3-day charity ride lets cyclists show ‘courage
August 13, 2008
Ron Ouelette, who completed the Courage Classic Bicycle Tour, rides along 228th Avenue Southeast to stay in shape. Ouelette paused for a photo at Stevens Pass. Photo contributed
“Everybody wants to beat the guy on the TV,” said John Curley, host of KING 5′s Evening Magazine.
Ouelette said the event is meant to be fun and non-competitive.
“They don’t even like to call it a race,” he said. “I saw people out there who I’m not sure ride a whole lot.”
Ouelette, who works for Johnson Controls, describes himself as a “semi-competitive-recreational cyclist,” explaining, “I ride as much as I can, but I don’t race.”To increase participants’ enjoyment Read more
League reshuffle means new challenges and old rivalries
August 13, 2008
After winning its first state championship with a furious May run, the Eastlake softball team assumed opponents might get a little tougher in 2009.
The Wolves, though, didn’t exactly count on this.
Thanks to new conference alignments Read more
Area runners compete in Redmond 5K
August 13, 2008
10 Sammamish residents finish
Several Plateau athletes tested their mettle at the Footzone 5K in Redmond Aug. 3.
“We get a lot of locals,” said Tony D’Alessio, Read more
Night Out starts in the afternoon
August 13, 2008
Liam Watson, 3, tries out some fingerprinting. Photo by Ari Cetron
For Emily Watson, bringing her sons to the National Night Out event at Sammamish’s City Hall was just the beginning. The boys enjoyed seeing the police equipment on display, Watson said, and looked forward to the musical performance.
But later that day, in Watson’s Tammy Glen neighborhood, the real festivities took place with a neighborhood party that has become the hallmark of the national event.
“We know most of our neighbors, but it’s good just to touch base,” Watson said.
National Night Out has been going on for 25 years. It is designed as a way Read more
Sammamish man’s photo wins contest
August 13, 2008
Inge Johnsson snaps shot of the Grand Canyon
Johnsson’s winning entry featured the Grand Canyon. Photo by Inge Johnsson
Out of roughly 9,000 submissions, a Sammamish man’s photograph has won the National Park Foundation’s annual photography competition.
Inge Johnsson, 48, is the first-place winner of the foundation’s “Share the Experience Photo Contest,” which invites submissions from all over the country. Participants could submit up to three photos, taken at any federal recreation land.
Inge’s photograph shows ancient ruins with hollow windows leading the eye to the curling riverbed and expansive inner-walls of the Grand Canyon.
“I had my tripod on Read more
Review editorial
August 13, 2008
Voting needs to be easy
King County Councilmember Kathy Lambert is right. The County Council decision to reduce the number of polling places next year is a big mistake.
In 2009, King County is scheduled to go to an all-mail ballot. There is merit to an all-mail system, hopefully helping increase participation by making it easer to cast a vote.
In the days of 80-page voter guides and countless ballot initiatives, it helps to be able to make decisions with the information sitting at the kitchen table, away from traffic and cold winter days.
But there are certainly voters who would prefer to cast a ballot the old fashioned way, in person. The reasons are plentiful, as Lambert, a Republican, says. There are those who have concerns about the reliability of the mail, and it just seems like the opportunity for shenanigans is greater.
Moreover, there is a certain magic to stepping into a voting booth to take that important step in democracy, a patriotic pride akin to singing the national anthem. That magic will be lost when filling out the ballot becomes more like homework mixed with standardized testing.
Realizing this, the County Council decided to leave open a handful of centers (in addition to the one mandated by law) where people can still go and actually cast their ballot, in Renton, Bellevue and Seattle. Conspicuously absent are any places east of Interstate 405.
They may be located in areas of the highest population density, but it forces thousands of people, like those on the plateau, to drive dozens of miles to vote. Once again, it seems like those who live further from Seattle lose out.
Reducing the centers in the name of cost cutting is understandable, but each polling center will cost a mere $50,000 to run for the day, a pittance in the county’s multi-billion dollar budget. If there is one thing that should not be subject to a cost-benefit analysis, it is the fundamental right of voting – and the right to choose how to vote.
More disturbing is the nature of the vote – 5-4, along party lines. Now there’s another good reason to pass Initiative 26, the first of two steps toward making the council non-partisan.
Sammamish Forum
August 13, 2008
Oppose assisted suicide
The Sammamish Review editorial of July 30, 2008 titled “Death with Dignity initiative promotes humane choice” could not be further from the ideal. The Encarta Read more
Runoff rumble
August 13, 2008
Neighbors disagree about causes of flooding
Fran Hogan installed this $500 pump to reduce flooding. Photo by Emily Keller
There is one thing that neighbors on 209th Avenue Northeast can agree on: storm water Read more
Lambert lambastes all-mail ballots
August 13, 2008
Sammamish residents who fear their vote could be compromised by King County’s vote-by-mail program are right to be concerned, according to Read more
Municipal league rates local candidates
August 13, 2008
The Municipal League of King County has rated local candidates in the 5th and 45th legislative districts, offering some challengers a higher Read more
