Flutist whistles to her own tune Page 12
Highlanders surprise on the court Page 14
February 7, 2014 VOL. 16, NO. 2
Community mourns historian Milt Swanson By Christina Corrales-Toy
Honors season
Liberty choir is up for Diamond Award. Page 2
End of an era
Newcastle News publisher retires.
Pat Detmer
Family, neighbors and community leaders gathered Jan. 25 to honor the life of Milt Swanson, a titan of Newcastle history and the man with an unceasing, warming smile. The Newcastle pioneer, born and raised in this community, spent all of his 95 years living in the same area, 90 of which were in the same company house that still stands at the edge of town near the Cougar Mountain trail-
head. Swanson died Jan. 20 after a Jan. 14 fall sent him to the hospital, where he lapsed into a coma. He knew more about Milt the city’s vast Swanson coal-mining history than anyone, because he actually
lived it. He worked in the mines, as his father and grandfather did before him, and it was vital to him to tell his story, making sure the history of Newcastle never died. “It was important to him to allow as many people who were interested to understand the beginnings of the city they live in,” Newcastle City Councilman Rich Crispo said. “He loved this community.” Friends remembered Swanson as a sharp, inquisitive man, with
a sense of humor that made him impossible to dislike. “He made me laugh all of the time,” said Newcastle Historical Society member Vickie Baima Olson. “He would always put a humorous twist on things.” Swanson was the authority when it came to Newcastle history, leading him to create the Newcastle Historical Society. For the better part of its more than 20 years of existence, the See SWANSON, Page 10
Wife attends Super Bowl to honor late husband
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‘This one’s for you, Denny’ By Christina Corrales-Toy
of most Newcastle residents in that I go to work every day and I want to come home to a place that I call home that’s safe and prosperous, and a place that has beautiful parks and amenities,” he said. “That’s what I love about Newcastle.” Drescher is the new face on the council, having defeated opponent Mark Greene to fill the seat vacated by retiring
Newcastle Shell station owner, and avid Seattle Seahawks fan, Elizabeth Widseth knew this football season was going to be special. She knew it long before Russell Wilson took the first snap of the season; long before the Hawks earned a 13-3 record; and long before the victorious team boarded its plane back to Seattle, Lombardi Trophy in hand. Widseth knew good things were in store for the Hawks, when she looked at the calendar and noticed that the Super Bowl was Feb. 2, exactly a year after her husband, popular Newcastle Shell owner Dennis Yarnell, died. “I knew this was going to be a magical season led by Dennis,” she said. “We all knew that they were going to win for Dennis and he was coaching them from up there.” Just days before she departed for the East Coast, where she fulfilled the couple’s dream of watching the Super Bowl in person, Widseth said she was filled with a mix of emotions.
See ELECTED, Page 10
See SUPER BOWL, Page 14
Seahawks differently
Hazen students’ video honors football team. Page 12
Police blotter
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You should know Heading out of the country? Apply for your passport through the city of Newcastle. Call City Hall at 6494444 to schedule an appointment or learn more at www. ci.newcastle.wa.us.
Contact us: newcastle@isspress.com 392-6434, ext. 239
50¢
Christina Corrales-Toy
Screaming Scouts
Scouts Carter Likes, Calvin Grabowski and Tanner Cole (from left) will their cars to victory by screaming at the top of their lungs at Cub Scout Pack 738’s annual Pinewood Derby on Jan. 10 at Newcastle Elementary School. See more photos of the derby on Page 6.
Council elects mayor, deputy mayor By Christina Corrales-Toy The Newcastle City Council ushered in 2014 with elections for the mayor and deputy mayor positions at its Jan. 7 meeting. Steve Buri will serve as mayor, while newcomer John Drescher is the new deputy mayor. Both will serve two-year terms. “I’ve enjoyed my time on the council and having a voice in the direction of the city, but the real excitement is the
future, and the next two years, I think, will be among the most exciting in the city’s history,” Buri said. Buri was elected to the City Council in 2007 and re-elected in 2011. He served as deputy mayor from 2008-2011. He moved to Newcastle in 1998 and serves as president of a nonprofit public policy center. He lives with his wife Angelica and two children. “I think I’m representative