50 years later, family still looking for closure following Seattle World’s Fair tragedy

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Story reprinted with permission from our news partner, the MLTNews. The family home was in Shoreline on one of the dead end streets off NE 205th on the border of Shoreline and MLT.

By Katie Burke
UW News Lab

The 1962 Seattle World’s Fair opened with a bang on April 21. For some, it was the most exciting day of their life. But for the Rutka family – and many others with homes along the Shoreline/Mountlake Terrace border – it meant losing almost everything they owned.

Two years after losing their house in the plane crash, the Rutka family posed for a photo
 in the living room of their rental home:
From left, mother Katharina Rutka holds Kimberly, with Karl, Karen, Karleen
and father Alexander Rutka.
(Photo courtesy of Karleen Rutka Goodwin)
Moments after then-President John F. Kennedy pressed the telegraph key to start the fair, aerial bombs burst, bells clanged, thousands of balloons went up into the air, and 10 Air Force F-102s soared over the massive crowds. Alexander and Katharina Rutka and their four children – Karl, Karen, Karleen and Kimberly – were in British Columbia visiting their grandparents for Easter break and missing the excitement back home. But on that day, as they were sitting around a table eating lunch and enjoying the spring sunshine, the old wall-mounted phone in the kitchen rang.

Fifty years later, Goodwin still holds on to news clippings like this one-- and hopes to find closure.

“My father suddenly dropped the receiver,” said Karl Rutka, who now lives in Vancouver, B.C. “He was leaning against the wall, and he just collapsed to the floor.” The news they heard was that one of those 10 Air Force planes had crashed in their neighborhood, destroying their home and killing their two neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Smith. “Afterwards, as more calls began to come from friends in Seattle and the details were relayed, it was obvious there was no hoax, the reality began to take hold,” Rutka added.

According to History Link, moments after the flyby ended, one of the planes’ engines flamed out at 1,500 feet elevation. The pilot, Capt. Joseph W. Wildt, tried unsuccessfully to restart the engine, and decided to ditch the F102. He was able to safely eject himself near Lake Washington.

Wildt thought that he would be able to crash land the plane in Lake Washington, but he misaimed by three miles. The plane ultimately soared over the lake right into the Rutka home, located at 20044 24th Ave. N.E., in what is now Shoreline, just a few blocks from the King/Snohomish County line. Wildt failed to calculate the effects of his weight loss on the trajectory of the plane.

Kimberly Moran, who lived about six blocks away in Mountlake Terrace at the time of the crash, remembers seeing the plane flying very low at about house level, then “looking up and seeing a gray flash,” Moran, who was 5 years old at the time, also recalls running down the street with her mom and the neighbors to check out the crash aftermath.

When the Rutka family returned home, Karl Rutka remembers the eerie aftershock from the crash.

“The disaster scene radiated out from the point of impact: There was much broken concrete, pieces of foundation and driveway strewn all over yards of neighboring houses, even on the roofs of homes,” he said. “The path of destruction was so strange.”

The home was now a huge blackened hole, with only the recreation room left standing. Tattered roofing hung about, splintered wood littered every square foot of the ground, and parts of the concrete foundation still remained, leaving remnants of the house that once stood in the same place.

The debris trail from the Rutka house led across the road to where the Smiths’ house once stood. Their burned car sat in the driveway and their house was gone. Rutka said neighbors who witnessed the crash told his father that the Smiths were home, and Raymond Smith had opened the front door to see what the noise was just a split second before the impact occurred.

“My imagination captured the scene of the jet clipping off the top of the cedar tree, touching down on the grass, exploding into our house then launching again and killing Mr. Smith and his wife,” Rutka said. “I dreamt about that scene for a long time afterward. What it must have been like.”

In addition to killing the Smiths and destroying both their home and the Rutkas’, the crash damaged five other houses in the neighborhood. After sifting through the remains of their property and surveying the site, Rutka said his parents spent a long time conferring with officers from the base and were told to go to Paine Field and they would be taken care of.

With no furnishings and only the clothes in their suitcases from their trip to Canada, the family spent a short time in some accommodations at the base,. They rented a house at 16817 15th Ave. N.E., then later moved to Lake Forest Park so the kids could be closer to the schools they were attending at the time of the crash.

“It was a very tumultuous time,” Rutka said. “We needed to change schools, we needed to see to the demolition of what remained of our house and clean up the property, and my dad had to get back to work. I honestly do not know how my parents kept it together during that time.”

The home lost in the crash was, as Rutka said, his mother’s “dream house.” After years of menial work, his father was just beginning a new job at a mill in Ballard. His parents were finally seeing some progress, and moving into the home represented the “culmination of many dreams.” His mother painted and gardened around the modest house, working tirelessly to make it into what she envisioned. Now it was time for the family to start all over.

Fifty years later, Goodwin still holds on to news clippings like this one-- and hopes to find closure.

Very recently – on April 6 – an event similar to the 1962 World’s Fair crash occurred in Virginia Beach, Va. A Navy training jet suffered a mechanical malfunction and crashed into an apartment building, sending two pilots and five people on the ground to the hospital.

This accident resulted in residents receiving government checks to help pay for food, clothing and housing for two weeks while they figured out what to do. According to the Huffington Post, Navy officials estimate initial payments started at $2,300 for individual residents, with more going to families.

Rutka said he remembers some kind of temporary living allowance, yet to this day said he believes it was nowhere near enough to make up for the loss of their home.

“I remember thinking that it was the military and because my father was in the Navy during the war at Pearl Harbor, everything would be taken care of somehow,” he said. “The truth is, we were wrong. No one had to tell me we were not fairly compensated, I knew it.”

The least the government could have done, Rutka said, was to rebuild the home and offer something for the inconvenience and trauma of being completely disrupted and having to start from scratch.

He and his father were left to tear apart the remains of the house themselves, because once the Air Force investigation was complete, they were told it had to come down.

“I won’t ever forget these days: My father and I working together in the soot and ashes where our home once stood, tearing down what was left of a dream,” he said. “I was 12 years old. I looked at my father and saw his tears. I didn’t need anyone to tell me it wasn’t fair.

Karl’s sister, Karleen Rutka Goodwin, said there was some ensuing litigation to try to recover some of the home’s worth. Goodwin, of Mill Creek, said she believes her parents received a $2,000 to $3,000 settlement for everything, and back then, “you did not sue the government.” Her parents decided not to pursue legal action because “this was all they could handle.

“I suppose it was fair, what more could they have done at that point?” she said. “In today’s standards I would say, ‘No, it was not fair.’”

After receiving the settlement from the government, Rutka’s father showed him the check and told him it was “a pittance.” Both Rutka and Goodwin said the home’s destruction took a toll on their parents’ health. While most of the damage was emotional, Goodwin said that physically, the accident was incredibly taxing, and the children watched them both deteriorate. Their father died in 1986 at age 64, and their mother passed away in 1993 at 65.

“I don’t feel we ever really recovered from the crash,” she said. “It changed our world forever. It took everything from us that we considered a safe haven. To a child, this is everlasting devastation.”

To this day, both Rutka children have a distaste for the government. Goodwin is still holding on to newspaper clippings and trying to find closure for the accident.

Karl Rutka became an alcoholic and spent 20 years trying to recover, and finally sought treatment in 2006. Still, he holds no one in contempt for what occurred.

“I wish it wouldn’t have happened, but it did,” he said. “It happened at the World’s Fair.”

Katie Burke is a student in the University of Washington Department of Communication News Laboratory.


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Reminder: Rob Bennett speaks on Wednesday, April 25

Rob Bennett, Executive Director of the Portland Sustainability Institute, will be at Shoreline City Hall on Wednesday at 6:30pm, as part of the 2012 Comprehensive Plan Update Speaker Series. His topic of Eco-Districts is part of the City's public information on the Comprehensive Plan.

Wednesday, Apr. 25, 2012, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Shoreline City Hall - Council Chamber


The City invites you to check out the new Forevergreen Sustainability Indicator Tracking website.



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Shorecrest seeks baseball sweep in Tuesday home game with Marysville-Getchell after 14-8 road victory Friday

Shorecrest seeks a baseball sweep in a home game with Marysville-Getchell Tuesday after a 14-8 victory at Marysville-Getchell Friday.

Shorecrest takes a second-place 8-3 Western Conference 3A record (11-4 overall) into a home game with Marysville-Getchell (1-12 Wesco 3A, 1-16) at 4 p.m. Monday at Shorecrest High School. Junior varsity teams from the two schools meet at the same time at Marysville-Pilchuck High School.

In Shorecrest’s 14-8 victory over Marysville-Getchell, the Scots scored four runs in the first inning and led the rest of the game. Neil Baldwin hit 3 for 4 with a double, 2 RBI and 3 runs scored. Ted Hammond hit 2 for 4 with a triple and 3 RBI and 2 runs scored. Kevin Millet hit 2 for 3 with an RBI and a run scored, Millet also was the winning pitcher.

Wesco 3A Varsity Baseball Standings


 Conf.  
Overall

W
L
W
L
Meadowdale
9
2
9
5
Shorecrest
8
3
11
4
Mountlake Terrace
8
4
8
6
Glacier Peak
7
4
9
6
Shorewood
5
6
6
9
Everett
5
6
5
10
Oak Harbor
5
8
7
9
Lynnwood
4
7
5
10
Marysville-Getchell
1
12
1
16
Top six teams to Northwest District 3A tournament 



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Average Joe Cat Show May 5

One of the contestants in the People's ChoicePhoto Contest takes A Moment in Time
Photo courtesy Purrfect Pals


Saturday, May 5th
10am-3pm
Spartan Recreation Center between the Shoreline Center and the Shoreline Stadium

Tickets are available online or at the door for $5.00 each (or $12.00 for a family).

The event is a benefit for Purrfect Pals cat rescue and shelter.

Enter your cat for comPETition in events such as Loudest Purr, Longest Whiskers, Monster Cat, and other pet-appropriate CATegories. 

Tons of vendor and sponsor booths, a photography show and other fun activities will be on hand at this family-friendly event!

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SCC Softball Player of the Week is Sophia Overlock-Pauley

Sophia Overlock-Pauley
Player of the Week
Photo by Wilson Tsoi
Sophomore pitcher/outfielder, Sophia Overlock-Pauley, from Ballard High School has been named the SCC Softball Player of the Week for her performance this past week on the softball field.

Overlock-Pauley had 9 hits in 14 at-bats for a .642 batting average in four games with 7 runs scored, 4 RBIs, 2 steals and had a cycle for the week with a double, triple and homerun in her 9 hits.

Sophia also allowed just 1 earned run in 3.2 innings against #1 Ranked Wenatchee Valley CC on Friday.

For the week, SCC swept Everett CC on Tuesday, 13-0, 12-3 for key NWAACC Northern Region wins in a tight battle in the division, but were swept by NWAACC's #1 ranked team, Wenatchee Valley CC in Wenatchee on Friday 8-0 and 6-1. SCC Softball is 12-11-2 for the season and 7-3 in the region.

SCC plays again on Wednesday at Douglas College and then returns home for a doubleheader against Skagit Valley College on Friday at Shoreview Park.


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SCC softball drops two games to #1 ranked Wenatchee Valley

Monday, April 23, 2012

Sophia Overlock-Pauley in action
Photo by Wilson Tsoi
The Lady Dolphin Softball Team dropped two games to the #1 Ranked Team in the NWAACC, Wenatchee Valley CC in Wenatchee, WA on Friday.

In the opening game, WVCC held SCC to 1 hit and shutout the SCC Squad 8-0. SCC held tough with Knights though 4 innings, as the score was only 2-0, but WVCC broke it open in the 5th inning with 4 runs.

In the second game, SCC hit with the Knights, as both teams had 7 hits, but Wenatchee scored 6 times and SCC could only muster 1 run on their 7 hits.

In Game 1, Alia Kelly took the lost for SCC while Sophia Overlock-Pauley got the only SCC hit. WVCC banged out 4 doubles and a homerun in the game.

In Game 2, Overlock-Pauley, Vallen Brewer and Alia Kelly all had two hits for Shoreline but SCC had no extra base hits and committed two costly errors, as 4 of the WVCC runs were unearned off SCC pitching.

SCC is now 12-11-2 on the season and 7-3 in the NWAACC Northern Region. SCC plays next on Wednesday vs Douglas College in a rain make-up from April 3.



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Shoreline Community College summer sports camps


Shoreline Community College will sponsor 18 camps this summer.

The camps will be in the sports of volleyball, basketball and soccer. 

The camps are designed for younger participants and high school age students and are taught by SCC coaches and student-athletes.

Contact the SCC Athletic Department at 206-546-4746 or email SCC Athletics if you have questions or need more information.

See the new SCC Athletic Camp website for more information.

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Jim McDermott and Bob Ferguson are speakers at the Senior Center Breakfast Thursday, May 3

2011 Breakfast

Come on, Friends.

Join us at the Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Senior Center
Annual Fundraising Breakfast

Thursday, May 3, 2012

7:00 a.m. to 8:30 am

Master of Ceremonies:
Julie Underwood, Shoreline City Manager

Special Guest speakers:
U S Congressman Jim McDermott
King County Council Member, Bob Ferguson

For a donation of only $50 you will be able to enjoy: egg and sausage bake, scrambled eggs, bacon, baked French toast, honey baked ham, fruit platter, assorted muffins, coffee, tea, juice.


“Make new friends, but keep the old.
One is silver and the other gold”

Proceed to benefit the Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Senior Center

Thanks for your support



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King County Councilmembers approve study on creating internship program for veterans

The Metropolitan King County Council gave its unanimous support Monday, April 23, 2012 to a motion calling on King County to explore ways to tap the skills and knowledge of a vital and underutilized group: Veterans.

The Council will seek ways to incorporate their technical and leadership skills into the county job pool. 

“Returning veterans deserve our thanks and support, but can face significant challenges transitioning back to civilian life including finding a job in this tough economy,” said Councilmember Bob Ferguson, sponsor of last year’s successful renewal of the King County Veterans and Human Services Levy. “A veterans internship program benefits the County by developing and empowering a quality workforce, and helps expand the job prospects for our returning veterans.”

One of the greatest challenges facing veterans returning to civilian life is employment. The unemployment rate for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts has remained consistently higher than the national average. Many veterans return to civilian life with technical and leadership skills gained during their training and deployment that could translate well to civilian governmental jobs—with a little help. The adopted motion focuses on assisting veterans in translating those skills in today’s job market.

The motion calls on the Human Resources Management Division of the Department of Executive Services to explore ways of implementing a veterans internship program and presenting the results of their inquiry to the Council by August 23, 2012.


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Quick-Start Shoreline Business Workshop, Tuesday April 24th

The Tuesday Quick-Start Shoreline Business Workshop for start-up, existing or potential business owners will be held on April 24th, 2012 from 12 noon to 1:30 pm at Shoreline City Hall, 17500 Midvale Avenue N.

Workshop title: A Step Ahead

Workshop Description:

With changing state laws, employee lawsuits, and competitors everywhere, business owners need a platform to manage their administrative tasks, cash flow, and employer services. I will show you how to stay a step ahead in the changing business climate by being informed on ways to build that platform and save you time and money. You’ll learn how to cut down the needless hours you spend on your business by refocusing your energy on tasks that make your business more profitable!

Daniel Crabtree

Our featured speaker this week is Daniel Crabtree. 

He is a graduate of Biola University Business School, Cum Laude 2009 who is currently an Associate District Manager at ADP.




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Photo: Road trip to Snoqualmie Falls

Snoqualmie Falls. Photo by Lee Lageschulte

Lee Lageschulte took a road trip on Sunday, to Snoqualmie Falls. She commented, "Don't know when we have ever seen that much water going over the falls."

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Shoreline resident Robin McClelland appointed to King County Library Board

Robin McClelland
King County Library Trustee
Shoreline resident Robin McClelland has been appointed to the King County Library Board of Trustees for a five-year term.

She replaces Judge Richard Eadie, also of Shoreline, who served the maximum two terms on the Board.

"I readily accepted the invitation to serve on the KCLS Board of Trustees. I think it’s a great match for my interests and skills. Thanks to Dow Constantine and to Bob Ferguson for making my appointment possible."

The King County library system is the largest circulating library in the United States and the Gale/Library Journal 2011 Library of the Year. The Board of Trustees has five members who set policy. "The Board also hires and holds accountable KCLS’ Director."



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Shoreline author Pam Stucky releases second novel in Wishing Rock series

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Shoreline author
Pam Stucky
Pam will be speaking and signing her book at Third Place Books on Thursday, April 26, at 7 pm

In Pam Stucky’s debut novel, Letters from Wishing Rock, readers fell in love with the quirky residents of Wishing Rock, Washington – an island town where everyone lives in the same building. Now the cast, the shenanigans, and the wisdom are all back in The Wishing Rock Theory of Life (a novel with recipes).


In June 2009, Shoreline native Pam Stucky was toiling away at a traditional 9 to 5, certain her job was not her life’s calling but more than uncertain what was. A series of deaths and illnesses amongst family and friends served as a wake-up call to the obvious: We never know how much time we have left. Pam took the leap, quit her job, and now less than three years later, she has written and published two novels.

The Wishing Rock Theory of Life (a novel with recipes) (Wishing Rock Press, $14.99 print, $3.99 ebook) is the second in Pam’s Wishing Rock series. The books are set in the island town of Wishing Rock (on fictional Dogwinkle Island, located somewhere in or around the San Juan Islands), where everyone lives in the same building. As in the first novel in the series, letters and emails between the neighbors and their friends chronicle the twists and turns of the characters’ daily lives, and are interspersed with recipes tried and tested by the characters themselves. In The Wishing Rock Theory of Life, buried treasures, secret pasts, and the detritus of affairs of the heart all come to light in this witty and wise novel that explores fear, forgiveness, risk, dreams, trust, and love.

To help readers get caught up in the story, for a limited time the first novel in the series, Letters from Wishing Rock, is available for $0.99 in eBook format.

Pam is at the forefront of the growing trend of independent publishing. “Print on demand and e-publishing have changed everything,” she says. “Being successful in self-publishing is insanely hard work – but it’s possible. Authors have to be creative, assertive and fearless. This marketing takes a lot of courage, a lot of doing things we introverted writers may not know how to do or may not be comfortable doing. But being in control of our own destinies as authors, in ways we never were before, that is heady stuff.”

“I’ve read that an author won’t really build a following until she’s written five or six books,” says Pam. “So I have some work to do. My next book will be non-fiction, and I couldn’t be more excited about it. Having taken my own risks to get where I am, I’m fascinated by the correlation between happiness and stepping outside one’s comfort zone. My next work will be about risks and happiness, told with a touch of humor. And perhaps more recipes.”

The Wishing Rock Theory of Life (a novel with recipes), now available

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SCC Names Jason Shaw and Matt Sweeny Baseball Players of the Week

Jason Shaw - Player of the Week
Photo by Wilson Tsoi

Jason Shaw was named the SCC Baseball Player of the Week for April 9-15. Shaw pitched a 5-0 shutout of Bellevue College, the #1 ranked team in the NWAACC on April 15. Jason held BC to just 2 hits in the game. Shaw also pitched SCC to victory over Douglas College on April 22 in a 6-1 win and a 4 hitter for Shaw.

Matt Sweeny was named SCC Player of the Week for April 16-22, as he went 4-7 on Sunday, in a doubleheader with Douglas College. Sweeny also 4 RBIs in the two games and scored a run.

SCC is now 3-26 on the season and 2-14 in the NWAACC Northern Region.

SCC plays Olympic College next weekend in a four game set, the Dolphins travel to Olympic on Saturday and return back to Meridian Park on Sunday for a 1:00 PM doubleheader.



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SCC baseball splits with Douglas College on Sunday

Jason Shaw
Photo by Wilson Tsoi

The SCC Baseball Team plays its best games on Sunday, at Meridian Park, the first game of the doubleheader. For the second week in a row, SCC played a great first game at Meridian Park, beating Douglas College of Vancouver, BC 6-1. SCC dropped the second game, 9-4, after wasting a 3-0 lead going into the 5th inning.

In the opening game, Jason Shaw pitched a great game just like last week when he beat the NWAACC's #1 Ranked Team in Bellevue College, 5-0. This week he held Douglas to 4 hits and only one earned run in 7 innings of work. The SCC offense scored 3 runs in the first and in the second to take a 6-1 lead and the Dolphins never looked back. Matt Sweeny had 2 hits and 2 RBIs to lead the SCC offense, while Jordan Padilla had 2 hits as well and Matt Cottingham scored 2 runs for SCC.

In Game 2, SCC again scored 3 runs in the bottom of the first inning and it held up to the top of fifth, when Douglas exploded for 6 runs. Douglas added single runs in the 6th, 7th and 9th innings to push their total to 9 runs for the game. SCC could only muster a single run in the 6th inning.

Willie Davies took the loss for SCC, but did have 6 strikeouts in 6 innings of work. Matt Sweeny again had 2 hits and 2 RBIs for Shoreline.

SCC goes to 3-26 for the season and 2-16 in the NWAACC Northern Region. Douglas is now 10-10 overall and 8-8 in the region.

Shoreline plays Olympic College next weekend in a four game Northern Region series. OC is 10-18 overall and 1-11 in the region. SCC plays at Olympic on Saturday and returns to Meridian Park on Sunday at 1:00 PM again for a doubleheader.


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SCC baseball drops two games on Saturday to Douglas College

Shoreline CC baseball action.
Photo by Wilson Tsoi

The undermanned Shoreline Community College Baseball Team dropped two games on Saturday to Douglas College in Vancouver, BC as SCC playing with only 20 players (24 is the limit) with injuries mounting for the Dolphins.

In Game 1, Douglas pitcher Sean Callegari pitched a 7 inning shutout over the SCC squad with 8 strikeouts. SCC was limited to all singles in the game by 3 different hitters. Douglas scored 1 run in the first, 3 in the third and 2 in the fourth for their 6 runs in the game.

In Game 2, SCC battled hard through the first 3 innings, holding the score 0-0, but DC broke through in the bottom of the 4th with 5 runs off SCC starter, Layton Bush. The Dolphins fought back in the top of 6th, scoring 3 runs but could not muster any more offense and Douglas scored again in 8th and SCC dropped a 6-3 game. SCC only had 4 singles from four different players in the game. SCC could not take total advantage of 6 DC errors in the game.

SCC is 2-25 on the year, 1-13 in the NWAACC Northern Region. Douglas moves to 9-9 overall and 7-7 in the region. Both teams play today at 1:00 PM at Meridian Park in Shoreline, WA.


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Shorecrest softball team follows 10-0 loss to Everett Friday with Monday game at Marysville-Getchell

The Shorecrest softball team plays at Marysville-Getchell Monday after a 10-0 loss at Everett Friday.

Shorecrest takes a 4-6 Western Conference 3A record (4-10 overall) into a game at Marysville-Getchell at 4 p.m. Monday.

Everett’s 10-0 victory over Shorecrest came in a game shortened to five innings by the 10-run mercy rule. Olivia Nolan hit 2 for 3 for Shorecrest. Amanda Eshelman was the losing pitcher.



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Shorewood tennis team plays at home Monday, Shorecrest at Lynnwood after Thursday matches postponed

The Shorewood girls’ tennis team plays at home Monday, and Shorecrest plays at Lynnwood, after both teams had matches postponed Thursday.

Shorecrest holds first place in the Western Conference 3A division with a 10-1 record going into a 3:30 p.m. Monday match at Lynnwood after a scheduled Thursday home match with Mountlake Terrace was rescheduled for May 4. The Shorecrest junior varsity takes an 8-3 record into a home match with Lynnwood at 3:30 Monday.

Shorewood holds second place with a 9-2 record going into a home match with Oak Harbor at Shoreview Park at 3:30 Monday after a scheduled Thursday match at Lynnwood was rescheduled for May 5.

Wesco 3A Varsity Girls’ Tennis Standings


W
L
Shorecrest
10
1
Shorewood
9
2
Glacier Peak
7
3
Everett
6
4
Mountlake Terrace
5
5
Meadowdale
4
6
Lynnwood
3
7
Oak Harbor
2
9
Marysville-Getchell
0
9

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Shorewood keeps perfect soccer record with 4-0 victory over Shorecrest Friday

Shorewood kept its perfect boys’ soccer record with a 4-0 victory over Shorecrest Friday at Shoreline Stadium.

The Thunderbirds take a 12-0 record into a Monday home game with Marysville Getchell (3-9-1) as the T-birds try for their 13th shutout victory of the season.

Shorecrest takes a 7-3-3 record into a battle for second place against Mountlake Terrace (7-3-2) at Edmonds Stadium Monday.

Shorewood and Marysville Getchell meet at Shoreline Stadium at 7:30 p.m. Monday with junior varsity teams from the two schools meeting at 5:30.

Shorecrest and Mountlake Terrace meet at 7:30 Monday at Edmonds Stadium with the junior varsity game at 5:30.

In Shorewood’s 4-0 victory over Shorecrest Friday, Hayk Avanesyan had both a goal and an assist; Abdul Abdulla scored with an assist from Dawda Dibba; Daniel Han scored with an assist from Eugene Holley; and Dodge Schaeffer scored with an assist from Avanesyan before Avanesyan scored the final goal unassisted. Daniel Nadeau recorded his 12th consecutive shutout in goal, joined by Miles Yates.


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For the Birds: Hutton’s Vireo—It’s in the Bill

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Hutton's Vireo taken in Everett by Steve Mlodinow
By Christine Southwick

Recently, while enjoying my gorgeous blooming cherry tree, I spied a small yellowish olive-gray bird flitting among the blossoms, gleaning insects. What could it be I wondered?

It had to be either a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, or a Hutton’s Vireo, by size, coloring, and movement. This active little bird will travel in winter groups of foraging Bushtits, Ruby-crowned Kinglets and chickadees, so both are possible, and look very similar. Right now, both are generally quiet, so I couldn’t use their distinctly different songs.

Hutton’s Vireos are about five inches long; Ruby-crowned Kinglets are only four and a quarter long. The size of a solitary moving bird is hard to judge, especially since these two are smaller than Black-capped Chickadees.

Juvenile Hutton's Vireo, Taken in Lake Forest Park
Photo by Craig Kerns
Hutton’s Vireos flick their wings like Ruby-crowned Kinglets, but are slightly less active. The Hutton’s Vireo has blue-gray feet, while the Ruby-crowned Kinglet has yellow, but if you have ever tried to take a picture of either, you know how hard that can be, let alone see their feet.

Hutton’s Vireos are notorious for staying in the upper tree branches, and usually in the summer the only reason you notice them is their repeated 'zwee-zwee-zwee' song. A bird bath is the best way to get a good look at this bird.

For me, the key to identifying a Hutton’s Vireo is its bill. It is thicker than a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and it has a tiny hook on the end. Once I see that hook, I just use the foot color for confirmation.

Hutton's Vireo taken by Randy Bjorklund
Hutton’s Vireo is the only resident vireo in Washington. It’s not that common a bird. It avoids clear-cuts, but thrives in open mixed woods and forests, and has a fondness for oaks. Its nest is a cup that hangs in a tree fork, rather than resting on a branch. The three-to-five eggs are incubated by both the female and the male, a habit unusual in passerines.

If you see a small yellowish to olive-gray bird flicking its wings while searching in the foliage for tasty insects and spiders, try to get a good look at its bill. If you see a thick short bill with a hook at the end, you have a Hutton’s Vireo.

If you can’t tell, you may want to invest in a shallow bird bath, where vireos become still enough to get good looks at their bills and feet.

Christine Southwick is on the Board of the Puget Sound Bird Observatory and is their Winter Urban Color-banding Project Manager. She is a National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat Steward, having completed their forty hour class. We're happy that she is sharing her expertise with us about the birds in our backyards.

For previous For the Birds columns, click on the link under the Features section on the main webpage.



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Shoreline family wins the EcoChallenge Supermarket Sweep at Central Market

Shoppers at Central Market in the Supermarket Sweep contest

In honor of Earth Day, King County and Shoreline Central Market hosted the “EcoConsumer Supermarket Challenge,” a friendly competition to show residents how they can shop smarter in order to reduce waste and bring healthier, safer products into their home.

“We are excited to be part of this effort,” said Tony D’Onofrio, sustainability director for Town & Country Markets, Inc. “We have introduced several new green initiatives in our stores, including compostable trays for meat. Our customers appreciate that we consider the environment in our operations and offer a wide selection of green and healthy products on our shelves.”

On Tuesday, April 17, at Town and Country's Central Market Shoreline, five families competed in this “supermarket sweep.”

  • Lilian and Collin Hurn (Renton residents)
  • Amparo Squaglia and her husband, Jesse Warwick, and two kids, Jonas & Elena (Shoreline residents)
  • Sharon Muza and her two daughters, Sophie and Hannah (Ballard residents)
  • Kitty Jones (Shoreline resident)
  • Dave Going and his son Lincoln (Shoreline residents)


King County EcoConsumer Tom Watson challenged each family to find eight green items in the store in 10 minutes. Participants were given a shopping list with categories such as produce and paper supplies, with the goal of finding the most eco-friendly products in each category. 

Once shoppers brought back their green finds, Watson picked the winner… Amparo Squaglia and her family! Amparo and her family went through the aisles and found reusable lunch and sandwich bags for the kids which helped to claim the winning prize.

“Our competitors were in search of products that have, for example, less packaging or recycled-content packaging, or are free of harmful chemicals,” said Watson. “We want to let people know how they can shop smart and make choices to benefit the health of their families, and the environment.”

It is estimated that about a third of the solid waste generated in the U.S. is containers and packaging, and only about 40 percent of that is recycled.

This event is part of the 2012 EcoConsumer Zero Waste Earth Day education campaign to raise awareness of the concept of zero waste, which means that materials that have value should not end up in the landfill. The campaign will highlight six areas where individuals can take actions to reduce waste and toxics at home and in their community.

For a full list of ideas and tips for a Zero Waste Earth Day, visit the King County EcoConsumer website.



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