For years, school officials have been lamenting the state's underfunding of transportation.

Without adequate funding from the state, they say, districts must devote more and more of their local levy dollars to get kids to school.

One of their loudest charges: the state doesn't reimburse districts for transporting students whose homes or daycares lie outside a one-mile radius from school. And instead of calculating the actual route mileage, the distance is measured as a direct line from school to home or daycare. Or, in the colloquial, "as the crow flies."

Actually, says Allan Jones with the state Superintendent of Public Instruction, the state does provide some money to bus kids within the one-mile radius. But not much.

Jones, director of pupil transportation, says the state gives districts some funding based on the total number of kids in kindergarten through through fifth grade within the one-mile radius.

The original intent was to help districts defray the cost of transporting youngsters who faced hazardous walking conditions, even though they lived close to school.

But it's a lower rate than what the state funds for students living outside the one-mile minimum. And the districts don't have to have hazardous walking conditions to get the money. They don't even have to use the money to transport kids within that radius.

Here's how Jones explains it, and the "crow flies" business in an e-mail to The News Tribune.

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Army 1st Sgt. Jose Crisostomo was a hero, an inspiration and a buddy, according to his grandchildren.

During a crowded and tear-filled mass today at Our Lady Queen of Heaven in Spanaway, they described how he loved them and encouraged them to live better lives, even more so than his.

Now, the soldier who died Aug. 18 in Afghanistan, less than two weeks before his 60th birthday, is their angel.

Tricia Crisostomo-Meyers, his daughter, said her father wanted to reenlist in the Army in 2008.

"When dad told us he wanted to go back to active Army service, I thought he was nuts,"she said, adding Crisostomo signed up for another year after his first tour was over.

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It felt somber the minute I heard the cadence music coming from where the memorial to Army 1st. Sgt. Jose Crisostomo was parked.

Today marks the memorial for the 59-year-old Spanaway man who was killed last week in Afghanistan. The viewing and Mass took place at Our Lady Queen of Heaven Church.

Driving up, the church's exterior was lined with Patriot Guard Riders holding American flags. Parked near the church entrance was a Chevy pickup truck, the back of which served as a makeshift memorial to Crisostomo, who was a leader in the local Chamorro community.

If featured the ceremonial boots, rifle, helmet and dog tags, also known as a soldier's cross. The bed was lined with greenery and Guam flags, a testament to the Chamorro heritage of "Sinbad," as friends and family called him.

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Bethel High School grads stick together, Marba Cowan says, especially when one of them's in trouble.

Cowan and Jan Scott are helping to organize a fund-raiser for fellow alum Tom Mires, who is fighting cancer.

It's a free-form kind of benefit, part garage sale, part auction, part concert, all of it aimed at helping out Mires' family.

The friends have collected an impressive variety of items, including a cord of wood and a supply of breast self-examination pads. Most of the donations will go into a garage sale Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 22 and 23, at Uncle Sam's Bar and Grill at 160th Street and Pacific Avenue.

The best of the goods, including the wood, will be sold in a silent auction Saturday at Uncle Sam's.

Sunday at 2 p.m., Bikers Fighting Cancer will sponsor several bands in a benefit concert at Uncle Sam's.

Kevin Cavanagh with Pierce County Information Technology points out that the link we published in the printed paper for the weather tracker system left off one symbol.

The correct link is http://www.co.pierce.wa.us/PC/

If you can't bring it up, click here.

On the left side, it's titled "How hot is it?"

It's pretty cool. According to the site, "Eleven weather stations around the county record temperature, wind speed, relative humidity and more. Data is updated every 15 minutes."

Today was a good day for Micah Tyler. The 38-year-old snagged a couple of bass while fishing today at Spanaway Lake.

He also arrived at the park early, spotted some shad near the shore and plopped down his chair and gear. When the temperature began to rise to the upper-90's around noon, Tyler was relaxing on his chair.

"It's cool," he said as he reeled in his line. "It's nice right here."

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My assignment today is to find spots that people are going to keep cool in the 100ish-degree heat. One of the most unconventional places is the ice rink at Sprinker Recreation Center in Spanaway.

I visited the cool spot about 11 a.m., when the center's competitive skaters were practicing their moves. It was one of the best ways to beat the heat that I've found this week.

The arena was a cool 65 degrees, which center officials say is hotter than usual. I didn't mind.

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Doris Jairala has been a faithful bus rider the past five years, taking the 53 route a few times a week to get to her housekeeping jobs.

Driving isn't an option for the 62-year-old University Place resident. She suffers from seizures and isn't allowed to get behind the wheel.

(To the left: Doris Jairala, of University Place, rides the Number 53 bus to her job as a housekeeper last month. The route will be eliminated in July as Pierce Transit reduces less-used routes such as hers. Joe Barrentine/The News Tribune)

So that means for her job, she hops on the bus to Lakewood, Steilacoom, UP and any other community in which her work takes her.

But she will be one of the thousands of riders who will have to find a new bus beginning July 12. Pierce Transit, squeezed by the economic downturn, opted to eliminate or reduce service on routes throughout the county that don't have a high ridership.

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The University of Washington, Tacoma graduation Friday was overflowing with compelling stories of interesting graduates.

Back in March, for instance, 25-year-old Ben Warner began his quest to ride his long board – a long version of a skateboard – from San Diego to Savannah, Ga. Along the way, he planned to publicize the importance of after-school programs and raise money for the Boys & Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound.

At commencement, a speaker announced Warner worried that he might not complete the journey in time for his UWT graduation at the Tacoma Dome. But he finished the trip and made it to graduation.

Another newly minted graduate started life in Africa. Here's his description from the UWT:

Wemba-Koy Okonda, Spanaway, and his wife fled a bloody revolution in the Democratic Republic of Congo 12 years ago to give their children a better life. Okonda worked overtime to support his eight children while attending classes at the University of Washington Tacoma. At this year’s Commencement, he graduates with a bachelor’s degree in computing and software systems.

A commencement speaker said Okonda's father and niece obtained special visas to attend the graduation.

I went to the graduation, but missed the joyous scene afterward with his family.
Jill Carnell Danseco, the UWT public information specialist, tells me that Okonda and his family danced and sang through the crowd for a good 10 minutes or so. The family also observed a custom from their homeland: sprinkling baby powder on the new graduate.

Here are great photos by Jill capturing the celebratory moments.

Photo by Jill Carnell Danseco, UWT

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About 1,500 students from various Bethel School District campuses staged walkouts to protest teachers losing their jobs today.

To show their support, they all wore black. One principal called it “Black Friday.”

The school district, facing up to a $12 million shortfall in its $160 million annual budget this year, issued layoff notices to 220 educators early this week. Those numbers are something of a worst-case scenario, however, and it's unlikely so many will actually be out of a job next fall.

Talk and text messages about a protest began to flood through the student body during the week.

The gist of the messages: walkout Friday, wear black.

Shortly before 8 a.m., today, waves of students at Bethel High, Graham-Kapowsin High, Bethel Junior High, Spanaway Lake High and Frontier Middle School walked out of their classrooms, according to the district.

Devin Hannold, a sophomore at Graham-Kapowsin High, was one of them. He said students like their teachers and realize how important they are to be successful.

“It’s easier to get passing grades when you have teachers you like," he said.

The 16-year-old said about 400 students at his school gathered in the Graham-Kapowsin parking lot and began to walk around the school building. They made their way to the football field and walked around the track before marching the school grounds again.

By the time the first lunch bell rang around 10:30 a.m., some teachers came from inside the building and warned that the protesters wouldn’t be able to eat lunch, he said. Some kids then went inside.

Around noon, between 30 and 40 students remained. They were warned that if the protest didn’t stop, they could receive suspensions, Hannold said.

There were still a few people walking to support the teachers by 1 p.m., he said.

At Bethel High, about 500 students walked out.

Principal Wanda Riley said the students left class about 7:45 a.m. and peacefully marched to Art Crate Field, some carrying signs with messages like “Save our teachers.”

Bethel School Board member Joy Cook then came and spoke to the students for about an hour. After that, most students returned to class about 9 a.m.

About 60 students remained protesting outside the school into the afternoon. None who participated are being punished, Riley said.

“They’re still peaceful,” she said. “They’re supporting one another. They just love their teachers.”

Riley added that she didn’t know of any Bethel High teachers who participated in the walkout, though some were present for supervision purposes. Those teachers also wore black.

“We called it ‘Black Friday,’” Riley said. “I don’t know who coordinated it.”

The school district reports that between 400 and 500 students at Bethel Junior High, 50 students at Spanaway Lake High School and about 30 students at Frontier Junior High staged similar walkouts.

“Basically the students all wore black today and they wanted to support their teachers by walking out for a little bit,” district spokeswoman Krista Carlson said.

Carlson said no schools are taking disciplinary actions against the students.

“Our students are entitled to their opinions,” Carlson said.

She added that school officials were expecting the walkouts.

“We knew there were rumblings that this might be happening today," Carlson said. "We were not unaware.”
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News Tribune reporters Brent Champaco and Melissa Santos contributed to this story.

I just got a call from Jody Page, the Pierce County Animal Control officer that was investigating the case of Bubba the dead peacock from Spanaway.

When she arrived in the neighborhood Friday, she was investigating claims that the peacock was beheaded and shoved under a porch. The bird had roamed the neighborhood for more than three years.

But later that day, residents said they found the peacock -- head intact -- in a sleeping pose under the porch.

Page said she's closing the case at this point.

“There's nothing that I can see as potential case of animal cruelty," Page said. "It appears he died of entirely natural causes. It’s unfortunate that the neighborhood pet has passed on, but that happens."

A local peacock enthusiast told me there might be something more than weather after all that caused Bubba, the Spanaway peacock, to meet his end.

Peacocks fare quite well in the snow, reports Phil Brooke of the Old Brick House Farm.

Just ask Namaste.

He does fine during cold weather, said Brooke, who takes care of the peacock on his farm in the Summit-Waller area.

He said another explanation for Bubba's death could be that the peacock got into some weed killer or rat poison.

"It's a good reminder to folks that if they are using rat poison or other toxins around their homes to keep the stuff concealed/out of reach from our furry and feathered loved ones," Brooke told me in an e-mail.

I'll be considering this possibility as I write an obituary on Bubba for the paper this week. By then, hopefully Pierce County Animal Control will be able to tell me more about what they think killed Bubba.