Homeless people. Just saying the phrase in a crowd can draw strange stares and outright hostility. But not in Issaquah. No, in Issaquah, residents have twice welcomed the roving Seattle-area homeless encampment to a church lot downtown. The first time the camp came, in August 2007, some city residents helped serve meals to camp residents and a few groups and families turned out to donate things the homeless needed. But before the camp came to town the first time, people were fearful. Concerns about sex offenders living in the camp and homeless people being close to a preschool near the church lot gave residents reasons to complain — to themselves, to others, to the church and to The Issaquah Press. Both times the camp came to Issaquah, we at the paper knew that we had to calm people’s unfounded fears and answer their questions, to educate them about what was going to happen, where and why. And to tell them what would not occur, such as sex offenders not being allowed to be in the camp. The second time the camp came to our city, we knew we had to do more. Editor Kathleen R. Merrill had wanted to stay or have a reporter stay at the encampment for a night to tell readers firsthand what the camp residents experienced. But it couldn’t be worked out. When the camp returned in January 2010, reporters Warren Kagarise and Chantelle Lusebrink were allowed in. The stories they produced from that night were full of reality on the streets in the dead of winter. It got down in the 40s the night they stayed there. They not only reported their own experiences in stories for the newspaper, but they sent updates via Twitter throughout the night. The real-time updates allowed readers to experience life at the encampment firsthand, from the generosity of volunteers to the biting cold to the patter of rain against the plastic surface of the tents that allowed the pair little sleep. The reporters also chose various residents from the camp to interview and told their stories to readers. The feedback the newspaper got from the night in Tent City 4 was incredible. There were phone calls, voicemails and letters to the editor. People said they had never understood homelessness before then. They simply hadn’t fathomed what homeless people went through, how they became homeless in the first place and that it could happen to any one of us at any time. Now city residents/readers were really coming forward, with supplies, with helping hands, with donations for all kinds of things. The organizers of Tent City 4 told Press staff members in several communications and ways that what the paper had done had been invaluable, and that they had never received such coverage and understanding. But more importantly, that the camp residents had felt more welcome in this community than in any other they had ever visited. People even turned out for a karaoke night the residents were holding as a goodbye party. Many of those people had previously turned out to help residents move in and set up their tents and belongings; they had lined up in
groups to serve and feed the residents for every night they were here; they turned out for a fundraiser — the dramatic monologue “View from the Tent.” The Press featured the writer and performer of “View from the Tent” the week before the fundraiser on its Arts & Entertainment page, and helped draw further attention to the artistic work, as well as Tent City’s need for support. The performers presented “View from the Tent” a week before the residents left Issaquah. The fundraiser pulled in $1,400 more for the encampment. We are certain that these homeless people, people just like us, got a warmer welcome, had a nicer stay, received more donations and were happier here than in any place they have stayed or likely will stay. We are proud that we could help them and that we could help erase the stigma of being homeless in a real way that our readers likely will never forget.
The Issaquah Press Section
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COMMUNITY
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31, 2010
“There was one point there — because I didn’t see any changes in our situation — I told the court to find somebody to adopt him because I don’t see my life changing.”
— Stephanie Hansen
BY GREG FARRAR
Trevor Jordan dashes to the far end of the field for treasures as a horde of youngsters pick up prizes near the starting line at the 2009 Easter egg hunt and carnival in the Issaquah Highlands.
Hop to it: Groups host Easter egg hunts With Easter less than a week away, several community organizations will host egg hunts the day before the holiday and on Easter. The annual Easter egg hunt in the Issaquah Highlands, called Highlands 4 Haiti, will be at Grand Ridge Elementary School, 1739 N.E. Park Drive, on April 3. Proceeds from the event will go to World Vision, a nonprofit relief organization based in Federal Way that’s helping children in the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake. Wristbands, sold for $5 at Blakely Hall, 2550 N.E. Park Drive, in the days before the event, will also be available at the event gate. The event runs from 10 a.m. - noon. About 1,700 people turned out for the Sammamish Family YMCA Eggstravaganza last year. Organizers expect about 2,000 attendees when the event returns April 3. The event will be 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. The event will include carnival games, face painting, inflatable obstacle courses and a visit from the Easter Bunny. The event will be at the YMCA, 4221 228th Ave. S.E. Call 391-4840 for more information. More than 10,000 Easter eggs will be part of the 19th Annual Gilman Village Easter Festival &
Egg Hunt. The event, 10 a.m. at 317 N.W. Gilman Blvd., will also include music, balloons, face painting and photos with the Easter Bunny. Call 392-6802 for more information. Adventure Kids Playcare will host a grand opening and spring celebration from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. April 3 in the Issaquah Commons, 775 N.W. Gilman Blvd. The event also features a community-service component: A raffle benefiting the Issaquah Schools Foundation will be held. The free event will include a bounce house, an egg hunt, crafts, games and face painting. Attendees can also meet members of the Eastside Fire & Rescue team until noon and enjoy a video game theater. Children who attend the event eat free at Chipotle during the opening. St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church will host not one, but two Easter egg hunts after church services Easter morning. Parishioners invite members to enjoy a service and music, followed by a free egg hunt for children. The church, at 325 S.E. Darst St., will conduct the family events after its 9 and 11 a.m. services April 4. See more egg hunts in the calendar on Page B2.
A night of shining stars Parents thank dedicated schools volunteers By Chantelle Lusebrink Issaquah Press reporter Big contributions were the order of the night as the Issaquah Parents Teachers and Students Association Council celebrated the volunteers of the Issaquah School District. At the annual Golden Acorn Awards, at Skyline High School March 16, more than 80 volunteers and district employees were recognized for their efforts to support education. The awards are a time to celebrate and recognize all of the hard work the unsung heroes do for children and the schools that make them successful, said council member and organizer Judy
Babb. Each year, the PTSA councils from schools in the district select — from among recommendations of teachers, parents and students — volunteers who have contributed significantly to the betterment of their schools, programs and events. Volunteers work in classrooms to help raise student achievement, attend field trips, coordinate fundraising efforts, lobby for education legislation and advocate for children’s health, wellness and education. “In a time when monetary resources are tight, our volunteer See GOLDEN ACORNS, Page B3
BY GREG FARRAR
Dave Hansen (left) and his wife Stephanie recount how their 2007 stay in Tent City 4 and help from Community Church of Issaquah led to full-time jobs, housing and being able to regain custody of her son Joshua Byle, 14 (right), from foster care.
Faith to succeed Former Tent City 4 residents credit church for success By Warren Kagarise Issaquah Press reporter he last time Tent City 4 settled in the Community Church of Issaquah parking lot, Stephanie and Dave Hansen lived in a nylon tent and shared camp duties with other residents, hauling blankets and serving on the leadership team. Like other residents of the homeless encampment, the Hansens traveled from the grounds of church to church as the encampment wended across the Eastside. For the Hansens, however, the trip to Issaquah proved different. Interactions with church members helped the Hansens lay the groundwork for a transition back to fulltime employment and housing. By the time Tent City 4 left Issaquah in November 2007, Stephanie Hansen had joined Community Church and befriended fellow parishioners. Meanwhile, the church hired Dave to work as a custodian. “I, personally, had probably been to over 20 churches and never found a church that I liked that accepted me for who I was and didn’t try to change me,” Stephanie Hansen said. “These guys did that. They knew I was homeless from the beginning, because they saw me over at Tent City. Dave, too. And they didn’t judge us. We are who we are and they accept us.” The encampment returned to the church grounds in January. The arrival brought back memories for
T
the Hansens, who spent three months living in the same spot. The family credits Community Church for the turnaround. Nowadays, Dave, Stephanie and her son, Joshua Byle, share a Kent apartment furnished with donations from church members and coworkers. Stephanie Hansen works as a tax professional at H&R Block in Kent. Community Church members helped her receive the schooling she needed to get the job. Joshua, 14, lived in foster care while his mother and stepfather camped in Tent City 4. Although Stephanie Hansen feared the day might not come, Joshua reunited with his family last June. “There was one point there — because I didn’t see any changes in our situation — I told the court to find somebody to adopt him because I don’t see my life changing,” she said. The arrival at Tent City 4 The path to Tent City 4 started in Seattle almost four years ago, when a police officer woke the Hansens beneath a tree near Bitter Lake, where they had slept for three nights. The officer told them to leave; otherwise, they could be arrested. The couple headed to Ballard, where Dave had friends. A worker at a Ballard food bank provided them with the number for Tent City 3, the Seattle homeless encampment organized by SHARE/WHEEL, the nonprofit be-
hind Tent City 4. But the Seattle camp had no openings for couples. A camp resident suggested Tent City 4, where, sure enough, space for another couple existed. So, the Hansens headed to Woodinville Unitarian Universalist Church, where the encampment had settled for the summer. They left the camp in September 2006 and returned several months later, in May 2007. Tent City 4 had moved to a Bellevue church. The relocation to Issaquah happened in August 2007. Dave Hansen said the security and routine of Tent City 4 appeals to people looking for a fresh start. Rules limit the camp to about 100 residents, and strict rules keep criminals, alcohol and drugs off the premises. “You want to keep the place safe and you want the bad out,” Dave Hansen said. “Keep the good in and get rid of the bad.” Both Hansens served on the Tent City 4 executive committee, the resident-elected group responsible for day-to-day operations. Camp residents enforce strict rules to keep conflict to a minimum. “You get to the point where you know that you’ve got to follow the rules or you’re going to be out on the streets again,” Stephanie Hansen said. “And you don’t want that.” See FAITH, Page B3
If he builds it, will they come? Fan plans to convert Weyerhaeuser’s mill site into race track By Laura Geggel Rally car aficionado Greg Lund wants to put a little zoom in the Snoqualmie Valley. The Issaquah resident plans to buy Weyerhaeuser’s old mill site, located above Borst Lake in Snoqualmie, and build a rally car-driving course that would open this fall. Not everyone, especially the neighbors, is happy with Lund’s idea, saying that it would be noisy and harm the environment. But Lund’s plan, though still in its infancy, might someday rev to life. Lund, 50, grew up in Issaquah and remembers rally car driving in
the Snoqualmie Valley on the tree farm near the mill when he was in his 20s. Rally car driving — a sport in which drivers take their vehicles to challenging, nonpublic areas, like forestry roads — caught his interest. Though wildly popular in Europe, there are only two official rally car courses in the U.S., Lund said: one in New Hampshire and the other in Florida. He stressed that his course would not be used as a racetrack, but rather a place where people would drive at speeds up to 40 mph on a difficult surface of loose gravel, wet pavement and more. “It’s not racing,” Lund said. “You’re only on the course by
yourself. It’s a real learning experience.” He and three other men have formed Ultimate Rally and plan to target car lovers who enjoy driving off the beaten path, drivers who want formal training in off-road driving and businesses like Microsoft and Boeing looking for entertainment and team-building exercises. The course could also attract car manufacturers that need a place where people can test new vehicles and serve as a location for television and movie productions, See RACE TRACK, Page B3
Ultimate Rally LLC General Manager Greg Lund stands at Weyerhaeuser’s old mill site in Snoqualmie, where he and his business partners would like to build a rally car-driving course. CONTRIBUTED
The Issaquah Press
O BITUARIES
Margaret A. Matthews
Margaret A. Matthews, of Issaquah, died at Overlake Hospital in Bellevue on Monday, March 15, 2010. She was 92. At her request, there will be no services. Margaret was born Oct. 13, 1917, in Hudson, Ohio, to Ernest and Annabele Witt. She spent most of her life in the Hudson area, where she married and raised her family. She owned and operated a hair salon in Hudson Square for 25 years. Margaret moved to Issaquah in
Wednesday, March 31, 2010 •
B3
1988 to be near her family. She was active in the Issaquah Women’s Club and an avid gardener. She was preceded in death by her husband Earl and son Richard. Survivors include her sister Florence Matthews, of Tiffin, Ohio; daughter-in-law Anita Matthews and one granddaughter, all from Issaquah; a grandson, from Sammamish; six great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews and other family members in Ohio. Arrangements are by Flintoft’s Issaquah Funeral Home.
Robert Henry Fulton Robert Henry Fulton died peacefully March 24, 2010, after battling 16 months of various health challenges. His mind was set on returning to Robert Fulton the “urban woods” and his beloved home in Sammamish — a goal he nearly accomplished. He was 75. A memorial service will be at 11 a.m. April 3 at Flintoft’s Issaquah Funeral Home. Robert, son of the late Rev. Nathan and Nancy Fulton was born in Baltimore on Aug. 4, 1934. He is survived by brothers Cephas Fulton, of Virginia, and James Fulton, of Avondale, Md. He was preceded in death by sisters Lauretta Dickey and Clarice Gore, of Baltimore. He was married to Joan D. Boozer. From this marriage came his only children — Vaunda D. Fulton, of Kirkland; Quanda R. Evans, of Bellevue; and Robert H. Fulton II, of Bothell. He is also survived by four grandchildren. Robert graduated from Dunbar High School in Baltimore in 1951. He attended Howard University for two years and joined the United States Air Force in 1953. Attaining the rank of sergeant, he
was honorably discharged in 1957. Robert continued his education at the University of Washington, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts in engineering and computer science; the University of California at Berkley, where he obtained his Master of Science in engineering; and the U.W., where he received his doctorate in computer science. Robert began his civilian work career with General Dynamic in Pomona, Calif., and then worked for General Electric Atomic Energy Division in San Jose, Calif. Robert then took a position with The Boeing Co. in Seattle, and retired after more than 50 years in various departments there. Robert moved his family to Kirkland in 1968. He enjoyed coaching his children in various youth sports programs, designing and building dangerous (but fun) play equipment for the back yard, and performing car maintenance — whether it needed it or not. In retirement, he enjoyed dancing, listening to jazz, exploring the great outdoors and spending an exorbitant amount of time at the Boeing Fitness Center. He also enjoyed socializing with friends, which included his loyal friend of more than 40 years — Albert DePaoli. Arrangements are by Flintoft’s Funeral Home and Crematory. Friends are invited to share memories and sign the family’s online guest book at www.flintofts.com.
Kenneth Earl Solders Kenneth Earl Solders, known by friends as Ken and Kenny by those he worked with, died March 20, 2010, in Issaquah. He was 56. Kenneth Solders A celebration of life will be at 6 p.m. April 3 at Maximilien restaurant, 81 Pike St., Suite A, Seattle. He was born in Portland, Ore., on Nov. 18, 1953. Ken graduated from Portland State University in 1981 with a Bachelor of Science in economics and business administration. Ken and Barbara Fetty married July 19, 1986, and they resided in the Belmont neighborhood of Portland until they moved to Issaquah in 1988, when he joined The Peterson Co., a specialty food importer and distributor. He served as the vice president of Sales & Marketing. He coined their current slogan, “Delivering a world of good taste.” He was amused that a client called him “the Dick Clark of the Deli business.”
M ORE V OLUNTEER O PPORTUNITIES Start the New Year off right and help homeless and abused animals. Help build a great sanctuary. The King County shelter is closing and there is a need for more sanctuary and no-kill shelters. This group is new and needs a lot of help to get up and running. It’s in desperate need of an experienced fundraiser for an upcoming walk. It also needs help for upcoming charity and fundraising events. For more information, call 891-5869 or e-mail storybookfarm01@gmail.com. Hopelink: Help is needed sorting food in food banks; providing child care and homework tutoring to children in housing facilities; delivering food to homebound clients; or answering phones and helping with administrative tasks. Many other volunteer tasks are available; bi-lingual language skills are a plus for many of them. Volunteers over age 16 and volunteers between ages 12 and 16 with
He lived his life passionately and he enjoyed driving one of his fleet of convertibles on the few sunny warm days the Northwest provides. Ken savored good food with friends and family, and a spirited discussion. Although an enthusiastic traveler, some of his most treasured times were spent at the beach with his family or playing golf at his favorite course, the Manzanita Golf Course. He believed in making the most of every opportunity. He is survived by his mother Nadine, brother Jeffery Solders and his wife Barbara. Ken is loved by many nephews and nieces, who all will remember his joy, light heart and fun-loving nature at every family event. His greatest joy was his 15-year-old daughter Kirsten Solders, who was the brightest light in Ken’s life. He enjoyed supporting his daughter in academics, playing soccer, golf, the piano, marching in the band or just plain having fun. Ken was full of life and love and we all miss him desperately! Ken would have wanted all of you to remember to value and protect your freedom as an American. Remembrances may be sent to Rite Care of Washington, 3227 N.E. 125th St., Seattle WA 981254516.
parent/guardian supervision need to register to attend a mandatory orientation. Register at www.hope-link.org/takeaction/volunteer or call 869-6066. Registration is necessary; space is very limited. King County Library System Traveling Library Center: Share your love of reading with someone who cannot use the library. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old, have reliable transportation to deliver materials and can select, deliver and return library materials to one shut-in patron at least once a month, for one year. Training is provided and takes about an hour. The time commitment is two to four hours per month. Call 369-3235 or 1-877-9052008, toll-free. Eastside Baby Corner: Help fill orders each week, including car seats, diapers, books, formula, baby food and clothing, serving victims of domestic violence and homeless families, health care providers, immigrant assistance groups, faith-based organizations, food banks, school districts, low-income and transitional housing agencies, and community centers. Go to www.babycorner.org.
CONTRIBUTED
Heather Gillette, Issaquah PTSA Council president, speaks March 16 during the annual districtwide Golden Acorn Awards. Gillette, who has served as PTSA council president twice, received both a Golden Acorn and an Outstanding Service award.
Golden Acorns FROM PAGE B1
BY GREG FARRAR
Dave and Stephanie Hansen and her son Joshua smile at the recovery and thriving of their family since being helped through a period of homelessness in their life.
Faith FROM PAGE B1
Giving back Besides camp duties, Dave worked as a day laborer and Stephanie worked as a helper for a church member, Elizabeth Maupin. The modest income allowed them a few luxuries — the occasional meal out or a night at a motel. “We tried not to eat as much of the camp food as we could, because we had that extra income and it allowed us to leave things for people who really needed it,” Stephanie Hansen said. The upswing started for the Hansens when Maupin hired Stephanie as a caretaker. Maupin had scheduled surgery, and she needed a helper to aid her during recovery. Maupin — coordinator of the Issaquah Sammamish Interfaith Coalition, a group of local religious organizations — helped bring the encampment back to Issaquah in January. The experience also brought the Hansens closer to Community Church. Every Sunday morning, Stephanie Hansen drove Maupin to church and, after a couple weeks, started at-
Race track: Estimated revenue of $3 million FROM PAGE B1
Lund said. He estimates the business would have an annual revenue of $3 million and would help bring $2.5 million in tourism dollars per year to the valley. “It’s the perfect location, because we’re going to try to do vacation packages,” Lund said. “You could stay at Salish (Lodge & Spa), go skiing, go golfing — maybe even take a cruise up to Alaska.” After hearing about Lund’s plan, some Snoqualmie residents said they are wary of living near a rally car course. Snoqualmie resident Sheri Bucy wondered how Ultimate Rally could be profitable during a recession. She said she worried that once started, the company would have to operate beyond its promised weekday-only hours and would start catering to weekend customers. “I just see and hear a lot of noisy weekends in our future,” Bucy wrote in an e-mail, adding, “This valley is a giant bowl and we can hear everything.” Mark Stadick, of Snoqualmie, remembered when the Weyerhaeuser mill was in service. “I have enjoyed the peace since it shut down,” Stadick wrote in an e-mail. He noted he often bicycles to the mill site and enjoys seeing artists painting Mount Si and people watching wildlife. “Who needs greasy, oily cars
tending services. Eventually, she joined the choir and — in May 2008 — joined the congregation when she was baptized. Dave Hansen followed in January 2009. Joshua will be baptized on Easter. “It kind of sucked moving from place to place” as a foster child, he said. “It’s just good to be in one spot now. It’s nice to be back with my family.” Maupin credits the Hansens for taking the difficult step to leave Tent City 4. The family remained involved with the encampment. When Tent City 4 settled on Mercer Island, for instance, the Hansens dropped off donations at the camp. Nowadays, Maupin and Stephanie Hansen serve together on the board for Response Ability Builders, a Tiger Mountain nonprofit with a focus on teaching homeless people to build disaster-relief housing. Maupin said other Tent City 4 residents could emulate the Hansens’ success with dedication — and no small amount of hard work. “Given a chance and support, they can make it, but they also have to choose to do their part,” she said. Warren Kagarise: 392-6434, ext. 234, or wkagarise@isspress.com. Comment at www.issaquahpress.com.
around an area like that?” he asked. “Let it recover from the mill.” Lund said he was aware of the concerns. He said cars on the course wouldn’t be any louder than modern street cars. As for the environment, he said his company would try to minimize the course’s contact with wildlife. And, they are working with the Cascade Land Conservancy, a nonprofit organization, to calculate how many more trees they would need to plant to create a sound buffer and help offset the company’s carbon footprint, he said. The company does not plan to operate the business on weekends, he added. For people concerned with maintaining the site’s history, Lund said he would preserve Weyerhaeuser’s historic buildings — using them for the company’s offices and classrooms — and create a museum about Weyerhaeuser. The land is currently part of unincorporated King County, but Lund said he hopes it will be incorporated into Snoqualmie, so the city would benefit from his business. No public meetings are planned for the development, because the property is zoned industrial property, something which bothers Snoqualmie resident David Bach. “Why are no permits required for a business with potentially dramatic impacts on nearby residents?” Bach asked in an e-mail. In the meantime, Lund and his partners are working on the rally car business. “There is no NASCAR,” Lund said. “We’re just a bunch of old guys who want to put on a school and make income for Snoqualmie and jobs as well.” Laura Geggel: 392-6434, ext. 221, or lgeggel@snovalleystar.com. Comment at www.issaquahpress.com.
resources become even more important,” said Heather Gillette, PTSA Council president and an award recipient. “This is a great opportunity to acknowledge our volunteer’s efforts and their contributions to all of our students in the district.” Gillette, who has served as PTSA council president twice, was awarded with a Golden Acorn award from Skyline High School and an Outstanding Service award for her work on the council this year. But the awards don’t just go to the hardest-working volunteers; awards also go to the hardestworking employees. This year, four district employees — Barbara Walton, principal at Grand Ridge Elementary School; Kathy Connally, principal at Endeavour Elementary School; Alaine Tibbetts, a bus driver in the Briarwood Elementary School area; and Curtis Betzler, a teacher at Beaver Lake Middle School — earned awards. Walton received a lifetime honorary membership to the PTSA for her years of dedicated service to the district and as the first principal of Grand Ridge. Walton will retire from the district at the end of the year. Connally received an Outstanding Advocate award for her dedication to her students. Tibbetts received a Golden Acorn for her dedication to students who ride her buses to and from Briarwood Elementary School each day. Betzler received the Outstanding Advocate award for his dedication to helping students help students across the world through the nonprofit organization he and PTSA parents formed called Generation Joy. The organization’s major humanitarian project is a necessities drive where students collect donations that are shipped to South African children living in orphanages. “This year’s theme, Celebrating Giving Hearts, was chosen because that is what these people truly do,” Babb said of the winners. “They aren’t doing this for accolades, but this is what they truly love to do.” This year’s winners are: Elementary schools Apollo: Chris Boster, Beth Koontz and Cliff LeCompte Briarwood: Lara Chung, Joanne Kilcup, Stephanie Mayo, Kymberli Nelson and Jenna
This week
C LUBS
American Rhododendron Society, Cascade Chapter: 7 p.m. second Tuesday, Bellevue Presbyterian Church, Bellevue, 391-2366. Cascade Llama 4-H Club: second Wednesday, 391-7988 Eastside Camera Club: 7 p.m. first Thursday, St. Madeleine Catholic Church, 4400 130th Place S.E., Bellevue, 861-7910 www.eastsidecameraclub.com The Eastside Welcome Club: 10 a.m. first Wednesday, 641-8341 Faith and Sharing for those with special needs: 2-4 p.m. first Sunday, St. Joseph parish hall, 200 Mountain Park Blvd. S.W., 392-5682 Friends of the Issaquah Library: 7 p.m. second Wednesday, Issaquah Library, 10 W. Sunset Way, 392-3571 Issaquah Amateur Radio Club: 7 p.m. first Wednesday, Issaquah Valley Senior Center, 75 N.E. Creek Way, 392-7623 Issaquah Business Builders: 7:30 a.m. first Thursday, IHOP Restaurant, 1433 N.W. Sammamish Road, 206-852-8240
Thoresen Cascade Ridge: Jaycee Cooper,
Lynette Springborn and Tina Yerges Challenger: Marilou Dacey, Sandi Dong and Shannon Karr. Leslie Miniken received an Honorary Lifetime PTA Membership. Clark: Kristin Bartholet, Betsy Brewer and Sherry Feiler-Weins Cougar Ridge: Elizabeth Brown, Sara Carmichael, Tricia Jerue and Becky Schultz. Stefanie Beighle received the Outstanding Advocate award. Discovery: Connie Ellis, Jill Kelley and Ken Peatross Jr. and Jane Cristallo. Tom Thompson received Outstanding Advocates awards Endeavour: Miranda Cantine, Becky Lawrence, Chris Leznek and Heather Stambaugh Grand Ridge: Cyn Baumert, Lida Buckner and Theora Dalupan Issaquah Valley: Tanya Alter, Suzie Kuflik and Kim Nardi Maple Hills: Marsha Kauzlarich and Jennifer Wildermuth. Dawn Peschek was given the Outstanding Advocate award. Newcastle: Edana Peacock and Lynne Hepp Sunny Hills: Brian McRae, Darawan Morrison and Monica Rockwell. Donna Gelinas won the Outstanding Advocate award. Sunset: Trina Elliot, Lisa McGowen, Elizabeth Tuohy and Connie Zue Middle schools Beaver Lake: Patty Grembowski and Alayna Niehaus Issaquah: Sally Burnette and Kim Dreiblatt Maywood: Kimberly Montague and Staci Schnell Pine Lake: Monica De RaspeBolles, Ina Ghangurde and Stacy Heller High schools Issaquah: Lori Van De Mark, Vicki Hahn and Debbie Sexton. Jody Mull received the Outstanding Advocate award. Liberty: Maryann DiPasquale, Holly Hollinger, Vanessa McDonald and Betsy Pendleton Skyline: Teresa Bretl and Heather Gillette PTSA Council awards Golden Acorns – Donna Gelinas, Linda Guard, Jody Mull and Connie Rawson Outstanding Advocates – Alison Meryweather and Leigh Stokes Outstanding Service – Heather Gillette and Vicki Hoffman Chantelle Lusebrink: 392-6434, ext. 241, or clusebrink@isspress.com. Comment at www.issaquahpress.com.
Issaquah Emblem Club: 7 p.m. first Wednesday, Elks Lodge, 765 Rainier Blvd. N., 392-7024 Issaquah Garden Club: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. second Wednesday, Tibbetts Creek Manor, 750 17th Ave. N.W., 603-0711 Issaquah Valley Grange: 7:30 p.m. second Monday, Issaquah Myrtle Mason Lodge Hall, 57 W. Sunset Way, 392-3013 Issaquah Women’s Club: 9:30 a.m. first Thursday (second Thursday in September), Tibbetts Creek Manor, 750 17th Ave. N.W., 369-3090 Pine Lake Garden Club: 9:30 a.m. second Wednesday, occasional workshops and field trips, 836-7810
Weekly Camp Fire Family Group: 7 p.m. every other Tuesday, 3131600 Greater Issaquah Toastmasters Club No. 5433: 6:45 p.m. Thursday, Bellewood Retirement Community, 3710 Providence Point Drive S.E., 306-2232 or issaquahtm@gmail.com Guide Dogs for the Blind: 6 p.m. most Sundays, Issaquah Police Station Eagle Room, 644-7421
Preston man travels to Haiti to help
Teen’s road to recovery goes through beauty school
Issaquah athlete makes Swedish lacrosse team Sports,
See Page B1
Community,
Page C1
Page B1
THE ISSAQUAH PRESS
See Page B4
Wednesday, February 3, 2010 • Vol. 111, No. 5
Locally owned since 1900 • 75 Cents
Local man has an eye for directing
Highlands’ future is focus of meeting tonight Judd Kirk returns to answer questions
By Warren Kagarise Issaquah Press reporter BY GREG FARRAR
The tents making up the Tent City 4 homeless community sit under street and parking lot lights in the rain Jan. 29 at Community Church of Issaquah at the beginning of a three-month layover.
A night of ‘houselessness’ When campers return, Tent City 4 comes to life after dark 6 P.M.
By Chantelle Lusebrink Issaquah Press reporter
5 P.M. The gear on your back has gotten heavy on the walk up the hill to the Tent City 4 encampment. The American flag marks its entrance, as does a man working security at the front who directs you to the intake area where they check identifications and criminal backgrounds before allowing admittance. It’s reassuring, but also bothering, even though you have nothing to hide.
5:30 P.M. You’re taken on a tour of the facility — a sea of tents for men, women and couples radiating out in circles from the common areas, like the television tent, kitchen and eating area. You can sign up for a shower and computers. Take up to six clean blankets, but change those out every two weeks to avoid bed bugs. Don’t take food to your tent if you want to keep rodents away. It’s hard reality and far from a real home, but there’s comfort in knowing others are with you.
Checked in. “You’re part of the family.” Just don’t disobey any rules: Unless you’re part of a couple, men and women can’t be in the same tents; you live here, so you help out with security and community service; don’t disrespect others; and clean up your personal belongings.
6:30 P.M. Dinner arrives as you unfold a sleeping bag in a double tent. You can see in the near dark that it’s clean enough — a few pennies and toenail clippings on the floor. No roommate. You wonder if this will change and who that will be. It starts to rain as you make your way through a small winding alley with tents on either side. You smell the outdoors, rainsoaked cement and people. Lines form for food; slightly hesitant volunteers look around. Parents try to break the ice; residents say thanks for a warm meal of pasta. As parents start to talk, their children — middle and high school students — loosen up and begin offering dinner with welcome smiles. See TENT
CITY 4, Page A6
Among 80 or so residents, everyone has a different story By Chantelle Lusebrink and Warren Kagarise Issaquah Press reporters The tents went up 10 days ago, draped in blue tarps and lined up in neat rows on vacant land adjacent to Community Church of Issaquah. Since, Tent City 4 residents have adjusted to the move, learned local bus routes and introduced themselves to a new community. The camp includes residents old and new — some who recently lost homes or jobs, and others staying there as they plot life’s next step. Spend a night at Tent City 4, and listen to the residents talk about how their paths converged at the homeless encampment.
Mark Elliott “My son tells me, ‘Dad, this is your year,’” Mark Elliott, a former mortgage manager, said. Years of doing things for others willingly led the 54-year-old to Tent City 4. Most recently, he helped a grandmother without money bury her grandson, who fell out of a window two years ago. His rent was late and he ended up homeless. He came to the Seattle area See STORIES, Page A6
Mark Elliott
The City of Issaquah is accepting construction bids for the Interstate 90 Undercrossing, a long-planned connector from Northwest Gilman Boulevard to Southeast 56th Street. City Public Works Engineering Director Bob Brock put the project out to contractors for bid after the City Council cleared a final predevelopment hurdle last week. After the city receives bids, Brock expects staffers will select a finalist within the next few weeks. The city will accept bids until Feb. 17.
Aoife Buckley (left), a first-grader, and her dad Martin Buckley, arrive at a rally for evening rush-hour motorists Jan. 22 at the corner of Front Street and Sunset Way to encourage passage of the three Issaquah School District levies.
See UNDERCROSSING, Page A2
INSIDE THE PRESS A&E . . . . . . . . B4
Opinion . . . . . . A4
Classifieds . . . C4-5
Police & Fire . . C5
Community . . . B1
Schools . . . . . . C6
Obituaries . . . . B3
Sports . . . . . C1-3
A man stole a bike worth more than $10,000 from a downtown Issaquah bicycle shop Jan. 29, and then flashed a handgun when a store employee tried to stop him. The man walked into Veloce Velo, 98 Front St. S., at about 2 p.m. and wandered to a display where the rare, sleek, black-andsilver Pinarello Dogma waited. He eyed the bike, and then moved to the pedal display, where he grabbed pedals — both right-sided pedals, it turned out — and hustled the bike toward the door. When a store employee tried to stop him, the man lifted his jacket to display
Getting out the voters
Brock hopes for the City Council to award the contract in March. The sluggish economy could make for bids at lower amounts than officials expect. Officials budgeted about $3 million for undercrossing work in 2010. The overall cost of the endeavor included in the Capital Improvement Plan — a sweeping guide to all types of city projects — is $13 million. Workers will build the roadway and a 12-inch water main. The project includes curb and gutter
BY GREG FARRAR
YOU SHOULD KNOW As the state Department of Natural Resources works to manage state lands sustainably, protect working forests and agriculture lands, and clean up Puget Sound, agency officials want to hear from residents. Officials will complete a strategic plan to prioritize agency activities for the next five years. Take a Web survey to let the agency know your opinion by Feb. 19. Visit www.dnr.wa.gov and follow the link labeled “DNR Draft Strategic Plan” to complete the survey.
See HIGHLANDS, Page A3
Man steals pricey bike from downtown shop By Warren Kagarise Issaquah Press reporter
Father
City seeks bids for I-90 Undercrossing By Warren Kagarise Issaquah Press reporter
Port Blakely Communities executives will re-engage Issaquah Highlands residents, as the developer works to answer questions about the community’s future. The outreach follows a busy year for the highlands developer, when officials broke ground on largescale projects in the community, and residents grumbled about the highlands’ lack of retail offerings. Judd Kirk — a Port Blakely senior vice president, the chief real estate strategist and a key player in establishing the vision for the highlands — spearheaded the outreach effort. Kirk and René Ancinas, the president and chief operating officer of parent company Port Blakely Companies, assumed responsibilities for the highlands after former Port Blakely President Alan Boeker resigned Jan. 15. Kirk will outline a development
strategy for the highlands in meetings with community leaders and residents. The initial meeting, held Jan. 27, included executives and community leaders. Port Blakely scheduled a Feb. 3 town hall meeting as well. Kirk will detail the long-running efforts to attract a grocery store and other retailers to the community, and answer residents’ questions about future development. The recession sidelined a planned Regal movie theater. Initial plans called for the theater to open in May 2011; the soonest crews will break ground for the theater will be this fall. City officials Judd Kirk c o n t i n u e reviewing a building permit application for the theater, despite the uncertain timeline. The city also expects to receive a building permit application from the developer of a planned storage facility within the next few weeks.
RAIN GAIN Last Week’s Rainfall: (through Monday) .47 inches Total for 2010: 7.69 inches Total last year: (through Feb. 1) 8.29 inches
a handgun tucked in his waistband. The employee backed off. Issaquah Police Cmdr. Stan Conrad praised store employees for calling police, instead of following the man after he left the store. Conrad and the store manager said the distinctive bike should be easily tracked if the thief attempts to sell it in the area. “It’s not quite a Mona Lisa, but it’s easy to track,” store manager Jason Goff said. Only a handful of the bikes were made available in U.S. stores, he continued. “It’s hard to ride around town with something like that,” Conrad said. Employees noticed the man at the store the day before the robbery. He browsed bikes, and asked employees for prices. In hindsight, Goff said, the attention the man paid to high-end bikes, and the questions he asked, seemed strange: He asked only about prices. “They knew what they were looking for,” Goff said. Conrad said police continued to pursue “several leads” in the case. The high traffic in the store, and the number of people who handle items, made it difficult for investigators to collect fingerprints. Police said the suspect was a white man in his early 20s, about six feet tall with a thin build, with blond hair and facial hair. He wore a camouflage cap atop a white bandana, and a black jacket. He spoke with a Russian or Eastern European accent. The robbery was the first at the store since it opened in downtown Issaquah two and a half years ago. Business continued as usual for the rest of the day, and into the weekend. Goff described Jan. 30 as, coincidentally, “the busiest day of the year” as customers poured into the store to browse and finish bikes.
GAS GAUGE BEST LOCAL PRICES *
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2. 6 9 Best local prices
HIGHEST LOCAL PRICE * $2.95 — Shell 15 East Sunset Way
Costco
To report gas prices in your area, go to www.seattlegasprices.com.
A6
• Wednesday, February 3, 2010
The Issaquah Press
Reporters Warren Kagarise (@wkagarise) and Chantelle Lusebrink (@clusebrink) stayed overnight Jan. 29 at Tent City 4 and documented the experience via Twitter. The timeline uses excerpts from the micro-blogging site to chronicle from their visit.
Jan. 29 @wkagarise 6:24 p.m. Eastside tennis youth group serves dinner to Tent City 4 residents: spaghetti, chicken wings, salad, rolls, cookies — a bounty. PHOTOS BY GREG FARRAR
Chris and Trisha, his girlfriend of eight years (who asked that their last names not be used), and Wayne Burger, another Tent City 4 resident, hang out with friends in the community commons tent at Tent City 4 after dinner. Below, residents relieve a Friday evening’s boredom watching one of many donated videotape movies in the community living room tent. door. It feels lonely even though there are 80 people nearby. They’re strangers with their own troubles, people you didn’t know existed until tonight. You try to sleep.
1 A.M.
Tent City 4 FROM PAGE A1
7 P.M. After dinner, groups of people start to form around tables — one plays card games; another smokes cigarettes, reflecting on the day’s news and the search for jobs; others pass the time with makeshift crafts — an ant out of wire and origami out of printer paper. Others want to be alone, so they sit in silence together in a TV room created with tarps and P.V.C. pipe lashed together.
10 P.M. The crowds in the common areas begin to shrink as the cold sets in. The rain seems to ease into your pores and through your bones. You learn more about one another. Others aren’t at all unlike you — some have college educations, some were laid-off, some have had health issues, some have lost everything because of a bad decision — but there is still hope as they talk about their escape.
The sound of rain usually helps you sleep, but the moisture and cold seems trapped in the tent, making your feet ache. The wood pallets below dig in through the backpacking pad and sleeping bag. You continue to toss and turn, but drift into some sleep as your eyes get heavy and the new hand warmers in your socks give heat to your feet.
11:30 P.M. 4:22 A.M. “I think you all are afraid to go to bed,” a resident says. Truthfully, the thought of getting in a cold, dark tent with the rain pouring down, as opposed to warm conversation around a table with leftover cookies from dinner doesn’t sound as appealing. The group offers advice: Wear less in your sleeping bag as your body heats it better, grab three Rice Sax from the donation bin (one for your toes, body and near your head), put on your hat and pull the sleeping bag around your face.
MIDNIGHT It’s time for bed. After heating the Rice Saxs, you press them to your body and look around for anything else that might be yours. You slowly make your way back to your tent, secretly hoping someone else will be there and second guessing that hope at the same time. No one else has come. You shove your Rice Saxs into the bottom of your bag and rub your feet to get them warm. Suddenly, you feel vulnerable. There aren’t doors to lock, no walls to keep out the cold and nothing between you and the outside world except for the zipper of a tent
You’re suddenly very awake. Sirens blare nearby, someone snores a few tents away, others cough continuously and you know something isn’t right — you’re not in your comfortable bed. The door of the tent isn’t covered by a tarp and your sleeping bag is wet. You remember where you are, curl into a tight ball and wait for morning. The rain continues.
7:30 A.M. The rain has stopped and there’s light outside. You hear others getting out of their tents. The night is over. It’s a tough first night, but you’re not alone and there’s another day to make something happen. Packing up your belongings, you head out of your tent.
8 A.M. Saturday morning at Tent City is much like anyone else’s; coffee is being made and the morning news is on TV. People take their time fixing breakfast. You say goodbye to friends made the night before and proceed to check out. You’re given an infraction, for leaving a water
Stories
TENT CITY 4 TWEETS
@clusebrink 7:26 p.m. Around a table, strangers from throughout the country become a family, no matter the circumstances.
FROM PAGE A1
searching for a new start in summer 2008, after years of tending to his daughter, now a sophomore in college, who had cancer as a teen. During her illness, he quit his job to care for her. But $800,000 in medical bills not covered by insurance found him selling most of the family’s possessions; he also got a divorce. When his son and daughter entered college, he moved here to find a job. “We didn’t have any in Florida,” he said. “But when I got here, there weren’t any either.” He came to Tent City 4 in November, left and returned a few days ago. Now, the professional with years of experience in finance, computer programming and management waits for a job he hopes will come soon.
@wkagarise 10:19 p.m. Tent City 4 residents refer to themselves as “houseless” — not homeless.
Jan. 30 @wkagarise 12:12 a.m. Stuffed burrito-style inside a borrowed sleeping bag. (Thanks, Lusebrink family!) Microwaved rice pillow wedged against belly. @clusebrink 12:15 a.m. The walk to the tent was the loneliest with no one up but 80 people around. @clusebrink 4:27 a.m. Despite measures for warmth, sleep is hard to come by here because of the cold. @wkagarise 5:14 a.m. Tent City 4 ritual: Reposition the sleeping bag, roll over, repeat every 30 minutes. Unlucky body part left exposed no matter what.
bottle and an origami penguin out in the common area. It would have cost an extra duty or two, if you were staying at Tent City instead of heading home. The infraction makes you think of the impact you had. You hope your stay wasn’t an inconvenience and that the infraction could be overlooked. But here, the smallest things can leave a lasting impression.
Firecracker Jasmi Penn Dressed in a Tinkerbell hoodie, eyes rimmed by glasses with red frames, Jasmi Penn stands out in the crowd of sober raincoats and dark jackets. She cracks wise with fellow campers, smoothes out problems and juggles more clipboards than a charge nurse as member of the resident-elected executive committee. The camp population includes only 10 or so women among the 80-plus residents, but Penn — 23, diminutive and a Georgia native — demands notice for her moxie. “They treat you like one of the guys,” she said. Penn arrived in the Pacific Northwest in October after a stint in the Army, attracted, she said, by movie depictions of Seattle and the cool, rainy climate. Faced with the unfamiliar, she searched for community. Penn arrived at Tent City 4 a few weeks later. “If you can make it through a situation like this, you can make it through anything,” she said.
Gambler Shawn Nelson The prospect of jobs in faraway Washington led Shawn Nelson to pull up stakes in New Orleans and head for Seattle — a gamble, to be sure. Nelson, a former dealer in card rooms in Las Vegas and on the Gulf Coast, knows plenty about chance. The local economy proved to be more anemic than he had hoped. Nelson — a Memphis native with the drawl to match — found occasional work through a temp agency and temporary shelter at Tent City 4. He misses the showmanship needed to run a blackjack, craps or roulette table, the give and take with casino patrons. From the encampment, Nelson, 42, continues a search for steady work and dreams about landing a spot at a tribal casino. “Indoor plumbing would be cool,” he joked. “I’m a big fan of heat. But for now, this’ll do.” Still, “we’ve really got it good compared to what it could be,” he said.
aloud about the visitors. Thomas described Issaquah as the most welcoming city for camp residents. Rules allow up to 100 residents at the encampment; about 80 live there usually. The busted economy sent some to Tent City 4, but the residents defy easy categorization. “There are 85 different reasons they’re here,” he said.
Wanderer Steve Bell “I got bored at 17 living in Virginia, so I hitchhiked to the Grand Canyon, because I wanted to see what it looked like,” Steve Bell, 28, said. It kind of sums up his life to this point, a permanent case of wandering foot, he said. Steve has traveled in his life to five of the seven continents — missing only continental Asia and Antarctica. He traveled to North Africa because he wanted to see what it looked like; roamed among the Hopi Indians near the Grand Canyon; and lived in Paris and Rome, two of his favorite cities in the world. His life now finds him in the Seattle area, because someone told him if he liked the outdoors, the city was his kind of place. So far, he said he’s not regretting his decision, though he finds himself living in Tent City 4. He found the encampment about three weeks ago as a place to reduce his costs before getting back to school at Bellevue College, and then transferring to the University of Washington for a degree in anthropology or archeology, whichever strikes his fancy. After that? “Where I’d love to go,” he said, “I’d love to take the old Silk Road from China to Rome.”
Artist Alan Erickson Alan Erickson, originally from Arizona, spent part of the night Jan. 29 refamiliarizing himself with the art of origami. “I used to watch my grandmother, who is Japanese, do it and I was fascinated with the art of it,” the 30-yearold said, soft brown eyes peering from beneath a hat that doesn’t really cover his shaggy brown locks. “I taught myself, about five or six years ago, to work with my niece who is autistic.” Today, Erickson finds it is a way to pass the nights he spends waiting at Tent City 4, where he has been a few months. Traveling from Arizona, after selling his tools and truck when the state’s construction market dried up, he found himself on a ship in Alaska, then refurbishing a woman’s hardwood floors for a cell phone, $700 and a plane ticket to Seattle. Like many, he knows the situation at the encampment isn’t perfect, but it works, he said. “It is an amazing situation here,” he said. “I haven’t been homeless that long, but it gives you a base to branch out from.” He’s waiting for funding to restart his career as an emergency medical technician and nurse, so he can leave construction.
Volunteers Teresa and Faith Mach
Leader Bruce Thomas Campers run Tent City 4 as a participatory democracy, and camp adviser — and longtime resident — Bruce Thomas ensures life unfolds with as few snags as possible. Thomas, self-described as “old enough to know I don’t have to answer that question” about age, works with the executive committee to oversee camp operations. “We are together and safe, and tonight I don’t have to worry about any of my friends dying,” he said. Thomas lost his wife and children in a drunken driving accident years ago and, in the aftermath, went on a walkabout from Florida to Washington. In Seattle, he became involved with SHARE, the nonprofit organization behind Tent City 4. Tent City 4 formed in May 2004. Thomas acts as the institutional memory and assuages worries brought forward by neighbors and officials whenever the camp announces its move to a new city. Tent City 4 traverses a circuitous route across the Eastside, from church to church. Many communities welcome the roving encampment, but in others, residents worry
“I wanted to expose her to different types of things and to have her learn about not taking things for granted,” said Teresa Mach, a parent who volunteered with her daughter to serve dinner to Tent City 4 residents for a night. “I, myself, am from the Third World. We came as refugees, my family and I, in 1979, when the U.S. took us in from Cambodia,” she said, adding that her parents, originally from China, escaped to Cambodia and then to the U.S. “I want her to learn some people’s lives, they aren’t so fortunate, and not to look down at people because she was born into this life.” While sharing her story, her daughter, Faith Mach, a junior at Newport High School in Bellevue, helped serve generous amounts of pasta to residents. “It sounded fun,” Faith Mach said of volunteering. “I’ve never done this type of thing before.” She said she wasn’t nervous about going to a homeless encampment. “I was maybe a little nervous, because I didn’t know how to serve food,” she said. As she got more comfortable, her smile grew into one of confidence as she greeted each person passing by her serving tongs. “I never really realized how it was or how they live,” she said. “But it feels good to help.”
Tent City 4, ‘a crossroads of humanity,’ returns here A2 • Wednesday, January 27, 2010
By Warren Kagarise Issaquah Press reporter Tent City 4 returned last week, hauled piece-by-piece to Community Church of Issaquah, assembled by volunteers and readied for residents to settle into nylon tents by nightfall. The homeless encampment returned to the Squak Mountain church where congregants last welcomed Tent City 4 in late 2007. The camp will remain at Community Church until late April. Donald Brown, a Tent City 4 resident dressed in a plastic poncho and a hat with earflaps to protect against the chill, moved into the encampment last year. He described the camp as “a crossroads of humanity” where people with assorted backgrounds and experiences coexist. “Some people come in and they stay a day,” he said. “Others stay for a year, two years, three years.” During the early morning Jan. 23, Brown and other residents decamped from First United Methodist Church in Bellevue and arrived — in pickups and moving trucks — in the Community Church parking lot. Then, teams assembled the encampment, just as they did when Tent City 4 reached churches in Kirkland, Mercer Island, Redmond and other Eastside cities. Teams descended on the Community Church property by 8 a.m., and hustled through the morning in the chill and damp to
unload wooden pallets and cut plywood sheets to form bases for tents. The group stopped work at about noon, when volunteers laid out taco fixings for lunch. Brown said residents take about three to five days to adjust to a new site after the encampment relocates. Organizers limit the camp population to 100 people; the camp usually includes about 80 residents. Organizers screen people before entry. Residents undergo warrant and convicted sex offender checks. Administrators ban offenders from the camp, and the site includes 24-hour security. Rules also ban alcohol, drugs and guns inside Tent City 4. Rule-breakers also face banishment from the encampment. “We don’t tolerate any type of intimidation or physical abuse” among Tent City 4 residents, Brown said. Rules restrict Tent City 4 residents to adults. Encampment residents leave the site during the day for work. Residents also elect members to the camp’s executive committee, a group of residents tasked with day-to-day camp operations. New neighbors Coordinator Paul Winterstein said volunteers started prepping the campsite Jan. 22. By the next morning, workers unloaded pallets and plywood sheets by the dozen, and erected a perimeter fence around the encampment. Teams
New technology group includes tech veterans By Warren Kagarise Issaquah Press reporter The day after Mayor Ava Frisinger announced the formation of the Issaquah Technology Task Force in the State of the City address, the mayor unveiled the group’s members and mission. Frisinger delivered the annual address Monday. The mayor said the task force plans to improve quality of life and business competitiveness by discussing a community-wide fiber network. The panel — 11 technology professionals and government officials — will examine communications and technology infrastructure, what existing technologies and services offered in the near future will be available, and what Issaquah will need in the future. The all-volunteer task force includes tech veterans.
The group is tasked to deliver a business plan. The document will outline what technology infrastructure improvements can be made, and how to best implement the upgrades. For the first time in city history, the technology task force aims to be paperless by using digital files and electronic communications as much as possible. Meetings will be working sessions, but residents will be welcome to attend and observe. “The task force, which is an impressive group of local technology experts, will study multiple methods for how we can strengthen Issaquah’s overall vitality,” Frisinger said in the State of the City address. Warren Kagarise: 392-6434, ext. 234, or wkagarise@isspress.com. Comment at www.issaquahpress.com.
The Issaquah Press
set up a shower trailer and portable toilets, and converted a shed on church property into a laundry. More volunteers will return in the months ahead to serve meals to residents and drop off donations. Winterstein said a church neighbor stopped to fetch the mail at a community box near the church the night before the move. The woman asked about the activity at the church, and when Winterstein told her, she replied, “Welcome!” But the homeless encampment has left residents in other Eastside cities wary. In Mercer Island, a residents group attempted to prevent Tent City 4 from moving to the city, until a King County Superior Court judge intervened and allowed the camp to settle at a local church. Organizers announced the Tent City 4 return last November, and reached out to Issaquah residents during the subsequent weeks. The hosts sent more than 100 mailers to church neighbors, and held meetings to answer questions about the encampment. Only a handful of residents attended the December meetings. The almost-empty meetings contrasted with the packed church parking lot on moving day, where more than 100 people turned out to transform the asphalt expanse into a temporary shelter. Diane Froyen, a Tiger Mountain resident, decided to volunteer with the homeless after she read a news article about the upcoming Tent City 4 return.
TASK FORCE MEMBERS Bernadette E. Anne, Issaquah
resident and Microsoft alumna Robert Black, Highlands Fiber Network general manager Colleen Dixon, Issaquah School District executive director of educational technology Tom Flavin, enterpriseSeattle president and CEO Cynthia Freese, Login Conference executive director Janice Newell, Swedish Medical Center chief information officer Jason Robar, Gazillion/The Amazing Society vice president and studio manager Bob Stephens, city Cable TV Commission alternate member Randy Terashima, costco.com assistant vice president – technology John Traeger, City Council president Wes Wahlin, Microsoft TVM Group program manager
The Issaquah Press is110Years Old!
The Issaquah Press was founded as The Issaquah Independent on January 18, 1900. Today, The Press remains locally owned, and more committed than ever to being a strong connector for its readers. Community is our passion. Journalism is our means.
VISIT TENT CITY 4
BY GREG FARRAR
Paul Winterstein points out a spot to unload pallets and plywood sheets from a moving truck as Tent City 4 arrives Jan. 23 in Issaquah. “I’ve always felt like all of us are one step away from being in their shoes, especially in this day and age,” Froyen said. For the Rev. Dick Birdsall, the Community Church pastor, the decision to invite Tent City 4 to return stemmed from a desire to help people in less-fortunate circumstances. “For us, it’s a way of fulfilling our mission,” he said. ‘A fresh start’ But the small congregation with many elderly members needed support to stage the return. Worshippers turned to other organizations, like the Issaquah Sammamish Interfaith Coalition, a group with ties to several area churches. Coalition Coordinator Elizabeth Maupin worked alongside other volunteers to bring Tent City 4 back to Issaquah. Maupin, wielding a hammer to assemble tent platforms, said the setup “warms my heart, and it feels like we’re welcoming the community home.”
State of city FROM PAGE A1
ed to everything from the environment to economic development. “Citizens, business owners and students alike all depend on our technology infrastructure to compete both locally and in a global market,” Frisinger said. She said the technology endeavor could lay the foundation for future prosperity. “Decades from now, we can look back on this effort and know it was one of many initiatives we used to reach our ultimate goal: a vibrant, sustainable community,” Frisinger said. Although development slowed last year, the mayor pointed to high-profile construction projects proceeding despite the downturn: Eastside Fire & Rescue Station 72, a Swedish Medical Center campus in the Issaquah Highlands and a YWCA affordable-housing complex not far from the planned hospital.
SHARE/WHEEL, a Seattle affordable housing and homeless advocacy group, started the encampment in May 2004. Community Church also hosted the encampment from August to November 2007. Tent City 4 residents volunteered at the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery and the Issaquah Food and Clothing Bank. Organizers said camp residents plan to contribute to the community again. John Rittenhouse served as a city councilman when Tent City 4 last settled in Issaquah. Rittenhouse, a leader in the effort to establish a human-services campus in Issaquah, said the encampment offers residents a chance to reflect on the need for a place like Tent City 4. The former councilman and longtime human-services advocate arrived at the encampment site Jan. 23, ready to help. “The city, the churches, as you can see, the volunteers,” Rittenhouse said. “It seems to have brought out the best in the city.”
ON THE WEB Watch the State of the City address on the city Web site, www.ci.issaquah.wa.us. Follow the link labeled for the speech.
The mayor presented a brief video packed with highlights from the past year. City employees listed milestones, like grant dollars to preserve open space, during the recorded presentation. Frisinger spoke in a voiceover imposed atop sun-splashed, wide-angle shots of the city. “Thanks to the hard work of our community — including our dedicated employees, the City Council and our citizens — we also pushed ahead and implemented many of Issaquah’s top priorities, from making road safety improvements to building artificial turf fields at Central Park,” she said in the address. Frisinger ticked through accomplishments: a new roundabout at East Lake Sammamish Parkway Southeast and Southeast 43rd
Reporters Warren Kagarise and Chantelle Lusebrink will spend a night at Tent City 4 on Jan. 29. From the encampment, they will report in-depth coverage about Tent City 4, due in upcoming editions of The Issaquah Press. Follow the reporters on Twitter @wkagarise and @clusebrink for observations from the encampment on the Community Church of Issaquah grounds. The reporters will talk with Tent City 4 residents and volunteers, break bread with the community and learn how the camp operates. Check www.issaquahpress.com Jan. 28 for updates about the Tent City 4 plan.
The cooperative spirit extends inside the encampment. Rules require residents to attend weekly community meetings and complete tasks in order to remain in the camp. Peter Martin checked in at Tent City 4 on New Year’s Eve. Now, he serves on the camp’s executive committee. “It’s a way for a fresh start for people who are looking,” he said. Tent City 4 dwellers respect personal property and space, he said. Martin said other occupants helped familiarize him with bus routes and the government and social services available to homeless people. “I didn’t expect myself to be in this position, but it’s nice to know somebody is out there to help me,” Martin said. Warren Kagarise: 392-6434, ext. 234, or wkagarise@isspress.com. Comment at www.issaquahpress.com.
Way, a widened shoulder for bicyclists and pedestrians along Newport Way Northwest, new protections for trees, and other environmental and public safety milestones. Improvements at the Central Park fields came about through a public-private partnership. A state grant and a $100,000 donation from the Issaquah Soccer Club helped to pay for the $1.9 million project. Frisinger also reflected on the difficult days last year, when officials curtailed spending and laid off 10 employees as a money-saving measure. City Council members adopted a tight, $99 million budget for 2010 in a December vote. “To keep our budgets balanced, we made significant cuts in 2009 that will continue this year,” Frisinger said. “These cuts don’t come without impacts, including increased workload for our employees and some service changes.” Warren Kagarise: 392-6434, ext. 234, or wkagarise@isspress.com. Comment at www.issaquahpress.com.
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
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Wednesday, November 25, 2009 • Vol. 110, No. 47
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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.