Sammamish Forum
July 2, 2008
By Staff
Challenge Day can matter
I would like to thank the Sammamish Review for being such great community partners and communicating all the exciting things happening here in Sammamish.
In a (much appreciated) community article, Sammamish teens to get first Challenge Day (June 11, Page 14) I’d like to clarify a couple of points.
Most importantly, the Challenge Day program is not about fixing broken kids. Absolutely not.
It is not all gloom and doom with our youth. At their core they are all fantastic, bright and vibrant young community members.
The overall goals of the program are to increase personal power and self-esteem, to shift dangerous peer pressure to positive peer pressure and to eliminate the acceptability of teasing, violence and social oppression. Challenge Day programs are designed to unite members of the community and to empower them to carry the themes of the program back to their schools and to the community at large.
This is, possibly, a once in a lifetime opportunity for us here in Sammamish – an opportunity that could change all our lives within a single day.
Sosie Sagherian, Sammamish
No dogs allowed
The Sammamish Farmer’s Market is a great addition to our community. It’s a great place to take our children, particularly younger children, with the activities, the food vendors and the open space to run around and be a kid.
It’s just not a place for dogs. Signs are posted throughout the market explaining why dogs are not allowed, yet there is a constant flow of people and their dogs browsing the stalls.
I love dogs, but a crowded marketplace full of young children is not the place for our dogs.
As I walked into the market with my 3-year-old daughter, a large dog to my left spotted a bigger dog to my right and took off after it, growling and snarling. My daughter and I were caught in the middle. It was very frightening, not only for her, but also for me.
Thankfully, the owners managed to get their dogs under control and we were not harmed. But really, this is a recipe for disaster. I want to urge dog owners to leave their dogs at home on Wednesday afternoons.
I speak from experience that most dog owners believe they know their dogs and how they’ll behave in public. But in such a small space and with so many dogs, it’s impossible to know which dog might take off after another and who might get caught in middle.
I also want to encourage the folks who run the market and the market volunteers to enforce the no dog policy.
As I was informing the volunteers at the market booth about what happened to us, two different people with dogs went by. The volunteers looked right at them, but did nothing.
Let’s take this seriously. If somebody gets harmed because the “no dogs in the market” policy is not being followed or enforced, I’m sure the city of Sammamish and the Sammamish Chamber of Commerce would be looking at a lawsuit.
Susan Lee, Sammamish
Thank you Skyline
I am a student at Skyline High School in Sammamish, and I would like to thank all of the students and staff who generously supported the recent China Quake Relief fundraiser at Skyline.
Claudia (my sister) and I launched a fundraiser on May 27 to raise money for victims of the May 12 earthquake in Sichuan, China, and we were soon running out of materials due to all the volunteers and donations!
When our fundraiser ended June 5, we had collected $2,173.82 just by selling paper to people for $1 and $5 each.
Thanks to all the compassionate Skyline Spartans for making this a success!
Claire Ma
Sammamish
Tab fees are too much
Every time I renew my vehicle license tabs, I become increasingly disturbed by the tax increases and new taxes that keep getting tacked on. With my latest license renewal I included the following note out of frustration:
Department of Licensing management, You folks are getting real creative on how to triple the cost of the $30 license renewal fee that we voted for and approved several times. Here is the break-down:
$3 filing fee – This should be covered in the “license fee.”
$25 RTA Tax – We do not use transit. It does not go anywhere we want to go. Transit fares should cover transit costs. People using the system and benefiting from it will pay for it.
$30 license fee – This is the only fair part of this whole fee structure.
$10 weight base fee – This fee should only apply to trucks. I was even charged this fee on my motorcycle license! If you really want to charge someone based on the wear and tear of the roads, tax the people that use studded tires, which cause considerable damage to the roads.
75-cent license service fee – another hidden tax. This should be covered in the $30 license renewal fee or the $3 filing fee.
$20 replacement plate fee – There is nothing wrong with my existing license plates. This is just another hidden tax and a waste of aluminum. Few people will recycle the old plates; they will just end up in the landfill.
$4 plate reflectorization fee – The paint on the license plate should be included in the cost of the license plate. Why not charge extra for the holes drilled in the license plates, too, and add shipping and handling while you are at it?
We already pay the highest gas taxes in the country to cover all the reasons stated as the need for these extra fees and taxes. How about finding ways to reduce government spending instead of increasing taxes? Oh yeah, that would be a conservative concept, and a liberal state like Washington would never consider such a thing.
Maynard Pillie, Sammamish
The winner matters
You’d think there were more, but there weren’t. The sport of kings, horse racing, has produced only 11 triple crown winners, Sir Barton, Gallant Fox, Omaha, War Admiral, Whirlaway, Count Fleet, Assault, Citation, Secretariat, Seattle Slew and Affirmed.
Big Brown was supposed to bring magic back to the sport, but he didn’t. The only magic brought this day was the inattention showed to the winer, Da’tara. the media was so tuned to a triple crown win by Big Brown that it forgot there were other horses in the race, eight of them.
All were thoroughbred, all were fine specimens, all were running their hearts out.
Each had years of training an focus. Each has its own story of sweat and tears.
All the media could do is devote most of their attention to the loser, yes, the loser. The loser had won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, isn’t that enough for one horse?
Let’s hear it for the winner – whomever that may be. It’s the winner f the race, not the loser for crying out loud.
Tony Emmanuel, Sammamish
Silent Minority: Time to Speak Up!
How many of you can identify?
It’s been a long day: the kid’s laundry disaster made everyone late; the computer at work has a mind of its own; and meetings were too many and too long. Now it’s time for Parents’ Night at school, and groups of you are standing around waiting for it to start. Someone starts talking about the elections and how horrible it is that Dino Rossi was robbed and didn’t get voted into the Governor’s Office.
Do you shoot back with a pithy and insightful remark that displays at once humor and grace, conveying your deep-felt democratic ideals of inclusion and oneness with the universe?
Or do you stand silently by, smiling? Not in agreement, but that awkward smile of “Oh crap, what do I say?” That would be me. I’m tired, I’m frazzled, and the last thing I want is to pick a fight with a parent at my child’s school. Ya gotta pick your battles, right?
Fast forward to February 2008 Precinct Caucuses. So many people, so many enthusiastic Democratic neighbors. I never, ever would have thought she was a Democrat. I didn’t know she was in my precinct. He lives two houses down; why haven’t we ever talked politics? Oh my Gosh – I am not alone! I am not alone! I have found a home for my voice. Time to speak up for myself!
Speaking up takes courage, but it’s worth it!
Why do we fear dissent? Why do we expend so much energy avoiding conflict? What’s the worst that will happen? Someone might not like us? Our kids will be embarrassed? (”Oh, Mom….”) People decide whether they like you or not within minutes of meeting you, regardless of your politics. No point beating around the bush with people or being shy when the stakes are so high.
My message to Sammamish is that this year’s elections are too important to worry about being popular. If, like me, you support Obama, Gregoire, Burner, and other Washington State Democratic candidates for public office, now is the time to use our voices to speak up for change. We have to do everything in our power to effect the “change we believe in.”
I challenge us all to answer the call and do more than just speak up. Let’s go a step further. Sign up to be a Precinct Caption, contact your local Party representatives, volunteer, get the vote out, work tirelessly to recruit others to the cause. Do not rest, do not waver, stay the course. Be not afraid, you are not alone. We can do this. With our voices. Yes We Can!
Allison Rae Hannigan, Sammamish
Learn – Vote
Steven Christofferson, age 20, woke and dressed for his job, like most of us. Unlike most of us, Steven‘s body was ripped apart by an explosion that rocked his vehicle on April 21 of this year. Steven is one of over 4,000 U.S. deaths in Iraq. In addition there have been tens of thousands of disabled veterans and more than 200,000 civilian casualties since we invaded in March 2003. The war in Iraq was ill advised, absolutely unnecessary and a criminal misdirection of our military resources.
As a military veteran, I am sickened by the gross ineptitude of Pres. George Bush as Commander in Chief as well as Vice Pres. Dick Cheney and the deliberate abuse of the public trust granted to them.
I am appalled by the lies perpetrated to justify attacking Iraq. Bush and Cheney are being condemned in the court of public opinion, but should also be tried in the Hague for crimes against humanity.
I am proud to be an American and to have served in the military. However, I will not condone stupidity or endorse liars.
What of our own nation? We are in recession. We rank 37th in the list of developed nations in providing affordable health care. In major cities fewer than 50 percent of high school students graduate.
Candidate for president Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has promised to keep us in Iraq for 10 or more years. He wants to be a ‘war president’ and knows little about economics or the problems with health care.
As November approaches I encourage you to do at least two things.
First, ignore the sound bites and spend time learning about the issues and candidates. People are elected, not political parties. Some of you may be staunch Republicans but I sincerely doubt that you would want (if it were possible) four more years of George Bush.
Second, if you haven’t already done so, register to vote.
Let me deliberately misquote Edmund Burke – “All that is necessary for incompetence to triumph is for good men to do nothing”. Learn – vote.
Michael J. O’Connell, Sammamish
Comments
2 Responses to “Sammamish Forum”
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Auto use up, quality of life down.
Gas prices up. Fuel imports up. Global warming up. Traffic congestion up. Time in the car up. Blood pressure up. Will buying fuel efficient cars bring all these negatives down? Maybe, maybe not.
Imagine two neighbors with different transportation profiles. One is a sportswoman who owns an SUV that gets 20 mpg, but because she works near home and runs errands by bicycle and walks to local shops, she only drives 5,500 annual miles and so only consumes 300 gallons of fuel, producing about three tons of CO2 each year. Another owns a small car which gets 50 mpg, but because he drives about 100 miles each day for commuting and errands, his vehicle is driven 30,000 annual miles and consumes 600 gallons of fuel, producing about six tons of CO2. Which transport pattern is best overall?
The lower mileage driver not only consumes less fuel and produces less pollution, she also imposes less traffic congestion and accident risk, reduces road and parking costs, and gets more exercise through walking and cycling. As a result, her transportation profile is best for society overall.
The key to addressing our auto dependent related problems is reducing our use of the automobile. We need local jobs, local convenient shopping, bike and walking trails that take us to local markets, local restaurants, local entertainment and local parks.
Want to maintain the value of your house? Interesting, houses close to jobs and amenities have not dropped in price while those bedroom communities with long commutes have lost value?
John Galvin
Sammamish
This is a comment to “Time to Speak Up!” topic in SR of July 9. I can’t believe people are so naive about gov. Gregoire. It is not about democrats or republicans, it’s about dissent politician. What did Gregoire do during her term? Nothing. Viaduct problem is still there (she was even trying to make voters to decide which plan to choose), 520-bridge problem is still there, cables she approved for using on freeways simply don’t work, taxes went up, etc. Now it is our choice, live another term with her passiveness or choose new person who will try to fix these problems.