Saving teachers invests in the future
May 26, 2009
We are heartened to see that teacher layoffs in the Issaquah School District may not materialize as prepared for in the “worst case” scenario. This is doubly encouraging when coupled with the Lake Washington School District also managing to cut its budget without teacher layoffs.
Let’s take a minute to applaud the Issaquah district for stepping up to rehire all or almost all of the 158 teachers who received layoff notices last month. With state budget cuts of “only” $7.3 million instead of the expected $10.5 million, Superintendent Steve Rasmussen says the district will find a way to rehire the teachers. The $7.3 million loss, however, will make Issaquah district finances squeak even tighter than it already did. Cuts to administrative overhead, bus routes and other non-classroom related reductions are the decisions other districts are just now contemplating. Read more
Sammamish Forum May 27
May 26, 2009
Beaver Lake should be for everyone
To my surprise, I found out on May 17, that Beaver Lake and its public park are only for anglers. I always thought it was a public park to share between people who love to walk, swim, fish and relax. Taking advantage of the gorgeous, rare and hot weather, my kids wanted to go for a dip in the lake to cool off. I decided to go so I could relax under a nice tree while my kids took their dip in the lake.
When we got to the lake there were so many anglers in the picnic area like it was an open fishing day. I told my kids to watch out for the lines and go deep into the lake, far away but still in my sight, to avoid bothering the anglers. This was the worst error of my life.
After a short time, and while I was calmly relaxing in the shade, minding my own business and watching my kids have fun, I was surrounded by several anglers. I was harassed, cursed (I was impressed how many bad words and names you can hear in a short time), yelled at, had fingers pointed at me and accused of being the worst guy in the world. I was also told to shut up. I never knew the first amendment and freedom of speech did not apply in my country.
At the end, not everyone was against me. Looks like I had the fish on my side. During the limited time I was at the park there was not one bite. What can I say, maybe I just need to thank the fish for their support and promise them I will never fish at Beaver Lake.
Due to this incident, which could have happened to anyone, I encourage you to participate in the June 3 public meeting at the Beaver Lake Lodge to review three possible design alternatives for public feedback. We need to support a swimming area separate from the fishing area to avoid similar incidents so everyone can enjoy their recreation in a peaceful and harmonious way.
Anthony Riani
Sammamish
Consider the art
Thank you for bringing this show to Sammamish (Look what I found in Sammamish). In my darkest ponderings while making art I often ask myself what service do I provide as an artist? Am I wasting time and materials to fill the world with more trash?
Our current state of affairs regarding our ecosystem has also forced me to re-evaluate not just my sense of aesthetics but the meaning of many of the buzzwords we use in the arts.
The term archival, for example, is a word we use when referring to the materials an artist chooses with which to make art.
Work made with or on materials that do not qualify as “archival” are considered to be harder to sell to the gallery.
For example, a Styrofoam cup has a longer life span than a California Redwood yet Styrofoam is hardly considered to be an archival artist’s material.
Unlike Styrofoam, cardboard is made from living plant material far more precious to the planet. If so then why not glorify the cardboard? What criteria are we using to measure that which is valuable? I’m grateful that the theme of using recycled materials is being explored.
Carla Dimitriou
Sammamish
Time for new runners
Democratic politics is a relay race. The runners in the political race can go a certain distance then they need to hand off their batons. The temptation is to hold on and go a few more laps when one’s legs are giving out.
This is when democracy turns in on itself, loses its vigor, its ability to adapt and grow, to manage change and involve new generations in the process of governance.
The city is 10 years old and at a critical stage of development. The long time citizens who lobbied for the establishment of the city 10 years ago had a single, unambiguous issue stop growth.
These days issues are more complex, and for sure, this election is important for our newer citizens who commute to jobs, shuffle kids on and off the plateau, struggle with a difficult economy and wonder if they will be able to retire.
Within two weeks candidates for City Council will publicly declare their intentions.
In this year’s political race three incumbents, Jack Barry, Don Gerend, and Kathy Huckabay face a decision.
After a decade in office do they hold on to the political baton and try for four more laps around the track or do they hand off their batons to new runners?
These three face a difficult decision. These are challenging times. New social issues confront us. Demographics are changing. We have more singles, more couples without kids and more working retirees. Our community is more diverse.
Cities need to provide more than a bedroom and a backyard. After 10 years in the race can they speed up the pace?
Even the best runners run out of steam.
Democracy is a relay race. If the community is to win there comes a time to hand off the baton.
John Galvin
Sammamish
Parkway delays are waste of time and money
As I, and other citizens, now benefit from an added 20 minutes to my commutes on East Lake Sammamish Parkway – including Saturday- I have the benefit of more time to enjoy the lake. I also get to see the back up and the drivers waiting to get by on the other side.
Yesterday, I was sure the City Council would be glad to see that at 3:30 p.m. there was a back up, due to construction, from Inglewood Hill Road all the way to Northeast 35th Street.
The benefit of being in a standstill is that people can now benefit from the “calming” effect; I saw at least two of the drivers asleep at the wheel. We also save gas as many motorists turn off their cars.
Now I read that the city plans to extend the hours of closing a lane for our benefit but that construction time will stay the same. This could mean the project is already behind schedule and we are now asked to bear more traffic commute delays on the parkway. We have now pushed traffic delays also to Sahalee/228th Avenue as drivers try to leave the city via this access in greater numbers.
The irony of this is that we are asked to endure more than 18 years of this and well over $45 million. Do not be surprised if it hits $90 million for the three miles of work and, yes, there will be no savings on commute time when the project is over. Nor will there be opened views or buried wires that citizens asked for.
If calming is what the city council sought they only achieved it in the drivers who fell asleep. In this time, when schools are slashing teachers and higher priority projects are cut, we should not be wasting our money on misguided projects with no benefit like East lake Sammamish Parkway while hindering citizens’ commutes for 18 years.
Ramiro Valderrama
Sammamish
Police investigate second toilet explosion at Pacific Cascade
May 26, 2009
School officials and King County Sheriff’s deputies are investigating the cause of another toilet explosion at the Pacific Cascade Freshman Campus.
Sheriff’s deputies were at the school, 24635 S.E. Issaquah-Fall City Road, with a canine unit May 11 in hopes of finding materials or residue that may have contributed to an explosion in a second-story boy’s restroom in the 2100 wing at about 11 a.m. April 29. Read more
City cuts candidate’s voice from video
May 26, 2009
Don’t expect to see John Curley’s smiling face promoting Fourth on the Plateau anymore.
In order to avoid any possible conflict of interest, City Manager Ben Yazici has decided to extract Curley and his voiceovers from a promotional video about Sammamish’s July 4 celebrations. Read more
Man tells tales of adventure
May 26, 2009
John Miller has traveled around the world as an adventurer, a teacher and a guide, and now he’s going to share those experiences during a free presentation. His adventures started just after his graduation in 1999 from Eastlake High School when he fulfilled a longtime dream and went on a trip to India.
When he was young, his mother Gayle Holeton compared how he was living with what his life would be like if he lived in India. He never forgot that story.
“He was 7, and I was just spouting off as a mad mother would, but he remembered it,” said Holeton. Read more
Isn’t English fun
May 26, 2009
Listening to other individuals speak foreign languages always gets me thinking about English and how confusing it is.
A few summers ago, when I was in France, I stumbled upon a sign outside of a grocery store that said, “Learn to speak English good.” I found this to be very funny. Read more
McAuliffe first-graders attend 1850s-era school
May 26, 2009
Erin Johnson’s first graders at McAuliffe Elementary School should have a much greater appreciation for pens, pencils and paper these days.
They spent the past nine weeks learning things the way students their age did in 1859 such as writing with quill-and-ink and using chalk on personal chalkboards.
First-grade teacher Erin Johnson announces the beginning of the day’s festivities May 21 at her class’s Apple Valley School. Photo by Christopher Huber
Discovery Elementary girls are stock market whizzes
May 26, 2009
Discovery Elementary fifth-grader Jingyu Jenny Yang did so well in the statewide Stock Market Game that she said her mom half-joked about letting her invest the family’s money.
Yang and classmate Erika Shing were among approximately 40 Washington students recognized for their high marks in the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association’s annual Stock Market Game. The goal of the game was to have the top portfolio value at the end of the 10-week investment period. Participating teams, with members ranging from fourth to 12th grade, started out with a virtual cash balance of $100,000. Nearly 1,000 teams and 3,300 students participated around the state.
Discovery fifth-graders Erika Shing and Jingyu Jenny Yang placed third in the elementary-level competition in the statewide Stock Market Game. Photo by Christopher Huber
Eastlake doubles tennis team is heading to s
May 26, 2009
UPDATED 8:25 A.M., MAY 27
It wasn’t easy, but Eastlake doubles pair Chelsa Tsuji and Melanie Wang is the 2009 KingCo 4A tennis champion.
After winning three matches in two days, Tsuji and Wang beat Newport’s No. 1 doubles team 6-1, 6-1 in the KingCo title match at the University of Washington May 19. They will head to the state tournament May 29-30 in Kennewick.
“The score doesn’t really say it,” Wang said over the phone after the match. “Some of the games were really tight and we really had to give it everything we had. We had to grit our teeth and just focus. A lot of the games were close.”
Eastlake’s Melanie Wang watches the ball as she returns a volley against Bothell May 18. Photo by Christopher Huber
Eastlake falls to opportunistic Issaquah in loser-out playoff
May 26, 2009
As she stepped up to the plate in the top of the seventh inning, Issaquah senior Molly Nelson felt the pressure to make something happen.
The Lady Eagles were up 1-0 with two outs and two on, but they all knew they needed to seal the deal against the Eastlake Wolves.
It was a loser-out game and the 16-6 Eagles did not want this to be their last game of 2009. Read more
