Sammamish Forum March 10

March 9, 2010

Another suggestion for the library

With all the talk about a ‘teen center’ to be built at the former Sammamish library site, I thought I’d put another suggestion on the table. How about an official post office instead?

Yes, we have two postal ‘centers’ here on the plateau, but their fees are exorbitant and an official post office would be more appropriate for the configuration and location of the old library site.

If a teen center is needed, why not build it at the Sammamish Commons site? Since we already have a skate park at that location, the teen center would be a good match/extension for that venue.

Glenda Jackson

Sammamish

Time to forget Klahanie

The question by those groups trying to “save” the Klahanie Park of “Why didn’t the city of Sammamish offer to take the entire Klahanie PAA (or just Klahanie) as well?” shows ignorance on this whole subject.

Those seeking to form the city of Sammamish approached Klahanie about joining the new city.

I know because I was there for the discussions at the association offices when Phil Dyer and others that felt Klahanie fit into the city’s character, made the offer. That offer was rejected by Klahanie.

Every opportunity since then to join the city of Sammamish has been rebuffed by Klahanie’s residents repeatedly with the claim “we identify with Issaquah more.” They even rejected joining Issaquah because they refused to pay their way.

I think it is time for Sammamish to pull back its bitten hand and stop offering any assistance to Klahanie.

Good will and good intention only goes so far, especially when continually called names and accused of deceit. Let the park be closed and allow it to be blight their hubris community.

As well it is time for Sammamish to stop spending our tax dollars providing additional police services to Klahanie. It is time they live with their bad choices.

Michael T. Barr

Sammamish

Question about the U.S. Senior Open?

I just wanted those that have questions or comments regarding traffic or parking (about the U.S. Senior Open at Sahalee) to be aware that the primary contact for these issues on the city of Sammamish Staff is Pete Butkus, deputy city manager at 425-295-0552 or pbutkus@ci.sammamish.wa.us.

John James

The writer is a member of the Sammamish City Council and the council’s liaison to the tournament

Other bad habits

I read a write up about a visit to the Beaver Lake Middle School by Choice and Consequence, a nonprofit organization. It was a good article and I hope the information has an impact on the young people. It was about bad decisions concerning drugs, alcohol and tobacco, all part of the school’s Drug Alcohol and Tobacco Awareness week.

However, I am a bit disturbed that I saw no mention of the use of cell phones and texting while driving.

I know that was not the focus, either of the week at Beaver Lake or the presentation by Choice and Consequence, but not mentioning these practices almost makes them seem acceptable.

I myself, walking my dog in and around Issaquah, have seen drivers on cell phones run red lights and crosswalks — once with a school bus stopped and the driver honking at the driver.

I have also been forced out of my lane by a young lady texting while driving.

For all of us, bad choices can have deadly results. Those choices include drugs, alcohol and tobacco, but they also include driving while texting and talking on a cell phone. Information proves it’s worse than driving drunk.

I personally have chosen not to use my cell while driving and not to talk to anyone who calls me while they’re driving. My car is a no-phone zone.

Lee Woods

Issaquah

PCFC doing good work

The Review gave fine, in-depth coverage with the story about the student project at Pacific Cascade Freshman Campus, with its project to benefit the schools in the Central Asia Institute.

The additional background provided by Chantelle Lusebrink on the work of Greg Mortenson is important.

High fives to the many students at Pacific Cascade for their focus on service and one if not the most important lesson of all, in working with community locally to serve a higher purpose and common good.

Mortenson’s latest book, “Stones Into Schools,” demonstrates the effectiveness of outreach across the world with “Pennies for Peace” and projects such as the T-shirts!

Thanks Sammamish Review, and way to go Pacific Cascade!

Rosemary Fahey

Issaquah

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Sammamish Forum March 3

March 2, 2010

Reject Issaquah math curriculum

According to Memorandum No. 028-09M K-12 Education (for information purposes) sent to state math leaders, school principals and school district superintendents on May 4, 2009 from Randy Dorn, state Superintendent of Public Instruction, regarding high school mathematics core/comprehensive instruction materials final recommendations: “Superintendent Dorn’s final high school recommendations are based on both the work of the OSPI and the SBE as directed by statute. The final recommendation for high school is: Holt Mathematics.” Read more

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Sammamish Forum February 24

February 23, 2010

Freed House may have other problems

I live near one of these old pioneer houses on the plateau. It’s still a home but keeping the place standing as well as fighting toxic mold requires deeper pockets than the owner ever imagined. Read more

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Sammamish Forum February 17

February 17, 2010

In praise of roundabouts

There have been a lot of letters and comments on these pages about roundabouts.

The latest opinion letter, written by Frank Bloom (Roundabouts are Silly, February 3, 2010), was at least entertaining to read and generated a genuine chuckle from me.

I’ll just come out and say it. I’d like to see even more roundabouts in Sammamish.

I applaud the City Council and our traffic engineers for having the vision and yes, courage, to put roundabouts in the city even as unpopular as they are to some. Read more

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Sammamish Forum February 10

February 9, 2010

Why the wetlands closed

Room 5 fourth-graders at Discovery Elementary are working on a project to help a bird called the killdeer nest successfully in the Discovery wetland. We have done some important things to help the killdeer.

One big thing we did is talk to Keith Simmonds, the head of the Issaquah School District maintenance department. Our class made a list of questions to ask him. Some of the questions included locking the public gate and getting informational signs and garbage cans.

As a result of this meeting we have now locked the public gate and posted “No Dogs” signs. We locked the public gate because when people come into the wetland, they bring their dogs.

The reason dogs are a problem is because killdeer nest on the ground where dogs run. We got “No Dogs” signs because dogs are destroying the Killdeer nests.

This does not mean that you cannot visit the wetland. It just means you cannot bring your dogs. You can still access the wetland through the school gate.

We hope the community understands why we did this. We want to help the killdeer that are an important part of the ecosystem.

Discovery Elementary Room 5 Fourth Graders

Patriotism does not require belief in a god

Marvin Taylor wrote in his letter in the Feb. 3 issue of the Review “To the few that hold to the religion of atheism, … they show a marked level of rudeness, ignorance and insensitive behavior attacking our founders and forefathers for allowing us to live such a wonderful free existence to become all that we can.”

Marvin, you and I appear to have something in common. I am a patriotic citizen of America. I served in the U.S. Military and show the American flag in front of my house. I always vote and am an active participant in local and national politics. I feel the patriotic sentiments that you mention well up inside when I recite the Pledge of Allegiance or stand with my hand over my heart when the American flag is paraded by.

A difference between us, reading between the lines of your article is that I believe in one less god than you do. In other words, I have no belief in a god, while you happen to believe in one out of the tens of thousands of available gods.

Atheism is nothing more than a lack of belief in a god. It is not a religion — it has no membership rules, meetings or ritual.

By my own example, a citizen can be very patriotic without believing in a god. Our founding fathers knew this and provided for a separation of the two realms within our constitution.

The Pledge of Allegiance is not based upon our constitution, but is rather an oath of loyalty composed in 1892. The words ‘under God’ were added much later, in 1954.

So, I encourage you to respect the freedoms granted to us by the constitution and to recognize that patriotism and atheism are not mutually exclusive.

Michael J. O’Connell

Sammamish

Math curriculum should go

Dear school board,

I am a parent to two children in Discovery Elementary. I have had the misfortune of being the victim of the Everyday Math adoption, which I can personally testify was extremely confusing for both of my children.

I have had to do an astonishing amount of remedial tutoring at home, an experience that seems to be widely shared by parents across the district. The areas which I have had to do the least tutoring have been the ones where teachers seems to have bravely bypassed

Now we are likely to experience the same in middle & high school based on the district’s plan to adopt “Discovering Math”. As you know this program has been rejected by Washington State Board of Education as “mathematically unsound.” It has now been questioned by the King County Superior Court.

Curricula should not be adopted based on the opinions of self-appointed “experts,” but instead on hard evidence, plenty of which is now available, and which clearly indicates that this discovery-based style of math education simply does not work and, in fact, leads to significant declines in math ability and test scores.

It is worth mentioning that the Issaquah School District adoption committee consists entirely of district teachers, with no parent representation and no independent outside voice at all.

For instance, professors at the University of Washington are finding their incoming students stunningly deficient in math. An adoption committee that included a UW science or math professor would be less insular and more open to criticism.

After all the quality of a curriculum cannot be measured by introspection, but only by the final product, namely what are the math abilities of the Issaquah district high school graduate.

This is something that can (and has been) measured, but plays no role in the adoption committee’s thinking.

The job of the school board is to represent the students, parents and taxpayers of the district, not entrenched vested interests pushing a discredited dogma. Please do your job and put a stop to this runaway train.

Arul Menezes

Sammamish

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Sammamish Forum Feb. 3

February 2, 2010

Support Lake Washington bonds

I urge you to support and vote yes on the three measures on Feb. 9 ballot for the Lake Washington School District.

The three measures are: the Educational Programs and Operational Levy (EP&O), the Capital Projects Levy, and the Construction and Modernization Bond.

The two renewal levies require a simple majority to pass, and the bond measure requires a 60 percent majority for approval. The Educational Programs & Operational Levy fills the gap (19 percent) between state funding and the current cost of educational programs and support. Read more

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Sammamish Forum Jan. 27

January 26, 2010

Support the school levies

The Sammamish City Council recently unanimously endorsed the Issaquah School District levy election. I plan to vote for the three Issaquah levies and urge voters to support the levies when ballots arrive in the mail.

Nothing is more important to the long-term health and strength of a community than strong schools. Excellent school systems attract families and businesses to our area. Our schools provide us with community meeting places and help focus families and community members on healthy activities. Strong schools always elevate property values. The reputation of the school district is integrally woven with the reputation of this city and community.

I appreciate the fact that the Issaquah School District recognized our tough economic times by taking a very conservative approach to levy collections. All three levies are replacement levies, simply renewing the commitment we taxpayers already share. In some cases, homeowners will actually see their tax rates decrease over the next four years.

By supporting these levies, voters can say yes to strong schools, and help pay for smaller class sizes, textbooks, computers, and buses, important offerings like foreign language and library staff, and long-term school building maintenance. All of these contribute substantially to a strong, vibrant community and student success. Join me in voting yes for the Issaquah School District levies and please mail your ballot back by Feb. 9.

Don Gerend

The writer is mayor of Sammamish

Thanks, city

At 11:55 a.m. Jan. 15 while working from home, I noticed a young Puget Sound Energy employee approaching my home in the Timberline neighborhood. She was passing out notices of a planned all-day electricity outage on Jan. 18.

When I gently questioned the timing of the outage (a holiday) and of the notice (Friday noon when most customers were not at home), she explained that “they” were doing it all over the area. Since it was not her decision, I instead called the number provided by Puget Sound Energy on their notice.

I got a very pleasant response, but essentially “we’re going to do it.” As I groused and grumbled after that response, my wife said “call the mayor!” which seemed a great idea.

I went to the Sammamish Web page, but the first contact name and number I saw was for the city manager, so that’s who I called. I don’t have permission to use the name of the person who responded, but she was excellent. She got information about my “crisis,” plus my name and contact number and promised to let the city manager know.

I, now enamored of speaking truth to power, called the mayor. He was not available, but his wife was – and she is a dynamo. After agreeing with me that the people who planned such an outage for a holiday with such late notice were “idiots,” she too collected the appropriate information and promised the mayor would get it.

Even though I fully expected nothing to be done, I had at least been listened to. Both women kept me in the loop as the afternoon progressed, and much to my amazement, by the end of the afternoon the outage had been postponed. Sammamish had roared and Puget Sound Energy had to listen.

My thanks to the city manager and mayor, but especially to the two who heard my concern, realized it was just, gathered the necessary information and got it into the hands of our city executives.

I’m still smiling.

John Boyne

Sammamish

Sammamish would be a good steward

I am writing as a 17-year resident of Klahanie. I want to comment on the Klahanie Park proposal.

I have two daughters and a dog, and I feel so lucky to have raised my family in this community.

But I feel the best interests of the community are not being represented by the continued fight to keep control of the King County/Klahanie Park.

My daughters both play soccer and other sports and have been fortunate in the past few years to have the city of Sammamish’s vision to put all-purpose fields in both the Skyline and Eastlake parks.

Without these fields, our teams would be limited to only the two high schools turf fields, and it would have been nearly impossible to get practice or games once the grass fields become unplayable and close for four months.

During this time, the city of Sammamish has done a great job of scheduling use of the fields and making sure we have lights when needed.

I feel the best option for the many residents of Klahanie would be to have the county turn the fields over to Sammamish. I trust their vision and I know they would do a great job of maintaining the fields and giving the many residents of the plateau and Klahanie the best option for the future.

When I talk to my many neighbors, we all agree that this is the best proposal and feel that having Klahanie maintain control of the fields would not be in the best interest of residents and community.

I hope we can work closely with Sammamish and make the transition to the city smooth and not take on a responsibility that is not in our best interests.

Brian Bofto

Issaquah

Written by Administrator · Filed Under Letters to the Editor | 2 Comments

Sammamish Forum January 20

January 19, 2010

Support the libraries

The people of Sammamish are very excited and pleased with our new library that opened Jan. 9. This beautiful, “green” building was paid for with King County Library System capital funds.

Now we need to pass Proposition 1 to keep it and the other 43 libraries in the system operating up to capacity.

Proposition 1 will restore the property tax levy to 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed value for collection in 2011, one year only. Read more

Written by Administrator · Filed Under Letters to the Editor | 4 Comments

Sammamish Forum Jan. 13

January 13, 2010

Town Center

change needed

Years ago, in pursuit of their retirement dream, many people purchased land site unseen in Florida. The sales pitch painted a picture of a community with beautiful streets, parks, and all the amenities of the good life.

However, when people visited Florida they discovered their land was in the middle of a swamp.

An inquiry at the local county office revealed that the county had no plan to build the infrastructure needed to develop their land.

Perhaps, in 20 to 30 years, the swamp might be drained, roads built, utilities extended, but by then, most landowners would be dead.

The Sammamish Town Center Plan is a Florida land scam. The plan locates the majority of development west of 228th in “the middle of a Florida swamp” where no infrastructure exists.

Sammamish has no money to develop the necessary infrastructure and developers can’t do it either. Perhaps, in 20 to 30 years, roads will be built and utilities extended and development made possible.

East of 228th, disregarding common sense and smart growth principles, the Town Center Plan allocates insufficient development to areas where infrastructure exists and development is possible.

Simply stated, the Town Center Plan prevents development by making it economically impossible.

Landowners in the southeast quadrant of the Town Center, between Eastside Catholic and Skyline High Schools, have assembled 20 acres.

Currently, this 20 acres has five old homes and millions of dollars of under-utilized infrastructure.

At considerable cost, landowners hired planners, engineers, environmental experts and market researchers to put together an economically realistic and environmentally responsible plan that motivates developers to invest and build a pedestrian friendly, mixed-use development with open space, trails, and affordable housing. Checkout www.sammamishtowncenter.com

Contrary to newspaper reports, the SE Quadrant Plan does not request an increase of commercial development beyond what is planned for the Town Center.

Our proposal requests that commercial square footage be allocated to where infrastructure exists, land assembled and development is possible now, not 20 or 30 years from now.

Without changes the Town Center Plan is a $2 million taxpayer investment in a Florida land scam.

John Galvin

The writer is one of the property owners in the southeast quadrant.

Leave the park for Klahanie

The attempt by the city of Sammamish to annex Klahanie Park is very much a land grabbing effort on their part at the expense of the residents of the community that immediately surrounds the park. Some items of concern:

u Klahanie Park is a neighborhood park, conceived and built as an “open space” and bordered by homes and living space.

A sports complex park as the one Sammamish is rumored to want to develop should never be placed in such a location because it is extremely disruptive to the local community (noise, light pollution, traffic, etc).

u “Upgrading” the current park to the rumored one with artificial turf, night lighting, locked fences, bleachers, controlled access, fees, a thru road, etc. is no upgrade at all.

It is a disservice to the local community.

u The 64-acre park (mostly pristine wetland containing the 10,000 year old Queens Bog) is not located within Sammamish.

u Klahanie Park was built by Klahanie’s developer (including grass fields, restrooms, parking, and trails) and given to King County in good faith.

u Sammamish planned to build a similar sports facility at Beaver Lake Park but they scaled it back after resident objected. They are now attempting to “export” the problem to Klahanie.

u Sammamish’s suggestion that a Parks Commission position be made available to a non-resident has a hollow sound.

This would provide no assurance that we would be heard or fairly represented.

u It would be appropriate for the park to be annexed together with the community that surrounds it, to the city we ultimately become a part of (hopefully Issaquah), where we would have meaningful representation.

u There are clearly other means to finance Klahanie Park operations until such time. King County is shuttering no parks in 2010 and Sammamish is not coming to the rescue!

We are pleased to continue sharing this open space with all who come to the park, but the 10,000 King County residents of Klahanie will be ill-served by Sammamish’s plans to build and control a one dimensional sports complex within our community.

David Crowther

Issaquah

Town Center change needed