Has Sammamish real estate hit bottom?
February 2, 2011
NEW: Feb. 1, 9:45 a.m.
Sammamish saw a slight improvement in real estate sales in 2010, thanks in part to a federal tax credit for first-time home-buyers in the early part of the year.
But buyers rushing to complete deals by the April deadline may have contributed to a bit of a sluggish second half of the year, which saw a 15 percent drop in home sales compared to the same period in 2009.
And the numbers still aren’t what they were a few years ago, before one of the worst recessions in decades hit the country – Sammamish included.
Police Blotter Feb. 2
February 2, 2011
Bank fraud
A Sammamish resident had more than $3,500 fraudulently charged to her credit card Jan. 20 and 21. The woman’s bank notified her of the charges, which were made to several stores in the Tukwila area. Read more
Scoreboard Feb. 2
February 2, 2011
9 make all-state team
February 2, 2011
Nine girls soccer players from Sammamish high schools were recently named to the All-State 4A and 3A teams, voted on by coaches around the state.
Five of the eight who were selected in 4A made the first team. Those included forwards Jaclyn Softli (Eastlake) and Michelle Bretl (Skyline), midfielder Maddie Christ (Skyline), defender Brittanee Randle (Skyline) and goalkeeper Tina Vargas (Skyline).
Skyline midfielder Madi Barney earned second team honors and her teammates, defenders Jackie Wilson and Dom Randle, earned honorable mention.
For the 3A All-State honors, Eastside Catholic defender Kellie Standish received honorable mention.
Spartan gymnasts improve against Issaquah
February 2, 2011
When the judges announced Skyline’s score at the end of the gymnastics meet Jan. 27, the team celebrated, said coach Debbie Gliner.
They had worked all season to hit the 140-point mark and finally made it.
“When we heard the final team score, I think that was a really exciting moment for us,” Gliner said. “We knew it would be a year of rebuilding and growth, and it’s exciting to see how far they’ve come.” Read more
Skyline cheers to two state titles
February 2, 2011
Skyline senior Kelsey Cohen and her younger cheer teammates were a bit nervous before their performance at the State Cheerleading Championships. They had worked since May to perfect their two-and-a-half-minute routine and the Silver team was young and inexperienced at this level.
“We were scared at first, because the division was so big,” Cohen said. “But it kind of just motivated us more to work even harder. At the end of the day we knew what we had to do.” Read more
Calendar Feb. 2
February 2, 2011
Events
Art historian Susan Olds will explore the theme of needlework, such as knitting, lace-making, weaving, quilting and embroidery in modern art and contemporary fiction at 7 p.m. Feb. 2 at the Sammamish Library.
Block Party Quilters will feature Scott Hansen, a longtime quilt designer, as a speaker at their next meeting at 7 p.m. Feb. 3 at Mary, Queen of Peace church. Guests and non-members are welcome, but the group suggests a $5 donation. Read more
Endeavour students learn to make bank
February 2, 2011
Whether depositing four quarters or a $30 check, Endeavour Elementary School students are saving for their futures through school banking.
“It’s hard to go into the bank,” said third-grader Katherine Holo, who earns money by doing chores. “It’s easier just to come here to school.”
Candy machine’s prices hearken back to an earlier era
February 2, 2011
When Justin Cook brings his children into the Sammamish Ace Hardware store for regular errands, his 4-year-old son makes sure to bring his allowance money. The boy dodges the rack of 69-cent candy bars and goodies and heads straight for the back of the store, Cook said. There stands perhaps the cheapest deal on candy in town: the 5-cent M&M machine.
Michelle Moulton’s new liver goes into rejection
February 2, 2011
The first thing Michelle Moulton did each morning during her first five months recovering from a liver transplant was to look in the mirror to make sure her eyes were still white.
Since the operation in August, the yellow had gone away — a sign the new liver was doing its job keeping Bilirubin (yellow pigment) levels low, among other functions. She took handfuls of pain and anti-rejection pills, but the abdominal pain, in general, was easing, too.
