Too much rain
If we had a Roman Emperor in charge in Washington, D.C. I’m sure he would be sympathetic, because of all this rain, for a request to change the name of this month to Juneuary.
Anthony Emmanuel
Sammamish
Parkway is unnecessary
Having lived in Sammamish for more than a year, I’ve been pleased with how well the city seems to be run. One exception to that is the East Lake Sammamish Parkway project.
This is a project that has cost commuters hours of their time — hundreds of hours that will not be returned in the form of roads that allow higher speed or additional capacity.
Making matters worse, phases of this project have, at one time or another, coincided with construction at 244th Avenue Northeast as well as Sahalee Way — the only other two roads off the plateau toward Redmond.
This has severely jammed traffic, particularly during the afternoon commute.
City officials speak of the federal funds paying for phase 1B as though it is free money; manna from heaven. This could not be further from the truth.
Perhaps the council has a special exemption from federal income taxes that the rest of the city doesn’t have.
“Shovel ready project” indeed — it’s poised to dig a big hole for the country to pay its way out of. Let me thank the council on behalf of the under-30 generation of Sammamish residents that will have to pay for the fiscal irresponsibility of its elders.
Michael Sullivan
Sammamish
Obama is at fault
While I respect Mr. O’Connell’s basic science lesson on the ocean, he misses the real point.
This is a crisis that was based upon an accident and a failure of protective equipment, which is required by law as a safety precaution.
Mr. O’Connell, instead of lambasting your friends publicly, taking cheap shots at those with opposing opinions (this is still America isn’t it?) and espousing the “we need stricter regulation, better inspections and greater adherence to safety practices” dogma heard from mainstream media, how about addressing the underlying issue of why this disaster is not being contained and is getting worse?
This is classic big government failure after a natural disaster with an inexperienced leader at the helm who knows nothing about leadership.
The federal government will plod along at a snail’s pace without direct intervention and require executive orders to waive the red tape.
The oil booms produced by the small companies were not purchased right away even though those companies took the risk and built up production ahead of time.
Some of those companies are being denied the right to supply the states whose beaches are at risk because of federal red tape.
The Army Corps of Engineers took more than a month to authorize the state of Louisiana to build 23 barrier islands to keep the oil away from their marshes.
BP’s CEO is resident on the coast managing operations. Where is our CEO Obama?
He does a drive by, gets some photos and he is gone.
I guess his Paul McCartney concert at the White House, his vacation in Chicago, his commencement speeches and twice a week golf game are more important than direct management of a national crisis.
And I submit, the crowning solution of the current administration in this crisis is to completely halt new offshore drilling for six months while federal bureaucrats assess safety regulations.
I am sure Mr. Obama will not even be welcome to visit Louisiana after dealing out this final deathblow to the Gulf Coast economy.
John Burg
Sammamish
By J.B. Wogan and Christopher Huber
The single thematic thread that wove through most of 2009’s major news stories is the recession — how every day citizens and government officials had to adjust to shrinking revenues and where they continued business as usual. It was also the year of landmarks for Sammamish — a double-digit birthday, some of the coldest and hottest weather, the first annexed neighborhoods and a string of high school state championships.
One of the City Council’s heftiest burdens in 2009 was the updating of its shoreline building regulations as mandated by the state Department of Ecology, a two-year process that left many lakefront homeowners nervous. With sales prices on homes already tanking, homeowners feared the new regulations threatened to make it harder to market property at the highest value possible.
A cooperative effort by property owners, city staff and the council resulted in an imperfect compromise passed Oct. 9 that most agreed was an improvement from committee and staff drafts, but not totally satisfactory for any one faction. The city is still waiting to hear back from the state Department of Ecology, which gave some early signs that it might reject a portion of regulations for being too lax.
Property owners along the city’s lakes and elsewhere had reason to fret about the value of their land in 2009 — the latest data from November showed that the median sales price in Sammamish dropped 14.3 percent in a year. In 2008, the median sales price was $617,500 and in 2009 it was $529,000.
In July, the King County Assessor’s Office released information based on slightly different metrics that implied the same trend. The assessor’s office said property values across the city were down about 16 percent.
Cutting back
As residents saw property diminish in value, it’s no surprise that their elected representatives felt pressure to be more frugal. Early signs of this cost-conscious mentality popped up when the council punted two budgeted items off the books and into limbo. One was a $100,000 town clock that would have sprouted up somewhere near City Hall and the skate park. The other was the Freed House, a 114-year-old historic farmstead home that the Parks Department projected would cost more than $730,000 to relocate and rehabilitate.
Both projects have been delayed indefinitely.
The same cost-cutting approach led to some heated discussions at Eastside Fire & Rescue meetings throughout 2009, where Sammamish representatives sought ways to curb rising expenses related to fire protection. City officials said they were scrutinizing EFR’s budget because the city’s cost had increased at an average of 6 percent per year between 2007 and 2009.
Stakeholders held a meeting at the council chambers in November that EFR Fire Chief Lee Soptich called the first of its kind, with citizens and fire experts airing out grievances in civil tones. A more extensive meeting is planned for Jan. 9, where Sammamish will discuss the future of EFR with its EFR partners from North Bend, Carnation, Issaquah, May Valley, Preston, Tiger Mountain and Wilderness Rim.
New roads, new community center
As revenues flat lined, the city’s plans for ambitious road projects also took a hit. The council reviewed their six-year transportation plan and agreed with staff recommendations not to tackle big-ticket items until after 2014.
Of course, the dearth of road construction in the near future will come only after the city finishes an ambitious set of projects that began in 2009. The city redesigned an intersection at Inglewood Hill Road and East Lake Sammamish Parkway ($6.3 million), it started connecting 244th Avenue ($9.3 million), it began revamping Southeast 20th Street to include a sidewalk and bike lanes ($1.56 million) and it spent $1 million on repairing and repaving deteriorating roads.
The tanking construction market did have one bright spot. Construction bids were more competitive than in past years, resulting in lower-than-expected costs for most city projects and millions in savings. Eyeing that extra cash, the council decided to purchase the old library building for $3.4 million and repurpose it as a teen and recreation center.
The 11-year-old library at the intersection of 228th Avenue and Inglewood Hill Road closed Dec. 14 and would likely have been sold to the highest bidder by the King County Library District. But the city reached a deal in October where it would buy the building and work with the Sammamish Boys and Girls Club to expand and renovate the facility.
The city is expected to take over the building in February, though much of the center’s plans are unresolved. The big question still looming is how the city or independent organizations like the Sammamish Boys and Girls Club will pay for renovating, operating and maintaining the center.
Changes on council and a birthday bash
The suffering economy was also at the center of the local elections this year. All four City Council races were contested, which made it the most competitive set of bouts since the city’s first council election. Candidates debated the city’s current spending habits, ways to make the Town Center a cash cow and whether the city needed either higher taxes or more kinds of taxes.
Kathy Huckabay, a member of the original City Council retired, while Jack Barry, another of the original council, was defeated. Don Gerend, the last remaining founder of the city, will be joined by newcomers John James, John Curley and Tom Odell.
One thing the economy couldn’t put a damper on was a birthday. The city turned 10 in 2009. In its first 10 years, the city has several new parks and ball fields, an off-leash dog area, its own City Hall, its own police department, an expanded 228th Avenue with sidewalks, a park-and-ride, plus several binders worth of municipal code designed to reflect the priorities of the local citizenry.
The mayor held math tests to honor the occasion, city staff collected mementos for a time capsule (to be opened in 40 years) and the city threw a party in August.
Extreme weather
When framing the year’s events in superlatives, the city’s most erratic and extreme set of seasons deserves mention. The year started out with Sammamish actually ducking January’s major weather story. Precipitation carrying over from December 2008 soaked much of east King County with floods, but because of Sammamish’s position up on the plateau it was spared any disasters.
There was no such luck in the summer. A heat wave struck in July, with Seattle recording an all-time high of 105 degrees Fahrenheit July 29. Sammamish families sought respite at the city’s lakes and in air-conditioned spaces, like movie theaters.
And despite a lack of snow in December, the last month of the year was especially nippy, reaching a low of 14 degrees Fahrenheit Dec. 10. Unlike the previous year, the frosty air wasn’t accompanied by inches of snow and ice.
New neighbors, layoff scares
This was also the year of annexations, with Camden Park and its neighboring enclaves being the first county residents to join Sammamish since incorporation, with Rosemont joining soon after.
Between the two annexations, Sammamish increased in size by 117.7 acres and in population by 390 residents. The city also entertained requests from Raven Hill and the Aldarra and Montaine subdivisions and will likely make decisions on those annexations in 2010.
The first requests were no-brainers for the city, with the promise of higher revenues through property taxes with relatively minor cost increases for road maintenance and providing police and fire protection. But the cost-benefit analysis of future neighborhoods, especially given the likely increases of police and fire protection in the future, might give the council pause.
While the city mulled over ways to cut back its budget, school districts were reeling over troubling news: the state’s projected budget deficit of about $9 billion would translate into slashing education funding. Teacher layoffs appeared imminent, though most didn’t happen. The federal government came through with stimulus funds which helped fill part of the hole. Then, the school districts made a range of their own changes, including increasing class sizes and tripling some fees for playing sports.
Tons of titles
Not that the fees appeared to discourage or inhibit athletic excellence on the plateau. The city’s high schools won a combined 10 state championships and racked up a handful of individual and team championships at the conference and district levels.
The Skyline cheer squad began the year with a state title in January and Eastlake’s Kevin Penner took his second golf title in three years in May. Skyline’s Kasen Williams went on to win the 4A state title in the high jump.
The Eastlake girls cross country began the run of fall state titles when it won its second straight 4A championship. The Skyline girls swim and dive team followed suit with its first-ever team title in November. Senior swimmer Andie Taylor and freshman Maria Volodkevich each won a title, as well. Eastlake’s Katie Kinnear also won an individual swimming title.
Skyline’s football and girls soccer teams took 2009 sports out with a bang when they both repeated as 4A state champions. The football team made it three straight, including its 2007 Class 3A championship.
New: Dec. 31, 2:37 p.m.
The single thematic thread that wove through most of 2009’s major news stories is the recession — how every day citizens and government officials had to adjust to shrinking revenues and where they continued business as usual. It was also the year of landmarks for Sammamish — a double-digit birthday, some of the coldest and hottest weather, the first annexed neighborhoods and a string of high school state championships.
One of the City Council’s heftiest burdens in 2009 was the updating of its shoreline building regulations as mandated by the state Department of Ecology, a two-year process that left many lakefront homeowners nervous. With sales prices on homes already tanking, homeowners feared the new regulations threatened to make it harder to market property at the highest value possible.
A cooperative effort by property owners, city staff and the council resulted in an imperfect compromise passed Oct. 9 that most agreed was an improvement from committee and staff drafts, but not totally satisfactory for any one faction. The city is still waiting to hear back from the state Department of Ecology, which gave some early signs that it might reject a portion of regulations for being too lax.
Sammamish and region endure record-setting temps
By Lauren McLaughlin
The heat hadn’t changed Carson Denny’s habits one bit. He was already visiting Pine Lake Park every day this summer.
“I go for the girls, mostly,” Denny said.
With the temperature outside reaching into the 100s, Sammamish residents were looking for ways to stay cool. On July 29, the official temperature at Sea-Tac Airport hit 103 degrees – the highest temperature on record in 115 years.
Some people trekked to lakes and air conditioned stores, others bought cold drinks and ice cream, and many bought fans and air conditioning units to turn their homes into sanctuaries from the heat.
Tim Koch, owner of the Sammamish ACE hardware, said his fan aisle was completely empty.
“We sold out of fans and air conditioners Tuesday (July 21),” Koch said. “We got 50 more in on the 28th and they were gone in an hour.”
Running out of fans and air conditioners in the store is not the only potential problem.
“Last week we had 900 units of one specific air conditioner in the warehouse,” Koch said. “When I checked yesterday we only had 300.”
Koch said he is not too worried.
“As of right now we can still get stuff,” Koch said. “If this heat lasts a couple of weeks we’ll be in trouble, but I don’t think it will.”
Many people have also been indulging in ice cream to take off the sting of the heat.
Debbie Chaney, owner of the Cold Stone Creamery on Northeast Eight Street, said she had noticed an increase in people buying ice cream.
“People have been staying in the store later than usual too,” Chaney said.
Chaney has also noticed that they have been selling more of certain flavors.
“The sorbets. People just look for something lighter,” Chaney said. “Most of our flavors are rich and creamy and in this heat people want something lighter.”
Ice cream stores weren’t the only places to rest in air-conditioned comfort.
Public libraries were designated cooling areas and that brought in crowds of people, Sammamish Library Manager Robbin Gaebler said.
“Every available seat was filled,” she said. “I saw adults squeezing into kids chairs, 3-4 people on a single bench, every available cushion and every available chair was taken, sometimes even multiple people to a single chair. It was really crowded.”
The Sammamish Library opened up its conference room to provide more seating because library policy doesn’t allow people to sit on the floor or in the aisle ways, Gaebler said.
“Even with the conference room it wasn’t enough,” Gaebler said. “I saw an elderly couple search the library for a while looking for a place to read before they left because they simply couldn’t find a seat.”
Closing time presented unpredicted problems; no one wanted to leave.
“In the fall it happens sometimes because of people staying late to get homework help, but not in summer,” Gaebler said. “We actually had to turn off the lights and start to leave in order to close the library at 9. It’s normally empty by 7:30 in the summer.”
Mary Mae Colvin retreated to the library for a few hours to get out of the heat.
“I came (on Wednesday) and it was just so wonderful that I came back again today,” said Colvin.
Colvin said she noticed the library was more crowded than usual but it didn’t bother her.
The library was not the only crowded location during the heat wave. Many people stopped by Beaver and Pine lakes for a swim or to simply cool off.
Lorna Forbes, of South Africa, and Cristina Gomez, of Columbia, came to visit friends in Sammamish and were surprised by the heat.
“This never happens here,” Forbes said. “I wasn’t expecting this heat in Washington.”
“Yesterday we tried going to the mall to get out of the heat,” Gomez said. “It was crazy.”
It wasn’t just people cooling off at Beaver Lake this week. Juan Pablo Gofre brought his dog to the lake to cool off.
“She doesn’t like the water, so I have to put her in,” Gofre said after dunking his dog in the lake. “Coming to the lake is a good way to stay cool,” Gofre said.
Pine Lake Park was no different.
“This is the busiest I’ve ever seen it here,” said Tyler Bodick, a lifeguard at Pine Lake Park for the last four years. Bodick said he and the other lifeguards would take to the shade whenever they were off duty.
Toby and Andrew Beyer, visiting the state from southern California, came to Pine Lake Park to seek respite from the oppressive heat.
The Beyers said they spent the week bouncing from air conditioned shopping centers and movie theaters and outdoor parks.
“I’d heard stories that it was cold in Washington,” Andrew Beyer said.
Reporter J.B. Wogan contributed to this story.
Intern Lauren McLaughlin can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 244 or samrev@isspress.com. To comment on this story visit www.sammamishreview.com.
The heat hadn’t changed Carson Denny’s habits one bit. He was already visiting Pine Lake Park every day this summer.
“I go for the girls, mostly,” Denny said.
With the temperature outside reaching into the 100s, Sammamish residents were looking for ways to stay cool. On July 29, the official temperature at Sea-Tac Airport hit 103 degrees – the highest temperature on record in 115 years.
Photo by J.B. Wogan Zakk Weber, 11, launches into the water from the Pine Lake Park dock. His friend Adam Nakanishi, 16, watches the jump. Photo by J.B. Wogan
Read more
Cool tips for
hot weather
Wearing cooler clothing, staying out of the sun, seeking air-conditioned buildings (movies anyone?) and drinking plenty of water seems like common sense in extreme hot weather, but here are some things you might not have thought of:
A cold beer sounds good, but better to avoid alcoholic and caffeinated beverages, which can be dehydrating. And don’t wait until you are thirsty to reach for that glass of water.
Never leave infants, children or pets in a parked car, even if the windows are open. Of course, it’s against the law to ever leave kids in a car.
Check on elderly neighbors and relatives. They may be the first to “wilt” in the heat. Take elderly neighbors a pitcher of cold lemonade.
Get out the crafts and board games for children to play low-level activities indoors where it may be cooler.
Cover your windows and keep lights and appliances off during the day to help keep your house cool.
Open windows at night, placing fans near windows to draw the cooler air in.
Symptoms of heat exhaustion include muscle cramps, weakness, dizziness, headache and nausea. If you notice someone with signs of overheating, move the person to a cooler location, have them rest for a few minutes and slowly drink a cool beverage.
Heat stroke can cause death or permanent disability if emergency treatment is not provided. Symptoms include high body temperature, hot and dry skin, rapid pulse, confusion and unconsciousness.
Remember the effects of heat on your pets, too. Leave pets at home instead of taking them on errands. Pets are susceptible to sunburn and other heat-related maladies and their paws can burn when walking on hot pavement.
Animals need access to shade. Replenish their water dish with cool water throughout the day.
“Dogs and cats cool themselves by rapid breathing, and it means animals must work hard to stay cool. So, when it’s hot for you, it’s even hotter for them!” says Humane Society CEO Brenda Barnette.
Think cool thoughts. Do a little rain dance. This can’t last forever!
Wearing cooler clothing, staying out of the sun, seeking air-conditioned buildings (movies anyone?) and drinking plenty of water seems like common sense in extreme hot weather, but here are some things you might not have thought of:
A cold beer sounds good, but better to avoid alcoholic and caffeinated beverages, which can be dehydrating. And don’t wait until you are thirsty to reach for that glass of water.
Read moreNew: July 28, 1:23 a.m.
In response to the excessive heat warning and air stagnation advisory issued by the National Weather Service, several cooling centers have been designated in King County.
In Sammamish, county officials are recommending you head to the Sammamish library, 825 228th Ave. NE or the Redmond Senior Center, 8703 160th Ave. NE.
“We are a cooling shelter, because our customary operations have air conditioning,” said Marsha Iverson, a spokeswoman for the King County Library System. “We do not anticipate and have no plans for emergency relief. So, if people are already in trouble, we are not the people to help with that.”
If you do experience nausea; paleness; a throbbing headache; rapid pulse; hot, red or dry skin; muscle cramps; or fainting, you could be experiencing heat exhaustion or a heat stroke, so call 911, an Eastside Fire & Rescue press release said.
While the library is not set up to handle emergency situations, Iverson said, it can act as a place to keep cool and ensure you don’t fall victim to excessive heat.
“So, if you’re sweating under your fan on the couch, pack up the family and come here,” she said. “We are a place that has air conditioning and power, so bring your laptop and settle in. We’re free.”
The library is open from 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. Monday – Thursday; from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Friday; from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturday; and from 1-5 p.m. Sunday.
The Redmond Senior Center is open 8:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday. Call 556-2314.
Beat the heat
Drink more fluids: Don’t wait until you’re thirsty. Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Stay away from alcohol and sugary liquids.
Stay indoors: Preferably in an air-conditioned or cool place, like a basement. If you don’t have these options, go to a shopping mall or library to help your body stay cool.
Electric fans: Will help, but may not prevent heat-related illness. If you can’t go to an air-conditioned location, try taking a cool shower or bath.
Wear lightweight, light-colored and loose-fitting clothing.
Never leave anyone, including pets, in a closed, parked vehicle.
Source: Eastside Fire & Rescue
New Feb. 26 7:53 a.m.
A small storm hit the Puget sound region last night, but tempretures should rise into the 40′s this afternoon.
There are no reports of major problems on the roadways, but there are some traffic back-ups.
Both the Issaquah and Lake Washington school districts are opening with a two-hour delay.
The snow may be gone, but the sludge remains.
Read more
City uses salt sparingly when roads are slick
Trucks on 228th Avenue did not use salt, according to city officials. Photo by J.B. Wogan
Unlike Seattle, salt has been used to treat snowy streets in Sammamish.
The city of Seattle’s policy of using sand instead of salt, a measure officials say is to protect Puget Sound, has gained national scrutiny in recent weeks, with some experts questioning the rationale.
In Sammamish, Public Works Director John Cunningham said there were special circumstances when salt was the most effective and reasonable option in melting the snow and ice on the roads.
The city’s main north-south arterial, 228th Avenue, did not receive any salt.
“We try to use it very, very sparingly,” Cunningham said, citing the possible environmental impacts of salt concentrations on Sammamish’s lakes. The salt is also corrosive to cars, he said.
When salt is used, it’s part of a saltwater solution, Cunningham explained.
If a steep hill has compacted snow and ice, the trucks will lay down the saltwater. The same situation calls for steel blades — instead of rubber blades — on the fronts of the snow plows. Those blades can damage the asphalt and pop off the reflective lane markers on roads, but they are better for scooping up the ice than the rubber ones, he said.
Reporter J.B. Wogan can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 247, or jbwogan@isspress.com. To coment on this story, visit www.SammamishReview.com.
The National Weather Service has declared a flood watch for much of Western Washington as temperatures continue to rise and a storm front brings rain to the region. Experts warn of the potential for urban flooding. Residents should work to clear storm drains in their neighborhoods.
The forecast calls for rain and snow, with less than one inch of new snow during the day, and none at night.
The city of Sammamish reports that trash drop off which had been scheduled for some residents has been cancelled, while others may get pick-up tomorrow.
New Dec. 24, 10:53 a.m.
Winter weater is once again snarling traffic in the region and on the plateau. The city of Sammamish reports that snow is causing slippery conditions in the city. Use caution when navigating city streets.
The National Weather Service has declared a Winter Weather Advisory until 4 p.m. Dec. 24.
In Sammamish, snow is predicted to give way to rain this afternoon, changing back into snow after 10 p.m. There is a possiblity of less than one inch of new snow tonight.
Tomorrow, snow and rain are expected to trade off, with showers of both kinds of precipitation throughout the day. By Friday, tempratures are expected to climb into the 40s and remain above freezing even at night. Coupled with the predicted rain, this will likely melt much of the snow, although flooding will become a potential hazard.
Next Page »
