REPORTER
Mercer Island
Serving the Mercer Island Community Serving community Since since 1947 1947
3800 race in 42nd Rotary Run
Running in color
Fine Arts Showcase begins tonight Mercer Island School District’s annual two-day celebration of art and music begins at 5:30 p.m. tonight at the high school. To learn more or to purchase tickets, visit www.mifineartsed. org.
Perennial winner Uli Steidl does not compete, wife Trisha is 2nd woman
Business secrets revealed tomorrow at SJCC lecture
By Joseph Livarchik
jlivarchik@mi-reporter.com
Hear from local business moguls, Jay Deutsch and Eric Bensussen, how they turned a small business buying and selling collectibles into a multimilliondollar merchandising company. The event is at 7 p.m. tomorrow at the SJCC. For more see Page 18.
Talk on emotional intelligence for boys is March 31 Hear from parenting expert, Dr. Dan Kindlon at 10 a.m. Monday, March 31 at the SJCC to hear about how to foster a healthy emotional life for young boys. The event is sponsored by Parent Edge. For more details and ticket information, see Page 18.
Probus Club to meet April 2 The Probus Club of Mercer Island will meet at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, April 2, at the Presbyterian Church. Islander, Dr. Alfred Skinner, will speak on the early maritime exploration of the Northwest coast. The public is welcome. For more, contact Ron Kaufman at 232-8200
Spring recycling event is Saturday See page 2 for details.
life Have the ! you want
Matt Brashears/Special to the Reporter
Seen from above, runners in the Half Marathon event in the 42nd annual Rotary Run, head southeast on North Mercer Way on Sunday morning, March 23. See more photos on Page 10 and 11.
Teausant attended school, church here Pastor recalls former MIHS student charged with attempt to aid terrorists By Joseph Livarchik
jlivarchik@mi-reporter.com
When news broke that former Mercer Island High School student Nicholas Teausant was arrested and charged with attempting to provide material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization on Sunday, March 16, The Reverend Greg Asimakoupoulos said he was unsettled. Asimakoupoulos was
the former pastor at Mercer Island Covenant Church, now Evergreen Covenant Church, the church that Teausant’s family attended during the year they lived on Mercer Island between 2009 and 2010. “I’m conflicted. I can see in 16-year-old Nick someone who was struggling to be acknowleged,” said Asimakoupoulos who is now the chaplain at Covenant Shores. “My heart goes out to him. What’s played out here isn’t so much an issue of militant terrorist activity, but a continuation of being confused and calling out to be loved and accepted.” Asimakoupoulos said Teausant’s family attended church
regularly, with his step-mother singing in the choir. He recalled that Teausant looked for ways to be helpful, once willing to help with vacation Bible school. While Asimakoupoulos said he knew Teausant’s parents better than he knew their son, he said he was aware of the fact that Teausant was a loner and had a challenge with fitting in with the rest of the youth group at church, wanting to be accepted and trying very hard to get the attention of his peers and adults. He remembers Teausant not so much as a troubled kid as much as a confused kid who tended to leap before he looked and act without thinking. The pastor said adult leadership at the church spent time with Teausant one-on-one, realizing he was struggling to be accepted. “I think Nick genuinely responded
Certified Financial Planners
An estimated 3800 runners, walkers and dashers turned out for the 42nd annual Mercer Island Half Marathon Sunday, March 23, taking off from the Mercer Island Community and Event Center and making their way around the Island. Seattle’s John Ricardi won the half marathon with a time of 1:08:30, with Mercer Island’s Justin Houck finishing second with a time of 1:10:29. Joshua Ricardi came in third at 1:12:39, Justin Johnson was fourth at 1:13:09 and
Run | Page 17
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