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There are few things that make a community gel like a neighborhood school. Sammamish has many, including the new Creekside Elementary that just opened yesterday.
As the school year starts this week, make sure to get involved in a school community near you. For those with children in the schools, this is easy. Do your part as a classroom volunteer and don’t forget to join the PTA, even if you don’t have time to be involved.
Read moreSammamish Days where in the world ?
Kudos to Dawn Sanders and many others who made Sammamish Days a resounding success. It was great to see so many people come out to represent their own cultures and learn about new cultures – and the weather could not have been better.
Read moreMore bike plan opposition
I would like to invite city employees to be the first to help slow down traffic with their bikes.
I cannot believe that the city intends to use cyclists as a means to control automobile traffic. Bicyclists are not tools in a planning department. In my opinion, motor vehicles and bicycles do not mix. Intentionally mixing them to “help slow down traffic speeds and conform better with the city’s vision of a dense, pedestrian friendly Town Center” is a joke.
That kind of thinking is putting the health and safety of Sammamish citizens at risk.
City staff members’ other reason, regarding the Town Center vision, is also absurd. I would like to know whose vision has become Sammamish’s vision.
Since when did bicycling become something that is not worth accommodating? It’s healthy, it creates very little exhaust (I confess, it does create some for some people like me), it is on the upswing, and with encouragement it will continue to grow. Apparently, not here in Sammamish though, where our planners know better. Force them in with traffic because we want only foot traffic.
Mike Rees
Sammamish
LEO thanks Rotary
The Life Enrichment Options organization would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere appreciation to both the Issaquah and Sammamish Rotary clubs for their superb efforts in partnering with us to provide two highly successful gravity car races this past month.
We received a number of e-mails from parents whose child either overcame a fear to get in a car, or were bubbling over with excitement in racing down a hill to the finish line. Every rider with special needs was a winner, getting his or her trophy and certificate with a picture in a car.
None of this could happen without the wonderful volunteers of the Rotary clubs, Athletes for Kids, Issaquah High School wrestlers, Skyline High School cheerleaders, and football and basketball athletes.
Leo Finnegan and LEO board of directors
Love and hate is not so simple
I, too, would like to see the type of society that Mr. Michael J. O’Connell dreams of, in his reference to John Lennon’s song, where there is peace on earth. However, “Imagine” hypothesizes the idea of no heaven or hell. Without a hell there would be no temptation for man to wage war or to persecute others, and without heaven we would not exist as there would be no God to have created us. Therefore, in practical terms, we should be spending our time trying to make the world, as it exists, a better place for all.
I further agree with O’Connell that Sammamish is an enjoyable place to live — we do have a diverse culture and people are friendly and respectful of each other on the whole. This respect, I have noticed, extends to the diversity of faiths on the plateau. I am a Christian and have friends who are Christian, Muslim, Hindu and non-believers. I have worked and socialized with people who are gay and there has always been a mutual respect among us. That said, I do believe that if God does not accept homosexuality then I must follow his law. The youth at their Sunday school lesson were right to say to “love the sinner,” to be kind and respectful to them, though. Who are we to judge? We are all sinners. Jesus socialized with sinners. Was he not showing us the way?
The debate about this is a difficult one as people have different beliefs. It is unfortunate, though, that a group of teenage Christians cannot meet to discuss how best to behave in our society in their own church without being berated for it. Fifty years ago prayer was banned from all public schools. Church is the only place left to us. People throughout the U.S. (not to mention throughout the rest of the world) are being persecuted for their religious beliefs. I don’t think John Lennon had this in mind either when he was writing his famous song.
Lorna Richardson
Sammamish
Civil rights and religion
Jim Wilke’s response to my letter entitled ‘Love and Hate in Sammamish’ missed the mark — this is about human rights, not about me. To be clear, I am advocating a society in which LGBT persons are viewed simply as people without religious filters. In that society the question of how to treat gays never arises. In that society civil rights are based upon the rule of law and religion is a path to greater spirituality rather than a theocratic weapon to suppress human beings.
I strongly opposed the recent Sunday school lesson because by putting gays into a bucket called ‘sinners’ it instilled values that undermine basic human rights and trivializes the real discrimination faced by gay couples and their children. Jim, your opinion that a gay person is living a ‘sinful lifestyle’ is completely irrelevant to the civil rights question and detrimental to secular society. You make my point in spades.
I understand that religion affects civil view. The Bible was used to both justify and condemn slavery and women’s rights. Some believe Jesus’ message of love includes gay equality. Some believe that gays are ‘sinning’ and use religion as a weapon against them. But thankfully, growing numbers of people and lawmakers are coming to understand that religious interpretation should not trump human rights. As our society progresses, this notion of basic fairness becomes increasingly important.
Five states and the District of Columbia have granted marriage rights to gays. Washington state is among those with civil unions. The sky hasn’t fallen and traditional marriage hasn’t disintegrated. Instead, our society has gained valuable and positive lessons — that civil rights should never be trumped by religious or ‘conservative’ opinion and that thankfully we live under the rule of civil and not religious law.
Gays are simply people born with same gender attraction. It is inevitable that we will justifiably grant them marriage equality so they too may enjoy the full measure of their lives. I simply invite those who oppose this to come to terms with the measurable harm these families face and join our march toward equality.
Michael J. O’Connell
Sammamish
Yes, the economy has not turned around, but sometimes government cannot simply slice and dice its way to a balanced budget. All ideas are on the table for increasing revenue — including an Eastside Fire & Rescue fee for ambulance rides.
The city of Sammamish has asked EFR to present a budget with no increase in spending from last year. While unrealistic, it’s an interesting exercise, and has produced some interesting ideas. Charging for ambulance rides is one worth examining.
This practice exists in other parts of the country, and indeed, in other parts of King County. No critically-injured person has yet to be denied a ride to the hospital because they had a maxed-out credit card.
Most agencies, when pressed, admit they don’t invest much time and energy trying to extract payments from residents who can’t afford to pay. Most insurance providers cover the cost of the ambulance ride, and they do pay their claims. It doesn’t seem to matter if the ride is provided by a private ambulance company or a public fire agency.
But it may not be that simple. It is possible that costs would end up being passed on to residents and businesses through higher insurance premiums. EFR should study that possible impact during its discussions.
There is also some concern about the idea of double charging. After all, residents already pay for the ambulance, the salary of the emergency medical technicians, the gas in the vehicle and everything else through their taxes. Should they have to pay a second time, whether it be through a direct payment or via higher insurance?
In a fair and perfect world, no.
But today’s reality is neither of those things, and full of examples of government double-dipping. Taxpayers already pay tolls to drive on roads they paid to build, and fees to use park facilities that they already own. Taxpayers have put up with it, recognizing the fee model as a more equitable way of distributing costs.
Unfortunately, the charge for EFR to give medical transport to a hospital or to another waiting ambulance is probably necessary.
Traditions sometimes start slowly. For years, Sammamish held a party in late August to commemorate the city’s birthday. Last year, the celebration got a bit bigger as the city celebrated its landmark 10th birthday with parades, a time capsule, and fun for the whole family.
Read moreCyclists are not traffic calming devices
I too was horrified to read that city staff told the City Council that intermixing bikes with traffic would help slow down traffic speeds and conform better with the city’s vision of a dense, pedestrian friendly Town Center.
As Christopher Schindler pointed out in the Aug. 4 Forum, cyclists should not be used as ‘speed bumps.’
I have lived in Sammamish for 17 years, and cycle 200 miles or more a week.
Read moreThe city blew it
For one week, Sammamish had the privilege of hosting the prestigious U.S. Senior Open at Sahalee Country Club. What a great week it was for our community to have this opportunity. As a resident and golf fan, I made sure to take full advantage.
Read moreThe excitement of heading back to school — meeting a new teacher, seeing who will be in your class, wearing new school clothes — is only three weeks away.
But for way too many kids in the Issaquah and Lake Washington school districts, there won’t be new clothes. An even bigger worry is that these students won’t have the school supplies they need.
Read morePlease, leave the animals be
I am sick and tired of hearing all the complaining regarding the wildlife in Sammamish.
When I moved here 10 years ago, I did it with the full understanding that this was not the city, I was surrounded by woods and that would mean wildlife.
They belong here, way more than we do. They were here first. Those that have built houses near the Highlands and back by the golf course, don’t complain. You took their home. Those on the north side, you live where there are animals, deal with it.
The deer eat my roses, the bobcat thinks he owns the place, I find scat in my backyard, and I have an entire raccoon family living in a tree next to my fence. Such is life.
Be smart, stop putting out feeders, close your garbage cans, don’t put cats outside without being prepared they might not come back, and by all means, don’t go outside to take animals’ pictures.
Leave them alone. Don’t tell the news, and for sure, don’t tell Fish and Wildlife because they have already said they will kill nuisance animals and they have.
I am not a PETA person or Mother Earth, I just want the animals left alone.
They aren’t doing anything but trying to survive.
Judi McLaughlin
Sammamish
Connectivity issue is complex
A recent opinion letter to the editor concerning the importance of connectivity merits further observations given its spin and much misinformation.
While the author of that letter has a right to his opinion, he does not have the right to make misrepresentations or misstatements concerning this very important matter.
Connectivity is not the wholesale opening of all roads, as such a policy can be very foolish and reckless, creating great expense for the city’s taxpayers.
The connectivity workshops in October were very clear – safety and residential quality of the neighborhoods were the most important issues by far.
As chairman of the Citizens for Sammamish connectivity subcommittee, I and others have recently spent many hours auditing and taking pictures of every barricade and “stub” connection shown on the city’s connectivity map.
This information has been compiled in a database that has been handed over to the city to permit more factual and informed discussions and decisions concerning connectivity. The pictures clearly speak for themselves.
For the record, there are fewer than 10 actual barricades within Sammamish (several are very high profile given their possible taxpayer expense to mitigate, if mitigation is even possible).
A closer review of the approximately 43 indicated remaining sites will indicate they are actually “stubs,” a much different problem than barricades.
The pictures will also reveal that at least 12 of these stubs will never be connected unless someone wants to spend millions of dollars.
The city needs to ensure that the connectivity process is truly open and transparent. Permitting residents timely review of all information and allowing rebuttal dialogue to assure such information is truthful, sound, and more imperative, accurate, is especially important.
Also, to meet the goals of transparency and truthfulness, neighborhood connectivity meetings must be video recorded for all to see and review.
Richard B. Kuprewicz
Sammamish
Bikes aren’t speed bumps
I was appalled to read in the July 21 issue that (Jeff) Brauns “told the council that intermixing bikes with traffic would help slow down traffic speeds and conform better with the city’s vision of a dense, pedestrian-friendly Town Center.”
I’m a seasoned cyclist who cycles up to a couple hundred miles per week.
Every ride there are five segments of drivers: those who give space to a cyclist, those who don’t give space driving “their” lane leaving around two feet of space, those who drive the fog line leaving around six inches to a foot, malicious drivers who don’t like cyclists and demonstrate it, and those that believe that they can beat the bike and execute maneuvers like race and cut off.
In every ride, I encounter each one of those situations. It still unnerves me to have a dump truck twelve inches away from my handlebars.
When there is a conflict between 165 pounds of cyclist and 4200 pounds of SUV, the vehicle will win every single time.
I’m shocked and angry beyond words that the city willfully engineers a solution that places bikes in direct conflict with vehicles as a traffic speed solution.
City staff presumes that drivers will always give space and respect. They are right, in my experience, 80 percent of the time.
It’s the 20 percent of time where a cyclist is put into direct danger. The reality of cycling is that every car and truck on the road will kill; unfortunately some do.
I accept the risk when I ride. I ride defensively and follow traffic laws.
I’ve learned to recognize some drivers who would hurt me, I’ve learned to duck when things are thrown at me and I’ve crashed avoiding collisions with cars.
If city staff and the council wish, I’d be happy to post graphic pictures of what happens when a cyclist collides with a vehicle or is forced off the road.
It’s disturbing and awful that city planners would use our friends, children, parents, and grandparents as speed bumps.
Christopher Schindler
Sammamish
Don’t forget David Spring
We read with interest your recommendation that Glenn Anderson and Dean Willard advance to the general election on the assertion that David Spring is a “single-issue candidate.”
Perhaps your observation is true, if one considers only his concerns about funding public education. However, certain details were omitted, which we think your readers would like to know.
David Spring is — and was in 2008 — a strong advocate for a fair tax structure. He helped to draft Initiative 1098 and worked tirelessly to advance it to the fall ballot.
Should I-1098 pass, it will not only improve funding for the public schools, it will provide at least 100,000 new jobs by putting money into the economy. This is a tangible measure that goes a long way in helping working families.
He has, however, run afoul of the powers that be in the Democratic party.
The sad truth is that money has become the elixir that entices the leaders of both parties and many running for office. Candidates must either be rich or be willing to sell their souls to interests who have money. This corrosive influence has caused a struggle within the Democratic party.
De-regulation and privatization are no longer only Republican orthodoxies, and notions about the common good are thought by some to be merely quaint. It should be no surprise that detractors of I-1098 come from both political parties.
In fact, neither Glenn Anderson nor Dean Willard support I-1098.
As a Republican, Anderson makes no pretense about favoring big business and the wealthy. In this regard, Willard hardly represents a “fresh perspective” as a Democratic party insider with long-standing corporate connections. Although he is skilled at popular talking points, voters should research his background and major contributors to understand where his loyalties reside.
David Spring may be a “single-issue candidate,” but he is also a hard-working, intelligent and courageous individual who still believes in the public trust.
If elected, he would represent the interests of everyone in the 5th District, not just the politically-connected and wealthy few.
Dave Sell and Pam Austin
Sammamish
Democrats are wrong
I would like to respond to Michael T. Barr. His statement about his thoughts and opinions and feedback from my own personal perspective and in my own words.
Then he goes about saying other people’s words are propaganda and distortions.
That’s what I love about the left. They know all, and nobody else does. Then he proceeds to say the typical style of double-speak and misguided belief to blame President Obama for the BP oil spill. I’m not blaming him for the oil spill but the time he took to react.
But maybe the writer forgot about Katrina, when the left was all over President Bush for failing to react but the left keeps forgetting that. I love the double standard, when the Republicans are in office let’s blame the federal government.
But when the Dems are in charge it’s never the federal government’s fault.
Without those big corporations, unemployment would be even higher then the 9.5 percent it is now. Whether you know it or not, we all have our own opinions, and yours isn’t the only one, despite what you from the left think.
One last thing, did the writer forget the bailouts of banks and General Motors, but I guess that’s OK to step in and clean up those big corporation messes. So I ask, who is the hypocrite now?
Fred Caponigro
Sammamish
Though the congressional and legislative races on the Aug. 17 primary ballot have received the most attention, local voters must also decide important judicial contests. However, due to limitations on what judges can say during an election, it is often the hardest ballot decision for voters.
Perhaps the most important decision for Issaquah, Sammamish and other Eastside residents is the contest for a new King County District Court judge. Voters will pick someone to fill a new position created to address increasing caseloads. Read more
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