Locally owned 50 cents Spartans take the Coal Bucket for 10th straight time See Sports, Page 6
September 10, 2014
Local teens wear T-shirts to support suicide prevention By Neil Pierson
Teenagers in Issaquah and Sammamish will wear special T-shirts to their schools Sept. 10 as part of National Suicide Prevention Day efforts. Students from youth groups at five area churches will wear whiteand-yellow shirts with the phrase “You Matter” emblazoned on the front. The participating groups are Faith United Methodist Church in Issaquah, and four Sammamish churches — Mary, Queen of Peace Catholic Church, Pine Lake Covenant Church, Sammamish Hills Lutheran Church and Sammamish Presbyterian Church. Amy Wisegarver, a sophomore at Eastlake High School, produced a video about the “You Who to call Matter” campaign. The 16-yearold attends a youth group at If you or someone you Pine Lake Covenant Church in know needs help: Sammamish, and said she began Call the King County Crisis doing a weekly Bible study sesClinic at 1-866-427-4747 toll sion last year that touches on free. current issues such as suicide. Call the Trevor Project “It was very eye-opening to for LGBTQ help at 1-866-488get to discuss those types of 7386 toll free. issues with the other people If you’re a teen and would in my confirmation group, prefer to talk with a peer, call Teen Link at 1-866-833-6546, and compare our views,” toll free, from 6-10 p.m. daily. Wisegarver said in an email. Wisegarver’s video, which can be viewed at http://youtu. be/6e0tvyB3FRs, was the product of multiple areas of inspiration. She said she has been watching amateur footage on YouTube for years, which caused her to try her hand at video production. “Gradually, I learned more and more about filming and editing from just playing around with a camera and editing software,” she said. Wisegarver joined her church’s video ministry group, and has been producing works for the congregation there. When it came time to do the suicide prevention video, she wanted to set a specific tone. “The part I liked the best from my video was the intro, because it really portrayed the emotion and urgency behind the topic of suicide prevention,” she said. Nick Pringle, youth pastor at Pine Lake Covenant Church, is spearheading local awareness efforts. He said the last two years have been the hardest of his eight-year ministry career, with many area teens committing suicide. Five teens in the cities of Issaquah, Sammamish and Snoqualmie took their own lives during the past school year. And 2013 was considered the most violent year for teen suicides in King County in the past five years, with the number rising from three to 11. Wisegarver knew one of the victims personally, and it was “more than heartbreaking” to receive the news. She said she believes most teenagers are aware of the issue, but many don’t fully understand the reality of it. Some of her friends and acquaintances have admitted to having serious suicidal thoughts, she added. She encouraged people in similar situations to reach out even though it might feel “scary or hopeless” to do so. Sometimes, the person in distress simply needs to know others care. “However, it is also important to have other sources aware of the problem, such as a trusted adult, parent or authority,” Wisegarver said.
By Peter Clark
Beautiful late summer weather brought large crowds out to the 2014 Washington State Fair Sept. 7 in Puyallup, and the array of activities, food and attractions kept them there.
Life is fair in Puyallup By Peter Clark
Fried food, animal smells, concert music and carnival rides — yep, the Washington State Fair has returned. Until Sept. 21, you can find the best livestock, agriculture, horticulture and crafts the state has to offer in Puyallup. This year’s fair packs a whopping punch with a slew of high-profile music acts and the usual, if no less impressive, bunch of Washingtonian achievements. Walking in the gate, you might feel overwhelmed at the sheer number of things to do in the fairgrounds. Should you immediately head over and dive into a basket of fried butter? Head over to the livestock barn and hear which rooster crows the loudest? Visit one of the many crafts buildings and spot all the nuance and detail in the dollhouses? These are big decisions that a hardy fairgoer will have to make. Rest assured that if you get your fill of one type of entertainment, plenty more is right around the corner for the whole family. The livestock and agriculture staples remain the main draw of the 2014 state fair. Walking through the barns, you can see the prize-winning animals and learn how they earned their
If you go Washington State Fair Through Sept. 21 Washington State Fair Events Center 110 Ninth Ave. S.W., Puyallup 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday Adults $12.50 Students (ages 6-18) $9 Seniors (ages 62+) $9 Kids 5 and younger are free. www.thefair.com ribbons from those who raised them. Cattle, horses, rabbits, roosters and more fill the air with their sounds and smells. Then, be sure to check out the (air-conditioned) agriculture tent, where some of the prettiest, and most impressive, plants are on display. Don’t miss this year’s largest pumpkin, weighing in at more than 1,500 pounds. A large part of the livestock displays feature the hard work of the 4-H participants. The dedicated school children trotted out their best animals,
including cats, and crafting skills. Patrons can walk through rows and rows of impressive art, littered with educational poster boards and presentations. The school-aged entries are just the beginning as you meander through the Hobby Hall to spy the incredible talent at work in Washington state. Woodwork, fiber arts, collectibles and decorating all take center stage in intriguing displays as hidden craftsmen and women unveil their skills for fairgoers. If you get your fill of crafts and livestock, but remain hungry for something else, you can find relief in the expected smorgasbord of food carts. The usual cast of characters (krusty pups, elephant ears, brats) makes its appearance to the delight of many. Don’t be afraid to also See FAIR, Page 10