Comp. Coverage polystyrene

It sounded like a novel idea at first, the city of Issaquah contemplating banning the use of polystyrene, better known as Styrofoam, and thereby forcing local restaurants to begin using more eco-friendly materials.

But as the ball got rolling, residents got interested and even excited about the issue. The city of Issaquah is an eco-minded community with a long history of environmental conservation. The people who live in this city of about 27,000 care deeply about their water and the creatures that live in it, their trees, their land and their air.

In fact, a big selling point for city officials was that because the people in this community care about the environment, they would support such forward thinking.

And while restaurant owners first balked at the proposal, they began to get on board when people began writing letters to The Issaquah Press and the city, saying they would even be willing to pay more for their food and drinks to help support the establishments who were thoughtful enough to not only willingly but joyfully comply with the ban.

They also began to fall inline when city officials decided to start educating them about their options, rather than just tell them what they had to do.

Issaquah is the first city on the Eastside to institute such an ordinance and one of the first small cities in the country to do so. As such, we at The Press, the newspaper of record for this community, thought we needed to lead the charge in explaining this ban to readers, including business owners, and helping garner support for it. We look forward to continuing coverage to help the city get this important project done.

Summer 2009 Living magazine

See insert

Fancy fenders fill Front Street for annual classic car show

Issaquah Silver crew wins the Battle of Bothell lacrosse title Sports,

Community,

Page C1

Page B1

THE ISSAQUAH PRESS

See Page B6

Wednesday, June 24, 2009 • Vol. 110, No. 25

Locally owned since 1900 • 75 Cents

Music on the Streets returns

City considers ban on Styrofoam

Class of 2009:

93 percent pass WASL, graduate on time State average is 72 percent

BY WARREN KAGARISE Stop by XXX Rootbeer Drive-in for a to-go root beer, and the signature drink will be served in a plastic foam cup — for now.

Employees at the drive-in and many other Issaquah restaurants could be forced to swap Styrofoam and other polystyrene containers for eco-friendly materials.

Drive-in owner Jose Enciso said his restaurant uses polystyrene products because they cost less than alternatives. As the City Council considers a ban on Styrofoam to-go boxes and other food containers made from ecounfriendly polystyrene, Enciso and other business leaders said the ban could mean higher prices on the menu.

But Enciso said he was comfortable with the switch for environmental reasons.

“Whatever it takes to help out the environment,” he said. “We’re ready.”

BY CHANTELLE LUSEBRINK This year’s Issaquah School District graduates are ahead of their statewide peers when it comes to graduating on time and meeting state requirements.

State Superintendent Randy Dorn announced some preliminary graduation information regarding students in the class of 2009. It is the second year students have been required to pass the reading and writing Washington Assessment of Student Learning exams. They are also required to pass the mathematics WASL exam and/or take the exam and additional math courses or another exam to fulfill the requirement.

In addition to passing the WASL, students are also required to complete a high school and beyond plan, a culminating high school project and meet their district’s credit requirements.

This year, 93 percent of students from the class of 2009 passed the

See STYROFOAM, Page A6

reading and writing requirements of the WASL, according to the state superintendent’s office. Other information about WASL math scores wasn’t available and won’t be until the fall or winter.

However, the state’s on time graduation rate in 2008 was 72 percent. Students who graduate on time are those that do so in four years, ninth through 12th-grade.

The state’s dropout rate is nearly 6 percent.

In Issaquah, district officials handed 1,104 students in the class of 2009 their diplomas. Issaquah’s on-time graduation rate has been 92.6 percent and its dropout rate has been 1.6 percent in recent years.

Only three students districtwide didn’t receive their diplomas.

Those three students would have graduated if they had been able to meet state standards for the WASL. However, two of the students are See WASL, Page A3

YWCA project gets $2 million state loan

Issaquah woman dies in head-on I-90 crash

A planned YWCA housing development in the Issaquah Highlands has received a $2 million state loan, Gov. Chris Gregoire announced June 17.

YWCA Family Village at Issaquah would include 146 rental apartments for tenants earning 50 percent or less of King County’s median income. The state loan is earmarked for the 48-unit second phase of the project.

YWCA of Seattle, King & Snohomish County was among the recipients of 35 state grants or loans for affordable housing projects. Five other projects in King County received grants or loans.

Plans call for the YWCA complex to be built on about two acres at the corner of Highlands Drive Northeast and Northeast High Street. YWCA officials hope to begin construction in April 2010 and open the complex the following year. Most residents will earn 50 percent or less of King County’s median income — $40,700 for a family of four.

The complex will house about 400 residents when construction is completed.

About one-third of the tenants will be classified as very lowincome earners, or a family of four that earns $24,400 annually. Other units will be available for tenants who earn up to $48,840 for a family of four. Five units will be set aside for people making the transition from homelessness into permanent housing.

Plans call for a mixture of studio apartments and one-, two- and three-bedroom units divided among three buildings. The design includes a childcare facility, a community center and offices for YWCA employees.

A 39-year-old Issaquah woman was killed June 12 in a head-on collision on Interstate 90 east of North Bend. Five men in another vehicle sustained life-threatening injuries in the crash.

Issaquah resident J. Heather Jeanblanc, 39, died at the scene, according to the King County Medical Examiner’s Office and Washington State Patrol.

At about 2:40 a.m. June 12, WSP received reports of a silver Volvo heading westbound in the I-90 eastbound lanes. Jeanblanc was the driver of the Volvo, according to the state patrol.

BY WARREN KAGARISE

PHOTOS BY ADAM ESCHBACH

Workin’ on the Railroad At top, Windermere employee Alan Berkwitt drills a set of holes to secure a new walking plank on top of a vintage caboose at the Issaquah Train Depot Museum. At left, Cheryl Muromoto, a Windermere employee since 1994, pulls out weeds along the railroad tracks contributing to the day of community service at the museum.

At right, Jeff Kissick dusts the inside of the museum. He wears a pink cast due to a dare he lost to his wife.

When troopers were responding to the call, the Volvo collided headon with a Toyota pickup carrying five men. The men were transported to local hospitals.

Officials are investigating whether alcohol or drugs were a factor in the accident.

The eastbound lanes of I-90 were closed for about three hours near Exit 42 as troopers investigated the accident. Eastbound I-90 was detoured to the Tinkham Road exit and back onto eastbound lanes.

Reach Reporter Warren Kagarise at 3926434, ext. 234, or wkagarise@isspress.com. Comment on this story at www.issaquahpress.com.

Today’s PTSAs fund more than playgrounds Math, science and reading are all part of the equation

BY CHANTELLE LUSEBRINK In a time when education funding is uncertain, parent teacher associations do more than provide an extra set of swings on school playgrounds.

In fact, local PTSAs have provided $592,542 to the Issaquah School District between March 2008 and April 2009.

“Basically, it expands the reach of what happens day to day, but also supplements the instruction in the classroom,” said Nancy Campi, co-council president of the districtwide PTSA. “Unfortunately, now what we are doing is filling in the huge funding gap of money that isn’t being paid by the state for basics, like expanded hours,

INSIDE THE PRESS A&E . . . . . . . . B6

Opinion . . . . . . A4

Classifieds . . . C4-5

Police & Fire . . C5

Community . . . B1

Schools . . . . . . C6

Obituaries . . . . B3

Sports . . . . . C1-3

“It used to be that the state and our taxes got the cake baked and the PTSA would fund the icing.”

— Renee Wiess Maple Hills Elementary School teacher

basic supplies and professional development.”

In the face of a $5.4 million budget gap, district officials have already had to increase class sizes by one child in each classroom in kindergarten through 12th grades.

They’ve also reduced other operational costs by about $2.2 million.

The cuts are making district officials realize PTSA funding is more

crucial than ever and they are beginning to collect data on it.

PTSA funding for the district has grown in the past decade, said Jacob Kuper, district chief officer of finance and operations.

“There was an initial push to buy stuff, or hard assets, like playground equipment or climbing walls, then to buy curriculum and enrichment things,” Kuper said.

“Now, some buildings are getting educational assistants’ or paraeducators’ hours funded through PTSA programs. It is crucial for some of the enrichment programs we have.”

At Maple Hills Elementary School, that couldn’t be clearer.

See PTSA, Page A5

YOU SHOULD KNOW The county Department of Development and Environmental Services has cut the cost of preparing residential permit applications with an eReview process — acceptance, review and approval of plan submittals electronically. Electronic plan submittal for residential projects can now replace the requirement for submitting two paper copies of building plans, saving customers hundreds of dollars in printing and storage costs, and results in faster permit processing. Learn more at www.kingcounty.gov/property/permits.

BY CHANTELLE LUSEBRINK

Books are set out for students at Maple Hills Elementary School in April that were purchased by the PTSA for the Eager Reader program, an incentive reading program that students do at home.

RAIN GAIN Last Week’s Rainfall: (through Monday) 1.08 inches Total for 2009: 30.4 inches Total last year: (through June 22) 31.03 inches

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A6

• Wednesday, June 24, 2009

EFR needs a boat

BY J.B. WOGAN At the start of a recent Eastside Fire & Rescue presentation, Fire Chief Lee Soptich put out a disclaimer: “We are not here tonight to sell you on a boat.”

Yet, in a way, that’s exactly what the fire organization did.

Firefighter Dana Shutter said he acknowledged that resources were becoming more finite and there might not be room in the budget for buying a boat. Nonetheless, there are some good arguments for having one, he said.

Every winter there is at least one storm that causes severe flooding.

“Our only capabilities at this time is for techs to wade, swim or use a boogie board,” Shutter said.

In other words, EFR rescue teams have to enter the water, raising the level of risk, he explained.

And when it comes to rescuing victims, “The best that we can give them at this point is a helmet and a life vest and move them as fast as we can,” he said, adding that both rescuer and victim are vulnerable to hypothermia under those circumstances.

In January, when the last slate of flooding hit, EFR borrowed a boat from a community member, Shutter said.

A boat would allow for EFR’s special swift water team to remove victims from the water and get them to a hospital quickly, he said.

“The need for a real high dollar, fancy boat is not there,” he said.

“We don’t need that.”

Ultimately, the boat Shutter has in mind is a 20-foot Alumaweld flat bottom, costing $23,500. The true cost would be higher, though, because technicians’ training would cost $52,300, plus an additional annual training cost of $10,000-$12,000, he said.

In a later interview, Soptich elaborated that the EFR staff had more

realistic goals for now: It hoped to find the funding for a 14-foot raft, costing $3,500. Rafts would work for river rescue situations.

“Particularly, it’s a timing issue.

We are getting into the types of rescues where the raft would work and those hard-sided boats would not,” Soptich said. “The other issue, the raft requires the least amount of training to get people up to speed. It doesn’t approach the kind of overtime and the costs that are associated to get people to be trained to be boat operators.”

Nonetheless, the EFR board discussed the larger costs of a hardsided boat, one that could be of use in winter floods.

Ron Pedee, chairman of EFR’s Board of Directors, asked if there wasn’t a way to rent or borrow a boat from a community member.

“It seems like there might be some short-term efficiencies that we might employ,” he said.

“I think the idea has merit, especially if you can borrow it,” Lee Fellinge, a Sammamish representative on the board, said in an interview. “Maybe there’s some other way to get a boat, other than buying one. The frequency for needing it is very, very small.”

While board members hash out details of getting a boat, Soptich said his staff would put together a proposal for buying a raft. Board approval might not be necessary for the raft, though, he said.

Soptich said he had preliminary discussions with the local Rescue Volunteer Association about it providing funding for a raft. In that case, EFR wouldn’t have to spend a dime on it.

“If we can move on it quickly, I think we can see the benefit of having it this year,” he said.

Reach Reporter J.B. Wogan at 392-6434, ext. 247, or jbwogan@isspress.com.

Comment on this story at www.issaquahpress.com.

The Issaquah Press

Styrofoam: Measure would ban packaging FROM PAGE A1

A proposed ban would outlaw polystyrene food packaging — a measure that would impact restaurants like XXX, grocers and other food sellers. Critics said the material lingers in landfills long after Styrofoam trays and cups are tossed into the trash.

Polystyrene is expensive to recycle, too.

Councilman Joshua Schaer modeled the legislation on polystyrene bans in Seattle, Portland and several California cities.

“There may be a little resistance now, but I’m sure — given the success of this in much, much larger cities than Issaquah — it seems to me that we can move in the right direction,” he said.

Schaer and other Council Sustainability Committee members met June 16 to discuss the proposed ban.

Officials have questions about safe alternatives to polystyrene and how the ban would impact restaurants already grappling with consumers dining out less in the down economy.

“You know, these packages are used to serve takeout or in restaurants, and they typically last for a few minutes in terms of any use,” Schaer said. “The reality is, while we may only see them for a few minutes, the landfill and the environment sees them for tens of thousands of years.”

Even Schaer acknowledged not all compostable and recyclable alternatives are as durable as polystyrene. Schaer, a lawyer,

BY ADAM ESCHBACH

Jose Enciso Jr. fills Styrofoam cups at XXX Rootbeer in Issaquah. works at a firm in downtown Seattle. He recalled buying lunch at a Pakistani restaurant near his office soon after the Seattle ban went into effect.

“They were using a corn-based container that was extremely hot and the curry was starting to melt through the bottom of it,” Schaer said. “That went on for a few weeks and I think people started complaining to the owner, because he’s at the counter all the time. You know, they made a switch.”

Schaer said the new container type survived the several-block walk to his office.

Though the draft ordinance declared the ban would be effective Jan. 1, officials said a ban — if approved — would go into effect much later.

Sustainability Committee members will review the measure again next month.

Josh McDonald, government affairs coordinator for the Washington Restaurant Association, said restaurateurs would need time to prepare. He said they are also reluctant to use compostable and recyclable alternatives, because polystyrene is

cheaper. In turn, restaurateurs would pass the cost along to diners.

“Anytime you take steps to increase costs, it has a negative effect on us,” McDonald said.

“That said, a lot of our restaurants, a lot of our folks, are voluntarily moving in this direction and doing what they can and doing their part to move toward more sustainable [practices].”

City Resource Conservation Office Manager David Fujimoto said his staff planned for education and outreach efforts if the City Council bans polystyrene packaging. Fujimoto said 131 of the 800 or so businesses in Issaquah serve or sell food — 42 fast food outlets, 61 full-service restaurants and 28 stores.

Holly Chisa, Washington lobbyist for the Northwest Grocery Association, said her organization was working with more than 100 stores impacted by the Seattle ban to find products to meet the criteria outlined in the city’s ordinance.

Seattle officials outlawed polystyrene food containers last year.

The ban took effect in January;

next year, it will expand to include plastic containers and utensils.

Chisa said her No. 1 concern was the polystyrene trays used to package raw meat. Trays made from cardboard, and sugar and corn derivatives pose challenges.

For instance, blood and other liquids seep through cardboard, while sugar and corn products could provide food sources for harmful bacteria.

“For a grocery store, the single most paramount concern we have is food safety,” Chisa said.

Products like prepackaged soups would already be exempt from the proposed ban. Schaer and other committee members did not rule out additional exemptions to the ordinance.

“For instance, if you said, ‘Hey, we own this business in Issaquah and there are simply no compostable or recyclable lids that we can use that are safe for our customers,’ then the city would take a look at that,” Schaer said.

Greater Issaquah Chamber of Commerce CEO Matt Bott talked with Issaquah restaurateurs before the meeting. Bott said reactions to the proposed ban were mixed. He said officials should seek input from business and restaurant owners as they rework the ordinance.

“We would just ask for some time to get the word out, to get input and then come back with something that would hopefully be of value to this community,” Bott said.

Besides food safety, industry lobbyists raised concerns about whether alternative materials could hold up to hot food. Chisa echoed Schaer when she said some compostable and recyclable containers are not as tough as the real deal.

“Soup will break down that container faster than anything I’ve ever seen,” she said.

Reach Reporter Warren Kagarise at 3926434, ext. 234, or wkagarise@isspress.com. Comment on this story at www.issaquahpress.com.

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A2 • Wednesday, August 5, 2009

The Issaquah Press

Reagan Dunn faces two challengers in Aug. 18 primary

BY WARREN KAGARISE Candidates in the race for the District 9 County Council seat are touting their credentials as reformers ahead of the Aug. 18 primary election.

Incumbent Councilman Reagan Dunn, elected to the post in November 2005, will face challengers Beverly Harison Tonda, a Maple Valley corporate trainer, and Newcastle playwright Mark Greene as he seeks a second full term.

Dunn was first appointed to the post in February 2005 to serve the remainder of outgoing Councilman Rob McKenna’s term. McKenna was elected state attorney general the previous November.

District 9 includes large swaths of unincorporated King County south of Issaquah, as well as Bellevue, Newcastle and Renton.

Council positions are nonpartisan posts.

County officials face a $56 million shortfall in a budget of about $627 million. Metro Transit also faces a $200 million deficit over the next two years.

Dunn emphasized his record as a councilman and his willingness to slash spending to fix the budget problem.

“I am the No. 1 reformer in King County government,” he said.

The incumbent said officials should consider cutting county employees’ salaries and benefits in order to confront budget woes.

Dunn, a former U.S. Justice Department official, said the county should focus on and protect existing services, such as courts, law enforcement and public safety.

“We need to get back to the basics,” he added.

Dunn also emphasized his opposition to raising and levying taxes.

In 2007, he was the sole member of the nine-person council to vote against a countywide property tax

to pay for foot ferries.

The plan to add ferry service to L a k e Wa s h i n g t o n has since run aground in the tough budget climate.

“I want to ensure the Reagan Dunn county can manage its budget by living within its means,” Dunn said.

Tonda said she could use her corporate background to m e d i a t e between King County officials Mark Greene and taxpayers.

She described herself as an effective communicator, and said her skills as a corporate negotiator could help her bridge the divide.

“It’s time for a change in Beverly King County, and I’m the Harison Tonda type of person who can do that,” she said.

She also addressed transportation issues; Tonda said King County officials should focus on improving transportation infrastructure to improve the quality of life for residents and to make the area more attractive to businesses.

As part of her plan to attract jobs, Tonda said the county Department of Development and Environmental Services should be

restructured in order to streamline the process for businesses seeking to relocate to King County.

She highlighted a concern of local and state leaders seeking to retain major employers amid the recession.

“If Boeing moved out, we’d have to entice people to come in,” Tonda said.

Greene has campaigned unsuccessfully for several political posts.

His most recent bid was for Washington secretary of state last year.

He blamed incumbent council members for budget problems.

“The county is in a financial mess and this is basically the result of the King County Council and other officials being unable to manage the budget,” Greene said.

He suggested levying a specialized sales tax on luxury items, such as limousines and yachts, as a way to generate revenue for struggling King County. He also proposed the creation of a Department of Grievances, Solutions and Whistleblowers to audit county finances and generate ideas to raise revenue.

“We need ways to get more revenue from the more affluent members of our society,” he said.

Though council posts are nonpartisan, Greene is running for the seat as a member of a political party he founded, the Party of Commons. The group “is economically progressive, generally culturally traditional, pro-Bill of Rights, non-interventionist and believes in common sense defense, not policing the world,” according to a statement on the party Web site.

“I think that the public deserves choices,” Greene said.

Reach Reporter Warren Kagarise at 3926434, ext. 234, or wkagarise@isspress.com. Comment on this story at www.issaquahpress.com.

Officials, restaurateurs discuss polystyrene alternatives

BY WARREN KAGARISE When Microsoft introduced ecofriendly utensils in company cafeterias, there was a problem with the new spoons: They warped in coffee, soup and other hot liquids.

Managers at the software giant sent the supplier back to the drawing board. Not long after the spoon meltdown, sturdier, ecofriendly spoons arrived in Microsoft cafeterias.

Mark Freeman, Microsoft employee services senior manager, said the switch from traditional serving plates and utensils to “green” alternatives was calculated.

“When you’re dealing with the volumes we’re dealing with, it’s

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THE ISSAQUAH PRESS

“When you’re dealing with the volumes we’re dealing with, it’s not easy to just change.”

— Mark Freeman Microsoft employee services senior manager

not easy to just change,” Freeman said.

Like Microsoft, dozens of Issaquah restaurants and food sellers could make the switch to ecofriendly packaging and utensils.

As the City Council considers a ban on Styrofoam takeout boxes and other polystyrene food containers, city and Greater Issaquah Chamber of Commerce brought together business owners and city staffers July 28 to discuss compostable and recyclable options.

City Economic Development Manager Dan Trimble said restaurateurs raised concerns about the price of compostable and recyclable products, as well as how the products would hold up.

Issues related to alternative packaging will be left for city Resource Conservation Office officials

to address.

When elected officials began discussing the ban in June, city Resource Conservation Office Manager David Fujimoto said his staff planned for education and outreach efforts. The forum, at Pickering Barn, was the first such event. City staffers said 32 people attended.

Fujimoto said the city was working to keep restaurateurs and other business owners updated on the proposed polystyrene legislation.

A proposed ban would outlaw polystyrene food packaging. Critics said the material lingers in landfills long after Styrofoam trays and cups are tossed into the trash.

Polystyrene is expensive to recycle, too.

City officials reached out to restaurateurs and other food vendors when they rolled out the legislation in June.

Staffers could send the legislation to the City Council for a decision by October, Fujimoto said.

BY DARALD GESINGER

Rita Gesinger, an Issaquah artist, cools off in the heat by standing in Lake Sammamish, doing a little plein aire, a French expression, which means 'in the open air' and is particularly used to describe painting outdoors. Gesinger punned, ‘The experience in “cooler aire” was awesome.’

Heat FROM PAGE A1

reduce the number of cases.

“We didn’t have a lot of heatrelated incidents, but we had a lot of brush fires,” Williams said.

Customers stormed The Home Depot, Lowe’s Home Improvement and MM Comfort in search of air conditioning units and fans.

New shipments arrived at The Home Depot almost daily, but the store sold out of those appliances the same day.

“Every morning since the weekend, 20 to 30 people line up outside our doors every morning,” explained Eddy Wilbur, one of the managers at Home Depot.

The story was similar at Lowe’s — air conditioning units and fans were sold out — and people lined up at the doors before the store opened.

Before the run of record heat, Williams met with city and county officials to ensure cooling station and heat-related health information was widely posted.

“I think people were really paying attention,” she said. “They weren’t exerting themselves and they were staying out of the sun, because it was so hot.”

At the Swedish Medical Center standalone emergency room, emergency physician Dr. John Milne said the patients filing into the waiting room had minor heatrelated symptoms.

Isac DePorter, 8, is thrown out of the water by his uncle Mike DePorter at Pine Lake Park on July 29. Isac is visiting from Switzerland to see his uncle in Sammamish.

BY ADAM ESCHBACH

Reach Reporter Warren Kagarise at 3926434, ext. 234, or wkagarise@isspress.com. Comment on this story at www.issaquahpress.com.

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A macaw housed in the World of Macaws section of the Cougar Mountain Zoo is hosed down during the record heat wave. Once temperatures rise above 50 degrees, trainers bring out water features for many of the animals.

“The biggest thing we’ve been seeing is more of the heat exhaustion and dehydration related to heat exhaustion,” Milne said. “It’s a simple thing where people aren’t keeping up on their fluids as well as they might have, and are becoming fatigued and dehydrated.”

Heat-related conditions can also aggravate underlying or longterm conditions.

Heat contributed to the death of a Seattle man last week, according to Public Health – Seattle & King County officials. Authorities said the man was in his 60s and had heart disease.

Public health officials used the incident to reiterate the danger of heat for children, senior citizens and people with chronic ill-

nesses.

Pet owners also sought ways to keep their four-legged friends cool.

PetSmart’s Pet Hotel service was booked solid. The indoor, airconditioned space allows for up to 10 large or 15 small and medium dogs to play together.

King County Animal Care and Control officials urged pet owners to provide pets with plenty of water and avoid leaving animals in hot vehicles.

In Issaquah, Milne said he was thankful his team had not seen severe cases of heat stroke.

“For the most part, it seems people are staying out of the heat and keeping cool, but the big thing is people aren’t drinking as many fluids as they should,” he added.

At the Aegis Inn facility for senior citizens, residents were treated to massages, movies, bingo and indoor activities inside airconditioned quarters.

“They’ve been doing the spa experience,” said Leslie Campama, marketing director for the facility. “Getting cold towels around their necks, while our staff has been doing hand massages and putting other cold towels around their wrists and arms.”

Campama said Aegis managers cancelled several outdoor activities, including a trip to a July 30 Seattle Mariners game.

Temperatures reached triple digits that day.

“From the elderly perspective, they should make sure to stay indoors or in shaded areas, stay someplace that is cool,” Milne said. “They also need to keep themselves well hydrated.”

Intern Hunter Deiglmeier contributed to this report.

The Issaquah Press

A4 • Wednesday, September 9, 2009

OPINION

Baby steps called for in Styrofoam ban PRESS E DITORIAL

B

y now you’ve probably read about the city’s initial proposal to ban the use of polystyrene — better known as Styrofoam — food containers in Issaquah. This could include everything from takeout food containers to the little tray that holds tonight’s steak.

The idea was first proposed by the City Council’s Sustainability Committee. The city of Issaquah has long been regarded as being a leader in resource conservation and recycling, and we’re ready to see more.

If the proposed ban is implemented Jan. 1, businesses would be required to use recyclable or compostable food containers. While some business owners are concerned about being forced to change to a more expensive container, they are not all opposed. Matt Bott, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce, has surveyed businesses and heard back from about 20 so far.

While we like the idea of reducing plastic trash, we caution the city to take it slow. The economy is tough enough on businesses that are operating on reduced sales and reduced staff — all while worrying about a possible flu epidemic. We hope the city will create baby steps that get us to the polystyrene ban, but maybe not until Jan. 1, 2011.

Meanwhile, the Sustainability Committee should also be looking at those darn plastic bags and what can be done about them — without getting into a bag tax! For a step in the right direction, they should mandate attendance of business owners and staff at a workshop that discusses ways to cut down on the use of the bags. Is there some reason soda pop in a 2-liter plastic bottle needs to be wrapped in plastic a second time?

O FF T HE P RESS

It was a privilege to have seen the Griffey era

I

t was mid-June 1987 when my sports editor suggested I drive up to Bellingham and take a look at a 17year-old baseball phenom.

My primary sports beat then was the Seattle Mariners, and with the club out of town and our paper not having a travel budget, this was an opportune time to see the club’s No. 1 draft pick.

So, I headed up to Joe Martin Stadium to see Ken Griffey Jr. One of the first rules of the baseball draft is a team never wants to strike out on the No. 1 pick.

The Mariners, in this case, had hit a home run.

After watching Griffey hit, run and throw in pregame workouts, I knew I had never seen such a talented 17-year-old baseball player before. And that’s not to say I hadn’t covered super talent in the past. I had already seen future Major League stars like Darryl Strawberry, Eric Davis and Interlake High School graduate John Olerud. The latter was the best high school hitter I’ve ever covered in this state.

But everything Griffey did, he did with grace. The game just seemed to come easy to him.

Later that summer, the Mariners brought Griffey in to visit the local media and work out, just to show off his skills. I remember interviewing Seattle hitting coach Bob Tolan, who noted that Griffey had the perfect swing.

It didn’t take long for Griffey to reach the majors. At 19, he was the Mariners’ starting center fielder, playing on the same team with his dad Ken Sr., and destined for a great career.

For several years, he was the best player in the game. Watching him scale outfield walls to make sensational catches re-

minded me of the first time I saw famed ballet dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov do incredible airborne movements.

There were things that only Griffey and Bob Taylor Baryshnikov Press Sports Editor could do. No mortals could match their talents. And watching Griffey’s picturesque swing, you knew when the ball was going into the seats for a home run.

For most of his first 11 years with the Mariners, Griffey resided in the Issaquah area.

Later, when I was a substitute teacher in the Issaquah School District, I would have students who knew where Griffey lived.

Often during our nonclass conversations, after they learned I had been a sports writer, students wanted to know my opinion of Griffey. It never wavered. I always told the students he was the best player I had ever seen.

I was sorry to see him traded to Cincinnati in 2000, but I understood the reasons. He wanted to go home and give his family a chance to watch him play.

I was pleased when the Mariners signed Griffey last March, although I realized that injuries and age had diminished his once-prolific skills. Although he hasn’t hit well this season, Griffey has been a major contributor for the Mariners, providing needed leadership on a young club.

See GRIFFEY, Page A5

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R APID R ESPONSE Rapid Response went to the dogs, so to speak, this week to find out how people are feeling about where dogs should and shouldn’t be allowed in Issaquah.

What do you think about the city having a dog park?

There already is one in Issaquah Highlands and with 20,000 acres of open space surrounding us it’s not like we need a dedicated park for dogs.

Ken Konigsmark, Issaquah I think we should have a place for dogs to run free. On other streets, they should be on leash.

Barbara Extract, Issaquah If I had a dog, I would probably want one.

Geoff Carson Dog owners should have some place to go where their pets will not bother others who do not appreciate their presence. This will also keep the dog poo on dog owners’ shoes only.

Max Pillie, Sammamish I think a dog park is a good compromise idea between those who would let dogs run loose and those who would have them always on a leash. The real issues are control of aggressive dogs and cleanup after all dogs.

Hank Thomas, Issaquah

dies to be able to go to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors around Issaquah with their buddies.

Nancy Ward, Issaquah Good idea, but utilize some of our “passive parks” or open space for this use. The city owns a lot of passive park and open space land — if the public really knew about it all, they would demand that more of it get used. Some of it is on the Issaquah Creek and would be a good swimming option for dog owners that want a swimming hole for their dogs. King County (Marymoor) does this on the slough and yes, the dogs get along fine with the fish. Do not take an active park out of use for dogs. We do not have enough active parks.

Matthew Balkman, Issaquah Yes, “downtown” Issaquah definitely needs an off-leash dog park!

Carol Baumann, Issaquah It’s a no-brainer for a city that has so many dog owners. It would not only give dogs a safe, fun place to romp, but it would build community among dog owners across the city.

Lynn Juniel, Issaquah

What do you think about dogs being banned from Timberlake Park?

Not if it costs more. There are tons of trails and wooded areas for dog owners to take their pets. Perhaps apportioning current areas as “dog friendly” would be helpful.

Mark Bowers, Issaquah

It’s necessary, unfortunately, when owners fail to control their dogs properly. This is a huge problem up on the Tradition Lake Plateau, too. Despite clear signage over 50 percent of the people refuse to obey the rule to keep their dogs on leashes.

Ken Konigsmark, Issaquah

That would be OK if those dogs that used it, their owners would pay for the upkeep. There are a number of Issaquah taxpayers who may not believe that with the dire straights of the city’s finances, a dog park is really the best way to use the cities funds.

Ken Sessler, Issaquah

It’s a real shame. If people kept their dogs on leash, they wouldn’t have bothered the residents there and we could still walk through with dogs. Isn’t that a simple solution? Dogs allowed, but serious penalty for dogs off leash.

Barbara Extract, Issaquah

We already have a dog park in the Issaquah Highlands. A dog park down in the valley would be nice, but where? Maybe we should do another bond for citizens to fund a special dog park, or maybe just dog owners should fund that.

Michele Forkner, Issaquah

I see Timberlake Park as a nice stroll through the woods down to the lake. If I had a dog, I would take it for a walk in Timberlake Park, on a leash, with a pooper scooper. The city should enforce leash laws, not ban dogs.

David Bangs, Issaquah

Issaquah really, really needs a good off leash dog park! (Not a mud hole, but shade and one that’s interesting to dogs and people.)

Connie Marsh, Issaquah I would applaud the city either setting up additional dog parks or relaxing the no-dog policy some. The city has encouraged large amounts of compact dwellings, such as apartment houses and condominiums, but refuses to provide places for people with four-legged bud-

If it is the feeling of the majority of the neighbors, then it’s OK. If it’s a city decision based on a few random incidents, shame on them.

Geoff Carson, Issaquah The dog owners who had let their pets run free and out of control have spoiled it for all dog owners. It’s that simple.

Max Pillie, Sammamish

I don’t think it is a good idea to ban a dog from any park — they need to exercise just like people. Keep them under appropriate control and clean up after them.

Hank Thomas, Issaquah If the dog waste or behavior (largely the responsibility of the owner) has degraded the quality of the experience in the park, it is a good thing.

Mark Bowers, Issaquah Apparently, there were a number of dogs that abused the “privilege” of using the park. I feel sorry for the dogs that are raised in the confines of a city. Dogs need to be on a farm, where they are free to roam at their will.

Ken Sessler, Issaquah City parks are there to offer respite and a natural setting for humans to enjoy. Dog owners assume that everyone loves dogs and especially theirs. There are those of us who do not like pets, dogs or otherwise, for whatever reasons. I resent that I am supposed to accommodate folks who feel the rules don’t apply to them. I have personally seen dogs take a poop on the pitching mound of Memorial Field and owners get upset when I pointed out to them that no dogs are allowed and for that particular reason! I will walk on the Pickering Trail and dogs are off-leash and come up to me and sniff my crotch and invade my personal space! Signs clearly are posted “no dogs off leash” and yet when I point that out to the dog owner, he gets all indignant and huffy! Why is that?

Michele Forkner, Issaquah Poor public policy to make decisions without possibility of public input. Un-elected staff should not be making policy.

Fred Nystrom, Issaquah Too radical by the Parks Department. Dog See RAPID

LETTERS WELCOME The Issaquah Press welcomes letters to the editor on any subject, although we reserve the right to edit for space, potential libel and/or political relevance. Letters addressing local news will receive priority.

Please limit letters to 350 words and type them, if possible. E-mail is preferred. Letters must be signed and have a daytime phone number to verify authorship.

Deadline for letters is noon Friday for the following week’s paper.

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State honors 44 local musicians

See Page C6

Three brothers celebrate earning Eagle Scout honor

Issaquah loses; Skyline and Liberty move on at state Sports,

Community,

Page C1

Page B1

THE ISSAQUAH PRESS

Polystyrene No. 1 in state ban will begin next October

Homeless encampment last visited Community Church in 2007

By Warren Kagarise Issaquah Press reporter

By Warren Kagarise Issaquah Press reporter

See BAN, Page A5

Roundabout opens, will be completed next month The soon-to-be-completed roundabout at Southeast 43rd Way and East Lake Sammamish Parkway Southeast opened last week.

Drivers should still expect delays during peak commute times.

Workers completed initial paving on the roundabout project Nov. 17 and the roundabout opened the next day.

City officials said the initial paving had to occur before the northbound and westbound directions could be opened to two lanes during peak times.

Until final paving is completed and permanent markings are added in the next several weeks, temporary lane markings and traffic cones will be used.

Drivers should expect lane closures as workers complete divider islands, landscape, irrigation and illumination work.

The project will be completed in December.

The project was planned for construction in mid- to late-summer, but unforeseen utility work extended the construction schedule by almost two months.

Weather has also delayed some construction activity.

Weather delays created gaps in the construction schedule. Crews worked under a condensed schedule of four 10-hour days per week.

City officials also added frequently asked questions about the project to the city Web site. Find the update at www.ci.issaquah.wa.us. Follow the link for “Roundabout: Traffic, Project Updates.”

BY GREG FARRAR

Spartans celebrate soccer title Skyline High School teammates mob each other with glee after winning the state 4A girls soccer championship by a shootout following a double overtime tie game against Issaquah, held Nov. 21 at Harry Lang Stadium in Lakewood. See the story on Page C1.

Council holds property tax rate level amid recession

By Warren Kagarise Issaquah Press reporter City Council members decided against a 2010 property tax increase last week. With the Nov. 16 decision, officials held the property tax rate at the 2008 level. The council also nixed a 1 percent increase last year on account of the economic downturn.

Municipal finance officials estimate the city will take in almost $7 million in property tax revenue next year. Key sources of revenue for the city — sales tax revenue and building permit fees — waned during the recession and assessed property values dipped as well. The downturn hobbled the city and forced officials to make program and staff cuts.

Mayor Ava Frisinger last month proposed a $29.8 million general fund budget for 2010.

The proposed spending plan contained no property tax or fee hikes. In a unanimous decision, the council voted last week to maintain the property tax level.

Tent City 4 will return in January

Business groups raise cost concerns Issaquah will become the first Eastside city to ban polystyrene food containers, when Styrofoam takeout boxes and plastic foam cups are outlawed next October.

Businesses will be required to switch to compostable or recyclable — and pricier — containers and utensils by May 2011.

City Council members adopted the ban last week despite objections from business leaders, who said the legislation would hurt businesses in a tough economy.

Proponents said the measure will cut landfill waste, and steer businesses away from ecounfriendly polystyrene toward compostable and recyclable alternatives. Critics contend the ban will force restaurateurs to abandon cheap, plastic foam for more expensive materials — and then pass the costs along to diners.

Councilman Joshua Schaer proposed a bill in June modeled on polystyrene bans in Seattle, Portland and San Francisco.

“Let me say to the business community: We will work with you to make this succeed,” Schaer said

See Page B6

Wednesday, November 25, 2009 • Vol. 110, No. 47

Locally owned since 1900 • 75 Cents

Local novel is about 2012

Frisinger requested the 1 percent hike in past years, when the economy was in better shape.

But she halted the practice in the 2009 budget proposed in the wake of the economic meltdown.

In 2001, Washington voters passed a measure proposed by tax foe Tim Eyman to limit annual property tax increases to 1 percent. Courts later declared the measure unconstitutional, but the Legislature reinstated the 1 percent cap in 2007.

Issaquah council members will shape the 2010 city budget during the next few weeks, and then adopt a spending plan by late December.

Input from taxpayers was minimal, and council members heard from a lone resident during the Nov. 2 public hearing ahead of the property tax vote.

Before the Nov. 16 decision, former Councilman Hank Thomas said keeping the tax rate at the existing level amounted to a tax increase. Thomas asked the council to discuss the measure further — a directive that council mem-

bers did not follow.

“We can look at it in many ways, justify it in many ways I’m sure, but when the state law would typically require us to decrease the property taxes and we decide to hold them steady at last year’s level, that represents, in my mind, a tax increase,” Thomas said.

Issaquah Highlands resident Chris Hawkins also addressed the City Council during the Nov. 16 meeting. He urged members to pass the legislation.

“This is not going to result in any property tax increase,” Hawkins said. “It’s going to keep the property taxes level.”

He referenced moves taken by city officials throughout 2009 to trim expenses. Officials shrunk the size of the city staff by about 10 percent — or 27 positions — through layoffs, a hiring freeze and a voluntary severance program.

“The city has already made very considerable cuts in staff and also in programs,” Hawkins said.

Tent City 4 will return in late January, when the homeless encampment sets up at Community Church of Issaquah.

Organizers announced a plan last week to welcome the encampment from Jan. 23 to April 23 on the Community Church property where the community settled in late 2007. The complex includes up to 100 homeless residents, and moves between Eastside churches.

Residents leave the camp for work during the day. Applicants undergo sex offender and warrant checks.

Elizabeth Maupin, coordinator of the Issaquah Sammamish Interfaith Coalition, recalled how Issaquah welcomed the roving camp then — and predicted the community would do so again.

“We anticipate that even in these very difficult times, Tent City 4 will again find that Issaquah is a community of kind, generous people who want to reach out to those in dire straits,” she said.

Tent City 4 will come to Issaquah after a stint at a Bellevue church.

Maupin said organizers would secure the necessary city permits in order to host the encampment at Community Church, 205 Mountain Park Blvd. S.W. The church last hosted Tent City 4 from August to November 2007.

When the city permit was issued then, staffers from most city departments had comments.

Organizers were required to maintain the site and address security issues.

The camp will again be required to adhere to local fire, health and safety codes. Community Church will be responsible for electricity, sanitation and water.

“Staff throughout the city government, from the permit department to the police department were all very helpful, not only as public servants, but as private citizens who collected donations to keep Tent City residents dry, warm and fed,” Maupin said.

Community Church representative Earle Jones joined Maupin to present the Tent City 4 plan to City Council members Nov. 16.

Jones noted how the city supported the church when Tent City 4 last arrived in Issaquah. Because the Community Church congregation is small — with about 50

members, most of whom are seniors — the church will seek help from other churches and civic groups.

Maupin said the interfaith coalition would raise money and organize volunteers to coordinate meals and donations for camp residents.

A committee made up of representatives from churches will organize the Tent City 4 return.

Maupin said the encampment “provides a safe place for people to sleep and keep their belongings as long as they are able to abide by the camp rules.”

When the encampment last set up in Issaquah, the fenced complex included a food service tent, a security tent, community areas and a shower housed in a trailer.

Maupin recalled how Tent City 4 residents volunteered at the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery and the Issaquah Food and Clothing Bank during the 2007 stop.

“Some found employment that eventually enabled them to move into housing,” she said.

Despite the smooth run the encampment experienced in Issaquah, Tent City 4 has produced opposition and legal battles in other cities. The first Tent City was established in Seattle in 1990.

A group of Mercer Island residents attempted to halt the encampment last summer, but a King County Superior Court judge intervened and allowed the camp to set up at a Mercer Island church. Woodinville officials filed a lawsuit against the encampment related to damages the city said occurred during a 2004 visit.

During the last legislative session, state lawmakers attempted to override local zoning rules and prohibit cities from intervening if a church wanted to host homeless people, but the bill fizzled.

The challenges contrast with the treatment Tent City 4 organizers and residents received in Issaquah. Maupin said business owners welcomed residents, and schools used the encampment as a learning tool for students.

“It was, in fact, such a successful event that I have often been asked by those who got to know the encampment how soon they would return,” Maupin said.

Warren Kagarise: 392-6434, ext. 234, or wkagarise@isspress.com. Comment at www.issaquahpress.com.

Christmas fund opens for 2009 contributions

Merry Christmas Issaquah Fund 2009 GOAL: $50,000

INSIDE THE PRESS A&E . . . . . . . . B6

Opinion . . . . . . A4

Classifieds . . . C4-5

Police & Fire . . C5

Community . . . B1

Schools . . . . . . C6

Obituaries . . . . B3

Sports . . . . . C1-3

Merry Christmas Issaquah has become known as “the fund that helps people help themselves.”

Merry Christmas Issaquah, the emergency-aid fund for families in the Issaquah School District, is now open for 2009 contributions.

It is expected that it will take at least $50,000 to meet the requested needs in the coming year.

Last year, readers of The Issaquah Press donated a record $57,028. The fund was started in 1980 with about $1,000 in donations. In the 29 years since, more than $600,000 has been donated.

Merry Christmas Issaquah is the only fund drive that supports the efforts of Issaquah Church and Community Services, a nonprofit agency run by volunteers.

A few additional checks arrive

throughout the year, but 90 percent of the funds come directly from Merry Christmas Issaquah donors.

Using funds from Merry Christmas Issaquah, ICCS volunteers meet with people who find themselves in need of assistance with housing, prescriptions, utilities and special dietary needs, such as infant formula.

Thanks to the work of volunteers, 100 percent of the donations go directly to families in need.

Send donations to Merry Christmas Issaquah, c/o The Issaquah Press, P.O. Box 1328, Issaquah, WA 98027. Donation names, but not dollar amounts, will be published, unless anonymity is requested.

YOU SHOULD KNOW City, county, state and federal offices and banks will close Thursday, Nov. 26, in observance of Thanksgiving. Post offices will close and mail will not be delivered. State driver’s license offices also will be closed. Metro Transit will operate on a Sunday schedule. The day after Thanksgiving, some Metro service will operate on a reduced weekday schedule, and some routes are canceled. Call 206-553-3000 or go to metro.kingcounty.gov.

FILE

Mark Tigues (right) hands a tarp from a moving van down to the Rev. Elizabeth Maupin during the construction of Tent City 4 at Community Church of Issaquah in August 2007.

RAIN GAIN Last Week’s Rainfall: (through Monday) 4.3 inches Total for 2009: 53.93 inches Total last year: (through Nov. 23) 50.15 inches

GAS GAUGE BEST LOCAL PRICES *

$2.77 — Costco $2.87 — Cenex 145 N.E. Gilman Blvd.

2. 7 7 Best local prices Costco

HIGHEST LOCAL PRICE * $2.99 — Shell 30356 S.E. High Point Way

To report gas prices in your area, go to www.seattlegasprices.com.

The Issaquah Press

Ban FROM PAGE A1

before the Nov. 16 decision.

“This city has long been plagued by the notion that those who support the environment and those who support economic vitality are mutually exclusive groups, but this legislation is the antidote to that preconceived notion,” he added. “If the economy should continue to falter, we will revisit the deadlines.”

City Council members discussed the bill for about an hour, and then voted 6-1 to approve the groundbreaking legislation.

The new law will be introduced in phases. A voluntary adoption period will begin Jan. 1, and the ban will become mandatory Oct. 1.

Officials added exemptions to extend the deadline until May 2011 in certain cases.

Businesses without adequate storage space for recycling or composting containers will be exempt from the ban until the May deadline, if the owner requests a waiver from the city. In a nod to the recession, the bill also includes a hardship exemption to extend the deadline until May 2011 for struggling businesses.

Moreover, utensils and certain packages — like polystyrene meat trays used by grocers — will be exempt from the ban until May 2011. And public schools will not be required to adhere to the ban until the May deadline.

The ban exempts prepackaged food — prepackaged soups, for instance — altogether.

ON THE WEB Learn more about the groundbreaking food packaging legislation passed by the City Council last week at the city Web site, www.ci.issaquah.wa.us. Follow the link for “Food Service Packaging: Q&A.”

Unanswered questions Issaquah Chamber of Commerce CEO Matt Bott credited Schaer for the deliberative way the bill was drafted. Schaer discussed the legislation with business leaders and owners in the months since the bill was proposed. But Bott said the ban would arrive at a bad time for restaurants, and asked for the council to postpone a vote on the measure until the economy improved.

“We believe that this bill, while its intent is good — and I think at some point we may be in support of it down the road — at this point, we think it’s very ill-timed,” he said before the council vote.

Bott said chamber members were asked about food container materials, and the results were mixed. While some businesses already used compostable or recyclable containers, others preferred polystyrene. Through the survey, Bott said he learned why business-

es were concerned about the ban: cost.

“Virtually every business we talked to said if the prices were the same or close to the same, they would switch immediately — no code, no ordinance, no penalties needed,” he said in a follow-up interview.

Bott told the council how the chamber wanted to be a partner in the effort to improve sustainable practices, a priority for city officials.

Despite the endorsement from the City Council, municipal officials remain unsure about how to pay for education and outreach to business owners, but fees added to trash bills were put forward as a suggestion during the council discussion.

The city could also provide onsite employee assistance and technical help to businesses, but officials must first formulate a plan to pay for outreach efforts. The legislation recommends $56,450 to help city officials reach out to business owners and implement the ban.

City Resource Conservation Office Manager David Fujimoto said payment options would be discussed in the next few weeks as the City Council finalizes the 2010 budget. The budget is scheduled for a Dec. 21 vote.

Municipal staffers and the Council Sustainability Committee will determine how the education effort will proceed. The push could include mailers sent to restaurants and other businesses with information about the ban, and a Web site with information about the ordinance and requirements.

City Code Compliance Officer Michele Forkner said the initial focus would be education for business owners.

But the legislation outlines penalties for violators. A first-time violator would be fined $150; each subsequent violation carries a $300 fine. Penalties, however, “would be the absolute last, last straw,” Forkner said.

“I can’t imagine anyone really refusing to come into compliance after May 2011,” she added.

Board approves new name for Pacific Cascade campus

Sound Transit service to Issaquah will expand

Issaquah School Board members unanimously voted to approve the new name for the Pacific Cascade Freshman Campus at their meeting Nov. 10.

The school, as of Aug. 1, 2010, will be Pacific Cascade Middle School.

District officials will turn the freshman campus into a middle school to accommodate the growing number of middle school students in the school district.

Eighth-graders at middle schools this year will transfer to either Skyline or Issaquah high schools as freshmen next fall. Both schools are undergoing significant construction projects to expand capacity in order to re-enroll freshmen at their campuses.

Sound Transit officials said additional bus service will come to Issaquah in 2011.

Mike Bergman, Sound Transit’s program manager of service planning, said buses are scheduled to arrive every 15 minutes — as opposed to every 30 minutes — during peak hours at the Issaquah Transit Center. The new service is scheduled to start in February 2011. The peak hours will stretch from 6-8:30 a.m. and 3-6 p.m.

Bergman said the expanded service will not go to the Issaquah Highlands Park & Ride, in part because King County Metro Transit already serves the facility there and because a there is a greater demand for the Seattle-to-Issaquah commute.

Decisive vote The monthslong debate about the legislation attracted attention from local, state and national industry groups.

Larry McIntyre, a representative from the American Chemistry Council — the lobbying group for plastics manufacturers — said the legislation “falls short of recognizing environmental benefits of the material, including the fact that it can be recycled.”

McIntyre pointed to efforts to recycle polystyrene food containers, including a Tumwater drop-off recycling facility where plastic foam is accepted. After the material is compacted and shipped to a manufacturer, the company turns discarded takeout boxes and cups into molding and other plastic products, such as picture frames.

“Banning foam would just lead to a significant, negative environmental impact, as alternative materials — such as coated, bleached paperboard — and compostables generate significantly more greenhouse gas emissions, use more energy and generate more solids,” McIntyre said.

Councilwoman Eileen Barber, who cast the lone vote against the bill, urged her colleagues to consider a polystyrene recycling initiative. Barber attempted to send the legislation back to the Council Sustainability Committee for more discussion, but other council members balked at the suggestion.

“I actually agree with the intent of this, and the strong dedication of Councilmember Schaer,” she said.

“His dedication in his voice this evening definitely let us know that it’s an important issue for Issaquah and the sustainability of Issaquah.

But we want to make sure that we are leaving this earth in the best condition, so that our children can have a great Issaquah as they grow up.”

Barber said the ban was ill timed for restaurateurs struggling amid the economic downturn. Other council members acknowledged flaws with the legislation, but supported the bill as a way to promote sustainability.

“There is no doubt that these are tough economic times, and I could give you a couple of examples of what small, ethnic restaurants in Issaquah have had to do to just keep the door open,” Councilman Fred Butler said. “But I believe that this agenda bill strikes the right balance between a reasonable approach to implementing the ban on foodservice Styrofoam, and it’s the right thing to do.”

Warren Kagarise: 392-6434, ext. 234, or wkagarise@isspress.com. Comment at www.issaquahpress.com.

Donate coats, shoes Kiwanis Club of Issaquah will collect coats and shoes through Nov. 30. Children and adult sizes will be collected at seven locations to benefit the Issaquah Food and Clothing Bank. The club collected several hundred coats in 2008 in conjunction with local business partners.

Bring new or used coats and shoes to the following businesses during November: The Issaquah Press, 45 Front St. S. US Bank, 1295 N.W. Gilman Blvd.

Watts Properties, 195 Front St. S. Foot Zone, 755 N.W. Gilman Blvd.

Key Bank, 405 N.W. Gilman Blvd.

REI, 735 N.W. Gilman Blvd.

Starbucks, 1460 N.W. Gilman Blvd.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009 •

A5

New Issaquah Creek flood gauge will eliminate a ‘blind spot’

By Warren Kagarise Issaquah Press reporter City emergency planners will soon have a new tool to monitor rising flood waters: a new Issaquah Creek flood gauge.

Though workers will install the gauge early next year, the device will not be calibrated and ready until the next flood season. City Public Works Operations Director Bret Heath said the city would be able to collect data from the gauging station in the meantime.

Heath, who also serves as the city’s emergency management director, said the existing flood gauge arrangement has “a bit of a blind spot.” Heath said the new gauge should fill the gap.

City Council members approved $33,000 for the gauge Nov. 16, about a month before the expenditure was scheduled for a vote as part of the 2010 city budget. Heath

Thanksgiving FROM PAGE A4

President Abraham Lincoln was so thankful of Union victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg in 1863, that he proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday.

Lincoln proclaimed the day be observed on the last Thursday of November.

It was a big year for Lincoln and proclamations. He abolished slavery with the Emancipation Proclamation in January that year, made Thanksgiving a holiday in October and delivered the Gettysburg Address in November.

It seems like everyone got emancipated that year except the turkey. By the way, there is no historical proof that the Lincolns named their Thanksgiving turkey Jefferson Davis.

However, I can imagine little Tad Lincoln at the table saying something like, “I’m thankful for Dad and Mom, and generals

had requested money for the new gauge in the proposed spending plan, but during a presentation last month about the January flood, council members urged Heath to present the proposal for a vote as soon as possible.

The full city budget is scheduled for a Dec. 21 vote.

When Issaquah Creek flooded in January, the flood warning system did not reflect the magnitude of flood waters flowing downstream toward Issaquah, because large amounts of runoff from the 15 Mile Creek drainage off Tiger Mountain entered Issaquah Creek downstream of the upstream flood gauge.

Planners said the new gauge would provide more accurate Issaquah Creek flood data, with about 45-60 minutes’ warning of impending flood waters, the City Council legislation states.

Readings from another flood

gauge also did not correlate with the damage caused by flood waters, city Emergency Management Coordinator Steve Campbell told the City Council last month.

A U.S. Geological Survey gauge downstream on Issaquah Creek appeared inaccurate, because the device indicated about 2,500 cubic feet per second during the flood.

But subsequent damage was similar to the 3,500 cubic feet per second estimate from the last major flood to hit Issaquah, in 1996.

Heath said city staffers would also work with the USGS team to recalibrate the gauge.

Flood waters left behind about $1 million worth of damage when Issaquah and Tibbetts creeks overflowed in January.

Ulysses S. Grant, William T. Sherman and George Meade.”

Perhaps more meaningful is this part from Lincoln’s Thanksgiving declaration “…implore the interposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union.” Peace, harmony and tranquility, aren’t these things this nation still strives for? These things will be mentioned during our round of thanks at the dinner table.

Family members will give thanks for a variety of things.

Topics will range from being thankful for the efforts of our military overseas and special blessings for the troops, being thankful for whatever good fortune they have attained during the past year, special blessings for our government leaders, and we’re always thankful for the food.

In past years, when it was my turn, I usually closed with some-

thing trite like, “and I’m thankful the Mariners didn’t finish last.” I couldn’t use it in 2008, but I can this year because the Mariners had such a miracle season.

Actually, there is much that I am thankful for this year. I am thankful that I’ve managed to have the strength to continue battling cancer, thankful for a loving family, especially my wife Pauline, who has been my caregiver during this siege, and my son David, thankful for all the friends, relatives and co-workers who continue to pray for my recovery, thankful for the marvelous high school sports teams in the area, and during this economic crisis in our country, I am very thankful to have a job and to be working for an understanding editor and publisher. And like Bradford, I am thankful for the Almighty’s many blessings.

To everyone, Happy Thanksgiving!

PUBLIC MEETINGS Nov. 26 City offices closed in observance of Thanksgiving

Warren Kagarise: 392-6434, ext. 234, or wkagarise@isspress.com. Comment at www.issaquahpress.com.

Bob Taylor: 392-6434, ext. 236, or bobtaylor@isspress.com. Comment at www.issaquahpress.com.

Dec. 1 Nov. 27 City offices closed

River & Streams Board 7 p.m.

Pickering Room, City Hall Northwest 1775 12th Ave. N.W.

The Issaquah Press

A4 • Wednesday, November 25, 2009

OPINION

Polystyrene ban is a solid first step PRESS E DITORIAL

I

ssaquah became a leader in the effort to ban difficultto-recycle polystyrene last week. The legislation represents a watershed moment as Issaquah seeks to set the regional standard in sustainability issues. Polystyrene, also known as Styrofoam, is tough to recycle and can be tough on the environment.

We applaud city leaders for the bold act, and extend special recognition to Councilman Joshua Schaer, who shepherded the bill to a vote and extended the olive branch to business leaders as the bill was pieced together.

Schaer and his colleagues retooled the bill with exemptions friendly to wary businesses and delayed the effective date until Oct. 1, 2010. Businesses can begin the Styrofoam switchover as soon as January, when a voluntary period begins.

Exemptions for hardship and other snags are also included in the law. Grocers, restaurateurs and everyone else with a salad bar or a soda fountain can delay the effective date, with a good reason, until May 1, 2011.

Officials built in 45 weeks between the time the council passed the measure and the day the ban clicks into place.

The lead time is enough for businesses to deplete stocks of Styrofoam to-go boxes and find cost-effective compostable or recyclable replacements.

Hiccups are bound to occur as the ban is rolled out, and the phased approach will allow for opportunities to solve problems along the way.

But the bill is not flawless, and we had issues with the eyepopping cost: More than $56,000 was set aside to educate business owners about the law.

Although we support the education and outreach effort, we have many questions about how the city administration intends to pay for the proposal, especially after enacting service cuts and layoffs through 2009. Options that shift the cost to city rate- and taxpayers would be yet another burden — and not to mention a tough sell — to citizens struggling in a bad economy. We hope the questions will be answered as the council finalizes the 2010 city budget.

Councilwoman Eileen Barber brought up good economic and environmental questions during the council debate last week. Barber wants the city to consider a polystyrene-recycling program to haul away everything from drink cups to the packaging that nestles TVs during shipping.

Leaders should give the request serious study. A polystyrene-recycling program would further protect the environment — and provide Issaquah with another way to distinguish itself as a sustainability leader.

O FF T HE P RESS

Don’t forget the thanks part of this holiday

B

efore the first slice of turkey has been lifted off the platter, or the first scoop of mashed potatoes has plopped on a plate, our family practices a Thanksgiving tradition of giving thanks. Each member at the table tells why they are thankful this year.

I’m sure this is a tradition that families across the nation, and in the local community, also perform each year. The tradition of giving thanks goes all the way back to Pilgrims’ days. I can imagine Gov. William Bradford, so thankful that his Plymouth Colony had survived the harsh winter of 1621, kneeling and saying something like, “Almighty, we’re thankful for our friends the Wampanoags for providing the deer and lobster for this meal, otherwise, it would have been TV dinners again.”

Well, the part about TV dinners isn’t true, but Bradford and his people definitely were appreciative of the local Native Ameri-

can tribe, who provided the majority of the cuisine for that feast.

The feast, by the way, lasted three days. They must have had a lot of Bob Taylor leftovers.

Press sports editor When President George Washington declared Thanksgiving a holiday in 1789, he certainly had to be thankful after first leading the Colonial army to victory, and then, as president, leading the new nation during its fledgling days. Working with Congress back then had to be a headache for George, just as it has been for modern day presidents. The economy and defense were big issues then, too.

See THANKSGIVING, Page A5

Salmon hatchery

Critic’s letter of salmon’s future after arriving had several inaccuracies I am writing in response to John Bonomi’s letter, published Nov. 11, regarding salmon rearing at the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery. The letter contained inaccuracies that I would like to correct.

Bonomi contends that “all the (hatchery’s) salmon were to be processed into cat food!

Trapped like rats, the fish instead of spawning naturally upstream like God intended, are killed, canned and sold for your cat food.”

In fact, the hatchery releases a great number of salmon into Issaquah Creek every year. This year alone, hatchery staff and volunteers released 847 chinook and 8,192 coho into Issaquah Creek. Once released, the salmon can spawn naturally in the creek. In fact, we have video of a recent coho release online at www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVRVBB_5eWg. I share Bonomi’s frustration over the habitat loss that has resulted in dwindling salmon runs; the declining salmon populations in Issaquah Creek are most likely the result of habitat damage and predation. The hatchery was built in part to restore salmon runs that had vanished in Issaquah Creek. If not for the hatchery, there would not likely be salmon in the creek today.

Also, it is true that Issaquah Creek no longer has a kokanee population. Again, their demise was likely caused by habitat loss and predation. The hatchery is currently involved in a kokanee revival project for the remaining Lake Washington kokanee runs of Ebright, Lewis and Laughing Jacobs creeks. Recently, 34,700 kokanee eggs were collected and shipped to the Cedar River Hatchery for rearing.

In addition to the salmon that were released into Issaquah Creek, the hatchery gave 3,155 coho to local food banks and 739 live coho were taken by the Muckleshoot Tribe to transplant into Tibbetts Creek.

I hope this clears up any confusion; Bonomi and anyone who is interested is welcome to check out hatchery operations at any time – it is open to the public. And Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery is here to answer your questions, to provide education about the historic hatchery and watershed stewardship, so we are all inspired to take care of the water we all share.

Gestin Suttle FISH executive director

Fact is the hatchery releases thousands of salmon back into the creek John Bonomi’s letter of Nov. 11 was filled with passion, but lacking in facts. Bonomi paints a picture of the hatchery as a glorified slaughterhouse, where all the salmon are destined to become pet food and nature is denied a role in their future. Nothing could be further

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T O T HE E DITOR from the truth. As a long-term master docent at FISH and a member of its board of directors, I feel compelled to step forward and set the record straight.

Fact: The hatchery can and does pass salmon upstream to spawn naturally. It is a standard hatchery practice to release fish upstream, so that they may spawn in the wild, as nature intended. It happens without fail each and every year, and will continue to do so in the future. We consider every fish we pass upstream to be an investment, not only in the species but in their habitat. We take great pride in this policy.

Fact: Not all salmon are destined to become pet food. While it is true that the bodies of hand-spawned fish are sold to a processor (a zero-waste option), it is not the only fate that awaits these fish. In 2009 alone, in addition to the thousands of fish that were sent upstream to spawn naturally, the hatchery arranged to have hundreds of salmon distributed to local food banks. Hundreds more were transferred to spawn naturally in Tibbetts Creek, in a joint project with the Muckleshoot Tribe. A few select fish are distributed to schools, so our youth can gain an understanding of the anatomy of these amazing creatures.

Fact: You are invited to observe all of this yourself. Please, don’t take my word for it.

Spawning salmon and passing fish upstream are public events, and the public is welcome to observe the process up-close and personal.

Pay the hatchery a visit or, better yet, volunteer to join us in the process. What better evidence than passing a fish upstream with your own two hands?

Visit us at the hatchery, and bring your questions. We love answering them. Come and see for yourself what the hatchery does (and doesn’t do) in support of the salmon. The more you learn, the more you will appreciate these amazing and iconic creatures of the Pacific Northwest.

wood “snow,” which gets in every nook and cranny of the house and yard; the summer cleaning up the seed pods; and the fall and winter cleaning up leaves and branches. Originally, these trees were planted for their quick growth to better a neighborhood with their beauty.

My husband has had many tree removal companies give us quotes on removing three of the cottonwoods — two on the city right of way.

Always, we end up forgoing the process due to the hoops the city requires to cut down anything over six inches in diameter, not to mention the cost.

I sure wish our neighborhood trees could get the attention the South Cove trees have received. We would certainly have a safer and more beautiful neighborhood, not to mention plenty of trees left to carry on the history and health of Squak Mountain!

Leslie MacInnes Issaquah

Campaign signs

Ban would fix ugly blight in the city, force candidates to better explain issues I hope the City Council will consider issuing a ban on campaign signs.

They don’t really help people make a decision, they cost a lot of money, but, most importantly, they are an ugly blight on our cityscape. For months, we live with this unsightly clutter.

Candidates would do better spending their money on newspaper ads and flyers mailed to homes. That way, they can state their positions and say something about what they want to accomplish, giving voters a reason to decide for or against them. That’s one voter’s opinion!

Barbara Extract Issaquah

Kevin D. Boze, master docent Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery

LETTERS WELCOME

South Cove tree

Resident wishes Squak Mountain cottonwoods would receive attention In response to the letter written about the cottonwood trees in South Cove: We live on Squak Mountain. Our neighborhood is littered — literally — with more than eight cottonwoods that I can see from my front window on our property or neighboring property.

In the 16 years we have lived here, I have had the trees checked by the city for safety more than once — the trees are always deemed safe. The branches that fall are huge; the mess the trees make is also. My children are not allowed to go outside during even a mild wind due to the danger of falling branches.

We spend the spring cleaning up the cotton-

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