Candidates: Who they are, why they’re running
October 20, 2009
By J.B. Wogan
Michael Rutt, 55, was sitting in his parked Honda Accord, waiting for somebody else to take a stand.
It was the afternoon of June 5, and though Rutt had told the local Sammamish newspapers that he was running for City Council, he hadn’t officially filed yet at the King County Elections building in Renton.
“I would have gladly bowed out if I saw a candidate that I thought was better than me,” Rutt said. But no one was coming. Don Gerend, a 10-year incumbent, hadn’t faced an opponent since he first ran for office in 1999. Unless Rutt followed through, Gerend was about to sail onto another four-year term.
“One thing I would not allow was one seat to go uncontested,” he said.
Rutt is somewhat of an aberration in the 2009 City Council elections. He hasn’t raised a dime for his campaign, he has no fliers and he has no yard signs. He said dinner conversations with his wife Claudine don’t revolve around the campaign, and his five adult children haven’t become volunteer canvassers. Rutt went to a “how-to” seminar on campaigning, but decided to disregard the advice about door knocking, too.
“Is this what American politics has come to? It goes against my grain and I don’t think it’s what it’s all about,” he said, adding that he believes a candidate forum — there were three in October — was the proper place to garner votes.
Rutt said he didn’t expect to win.
“I understand I’m a long shot,” he said. But for Rutt, the race isn’t about winning as much as forcing a dialogue and provoking change. If you’re complacent, then you share the blame in government’s dysfunction.
“Is it Ben? Is it the council? People have to look at themselves, because it’s us,” he said.
A City Council position pays like a part-time job ($10,200) but requires 30 or more hours per week. Yet, for the most part, people have opted to try it out: In the city’s first five elections, 22 of 28 council races have been contested.
Tom Vance, 58, dressed in a blazer and button-down shirt, was slumped over on a bench outside the City Council chambers.
Vance said people were shooting him menacing looks that night — the result of his delivering an unpopular recommendation to the council. Vance voted against his group, but as the chairman, he had to represent their joint opinion.
Vance isn’t the sort to voice dissent once a decision has been made, according to friends.
He uses the same polite tact in how he campaigns.
“I’m going to go at it from a glass is half-full approach. I try to be upbeat about it. Yeah, we’ve got issues, but we’ve also got good opportunities in the future,” he said.
Vance errs so much on the side of being positive that he evades specifics about what ticked him off enough to start working on city issues in 2003. Rather than get mad, he got involved, he said.
Friends repeatedly talk about his sense of fairness, the desire to build consensus and his willingness to dive headlong into the nitty gritty details of municipal government.
“It would be hard not to like Tom. It really would be. Even outside of politics,” said Mary Doerrer, a friend of Tom’s for about seven years.
Doerrer, who said she supports knowledgeable, detail-oriented candidates, also supports Erica Tiliacos.
Elizabeth Knuth describes Tiliacos in much the same way. Knuth met Tiliacos while they were carpooling to take their sons to school seven years ago. They’ve been friends ever since.
“She isn’t one of those people that just lets the world pass her by,” Knuth said.
“I know she’s spent a lot of time doing research on the things she cares about,” she said. “I like that about her, that she’s not just winging it.”
Tiliacos said she’s had to adjust to the idea of reaching out to people and asking for their vote. She said she remembers when she picked up her yard signs she had ordered.
“I saw this big printed pile and then I realized, oh dear, now we have to put them out there. You’re not anonymous anymore,” she said.
Less than half of the people (about 45 percent) who are registered to vote in Sammamish elections determine who wins City Council races. In the last four City Council election years, the average number of people who voted was 10,681. The city population is a little more than 40,000.
Janet Barry remembers how her father, whenever the family went out, used to stop and point at chain link fences in Chicago. He owned a chain link fence company and wanted to show them what he did with his time.
“It’s kind of a replay of my life when I watch Jack engage our family in the experience of the growing city,” she said. “I love being around people who love what they do. And Jack does.”
Recently, their breakfast conversation always ends the same way, she said. After coffee and reading the newspaper, she asks him what he plans to do today.
“His answer always is, I’m doorbelling,” she said. Soon he stuffs his suit pockets with fliers and heads out the door.
Jack Barry, 71, was well accustomed to the world of politics before ever running for the City Council 10 years ago. His father, John Barry Sr., was a Superintendent of Public Instruction for Maricopa County, Arizona and had to run for office every two years. Barry said opponents would spout half-truths and distortions, but his father wasn’t fazed.
“It was much more difficult for my mom than my dad,” he said.
But Janet, a former Issaquah School District superintendent, said public service and public criticism are a part of the household. They know how to handle it.
“We talk things over with each other. We always look for what’s underneath that negative statement,” she said.
As the election season winds down, John Curley has raised about $12,000, the most by far. Other candidates fall in the range of $5,000-$7,000 apiece. But Curley’s war chest isn’t big in the context of previous council races. In past elections, four council candidates have raised more than $20,000 apiece.
Tom Odell uses an index card for marking what people think is important in the city. He calls the results of his tally his “hot button” issues, which goes well with the red and white buttons he handed out at public celebrations all summer.
Odell is the sort to do his homework before embarking on a project. He sat down with five of the current City Council members to ask what the job requires. He called his friends in New England who organized a local campaign for now President Barack Obama.
“It’s the first time I’ve run for anything,” he explained.
Odell has been a fixture at council meetings for the last year and he appeared at most public events this summer, handing out red Odell balloons. He received heavy family support, with his daughter Anne and wife Ruth helping with campaign materials.
Odell said he’s found door knocking tricky, since he wants to avoid bothering people at dinner time.
He said he receives odd questions occasionally from residents, things that aren’t under the purview of a council member. Odell fielded some questions about the national health care debate this summer.
“One guy asked if I thought it’d be okay to shoot a deer in his yard,” Odell said.
Fit and family friendly
If elected, John Curley would probably be the fittest member of the council — he competes in local 5K and 10K races almost every weekend (he raises money for charities that way). At one candidate forum, he revealed that he swims on Pine Lake with a buoy tied to his foot; blue and white “Elect John Curley” signs, attached to the buoy, bob in the water as he does laps.
When Curley first consulted with his wife on running for City Council, she had some reservations.
“With his auction business, he’s busy. I was worried that this would take more time away from the family,” Lacey Curley said. “(But) anyone that knows him knows that he has been passionate about politics forever. That’s his sport … I wouldn’t even feel right telling him not to do it.”
At 47, John Curley is the second youngest candidate (John James is 46). He has said he would bring the perspective of young families to a current council that collectively has one child under 18. Lacey said her husband talks to their daughter Charlie, 8, and son, Ry, 7, about city issues, especially problems with new construction.
The topic of growth is important to the Curleys, since they left Queen Anne for a quieter, more family-oriented environment, Lacey said.
“Yes, we want to grow, but we don’t want to grow to the point where these young families don’t want to be here,” she said.
John James, the other young father running for a council position, said he gets that most people aren’t tuned in to the day-to-day details of city issues.
“The average citizen is hard pressed to name the current City Council,” James said. James talks about himself as a mainstream candidate, someone who understands what it’s like to be a working dad holding down a nine-to-five job — he works for Coldwell Banker. In his Municipal League of King County questionnaire, he wrote about coaching youth soccer as an experience that helped prepare him for being on the council.
He has three children, all attending local public schools on the plateau. James references his experience in the real estate business as a lens through which he understands quality of life issues, from neighborhood aesthetics to what parks Sammamish needs.
James ran for a council position in 2007 but lost to Nancy Whitten. He said he spent the evening of his loss eating ice cream with supporters in the Cold Stone Creamery.
“Obviously, you don’t live on a City Council stipend,” James said. “I had a job and I had a career and I was trying to give back to my community.”
Rethink your positions
Michael Rutt’s no-signs, no-fliers strategy matches well with his opponent’s campaign philosophy. Don Gerend isn’t spending money on the election either.
“I was really disgusted after the first campaign,” Don Gerend said, referring to the proliferation of yard signs throughout the city in 1999. Gerend said he wanted people to vote for him based on his positions, not his yard signs. He vowed not to use the signs again — this hasn’t been a problem since no one ran against him in 2001 or 2005.
“I’m glad I have an opponent,” Gerend said. “(It) challenges you to rethink your positions on things.”
Before deciding to run for a fourth term, Gerend made a deal with his wife Susan. If he ran again, she could get a new dog. They made the same agreement in 1999.
Ten years ago, Susan got a standard poodle. In 2009, she got an airedale named Chester.
Gerend said the experience has been invigorating, learning to drink “from the fire hose of municipal government” and meeting interesting people. But he was surprised to learn that there’s no such thing as the perfect policy decision.
“You never make a decision that everybody’s happy with,” he said.
Reporter J.B. Wogan can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 247, or jbwogan@isspress.com. To comment on this story, visit www.SammamishReview.com.
Michael Rutt, 55, was sitting in his parked Honda Accord, waiting for somebody else to take a stand.
It was the afternoon of June 5, and though Rutt had told the local Sammamish newspapers that he was running for City Council, he hadn’t officially filed yet at the King County Elections building in Renton.
“I would have gladly bowed out if I saw a candidate that I thought was better than me,” Rutt said. But no one was coming. Don Gerend, a 10-year incumbent, hadn’t faced an opponent since he first ran for office in 1999. Unless Rutt followed through, Gerend was about to sail onto another four-year term.
“One thing I would not allow was one seat to go uncontested,” he said.
Sammamish reviews plans to increase sustainability
October 20, 2009
By J.B. Wogan
More biking, more walking, more energy efficient cars and lights that run on less electricity — those are just some ways Sammamish might go green in years to come.
Kamuron Gurol, director of Community Development, told the City Council that Sammamish has received $25,000 through federal stimulus funding to come up with a sustainability strategy.
Gurol’s presentation follows on the heels of a sustainability event in September that encouraged softer human impact on the environment, more efficient energy use, and water conservation.
Gurol gave a report in April to the City Council that outlined a plan for encouraging sustainability on the plateau.
It would focus on smart development in the future Town Center area, regional sustainability efforts between the city and other public agencies, city action (such as its ongoing effort to update shoreline building regulations) and community volunteer efforts.
In his October presentation, Gurol came back to the council with a few more specifics, but mostly sought to verify that his staff was going in the right direction.
Gurol said his department might seek input from the community, neighboring cities, the council’s advisory boards, sustainability experts and a hired consultant. He said the council would have to decide how to solicit input and from whom.
Gurol said the city would likely work to improve energy and water efficiency.
He said it would also encourage conservation, reuse and recycling.
He also included a memo to the council with summaries of efforts by seven other Washington cities to incorporate sustainability into their planning.
Some cities called for periodic reports of their carbon footprint. Others suggested community education programs about energy conservation.
Kirkland is pushing for replacing its invasive plants with native ones.
Issaquah is encouraging certified green building techniques.
Shoreline plans to have stricter regulations on storm water management.
And Bellevue plans to protect and expand trees that provide environmental and economic value to the area.
To read the full summary, go to www.ci.sammamish.wa.us/files/document/5993.pdf.
Reporter J.B. Wogan can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 247, or jbwogan@isspress.com. To comment on this story, visit www.SammamishReview.com.
More biking, more walking, more energy efficient cars and lights that run on less electricity — those are just some ways Sammamish might go green in years to come.
Kamuron Gurol, director of Community Development, told the City Council that Sammamish has received $25,000 through federal stimulus funding to come up with a sustainability strategy. Read more
Issaquah School District to place levy on next year’s ballot
October 20, 2009
Issaquah School Board members unanimously voted to put three levy measures before voters on the Feb. 9 ballot.
The three replacement measures — a $155.9 million maintenance and operations levy, a $1.7 transportation levy and a $40.4 million technology and critical repairs levy — would sustain funding in those areas through 2013.
If approved, voters would be keeping the taxes they approved for the district from the 2006 levy package for another four years. Read more
Chris Merritt retires after 38 years of volunteering
October 20, 2009
By Christopher Huber
Of all the sad, happy and adventurous stories Chris Merritt could tell of his 38 years working for the fire and rescue service in Sammamish, perhaps none of them have been as profound as the story about the time he decided to become a volunteer paramedic.
It was 1971 and he was 15. He accompanied his father, Jim Merritt, and some plateau firefighters to a house fire because he wanted to see what it was like. He witnessed the walls collapse as the blaze tore the home apart. Merritt said the homeowner stood in front of the destroyed house, having lost everything. The man had escaped in time, but part of his suit had been burned off of his back.
That was the pivotal moment, he said.
“Dad turned to me and said, ‘this man just lost everything he owns and ever cared about,” Chris Merritt said of the moment. “Dad said, ‘if you choose a career in public service, you’ll never regret it.’”
So the day he turned 16, Oct. 6, 1971, Chris Merritt signed up to volunteer. Back then the fire department and EMS was all-volunteer on the plateau — Issaquah had two paid firefighters, he said. Back then they didn’t use much protective gear or breathing masks, either.
“To think about that now, that’s just crazy,” Chris Merritt said.
The 54-year-old Merritt grew up next to the Pine Lake firehouse and was surrounded by a family of firefighters. He currently works fulltime as a medical service officer with King County Medic One, but spent much of his spare time until now looking out for the people in the Sammamish community. After announcing his retirement Oct. 6, Merritt was recently recognized for his longtime service to the area.
“I didn’t retire to get recognition. I retired to retire,” Chris Merritt said. “It’s difficult to believe that it’s been 38 years.”
The department gave him a special fire extinguisher as a token of their appreciation.
“I’d like to talk on and on and on about the merits of Chris Merritt,” said EFR Chief Lee Soptich at the agency’s Oct. 13 meeting.
Chris Merritt and his four brothers followed in the footsteps of their father and grandfather, who built the Pine Lake fire station, according to an EFR press release. Jim Merritt is currently a fire commissioner in Yakima.
“Part of it was the excitement of it,” said Jim Merritt of why his son joined the department — then District 10 — in his youth. “Every time the pager goes off, it’s a different scenario. I guess they got it from me.”
Chris became a part-time dispatcher for the plateau area of District 10 in 1972 and then was certified as an emergency medical technician in 1973.
Eventually, he was battalion chief, in charge of all the volunteers at stations 81, 82 and 83, all of which are in Sammamish.
“It’s probably one of the most rewarding careers somebody could ever have,” Chris Merritt said. “Because every day, when you go to work, there is never a routine day.”
As the emergency response and fire services grew, so did Merritt in his roles with the area departments. Since becoming a certified paramedic in 1979, Chris Merritt worked for the Bellevue Fire Department and King County Medical Services.
“Chris certainly had a strong inspiration to be a paramedic,” said his brother, Warren Merritt, who is currently the deputy chief for the Bellevue Fire Department. “I don’t think he’s done giving yet.”
He played an integral role in area departments developing an Advanced Life Support service, as well as in initiating the program to provide better feedback to EMTs on their service reports.
He said some of the programs and increased services developed over the past decades have made King County emergency medical services some of the best in the nation.
“You see people at the worst moment in their life and you have this finite opportunity to make a difference in somebody’s life,” Chris Merritt said. “For me, it is just a great deal of personal satisfaction of knowing as a paramedic, when you go out to help someone, that you’re making a significant difference in their life.”
Of all the things Merritt did as a volunteer paramedic, he most fondly remembers the birth of his son, Adam, in 1984. That’s because he delivered him on his own in the back of an aid car as Jim Merritt drove. Other than the fact that they had to find a way around the road-blocking Anderson House as crews moved it, “it was a pretty routine delivery,” Chris Merritt said.
He continues to work for the county’s Medic One service, but Chris Merritt said after 38 years he needs to take a breather from the volunteer work that eats up a lot of time on the side. He calls his time serving the Sammamish community, “a wonderful experience,” but it’s time to slow down.
Maybe Adam Merritt, the family’s newest EFR firefighter, will be able to tell the kinds of stories his father did.
Reporter Christopher Huber can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 242, or chuber@isspress.com. Comment on this story at www.sammamishreview.com.
Of all the sad, happy and adventurous stories Chris Merritt could tell of his 38 years working for the fire and rescue service in Sammamish, perhaps none of them have been as profound as the story about the time he decided to become a volunteer paramedic.
It was 1971 and he was 15. He accompanied his father, Jim Merritt, and some plateau firefighters to a house fire because he wanted to see what it was like. He witnessed the walls collapse as the blaze tore the home apart. Merritt said the homeowner stood in front of the destroyed house, having lost everything. The man had escaped in time, but part of his suit had been burned off of his back.
Ron Pedee, EFR Board of Directors chairman (left), presents Chris Merritt with a commerative fire extinguisher in honor of his decades as a volunteer. Photo by J.B. Wogan
Skyline grads fights brain hemorrage, graduates from MIT
October 20, 2009
By Chantelle Lusebrink
A red-and-white beach ball bounced brightly against the overcast sky, skipping across the heads of Massachusetts Institute of Technology students clad in black caps and gowns June 5.
Among them was John Pavlish, a 2003 Skyline High School graduate. For him, the day was one that had been in the making for more than six years.
“It was the day of my grandmother’s birthday. I thought a lot about her, because she was so proud I was attending,” Pavlish said. “She died before I graduated, but I thanked her for giving me the courage to do what I have.”
A storm on both coasts
As the Hanukkah Eve storm raged against the Pacific Northwest Dec. 14, 2006, another storm was raging inside John Pavlish’s body as he studied for finals.
“Two days before the end of the semester, he called me and said, ‘Mom, I don’t feel good,’” his mother Sally Pavlish said.
He had been sick for nearly a month before placing that call to his mother.
Feeling feverish, developing a purple rash over his lower legs, having cold sores in his mouth and losing his appetite were among many things he’d been dealing with, he said. But when he went to use the restroom that night, it was the last straw.
“I looked down at my urine and it was completely red,” he said. “I thought, this isn’t normal.”
After being sent from the school’s infirmary to Massachusetts General Hospital, hematologists diagnosed John with a rare blood disease. Essentially, bacteria had infected his blood stream and his body’s defenses were trying to rid his body of it, he said. Unfortunately, his body couldn’t tell the difference between good and bad blood, so it was trying to get rid of it all.
After steroids and other medication, he was told he would be fine after resting in the hospital.
After making a few reassuring phone calls to relatives and friends, he said he developed a headache on Dec. 14.
“I was excited, because it was my first time in a hospital and here, the nurse told me to call for anything. I had my own butler,” he said, with a smirk.
After taking Tylenol, he said he lost consciousness.
A fight back from the brink
It was the second telephone call that sent a chill through those in the Pavlish home.
“In the middle of the night, I got a phone call from a neurologist,” Sally Pavlish said. “He told me they needed permission to operate on my son, that his situation and prognosis were grave, and that I needed to come out right away.”
A CAT scan revealed a large brain hemorrhage in John’s left occipital and temporal lobes. It was caused by the low blood levels in his body.
“They usually don’t do that type of surgery on people,” John said. “The surgeon said he only did it because of my age, my health, that I wasn’t addicted to drugs and I didn’t have a typical brain — it was smart. It was one that went to MIT.”
Stepping outside of their home to leave, the Pavlish family — Sally, John’s father Robin and his brother Paul — was met with disaster. High winds had knocked down trees on residential streets and state highways, and power outages covered the area, including at Sea-Tac International Airport.
While she drove to Portland to catch a direct flight to Boston, John underwent two surgeries to relieve pressure in his brain.
When the Pavlishes arrived at the hospital, John remembered who they were, Sally said. But he was missing the majority of the left portion of his skull, because the swelling of his brain had been so great, they couldn’t put it back on.
That wasn’t the hardest part, though, John said.
“I would put my finger up there and it was squishy, so I had a helmet,” he said, still fascinated. “But the worst part was, they wouldn’t let me shower by myself or cut my hair.”
It remained that way for months, until they could replace that piece of his skull.
Through it all, “the school was so supportive,” Sally said. “They helped me find a graduate apartment, so I could live near John. I don’t know of any other school that takes care of their students like that.”
All roads lead back to MIT
Thankfully, he retained many of his physical abilities, like walking and writing, unlike many people who undergo a traumatic brain injury similar to his, John said.
However, he did lose peripheral vision in his right eye and portions of his language center, Sally said.
In Seattle, John had to relearn to read, write and spell words, do simple arithmetic and recoordinate his eyes to work together.
“He had to relearn simple things,” Sally said. “Like going through alphabet flash cards. He got to the letter ‘n’ and he wanted to use the word nylon.”
“But I couldn’t think of how to spell it,” John said, remembering the frustration. “So, I wrote down the chemical formula for it.”
The same happened when he attempted a simple division problem. He found he couldn’t do it, but he could complete a calculus equation with ease.
“I think many of the rehab people who have worked with head trauma felt that John’s prognosis was not good and that he could not return to college and finish his degree,” Dr. Mary Ellen Reinhart, of the MIT Infirmary, wrote in an e-mail.
Even John was uncertain where he might end up.
“There were dark points,” he said. “If it wasn’t for my friends and family to cheer me on, I don’t know if I should say this, but there were times I felt like committing suicide, because the only things I felt like I could contribute were my organs. My brain was dead.
“It took a long time, but I’m proud of the little things I’ve done,” he added.
After a year and a half of rehabilitative therapy sessions, often more than 15-20 hours per week, he said he felt ready to return to school.
“When he exceeded ability of medical therapists, it became clear that coming back to MIT would further his rehabilitation though difficult,” Reinhart wrote.
Taking one class each semester in fall 2008 and this spring, John finally realized his dream and shook the hand of the president of the college while he got his diploma June 5.
“I used to look into his crib and wonder what his life would hold,” Sally said. “I never thought that this would be part of it. But I’m glad he doesn’t always listen,” to what others say.
“John has a brilliant brain and is gifted, so even if some of it was damaged, there is still more there than many people,” Reinhart wrote. “As a result of all of this, he certainly has become a very different and admirable young man.”
Today, John looks to his future and is still uncertain of exactly what he wants to do.
“I’ve thought of doing consulting work for IBM,” he said, although he still flirts with the idea of attending graduate school.
“I look at things in a different way,” he added. “I’ve stopped dwelling on who I was, but I focus on what I can do now.”
Reporter Chantelle Lusebrink can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 241, or clusebrink@isspress.com. To comment on this story, visit www.SammamishReview.com.
A red-and-white beach ball bounced brightly against the overcast sky, skipping across the heads of Massachusetts Institute of Technology students clad in black caps and gowns June 5.
Among them was John Pavlish, a 2003 Skyline High School graduate. For him, the day was one that had been in the making for more than six years.
“It was the day of my grandmother’s birthday. I thought a lot about her, because she was so proud I was attending,” Pavlish said. “She died before I graduated, but I thanked her for giving me the courage to do what I have.”
John Pavlish and his mother Sally pose in the family living room beside the piano that has been an important part of his rehabilitation therapy to recover from a brain hemorrhage. Photo by Greg Farrar
Have fun in the fall
October 20, 2009
By Morgan Conover
Since we’ve officially bitten the bullet and gotten over the initial shock of having to wake up every morning at 6 a.m. to go to school, life has become fairly routine for the teens living on the Sammamish Plateau.
We’ve all stopped worrying about who is going to be in our classes, sophomores have figured out the lay of the land, juniors are scrambling to study for the SAT’s, and the seniors… well, they’re hanging in there. Now that we’ve gotten our bearings at school, we all can focus on other things such as our social life.
In the fall, there are countless ways to spend your time, but here I’ve included some of the fall activities I’m looking forward to most.
The event that is prominent in the minds of all Eastlake students is homecoming. Between the spirit days, pep assemblies and the nervous tension building over who will win the title of prince and princess, homecoming week is always a fun time.
When the day finally rolls around, and after we have survived the awkward pre-dance photo session, all the planning pays off resulting in a night to remember. And for those who are not planning on going to the dance, don’t worry, there are tons of other fall activities you can do that evening which will be just as fun.
One such activity is going to a haunted house. All right, I admit, the last time I went to a haunted house I got so scared I cried, but just because I’m chicken doesn’t mean that these fright fests aren’t a fun way to get in the spirit for Halloween.
One of the best places to get scared in Sammamish is at the Nightmare at Beaver Lake. Nightmare at Beaver Lake runs from Oct. 23 to Halloween (Oct. 31) with a 7-8 p.m. family hour (which seems perfect for my tolerance level for scary things) and then 8-11 p.m. filled with “Full Force” frights.
Or, if you’re like me and would rather skip the scary stuff, grab your GORE-TEX and find a friend, some trail mix, a water bottle and head outside. If you hop on the freeway and head east, you are bound to run into one of the countless trail heads in the area.
If you take I-90 to exit 20, you’ll find yourself at the trailhead for Tiger Mountain. Personally, I love going to Tiger because it’s convenient (about 15 minutes from Sammamish), and even if you’re no Jim Whittaker, climbing it is a great way to get some exercise that comes with a view.
If those ideas don’t appeal to you, what about a trip to the pumpkin patch? We have our very own pumpkin patch at the bottom of Sahalee Way.
So in the spirit of the fall season, Happy Homecoming, Happy Halloween, and Happy Trails (and in the spirit of the SAT — circle all that apply).
Since we’ve officially bitten the bullet and gotten over the initial shock of having to wake up every morning at 6 a.m. to go to school, life has become fairly routine for the teens living on the Sammamish Plateau.
We’ve all stopped worrying about who is going to be in our classes, sophomores have figured out the lay of the land, juniors are scrambling to study for the SAT’s, and the seniors… well, they’re hanging in there. Now that we’ve gotten our bearings at school, we all can focus on other things such as our social life. Read more
Derek Papke learns ins and outs of government
October 20, 2009
By Christopher Huber
Like some of his classmates, Eastlake junior Derek Papke maintains a 4.0 grade point average. He also plays baseball and is involved in DECA.
But Papke recently got a chance to attend a national student-leader conference because he stands out to his teachers in another way.
He has a passion for learning unlike his peers, said his homeroom and former world literature teacher Richard Belcher.
“There are very few students his age that have such a desire to get smarter,” Belcher said in a Papke family e-mail to the Review. “He never left anything to chance. He would always step up and ask a question.”
Last spring, Belcher nominated Papke to attend the National Young Leaders Conference in Washington, D.C. Papke recently returned from the conference, which ran from Oct. 6-11, with a fresh, broader sense of what it means to be a leader among his peers, he said.
Papke said he had been to the capital city before for vacation, but this time, his weeklong experience meant more.
“I felt honored to even have been given the opportunity to go,” Papke said. “It had much more personal meaning to it.”
At the six-day leadership conference, Papke and just six other Washington students — about 310 sophomores, juniors and seniors total — participated in tours around the capitol and met local politicians like U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert and Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray.
But he seemed to be most enthused about the various governmental simulations he was a part of.
“It was very rewarding. I liked it a lot,” he said. “I didn’t get much sleep, but it was definitely worth it.”
During the “If I were President” scenario, Papke said the students had to develop plans of action for dealing with potential real-world conflicts.
For the judicial branch activities, Papke played a part in a mock trial of the real Arizona v. Johnson Supreme Court case.
He said the students spent long days talking to lawmakers, journalists and other government officials to get a better grasp of the law, the fundamentals of democracy and politics in general.
“I’ve been too tentative to put myself into a leadership position, but just going there and experiencing the whole thing and (realizing) how anyone can be a leader … it kind of motivated me to push myself to become a leader at my school,” Papke said.
The National Young Leaders Conference runs 13 sessions throughout the year, in the spring and fall. The conference was developed by Marguerite C. Regan, a former high school teacher.
During the month leading up to the conference, Papke asked for all the homework he would miss, so he could finish it before the trip, Belcher said.
“That’s just the kind of kid he is,” Belcher said.
Other than gaining a new outlook for potential leadership roles at Eastlake, as well as a stronger desire to pursue a law degree, Papke also met peers from around the country, some of whom he plans to remain in contact with, Papke said.
“I think (the conference) was a reward of sorts because of all the hard work,” said Derek’s father, Bob Papke.
Reporter Christopher Huber can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 242, or chuber@isspress.com. Comment on this story at www.sammamishreview.com.
Like some of his classmates, Eastlake junior Derek Papke maintains a 4.0 grade point average. He also plays baseball and is involved in DECA.
But Papke recently got a chance to attend a national student-leader conference because he stands out to his teachers in another way.
He has a passion for learning unlike his peers, said his homeroom and former world literature teacher Richard Belcher.
“There are very few students his age that have such a desire to get smarter,” Belcher said in a Papke family e-mail to the Review. “He never left anything to chance. He would always step up and ask a question.”
Eastlake junior Derek Papke, left, stands with U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert during the National Young Leaders Conference in Washington, D.C. Contributed
Skyline out shoots Eastlake at districts
October 20, 2009
Li Wang, Eastlake’s standout freshman golfer, played the best of all Sammamish golfers, placing second at the Sea-King 4A District golf tournament Oct. 14. He finished with a 72-shot day-two (146 strokes total) at Snohomish Golf Course, behind Woodinville’s Jarrett Foote.
But the story was Skyline’s stronger-than-expected finish as a team at districts. The Spartans had struggled throughout the regular season, but managed to place third with 36 points, six points in front of Eastlake.
“I’m thrilled,” said Skyline coach Mike Fleming of the strong finish to the season. “We underperformed all season. We were just frustrated.”
Despite dealing with wet and windy conditions, and, at times having to squeegee the greens while putting, three Spartans and Wang finished in the top 12. Skyline’s Nathan Stephenson, Darius Lalier and Jordan Windsor will advance to the state tournament in May, along with Wang.
Stephenson finished sixth with a first-round 81 and second-round 75. Lalier placed ninth in the district with a 76-shot first round and 81-shot round two and teammate Jordan Windsor took 10th with an 84 and 74 in the tournament.
Five Eastside Catholic golfers advanced to the district tournament after finishing in the top 30 players at the Metro 3A medalist tournament Oct. 15. Sean Ballsmith tied for 15th, shooting 82- and 76-stroke rounds and Cutter Boit hit a 159 total (80, 79) to finish 17th. John Holt took 22nd with a 76-shot first round and an 86-shot second and Justin David hit an 87 and an 81 (168 total) to take 28th. Kevin Anderson will be an alternate to districts after shooting a 173 over two rounds.
On the girls side for Eastside Catholic, Ashley Danforth took fourth place in the medalist tournament with a 79 and an 80 over two days. She helped the Crusaders place fourth in the girls’ team results, as well.
Li Wang, Eastlake’s standout freshman golfer, played the best of all Sammamish golfers, placing second at the Sea-King 4A District golf tournament Oct. 14. He finished with a 72-shot day-two (146 strokes total) at Snohomish Golf Course, behind Woodinville’s Jarrett Foote.
But the story was Skyline’s stronger-than-expected finish as a team at districts. The Spartans had struggled throughout the regular season, but managed to place third with 36 points, six points in front of Eastlake. Read more
Eastlake, Issaquah soccer keep KingCo playoff race tight
October 20, 2009
By Christopher Huber
Coming into its Oct. 13 match against Eastlake, the Issaquah Lady Eagles soccer team was reeling from a loss to district rival Skyline. The loss was the team’s first in KingCo 4A and it knocked Issaquah into second place with five games remaining.
So, when it came time to face another tough team from the plateau, the Eagles were focused. They knew they had to out hustle the Lady Wolves on both sides of the ball and take advantage of any scoring opportunity they got.
They did just that.
“When they got their chances they put them away,” said Eastlake captain Courtney Pixler.
Issaquah forward Kristin Maris scored all four goals in the Eagles’ 4-0 win over Eastlake.
“The game proved to be a test of wills. In the end, they prevailed,” said Eastlake head coach Chuck Krieble. “I tip my hat to her (Maris). We knew we had to mark her, but just couldn’t get to her in time.”
The win put Issaquah back in first, tied with Skyline and Eastlake’s loss brought it to third place in league play.
“It was a huge win for us coming off of a loss to Skyline,” Maris said. “It was important we came back and played well.”
The key to the game, Maris and Issaquah head coach Tom Bunnell said, was to contain Eastlake’s speedy players up front in Allie Beahan, Kelly Morro and Candice Osei-Agyemang.
“It was a matter of us shoring up our defensive responsibilities,” Bunnell said.
The second half was “physical across the board,” Bunnell said. Issaquah struck in the third minute of the half when Maris punched in a 20-yard Audrey Thomas loft kick.
Leading 2-0 in the 50th minute, Maris took advantage of another opportunity. This time Abby Glasgow posted the ball up on a free kick from 30 yards out. Maris, in perfect position near the left goalpost, headed it in right past Eastlake goalkeeper Bryce Kennedy.
The goal seemed to be a testament to Issaquah’s intent to be the best team in the air this season.
“We really like to be the best team in the air, and we focus on winning every ball in the air,” Maris said.
The Wolves offense posed a threat early on, penetrating the Issaquah defense and creating a few scoring opportunities, but Issaquah held tight.
The Eagles adjusted in the physical, back-and-forth match and managed to score on a Maris penalty kick before the halftime break. She put the game away with another penalty kick score late in the second half.
Krieble said he was impressed with Issaquah’s front attack, especially junior forward Margaret Rouch’s ability to control the ball and hold off Eastlake defenders.
“We couldn’t catch up at the end,” Krieble said. “(But) the score doesn’t reflect the effort.”
Eastlake stayed alive in the playoff hunt after beating Woodinville 3-2 Oct. 15. Osei-Agyemang scored in the 40th and 52nd minutes and Jaclyn Softli broke the 2-2 tie in the 68th minute. The win put Eastlake at 6-2-0 in KingCo competition, in third behind Skyline and Issaquah, which are tied for first at 7-1-0 each.
Issaquah beat Ballard 3-0 Oct. 15.
Reporter Christopher Huber can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 242, or chuber@isspress.com. Comment on this story at www.sammamishreview.com.
Coming into its Oct. 13 match against Eastlake, the Issaquah Lady Eagles soccer team was reeling from a loss to district rival Skyline. The loss was the team’s first in KingCo 4A and it knocked Issaquah into second place with five games remaining.
So, when it came time to face another tough team from the plateau, the Eagles were focused. They knew they had to out hustle the Lady Wolves on both sides of the ball and take advantage of any scoring opportunity they got. Read more
Catholic falls to O’Dea in tough Metro rematch
October 20, 2009
In its highly anticipated Metro championship rematch against O’Dea, the Eastside Catholic football team was unable to pull through in its 49-14 loss. The Fighting Irish scored 21 in the first quarter to get out to an early lead.
The Crusaders put up seven in the second quarter on a 70-yard pass from Connor McCormick to Alec Kimble, but struggled to get much else going.
O’Dea scored six times on the ground and once through the air. Eastside Catholic’s second touchdown came in the third on a 21-yard McCormick pass to Luke Nelson. The score brought it to 28-14, but the Fighting Irish turned up the heat, scoring 14 more in the fourth.
In 2008, Eastside Catholic beat O’Dea 17-14 on its way to win the Metro League title.
The Crusaders head into its Oct. 22 game at Seattle Prep with a record of 3-4.
In its highly anticipated Metro championship rematch against O’Dea, the Eastside Catholic football team was unable to pull through in its 49-14 loss. The Fighting Irish scored 21 in the first quarter to get out to an early lead.
The Crusaders put up seven in the second quarter on a 70-yard pass from Connor McCormick to Alec Kimble, but struggled to get much else going. Read more
