Memorial Day is for remembering, honoring
May 23, 2013
If you are planning to avoid the traffic, save the gas expense and enjoy Memorial Day close to home this weekend, there are some simple ways to honor the men and women from the United States military who died in military service to their country. Read more
Shopping locally is always important
May 15, 2013
Sammamish’s budget update contained a lot of good news, including an increase in sales tax revenue. People in the city are starting to loosen the grip on their wallets and spend a bit more, but that doesn’t mean local businesses don’t still need support.
Sales taxes can come from lots of places, including some revenue from Internet sales and some from sales on construction trades. So the city bringing in more money doesn’t always directly mean that the small shops around Sammamish are doing likewise. Read more
Kokanee Work Group progress is heartening
May 7, 2013
A few years ago, the news about the kokanee salmon was pretty uniformly discouraging. Now, thanks largely to the efforts of the Kokanee Work Group, the fish species seems like it might be taking a step back from the brink.
Old-timers will tell you about the days when the streams running into Lake Sammamish were so thick with fish returning to spawn, you could practically walk across the water on their backs. Read more
Candidates wanted, filing dates near
May 1, 2013
There is still time left to consider filing for a local elected office — the ultimate volunteer job.
This election season, Sammamish has four open City Council seats, which include positions currently held by John James, Tom Odell and Don Gerend. John Curley has said he will not stand for re-election.
In the Lake Washington School District, Doug Eglington’s seat, which covers Sammamish, will be up for election, as will one other seat. Read more
Take old prescriptions to the police station
April 25, 2013
Prescription drugs left in medicine cabinets and bedside stands are both a national problem and a local problem — one you can help eliminate by turning in expired medicines. National Take Back Initiative is April 27, scheduled by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Read more
Honor the Earth with participation
April 17, 2013
Sammamish is a city that prides itself on being environmentally friendly.
Beyond the great schools and prime location, people move to the city for the tall green trees and deep blue lakes.
With Earth Day coming soon, the city is jumping on board with a host of activities. This Saturday, April 20, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Sammamish Commons will host a bevy of activities. Read more
Metro funding benefits everyone
April 9, 2013
Two years ago, this newspaper was opposed to the $20 car tab fee to fund King County Metro.
At the time, it seemed that Metro might have overreached during the good times and should scale back to reflect new economic realities.
The fee was approved by the Legislature for two years, 2013 and 2014. The County Council implemented the fee along with some bipartisan reforms that have help put the transit service on firmer footing. Read more
Knives on planes policy is nonsensical
April 2, 2013
It’s been more than a dozen years since 9/11. Memories of that day have faded, but not if you are an airline traveler in a long security line at the airport, questioning whether the added security actually protects passengers from terrorists.
After all this time, we’ve learned to accept the new norm in airport security. Read more
Community Center designer choice is good
March 20, 2013
At first blush, it might look a bit too cozy. Design firm Barker Rinker Seacat was paid for a feasibility study to tell Sammamish if the city could support a community and aquatic center. They found that the city could do so, and, as it happens, the firm is quite experienced in designing them, too.
Now city officials are negotiating a $2 million contract with Barker Rinker Seacat to design the new center. Read more
Privacy of teen criminals vs. your right to know
March 12, 2013
Your state representatives don’t think you need to know if your neighborhood teen has been molesting other kids. If you have a burglar in your midst and he/she is under 18, then you don’t need to know that either, even if it’s someone your son or daughter is dating.
In 1977, the legislature moved the juvenile justice system into the superior and district courts, in the interest of access to justice, as called for in the state constitution. Now, it wants to limit access to juvenile criminal records and court records in general, ostensibly because the Internet has created unintended uses for those records. Read more
