Memorial Day is for remembering, honoring
May 23, 2012
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.
- Display a grand ol’ flag at your home (remember to put it out again for Flag Day, June 14). Read more
Be alert, not alarmed
May 17, 2012
Last week saw a pair of disturbing incidents in this usually quiet city. Although both are anomalous, they remind residents to be cautious.
A pair of what seem to be random alleged sexual assaults are the sort of thing that don’t really happen in Sammamish — until they do. Our sympathies are with both the girl and young woman who allegedly were attacked. Each of them reacted quickly and managed to protect themselves. Read more
Sammamish needs state representation
May 17, 2012
Interested in politics? This is the week to take the next step. The deadline to file to run for office is Friday. This year, that means the Washington State Legislature. With the newly drawn boundaries, the city is split into two districts, and none of the incumbents live in Sammamish. Want to give the city a voice in Olympia? This is the time. To get started, visit www.kingcounty.gov/elections.
Parks planners have the right idea
May 10, 2012
Sammamish is in the midst of developing its plan for building parks amenities for the next few years. One part of this plan looks at how many parks are needed based on how far residents might go to visit a park.
Parks planners in Sammamish assume that residents will walk about a half-mile, according to information from a city survey of 400 residents. Read more
Best of Sammamish is in the spring
April 25, 2012
Spring has come to Sammamish. Along with the sunshine comes a host of fair-weather activities showcasing the good life in Sammamish. Spring break is over, but the busy times are just getting started.
As the trees and flowers strike up a parade of blooms from one end of the city to the other and the smell of new-mown lawn fills the air, the promise of good times is not far off. Dust off the patio furniture, turn on the grill and get outside! Read more
Control dogs, not smokers in parks
April 17, 2012
Two different proposals are before the Sammamish City Council that deal with parks rules, and each calls for a different response.
There are already regulations that mandate dogs be on a leash. Finding a way to enforce this policy is worth the city’s time.
Pet owners love their dogs, but that doesn’t mean others do. Sure, you know Fido wouldn’t hurt a fly, but people may have had bad experiences, and pet owners should be sensitive to them. Small children are especially vulnerable to unleashed dogs. Read more
Water rates reject values
April 4, 2012
The Sammamish Plateau Water and Sewer District’s new rate structure appears to be a taking a giant step backward.
Previously, the rates had been set up so that those who use the most water pay a higher rate. Now the tiers in the rate structure have been flattened — meaning a roughly 6 percent cut in water bills to those who use the most. Read more
SAMMI winners make us all proud
March 21, 2012
Each year, Sammamish manages to find another crop of citizens doing extraordinary things to help the community. The SAMMI awards, which started after 9/11 when community members wanted to do something positive, recognize a handful of these people.
This year’s winners, like those in past years, stand out for their hard work and dedication to community. Read more
Liquor service hours could get flexible
March 14, 2012
There’s a little city 20 miles west of here that wants to change state law — a change that would affect businesses in Sammamish.
Seattle wants the Washington State Liquor Control Board to approve a resolution to allow for extended liquor hours. If approved, our own plateau would be able to dictate opening and closing hours for the service of alcohol at bars, restaurants and clubs or entertainment venues. Read more
Heritage designation fits for greenway
March 6, 2012
It seems silly that different public land-use agencies cannot work together, but the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust is trying to help resolve that problem.
Today, there are six major agencies that manage public lands in the 1.5 million acres known as the greenway.
These include the U.S. Forest Service, city of Seattle Watershed, state Department of Natural Resources, Washington State Parks, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife and King County.
The agencies should be able to intermingle land management.
The benefit focuses on enforcement and environmental decisions.
For example, one agency employee may not have the authority to stop hunters or timber cutting on public land. It also opens the doors to pilot projects that might be used elsewhere in the country.
The greenway trust is taking the suggestion of the U.S. Forest Service seriously and has begun the move of lands in the greenway to have a National Heritage Area designation.
This would allow the jurisdictional management of 900,000 acres of public lands and 100,000 acres of privately conserved lands. The other half-million acres are already in use — your home and workplace — and would not be affected.
The national heritage designation has no federal price tag — it only opens a window of opportunity. And the designation does not intrude on property rights, not adding new regulatory authority or other management restrictions over private lands.
It does not require any property owner to provide public access to their land and it does not affect water rights or fishing and hunting regulations.
The greenway trust has reached out to U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert for help in getting the designation. It couldn’t be better timing.
Reichert is also making a push to get legislation passed in support of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area.
While the Alpine Lakes are not within the greenway boundaries, Reichert’s passion for protected public lands should extend to both.
