Key Peninsula News Community Pages Editor: Connie Renz Marsh, Tom Zimmerman
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Non-Profi t Organization U.S. Postage Memorial Day PAID Wauna, WA No school 98395 May 27 Permit No. 2 BOX HOLDER KEY KEY PENINSULA www.keypennews.com THE VOICE OF THE KEY PENINSULA VOL. 42 NO. 5 Former KP MAY 2013 resident nets Online Olympic team spot By Scott Turner, KP News All through middle school and high school, Megan Blunk excelled in sports. She ran track and played basketball in middle school. At Peninsula High School she played soccer, fast pitch, basketball, Spring Fling Art volleyball and ran track. • Pinewood Derby rolls on On July 20, 2008 – two months after graduating from PHS – her life changed • Masters Dry Cleaning hits 15 forever. “I got into a motorcycle accident in Bel- • Fire District 16 fi re reports fair,” Blunk said. “I broke my back and became paralyzed from the waist down.” Become a fan on Facebook (See Blunk, Page 2) Follow us on Twitter keypennews.com Local equestrians Inside meet with KP Parks Cleaning up the Key By Rick Sorrels, KP News -- Page 24 Thirty-nine local equestrians (horse afi cio- nados) hosted an initial meeting at Volunteer News Park on April 15 to discuss forming a com- News ................................. 1-5, 7,9 mittee to develop a plan for equestrian use of park land. The intention is to eventually have Sections a fully developed plan to present to the KP Op-Ed Views ............................. 6-8 Park’s Board for consideration. Photo by Scott Turner, KP News Schools .............................. 10-11 In 2005 a very popular series of meetings Homecoming hug took place to discuss the same subject, with Jaxin Patrick got a surprise visit at Evergreen Elementary school from Community Pages .................. 12-13 60 to 80 persons attending each meeting. In- his dad, Nathan Patrick, on April 23. Patrick, who works as a electron- terests were determined, but no plan was de- ics technician with the U.S. Navy, returned early from an eight-month Business ............................... 14-15 veloped. The newly formed park district fi rst deployment in Afghanistan. Jaxin Patrick, 6, had no idea his father Community ............................ 16-22 wanted to conduct a survey and complete its was coming home. “I thought it was a dream. I was really surprised to see him, and I missed him so much,” he said. Visit keypennews.com comprehensive plan. Out & About ............................... 24 for more homecoming images. (See Equestrians, Page 4) 2 NEWS www.keypennews.com • May 2013 (From Blunk, Page 1) I practiced every day learning to kayak, even though I couldn’t steer because I Megan spent the next two-and-a-half couldn’t move my feet,” she said. years in therapy, trying to walk again. “When I got down on myself, he’d ask It was a rough time, but her friends and if I wanted him to get out his violin. He family rallied around her. treated me just like everyone else. That “Without our community – the KP and was pivotal in my life.” Gig Harbor people – she wouldn’t be where After several grueling tryout sessions, on she is today,” said Megan’s dad, David April 7 of this year, Blunk got word that Blunk. “There’s so much love and support she had made the Women’s USA National among the people that it’s just amazing.” Wheelchair Basketball team. She’ll spend At her mother Wendy Ricketts’ urging, July and August at training camps and play- Megan said she got her degree from Ta- ing against teams from other countries. coma Community College in 2010, but “There will be tryouts every year,” she she wasn’t sure what to do after that. said, “and next year’s team goes to World “I was pretty sad and pretty lost. I cried in Rio, then the next team goes to the practically every day. I thought I couldn’t 2016 Paralympics. Each year there will be really do anything any more, like play more competition than the year before.” sports,” she said. She’s also training for a kayaking tour- She tried playing wheelchair basketball nament this May in Gig Harbor. for teams in Tacoma and Seattle, “… but “Then I’ll go to New York in July to it wasn’t as high a level as I wanted. I got Courtesy photo qualify to go to Germany. Then after that really frustrated because I didn’t have the Former Key Peninsula resident and Peninsula High School graduate Meagan I’ll try to qualify for the World (Kayak) coaching and level of play I was used to. I Blunk, left, is caught maneuvering during a recent college basketball game. Championships,” she added. had to learn to set up plays and to maneu- Blunk, 23, recently made the Women’s USA National Wheelchair Basketball Blunk, 23, has come full circle – from ver around people,” she said. team. star athlete in junior high and high school, Then in the summer after her TCC to accident victim, to budding Olympian graduation, Blunk went to a basketball mates,” Blunk said. four colleges: Alabama, Arizona, White- in two sports. camp in Texas and met coach Patty Cis- When she returned home from the water and Illinois. She and her family credit their commu- neros. basketball camp, she searched for simi- “I chose Illinois over all the other nity for helping her get there. “I’m over- “It was eye-opening,” she recalled. lar competitive opportunities and heard schools,” she said. She’s the fi rst one in whelmed by the love and support the peo- “She had a great attitude and was fun to about a college camp in Seattle. She said a her family to go to college. ple of the Key Peninsula and Gig Harbor be around. She taught me better mechan- coach from the University of Illinois saw But a few months before she moved to have given us,” David Blunk said. ics and I played with college girls. They a lot of potential in her. Illinois in August 2012, fate intervened “This whole experience has taught me played really fast and helped me play at a “He asked me to try out for the school. again and Blunk started rowing with the how much strength I have,” Megan Blunk higher level. I fell in love with the game It was an eye-opening trip once again, be- Gig Harbor Canoe and Kayak Club. said. “I couldn’t have done any of this there. Wheelchair basketball is the same cause I never thought I’d go to a four-year “Coach Alan Anderson has made a without my family and my friends. It’s game, but more strategic. It’s really a team university,” she said. big impact on my life. He did everything what keeps me going. It’s the only thing sport – you depend more on your team- Blunk was offered full scholarships to he could and worked with me every day. that’s gotten me through this.” Executive editor: Scott Turner Sorrels, Rodika Tollefson, Irene To subscribe, please write, Ad sales: Brett Higgins. Wendy Kleven Torres, Ted Velasquez, Danna Web- call or fax: Bookkeeper: Stephanie Buhrman ster, Steve Whitford, Dan Whit- Key Peninsula News Community pages editor: Connie Renz marsh, Tom Zimmerman. 17010 S. Vaughn Road Production: Christina Hallock, Paige Distribution: Vic Renz, Connie P.O. Box 3, Vaughn, WA 98394 Nader Renz, Phil Bauer, Frank Slater, Bill Phone: (253) 884-4699 www.keypennews.com Webmaster: Brett Higgins Dietz, Kevin Reed Fax: (253) 884-4053 Unsolicited submissions deadline including press Staff and contributors: Ron Cam- Guest columnists: Deborah Allen, Email: [email protected] releases: 15th of each month prior to publication eron, Ed Johnson, Karen Lovett, Hugh Cecil Beal, Mee Yeong Saunders Photo of Mount Rainier in the masthead was taken from the dock in Longbranch McMillan, Michelle M. Mondeck, Kevin and Bill Trandum by Thomas Morgan, a KP News reader and Key Peninsula resident. Reed, Colleen Slater, Frank Slater, Rick Key Peninsula News is published monthly by the Key Peninsula News publishing board in Vaughn, Washington. the KEY PENINSULA CIVIC CENTER ASSOCIATION. The Key Peninsula Civic center Association is the non-profi t parent organization. Copyright 2013 with all rights 2. The objective of Key Peninsula News is to support and create community by reporting news and features and reserved. Reproduction of editorial or graphic contents in any manner without permission is prohibited. Annual providing a forum for local information. News and editorial coverage focuses on the Key Peninsula and immedi- subscriptions (12 issues) are available for $30.00 and are mailed fi rst class. Copies are mailed presort standard to ately adjacent areas within Fire District 16. residents and post offi ce box holders of the Key Peninsula. Single copies are available at the newspaper offi ce in the OUR GRATEFUL THANKS TO ALL WHO CONTRIBUTE TO THE KEY PENINSULA NEWS! basement of the Civic Center annex and at various distribution points located on the Key Peninsula. Approximately The opinions expressed herein are the opinions of the writers and do not necessarily refl ect the views of the 19,000 people live in the distribution area. publishers or staff. All letters to the editor must be signed and include a daytime phone number got verifi cation. STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, AND OPERATION OF THE KEY PENINSULA NEWS No anonymous letters will be published. Submissions are used on a space available basis and may be edited if used. 1. THE KEY PENINSULA NEWS is a community newspaper, owned and published by the KEY PENINSULA THE KEY PENINSULA NEWS reserves the right to edit all submissions for length and content.