuBois suggested that the question white people so often want to ask black people is, “How does it feel to be a problem?” This program turns the tables and recognizes some simple facts: Race problems have their roots in a system of white supremacy. White people invented white supremacy. Therefore, the color of the race problem is white. White people are the problem. White people have to ask ourselves: How does it feel to be a problem? Following the ideas in his book The Heart of Whiteness, Jensen argues that — even decades after the significant achievements of the civil-rights movement and with an African-American president — it is still appropriate to describe the United States as a white-supremacist society, in terms of how we think and how we live. Through an analysis of contemporary racial ideology, Jensen presents a framework for critiquing the naturalizing of power and privilege in other arenas of our lives (gender, class, nationality, and ecology). How have we come to accept so easily systems of domination and subordination? How did we become resigned to hierarchy? How can we challenge the unjust and unsustainable nature of the systems in which we live? Robert Jensen is a journalism professor at the University of Texas at Austin and board member of the Third Coast Activist Resource Center in Austin. His articles can be found online at http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~rjensen/index.html.
• Beyond Race, Gender, and Class: Understanding the Roots of Privilege Dr. Robert Jensen Workshop for faculty/staff 1:30-3:00 HSU- Mt. Constance (Sponsored by the Learning &Teaching Center): Many corporate, governmental, and educational institutions in the contemporary United States articulate a commitment to diversity and multiculturalism. The discussion of race, gender, and class has been institutionalized in many of these institutional settings. Such changes signal progress, but do they indicate that U.S. society has made a serious commitment to a more just distribution of wealth and power? Has this multicultural moment led to an ongoing critique of the deeper systems of authority in the culture? Using the concept of privilege in race, gender, and class, this workshop will raise questions about systems and structures of power that can allow us to go beyond polite “diversity talk” to discuss what would be needed to transform our society and promote justice and sustainability. Any serious effort toward those goals must confront the structures of power in the contemporary United States that produce such profound inequality. Robert Jensen is a journalism professor at the University of Texas at Austin and board member of the Third Coast Activist Resource Center in Austin. His articles can be found online at http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~rjensen/index.html.
• 3rd annual Drag Show 6:00-8:00 HSU- Mt. Townsend (Co-sponsored by the Gay/Straight Alliance): Come to Highline Community College‟s 3rd annual Drag Show event. Performers from both the Drag Queen and Drag King communities will show their best talents and entertain you for an evening you don‟t want to miss.

Wednesday, April 28:

• ALIVE & FREE: Eliminating the Disease of Violence Presentation by Marquis White, Leletha Williams, J’Quai Holiday 12:10-1:13 Building 7 (Co-sponsored with Honor’s Colloquy): Violence is a public health issue and a social disease. Alive & Free is the prescription to eliminating the disease. Alive & Free, a nationally recognized youth development and violence prevention organization works with communities to eliminate the “risk” factors of violence by dealing with emotional residues and breaking unhealthy norms. Presentation will focus on the individual and systemic roles of violence.
• Caucus Discussion, Topic: Youth Violence, Facilitated by Thomas Tobin; 1:30-2:30 Leadership Resource Room- HSU- 3rd floor Come to this caucus discussion where we will be investigating the causes of and solutions to youth violence.

Thursday, April 29:

• Searching Routes and Roots for Songs of Ghosts Talk by Quynh-Tram Nguyen, School of Social Work- UW-Tacoma 10:00-10:50 HSU- Mt. Constance room. In the tradition of storytelling this interactive lecture aims to reveal an insider‟s perspective in migrant invisibility in North America landscapes. Quynh-Tram Nguyen is a faculty member in the School of Social Work at UW-Tacoma and Doctoral Candidate in the PhD Social Science Program, Taos-Tilburg University. Her public scholarship focuses on performance-based community work where creative tension between the local and „global‟, between the familiar and unfamiliar, the being at-home and the being on-the-move takes place.
• Backstage Racism: How Nice White Students Perpetuate the Racial Hierarchy Lecture by Dr. Leslie Houts Picca 11:00-11:50 Building 7 (Co-sponsored by the Learning & Teaching Center): It’s more comfortable to view racism as “bad acts committed by bad people.” Dr. Picca‟s lecture draws upon her research on 626 journals of racial events kept by white college students at twenty-eight colleges in the United States. Dr. Picca co-author of the book “Two Faced Racism: Whites in the Backstage and Frontstage” (Routledge, 2007 with Joe Feagin) examines and explains the racial attitudes and behaviors exhibited by whites in private settings. Picca earned her Ph.D. from the University of Florida, and is now a Sociology professor at the University of Dayton in Ohio. She has publications in the areas of racial relations, and adolescent sexuality. Her research on racial relations has been nationally recognized, and she has been interviewed by CNN, the Associated Press, Congressional Quarterly, National Public Radio, Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, among others. She is also the proud mother of three daughters ages 4, 2, and 10 months.

Friday, April 30:

• Safe Zones Workshop Facilitated by Joshua Magallanes, Multicultural Services & High School Programs 10:00-11:30 Building 2; Although grossly understudied, research indicates that Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender/Questioning (GLBTQ) students hear derogatory words such as “fag, homo and gay” an average of 26 times per day. In K-12 education, colleges and universities, 85% of teachers oppose integrating GLBTQ topics into the curriculum (Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network 2003).The Safe Zones education program is part of a national program that focuses on basic GLBTQ concepts, definitions, theories and building skills to confront homophobia and heterosexism. This interactive workshop will focus on campus climate for GLBTQ communities and allies and strategies to address individual and institutional forms of homophobia.
• Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick? 12:30-2:00 Building 7 (Co-sponsored with Movie Fridays) In sickness and in wealth- how does the distribution of power, wealth and resources shape opportunities for health? Unnatural Causes is the acclaimed documentary series broadcast by PBS and now used by thousands of organizations around the country to tackle the root causes of our alarming socio-economic and racial inequities in health. Viewing and discussion facilitated by Melissa Ponder and Natasha Burrowes.

Saturday, May 1:

• 2nd annual Teaching Equity Conference May 1, 2010 9:00-3:30 pm Highline Campus; This year’s event is being held in collaboration with CWU’s Power of Diversity project and The Center for Excellence in Education’s Future Teacher’s Conference. The professional development experience for future educators and those interested in teaching will provide important information for participants regarding successful pathways to becoming a teacher and the need for all educators to be culturally competent. There will be panel discussions throughout the day in addition to workshops, information tables from local colleges/universities, and entertainment. More information at: http://www.teachingequity.com/.

For more information on this year’s event, download the program here (PDF file). To view presentations from last year, click here.

Last Saturday (Jan. 9th), the Three Tree Point Yacht Club (TTPYC) held its “Duwamish Head Race” from the Des Moines Marina to Duwamish Head in West Seattle.

This was the second race of the Southern Sound series, and the yacht club’s biggest race of the year, with up to 100 boats participating.

Des Moines City Councilmember Carmen Scott sent us this report, along with the great Photos below:

The weather was mild and dry, with a thin cloud cover, but it lacked a main ingredient for these kinds of events – there was no wind!

The heats were scheduled to begin at 9:30am, but no one appeared to be going anywhere.

The boats stayed at the Des Moines Marina all morning. When the sun began to break through, it created wonderful reflections on the smooth-as-glass water. I ran out of memory in my camera at about noon, just as the first class of boats began to head up the Sound. However, I think I got my cover shot for next year’s Des Moines calendar.

Anyone who would like more information can go to the yacht club’s website at www.ttpcy.org it’s an interesting site, and lists their race, cruise and social events.

Here’s Carmen’s Photo Slideshow:

Click to View Carmen Scott’s Photo Slideshow

Here’s a link to the race results (PDF file).

There’s less than a week to go until Olde Burien gets turned into “Von Boorianland Uber Alles” when SW 152nd will be transformed into a German village for the first-ever “Brat Trot” fundraiser race and pub crawl.

In case you haven’t heard about this fun fundraiser race in our neighbor city to the north, here are the basics:

The Brat Trot fundraiser race is being “braut” to you by The Tin Room and Dan the Sausageman with help from the good peeps who helped run the Cove to Clover Race back in March (which raised $12K), with proceeds benefiting:

• Safe Kids of South King County
• WestSide Baby

But this isn’t just another fun run fundraiser folks – no, this one has a full mythology, with characters, a bizarre backstory, talking sausages and all the plot elements of a compelling rags to riches and back to rags story that can only be understood by showing up at the event(s).

To register for the race, click here (deadline is Oct. 2nd, so act fast).

Also, on race day, a very special slate of entertainment will be performing near the Tin Room, featuring:

• The Oom Pa’s and Ma’s, rumored to be the only oom-pah band to be kicked out of an Oktoberfest at Leavenworth for public drunkenness will play at 1pm Sunday (see their MySpace page here).
• Tin Room Beer Garden
• Brat and Kraut Feed
• Pictures with Brats
• Root Beer Garden (free hotdogs and root beer for the kids)
• Special Guest MC Peter Fewing

Here are the details of the pre-function Pub Crawl the night before the race (Sat. Oct. 3rd):

• Starts at 6pm at The Tin Room, where you’ll pick up an official crawl bib # for just $10.
• You’ll then “crawl” to at least five of the official local stops (see list below) for “crawl drink and food specials.”
• At each you will gather visitation stickers to qualify for a fabulous door prize drawing to be held at The Tin Room at 11pm.
• Burien’s own “Yodeling Dominatrix” Manuela Horn, fresh from her stint on “America’s Got Talent” will serve as MC. Now if you missed Manuela’s family-friendly yodeling performance at Saturday’s Oktoberfest in Town Square, you’ll be happy to know that her busty, adult alter-ego will make a leather-clad and whip appearance Saturday night at 11pm at The Tin Room near the end of the Pub Crawl!
• Dress in traditional German costumes (not just a hat with feather) or come dressed as a beautiful Bratwurst (even better) and you crawl for free (well, actually you’ve paid with your self respect in the case of the brat suit).
• There will be numerous specials from area business worth crawling to, such as:
  • La Costa: House Margarita $4; La Costa Nachos $5.25
  • Mick Kelly’s Irish Pub: Alaskan Amber $2.50; Mini corned beef sandwiches $1
  • The Mark: German Beer specials; Brat & Kraut appetizers; Play “Find the Brat” (in the kraut bowl)
  • Elliott Bay Brewhouse & Pub: Happy Hour prices on beer and wine; Brat Sampler
  • Bison Creek Pizza & Pub: Bud Light $2; Breadsticks & Garlic Bread $2; Chrome Molly plays (AC/DC tribute band)
  • Burien Press: Free espresso shot; Art Open House
  • The Hobnobber(!): Budweiser $2; Bag of Chips $1
  • The House Collier Catering
  • 909 Coffee & Wine
• Door Prizes will be provided by BTB Advertiser Highline Athletic Club

This fine fundraising event is “braut” to you by the following local sponsors (including The B-Town Blog):

For more information, read our previous coverage here:

• Register For The Brat Trot Fundraiser Before Wed., Sept. 16th And Save $$$!
• EXCLUSIVE: A Q & A With “Bret The Brat” About The Oct. 4th Brat Trot & Oct. 3rd Pub Crawl
• Highline Schools Foundation Oktoberfest Dinner, Dance & Auction Is Saturday, Oct. 10th
• Prepare For The “Wurst”: First-Ever “Brat Trot” 5K Run Is Coming Sunday, Oct. 4th; Pub Crawl Sat., Oct. 3rd

by Josh Hart

Imagine every bone in your body from the waist down aching. You’re sitting on the couch and you can hardly get up. Once you do get up, you can barely move around. Everything just feels sore.

The day before you had just competed in Seattle’s Inaugural Rock and Roll Marathon. You remember running across that finish line in pain, but triumph. You had done it. You set out to do something and you did it. You almost gave up on mile 24, you started feeling the burn on mile 17, but you had pushed through and accomplished something. You had even finished in 4 hours and 49 minutes. 11 minutes faster than your goal.

Just remember back on mile 13 when you were still fresh and you had seen your family and you were still running strong. Just remember back to when the race started and you could hardly even jog, because there were so many people. That wasn’t even the start. Remember back to when you were training and you ran from Kent to Orting. That felt like an accomplishment too, but it wasn’t like what you were feeling now. Remember that night that you had said, “I’m going to run a marathon.” We thought you were crazy, but you printed out a training schedule and you put your mind too it and look where you are right now. Crossing that finish line. You want to fall to your knees, because of the ache.

You find your family waiting at the other side of the finish line. They are so proud. This wasn’t just about the accomplishment of a marathon. It was much more than that. It was the will power that you had to put your mind to something and 16 weeks later accomplish it. You give people the awareness that they really can do whatever they put their mind too. It would have been impossible 16 weeks prior for you to run that marathon, but you trained in the beating down sun, you trained in the rain, the cold, and the heat. You also trained on the beach, in the woods, at the track, in the valley. You never gave up. You gave inspiration to many people out there. Even though you didn’t finish with the best time, you still did it. You accomplished something very few people accomplish.

This is the story of my dad, Nathan Hart, competing in the Rock and Roll Marathon, which went from Tukwila to Seattle on June 27th.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Josh Hart is The Waterland Blog's first Intern! He's a 15-year old student at Highline's “Big Picture High School” in SeaTac who loves to write and play soccer.

You can read more of his writing here...]