Developers propose sports complex for Town Center
June 30, 2010
New: June 30, 10:13 a.m.
Developers envision a large private sporting facility with a pool, basketball and racquetball courts just north of Sammamish City Hall, but will need the city to make some zoning exceptions for it to proceed.
As envisioned by Seattle-based Gramor Development and Caron Architecture, the Sammamish Sport Club would be close to 65,000 square feet on approximately 3.5 acres southwest of the corner of Southeast 4th Street and 228th Avenue Southeast. Though the exact details of the project are still being ironed out, a 9-lane swimming pool, sauna, aerobic studio and massage parlor are among the amenities mentioned in conceptual materials presented to the City Council at a June 15 meeting. Read more
Keep it safe on the Fourth
June 29, 2010
Everybody loves fireworks. Seeing the cascading lights flicker through the night sky just makes people oohhh and ahhh no matter if this is the first display they’ve seen or the 50th.
Besides the big fireworks shows going on around the region, including Fourth on the Plateau, many people also like to set off their own smaller displays – allowing for the other American activity of ignoring a law you don’t like. Read more
Sammamish Forum June 30
June 29, 2010
Helmets needed at skate park
Today, the city of Sammamish had its annual teen skate competition and dance. Bravo! I applaud the city’s effort to provide fun and safe events for our youth.
Wait, is doing aerials on bikes and skates without helmets safe? That is something we did 30 years ago when no one knew better – when mom didn’t buckle up the kids up and dad smoked in the car.
While we go too far, in some areas, trying to protect people from themselves, it bothers me that my tax dollars went to digging a hole, filling it with concrete, and encouraging our kids to do stupid tricks … without helmets. Is it just me, or does that seem a little crazy?
Forget about our liability and the litigation – how are we going to feel about our community when one of our kids gets killed at the skate park from a head injury? I, for one, am going to be really bummed out!
Tim Schmidt
Sammamish
Get the recreation center started
We need a Sammamish Recreation Center — yet it appears that every month I see some variation on theme that detracts from this singular focus. First, it’s moving the YMCA, followed by converting the library into youth/senior center. Now, it’s collaborating with Redmond on a swimming pool. I don’t understand the vacillation.
Does anyone believe that we do not need a multi-use recreation center in a central location to benefit all of our residents? Why do we need to spend another $14,000 on a survey?
While I wholeheartedly disagreed with Councilman Mark Cross over the East Lake Sammamish Parkway project, I appreciated his tenacity and drive in moving it forward.
Why can’t the Council adopt the same initiative with the recreation center? I understand that the city will need to be creative about capital and operational funding, and there will be other hurdles. But I implore you to simply make the decision and move forward with it.
Michael J. O’Connell
Sammamish
Town Center problems
A news article entitled “Hail to whistleblowers” reports:
In his book, “Secrets,” (Daniel) Ellsberg describes how once, traveling back from Vietnam, defense secretary Robert McNamara assessed his visit by saying that “things aren’t any better at all. That means the underlying situation is really worse”. However, 10 minutes later in front of a press conference, he announced: “I’m glad to be able to tell you that we’re showing great progress in every dimension of our effort.”
Ellesberg, the article goes on to say, asked himself how could government officials justify what they were doing?
Sammamish is not Vietnam and our City Council is not continuing a war that cost the lives of 50,000 Americans and millions of Vietnamese. Nevertheless, there is a parallel between what Vietnam-era government officials did and what our City Council is doing. McNamara and his military commanders justified a failing war, our City Council justifies a failing Town Center plan.
Mayor Don Gerend admits the plan won’t work. Councilwoman Nancy Whitten wants to move forward and start implementing the town center plan. Simultaneously, she admits it won’t work and she wants to protect landowners from the higher property taxes, the plan’s one certain outcome. Frequently, it is hard to comprehend Whitten’s contradicting position.
Other City Council members have acknowledged the Town Center plan is seriously flawed, John Curley and John James for example. Mark Cross, in his public statements, is as perplexing as Nancy Whitten. He supports a Town Center, but works hard to push through a plan that can’t work. As a professional planner, he can’t plead ignorance. He knows the plan is a developer’s nightmare and a terrible injustice to property owners.
During the current public hearing for Town Center regulations, public comment points out undeniable facts that demonstrate this plan is a disaster. Whitten and Cross say it is too late to do anything. Reality denying opinions justify a do nothing plan. Obviously, like Daniel Ellsberg, citizens like myself ask, “How can government officials justify what they are doing?”
We are waiting for a response.
John Galvin
Sammamish
Who was the slacker
Thank you, Sammamish Review, for hosting the Sammamish Forum opinion page. It’s fun to read the letters, and I especially look forward to the lively and interesting political commentary. Although personally I rely on Michael O’Connell and Frank Blau to express my views more eloquently than I can, I do enjoy reading all of the viewpoints.
I was puzzled, however, by the letter that characterized President Obama as some kind of slacker who takes too much time off work. Wasn’t that the previous president?
Monica Kilwine
Sammamish
Sammamish can’t mandate helmets at skate park
June 29, 2010
You can lead a skater to a helmet, but you can’t make him wear one.
In a way that’s the position the city of Sammamish finds itself in regarding its skate park – despite signs encouraging helmet use, King County’s helmet law only covers bicyclists.
“Currently there’s no law on the books for me to enforce,” Sammamish Police Sgt. Robert Baxter said.
Adults would like to see more helmets at the skate park, but the city will have a tough time requiring them. Photo by Christopher Huber
New Sammamish regulations to govern placement of cell antennae
June 29, 2010
Cell phone reception or unobstructed views – the city is hoping new cell phone tower regulations will find a happy medium between both.
City staff are in the process of crafting the exact language of the city’s ordinance on the matter, which the City Council and Planning Commission have been tinkering with over the last several months. Read more
Top administration changes coming at 7 Sammamish schools
June 29, 2010
Although Brad Malloy seems to have enjoyed the last seven years as principal and associate principal at Lake Washington High School, he also is excited to be Eastlake High School’s newest head administrator, he said.
Malloy, who served as assistant and then associate principal at Eastlake from 1999-2003, will replace the outgoing principal, Greg Schellenberg. Read more
Emily Reyer takes 5 state baton twirling titles
June 29, 2010
At 7 years old, Emily Reyer picked up her first baton in Kathy Forsythe’s Boys and Girls club class and never set it down. Eight years later, Reyer is still twirling every week with the same coach. All the work seems to be paying off.
In May, Reyer won the state title for her age group in five of six events. She then went on to compete for the Grand Championship titles in dance twirl, strut, two-baton and three-baton. She won the dance twirl and strut titles and took second place in the two- and three-baton categories. The grand championship is comprised of the winners from each age group to determine the best of the best. Read more
Eastlake’s Luis Lopez provides wildfire assessments for DNR
June 29, 2010
When he began his senior year at Eastlake High School last fall, Luis Lopez contemplated what he would work on for his senior culminating project, which was required for graduation. He thought about learning to play a musical instrument, and then, maybe, to be a Spanish tutor, as Spanish is his first language, he said.
But he eventually found a program with the Washington Department of Natural Resources that offered training and experience for a completely different project — fire prevention. He started logging hours in September. Read more
Teri Yamada
June 29, 2010
Teri Yamada, of Sammamish, died Monday, June 14, 2010 in Seattle. She was 50. A long-time Sammamish resident, Yamada was the much-loved daughter of Sue and Tom Epperson. She grew up in Aberdeen, Wash. with her sister, Cathy, and graduated from St. Martin’s University in Lacey (go Saints!). There she met the man of her dreams, Ross Yamada, and together they shared 22 years of marriage. The very best part of this union and her greatest joy was their two wonderful children, Evan, 16 and Tessa, 12.
Teri Yamada
Richard “Dick” Wood
June 29, 2010
Richard “Dick” Wood, of Sammamish, died April 30, 2010 in Redmond. He was 75.
Wood was born March 23, 1935 in Wauwatosa, Wisc. to Ruth and Merrill Wood. He was raised in the Milwaukee area where he joined the United States Air Force at the age of 17. In the early 1970s, he moved to the Sammamish area where he became a member of the Redmond Elks Club. In his leisure time, Wood also enjoyed golfing, fishing, camping, and walking his dogs, Coco and Buddy. He always loved a good joke and making others laugh. He will be deeply missed.
Richard "Dick" Wood
