•  Display a grand ol’ flag at your home (remember to put it out again for Flag Day, June 14).

• Visit a national cemetery where volunteers have decorated each gravesite with a U.S. flag. The Tahoma National Cemetery is located east of Kent on 158 acres. Noteworthy is the Memorial Walkway containing 23 memorials that commemorate soldiers of various 20th century wars. A Blue Star Memorial to honor all veterans is located north of the Public Information Center.

• Attend a special service and presentation of the colors by local Veterans of Foreign Wars. In Issaquah, the VFW will hold a service at 10 a.m. Monday, May 28 at Hillside Cematery. The Redmond VFW will hold a ceremony 11 a.m. at Sunset Hills Memorial Park, 1215 145th Place S.E., Bellevue.

• Some Americans use Memorial Day to also honor any family members who have died, not just servicemen and women.

• Plant a flower or a tree in honor of a family member.

• Say thanks to a living veteran.

• Make a commitment to volunteer to assist veterans in need. The Dept. of Veterans Affairs has many ways to help; visit www.volunteer.va.gov.

• Take time to learn a little about the holiday and its Civil War roots.

While most enjoy the three-day holiday, Memorial Day is so much more, and is especially poignant while our country is at war.

Soldiers are still fighting in far-flung corners of the world for the liberty that affords us a carefree day in the park, chowing down on barbeque or watching the Indianapolis 500 — what most of us will be doing this weekend. It’s okay, veterans can be remembered there, too.

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.

The alleged attacker’s motivations have yet to be made public, but no matter his reasons, the situation is a reminder that even though street crime is rare in Sammamish, it can and does happen.

The other case, involving a former teacher at Eastside Catholic High School and substitute bus driver for the Issaquah School District, is at least as disturbing. The man was a beloved teacher, but he now he has been found in possession of child pornography. By all accounts, he kept his nose clean while he was working at the schools. But it is a reminder for parents to be cautious, even of those caring for our children.

That either of these incidents occurred here is strange. That they both happened in the same week is a statistical fluke.

Sammamish has the second-lowest crime rate of all cities in King County. It may very well be the strong sense of community that has neighbors looking out for each other and keeps crime at bay. But the city’s wealth sometimes attracts criminals. Lock your doors and close the garage, people! There are people out there that are, well, bad guys.

Parks planners in Sammamish assume that residents will walk about a half-mile, according to information from a city survey of 400 residents.

City Councilman Ramiro Valderrama, citing the survey, wants planners to examine a one-mile radius — something more than half of Sammamish residents said they’d be willing to do.

We agree with park planners that the one-mile radius is not the logical way to go.

Parks director Jessi Richardson points out that Sammamish is a land of curving roads, cul-de-sacs and fenced yards.

Although someone might live within a half mile as the crows flies, it would be rare to actually be able to take a straight line route from home to the park. Hence, a half-mile becomes a mile.

In transit planning, the industry standard — and the one used by King County Metro — is that people will walk about a quarter-mile to get to a bus stop. Certainly parks and buses aren’t directly comparable, but it helps give a sense of how far people might walk to a service.

Other factors come into play when deciding to walk or drive to a park:

It looks like rain but the dog needs his exercise.

There are no sidewalks between home and the park to push the stroller.

That mile to the park is all uphill. I’m too big for a swing and a slide so I need a farther park with a basketball hoop.

I prefer going to Pine Lake Park for a swim/concert/picnic/fishing.

Valderrama is certainly coming from the right place.

The city shouldn’t overbuild its park system. But it’s important to take a close look at usage when making these long-range decisions.

Drawing too big a radius around parks to determine walking distances can give a false sense of how accessible the parks are to residents.

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!

Fishing season opens this weekend on Pine Lake (Beaver Lake and Lake Sammamish are always open) meaning anglers of all ages will have a chance to catch Saturday’s dinner off the side of the dock. For helpful fishing hints, check out the story in Sammamish Scene magazine inside this issue.

The greens are looking good at the city’s two golf courses, Sahalee and Plateau clubs. Ducklings are out on the lakes swimming close to mama duck. The sound of frogs and crickets fill the warmer night air.

Little League ballplayers, lacrosse teams, spring soccer teams are filling the recreation fields in city parks while parents get acquainted from the bleachers.

Tots are sliding and swinging at the playgrounds, and dogs and their owners are stretching their legs on extended walks. Runners and bike riders are once again a common sight, enjoying the scenic country roads and the lake trail that Sammamish offers.

And Sammamish is just two weeks away from the opening of its annual Farmers Market. The hours have changed from 3-7 p.m. on Wednesdays, but the local produce, food and crafts that everyone comes to enjoy will be back. Gather those farm fresh eggs, vegetable starts and artistic handiwork and consider becoming a vendor. For details, visit www.sammamishfarmersmarket.org.

If you haven’t yet joined a popular Sammamish Walks tour, you’re missing out on a chance to learn more about city parks. For details, visit www.SammamishWalks.org.

Get out and rediscover a corner of Sammamish that you’ve never been to before. Remind yourself how wise your were to choose this to be home.

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.

There are also environmental reasons to stop dogs from crashing through bushes and accessing streams and lakes.

The city spends money on maintaining an off-leash area, and most people in Sammamish have yards. There are ample opportunities for dogs to roam free without letting them off leash in city parks.

Using volunteer police to enforce the leash law makes sense, and having a uniformed presence could help everyone feel safe.

A proposed smoking ban, however, is a bridge too far. Both the city and county have proposed a ban on smoking in public parks.

There is a legitimate concern that cigarette butts cause damage to Mother Earth, but putting out ashtrays and educating smokers (and how many smokers are there in the parks, anyway?) is a more realistic solution.

The city’s Parks Commission points to a study showing the dangers of second-hand smoke outdoors. The study, however, dealt with smoke on restaurant patios.

Common sense says atmospheric conditions in a few square feet of a sidewalk café don’t seem like they would compare to sprawling acres of trees and fields.

Yes, smoking can be dangerous to people near the smoker, but it’s a park. It won’t take much of a breeze to dissipate the smoke, and there’s plenty of room to move if you catch a whiff.

Unlike a dog, the smoke will not chase after you, and it won’t bite. The cigarette butts aren’t nearly as bad as dog feces, but if we can teach dog owners to clean up after their pets, surely we can teach smokers to clean up their butts.

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.

Swimming pool or hot tub? Farm animals to feed? No problem, no surcharge for extra water. Same rate for everybody – in fact, please use more!

This change flies in the face of the environmental consciousness that we’ve developed here in the Northwest.

There is no legitimate reason for changing the structure. Making heavy users pay more doesn’t cost jobs, or tread on property rights or bring into play any of the other trade-offs sometimes associated with environmental regulations. All it does is make it cheaper to waste water.

The district assures us that there is plenty of water so we no longer need to conserve.

Absurd. The lakes may be deep, but they’re not bottomless.

And then there is the rate hike just approved. According to district budget documents, water rates have gone up 40.2 percent and sewer by 41 percent since 2007.

The district’s numbers, however, ignore the compounding effect of percentage increases.

As a result, for someone using the same amount of water over that time frame, the water bill has gone up by closer to 47 percent and sewer closer to 48 percent.

The district says it needs the extra money to save for future replacement of pipes, and to make up for declining water usage.

Officials say most residents haven’t noticed the rate increase because they now use less water. So, they’re being punished for conserving water!? Where’s the reward for being a good steward?

None of the rate changes make sense. Residents are angry about the changes, and rightly so.

It’s just possible that there are more changes that need to be made than the water and sewer rates – starting with the commissioners.

This year’s winners, like those in past years, stand out for their hard work and dedication to community.

Kent Kiernan was this year’s big winner, receiving the Spirit of Sammamish award. Many know him from trips to Ace Hardware when he spends his work hours helping others find the right tools for their projects. But when he’s not doing that, Kiernan works with the Sammamish Citizens Corps. The group is an arm of the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security. Hopefully, people in Sammamish will never need the services of the corps. They are citizens who practice how to respond to disasters to help their neighbors in case of earthquake, flood, fire and more. More importantly, corps members share their knowledge so others can rely on themselves.

Kiernan’s time spent leading this group could mean the difference between life and death in the wake of a major event. While not as weighty, other residents have found ways to reach out to the community in ways that are just as important.

Sammamish youth received SAMMI Awards for their passion to make a difference. New shoes are something that many in Sammamish take for granted, but not everyone in the region does. Eastside Catholic student Connor Creswell helps get shoes to foster children.

In a city where most every child seems to engage in some sport, middle-schoolers Ryan Brown, Nathan Gelbrich and Allie Murphy realize that not everyone can. The trio started a sports tournament so that other children can have scholarships to play sports. These are just a few of the winners that capture the essence of strong ideals, motivation and drive to connect with the community, either in Sammamish, the region or the world.

The SAMMI awards are a special event that celebrates the best the city can be. Congratulations to all of the nominees and the winners.

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.

Seattle’s goal is to extend liquor service hours, but it could choose to go the other way. Seattle mayor has suggested that staggered closing times could help with public safety concerns.

While Sammamish doesn’t have a major late-night rush of drinkers hitting the streets at the current 2 a.m. service cut-off time, that doesn’t mean it won’t. And in towns where the nightlife is virtually asleep by midnight, city leaders could choose to cut off liquor service earlier. In some places, 11 p.m. on weeknights and midnight on weekends would not be unreasonable.

If the Liquor Control Board agrees to the change, cities could create their own framework to license and monitor the late-night venues, once the change is approved by the state.

For example, cities might choose to impose shorter service hours on those bars that have patrons who leave drunk and end up with DUI charges, have problems with assaults among clients, or are cited for noise or serving minors. Cities could ostensibly put businesses with violations on probation, ultimately asking for suspension of their alcohol permit.

We’re sure that small cities across the state are not excited about the proposed change, primarily because they have enough on their plate without dealing with new ordinances effecting liquor sales. Keeping the status quo will be most likely for most cities.

But down the road, the ability to do what’s best for their city might become attractive as local police departments and city leaders take advantage of the opportunity to make changes.

It might be worthwhile for city leaders to weigh in now, while the liquor board to taking testimony.