choking is not a game

Fifteen-year-old Kevin Tork was a good kid who got good grades and never gave his family any trouble. But he was playing a game that would cost him his life on March 30.

Reporter Chantelle Lusebrink wrote the news story on deadline for that day’s Web posting and the coming week’s newspaper. But we at The Issaquah Press knew we wanted and needed to do more.

If children were dying because they were playing a game that they didn’t know could result in their deaths, we needed to educate them about it. Now. And parents needed all of the information they could get to teach and talk to their children about the choking game, before it was too late.

Over the next few weeks, Lusebrink spent hours interviewing experts and other sources and researching as much as possible to find out what the game was, why it was being played by young people and how it affected them.

She also spent time talking to Kevin Tork’s heartbroken parents, who have since gone on a crusade of sorts to stomp out the deadly game.

The Press ran a hard-hitting news story about the game a few weeks after the teen’s death. Paired with that were sidebars that included information about the game, common terms (so we could make sure everyone was talking about the same thing), warning signs, vital statistics about the game and its results, longterm effects of playing the game and where to learn more and/or get help.

Along with that coverage was a heart-wrenching story about the young man’s family — how they were dealing with his death and how it had occurred.

People in the community really started talking about the issue after we ran the story and more than one school held information meetings about it. We also had a lot of feedback, not just locally but from people across the country — in phone calls, voicemails, e-mails, Web comments and letters to the editor — congratulating us on providing valuable information and service to our community.

I’d like to think we prevented at least one child from playing the game again.

Digging through museum artifacts

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Providence Marianwood residents get ride of a lifetime on Harleys

Top-ranked Patriots upset by cellar-dweller Juanita, 7-5 Sports,

Community,

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THE ISSAQUAH PRESS

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Wednesday, April 29, 2009 • Vol. 110, No. 17

Locally owned since 1900 • 75 Cents

ArtWalk returns bigger than ever

Lifeguard program could end

Choking is not a game

BY WARREN KAGARISE

Grieving parents share their heartache, lessons with others

BY CHANTELLE LUSEBRINK Kevin Tork earned good grades in school and hung out with his friends. Most recently, he fell in love with poetry and had begun writing, completing six chapters in a book he called “The Mark.”

But on March 30, Kevin’s life ended at age 15 while he was playing what is known as the choking game.

“I had gone to a staff meeting and called the house to tell the kids I was on my way,” his mother Kathy Tork said. “It was odd, but I didn’t think anything of it, only Kelly answered. Usually, they both pick up at the same time.”

After he didn’t pick up the phone, Kelly, 11, went to her brother’s room and found him slumped over with a bathrobe cord

INSIDE Warning signs Resources to learn more

around his neck. She called her mother back.

“She said, ‘He is sitting in his bedroom and something is around his neck,’” Kathy Tork said of that frantic conversation. “I flew up Lakemont Boulevard faster than I should say.”

Kathy called 911 from her car and when she got home, medics were in Kevin’s room trying to revive him. They took him to

BY GREG FARRAR

Opening Day Prize Thomas Goulet, 5, is thrilled with his trout on the first day of fishing season April 25 at Pine Lake Park’s new fishing dock, as his dad Randy, who grew up in Sammamish, looks on.

A lifeguard program at Lake Sammamish State Park could sink as state lawmakers discuss a round of budget cuts and pare services at state parks to save money.

Legislators and Gov. Chris Gregoire proposed deep cuts as they work to shrink a $9 billion shortfall. More than 40 state parks could be closed temporarily or transferred to other owners as a cost-cutting measure.

Neither state park in the Issaquah area — Lake Sammamish nor Squak Mountain — was flagged for closure or an ownership transfer. But parks officials said the budget crisis could force changes in the way the parks operate.

Lifeguards were hired to watch over Lake Sammamish beaches in 2007 following a spate of accidents. Beaches at the park had See LIFEGUARDS, Page A5

See CHOKING, Page A3

158 teachers to get layoff notices

BY CHANTELLE LUSEBRINK

BY GREG FARRAR

Kathy Tork mourns the death of her 15-year-old son, Issaquah High School student Kevin. Kathy and husband Ken are certain he accidentally strangled himself while playing the choking game.

Transportation priorities include roundabout, I-90 Undercrossing

BY WARREN KAGARISE City officials are reviewing a plan to overhaul and update roads in the next decade. The wide-ranging Transportation Improvement Program outlines funding for bigticket projects, like the Interstate 90 Undercrossing, and includes proposed overhauls for bridges and intersections.

The plan will go before the City Council at a May 4 public hearing.

Residents will have an opportunity to weigh in on the TIP, which outlines how transportation dollars will be spent in the next six years.

The plan calls for dollars to complete roadway projects, analyze traffic patterns and address congestion, and improve city sidewalks and streets for bikers and pedestrians. Officials use gas tax revenue, as well as other state and federal dollars, to pay for the projects. Projects must be listed in the TIP in order to be eligible for halfcent gas tax money.

Issaquah School Board members voted unanimously to lay off 158 of its 1,097 teachers April 22, after district officials presented their reduction in force plan.

Teachers can expect to receive layoff notices by May 1.

Their contract stipulates that layoffs are based on seniority.

Teachers who fall from No. 1 to No. 902 on the seniority list are guaranteed positions next year.

Teachers who are at or below No. 903 will receive layoff notices.

The positions of up to 195 — 17.8 percent — of the district’s teachers are likely to be eliminated. Thirty-seven teachers have already resigned or weren’t provided continuing contracts for next year.

“We are looking at a number,

but we are also looking at people,” said board member Jan Woldseth. “I want to take a moment to realize the emotion behind this decision, the position we are in and take a moment to appreciate that this decision is impacting people’s livelihood, as well as the impact it will have on our classrooms.”

Several teachers at the board meeting waited in the audience for district officials to make the announcement. When that happened, a few younger teachers supported each other by silently sharing hugs and tears before leaving. Many of the older teachers and some administrators stayed, wading through employee lists to know who they’d have to inform the next morning.

After the district’s budget and enrollment numbers are finalized, several teachers who receive layoff notices could be called back to

work, said Jacob Kuper, chief of finance and operations for the district.

Callbacks are determined by specialty and seniority.

There are about 62 teachers with endorsements that are in hard-to-fill areas, like special education, who will likely get recalled.

After the budget is done, district officials also hope to recall at least some of the remaining 96 teachers.

The recall will likely go on through the summer, said Ron Thiele, associate superintendent.

District officials made the cuts to combat an estimated $10.5 million reduction in state funding expected this year due to the state’s $9 billion budget gap, Kuper said.

If the district didn’t draw the line conservatively, officials may have guaranteed more teachers jobs than they could have afforded

Transportation Improvement Program public hearing City Council regular meeting 7:30 p.m. May 4 Council Chambers 135 E. Sunset Way

See TIP, Page A5

INSIDE THE PRESS A&E . . . . . . . . B6

Opinion . . . . . . A4

Classifieds . . . C4-5

Police & Fire . . C5

Community . . . B1

Schools . . . . . . C3

Obituaries . . . . B3

Sports . . . . . C1-2

See LAYOFFS, Page A5

Volunteers to remove plants to help lake

GET INVOLVED

City Transportation Manager Gary Costa said projects are listed in the TIP, but are prioritized through a separate process to fund capital improvements.

Among the dozens of projects is a proposal to a replace a traffic signal to cut the number of crashes at the intersection that has the highest number of accidents in the city, Southeast 56th Street and 221st Place Southeast. Only a handful of the proposed projects are slated to

in the coming year.

“I hate to notify one more person than I need to, but as chief financial officer, I have the fiduciary responsibility to ensure the solvency of the district,” Kuper said.

Although, the state’s budget hasn’t been approved, the district’s contract with the teachers’ union stipulates that teachers must get first notice of potential layoffs by April 22.

“I think this is an extremely sad day for the students and public education system in our district,” said Neva Luke, president of the Issaquah Education Association. “It goes back to the fact that the Legislature has never accepted responsibility to fund public education. If funding for public education had been

BY GREG FARRAR

Prom or bust Issaquah High School senior Camille Hopp has an answer for classmate Brennan Miller, who painted ‘Camille, Will You Go To Prom?’ overnight on the school gym building before its demolition party April 23. See a video of the event at www.issaquahpress.com.

YOU SHOULD KNOW Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery, otherwise known as FISH, has free car wash and storm drain stenciling kits available. The car wash kit includes items to ensure that the fundraiser will be salmon-friendly. The stenciling kits serve as a reminder that some items poured down the drain can harm salmon and their habitat. Both types of kits can be checked out for up to two weeks. Learn more at www.issaquahfish.org.

RAIN GAIN Last Week’s Rainfall: (through Monday) .12 inches Total for 2009: 24.7 inches Total last year: (through April 27) 24.61 inches

Volunteers will remove English ivy and other invasive plant species at Timberlake Park during a May 2 event sponsored by Save Lake Sammamish, Mountains to Sound Greenway and the city.

Save Lake Sammamish President Joanna Buehler will be on hand at the sign-up table, and will provide refreshments.

Timberlake Park is a forested patch along the south shore of Lake Sammamish between the shoreline and Interstate 90.

The event will begin at 9:30 a.m. with a safety briefing and orientation. Volunteers must attend the briefing in order to participate in the event. Volunteers are needed to work until noon or 3 p.m.

Register for the event at www.mtsgreenway.org/volunteer.

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The Issaquah Press

Wednesday, April 29, 2009 •

A3

Choking game flirts with disaster

Choking FROM PAGE A1

Harborview Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

“My world stopped at 6:37 p.m.

March 30,” Kevin’s father Ken Tork said. “I lost my best friend.”

He was the type of child who would go out of his way to open doors for the elderly and would look to help anyone who needed it to brighten their day, his mother said.

“When he was here at the house, he was this goofy kid,” his father added. “But when he walked out the door every day, he became this strong young man.”

Kevin’s memory lives on in the hearts of those he touched, his family said. Since his death, they have received dozens of letters and cards attesting to their son’s generosity and his impact on others.

At the King County Medical Examiner’s Office, investigators are still determining the cause of Kevin’s death, said Dr. Richard Harruff, chief medical examiner.

But the Torks are adamant their son’s death wasn’t a suicide and they said they have no doubt that Kevin died from the choking game.

“He loved his sister. Why would he commit suicide while she was home, to have her find him?”

Kathy Tork asked. “We know that’s not what happened. He left his homework half finished. He was

BY CHANTELLE LUSEBRINK

BY GREG FARRAR

Kevin Tork’s portrait stands on a shelf in the kitchen of his family’s home. going flying with his cousin on his birthday, and he was going to take his sister for a two and a half hour drive in his truck.

“He wasn’t unhappy. He was a normal kid who wasn’t into drugs or alcohol,” she said. “But this, we think he probably dabbled in this before.”

Kevin’s father said he is certain his son was involved with the choking game because of the way his body was found.

“I don’t have to go through his computer history,” Ken Tork said.

“Kevin was on YouTube all the time. I know he found it there.”

Rather than keeping their grief private, as some parents might do, the Torks have decided to educate themselves and go public, hoping

to prevent other teens from making the same mistake their son made — especially, as summer break looms and students are left unsupervised, his mother said.

“It is a tragic mistake, a fatal mistake, on Kevin’s part,” she said of his death.

One way parents can help their children is to block YouTube and talk to them about the dangers of the game, Ken Tork said.

“My mission, ‘til my heart stops beating, is to make sure I save others,” Ken Tork said. “I can’t save my son, but I can save them.”

Reach Reporter Chantelle Lusebrink at 392-6434, ext. 241, or clusebrink@isspress.com. Comment on this article at www.issaquahpress.com.

Adolescents are playing a deadly game by choking themselves to get high.

Cutting off blood flow and circulation of oxygen to the brain, and then releasing pressure to let circulation rush back, causes the high feeling, said John Milne, an emergency physician at Swedish Medical Center in Issaquah. It also causes brain cells to die.

The game is sometimes practiced with other children at first, and some children choose to continue the practice on their own, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Together, one child will choke another until they lose consciousness or faint. Alone, children use a restraint around their neck and tie it to a door or piece of furniture.

Pressure of a child’s weight against the restraint can cause him or her to lose consciousness. If he or she falls forward onto the restraint, death can be the result.

In the game, children are selfinducing a stroke, Milne said.

“The long-term consequences can be a variety, depending on what area was affected most and the duration of time it was deprived,” Milne said. “But they could end up with permanent motor dysfunction, personality changes, loss of memory and a whole spectrum of other types of responses.”

Milne said there haven’t been any reports of children having played the choking game before coming to the Swedish emergency room in Issaquah. However, that information isn’t something children will typically share, he said.

Children swap info online Children find out about the practice through friends at school, at after-school activities, parties and online at YouTube, said Ken Tork, who lost his 15-year-old son Kevin to the choking game March 30.

“Of the parents I’ve talked to, most of them have never been to YouTube, because they think it is a site for kids,” he said. “It’s not.

That information is on there and they are looking at it. If I would have taken time to educate myself, I might still have my son.”

Choking game deaths usually fall in the undetermined category, because there isn’t enough evidence to determine whether they are a suicide or accident.

The choking game “is a perfect example of where intent may not be clear,” said Dr. Richard Harruff, King County’s chief medical examiner.

He said he has seen child deaths that have likely been caused by the choking game in the 16 years he’s worked in the office.

“It’s been pretty clear cut that it was likely,” he said, “or the family

CITY OF ISSAQUAH

Water mains to be replaced

Correction A photo on the April 29 sports page had the incorrect cutline attached. It should have read, “Emily Baldwin, Skyline junior, hits onto the green at the par-4, 330yard third hole at Maplewood Golf Course in a match against Liberty.

Baldwin was medalist for the match with a four-over-par 40.”

Chamber seeks members’ input Greater Issaquah Chamber of

Commerce executives want input from business leaders about how to improve the organization.

Chamber leaders sent surveys to members via e-mail in April.

Chamber CEO Matthew Bott said he and other chamber leaders want to know what members want from the organization.

In a message to chamber members in the organization’s newsletter, he asked how the chamber could provide better value and better work with local businesses to help them succeed.

Some of the recommendations will be presented to the City Council as members set goals for 2010. Chamber executives will also draft recommendations on behalf of local businesses.

Goals outlined by city officials for 2009 included the development of a downtown revitalization plan, a streamlined permit process and a foundation for establishing a 20-year vision for growth. All told, officials outlined seven recommendations related to economic vitality.

The choking game Pass-out game Space monkey Blacking out/blackout

WHAT TO KNOW 87 percent of victims are male.

Most that died were between 11

and 16.

Nearly all who died were playing alone.

Deaths have occurred throughout the U.S.

WARNING SIGNS Discussion of the game or its

aliases Bloodshot eyes Marks on the neck Wearing high-necked shirts Disorientation after spending time alone Increased and uncharacteristic irritability or hostility Ropes, scarves, belts tied to bedroom furniture, doorknobs or found knotted on the floor Unexplained presence of dog leashes, choke collars or bungee cords near a child’s room Pinpoint-sized bleeding spots

has said, ‘Oh, he’s done this before.’”

Statistics hard to pin down But because the deaths are often undetermined, statistics vary drastically.

The Centers for Disease Control estimates at least 82 children, ages 6-19, have died as a result of the choking game between 1995 and 2007.

However, the CDC statistics are limited to cases where the deaths of children from the game produced some sort of news media report.

The Dangerous Adolescent Behavior Education Foundation statistics estimate there have been 442 U.S. deaths in 2009. In 2008, there were only 12 deaths recorded by the foundation.

The rise might be attributed to the self-reporting nature of the issue, and the fact that more people report such deaths as they become educated about the game.

Foundation officials calculate the deaths by tracking media reports and relying on families to report the deaths of children caused by the game, said Kate Leonardi, founder and director of the foundation.

She founded the organization after her son Dylan Blake, 11, died from playing the choking game in October 2005.

“It has gotten tagged ‘the good

Community leaders and city officials will bestow the annual Issaquah Community Awards next month.

City officials are accepting nominations for the 2009 Issaquah Hall of Fame inductee. Mayor Ava Frisinger and City Council President Maureen McCarry will select a citizen who has made lasting contributions to the community.

The Kiwanis Club of Issaquah sponsors three honors: Volunteer of the Year Award, Environmental Award and Spiritual Values Award.

The honors will be received at a May 19 ceremony presented by the Greater Issaquah Chamber of Commerce. The awards, marking their 30th anniversary this year, honor Issaquah businesspeople and residents for their contributions to the community.

“This is a great opportunity for the business community to share the excitement of the treasures of Issaquah,” chamber CEO Matthew Bott said.

Port Blakely Communities exec-

GET INVOLVED Mail nominations for the Issaquah Hall of Fame to Office of the Mayor, P.O. Box 1307, Issaquah, WA 98027-1307.

Send nominations by e-mail to mayor@ci.issaquah.wa.us. Send the nominee’s name and a brief summary of his or her contributions to the community.

Nominations must be received

by May 11.

utive Judd Kirk was named Business Person of the Year for 2008. Robin Kelley, Salmon Days Festival director, and her family were honored in 2008 as Citizen of the Year. Real estate developer Skip Rowley was inducted into the Issaquah Hall of Fame last year.

In 2007, Greg Spranger was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Hall of Fame nominees will be evaluated on several criteria, including service, leadership and length of service to the community.

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under the skin of the face, especially on the eyelids or the lining of the eyelids and eyes

LONG-TERM EFFECTS Loss of consciousness Coma Seizures Death of brain cells due to oxy-

gen deprivation can cause memory loss and lack of coordination Concussions Broken bones, like the jaw, from falls Hemorrhages of the eye Learning disabilities Attention and behavior disorders Hostility Source: Centers for Disease Control

WHERE TO GET HELP Centers for Disease Control: www.cdc.gov/Features/ChokingGame For Kevin’s Sake: en.wordpress.com/tag/ken-tork/ The Dangerous Adolescent Behavior Education Foundation: chokinggame.net Youth Suicide Prevention Program: www.yspp.org or call the crisis line 206-461-3222

kids game,’” Leonardi said. “But it can happen to any child. White, black, green, purple, 9 years to 21 years, in suburbia, out in the middle of nowhere, in the city — it is everywhere.”

However, people should be wary of the statistics, said Sue Eastgard, executive director of Youth Suicide Prevention.

There are about 100 youth suicides in the state each year, she said.

“Part of the issue, I think, is that it’s easier somehow for some people to believe that this was an accident, that their child was playing a stupid game,” she said. “It is much harder to talk about suicide, because there is a stigma around it.”

But while some children might commit suicide, Ken Tork said he knows that is not an issue with his son.

“Kids are aware of it,” he said of the choking game. “Parents need to educate themselves and talk to their children.

“You don’t get over the pain. You live with it,” he added. “I lost my son, but if other parents educate themselves, they don’t have to go through what I am.”

Reach Reporter Chantelle Lusebrink at 392-6434, ext. 241, or clusebrink@isspress.com. Comment on this article at www.issaquahpress.com.

Nominate outstanding citizens for Hall of Fame

BY WARREN KAGARISE

Crews will begin to replace about 3,000 feet of water main pipes throughout Issaquah this week or next. Workers will also install about 900 feet of 12-inch storm drainage lines. The water main pipes will be replaced because they are too small or deteriorating. Utilities customers affected by water shutoffs will be notified 48 hours in advance. Sections in Northwest Alder Place, First Avenue and First Place will be temporarily closed — one at a time — during construction, according to a city news release. Construction hours will vary from 7 a.m. 6 p.m. City officials awarded contracts worth $594,794 to Mosbrucker Excavating, of Bothell, to complete the work. The city had budgeted up to $800,000 for the projects. Planners anticipate the project will be complete by the end of June.

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McCarry said the high number of volunteers and causes to which they donate poses a welcome challenge to judges.

“We have an incredible group of citizens out there in the community, and that’s what makes it so tough,” she said.

Reach Reporter Warren Kagarise at 3926434, ext. 234, or wkagarise@isspress.com. Comment on this story at www.issaquahpress.com.

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