City says goodbye to three council members
December 22, 2009
By J.B. Wogan
By J.B. Wogan
When all was said and done, Jack Barry still had his sense of humor.
A City Councilman for the city’s entire 10-year history, Barry approached the podium, his 3-year-old granddaughter Lauren in the crook of his arm. His wife, Janet, once said that he was the best-dressed council member by far, and with his camel hair sports coat, he seemed to confirm the statement.
“For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Jack Barry and I am a recovering politician,” he said. “Thank you kindly. It’s been a wonderful ride.”
Barry, who won elections in 1999, 2001 and 2005, lost to challenger Tom Odell in November. But it seemed hard to imagine that Sammamish hadn’t elected him again, given the outpouring of gratitude at the Dec. 15 meeting, his last.
Bernie Lucking spoke of Jack’s indelible mark on starting the Rotary Club of Sammamish and his continued work in the community.
Lucking told a story about his wife buying new wallpaper for the house every few years, when it didn’t seem necessary to him; he likened the anecdote to Barry being replaced on the council.
“We seem to be in a climate of change. Sometimes we change wallpaper for no reason at all,” he said.
Connie Walsworth spoke on behalf of the SAMMI awards, a Sept. 11-inspired awards ceremony that recognizes unselfish contributions to the community.
“If we didn’t have Jack, we wouldn’t have the SAMMI awards,” Walsworth said. “I just hope everybody realizes it would not be the city it is without our council members, especially my friend Jack … thank you for giving so tirelessly.”
Barry was not the only council member leaving office at the end of 2009. In fact, he wasn’t even the only founding member of the city to leave. Kathy Huckabay, one of the original council, decided to step down at the end of her third term.
Lee Fellinge also decided to step down after his first full term on the council.
City Manager Ben Yazici noted that the city’s current state was largely due to the work of the three council members. He listed off a series of projects that have their imprint: the city’s current parks system, its City Hall building, the city’s two roundabouts, the artificial turf fields at Eastlake and Skyline high schools, the skateboard park and the Southeast 24th Street boardwalk.
Much of the original council’s work isn’t visible to the naked eye — inches-thick piles of paper that made up the city’s first set of laws and policies.
Mayor Don Gerend, the last remaining member of the original council, offered up the final goodbye, through poetry. (See Sammamish Forum, Page 4 for the complete text)
“Without you three it will be hard to focus,” he said.
Of Huckabay he said, “The Community spoke and she took an oath, / And made a stand for controlling the growth.”
Gerend also talked about Huckabay’s longtime dedication to developing transportation options that accommodated bus riders, pedestrians and bikers.
Of Fellinge, he said “He looks at current budget and the next time around, / With a penchant for keeping us financially sound.”
Fellinge’s go-to questions at council meetings were “are there any unintended consequences” and “how much is this going to cost?” He advocated that the city seek better ways of modeling its budget six years into the future. In dealings with the local fire agency, Eastside Fire & Rescue, he encouraged staff to find ways of limiting the cost of fire protection, stirring no small amount of controversy.
Of Barry, Gerend said, “He focused on making a kid-safe city, / Wanting it family-friendly with no waif to pity.”
Barry often focused on maintaining the city’s reputation for having good schools and being family-friendly. He was quick to support parent and school-oriented initiatives. He helped start the Sammamish Youth Board, an advisory group that links teens with leaders in the community.
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.
When all was said and done, Jack Barry still had his sense of humor.
A City Councilman for the city’s entire 10-year history, Barry approached the podium, his 3-year-old granddaughter Lauren in the crook of his arm. His wife, Janet, once said that he was the best-dressed council member by far, and with his camel hair sports coat, he seemed to confirm the statement.
“For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Jack Barry and I am a recovering politician,” he said. “Thank you kindly. It’s been a wonderful ride.”
Jack Barry brought his granddaughter to his final council meeting. Photo by J.B. Wogan
Barry, who won elections in 1999, 2001 and 2005, lost to challenger Tom Odell in November. But it seemed hard to imagine that Sammamish hadn’t elected him again, given the outpouring of gratitude at the Dec. 15 meeting, his last.
Bernie Lucking spoke of Jack’s indelible mark on starting the Rotary Club of Sammamish and his continued work in the community.
Lucking told a story about his wife buying new wallpaper for the house every few years, when it didn’t seem necessary to him; he likened the anecdote to Barry being replaced on the council.
“We seem to be in a climate of change. Sometimes we change wallpaper for no reason at all,” he said.
Connie Walsworth spoke on behalf of the SAMMI awards, a Sept. 11-inspired awards ceremony that recognizes unselfish contributions to the community.
“If we didn’t have Jack, we wouldn’t have the SAMMI awards,” Walsworth said. “I just hope everybody realizes it would not be the city it is without our council members, especially my friend Jack … thank you for giving so tirelessly.”
Barry was not the only council member leaving office at the end of 2009. In fact, he wasn’t even the only founding member of the city to leave. Kathy Huckabay, one of the original council, decided to step down at the end of her third term.
Lee Fellinge has served on the council since 2005.
Lee Fellinge also decided to step down after his first full term on the council.
City Manager Ben Yazici noted that the city’s current state was largely due to the work of the three council members. He listed off a series of projects that have their imprint: the city’s current parks system, its City Hall building, the city’s two roundabouts, the artificial turf fields at Eastlake and Skyline high schools, the skateboard park and the Southeast 24th Street boardwalk.
Much of the original council’s work isn’t visible to the naked eye — inches-thick piles of paper that made up the city’s first set of laws and policies.
Mayor Don Gerend, the last remaining member of the original council, offered up the final goodbye, through poetry. (See Sammamish Forum for the complete text)
“Without you three it will be hard to focus,” he said.
Of Huckabay he said, “The Community spoke and she took an oath, / And made a stand for controlling the growth.”
Gerend also talked about Huckabay’s longtime dedication to developing transportation options that accommodated bus riders, pedestrians and bikers.
Of Fellinge, he said “He looks at current budget and the next time around, / With a penchant for keeping us financially sound.”
Fellinge’s go-to questions at council meetings were “are there any unintended consequences” and “how much is this going to cost?” He advocated that the city seek better ways of modeling its budget six years into the future. In dealings with the local fire agency, Eastside Fire & Rescue, he encouraged staff to find ways of limiting the cost of fire protection, stirring no small amount of controversy.
Kathy Huckabay was a member of the original City Council. Photo by J.B. Wogan
Of Barry, Gerend said, “He focused on making a kid-safe city, / Wanting it family-friendly with no waif to pity.”
Barry often focused on maintaining the city’s reputation for having good schools and being family-friendly. He was quick to support parent and school-oriented initiatives. He helped start the Sammamish Youth Board, an advisory group that links teens with leaders in the community.
Reporter J.B. Wogan can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 247, or jbwogan@isspress.com.
Other Stories of Interest: Sammamish City Council
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