Tough times call for a tough budget
September 21, 2010
City Manager Ben Yazici has proposed what must have been a difficult budget for him to write. It is good he did; others in the region should take note.
The 2011 city budget strives to maintain the same level of services while not introducing new revenues. The proposed budget not only does that but also simultaneously delays the date when city’s expenses are expected to exceed its income. Read more
Sammamish Forum Sept. 22
September 21, 2010
Support for Haistings
As my two children grow up and go through the public school system in Sammamish, I get more troubled by the day. In junior high, everything is done on computers, textbooks are now obsolete and Internet programs grade homework. The buses are over-crowded and the Lake Washington School District is now considering future plans for dealing with overcrowding at the high school. Read more
Sammamish City Council gets first look at budget
September 21, 2010
Sammamish’s dreaded “crossover point” could be kicked down the road a ways under the city’s proposed budget thanks to recession-induced low inflation, scaled-back capital projects and staff layoffs and benefit cuts.
City Manager Ben Yazici presented the City Council with his proposed 2011-2012 budget at the council’s study session Sept. 14, highlighting the elimination of positions, cuts in employee salaries and perks and scaled back capital projects as examples of the city “living within our means.” Read more
Cascade Water Alliance secures water supply
September 21, 2010
The state Department of Ecology has OK’d a water-rights package for a future drinking water source for Sammamish residents.
The approval grants Cascade Water Alliance the authority to use a portion of the water in Lake Tapps for drinking water and, at the same time, guarantees water levels to maintain summer recreation at the popular Pierce County lake. Read more
Some Sammamish schools fail to meet federal testing standards under No Child Left Behind
September 21, 2010
A handful of Sammamish schools failed to meet federal testing standards this year.
In the Lake Washington School District, Inglewood Middle School and Eastlake High School both failed to make Adequate Yearly Progress because of a lack of improvement in math test scores by special education students. In the Issaquah district, Beaver Lake Middle School also failed as a result of insufficient progress among special education students in math. Read more
Heritage society asks for money for Freed House
September 21, 2010
Members of the Sammamish Heritage Society renewed their calls for the city council to find a home for a 115-year-old farmhouse currently sitting in limbo.
Seven supporters of the Freed House, four of which listed their addresses as being outside Sammamish city limits, spoke at the council’s Sept. 14 meeting, urging the city to come up with $68,000 to move the building and install it in Sammamish Commons, where they envision it being restored through donations, grants and volunteers. Read more
Sammamish school districts receive new energy grants
September 21, 2010
The Lake Washington and Issaquah school districts each recently received grants to help their schools’ energy efficiency, according to the state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction Sept. 3. Read more
Ian Mercer’s house is smarter than your house
September 21, 2010
Longtime Sammamish resident Ian Mercer sat at his kitchen counter Sept. 6, chatting with his home. The chatting, using his laptop, involved Mercer asking the house to do things and the house responding accordingly.
Mercer, a former Microsoft senior manager, typed in “weather” and a voice came from the speakers in the ceiling giving the daily forecast, complete with background music. It not only told Mercer the day’s projected weather, but mentioned it would be “about the same as yesterday.”
Ian Mercer demonstrates one way he communicates with his home. Photo by Christopher Huber
Sammamish artist paints portraits of the powerful
September 21, 2010
Upon entering Michele Rushworth’s humble second-story, in-home art studio near Discovery Elementary School, one might not gather that she paints portraits of the rich and famous.
Michele Rushworth shows off one of her latest works. Photo by Christopher Huber
Students lobby for Chinese at Skyline
September 21, 2010
Four teenage girls may be the reason Skyline High School eventually adopts Chinese language instruction to its curriculum.
That’s a big maybe, but the girls running the school’s Chinese Cultural Club, Andrea Liu, Tiffany Ng, Sunny Liu and Supriya Dublish, are working hard to promote Chinese culture and language. And, based on their passion and confidence on the matter, they seem to have made progress in convincing Issaquah School District administrators it’s a good idea.
Students in the Chinese Culture Club play traditional Chinese games. Contributed
