Archives for February 2016

Lynch exits with a emoji and deuces

February 9, 2016 by NWFacts Leave a Comment

It had to end like this, a wordless good bye from one of the most eccentric players to dawn a Seahawks uniform. A good bye and deuces without a word. Who does that you ask. Well Marshawn Lynch does. The iconic Seahawks running back tweeted a photo of cleats dangling over a wire and a “peace out” emoji during the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl Sunday night.

In that social media moment, it was easy to guess that after nine seasons in the National Football League Marshawn Lynch had called it a day. Seahawks owner Paul Allen, several teammates from the past and present, as well as foes he has faced over the years thanked Beast Mode for the memories.

While 24 maybe gone, he will not be forgotten anytime soon in these parts. Lynch rushed for 9,112 yards and 74 touchdowns in a career that earned him five Pro Bowl selections and one All-Pro selection. His 59 total TDs (51 rushing, eight receiving) are the most in the NFL since 2011.

Lynch finishes his Seahawks career as the fourth leading rusher with 6, 347yards, second in rushing touchdowns with 57 (trailing the 100 by Shaun Alexander) third in total touchdowns with 65 (behind the 112 by Alexander and 101 by Steve Largent) The Seahawks were so grateful they honored Lynch with a Beast Mode video on the teams website.

While the numbers can speak to his greatness, Lynch will long remembered for his Beast Quake runs. His improbable 67-yard playoff clinching run against New Orleans in 2011 brought Century Link Field to such a loud roar Northwest Seismic Network monitoring stations detected tremors near the stadium. The run was aptly named Beast Quake run.

Beast Quake 2 was a 79-yard touchdown run agains Arizona in 2014 that sparked a late season rally that helped the Seahawks return to the Super Bowl for a second consecutive year. Along with his punishing hits of tacklers, Lynch was a skittles loving man of very few words. His “I-m-just- about-that-action-boss” interview has become NFL folklore and his Beast Mode brand is legendary in the northwest. No wonder when it was time to literary hang up the boots, Lynch did it his way.

McInerney brace gives Timbers 2-1 preseason victory over Sounders FC

February 8, 2016 by NWFacts Leave a Comment

Cascadia rivals Seattle Sounders FC and Portland Timbers began their 2016 wrestling match with the Timbers on the front end of a 2-1 preseason match win in front of 3,112 fans Saturday night at the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Ariz.
Sounders forward Darwin Jones put the Rave Green ahead 1-0 after a scoreless first half in the 53rd minute when his strike just sneaked inside the left post, giving the Homegrown player two goal in two games. The Sounders lead was short lived as second half sub Jack McInerney one touched a pass from Timber defender Andy Thomas to level the score in the 66rd minute.
McInerney was on the receiving end of a second exquisite pass from a Portland defender ( Taylor Peay) and like before waisted no time in finding the back of the net to for the winning goal in the 84 minute.
Three notable players missing from the game on Saturday night for Sounders FC were Clint Dempsey (rest) and Brad Evans (hamstring tightness) were both held out, while Homegrown Player Jordan Morris joined the team earlier in the day after wrapping up the U.S. national team’s January camp on Friday night.

Box Score
Portland Timbers vs. Seattle Sounders (MLS Preseason)
Feb. 6, 2016 – Kino Sports Complex (Tucson, Ariz.)
Goals by Half 1 2 F
Seattle Sounders 0 1 1
Portland Timbers 0 2 2
Scoring Summary:
SEA: D. Jones, 53
POR: McInerney (Thoma), 66
POR: McInerney (Peay), 84
Misconduct Summary:
POR: Peay (Caution), 52
Lineups:
POR: GK Kwarasey (Gleeson, 61), D Powell (Peay, 46), D Borchers (Morley^, 61), D Taylor (Manning, 61), D Valentin (Thoma, 61), M Zemanski (Besler, 61), M Chara (Jewsbury, 46), M Asprilla (Brett^, 61), M Valeri (Polk^, 61), M Melano (Avila*, 46), F Adi (McInerney, 46)
1st half:
SEA: GK Frei, D Fisher, D Lowe, D Marshall, D Remick, M Roldan, M Fribeg, M Sturgis, F Martins, F Valdez, F Kovar
2nd half:
SEA: GK Miller, D Mears, D Chen, D Scott, D J. Jones, M Alonso, M Mathers, M Ivanschitz, F Samuel (Anderson, 71), F Mansaray, F D. Jones
The Sounders open the season back in Seattle in less than 3 weeks. The club will host Club America in the quarterfinals of the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League on Feb. 23 at CenturyLink Field before ultimately opening the MLS regular season at home on March 6 against Sporting Kansas City.

Change The Narrative – More Than 100 Black Men Showed Up and Showed Out!

February 8, 2016 by Dennis Beaver Leave a Comment

“Today more than 200+ African-American Men in the Seattle area welcomed the children of South Shore Middle School to school with high-5’s and genuine words of encouragement!

The look on these kids faces and excitement they had from receiving a simple high-five from all of us in attendance was amazing! Parents, teachers, staff and community leaders were just as excited….as was I to have been apart of something special!

This kicked off an entire day of programs and targeted discussions at South Shore that centered around importance of nurturing and developing our African-American communities, starting with the youth!

The intent and goal was simple: Change The Narrative by exposing children of all race and cultures to the diversity of excellence that exist amongst African-American Men. And there we were, 200+ men of color representing a diversity of hues, professions and stories enthusiastically giving out high-fives to students as they entered the building to start their day! What a time to be alive!

As we celebrate Black History Month, take to time to reflect on the greatness and excellence that people of African descent have brought to this world. There is so much to be celebrated!

Still, many accomplishments and positive stories from the past and present go untold in favor of audio and imagery that often seek to promote negativity.

Today, beginning now: #ChangeTheNarrative” – @BDotDavis

Altidore late goal give US 2-1 win over Canada

February 6, 2016 by NWFacts Leave a Comment

U. S Captain Michael Bradley congratulates Jozy Altidore

Reggae great Jimmy Cliffs iconic song You Can It If You Really Want‘s comes to mind when describing the U.S Men’s National Team 1-0 win over the Canadian National Team at the StubHub Center in Carson, California. Why you ask ? First the lyrics to the song. “You can get it if you really want, but you must try and try and you will succeed at last,” best describes Fridays nights encounter between the North American rivals. The Yankees and Canucks were deadlocked in a momentum shifting game until Jozy Altidore’s 89th minute game winner.

A quick glance at the stat sheets shows the U.S . team had 14 shots, eight which were on goal and when you compare that to team Canada’s stat line of four shots and zero shots on goal you get an idea of who dominated the final third of play and how the try and try theme comes to mind. Both teams were able to dominate possession of the ball at different times of the the game. In the beautiful game of soccer, possession of the ball is all good and well but if you have no goals to show for your efforts, it becomes a bad look. Altidore’s late winner on Friday made it all good in the hood.

“It was one of those games where we felt we were always there, on the doorstep,” Altidore said after the game. “That bit of sharpness wasn’t there – the last pass, the last cross – but to win the game the manner we did was kind of fitting, to end the camp on kind of a real positive high.”

Seattle Sounders rookie sensation Jordan Morris started up front with Altidore and like his counter part had a couple of decent looks at the goal but they where of no avail. Morris best chance was in the 38th minute of the first half when his right footed looping shot over a charging Canadian goal keeper Maxime Crepeau went just wide of the open goal.

Friday night’s match between Canada and the U.S. put an end to both National teams January Camp. The January camps are designed to give the National team coach some time to look at certain players before the World Cup Qualifying games being in March.

The U.S. team will begin its world World Cup Qualifying games in March against Guatemala. The teams meet twice in one month, March 25 at Estadio Mateo Flores in Guatemala City, Guatemala (beIN Sport, NBC Universo), and March 29 at MAPFRE Stadium in Columbus, Ohio (7 p.m. ET; ESPN2, UniMas, UDN). The MNT is now 11-2-2 all-time at StubHub Center, outscoring its opponents 35-11.

The USA is now 14-8-11 all-time vs. Canada, including a 11-1-9 mark in matches played in the U.S. The U.S. has not lost to Canada on home soil in more than half a century, with the last loss coming by a 3-2 scoreline in a 1957 World Cup Qualifying match in St. Louis.

Sounders FC begin 2016 campaign with 2-1 preseason loss to Whitecaps.

February 6, 2016 by NWFacts Leave a Comment

The Seattle Sounders Wednesday night 2-1 pre season loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps at Kino Sports Complex in Tucson was just that a pre season match that was designed to let the players kick the ball at someone other than their own team mates and in the case of Sounders FC give the 4-4-3 formation a try.

Sounders FC head coach Sigi Schmid unveiled his teams much talked about 4-3-3 formation in the first half against the Whitecaps, Designated Players Clint Dempsey, Obafemi Martins and Nelson Valdez led the front line ahead of the midfield trio of Osvaldo Alonso, Erik Friberg and Andreas Ivanschitz. Stefan Frei manned the goal with Tyrone Mears, Jimmy Ockford, Chad Marshall, and Joevin Jones filling up the back four.

While the Sounders new formation generated some chances, the club hit the half time break with nothing to show for their efforts. “I thought for the first time out, we played it really well,” Schmid said in a Thursday morning conference call from Arizona.

“I thought as the first half went on that group got better and better. I was pleased. … Now there’s still things we have to adjust and have to tweak about it. That’s why you play games. But it certainly answered [some] questions for us.”

Vancouver Whitecaps FC head coach Carl Robinson countered with a 4-2-3-1 formation that featured David Ousted in goal with Fraser Aird, Cole Seiler, Christian Dean, and Jordan Harvey forming the back line. In front of them, Matias Laba and Russell Teibert partnered in midfield, Erik Hurtado and Cristian Techera occupied the wings, while Nicolas Mezquida played behind Kudo as a central, attacking midfielder.

Both coaches brought on completely different line ups for the second half in keeping with the preseason experiment theme and it was the Whitecaps FC who drew first blood in the 53rd minute on a Darren Mattocks penalty kick following a Damion Lowe foul in the box.

Seattle equalized in the 77th minute when Aaron Kovar sent a well-placed through ball down the middle to Darwin Jones who fired it home for the club’s first goal of 2016. Mattocks gave Vancouver the 2-1 edge with a 90 minute late winner after a Seattle mis-clearance inside the 18-yard-box.

Seattle captain Brad Evans did not participate in the game as he continues to recover from tightness in his hamstring and Jordan Morris did not participate due to his call up to the United State men’s national team. Morris is expected to the join the Sounders some time this weekend after the USMNT team match against Canada on Friday.

The 2016 Sounders FC Preseason presented by adidas will continue on Saturday when the Rave Green take on the Portland Timbers, with kickoff set for 5:00 p.m. PT at Kino North Stadium. The Sounders will then play its third and final Desert Friendly on Tuesday, February 9 against Mexican side Celaya FC before returning to Seattle on February 10.

Free to Finish College’ bill passes Higher Education Committee

February 5, 2016 by Dennis Beaver Leave a Comment

Rep. Hansen’s ‘Free to Finish College’ bill passes Higher Education Committee

By Washington House Democrats

In an unprecedented effort to find affordable ways to make the dream of a college degree a reality, the House Higher Education Committee today passed Representative Drew Hansen’s Free to Finish College Program (HB 2955) with strong bipartisan support.

Free to Finish College will allow some former students who had to interrupt their educations to re-enroll in college and finish their degrees—tuition free.

“We have a lot of students in this state who’ve interrupted their studies because they started a new family, had a family member who got sick, got a new job, had to move or just can’t afford tuition,” said House Higher Education Committee Chair Rep. Drew Hansen, author of the legislation.

The proposal would cover students who are not currently enrolled and haven’t been enrolled for the last three years, don’t have a college degree or certificate, and are 15 credits or less – about one quarter’s worth of credits – from earning a degree or certificate.

At a press conference this week, university presidents and students from around the state showed their support for the bill.

Anna Shelter, a senior at Eastern Washington University, said, “I can personally attest that the longer I’ve been in school, the more and more difficult it’s been to pay.”

Central Washington University President James Gaudino said, “This is an unbelievable opportunity for our students.”

“If we are going to be serious and reach our state educational goal of having 70 percent of our adult Washingtonians with a degree or certificate by 2023, this is yet another tool in our arsenal to help get us there,” said Clover Park Technical College President Lonnie Howard.

Free to Finish College is an investment in Washington’s future which improves access to the degrees needed in a high-tech state like ours. The return on this investment will be felt by families, businesses, and our communities state-wide.

The bill has bipartisan support. Ranking member of the Higher Education Committee Hans Zeiger said “I think overall this is a very good thing, and it will certainly encourage more degree completion.”

“We want to send a clear message to these students,” Hansen said, “that we want them to come back and finish their degree so they can get better jobs and have a better chance to support their families.”

If the legislation passes out of the House of Representatives, it would head to the state Senate for consideration.

Doing race better: Race and the reform of urban schools

February 5, 2016 by Dennis Beaver Leave a Comment

Doing race better: Race and the reform of urban schools

An increasingly common topic in our cultural conversation, issues of race are largely ignored as a consideration in the policies that shape urban schools and school systems. Professor Payne explores how taking race more fully into account may allow us to shape more powerful educational practices and adequately address social inequity..

When:Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016; 7:30 p.m.Where:Kane Hall, Room 120
4069 Spokane Lane
Seattle, WA 98105 (directions and parking)
Cost:Free, but advance registration is required.

Tacoma- Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution Screening

February 5, 2016 by Dennis Beaver Leave a Comment

Tacoma- Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution Screening

Join the Black Student Union of the University of Washington Tacoma and KBTC for a special screening of the PBS documentary Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution

Following the screening a panel and group discussion of the film, and a closer look at the themes surrounding the Black Panther Party and how they remain current in our local communities.

Please join the conversation on how we can come together to build awareness and connect communities working on similar issues.

Find more information on the documentary and other African American History programs and resources at amgrad.kbtc.org/blackhistory

Strong thematic content, children under 13 not recommended.

Nicole Macri Announces Campaign for 43rd District State Representative

February 5, 2016 by Dennis Beaver 1 Comment

Nicole Macri Announces Campaign for
43rd District State Representative
Nationally Recognized Housing and Homelessness Leader, Social Justice Advocate, and Longtime Resident to Run for Seat Vacated by State Rep. Brady Walkinshaw

Nationally recognized housing and homelessness leader, social justice advocate, and longtime resident, Nicole Macri, today announced her campaign for Washington State Representative in the 43rd District. Macri is running for the seat being vacated by State Rep. Walkinshaw.

“I am thrilled to run to represent the 43rd District in the State Legislature,” said Macri. “I believe together we can and must do better to provide opportunity for everyone who lives here. To me, that must include affordable housing where families can thrive, quality and comprehensive healthcare and mental health, transportation options that connect us, and education focused on setting our children up for success.”

Macri chairs the Board of Directors of the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance, and is Housing Director at the Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC), which provides solutions to homelessness to our region’s most vulnerable men and women. Macri recently wrote a guest editorial in the Stranger calling on the Legislature to do more to address the emergency of homelessness in Washington State. Her editorial ran just three weeks prior to the region’s one night count, which found a 19% spike in unsheltered homelessness across the County.

“Prosperity abounds in our city and in our state, but rather than lifting all of us up, too many are getting left behind,” said Macri. “We need a champion in Olympia for ALL our residents – someone who shares progressive values, and who has the experience, skills, and determination to set a new path forward.”

Macri announced her campaign with an impressive list of early supporters including Seattle City Councilmembers Sally Bagshaw, Lisa Herbold, Mike O’Brien, Nick Licata (former), and Sally Clark (former), State Representative June Robinson, Real Change Founder Tim Harris, Women’s Political Caucus of WA President Liz Berry, former City Council candidate Jon Grant, and housing, human services, and homelessness leaders across the region. For a complete list, visit votenicole.org.

“Nicole takes a pragmatic approach to solving complex problems. She can bring together stakeholders with varying perspectives, hear them, and craft solutions that benefit everyone. She has deep understanding of research and the real world, and has brought innovative approaches to life in Seattle,” said former Seattle City Councilmember Nick Licata. “Nicole’s clear vision, strong values, and practical experience will be real assets in Olympia. She has my strong support.”

Born in Brooklyn, Nicole attended Rutgers University, where she met her partner of 23 years Deb Cayz, and was the first woman in her family to graduate from college. Nicole’s parents grew up in public housing and strongly believed in the importance of public education as the pathway for their kids’ success. Nicole and Deb moved to Seattle in 1999, and have lived on Capitol Hill for the past 11 years.

37th annual Group Health Seattle to Portland presented by Alaska Airlines

February 5, 2016 by Dennis Beaver Leave a Comment

37th annual Group Health Seattle to Portland
presented by Alaska Airlines
The largest cycling event in the region tops at 10,000 cyclists; registration
sells out every year

Portland or bust! Public registration for the 37th Annual Group Health Seattle to Portland presented by Alaska Airlines (STP) opens Tuesday, February 9 at 10 a.m. Cascade members have had early registration access. The 206-mile Group Health STP takes place on July 16 & 17. Topping out at 10,000 riders, the STP is the largest bicycle event in the region and sells out each year.

An epic journey connecting two of America’s great bicycling cities, STP riders will also have exclusive access through Joint Base Lewis-McChord on beautiful, low-traffic roads. All of the official STP free food stops will feature exciting new food additions, as well as all new giveaway items available at the finish line to commemorate riders’ 206-mile accomplishment.

Full route and additional information available at cascade.org/STProute.

The Group Health STP presented by Alaska Airlines is made possible with support from the local communities through which the route passes. The STP is a joint fundraiser between Cascade Bicycle Club and Washington Bikes. In addition to supporting Cascade and Washington Bikes programs, rider registration fees help give back to the communities we pass through and the organizations that thrive along the route.

2015 STP facts:

8,212 Washington riders; 1,242 Oregon riders
26 percent of Washington riders are from Seattle; 48 percent of Oregon riders are from Portland
Riders represent 45 of 50 U.S. states and seven countries
1 in 4 STP riders identifies as a woman
Oldest rider: 89