Calendar August 3
August 3, 2011
Free Fly Casting Clinic. The Trout Unlimited chapter of Bellevue-Issaquah will hold its annual fly casting clinic where beginning anglers can learn basic casting techniques while seasoned anglers can fine tune their skills and learn new techniques. All can benefit from tips by professional fly casters. The clinic will be held in the pavilion area of Beaver Lake Park on August 10 from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m.
Concert in the Park summer concert series features “BottleRockIt” from 6:30-8 p.m. Aug. 11 at Pine Lake Park. Read more
Go ahead, make your day at Dirty Harry’s Balcony
August 3, 2011
Dirty Harry’s Balcony offers views to the west through the Upper Snoqualmie Valley, as well as to the north and east. Photo by Christopher Huber
Even on a depressingly cloudy late July day, it’s worth the 2.5-mile hike up to Dirty Harry’s Balcony.
And it’s worth taking a few extra minutes on the way to the trail to make sure you’re in the right spot.
This unmarked and out-of-the-way trail takes hikers up a clear path to possibly one of the best views of the Interstate-90 corridor past North Bend. But the important thing is that eager hikers get there without getting too confused.
The trail starts out pretty rocky and follows an old logging road at a moderate incline the whole way. The trail doesn’t resemble any kind of “road” until about 1.5 to two miles in — you’ll walk through what looks more like a creek bed.
It takes you through a zone once clear-cut by independent logger Harry Gault. He earned a reputation for his relentless logging in places thought by other loggers to be inaccessible for rigs and equipment, according to SummitPost.org, a climbing, hiking and mountaineering resource. That gave him the nickname “Dirty Harry.” Read more
Sydney Carste blogged the World Cup for ESPN
August 3, 2011
Sydney Carste is decked out to support the U.S. during the Women’s World Cup. Photo courtesy Barbara Carste
In 2010, Sammamish 10-year-old Sydney Carste and her family made plans to travel to Germany to attend some Women’s World Cup soccer matches June 26-July 17. But before they embarked on the early-July family getaway, plans changed a little bit when Sydney got the chance of a lifetime. It involved tracking down “jailed” vuvuzelas and playing a pick-up game with Brandi Chastain, former U.S. national team member.
The incoming fifth-grader at Samantha Smith Elementary blogged about her experience as a die-hard soccer fan for ESPN.
She wrote as Sydney from Seattle for the “World Cup Wunderkind” blog. Sydney followed teams throughout the World Cup and into the finals, developing quite a following from readers around the world. A few games into her coverage, people even began to recognize her on the streets of Dresden, she said.
“I was really excited,” said Sydney, a standout Crossfire player at home in Sammamish. “I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to do a good job.”
Sydney completed five entries during her family’s time in Germany. She wrote about crazy fans, game highlights and the general atmosphere surrounding the Women’s World Cup. Read more
Jack M. Long
August 3, 2011
Jack M. Long
Jack M. Long, 78, of Issaquah, passed away from natural causes Friday, July 22, 2011, at home with his wife, Bunny, the love of his life for over 54 years, at his side.
Jack was born in Durant, Okla., on March 29, 1933, to Florence Alma Long and Jesse James Long. He was the youngest of six children. In 1935 the family moved to Sacramento, Calif., where Jack had wonderful childhood memories. At the age of 14, Jack hitchhiked to State College, Pa., to live with his brother, Bill. He later returned to Sacramento and graduated from Grant Union High School in 1950.
In 1953 Jack joined the Army and was stationed in Korea for two years as a staff sergeant. After leaving the army, Jack attended Sacramento Junior College.
He met Frances “Bunny” Kearney in 1956 while they were both employed at the Blake, Moffitt & Towne Paper Co. They married in 1957, moved to Washington in 1958 and settled in Bellevue soon thereafter. In 1971, the family opened its first carpet store, The Shag Shop, in Eastgate. The business name changed to Long’s Home Fashion Center in 1981 and moved to Issaquah in 1988. The business continues to operate there as Long’s Floors. Read more
Britta E. Rye
August 3, 2011
Britta E. Rye
Britta E. Rye of Sammamish, died of breast cancer on July 27, 2011. She was 57.
Britta was born April 29, 1954 in Stockholm, Sweden to Dr. Pierre and Magareta Welander where she was raised. She attended Stockholm University attaining a B.S. in accounting and married Kjell-Jon Rye on January 26, 1980 in Marysville.
Britta lived in Sammamish for the past 18 years. Britta loved to travel and be with her family. She is remembered as the kindest, sweetest and most loving person her family ever knew.
Britta is survived by her husband, Kjell-Jon Rye (Sammamish); daughter Linnea Rye, a teacher (Sammamish); and daughter Kjerstin Rye, a nurse (Sammamish).
A service will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 7 at Sammamish Hills Lutheran Church.
Donations can be made to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, 112 Fifth Avenue N., Seattle, WA 98109.
Children of Faith festival at Vedic Cultural Center shows diversity
August 3, 2011
Children perform a dance routine during the Children of Faith festival July 16 at the Vedic Cultural Center in Sammamish. The annual festival, in its second year, celebrates the idea that each person’s faith is a little different and people express their faith through different means, according to event organizers. The point is that when children learn this at an early age, they become tolerant and respectful toward each other. Approximately 200 people attended the festival, which featured performances from children ages 3 to 15. They danced, performed poetic and musical pieces and prayers and spontaneously showcased their talents during the open-mic time. Volunteer cooks catered to the children’s appetite with French fries and pasta, organizers said. Photo courtesy VCC
Church youth groups give help to displaced in Yakima
August 3, 2011
Students Meryl Seah, Natalie Stender, and Lucy Walker work on an art project with children of the Yakima Nation at the community barbeque. Many of the children depend on Campbell Farm for regular meals. Photo courtesy Amber Slate
Victims of a devastating fire on the Yakima Indian Reservation that destroyed 20 homes and damaged others last February are better off in their rebuilding efforts, thanks to a bunch of Sammamish teens.
The middle school youth groups at Pine Lake Covenant Church and Sammamish Presbyterian Church partnered to send about 100 youth to the Yakima Indian Reservation July 10-15 to serve its residents and provide supplies for families rebuilding after a massive fire last February.
“It made me feel good because I knew I was helping people,” said Lucy Walker, a member of the Sammamish Presbyterian youth group and incoming seventh-grader at Inglewood Junior High. “I decided I wanted to go because I had never been on a mission trip.”
Before the trip, the youth collected hundreds of household items — microwave ovens, cleaning supplies, bedding and kitchen and bath accessories — to distribute to fire victims, which would help many of them in the transition to new housing, said Carmanita Pimms, manager of Campbell Farm, a local mission organization that cultivates produce for residents near Wapato, White Swan and Toppenish.
The students collected enough items to pack an entire SUV and then some, said Lisa Stinson, Sammamish Presbyterian’s communications director. Read more
Sammamish Days and Nights mean fun for all
August 3, 2011
Sammamish Days features performances representing the many cultures of Sammamish residents. File Photo
Next weekend’s events at Sammamish Commons will cater to everyone in some way. Whether it is relaxing with dinner and a glass of wine at Sammamish Nights or spending a culture-filled day with the children at Sammamish Days, residents will have a chance to enjoy the summer at the annual festivals.
Sammamish Nights
The Chamber of Commerce will hold its third annual Sammamish Nights the evening of Aug. 12. The event will feature dancing, food and wine, and live music. A 70s cover band, Ventura Highway Revisited, will play rock tunes for this year’s entertainment.
“It’s really a night of fun,” said the chamber’s Executive Director Deb Sogge.
She said the chamber conducted research a few years ago and the members learned that Sammamish adults needed a night to get away and relax outside. She expects about 200 people to attend this year’s event, she said. Read more
Goodman will run for Congress, retire from state house
August 3, 2011
State representative Roger Goodman has announced that he will be running for U.S. Congress in 2012 in the 1st Congressional District, not the 8th as he had said initially.
Goodman, a Democrat and current state representative for portions of north Sammamish in the 45th Legislative District, had earlier announced he was running for the Congress in the 8th District — which covers Sammamish — even though he lives in the 1st. Read more
Police Blotter August 3
August 3, 2011
While you were away
A resident on the 21600 block of Northeast 29th Street in Sahalee had his wallet and a laptop stolen from his kitchen table while he was taking a shower upstairs July 22.
The resident believes someone entered the home through his unlocked sliding glass door sometime between 2:45 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. and took the items. Someone made a $460 charge on his credit card later that afternoon. The case remains under investigation. Read more
