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COMMUNITY
SAMMAMISH REVIEW
State gives local schools a pair of green thumbs up By Lillian Tucker
Local schools are no stranger to environmental awards, however the Issaquah School District was pleasantly surprised July 23 when two of its schools were honored by the state for their green leadership. Creekside Elementary and Issaquah Middle schools were two of Washington’s five schools awarded the Pillar 1 honor for Environmental Impact and Energy Efficiency by State Superintendent Randy Dorn. In total, 11 green awards were given by the state in three different pillar categories. “It’s quite thrilling actually,” said John Macartney, the district’s resource conservation manager. Macartney recalled that the 17-page award application was a bit daunting. “It was a big deal.” All of the district’s 24 schools recycle and 21 of them compost but Creekside Elementary and Issaquah Middle both have pretty impressive programs, said Macartney. Even before its doors opened in the fall of 2010, Creekside Elementary, was an ‘A’ student at saving energy. The building’s
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Creekside Elementary School Principal Robin Earl discusses the new school building prior to its opening in 2010. Visible behind her are the high-up windows that help cut back on the use of electric lighting. design includes several green features, like seed-board walls made of repurposed plants and
windows high up in the hallways that provide natural light, cutting back on electrical light. Energy-
efficient fans circulate air in classrooms to maximize the air conditioning that’s used and the
school has a no idling policy that applies even to school buses. “It’s been an important part of our school culture since the beginning,” said Creekside Principal Robin Earl. Older students often give building tours to the school’s visitors, showing off the green innovations. “Guests give me feedback and tell me that these kids are really proud of this building. What we are trying to do in our leadership theme with our students is include in that that they have a leadership role in keeping our environment safe.” It’s not just the building that’s green. Custodian Dave Holbrook is a two-time winner of King County’s “Earth Hero” award. Part of Holbrook’s stewardship efforts include facilitating, with the help of Program Assistant Judy Bowlby, a student green team. The group volunteers in the lunchroom to help people figure out if their waste goes in the garbage, recycling or compost bin. The program has been so successful, according to the principal, that the biggest challenge has become honoring all those See SCHOOLS, Page 9
Pine Lake Covenant Church welcomes new head pastor By Lillian Tucker
owner of a variety store. “I felt like that was my calling, If you ask the Rev. Mark to experience God in the business Meredith if he is a fan of “church- world and find his light there,” he liness” the answer is “no.” said. “This is my big thing, help“I hate churchliness,” said ing people connect their faith to Meredith. He defines the term as their everyday life.” being church-bound and thinkShortly after joining the evaning that inside the four walls of gelical denomination, Meredith a church is where God is most met his future wife, Patty. The active. “We gather on Sunday two were later married in the so we can have our batteries same Mercer Island church charged so that we can really be where they met. about God all week.” Still a small business owner, While he has only been in Meredith took a break in 1990 to Sammamish attend semifor a few nary at Regent “I just felt ‘I want to weeks and is College in know more and grow still looking Vancouver, for a house to B.C. more.’” buy, Meredith “I didn’t feel – Mark Meredith, has already called to be a Pastor – started his new pastor,” he said. post as lead “I just felt ‘I pastor of Pine want to know Lake Covenant more and grow Church. more.’” Keeping the lessons of Seventeen years after Christianity present in everyday he earned his economics life has been something that has degree from the University of appealed to Meredith since he Washington, Meredith gradufirst committed to the faith in his ated college again in 1993 with mid twenties. That was nearly a masters of Christian studies in three decades ago, when he was applied theology. living on Mercer Island and just By that time, he and Patty getting started as small business Meredith had three small chil-
dren, Aaron, Jesse and Sam. The family moved back to Mark Meredith’s hometown of Olympia, where he continued to run his growing business, Meredith Stores. With the line between his spiritual life and work life already blurred it didn’t seem like that big of a leap, Meredith said, when he decided to become the founding pastor at Community Covenant Church in Eagle River, Alaska. “I was getting tired of my business,” he said, adding that he did a lot of reflection. “Is this really what I want? Is this what I am meant to do?” So in 1995, the family of five left the Puget Sound region behind for Eagle River, a neighboring town to Anchorage. For Meredith, a fan of the outdoors and flyfishing in particular, the new location was a good fit. But it wasn’t all a smooth transition. With nearly 2,000 miles between them and the rest of their family, it was cold, dark and a hard place to live, he said. But, he added, there were a lot of needs and a lot of opportunities for ministry. In the 17 years that he was at the helm, the congregation that
Contributed
Terry and Mark Meredith have made the trip south from Alaska so Mark can take over as lead pastor at Pine Lake Covenant Church. started with just 30 people grew to more than 1,000. “I love watching people experience the person of Christ and
then watch the change that comes to their life as a result. It See PASTOR, Page 9
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sports History in the making, Sammamish Little League win state championship The Sammamish Little League 10/11 year old All Stars defeated Federal Way 10-3 July 23 to capture the first Washington State Championship in Sammamish Little League history. The state tournament began on a good note July 14 for Sammamish, when leadoff hitter, Will Simpson, hit a home run on the second pitch
SAMMAMISH REVIEW
of the game. Led by Simpson and Daniel Qin, who both batted 3 for 4, the team went on to beat Sedro Woolley, 10-4. Back again the next day, Sammamish defeated Ridgefield 2-0 after scoring all the runs it needed in the first inning. Cole Hinkelman pitched the twohit shutout while striking out 12 Ridgefield batters. After two days off, the team played Federal Way July 18 for a See BASEBALL, Page 11
Basketball team with pair of Sammamish girls finishes 7th in nation Photo by Greg Farrar
Spencer Weiss, 16, of Eastlake High School, hits his tee shot July 17, starting his round on the par-4, 397-yard 10th hole during the WJGA District golf championship at Sahalee Country Club.
Ashley Fitzgibbons wins state golf title, others are among the top finishers By Lillian Tucker
There was no doubt about it. After three days out on the links, 13-year-old Ashley Fitzgibbons, of Sammamish, became the state champion. Fitzgibbons clinched the title July 27 after finishing the Washington Junior Golf Association State Tournament 19 strokes ahead of the nearest competitor to win the state title in the Girls 12-13 division. From the very beginning, she distanced herself from the other players by shooting a 71 on the first day. She finished round two with 77 strokes and won the championship the next day with a score of 75. With a tournament total of 223 strokes, Fitzgibbons was nearly 20 strokes ahead of the second place finisher, Rachel Fujitani of Bellevue. Fitzgibbons will be a freshman at Eastlake in the fall. Sammamish’s Maddie Nelson also competed in the tournament but did not qualify for the final round after shooting 166 in the first two days. In the 16-17 boys division Spencer Weiss of Eastlake High School finished fourth with a final score of 222, five strokes behind the state champion Ross Kukula. Weiss shot a 74 in the first round, 73 in the second and 75 on the final day. “(I’m) very proud of Spencer Weiss as he is getting comfortable playing in the top groups See GOLF, Page 11
Contributed
Photo by Greg Farrar
Jamie Midkiff, 16, of Eastlake High School, strikes the golf ball on the par-4, 348-yard first hole.
Sammamish’s Gina Marxen, No. 22 for the Seattle Transition Hoops AAU basketball team, shoots the ball during the July 18 national championship game against Tennessee Flight Select Stallings. The game finished 35-27 in Tennessee’s favor, sending Seattle home as the second place finishers of the 2012 AAU Girls Basketball National Tournament in the seventh grade division one category. Also representing Sammamish was Kylie George, who plays post for Seattle Transition. Held in Cincinnati, the tournament included 68 teams from all over the United States. On its way to Nationals, according to assistant coach Tom Marxen, of Sammamish, Seattle went on a six-game winning streak.
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Events
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Calendar
SAMMAMISH REVIEW
Keep it clean, meet some people
Concerts in the Park features the Stacey Jones Band playing indie blues rock at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 2 at Pine Lake Park.
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The Sammamish Heritage Society meets from 7:30-9 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month at the Pine Lake Community Club, 21333 S.E. 20th St. in Sammamish.
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A volunteer event designed to help people meet other Sammamish residents is set for 10 a.m. Aug. 9 at the Lower Commons native plant garden. Register at www.ci.sammamish. wa.us/volunteer/SignUp.aspx?ID=2635
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Donate blood from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Aug. 13 at City Hall.
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A pajama party with children’s music by Harmonica Pocket is set for noon Aug. 14 at the Sammamish Commons as part of the KidsFirst! Performance Series.
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Focus on faith Christian Church of Joy is holding a carnival and barbeque on Aug. 25 at the church, 723 233rd Ave. N.E. Call 868-6879. Club Mosaic, a community discussion group, meets from 7-8:30 p.m. the third Wednesday of each month at the Holiday Inn in Issaquah. visit www.clubmosaic.org. Grief Share Support Group meeting is from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Thursday nights at Sammamish Presbyterian Church.
A free joint replacement seminar will be held from 6-8 p.m. Aug. 22 at Swedish Issaquah. Register at www.swedish.org/classes.
Wednesday night youth group will have games, worship and fun for students in grades six-12 from 7-8:30 p.m. Wednesdays at Sammamish Presbyterian Church.
Ongoing
Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) allows mothers of young children time to make friends share stories and grow spiritually. The group generally meets twice a month on Thursday mornings at Mary, Queen of Peace Church. Visit www.mops.org.
The Sammamish Farmers Market is open from 3-7 p.m. every Wednesday at Sammamish City Hall.
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join the club
Safe and Sound Sammamish, the National Night Out kickoff event, features an interactive workshop with Circus Cascadia from Portland, Ore., police cars on display and other information booths about public safety from 2-5 p.m. Aug. 7 at City Hall.
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Donate blood from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Aug. 4 at Sammamish Presbyterian Church
Concerts in the Park features the Adrian Xavier Band playing reggae world music at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 9 at Pine Lake Park.
August
A Toast to the Lord, a faith-based Toastmasters club,
meets from 7 to 8:30 p.m. every Friday at the Fire Station 83 on Issaquah-Pine Lake Road. They offer job interviewing skill development for those seeking employment or a career change; motivational and inspirational speaking training. Call 427-9682 or email orator@live.com. Mary, Queen of Peace youth groups are for children in sixth-eighth grade and ninth12th grades. Meetings are at 6:30 p.m. Sundays. Call the church at 391-1178, ext. 129. Healing Prayer Service is for those who desire to make space for God in a peaceful setting 7 p.m. the fourth Tuesday of each month at Pine Lake Covenant Church. Email tamara@missiolux.org or call 890-3913. Celebrate Recovery is a Christ-centered program offering support from 7-9 p.m. at Pine Lake Covenant Church. Visit www.missiolux.org or call 392-8636. Griefshare, a support group for those who have lost a loved one, is from 7-9 p.m.
Thursdays at Sammamish Presbyterian Church. Moms in Prayer International invites moms to replace their anxiety with peace and hope. Pray with other moms for your children and their schools. Go to www. momsinprayer.org. Contact Linda Yee at lindaryee@comcast.net. Pine Lake Covenant Church offers a ministry for children with special needs at 10:30 a.m. Sundays. Call 3928636. “Caffeine for the Soul,” a Judaic and Torah class for women, is from 1-1:45 p.m. Tuesdays at Caffé Ladro in Issaquah Highlands Shopping Center. Call Chabad of the Central Cascades 427-1654. Free Hebrew classes are offered through Chabad of the Central Cascades. Call 4271654. Kabalat Shabbat 7 p.m., Fridays, the Chabad House at the Issaquah Highlands. Call 427-1654. Learn to read and speak Samskritam at the Vedic Cultural Center. Visit www. vedicculturalcenter.org.
Sammamish Plateau Amateur Radio Club meets at 7 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month at Fire Station 83. The club is open to amateur radio operators and those interested in the hobby. Rotaract, a community service for young adults ages 18-30 sponsored by the Sammamish Rotary, meets twice a month. Email scott.brewer@sammamishrotary.org. The La Leche League is committed to helping mothers breastfeed. They plan to meet on the second Wednesday of each month from 10 a.m.-noon at the Sammamish EX3 Teen Center, 825 228th Ave. N.E. Visit www. lllusa.org/web/SammamishWA. Block Party Quilters meets at 7 p.m. the first Thursday of the month at Mary, Queen of Peace Church. Visit www.bpquilters.org. The Sammamish Citizen Corps, a volunteer group affiliated with the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security, meets the first Wednesday of each month at Fire Station 82. Visit www.sammamishcitizencorps.org. The Social Justice Book Group meets at 10 a.m. the third Monday of each month in Sammamish. Email hineswa@ live.com. A support group for caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s is where caregivers gain emotional support, learn and share their experiences 6:30-8 p.m. the second Thursday of each See CLUBS, Page 13