Sammamish Forum June 29
June 28, 2011
Build the community center
My family moved to Sammamish in 1994 when my son was one. We were excited when the city was incorporated as we looked forward to finally getting the community center we dreamed of having.
My son just graduated from high school and will be going away to college. More than likely my family is not going to get a tremendous amount of use out of it, but you know what, this isn’t about my family. Read more
Bass in the lakes: friend or foe?
June 28, 2011
Bass and kokanee salmon in Lake Sammamish are poster children (poster fish?) for why state government needs to do a better job of talking to itself. Apparently, two different state agencies have different ideas about which fish is more important to protect.
The state should figure out which fish — if any — needs help, and work together to do that. Read more
County Council boundary changes are proposed
June 28, 2011
Citizens can give their input into proposed changes to the district boundaries that make up the King County Council seats at a series of public hearings across the county. The closest to Sammamish is from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. June 30 at Bellevue City Hall.
By law, the council districts must be redrawn following the U.S. Census to ensure each seat represents about the same population. The council’s districting committee has come up with four different options for the new boundaries; citizens are invited to view them and give input before the council adopts a new plan in the coming months. Read more
State wants stricter standards for docks, other rules on Sammamish lakes
June 28, 2011
Is the bass an invasive predator that preys on native Kokanee and Chinook salmon, or sport fish whose population must be protected for the enjoyment of anglers?
That depends on which government agency you ask. And for hundreds of Lake Sammamish shoreline homeowners, the answer may mean slimming down any new or replacement docks. Read more
Change in jails could save Sammamish thousands
June 27, 2011
New: June 27, 3:26 P.M.
Sammamish residents sentenced to time in jail on misdemeanor crimes will have a bit longer to think about what they did on their way to the slammer.
By a unanimous vote at their June 20 meeting, the City Council approved an agreement with Snohomish County to house those sentenced to jail terms in connection with misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor crimes in the city. The city, which pays for those it incarcerates, usually defaults to the Issaquah Jail for such convictions, but often has to use King County Jail for longer sentences. Read more
Upcoming barricade removal has some residents unhappy
June 26, 2011
- Ronn and Genette Altaras, residents of 218th Avenue, walk their dog on a new connector that will link up two sides of the road. Photo by Caleb Heeringa
New: June 26, 2:42 p.m.
The upcoming opening of roadway west of Eastside Catholic has some neighbors concerned that their residential neighborhood will become a new shortcut for speeding motorists.
The road – 218th Avenue Southeast just north of Southeast 4th Street – is being opened in connection with the construction of the 26-home Pine Meadows development on Southeast 4th Street. Sammamish Public Works Director Laura Philpot said the city hadn’t considered the road as part of its normal connectivity process because the decision to connect 218th Avenue had been made by the city’s Hearing Examiner well before the city decided to delve into the contentious issue of its barricades roads in 2009. Read more
Sammamish students played Carnegie Hall
June 25, 2011
New: June 25, 11:26 a.m.
As the rich tones of a well-tuned, in-sync musical ensemble arose from the stage, its members and conductor couldn’t help but smile. As the musicians finished a piece, they would hold their instruments up for a few extra seconds to revel in a pure, resonating sound they would likely only hear once in their lifetimes. Read more
Man drops out of Issaquah School Board race
June 24, 2011
New: June 24, 2:36 p.m.
Issaquah School Board member Suzanne Weaver faces one less challenger in the race for re-election, after a candidate dropped out of the race.
Initially, the race for the Director District No. 5 seat included Weaver, Joseph Arnaud and Issaquah resident Brian Neville.
In filing information, Arnaud listed a Maple Valley address near Tahoma High School, in the neighboring Tahoma School District. Candidates for the Issaquah School Board must reside in the area they seek to represent. Read more
Sammamish City Council approves new transportation plan
June 23, 2011
New: June 23, 3:18 p.m.
East Lake Sammamish Parkway stayed on the city’s list of potential road improvement projects, despite grumbling from some City Council members who wanted to see it gone.
The council unanimously approved its six-year plan of road projects at its June 20 meeting. The document plans the road widenings, bike lanes, sidewalks and other transportation improvements the city expects to need to meet future growth. It also predicts the money that will come in from impact fees associated with development. The city must put a project on the list in order to qualify for grant money from the state or federal government. Read more
Sammamish renews Eastlake, Skyline resource officer contracts
June 22, 2011
NEW: 3:07 p.m., June 22
Sammamish will renew the contracts of two police officers based at the city’s two public high schools.
At its June 20 meeting, the city council approved spending about $90,000 a year for the next five years on each of the school resource officers at Skyline and Eastlake high schools. The Issaquah and Lake Washington school districts cover the rest of the $154,000 annual cost of the positions – a number that includes the employee benefits and other administrative costs associated with each position. Read more
