City, schools prepared as swine flu arrives in King County
April 30, 2009
New April 30, 5:30 p.m.
Ten probable cases of swine flu have been identified in King County, public health officials said April 30.
Megan Coppersmith, spokeswoman for Public Health – Seattle & King County, said April 30 that seven new probable cases have been reported in King County; they involved a woman in her 20s, four children ages 8-12, and two more children whose mother was previously reported as a probable swine flu case. Three cases had been reported in King County April 29, along with three others in the state. Read more
Eastlake mock car crash
April 30, 2009
Police and fire officials educated Eastlake High School students about the possible consequences of drunk and reckless driving.
Master Chrous Eastside to play ‘The Creation’
April 30, 2009
New April 30, 1:28 p.m.
Master Chorus Eastside will present Joseph Haydn’s oratorio “The Creation” on May 9, about 200 years after the death of the composer.
The work combines the poetry of “Paradise Lost,” excerpts from the Book of Genesis, soloists, chorus and orchestra pieces. Linda Gingrich, artistic director and Don Hicklin, stage manager, have crafted lighting, props and staging in a way they hope will enhance the details of the biblical creation story as Master Chorus Eastside will attempt to create the Garden of Eden on stage.
Master Chorus Eastside members are conducted by Linda Gingrich in December 2008. Photo by Hartman Photography
Soloists in the performance include soprano Mary Jo DuGaw, baritone Steve Tachell and tenor Gary Cannon.
The show is set for 7:30 p.m. May 9 at Eastlake High School. For tickets call 392-8446 or visit www.masterchoruseastside.org for more information.
Michael Rutt runs on platform of change
April 28, 2009
New, April 28, 7:56 p.m.
Change was the buzzword in the November 2008 elections, and Michael Rutt isn’t afraid to invoke it again in 2009.
Rutt has announced his candidacy for City Council on a platform of change.
City Council members Kathy Huckabay, Jack Barry and Don Gerend have been on the council since the city’s inception in 1999. Rutt said he will run against one of them.
“When I’ve looked at them individually, I think they’re all great people. I respect what they did and their service,” Rutt said. “But the question begs, isn’t 10 years enough?” Read more
Eastlake students make pretty photos
April 28, 2009
Eastlake students make pretty photos
April 28, 2009
As she was starting her junior year in high school, Allie Beattie was trying to figure out how to fill her free period.
Her parents suggested she join Eastlake High School’s peer tutoring class, where she would work one-on-one with special education students. Eastlake has about 55 peer tutors and 10 special education students who receive the tutoring.
“After my first couple of days, I just loved it,” she said.
A year later, Beattie, 17, is still a peer tutor and plans to finish out the year in the program.
The City Council recognized Beattie April 21 for a project she organized with her special education students.
The project was about the students and their abilities, and not about her, Beattie insisted in a later interview.
Beattie handed out disposable cameras to seven students and asked them to take photos of what they liked.
What came back was a visual palette of their interests, from high school friends to favorite objects and places.
Cally Futch, a special education teacher at Eastlake, said the project underscored the talents of special education students. Futch said Beattie’s dedication to the project and her overall vision was impressive.
“She goes above and beyond the role as a peer tutor,” Futch said. “She really gets the special ed students here involved.”
Reporter J.B. Wogan can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 247, or jbwogan@isspress.com.
Parkway may stimulate job growth, but not much here
April 28, 2009
The federal government has bestowed $3.5 million in stimulus funds on Sammamish, ostensibly for the purpose of creating jobs and encouraging consumerism again in the region. It may do so, but those effects are not likely to be felt much around here.
Due to the stimulus funding, about one-quarter of a mile of roadway along East Lake Sammamish Parkway will expand from two to three lanes, with bike lanes, a sidewalk, and stormwater treatment facilities. Read more
Sammamish may change real estate sign regulations
April 28, 2009
The way Greg Allan initially described real estate signs, he seemed ready to get rid of them all.
“They’re just kind of like an allergy,” said Allan, who lives on 254th Avenue Northeast. “Boy does it feel good when they’re gone.”
Allan was drawn to City Hall to comment on the City Council’s efforts at inserting flexibility in its sign code. The proposed code change would give homeowners the ability to post “For Sale” signs in highly visible locations, not necessarily just in front of the property for sale. Read more
State redefines basic education
April 28, 2009
After a contentious debate April 20, the state House of Representatives approved the Basic Education finance reform bill. Some local education leaders are cautiously optimistic.
“To me, it’s more a beginning than an end. It clearly reflects a lot of the things we’ve been working for,” said Doug Eglington, a Lake Washington School Board member. “But this all could be a mirage. It looks all shiny … but when you get close to it, it all might disappear.”
House Bill 2261 passed with a vote of 67-31 and now moves to Gov. Chris Gregoire for her signature.
All four Sammamish-area representatives voted for it.
“The fact that we are moving toward a new, more homogenous funding formula is good for us as a district,” said Issaquah School Board President Brian Deagle. “Even if the overall state funding stays at the same level, Issaquah will still be in a better position.”
The new paradigm will include state funding for all-day kindergarten, an extra period in high school and funding for gifted programs.
It also establishes the possibility of funding pre-kindergarten for disadvantaged children and sets up a new formula for allocating transportation funding.
The bill does not set a start date for the reforms or mention how to pay for all of the new programs, but sets the deadline for full implementation of the redefined basic education system at 2018.
The bill also establishes a task force, to begin work in mid-2011, which will study teacher pay. The group will consider, among other factors, the cost of living in different areas in the state.
“This is a success story of my entire experience here of a genuine, bipartisan effort to fix the most important thing that we do here – our paramount duty,” Representative Glenn Anderson, R-5, said from the House floor April 20.
If signed into law, educators and lawmakers can begin laying out the blueprints for the new system, Anderson said.
“You want a very solid implementation schedule so you actually implement it and not just talk about it,” Anderson said. “You can’t build a house unless you’ve got a blueprint.”
Reporter Christopher Huber can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 242, or chuber@isspress.com. Comment on this story at www.sammamishreview.com.
New leaders wanted for city, county, schools
April 28, 2009
With John Curley’s announcement that he’s running for City Council, election season has officially started in the city of Sammamish. We’d love to see even more candidates come forward.
The ballot this year will be a full one, with county offices at the top of the ticket. The state’s top-two primary system, combined with a newly non-partisan county government could upset the order that has been established over recent years.
The County Executive seat is open for the first time in 10 years. Three candidates have announced plans to run, two of them from Seattle. Will someone from the suburbs try and challenge the urban hegemony of the county executive?
Councilwoman Kathy Lambert has said she plans to run for re-election, but without party labels, will that make her more or less attractive to constituents?
Seats will be open for Sammamish residents on both of the area’s school boards, and on both sewer and water districts.
And of course, City Council; four seats will be up for a vote this fall. Lee Fellinge’s retirement from council means one seat will be open. The remaining three seats belong to Jack Barry, Kathy Huckabay and Don Gerend. All three have been around since the original City Council was elected 10 years ago.
None of the trio have officially announced their intentions to run — yet. Since publicly announcing one’s candidacy sets off a raft of paperwork and deadlines, we imagine their silence means they will seek another term.
But there needs to be challengers. We have tremendous respect for all three council members, and their service to the city has been fantastic. But will voters think it’s time to change some of the long-time faces and opinions? The drumbeat of letters we receive from disgruntled residents tells us there may be room for some fresh eyes behind the council dais.
At the very least, there’s room for a vigorous debate about the direction Sammamish is headed. It’s time for the discontents to find out if they are in the majority and, if so, to tryout the hard job of governing.
Filing week begins June 1.
Visit www.kingcounty.gov/elections.
