Photos and Story by Michael Brunk

At a reception held May 26th at the Des Moines Yacht Club, the Des Moines Dollars for Scholars celebrated their tenth anniversary by rewarding 18 local students with scholarships totaling $10,000.

Des Moines Dollars for Scholars is a local non-profit organization operated by an all volunteer Board of Directors. Their mission is to provide support and financial aid to students in Des Moines and Normandy Park by connecting them with a variety of scholarships offered within the local community.

For 2010, the following scholarships were awarded:

Des Moines Dollars for Scholars Scholarships
	Theresa Amell	Highline Community College
	Debra Eads	Highline Community College
	Mackenzie Loftus	Western Washington University
	Briana Ruth	Gonzaga University
	Lewis Thomson	Montana State University
	Jordan Wilkins	Highline Community College
Des Moines First Mates Scholarships
	Dorothy Franks	Skidmore College
	Daniel Matthews	University of Washington
	Giovanni Tinoca Mejia	Gene Juarez Academy
Des Moines Chamber of Commerce Scholarships
	Felicia Doubek	University of San Francisco
	Bryan Murray	Highline Community College
	Amanda Powell	Montana State University
Des Moines Kiwanis Scholarship (in memory of Vera Harper)
	Suhmiin Chern	University of Washington
Des Moines Rotary Scholarship
	Bertha Vo	Howard Mudd College
Powell Homes Scholarship
	Michael Molina	University of Washington
Southwest Seattle Business and Professional Women Scholarship
	Yessica Zapata	South Seattle Community College
Steven Underwood Memorial Scholarships
	Nate Korzeniecki	Central Washington University
	Andrea Pacunski	Highline Community College

Vickie Bergquist, President of Des Moines Dollars for Scholars, summed up the general sentiment expressed by many of the evening’s presenters in telling one student, “I want you to know your entire community is proud of you!”

Photographer Michael Brunk attended the event and captured the following photos.

Click to Play Michael Brunk’s Photo Slideshow

The Hospitality Services and Women’s Programs at Highline Community College are sponsoring a “Clothing Closet” for graduating students. The event will be held in the student union on May 28th and will go all day or until the clothing is gone.

Project coordinator Donna Longwell says, “I saw a need for some of my students to acquire clothing for a job interview. Because I ran a clothing closet of such in Bremerton, it was easy to put on a one day event for our students. We have a huge need on this campus and all are very generous. We collect the clothing for a few weeks and then display them like a small store. Folks come in and shop and go out with one or two nice outfits, shoes, jewelry etc and feel better about themselves. This helps them have more confidence as they look for work.”

This is a great opportunity to do a little spring cleaning and free up room in your closet! The college is collecting clothing appropriate for professional wear for both men and women.

If you have clothing to donate or would like more information, please contact Donna Longwell at 206-870-3777 or dlongwell@highline.edu.

Highline Community College’s Spring Festival 2010 is coming Friday, May 21st from 9am – 1pm, and is intended for local high school students, current HCC students and the entire community, and will include a college fair, workshops and food and entertainment.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Highline College’s Spring Festival 2010.

WHEN: Friday, May 21st from 9 am to 1 pm.

WHERE: Highline Community College, located at 2400 S. 240th Street in Des Moines.

INFO: This is for Local High School students, current Highline students, and the community, and will include:

• College Fair 9-11:30am (Bldg. 8): Reps from over 20 colleges and universities will be on campus
• Workshops 9:50-11:25am (Various Classrooms): College and Career related – paying for college, powerful resume writing, campus life and much more
• Food & Entertainment 11:30am-1pm (outside of Bldg. 8): $3 barbecue lunch or cafeteria options, live music and interactive activities

More info available at the college’s website here.

Highline Community College International Students and Local Seniors at WLB Advertiser Wesley Homes are sponsoring Culture Fest, on Thursday, May 20th.

It’ll be held from 6pm – 8pm at the Wesley Homes Des Moines Terrace auditorium, located at 816 South 216th Street.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Culture Fest, sponsored by Highline Community College International Students and Wesley Homes.

WHEN: Thursday, May 20th from 6pm – 8pm.

WHERE: Wesley Homes Des Moines Terrace auditorium, located at 816 South 216th Street.

TICKETS: Tickets are $8, and admission will include:

• International foods samplings
• Entertainment from around the world
• Culture booths from many countries
• Free shuttle from Des Moines Activity Center

INFO: Visitors are encouraged to “surprise us by wearing the costume of your heritage” but that’s not a requirement.

The Des Moines Activity Center is a sponsor, and all proceeds from this event benefit senior programs and services for the Des Moines and Normandy Park communities.

For more information or to purchase tickets, call (206) 878-1642.

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.

Des Moines’ Aviation High School’s Skunkworks 1983 Robotics Team won the Chairman’s Award Saturday (March 27) at the 2010 Microsoft Seattle Regional competition held as part of the FIRST competition at Seattle’s Key Arena.

FIRST stands for “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology,” and is an organization that was founded by inventor Dean Kamen in 1989. Its purpose is to develop ways to inspire students in engineering and technology fields. The organization is the foundation for the FIRST Robotics Competition, FIRST LEGO League, and FIRST Tech Challenge competition.

Here’s the announcement from the group’s website:

FIRST Team 1983 – AHS Skunkworks Robotics received the Chairman’s Award at the 2010 Microsoft Seattle Regional. This is the highest award presented at a regional. The Skunks thank the many people who believed in us and helped make this and all we do happen.

Our robot, Pelè Le Pew, performed well. Team 3049, Team Knights, chose teams 1983 and 2660 to be part of their championship alliance. After four matches, our alliance was eliminated in the quarter finals.

The Microsoft Seattle Regional was held March 25 through March 27, 2010 at the Key Arena in Seattle. Sixty-four teams from three countries competed.

Here’s info on the Skunkworks 1983 program from the school’s website:

The Aviation High School robotics team is registered as Team 1983 Skunkworks with FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). To learn more about our team’s connection with FIRST and the impact it has on the team and its members, go to our About FIRST page. Team 1983 is affiliated with Aviation High School (AHS). AHS provides the facilities, coach and some of the mentors. The PTSA at AHS has been an avid sponsor of our robotics team. To learn more about Aviation High School and AHS PTSA, how they support robotics and what we do for them, go to our Aviation High page. While robotics is our theme and passion, Team 1983 recognizes that FIRST calls upon them to do more than just build robots. Skunkworks can and should have an impact on students, school, the surrounding community and even other FIRST teams.

Here’s a video on the competition from KOMO-TV:

Also, our news partners at The Seattle Times have a story on it as well – click here to read it.

Des Moines’ Aviation High School is one of four Highline Public Schools to be recognized with the 2009 Washington Achievement Award, which celebrates the state’s top-performing schools and recognizes achievement in language arts, math, science, gifted education, graduation rate, and overall excellence.

The four Highline schools to receive the award are:

• Aviation High School – Science, Overall Excellence (Des Moines)
• Academy of Citizenship and Empowerment (ACE) – Language Arts (SeaTac)
• Health Sciences and Human Services High School (HS3) – Language Arts (White Center)
• Marvista Elementary – Science (Normandy Park)

The Washington Achievement Award was created by the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the State Board of Education. This highly selective award is based on schools’ performance according to the newly created School Accountability Index, a comprehensive measurement of how schools in Washington are performing over time. Schools are selected for the award based on their state assessment data for the previous three years.

“The selection process for the Washington Achievement Award is very rigorous, and your staff, students, parents, and community can take real pride in being part of this elite group,” said State Superintendent Randy Dorn.

“These awards show the progress we are making in student achievement,” said Highline Superintendent John Welch. “We have seen that when we raise the bar and hold students to high expectations, they meet and even exceed them.”

The award-winning schools will be recognized at a state awards ceremony in Renton on May 5th.

Every year, Members of Congress are allowed to display one piece of artwork by a high school student from their district in the U.S. Capitol for one year.

Congressman Adam Smith, who represents Washington’s 9th Congressional District (which includes Des Moines), is holding an annual judged art competition to select which local art receives this honor, with a deadline of April 9th.

The selected student will win prizes and be invited to attend the national reception for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, May 24, 2010 in Washington, DC. two round-trip airline tickets are donated for travel to DC. The winning entry will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol for one year.

Prizes also include a scholarship to the Savannah Collage of Art and Design.

If you have any questions or want to receive electronic updates about Rep. Adam Smith’s Congressional Art Contest please contact Ms. Debra Entenman (253) 593-6600 or email: Debra.Entenman@mail.house.gov.

For contest guidelines, please download the forms from Adam’s website here.

2010 Congressional Arts Competition:

The Congressional Arts Competition allows each Member of Congress to display one piece of artwork, created by a high school student in their district, in the Capitol for one year.

Entries for the 9th Congressional District Art Contest are due by 5:00 PM on Friday April 9, 2010. All submissions should be sent to:

Congressman Adam Smith
2209 Pacific Avenue, Suite B
Tacoma, Washington 98402

Additionally, during the month of April, most entries will be on display at Tacoma Art Museum (1701 Pacific Avenue). However, please be advised that due to space limitations it may not be possible to display all entries.

The winner of the competition will be announced at the Art Exhibition and Reception on Saturday, May 1, 2010 at 1:00 pm at The Tacoma Art Museum.

The winning student will win prizes and be invited to attend the national reception for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, June 17, 2010 in Washington, DC. Three round-trip airline tickets are donated for travel to DC. The winning entry will be displayed in the Cannon tunnel of the U.S. Capitol for one year.

2010 Congressional Art Competition Guidelines:

The competition is open to high school students only. Exceptions will be made for schools that have 7th through 12th grades on one campus. Each Member’s office can choose whether or not to include 7th and 8th grades in the art competition if there are schools in its district that fit these criteria. Additionally, official resources are to be used only to the extent authorized by the Committee on House Administration and the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct.

In order to allow artwork to hang in the Cannon Tunnel in the U.S. Capitol, the following restrictions are enforced:

• Artwork must be two dimensional;
• Each piece can be no larger than 28”x28”x 4” (28 inches high, 28 inches wide, and 4 inches deep) including the frame. Artwork cannot weigh more than 15 lbs;
• Each entry must be original in concept, design, and execution and may not violate any U.S. copyright laws. Any entry that has been copied from an existing photo (not the student’s own), painting, graphic, advertisement, or any other work produced by another person is a violation of the competition rules and will not be accepted. Work entered must be in the original medium (that is, not a scanned reproduction of a painting or drawing);
• Artwork must arrive in Washington by May 24, 2010 for inclusion in the exhibition.
• Artwork will hang in the Capitol for the entire year of the exhibition and cannot be returned to the students earlier. Students should, therefore, submit artwork they will not need for other purposes.
  

  Last year's Congressional art contest winner Arunan Mukphrom with Congressman Adam Smith at his office in Washington DC. The winning artist and their family were invited to Washington, D.C. to see their artwork hung in the Capitol.

Artwork accepted mediums are as follows:

• Paintings: oil, acrylics, watercolor, etc.
• Drawings: pastels, colored pencil, pencil, charcoal, ink, markers
• Collage: must be two dimensional
• Prints: lithographs, silkscreen, block prints
• Mixed Media: use of more than two mediums such as pencil, ink, watercolor, etc.
• Computer-generated art
• Photography

Paper Work:

A typed and securely affixed large label must be applied to the back of each piece. Also provide a typed copy of the Student Release form, signed by both the teacher and the student, must be attached to the back of the artwork to certify the originality of the piece.

The winning artist’s student release form along with the Member Approval form should be sent to DC via fax to 202.225.3012, attn: 2010 Art Competition, as soon as you have chosen a winning artwork .

Release forms and Member Approval forms must be received by May 28th. This will allow us to determine if more information is required from the student before actually receiving the artwork.

The final decision regarding the suitability of all artwork for the 2010 Congressional Art Competition exhibition in the Capitol will be made by a panel of qualified persons chaired by the Architect of the Capitol.

Artwork must adhere to the policy of the House Office Building Commission.

In accordance with this policy, exhibits depicting subjects of contemporary political controversy or a sensationalistic or gruesome nature are not allowed.

It is necessary that all artwork be reviewed by the panel chaired by the Architect of the Capitol and any portion not in consonance with the Commission’s policy will be omitted from the exhibit.

Framing Guidelines:

High School students in Washington's District 9 are eligible.

Framing guidelines apply only to the ONE winning artist/artwork that will be sent to Washington, DC.

All artwork must be framed. Frames should be kept as simple and sturdy as possible.

Metal frames are recommended. No “snap on” frames with glass are to be used.

All artwork must be protected by Plexiglas or glass. Plexiglas is preferred. If glass is used, special packing and shipping arrangements are encouraged to ensure that the work is not damaged if the glass breaks.

All works, including frame, should be no larger than 28 inches high, 28 inches wide, and 4 inches deep, to the outside of the frame, and 15 lbs. in weight. Please double check the size before sending the entry to Washington, DC. Due to wide participation of Member offices, framed work larger than the specified dimensions will be turned away.

Matting can enhance or detract from a work of art and should be carefully prepared.

Use sturdy picture hangers on the back of the frame. Two sturdy eye hooks should be attached at the top right and left sides of the back of the work for hanging in order to prevent the work from leaning forward or hanging unevenly. Do not put wire between the hooks for hanging; these will be added when the artwork is hung in the Capitol.

Do not attach labels, ribbons, etc. to the front of the piece or underneath the glass or Plexiglas.

If the artwork is abstract in design, please indicate on the backside which side is “up” with arrows.

As directed by the House Oversight and Standards of Official Conduct Committees, each district winner is responsible for framing his or her own entry. Any hardship case should be assisted at the district level; works can no longer be framed by the Architect of the Capitol.

A typed copy of the Student Information & Release Form must be securely attached to the back of the artwork.

More information on this art competition is available at Adam Smith’s website.

Highline Community College Business instructor Jeff Ward has earned a statewide honor for his leadership and achievements in “eLearning,” also known as electronic learning.

No, it’s not for teaching people about electronics, it’s for helping teach classes online.

Ward, of Lake Forest Park, provides one-on-one support to faculty and encourages them to explore and expand their use of technology in the classroom as Highline’s Faculty in Residence for Technology and Distance Learning.

“With online learning we have erased geographical boundaries. I can have students in class from all over the world, and their different experiences and backgrounds enrich discussions and give topics a more global perspective,” Ward said. “Alternative delivery of classes such as online and hybrid courses are better able to meet the diverse needs of our students – working parents, returning students, full-time workers, etc.”

The Leadership & Innovation in eLearning Award from the eLearning Council of Washington’s community and technical college system recognizes up to two individuals annually for achievements in electronic learning.   The honor comes with a $200 cash award and a grant for all-expenses paid trip to participate in the spring Pacific Northwest Higher Education Assessment, Teaching & Learning conference from April 28-30 in Vancouver, WA.

For more information on the Washington State eLearning Council, visit www.sbctc.edu/college/e_elearning.aspx.

Highline Community College was founded in 1961 as the first community college in King County. With approximately 18,300 students and 350,000 alumni, it is one of the state’s largest institutions of higher education. The college offers a wide range of academic transfer and professional-technical education programs, with day, evening and weekend classes. Alumni include former Seattle Mayor Norm Rice, entrepreneur Junki Yoshida, Washington state poet laureate Sam Green and Scott Schaefer, Publisher/Editor of this here blog and three-time National Emmy winning Writer for “Bill Nye the Science Guy.”

by Ralph Nichols

Des Moines Mayor Bob Sheckler recently presented to the City Council gifts that were given him during a trip to China late last fall.

But the mayor brought home a lot more than just gifts and a slide show of his travels in this ancient, now-booming country.

A multimillion-dollar development along Pacific Highway South backed by Chinese investors – agreed to during Sheckler’s highly productive trip – is now in the planning and permitting stage.

Ground breaking and the start of construction are expected to take place this summer if preliminary activity continues at its current pace.

The development, which will feature a hotel and restaurant and possibly retail space, will be located at the old state vehicle emissions testing site on the east side of Pac Highway not far north of Kent-Des Moines Road.

While in China, Sheckler also laid the foundation for an exchange program between Chinese community college students and students at Highline Community College.

And now there is the promise of even more. He reported at the Feb. 11 City Council meeting that representatives of business investors in China and Russia, with billions of dollars to invest, “are very interested in Des Moines.”

“The word’s out” about Des Moines – and the marina. “The word’s definitely out there,” Sheckler said. “They’re saying, ‘Where have you been?’ People are discovering that this (waterfront city) is a jewel. It’s very exciting.”

Sheckler began planning his China trip (Nov. 13-22) two years ago, not long after the prospect of developing a sister-city relationship with Changle, a coastal city in the Suzhou province of South China, was first discussed.

After corresponding with Changle Mayor Lin Wengang, Lin invited Sheckler to meet with him there. Sheckler was accompanied by Des Moines investor Matt Chan, who plans to build the Watercrossing development on the southeast side of the Pac Highway-South 216th St. intersection.

“I was there to visit him” and discuss a sister-city relationship, Sheckler noted. But he also went to China with plans to pursue an exchange-student arrangement and “to develop interest in investment in Des Moines.”

Even before he was “warmly received” by Lin and Deputy Mayor Lin Jian Xiu – to whom he presented gifts paid for by himself, as well as accepted their gifts – Sheckler had met with Zedong Ye, a property developer, and Mr. Zhang, an industrialist. Both had visited Des Moines and Tacoma last summer and liked the Waterland city.

Ye and Zhang had been told in advance that Sheckler and the Des Moines City Council are “very progressive in economic development” and wanted to meet with him.

In their culture, the initial meeting often determines whether a deal will be agreed to, and their cordial relationship at this dinner resulted in a green light for the Des Moines project. An advance team already in Des Moines was told to begin the pre-application process with the city, and the hotel project has been moving forward since then.

“I went over there to meet the mayor of Changle and to meet with others to get development going.” Mission accomplished.

Establishing a sister city relationship, according to custom, will take time, but the process has now begun. Discussions are in progress for an exchange student program in Des Moines. And ground breaking for the hotel is just a few months away.

That’s a pretty big long-term payoff for the city – which paid none of Sheckler’s expenses. He covered his round trip to Beijing and his hosts covered some of his expenses in China.

“But the key thing is the city didn’t have to pay for it. What I did on my own time and my own dime is my own business,” Shecker said, recalling that “certain naysayers” in the community criticized the cash-strapped city during the budget-setting process last fall for allegedly paying for his China trip.

He added, “The fact is, the city is the beneficiary, but the trip didn’t cost them a penny.”

One of the annual projects the Des Moines Rotary Club does to help this community is to distribute dictionaries to students at Woodmont Elementary School, and this year Rotarians presented every third grader there with a new illustrated children’s dictionary.

The project aims to promote literacy and build connections with local schools.

Here are some photos courtesy this local service organization:

Don’t forget, the Rotary is sponsoring the annual Poverty Bay Wine Festival, which will be held at the Landmark Event Center on March 6th and 7th – for more info, including how and where to buy tickets, click here.

For more information on the Des Moines Rotary, click here.

Students from Des Moines’ Aviation High School (AHS) gave Port of Seattle Commissioners first-hand descriptions of their experiences and a robotics demonstration during the Commission’s first community outreach meeting of 2010, held last Tuesday, Feb. 2nd.

The Port of Seattle supports AHS through its tax levy along with an airport environmental curriculum challenge, a job shadow program and high school internships.

“The students at Aviation High School will one day help Washington maintain a competitive edge in aviation, aerospace and high tech industries,” said Bill Bryant, Port of Seattle Commission President. “They are an impressive group! The future is in terrific hands.”

Aviation High School, located in Des Moines, is the only public, college-prep aviation themed school in the Northwest. Founded in 2004, the high school is part of the Highline School District but is open to students throughout the region. Currently 65% are students from the Highline School District with the rest coming from other districts, as far away as Olympia, Bremerton and Everett. With a current student body of 411, AHS has been very successful in providing a rigorous, high quality education to its student body.

The Port of Seattle has pledged $15 million in tax levy funds for Aviation High School, including $9 million in 2010 to help with constructing a new facility to be built at The Museum of Flight at Boeing Field. After 2010, the school will receive $650,000 per year through 2013 from the Port.

The high school prides itself in having the third highest score in the state in math and science as well as a highly diverse population of which 21% qualify for the free or reduced cost lunch program.

The Port of Seattle Commission meets quarterly at community locations.

Aviation High School’s slogan is “Where the sky is not the limit,” and is administered by Highline Public Schools. It is open to students across the Puget Sound region, and serves as a model science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) school. The curriculum is college preparatory, and all subjects are taught in the context of aviation and aerospace.

As we reported on March 26th, Aviation High recently received a $4 million grant from James Raisbeck. It will be re-named Raisbeck Aviation High School, and will move to the Museum of Flight in Seattle; construction is expected to begin in March.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

• Des Moines’ Aviation High School Makes U.S. News “Best High Schools List”
• Aviation High School Kicks Off Fundraising Campaign
• Four Aviation High Students Graduate From Washington Aerospace Scholars Program
• Aviation High School Students Hitch Ride On Delivery Flight Of Brand New 737
• Aviation High School Gets $4 Million Dollar Grant, New Name & New Address

Highline Community College’s StartZone is marking its first-year anniversary with a celebration from 5pm – 7pm on Thursday, Oct. 8 in the Highline Student Union (Building 8).

Since opening in October 2008, StartZone has helped more than 120 women, people of color, immigrants and people with disabilities who want to start or expand their small businesses in Southwest King County.

In addition, StartZone members have started 15 new businesses, created dozens of new jobs and obtained nearly $90,000 in financing.

The celebration, which is free and open to the public, will feature speakers who have found success after receiving support from StartZone’s trained business specialists.

Featured speaker Adugna Wubbie, of SeaTac, originally came to StartZone with the hope of building a successful business and helping his family back in his home country of Ethiopia.

He started Rose Super Clean Services, a commercial janitorial service, and is now earning about $3,000 a month in revenue. By the end of his first year in operation, he hopes to generate at least $10,000 a month in revenue.

“Our StartZone business adviser gave us information on what we needed for success,” Wubbie said. “As part of the StartZone community, we have had an opportunity to meet other business owners, network and find support from our peers.”

Ruth Tial Par, of Kent, will also be sharing her success story during the event.

Tial Par, who is wheelchair-bound and came from Burma more than a year ago, wanted to convert her hobby of sewing clothes into a business opportunity.

StartZone helped Tial Par get new sewing machines and her business, Ruthy Tailoring, recently started accepting customers.

StartZone services are free to members and include assessments, referrals, business consulting and planning, loan packaging, workshops, mentoring and opportunities for networking and peer support.

StartZone offers orientations from 6-6:30 p.m. on the first Thursday of the month at the HCC Outreach Center (Building 99), room 132, 23835 Pacific Highway S. in Kent.

For more information about StartZone, call (206) 878-3710, ext. 3388, e-mail startzone@highline.edu or visit http://startzone.highline.edu.

StartZone is funded by a grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Highline Community College was founded in 1961 as the first community college in King County. With approximately 18,300 students and 350,000 alumni, it is one of the state’s largest institutions of higher education. The college offers a wide range of academic transfer and professional-technical education programs, with day, evening, online and weekend classes.

With the most diverse population of any college in Washington state, Highline takes a multicultural approach to education for the success of all its students and the prosperity of its surrounding communities. Alumni include former Seattle Mayor Norm Rice, entrepreneur Junki Yoshida, Washington state poet laureate Sam Green and yes, even Scott Schaefer, the Publisher/Editor of this here blog.

Attachment: Adugna Wubbie, of SeaTac
Ruth Tial Par, of Kent

Four students from Des Moines’ Aviation High School graduated from the 2009 Washington Aerospace Scholars Summer Residency program this summer, and we here at The Waterland Blog would like to give a big shout out to them:

• Thomas Malchodi
• Andrew May
• Andrew Reece
• Michael Thompson

They were among the 150 students who qualified for the Washington Aerospace Scholars (WAS) Summer Residency program from 260 students who applied last November. To qualify for the residency program, they spent six months studying a NASA-designed, distance-learning curriculum via the Internet. Based on their academic performance on these lessons, they were selected to attend one of the four residencies hosted at The Museum of Flight in Seattle this summer. During the residency, the students collaborated with the other participants on the design of a human mission to Mars. WAS scholars are guided by professional engineers, scientists, university students and certified educators as they plan these missions. The WAS program is designed to inspire students to pursue degrees and careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) but the students are divided into teams which also require them to learn about mission management, budgets, the legal aspects of space exploration, and medicine.

In addition to the design of the human mission to Mars, they and the other WAS scholars participated in a number of hands-on engineering challenges. These challenges included: design, construction and deployment of robotic rovers, model rockets, lander devices, and payload lofting systems. Summer residency participants also received briefings from experts in the fields of engineering, science, physics, medicine, project management, risk management, and space exploration, such as Dr. Bonnie J. Dunbar, astronaut and CEO of the Museum of Flight. They also visited the Boeing plant in Everett for a behind-the-scenes tour of Boeing’s Commercial Airplane assembly (including the new 787), and toured engineering laboratories at the University of Washington.

As graduates of WAS, Thomas Malchodi, Andrew May, Andrew Reece, and Michael Thompson join over 380 alumni representing 170 different Washington high schools.

All expenses (including travel, meals and lodging) are provided to students free of charge by the Washington Aerospace Scholars Foundation. The program has been supported through generous grants from The Apex Foundation, The Aldarra Foundation, The Boeing Company, Microsoft, Battelle and individual donors. The Museum of Flight hosts both the program administration and the summer residency sessions. Additional partners include NASA Johnson Space Center for curriculum development, the Washington State Governor’s Office, Washington State Legislators, and the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Washington Aerospace Scholars began accepting applications in early September for the 2009-2010 program cycle to download an application, please visit www.museumofflight.org/washingtonaerospacescholars. WAS participants must be high school juniors with 3.0 minimum grade-point-averages, United States citizens and Washington State residents.

The deadline for student applications is November 6th, so you’d better get ready for take-off now.

Highline Community College’s 14 Honors Scholars for the 2008-2009 academic year received $624,000 in financial aid and scholarship offers to continue their education, including five students from Des Moines:

• David Ganett
• Nari Kim
• Mang (Jerry) Li
• Kuan-Hung (Eleven) Liu
• Robert Martin
• Tuyet Anh Nguyen
• Jerry Zarski

The Honors Scholar program’s 70 graduates have earned a combined $2.4 million in scholarships and other financial aid since the program began in 2003.

“The 2008-2009 academic year has been a banner year for the Honors Scholar program,” said Barbara Clinton, the program’s adviser. “The entire group of graduates earned about 25 percent more in financial aid and scholarships than last year’s students.”

The program is open to all students who have 12 credits of college-level work with a 3.5 GPA or higher. The program prepares students for upper division courses, typically offered at a four-year university or college.

It has shaped Gates Millennium Scholars, USA Today Academic All-American, Coca Cola Gold Scholar and Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Scholarship and QuestBridge College Match Scholarship winners.

The 2009 scholars will graduate on June 11 and include Boreth (Terry) Long, a national Guistwhite Scholar winner.

The White Center resident was one of the 20 students across the nation who won the honor, a $5,000 scholarship for academic achievement, community service and participation in the national honor society for two-year colleges, Phi Theta Kappa.

Long emigrated from Cambodia to the United States four years ago and has found success in Highline’s Honors Scholar program.

“The program inspired and motivated me to do more in my classes than what was expected,” Long said. “I’ve learned so much and I am confident I will be successful when I transfer to a university.”

He plans on attending the University of Washington in fall 2009 and will graduate with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Electrical Engineering at Highline.

In addition, he has maintained a 3.87 GPA while working as a math tutor in Highline’s Math Resource Center and organizing the Fundraising to Make a Difference Club, a group that has helped raise about $500 each quarter to support children’s education and to fight trafficking of women in Cambodia.

In June 2009 he received one of the college’s top awards – the Shirley B. Gordon Academic Excellence Award – a $1,500 scholarship named in honor of Highline’s former president.

“The Honors Scholar program is a must for everyone who comes to Highline,” Long said. “It is a privilege to be part of such a program.”

This year’s 13 other Honors Scholars, by city, are:

• Des Moines: David Ganett, Nari Kim, Mang (Jerry) Li, Kuan-Hung (Eleven) Liu, Robert Martin, Tuyet Anh Nguyen, Jerry Zarski
• Auburn: Tierney Kuhn, Katherine S. Tacke
• Burien: Jennifer Anne Kemp
• Federal Way: Lei Lam (Selina) Chan
• Renton: Ashley L. Matsumoto
• Milton: Rikki-Rachelle Hinz

For more information about Highline’s Honors Scholar program and to read more success stories, visit http://flightline.highline.edu/honors/.

Highline Community College was founded in 1961 as the first community college in King County. With approximately 10,000 students and 350,000 alumni, it is one of the state’s largest institutions of higher education. The college offers a wide range of academic transfer and professional-technical education programs, with day, evening, online and weekend classes.

With the most diverse population of any college in Washington state, Highline takes a multicultural approach to education for the success of all its students and the prosperity of its surrounding communities. Alumni include former Seattle Mayor Norm Rice, entrepreneur Junki Yoshida, Washington state poet laureate Sam Green and even Scott Schaefer, Publisher/Editor of this here website.

The King County Housing Authority and Federal Way Public Schools Americorps teams, in conjunction with Washington State Parks, are hosting an Earth Day Fair at Saltwater State Park in Des Moines (map below) this Friday, April 24th from 10am to 2pm.

“Be Water Wise” is the theme, and elementary and middle school students will have the opportunity to do interactive activities and visit information booths.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Earth Day “Be Water Wise” event at Saltwater State Park

WHEN: Friday, April 24th from 10am to 2pm

WHERE: Saltwater State Park, located at 25205 8th Pl South in Des Moines (map below)

INFO: This event will allow students to examine the water around them and the life impacted by it. They will learn to play safely in water and participate in fun arts and crafts. Representatives will also be there from a variety of water-related fields planting seeds for future career ideas for students.

So far the tentative schedule and events includes:

• 11am/12:45pm: Beach/forest walks
• 11:45am-12:45pm: Entertainment
• Activity and information booths will be open the entire time
• Explore Careers in Marine Science, National and Community Service, Education and Environmental Science
• Meet Divers, Park Rangers and Marine Biologists

NOTE: They will be able to accommodate a limited number of students for this event. To reserve a spot for you class contact: Malia Delacruz, KCHA AmeriCorps at 206.870.4294 or saltwaterearthday@gmail.com

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