Northwest Collegiate Climbing Challenge

The Rock Wall of the Wade King Rec Center on the Campus of Western Washington University, saw more than 70 competitors enter the Northwest Collegiate Climbing Challenge Saturday May 2. A bouldering competition comprised of a loose association between the University of Washington, Central Washington University and WWU forms a small league in which competing climbers battle and grapple it out on various color-coded routes worth certain amounts of points.  Western is the last stop on the three-school tour.  A chance for climbers, beginning or experienced, to come together and just have fun as a community is the goal for the competition, and hopes of a possible future collegiate sport are high.

Western Sophomore Dale Jennings, 19, leaps for a single hold in the finals of the Northwest Colliegiate Climbing Challenge. Jennings made it to the final round with one other climber. Climbers had to complete a series of differeing dynamic movements, or Dynos for short, to move on to the next round in the finals. A dyno occurrs when a climber must leap from one hold to another.  University of Washington freshman Bryan Hopkins tries to hang on during the final round of the Northwest Collegiate Climbing Challenge during the dyno competition. Hopkins took first in points in the route climbing section, accruing 3,700. Hopkings regularly competes in USA Climbing competitions and has climbed in nationals in Scotland, Ecuador and Austria 10 times he said. Hopkins works and sets routes at Vertical World, UW's climbing wall.  Climber Peter Duane chalks his hands in preparation for one of his climbing routes in the Northwest Collegiate Climbing Challenge; a bouldering competition in the Wade King Rec Center on the campus of Western Washington University Western freshman Peter Duane completes a dyno in the first round of the finals in the Northwest Collegiate Climbing Challenge Saturday May 2 in the Wade King Rec Center on the campus of Western Washington University  

The Rescue

    Held on Saturday the 25th of April, The Rescue, Seattle, went from 3 to 10 p.m. and covered part of the downtown area, from the Pacific Science Center, to Myrtle Edwards Park in a march for  Invisible Children.  Invisible Children began as a documentary made by three young men from California.  During a trip to Africa, they were able to witness the thousands affected by mass kidnappings by The L.R.A., a northern Ugandan rebel army led by a man named Joseph Kony.  Thousands of children have been kidnapped, and many are still being kidnapped today, and forced to serve in Kony's rebel army.

    An estimated 2,500 people  took part in The Rescue of Joseph Kony's Child Soldiers in Seattle, Saturday.  The event took place in 100 cities across the United States.  Calling for participants to "abduct themselves," the events are geared toward being rescued by the media.  Involving celebrities, influential community members and politicians, The Rescue ends with all the participants writing letters to each of these types of people in order to express their belief in the need for action.

 
The Rescue, Seattle from rhys logan on Vimeo.

Lining the streets of downtown Seattle, Saturday April 25th, around 2,500 people gathered to participate in The Rescue, supported by the organization Invisible Children

Holding onto a rope to symbolize what happens to an abducted child soldier; kidnapped, bound and forced to march to where they will be trained as soldiers.

Participants of The Rescue, part of Invisible Children, make their way through downtown Seattle, to Myrtle Edwards Park.

Jenny Mavity, 25, Region Manager for the Pacific Northwest for Invisible Children, uses a megaphone to direct an estimated 2,500 people gathered in Myrtle Edwards Park. One hundred cities across the U.S. participated in The Rescue. Twenty five were selected as sites that would be filmed, Seattle was one of them.

Western Washington University freshman Chris Haffner, and Seattle Pacific University freshman Brian McConkey hang pictures submitted by participants for the demonstration. The faces circled in red symbolize who would be missing from their friends and family. The photographs mean to make a parallel connection of what an abducted child looks like.

 

Update on Monday, June 15, 2009 at 06:53PM by Rhys

T.E.A. Party

Estimates were as high as 3,000 for the number of people who stood on Meridian Street for several hours yesterday, brandishing signs, waving flags and cheering in an event called the T.E.A. Party; Taxed Enough Already.

Bill Geyer holds an American flag and waits to cross the street. Geyer said that being over 50 years old, he's seen a couple different recessions throughout his life. "If we put these debts on future generations, it will compromise their ability to lead a productive life like I have received."

John Fletcher is 44 and a heavy equipment operator. He owns his own earth moving company. "It's our right to stand here and have a peaceful protest, and the way our country is going, our constitutional rights are in danger."

Protesters stand on Meridian Street in the T.E.A. rally Wednesday, April 15 Protesters gathered on Meridian Street for the T.E.A. rally; Taxed Enough Already 

John Kenchenten jumps back on what was jokingly dubbed 'The Magical Mystery Bus,' "because we don't know what the government is going to do next," said Prudence Lockhart, retired teacher. The converted handicapped patrons transport bus is owned by Hugh and Nancy Foulke. The Foulkes are Sandy Point residents who heard about the rally and invited several of their neighbors to ride with them in the rally.

Ron Burges and Rick Lockhart roll flags up in preparation of sliding them through the buses roof escape hatch. Seated are Barbara and Jack Griffin. "We've been politicking for a long time," Barbara said. "It's important to have our voice be heard, I hope we're sending a message across the country. "I'm just havin fun," Jack said.

Nancy Foulke high-fives John Kenchenten as he boards her and husband Hugh's converted transport bus cruising Meridian Street in the T.E.A. rally

Hugh Foulke cruises with a bus load of his neighbors up and down Meridian Street in the T.E.A. rally. Hugh points to the map and said he and his wife have driven across the country twice in the bus, going on various camping, fishing and family trips.

John Kenchenten videos protesters as he drives by aboard Hugh and Nancy Foulke's bus.

Dam Phan, 49, is a school bus driver for Ferndale School Distrisct. His daughter Di holds balloons as they show their support of the opposition of overspending and taxing said Phan. Phan, who is Vietnamese, said he escaped a communist country for a reason. "It's sad to see people move toward a socialist regime, sad and ironic, for me. If we don't slow or stop the current administration it will happen."

Twenty-four year old Kyle Willett is a contractor and volunteered to organize some of the parking at the rally. His wife Eva also volunteered. Kyle Willet said he didn't agree with the amount of money spent in the last administration and still doesn't agree with the current administration. "Just because I'm conservative, people think I have a poster of George Bush that I pray to every night," said Willett.

Bellingham Roller Betties

 Put this on your list of things to do if you're trying to experience the city of Bellingham at its fullest and finest.  At Civic Field Sportsplex, you'll find one of the funniest, most entertaining and competitive spectators sports you've ever witnessed.  There's only one sport you could be thinking of by now, and you're right, Roller Derby.  The Bellingham Roller Betties elbow, slide, bash, bang and skate their way around an oval track scoring points by making laps.  A non-profit organization, the Roller Betties draw crowds of up to 1,400 people with the proceeds going to local charities and/or organizations.

This is Bellingham people doing what they do best; band together, build a community and enjoy it.

Lynn Munn, 45, is better known as Sasha L Spank U on match days

Roller Betty Anouncer  Lynn Munn, 45, better known as Sasha L SpankU, cleans dust of her skates before team Flash's match

Elizabeth Li, a 38 year-old lawyer, becomes jammer Contra Vers E at the starting line