FeatureWriterYearKagarise

Math conversations gather data and reveal questions

The Issaquah Press

By Chantelle Lusebrink Issaquah Press reporter

BY GREG FARRAR

Several campaign signs remained uncollected the evening of Nov. 6 on West Sunset Way, and were still there Nov. 9.

Sign, sign, everywhere a sign: Post-election cleanup begins

By Warren Kagarise Issaquah Press reporter Election Day is done, but the symbols remain: campaign signs planted by candidates and volunteers near busy intersections, along bustling streets and in front lawns from the Issaquah Highlands to Squak Mountain.

Candidates realize residents tolerate the signs during campaign season, but after Election Day, the placards become visual pollution.

A few candidates mobilized volunteers to yank signs from the ground before midnight Election Day. City Council candidate Nathan Perea started uprooting his signs Election Day afternoon.

Councilman-elect Tola Marts left a victory party and gathered his signs in the election night chill.

Perea said he empathized with residents tired of the signs. The compact campaign ads sprouted en masse during the summer.

“I appreciate the clutter being gone as soon as possible,” he said.

Perea blanketed Issaquah with distinctive green-and-orange signs emblazoned with a pine tree logo.

In the end, however, Perea said the signs had little effect. Marts won the Position 7 council contest by a landslide.

Marnie Maraldo, a successful school board candidate, said she understood why the signs must come down soon after Election Day. “I do sympathize with the public who has had to look at them since April or May,” she said.

Maraldo bested Wright Noel in the race for the school board Director District No. 2 seat.

The candidates’ cleanup effort means less work for city Code Compliance Officer Michele Forkner, who keeps a careful

H1N1 vaccine available here, King County pharmacies Pharmacies in King County — including the pharmacy at the Northwest Gilman Boulevard QFC — have received 15,000 doses of H1N1, or swine flu, vaccine, the local health department announced last week.

Many of the 44 participating pharmacies will take appointments by phone; some will hold walk-up clinics without appointment in the coming week.

Go to www.kingcounty.gov/health/H1N1 and follow the link “Learn more information about H1N1 vaccine availability at pharmacies” to see the list of participating pharmacies.

With limited national vaccine

Sunndal FROM PAGE A1

mayor of Chefchaouen, Mohamed Sefiani, was featured in the festival parade last month.

Chefchaouen also sent the Blue Door to commemorate its relationship with Issaquah. The arched doorway rests on City Hall grounds.

The last official contact between Issaquah and Sunndal came in September, when then-Sunndal Mayor Tove-Lise Torve replied to a letter from Issaquah Mayor Ava Frisinger. Torve told Frisinger the sister cities committee established

by Sunndal a decade ago remained, and invited Probala to visit the city. Frisinger said the trip would be “kind of like catching up with a family member you haven’t

watch on campaign signs in the months before Election Day. Forkner did not receive any complaints from residents about the signs. Just after the election, she said she hoped candidates and volunteers had cleaned up after themselves.

Besides City Council candidates, contenders for county executive and assessor posts, and even Sammamish City Council hopefuls, planted signs around Issaquah.

Hotspots included the cluttered intersections at either end of Northwest Gilman Boulevard: Front Street North and state Route 900.

Forkner said volunteers or residents usually pluck signs for outof-town candidates after the election wraps.

Although candidates would doubtless relish the opportunity to turn the Northwest Gilman Boulevard median into a thicket of campaign signs, city code prohibits signs there.

The state Department of Transportation also prohibits signs on state-owned rights of way.

City rules call for campaign signs to be removed within a week of the election. Forkner begins rounding up rogue signs after the deadline passes.

“I do not touch those signs until the eighth day,” she said.

Forkner seldom fines candidates whose signs linger too long after Election Day. Instead, she gathers leftover signs, and collects wooden stakes for future candidates and people who need the poles for signs to announce garage sales and other events. The signs themselves head to the landfill.

“Signs don’t talk back; they just lay there or stick in the ground,” Forkner said.

The medium is expensive. Perea

dropped $1,095 on campaign signs; Marts spent $683. Maraldo — who planted signs across the school district, from Newcastle to Sammamish — paid $1,774 for signs.

Marts and campaign volunteers sprinkled 200 signs around Issaquah.

“I wound up putting out the right number of signs,” Marts said.

After the signs were deployed, candidates found ways to augment the placards to deliver more information to voters.

City Council President Maureen McCarry affixed sheets touting her endorsements to her campaign signs as she worked to defeat challenger Joan Probala in the Position 5 contest. McCarry won the race by a wide margin.

Marts said where candidates placed signs — and how many signs candidates placed in proximity to opponents’ signs — was the most antagonistic act in the otherwise cordial campaign.

“The sign wars were more aggressive than the forum wars were,” Marts said.

Triumphant candidates said leftover signs would be stowed in garages until the next election.

Maraldo and Marts looked toward 2013, when candidates elected last week will face voters again.

Maraldo said the designer of her blue-and-white campaign signs said a simple sticker could be added to change the message from elect to re-elect.

Marts said reusing his signs — adorned with a mountain backdrop and a salmon silhouette — would be a money-saver when he runs for a second term.

“I plan on using those signs for my re-election campaign in four years,” he said.

supplies, Public Health – Seattle & King County officials had to delay a plan to make the vaccine widely available through community venues. As more vaccine becomes available, additional vaccination sites, including community clinics, will become available.

People eligible to receive vaccine through pharmacies include pregnant women, children, health care and emergency workers, and people with chronic conditions and weakened immune systems.

The amount of vaccine at pharmacies will be limited, with each pharmacy receiving a few hundred doses each. The vaccine will be resupplied to pharmacies as more becomes available in the coming weeks.

Many pharmacies are unable to

vaccinate babies and young children because the staff is not licensed or trained to do so.

Residents who want to vaccinate children should check with pharmacies and with health care providers because the vaccine is continuing to arrive.

People should bring their health insurance information to a pharmacy; they may need to submit a receipt to their insurance companies for reimbursement.

With the latest deliveries, King County has received about 142,000 doses of vaccine. A new allocation of about 71,000 doses is being ordered for delivery to the county.

Most of the vaccine is being made available through health care providers.

seen in a long time.”

Frisinger had earlier sent a letter to her counterpart in Sunndal, but a response was held up after Torve was elected to the national parliament and by summer vacation — no small matter in a place where winter can mean near-uninterrupted darkness.

Probala plans to meet with new Sunndal Mayor Stale Refstie and other officials during the trip.

“I think we have a lot in common, and I think these talks might determine where we go from here,” said Issaquah Councilman Fred Butler, who serves alongside Probala on the Sister Cities Commission.

Hinds recalled a saying from his days as mayor to describe the importance of the sister city relationship.

“If you and I always think the same, then one of us is superfluous — and it’s not me,” he said. “We need those differences.”

Issaquah School District officials have hosted two high school mathematics meetings and there’s one more where you can voice your opinion.

District officials met at Issaquah High School Oct. 27, Liberty High School Nov. 3 and will meet at Skyline High School Nov. 16.

The meetings are part of a yearlong process to ensure the right materials are chosen for the next high school math curriculum, as College Prep Mathematics no longer meets many of the new state requirements.

The process started more than a year ago, and in May, High School Math Adoption Committee members unanimously voted to adopt Key Curriculum Press’ Discovering Mathematics.

However, after community input and a lack of clarity from state officials about their math curriculum recommendation, Superintendent Steve Rasmussen in June decided to put the adoption on hold for another year.

Since the beginning of the school year, district officials have been gathering input from the community about the direction district officials should take regarding algebra and geometry curricula. They’ve also asked for more information from state organizations.

Nearly 20 parents came to the meeting held at Issaquah High School Oct. 27.

The process “gives us the opportunity to let you hear about the rigorous process we went through to recommend a curriculum,” said Patrick Murphy, director of secondary education. “It also gives us the opportunity to talk about math in general. What homework is like, what students learn in school, tutoring and if parents are struggling.

“Depending on the information we gather, that will depend on what we do next,” he added. “But we’re going to consider all the data we receive during this yearlong plan.”

“My grandson is a freshman at PCFC [Pacific Cascade Freshman Campus]. I’m curious to see how they are teaching math versus

Wednesday, November 11, 2009 •

GET INVOLVED 7-9 p.m. Nov. 16 at Skyline

High School, 1122 228th Ave. S.E. Go to

www.issaquah.wednet.edu/academics. Click on “Instructional Materials Adoption” and then “High school math adoption.”

when I learned math,” meeting attendee John Pintar said. “I want to give him every advantage I can.

If I understand the way they are teaching math then I can hopefully help.”

At the meeting, district officials and members of the mathematics selection committee provided insight about why they recommended Discovering Mathematics.

Specifically, teachers and district officials said Discovering Mathematics aligned the most with the state’s new math standards, and had a blend of exploratory and teacher-driven learning, and example formulas and drills for students. It also had a robust outline for teachers to follow, ensuring equal experiences among classes and high schools in the district, teacher Angie Kruzich said.

Parents rotated to four different class sessions during the meeting where information was presented about the process and parents could work with the materials with teachers.

Parents who attended the meeting had plenty of questions and comments, including why the state endorsed Holt Mathematics and not Discovering Mathematics and how the curricula differ.

“I think they could have done a better job for the adoption of new curriculum,” parent Ali Heidari, who is an engineer, wrote in an email. “In my opinion, 14 members is not enough to decide about the district math from elementary to high school levels.

“How come parents were not involved or communicated before final decision?” he added. “I think they should put the meeting minutes and adoption process for review by parents. I think this will be great opportunity for the concerned parents with kids in ele-

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mentary and middle school to review and feedback.”

In the weeks leading up to the meetings, another communitydriven question came up.

Leslie Nielsen, the district’s math curriculum specialist, wrote a book for Key Curriculum Press in 1997 called “Is Democracy Fair?”

The book runs through the mathematics behind voting and appointments and was written while she was living in Denmark, Nielsen said.

It isn’t unusual to have district employees write for various publishers, said Sara Niegowski, the district’s communications director.

In fact, many of the district’s advanced teachers, curriculum specialists and administrative officials have written excerpts or books for various publishing houses, as do many employees with other districts, Niegowski added.

However, the district’s curriculum adoption process specifically ensures that conflicts between its adoption committee and publishers are addressed early.

Each person on the curriculum adoption committee must disclose any conflicts of interest to the committee in its first meetings.

Committee members must also disclose whether they stand to gain financially from a curriculum adoption, whether they may gain future employment by selecting a curriculum or have bias for a particular publisher.

Nielsen did each of these, as did other committee members.

Because Nielsen’s book with Key Curriculum Press has nothing to do with the district’s high school math adoption, there was no conflict of interest.

However, Nielsen would have had to excuse herself if the committee decided to debate about College Prep Mathematics published by Prentice Hall, from which she still collects royalties.

Committee members decided the College Prep Mathematics curriculum didn’t align with state standards early on, Niegowski said.

Chantelle Lusebrink: 392-6434, ext. 241, or clusebrink@isspress.com. Comment at www.issaquahpress.com.

The Issaquah Press

COMMUNITY

Section

B

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2010

New director looks to draw the community to the senior center

By Chantelle Lusebrink Issaquah Press reporter nly one day on the job and Courtney Jaren was busy meeting patrons and making plans at the Issaquah Valley Senior Center.

“We’d like to put out an all-call for volunteers,” she said of her first order of business. “We want people in the community to come volunteer with us, particularly our schools, Rotary or Eagles groups.

“We want to open ourselves up to new generations and embrace the entire community.”

Jaren, 58, is the new executive director for the center. Her first day was Jan. 12; she succeeds Janice Koriath, who left the position at the end October.

The senior center is a nonprofit

O

VILLAGE THEATRE PHOTO

organization that organizes a variety of senior activities in and outside Issaquah for adults older than 55. It also offers education, recreation and health and wellness programming.

On Jan. 13, Jaren’s schedule was already in full swing with a luncheon with senior center patrons and a public meet-and-greet opportunity at 2 p.m. But that didn’t stop her from getting in early to mingle with some of the students in the morning SAIL, Stay Active and Independent for Life, exercise class.

Jaren said she still has a lot of people to meet and a lot of ideas to gather from the community at the senior center, but she has a good program with which to start.

“I’d like to put out a survey to See DIRECTOR, Page B3

Tony Award winner Brian Yorkey (left) directs Suzy Hunt as she portrays Grandma Kurnitz, a main character in ‘Lost in Yonkers’ at Village Theatre.

Tony Award winner adjusts to new normal Brian Yorkey returns to direct ‘Lost in Yonkers’

By Warren Kagarise Issaquah Press reporter verybody knew the odds — the cast, the producers, the director, the composer and, especially, the writer and lyricist. Bookies and bloggers predicted a sweep. The feel-good “Billy Eliot” seemed poised for glory, not “Next to Normal” — a musical built around electro-shock therapy, raw emotions and even rawer nerves.

Everybody knew the odds at the Tony Awards last June — but nobody envisioned the upset to come, especially not the writer and lyricist, Issaquah native Brian Yorkey.

Nobody expected the odds to be so miscalculated, yet Yorkey and composer Tom Kitt toppled “Billy Eliot” to win the Tony for Best Original Score. The other nominees included songwriting titans Sir Elton John and Dolly Parton.

Yorkey, a Village Theatre alumnus stunned about the unexpected win, accepted the award from the presenter, comedian Will Ferrell, and mentioned the Issaquah playhouse during the national broadcast.

“We kind of went into it sort of expecting that ‘Billy Eliot’ would sweep, and that’s a great show, they deserve it, and just to be here is amazing,” Yorkey recalled in early January. “Then, to add on the win was kind of unbelievable.

It was a little bit out of body. It

“Coming back with a Tony really isn’t all that much different than coming back before, except that in a way, and I think in a way that makes a lot of sense, I think everyone here sort of shared that win.”

— Brian Yorkey

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Tony Award winner

BY BRYAN BEDDER/GETTY IMAGES

Tom Kitt (left) and Brian Yorkey, winners of Best Original Score Written for the Theatre for ‘Next to Normal,’ pose in the pressroom at the 63rd Annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall on June 7, 2009, in New York City.

For more about Brian Yorkey’s

return to directing Village Theatre’s ‘Lost in Yonkers,’ see Page B6.

didn’t sink in for a few days, I don’t think — if it has at all.”

Next came the dizzying sequence of congratulations, interviews and countless thank-yous from the humble Yorkey, who recalled, “all the clichés apply.” “Next to Normal” won another pair of Tony statuettes, for best orchestrations and best actress in a musical.

“This is what people always

say, but Tom and I felt so lucky just to be there,” Yorkey said. “We felt so lucky to have our show on Broadway to be nominated for these Tony Awards.”

The circuitous route from Tony Awards, from the mike onstage at Radio City Music Hall, led Yorkey back to Issaquah. Less than a year later, the Issaquah High School graduate has returned to direct the Neil Simon classic, “Lost in Yonkers.” The play opens Jan. 20 at Village Theatre.

Yorkey traveled light, and the Tony remained in the Big Apple.

The brass-and-bronze medallion mounted on a black pedestal is stowed in a box, inside a bag, on

the floor of Yorkey’s office.

“Coming back with a Tony really isn’t all that much different than coming back before, except that in a way, and I think in a way that makes a lot of sense, I think everyone here sort of shared that win,” Yorkey said Jan. 8, before a “Lost in Yonkers” rehearsal. “I started here, the show started here, so everyone felt a part of it, as they should, and I think that was exciting for me and for everybody.”

‘A very demanding piece’ “Next to Normal” germinated more than a decade ago, as a 10minute musical at a New York City theater workshop. The precursor — then titled “Feeling Electric” — originated at Village Theatre in 2002, about seven See YORKEY, Page B3

BY GREG FARRAR

Courtney Jaren, new Issaquah Valley Senior Center executive director, stands before a twice-weekly exercise class at the center.

Education institute awards four teachers environmental honor The Pacific Education Institute awarded four Issaquah teachers Project Learning Tree Outstanding Environment and Sustainability Educator Awards at the Dec. 7 school board meeting.

The teachers were recognized for their work in environmental studies, and their dedication and commitment to providing students with outdoor learning classrooms and service learning opportunities.

Sunny Hills Elementary School teacher Jane Ulrich and Endeavour Elementary School teachers Leslie Smith, Diane Parham and Gabrielle Herring were recognized for their long history of working with environment and sustainability education, creating engaging hands-on environmental stewardship oppor-

Get inspired by local 2009 kosher cooking contest winner

Kiwanis Quilt Quilt maker Marianne Plantinga poses with quilt winners The Lauves on Jan. 7. When Plantinga started her quilt years ago, she didn’t know it’d have such an impact in the community. After donating the 38-by-39-inch quilt to the Kiwanis Club of Providence Point, however, that’s exactly what she did.

The club’s members held a raffle for the quilt, which earned $1,000 for Eastside Baby Corner.

The winners of the raffle and proud owners of the quilt are both members of the club. The Lauves said they will rotate the quilt among their three daughters each year.

CONTRIBUTED

There is still time to enter the Man-O-Manischewitz Cook-Off, a cooking competition won last year

by Issaquah resident Elise Lalor.

The contest requires home cooks to preparing a kosher meal, this year using the new Manischewitz all-natural broth, made with real chicken and beef.

Lalor won last year with her Laced Lamb with Figs recipe. Create your own winning kosher dish by Jan. 31 for the chance to win the Grand Prize worth $25,000!

Five finalists will win an all-expenses-paid trip to New York city to compete live March 18 at the Jewish Community Center of Manhattan. Contestants will be

judged by an on-site cooking panel of food media and other culinary experts.

U.S. residents 18 or older may submit an original, easy-to-prepare entrée. All recipes must be original, kosher, include a new Manischewitz Broth product, have no more than a total of eight ingredients and be prepared and cooked in one hour or less.

Get official contest details at www.manischewitz.com, complete the official entry form and submit your recipe online. You can also enter by mail by sending your recipe entry to Manischewitz Cook-Off, c/o BHGPR, 546 Valley Road, Upper Montclair, NJ 07043.

All entries must be received

by Jan. 31.

ON THE WEB www.windows.ucar.edu/citizen_ science/budburst

tunities for their students, and for extending their classroom walls to include the outdoor world.

Each involved their school communities in their projects, published articles and shared their successful lessons to support student achievement of state learning standards.

Ulrich developed a Millennium Garden of native plants and a forested path with viewing station on the Sunny Hills campus. Using scientific inquiry and observing twigs in late winter, Ulrich’s students provided data for a national data bank. The state superintendent’s office will include the lesson on its Environment and Sustainability Web site and it is published in the Pacific Education Institute’s Field Investigation Guide.

Smith, Parham and Herring developed the bioswale outdoor classroom at Endeavour and received King County’s Green Schools award for the restoration project.

By taking their teaching outdoors, students get to enjoy hands-on lessons, including frog lifecycles and habitat diversity, while their activities provide program and lesson models for other state science teachers.

Since 2003, the Pacific Education Institute has supported Washington state educators to deliver quality instruction in science, math and social studies, while integrating those lessons into environmental studies.

District and institute officials have enjoyed a long relationship and worked closely to support the district’s mission statement and end goals for students through powerful math and science instruction.

Source: Issaquah School District

The Issaquah Press

Ilene Swanson

O BITUARIES

Ilene Swanson, of Issaquah, died at Providence Marianwood, Issaquah, on Jan. 15, 2010.

She was 83.

A memorial service is at 11 a.m. Jan. 23 at Ilene Swanson Flintoft’s Issaquah Funeral Home, 540 E. Sunset Way, Issaquah.

A reception will follow.

Ilene was born Feb. 19, 1926, in Issaquah, the daughter of Joseph and Irene Malmassari. She was raised in Issaquah and graduated from Issaquah High School in 1944.

Ilene spent 25 years in the

This week

Charles Clark Brockman

health care industry working as a kitchen supervisor. She was employed by The Issaquah Villa Care for 18 years and then by the Cascade Plaza Care Center.

She was preceded in death by her husband Melvin G. Swanson in 2000 and son Robert J. Swanson in 1997.

Survivors include daughter Carol Benn, of Spanaway; son James Swanson, of Issaquah; brother Roy Malmassari, of Issaquah; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

The family suggests remembrances to Homeward Pet Adoption Center, P.O. Box 2293, Woodinville, WA 98072.

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.

C LUBS

Cascade Republican Women’s Club: 11:30 a.m. third Wednesday, Sammamish Plateau Club, 25625 E. Plateau Drive, Eastside Camera Club: 7 p.m. third Thursday, St. Madeleine Catholic Church, 4400 130th Place S.E., Bellevue, 861-7910 www.eastsidecameraclub.com Eastside Chapter of Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays (PFLAG): 7-9 p.m. third Thursday, First United Methodist Church, 1934 108th Ave. N.E., Bellevue, 206-3257724 Issaquah Business Builders: 7:30 a.m. third Thursday, IHOP Restaurant, 1433 N.W. Sammamish Road, 206-852-8240 Issaquah Eagles Aerie and Auxiliary: 7:30 p.m. fourth Wednesday, 175 Front St. N., 392-6751 Issaquah Guild of Children’s Hospital: 11 a.m. third Thursday, Elks Lodge, 765 Rainier Blvd. N., 392-6625 Issaquah Ham Radio Support Group: 7 p.m. fourth Monday at the Police Station, talk in at 146.56 MHz at 7 p.m., meeting at 7:30 p.m.

Issaquah Lions Club: 7 p.m. fourth Tuesday, Coho Room at City Hall, 130 E. Sunset Way, 206-232-1700 Issaquah Valley Grange: 7:30 p.m. fourth Monday, Issaquah Myrtle Mason Lodge Hall, 57 W. Sunset Way, 3923013 La Leche League of the Sammamish Plateau: 10 a.m. third Thursday, Issaquah Highlands Fire Station 73, 1280 N.E. Park Drive, 605-0837 or 8276843

City board/commission volunteers sought

Myrtle Mason Lodge No. 108: 7:30 p.m. third Thursday, Lodge Hall, 57 W. Sunset Way, 894-4410

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, 6447421 Issaquah Alps Trail Club: www.issaquahalps.org Issaquah Community Family Club — Camp Fire USA: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, usually at Clark Elementary School, 500 Second Ave. S.E., 313-1600 Issaquah History Museums: 392-3500 or www.issaquahhistory.org Issaquah Networkers: 7:308:30 a.m. every other Wednesday, IHOP restaurant, 1433 N.W. Sammamish Road, www.IssaquahNetworkers.com Jewish Juniors Club: 3:305:30 p.m. Wednesday, Chabad of Central Cascades, 24121 S.E. Black Nugget Road, 427-1654 Kachess Klimber Snowmobile Club: www.wssaonline.com Kiwanis Club of Issaquah: noon Wednesday, Gibson Hall, 105 Newport Way S.W., 391-9275 MOMS Club of Sammamish Plateau: MOMS helping moms raise their kids in Sammamish and Issaquah on the Sammamish Plateau, www.momsclubsammamish.org or 836-5015

utes to complete and is due in the City Clerk’s Office by 5 p.m.

Jan. 22.

The city of Issaquah has opportunities for citizens to serve on various boards and commissions to lend critical citizen insight and leadership on city planning, governance and projects for 2010.

As a community member and business person who has a vested interest in citywide planning, project outcomes and policy decisions, the Issaquah Chamber of Commerce is asking that you consider applying for one of these appointed positions on a board/commission: Arts, Civil Service, Development, Human Services, Park Board, Planning Policy, Urban Village Development and others.

Most boards and commissions meet only once per month for about 10-11 months out of the year. City residency is encouraged but not required for most of the positions.

Go to www.ci.issaquah.wa.us.

Follow the link labeled “Volunteer for the City: Board and Commission Openings” for a complete list of openings and for an application packet. The packet takes less than five min-

State seeks utstanding historic preservation projects The state Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation is seeking nominations for the 20th annual Awards for outstanding achievements in historic preservation.

The awards program recognizes persons, organizations and projects that have achieved distinction in the field of historic preservation. Award recipients will be recognized at a ceremony May 4, during National Historic Preservation Month.

Nominations can be made in one of the following categories: historic preservation planning, historic property rehabilitation projects, career achievement, public education, stewardship, special achievement and media.

Nominations must be postmarked or submitted 5 p.m.

March 5. Get nomination forms, instructions and other information about the awards at www.dahp.wa.gov or contact Russell Holter at 360-586-3533 or russell.holter@dahp.wa.gov.

Charles (Charlie) Brockman, of Issaquah, died Jan. 9, 2010. He was 94 years old.

Charlie was born May 31, Charles Brockman 1915, in Seattle, the first of five children born to Charles and Madeline Taylor Brockman. Charlie was a descendent of a Seattle pioneer who owned a grocery store and various real estate interests in the Denny regrade and Lake City area, where there is a street named Brockman Place.

Charlie was raised in Seattle, and graduated from Broadway High School. He worked for the Seattle Post Intelligencer, circulation department, his entire working career. He met his future wife, Elaine Bertha Cline, while they were both employed there. They married in 1938, and celebrated their 71st anniversary in September.

In 1948, they moved from Seattle to May Valley Road in Issaquah and built a house on 20 acres of land to raise their three children. In the 1970s, they sold off most of their land, saving five acres on which to retire.

Brian Paul Nelson Brian Nelson died Jan. 7, 2010, after a long and courageous fight against pancreatic cancer. He was 41.

A memorial service is at 5 p.m. Jan. 24 Brian Nelson at Mount Rainier Christian Church, 43801 244th Ave. S.E., Enumclaw, with a reception to follow.

He was born April 28, 1968, in Seattle. Brian married Elysia Hartzell on May 31, 1989. He was employed by Darigold in Issaquah for 17 years.

Brian loved spending time with his family and creating adventures for his three precious daughters. He enjoyed traveling, making a major pro-

Yorkey FROM PAGE B1

years before theater brass nominated the show for 11 Tony Awards. The musical gestated on off-Broadway stages and a theater outside Washington, D.C. Finally, last March, “Next to Normal” began previews on Broadway.

The musical Yorkey and Kitt wrote focuses on the Goodmans, a suburban family navigating the emotional minefield lain by Diana, the bipolar disorder-afflicted matriarch. “Next to Normal” examines the fractured family as a therapist suggests radical treatment for Diana: electro-convulsive therapy.

“The challenges were always rooted in how we tell this very difficult and emotional story in the best way,” Kitt recalled. “How do we do justice to the struggle that people who suffer from this disease deal with every day, and do it in a musical form? How do we get the medicine right but allow the piece to breathe and have an emotional content?

“Finding the balance and tone was probably the hardest thing to do and I don’t think we truly did it until we opened on Broadway last year.”

Yorkey said he hopes he and Kitt next take something funnier, something lighter to Broadway, where big-budget, screen-to-stage adaptations — like “Shrek” and the inescapable “Billy Eliot” — dominate. “‘Next to Normal’ was a really amazing experience for us,” Yorkey said. “It’s a very demanding piece, both for the people who

Two children also built homes next to them and continue to live on the contiguous property.

In the winter months they lived in Yuma, Ariz., where they had a mobile home and many, many friends.

As a young man, Charlie enjoyed hunting and fishing, and later, golfing and working in his garden. His favorite pastime was horse racing, which he enjoyed for more than 70 years.

Charlie had an easygoing, amiable nature and he was beloved by family and lifelong friends alike.

As part of the “greatest generation” he was raised during the Depression era, a time that required a strong “can-do” work ethic, commitment to responsibility and efficiency in action, all of which he humbly optimized, and are the qualities for which he will be so dearly remembered.

Charles is survived by his wife Elaine; daughters Sharon (Antovich) Brockman, of Issaquah; and Charlene and husband Jack Faircloth, of Issaquah; son Charles Jr., of Seattle; four grandchildren — Rocky, Todd and Zachary Antovich, of California, and Jason Faircloth, of Nevada; and eight great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by three sisters and one brother.

Per his request, there was no service.

duction of mowing his lawn and spending time in his elaborate garage.

Brian had a strong faith in Jesus and we are comforted by the knowledge that we will be reunited with him in heaven.

Brian is survived by his wife Elysia and daughters Sabrina, Sophia and Maia, of Enumclaw; mother Linda Reini, of Seattle; father Richard (Fran) Nelson, of Arlington; brothers Jason (Shirline) Nelson, of Seattle, and Jeff Nelson, of Redmond; brother-in-law Aaron Hartzell, of Seattle; and numerous extended family and friends.

Remembrances may be made to PANCAN, 2141 Rosecrans Ave., Suite 7000, El Segundo, CA 90245 or online at www.pancan.org.

Services will be directed by Weeks’ Enumclaw Funeral Home.

Sign the online guest book at www.weeksfuneralhomes.com.

create it and the people who see it.

We didn’t want to do anything easier necessarily, we still want to challenge ourselves, but we want something with some romance and some laughs.”

First, Yorkey and Kitt must determine what will engage finicky Broadway audiences. Yorkey encouraged potential backers to gamble on original works because, as he said, “what we learn is that there aren’t any sure things.”

On Broadway, seemingly sure things often met inglorious ends.

Exhibit A: A much-hyped “Ragtime” revival went dark Jan. 3 after a mere seven weeks. “‘Next to Normal’ is not a monster hit, but it’s going to make its money back. It’s going to make its investors a little bit of money, which shows rarely do,” Yorkey said. “I hope that that being the case, that says to other producers, if you have a tough-but-compelling original show, it’s worth taking a chance on, because it could survive on Broadway.”

The musical thrived as well. After the opening night performance, a producer pulled Yorkey and Kitt aside to read aloud a review by Ben Brantley, the feared theater critic for The New York Times.

Brantley raved. He praised “Next to Normal” as “brave” and “breathtaking.” The musical “never for a minute does it let you escape the anguish at the core of their lives,” Brantley wrote.

Yorkey almost burst into tears.

‘Hustle and hustle and hustle’ As rehearsals for “Lost in Yonkers” wore on, Yorkey enforced what he called the “two ‘Frasier’ rule” — or ending rehearsal in time for the director to

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Wednesday, January 20, 2010 •

Q&A

With Courtney Jaren

Q. What is your educational background (What degree(s) do you hold and from where)?

A. Bachelor of science cum laude in counseling psychology; law degree from University of Minnesota; LLM from Temple Law School; graduate training in French and comparative literature, American history and Scandinavian studies Q. What other positions have you held?

A. Executive director of a senior center in Oregon; executive director of a town council in California; distance learning dean for a law school in California; founding director of the Indian Law Program at an Oregon law school; worked in Seattle at Mayor’s Office for Senior Citizens, Area Agency on Aging, and as regional representative for U.S. Senator Warren Magnuson Q. What goals do you have for 2010?

A. To build on the excellent legacy for which the center is known — hopefully with the help of Tommie Troutman, who has graciously consented to be my mentor! (Troutman is a former director of the senior center.)

Q. What do you bring to this role that is new and innovative?

A. A diverse background in training and experience, the patience of Job, a willingness to listen actively and help where needed, and a strong desire to make a difference!

Q. What challenges do you see for the senior center in the year to come?

A. There are always economic challenges for nonprofit organizations and now these challenges are even more pressing. I am hopeful the center will continue to receive generous support from the city. We are sincerely grateful for the city’s support this year. We hope King County will provide additional funding and look forward to working with the county to make this happen.

Q. What is something you are looking forward to experiencing in the city?

A. Hiking along the trails in the three mountains, listening to the

get home to watch dual episodes of the Seattle-centric sitcom.

The return to Issaquah means other small, welcome comforts.

Yorkey estimated he made a halfdozen trips to Target during the first three weeks he spent in the city. He likes to write at Starbucks, and in Issaquah, he enjoys being able to find a table. The trips to Starbucks hinge on whether Yorkey needs coffee — and he often does — and if he grows tired of writing at home.

Yorkey splits time between Los Angeles and Morningside Heights in Manhattan. When he returns to Issaquah, Yorkey lives at Terrace Apartments, just down Front Street from Village Theatre. Fins Bistro — “which we sort of treat like the employee cafeteria,” Yorkey said — is wedged between the buildings.

Yorkey, 39, is acquainted with the showbiz lifestyle. He joined KIDSTAGE in the years before Village Theatre matured into a regional powerhouse. As a teenager, he acted some, but soon realized he might be better suited to offstage tasks.

“After spending most of ‘Godspell’ sitting on a Dumpster in the back of the set, watching everyone else do things, I realized that maybe I should see what other roles there were in theater for me,” Yorkey said. “So, I started stage managing and that turned into directing, which turned into writing.”

Despite the fairytale Tony Award nomination and win, the months before Yorkey donned a tuxedo and accepted the most prestigious award in theater on national TV were less than glamorous.

“A year ago at this time, Tom and I were unemployed and both of us pretty broke actually, and a

B3

Director FROM PAGE B1

see what they like, what they don’t and what they would like us to have,” like a yoga class, she said. “We have extremely enlightened individuals with great ideas and they are willing to put the energy into those ideas.

“So, it isn’t an uphill battle to bring them to fruition, because we are already a thriving community.”

While she may be new to the job, she’s not new to Issaquah, she said.

“I married a native,” she said of her husband, Mathias Jaren. “He brought me here years ago. For a girl that grew up in the Philadelphia metro area, it was a wonderland for me and I didn’t want to leave.”

However, both their careers took them to California and then to Oregon after having their son, a neurologist, and daughter, a legal recruiter, both in their 30s now.

“Even then, I thought, wouldn’t it be a dream to be the director of the Issaquah senior center,” she said. “It is such a thriving community.”

In California and Oregon, she worked in the legal profession as a dean of a distance-learning law school program and as a senior services director.

She left her position with a senior center in Oregon to take the position in Issaquah, because senior services is her passion and always has been, she said.

“This is a place for them. A lot of times, when people retire, they lose their interest in life and the senior center gives that back to them,” she said. “These are our moms and dads, our grandparents and our aunts and uncles.

This is a wonderful place for them to go to be with each other and to be with us, where they feel valued.

“Every day, we can make a difference in someone’s life.” rush of the creek, attending theater performances, going to galleries and antique shops, meeting the people, joining the Episcopal church, and in short, just enjoying life here.

lot of things changed in a year,” Yorkey said. “I think that we’re both still sort of coming to terms with that.”

Besides a “Next to Normal” follow-up with Kitt and the “Lost in Yonkers” run, Yorkey works on screenwriting projects. The combined efforts sometimes require a relentless pace, and criticism is never too distant. Yorkey learned the hard way not to read blog posts about works he has written.

“You hustle in this business — in every business — but definitely in this business, you hustle and hustle and hustle, and you have to be going 24/7 for a long time,” Yorkey said. “Once things sort of take a turn, I think it takes some time to figure out how to step back and relax.”

Not long after Yorkey won, fellow Tony Award winner Warren Leight offered advice to the new honoree about the new hardware.

“I ran into him on Tony weekend and he said to me, ‘Whatever you do, don’t put it in your office,’” Yorkey recalled. “And I said, ‘Why not?’ and he said, ‘Because it will be sitting there staring at you, saying you’ll never write anything that good again.’”

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

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The Issaquah Press

A&E

B4 • Wednesday, February 3, 2010

TO SUBMIT AN ARTS CALENDAR ITEM: Call 392-6434, ext. 237, or newsclerk@isspress.com. Submit A&E story ideas to isspress@isspress.com.

ARTS

CALENDAR

FEBRUARY Stephanie Reilly’s exhibit, “Thoughts from the Divine,” Pogacha, 120 N.W. Gilman Blvd., through March 13, 392-5550

3 5

Opening night reception, 6-8 p.m., for a celebration of fresh and favorite works from local photographers, through Feb. 27, Collective Works gallery, UpFront [art], 48 Front St.

Fridays in the Living Room with Greta with special guest Gary Scott, 7:45-10 p.m. Bake’s Place, 4135 Providence Point Dr. S.E., $15, 391-3335

6

Jovino Santos Neto Quarteto, 7:45-10 p.m.

Bake’s Place, $15

Trainwreck, 8-11 p.m. Pogacha, 120 N.W. Gilman Blvd., 3925550 Dan Connolly, 7:30-9:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Zeeks Pizza, 2525 N.E. Park Drive, Issaquah Highlands

OPPORTUNITIES The Christian Poets Guild is offering a $1,000 grand prize in a poetry contest. Poems must be 21 lines or less, and may be on any subject or in any style. The free contest is open to all ages. Entries must be received by Feb. 28 at 7308 Heritage Drive, Mt. Vernon, IN 47620 or at www.freecontest.com. Fifty prizes totaling more than $5,000 will be awarded.

The Issaquah Singers, which has been

entertaining audiences on the Eastside for 33 years with four-part harmony, is seeking new members. Rehearsals are from 7-9 p.m.

Thursdays. No auditions are necessary. Learn more at www.issaquahsingers.com.

Go shopping .........

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Some days, you just need a break from the ugly things in life — your bills, job, mother-in-law, etc.

Well, come over here and check out all things cute. You name it, it’s here — puppies, kittens, bunny rabbits, chicks, all Have types of baby animals and a recommendamore. You can check out tion for Web site funny and cute photos of the week? Send it and videos. Sigh. to editor@isspress.com.

Now, isn’t that better?

CONTRIBUTED

Actor Wayne Bastrup (right), playing Josh, also operates the camera in a scene with Telisa Steen, as Steph.

CONTRIBUTED

Something mysterious watches Lacy (Melissa Goad) in a scene from ‘Eyes in the Dark.’

By Emily Fairbrook n his 26th birthday, Issaquah resident Bjorn Anderson walked into work at the Home Depot and gave his two weeks’ notice. He wanted to pursue his dream of making movies. He started his first script the same day.

“I figured I was young enough that if I was ever going to do it, it would have to be now,” Anderson said.

He never had any formalized film training, but said he watched movies with a critical eye for years.

“I could pay money for film school or pay money for actual film and learn as I go,” Anderson said.

He chose the latter.

Five years later, Anderson has released his second feature-length film, “Eyes in the Dark.” The horror story follows seven college students to a cabin for the weekend; they find a hidden cave and adventure surrounding it.

The young director pitched the idea for “Eyes in the Dark” in 2007 to Joseph Cole and Mike Ash, two friends who worked on Anderson’s first movie, “Warrior’s End.” “That’s part of the pre-production process — convincing everyone that it’ll be worth their time and fun,” Anderson said.

Auditions were held in April 2008 and filming began in June. Issaquah resident Maureen Francisco was one of the actors cast. Francisco has dabbled in other forms of media, but this was her first film.

“I’ve been in numerous commercials and I wanted to really stretch myself,” Francisco said. “I’ve always loved storytelling.”

Anderson recruited friends, local actors and even his parents to work on the project. As with many independent

O

CONTRIBUTED

Reading the script and discussing a scene for ‘Eyes in the Dark’ are (from left) actress Melinda Ausserer, assistant director Robyn Scaringi, actor Jason Robison, director Bjorn Anderson, actor Wayne Bastrup and actor John Symonds.

An eye for directing Local filmmaker looks to ride low-budget horror movie trend to success with ‘Eyes in the Dark’ films, the director funded the project and everyone involved worked without pay.

“We’d love to have money to pay people and spend money on food and transportation, but with an independent film, you always have to make hard choices,” Anderson said. “You don’t always get the gourmet stuff. Sometimes, for lunch, you get peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.”

Anderson augments his income by working as a property manager on the plateau and making videos for clients with Emerald City Pictures, a production company he started in 2008. He’s done weddings, corporate videos and a charity fundraising film.

As a new director, he said he had to “fake it” a lot.

“The first time out, I had no idea what I was doing,” he said.

Filming for “Eyes in the Dark” was mostly finished by the end of summer 2008, but editing the footage had just begun. Anderson added a few story lines and refined the plot.

“That’s one of the hardest parts with filmmaking — letting it go,” he said.

Finally, on Nov 5, 2009, “Eyes in the Dark” premiered at the Rendezvous’ Jewel Box in Seattle to a sold-out audience.

“I don’t remember a whole lot of it, because I was nervous and working the whole time. Most of the time while watching it I kept putting down things that needed to be improved, notes,” he said. “I guess I knew the whole time we still had work to do on it.”

Completing the film was an accomplishment in itself, but the next step is taking it to a film festival. The production team entered “Eyes in the Dark” into Seattle’s True Independent Film Festival and the Seattle International Film Festival, but won’t know the lineup until spring.

Robyn Scaringi, a producer and video editor, hopes to see the film picked up by a distributor.

“If I could see that ‘Eyes in the Dark’ was something you could rent at Blockbuster or Netflix — that’s my idea of success for the film,” Scaringi said.

Anderson dreams that one day his work will all pay off, or pay for itself, but he doesn’t think he’ll move to Hollywood.

“I really think there’s a lot of talent up here in the Seattle area that remains untapped,” he said. “As far as location, it’s hard to beat the Washington area.

Seattle’s my home, so I can’t really see myself moving away from here.”

Emily Fairbrook is a student in the University of Washington Department of Communication News Laboratory.

Dig into the duck and dumplings at Macky’s Dim Sum Restaurant reviews are a regular feature of The Issaquah Press. Reviewers visit restaurants unannounced and pay in full for their meals.

By Warren Kagarise Issaquah Press reporter Put down the chopsticks, or maybe a fork, and ignore the stares from other diners, because the menu at Macky’s Dim Sum presents a hand-eye coordination challenge. Order the roasted duck — lacquered skin and moist meat presented in oh-so-neat rows — and utensils will be rendered useless.

Scoop away the breast nuggets — and the boneless morsels disappear first — and the more challenging pieces remain.

Use fingers or, better yet, both hands.

Chuck the chopsticks. Forget the fork.

Eat like a Neanderthal.

A few (jealous?) glares from tablemates make for small discomfort on the way to a worthwhile payoff. The duck requires little adornment, so skip the cloying plum

Macky’s Dim Sum In Gilman Village, 317 N.W. Gilman Blvd., Suite 43 391-7200 for reservations 11 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. Monday to Friday 9:30 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. Saturday 9:30 a.m. – 9 p.m. Sunday sauce. Dip instead into a pot of zippy chili paste stationed next to the soy sauce. Remember to stack the bones — neatly, of course — on the side of the plate.

Macky’s offers more civilized options, too.

The menu includes a whole taxonomy of baked, fried and steamed dumplings, familiar Chinese dishes and a couple of showstoppers: a Kabocha squash and a fresh pineapple stuffed with seafood and other fillings.

Start with a few basketfuls of dumplings: a delicate, half-moon shaped

variety packed with shrimp; light, almost ethereal steamed pork dumplings; and Shanghai-style soup dumplings brightened with a few drips of vinegar.

The soup dumplings, so named because of the broth contained within, require some dexterity to navigate — via chopsticks — from the basket to a porcelain spoon. Dribble some vinegar on top and voilà.

Beyond duck and dumplings, the restaurant offers ample small plates, as the name implies. Opt for the soy-saucedoused noodles with just enough chew; a pan-fried turnip cake — earthy and delicate at the same time; a thin, crispy onion cake; and toothsome pot stickers — a takeout staple elevated here by a crisp skin without a whiff of grease. Also on the must-try list: bites fashioned from eggplant, shrimp and black bean sauce, served three to a plate and gone fast.

A deft hand seasons the salt-and-pepper cod and a vegetarian cousin, saltand-pepper tofu. The tofu, bean curd with the consistency of firm cheese, is as

wheel and motor

addictive as fried mozzarella sticks from a greasy spoon.

Chinese broccoli doused in oyster sauce makes for some satisfying greenery, a momentary detour from the carbs.

The mango chicken — with ample chunks of mango and a subtle sauce with hints of sweet — arrives in a bowl fashioned from noodles woven and then fried. The edible result resembles some sort of extraterrestrial handicraft.

Macky’s occupies the Gilman Village space last filled by Sweet Addition, a longtime soup-and-sandwich institution.

Patrons now eat in a space accented by sage-green walls, Chinese artwork and a semi-open kitchen.

Gracious servers keep the teapot replenished with enough tea to float a battleship. The affable owner darts from table to table, helping diners navigate the expansive menu.

No word yet on whether the staff condones diners digging hands-first into the duck.

Collective Memory project returns

See Page B4

KingCo chasing Eagles for top girls volleyball team honors Sports,

Teen born to ride the ponies Community,

Page C1

THE ISSAQUAH PRESS

FISH spots first chinook at Issaquah hatchery At the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery, chinook is king.

Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery Executive Director Gestin Suttle said the return of the first chinook is usually cause for celebration. But the festive mood could be dampened by a downsized forecast for the number of chinook.

Issaquah Salmon Hatchery workers and FISH members spotted the first chinook of the season in Issaquah Creek last week. But the good news was tempered with a stark prospect: Muckleshoot Tribe fisheries officials initially forecast 15,000 chinook salmon returns for the year, but the estimate has since been cut to 5,000 returns.

Suttle said the number was “very disappointing to say the least” and alarming. But she said the factors behind fewer chinook returns were difficult to determine. A hot, dry summer and water temperatures in Lake Washington could be behind the revised forecast.

Even so, Suttle said rain and cooler water temperatures would soon cause the salmon to begin heading up Issaquah Creek and other bodies of water.

“We will get rain eventually because it’s the Pacific Northwest,” Suttle said.

Scott Foley, a fisheries biologist with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, said the return of the chinook depends on factors such as weather.

Before chinook reach Issaquah Creek and the hatchery, the salmon return to freshwater through the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks in Ballard. From there, the fish pass through lakes Union and Washington and into the Sammamish Slough.

Foley said the Sammamish Slough “can be a real bottleneck for them.” Chinook then enter Lake Sammamish and swim up Issaquah Creek to spawning habitat.

Hatchery and FISH representatives spotted the first fish in Issaquah Creek Aug. 24; they described the chinook as a 25pound hen.

EFR considers layoffs

Fewer chinook expected to return

By Warren Kagarise Issaquah Press reporter

See Page B4

Wednesday, September 2, 2009 • Vol. 110, No. 35

Locally owned since 1900 • 75 Cents

Page B1

Last ArtWalk of the year is Friday

By J.B. Wogan Issaquah Press reporter Dire financial times have Eastside Fire & Rescue officials openly considering laying off firefighters, although they consider that scenario unlikely.

In one cost-saving option, EFR would lay off eight people. In another, the fire agency would take $263,509 out of its operating reserve fund.

Those kinds of scenarios are on the table as Finance Chief Dave Gray and his staff look at ways to limit cost increases for 2010.

“Everybody is pretty well aware that we have a problem, and it’s unprecedented. I think it’s very serious,” Gray said.

He said he has received direction from EFR’s finance and operations subcommittee to explore a 2010 budget where Issaquah and EFR’s other four partners wouldn’t pay more than they did last year for fire protection.

The last official mandate from the EFR board of directors was to limit an overall budget growth to 5 percent of what fire protection cost in the previous year.

BY GESTIN SUTTLE

Above, the first chinook of the year returns from the Pacific Ocean to Issaquah near the Salmon Hatchery fish ladder. At right, a girl goes face to face with a chinook salmon at the fish ladder viewing windows in Seattle at the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks on the Lake Washington Ship Canal.

The salmon disappeared from view for most of the following day.

Hatchery visitors clambered across a bridge over Issaquah

See CHINOOK, Page A5

See EFR, Page A3

BY GREG FARRAR

City severance package entices 35-year employee

By Warren Kagarise Issaquah Press reporter

BY GREG FARRAR

Construction is proceeding quickly on new classroom buildings at Issaquah High School.

Summer’s good weather gets school construction projects ahead of schedule

By Chantelle Lusebrink Issaquah Press reporter

PROJECT STATUS UPDATE

It’s been a busy summer of construction, but when students return to school Sept. 2, Issaquah School District officials, teachers and construction crews will be ready.

“At all of our major projects, we have contractors that are managing the work well, are focused on getting the work complete, and they are planning and working ahead of schedule,” said Steve Crawford, district director of capital projects. “They are working in multiple areas across the whole construction site.”

Paired with that efficiency, the summer’s good weather allowed construction crews to really pick up the pace at three major sites, the new elementary school (temporarily called Elementary 15) and Issaquah and Skyline high schools, said Superintendent Steve Rassmussen.

Where students will notice the most change is at Issaquah High,

New elementary school, temporarily called Elementary 15: Construction teams leveled the site, created drainage systems, finished foundation work and some framing. Complete framing of the exterior is expected to be completed by late fall, so crews can begin work on the inside of the building.

Issaquah High School rebuild: Concrete foundations and steel frames for the three, three-story classroom wings are completed.

Cement and foundation work is completed for the gymnasium, commons and main offices.

Maywood Middle School remodel: Schematic designs and budgeting plans are under way. Planning and engineering is under way for an extension of sewer facilities to the school.

Skyline High School remodel: New parking lots and entry points were completed this year. New classroom wings have been added to the build-

See CONSTRUCTION, Page A3

INSIDE THE PRESS A&E . . . . . . . . B4

Opinion . . . . . . A4

Classifieds . . . C4-5

Police & Fire . . A5

Community . . . B1

Schools . . . . . . C6

Obituaries . . . . B3

Sports . . . . . C1-3

A gargantuan aerial shot of Issaquah dominates a wall of Al Erickson’s city Parks & Recreation Department office. The map dates from the early part of the decade; land where part of the Issaquah Highlands would eventually rise is nothing but tawny dirt. Sprawling Central Park was little more than a planner’s sketch.

Now, as Erickson prepares to retire after nearly 35 years as a city parks employee, crews are at

work in the highlands adding artificial turf to a pair of Central Park fields.

The changes at Central Park are representative of the changes the city park system — and Issaquah itself — has undergone since Erickson signed on with the city three decades ago as a recent Western Washington University grad. Erickson, 57, retired as parks manager Aug. 31.

Parks & Recreation Director Anne McGill said Erickson’s role as a person who shaped the city park system cannot be overstated.

“He had a huge influence on our whole quality of life in Issaquah,” McGill said.

Erickson, who helped turn Tibbetts Valley Park into reality in the mid-1980s, described the last major project of his tenure as a “monumental milestone.” The artificial turf on the Central Park fields will be a first for Issaquah.

Erickson’s colleagues said his manner and work ethic were essential to the growth of the See ERICKSON, Page A3

ing and are nearly complete. Seismic retrofitting in older classrooms and hallways was completed this summer.

Briarwood Elementary School rebuild: Planning will begin this year.

Construction for the $25.1 million project is expected to start in 2011.

Challenger Elementary School remodel: A $2.5 million remodel to relocate the central office, improve ventilation systems and separate traffic is expected to start summer 2011.

Liberty High School remodel: Planning begins this year for adding new classroom facilities, science laboratories, a performing arts facility and kitchen equipment. Construction for the $15.2 million project is expected to start late next summer.

Pacific Cascade Freshman Campus: Planning to convert the school to a middle school is under way. The building will convert to a middle school in fall 2010.

Freshmen will return to Issaquah and Skyline high schools.

BY GREG FARRAR

Al Erickson, city parks manager, stands in front of the Issaquah Community Center as young people and their moms gather for lunch on the front steps.

YOU SHOULD KNOW Check the status of your pending Social Security application at www.socialsecurity.gov, whether you applied for benefits online, in person or on the phone. Also, check the status of retirement, disability, survivors or spouse’s benefits. Click on the “Check the status of your application” link on the upper, left-hand side of the site. Then enter the Social Security number and the confirmation number provided during the application process.

RAIN GAIN Last Week’s Rainfall: (through Monday) .05 inches Total for 2009: 31.88 inches Total last year: (through Aug. 31) 35.12 inches

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Seven employees opt for severance package as city makes cutbacks

The Issaquah Press

By Warren Kagarise Issaquah Press reporter

“Any further staff reductions are still being discussed and a final decision is still a week or two away.”

— Jim Blake

OPTING OUT

City officials will save nearly $600,000 because seven city employees have opted to accept severance packages. But the savings from the severance program will not be enough to remedy a $3.6 million budget shortfall for 2010 and a similar decline in city revenue for 2010.

Finance Director Jim Blake said the city would save about $595,000 in 2010 as a result of the severance program. Though city officials have said employee layoffs and furloughs are other possible cost-saving measures, Blake and Mayor Ava Frisinger said last week that it would be too soon to say whether other positions would be eliminated.

“Any further staff reductions are still being discussed and a final decision is still a week or two away,” Blake wrote in an e-mail.

Frisinger said the employees who opted for the severance package — six full-time and one-part time — were nearing retirement.

“The program probably gave them a little more incentive to do that,” the mayor said.

Longtime Parks Manager Al Erickson chose the severance option. Part of the rationale, he said, was to help other city employees keep their jobs.

With positions unfilled, duties will be redistributed among other staffers. In the Parks & Recreation Department, for instance, Director Anne McGill, Recreation Manager Brian Berntsen and other employees will carve up tasks once handled

by Erickson. No plans exist for replacing the employees who took the severance — for now.

“We, of course, will always hear from departments what their

needs are and whether that’s possible in the context of the budget,” Frisinger said.

Employees who accepted the package will receive four months’ pay. Longtime employees will receive an additional month of pay for every 10 years they worked for the city, for a maximum of six months’ pay.

Frisinger said a severance package would not be offered to employees again.

Key sources of cash for the city — building permit fees and sales tax — have shrunk amid the recession. As a result, officials face a $3.6 million shortfall for 2009, and will need to cut a similar amount from the 2010 budget.

Officials deferred the purchase of supplies and equipment, suspended nonessential staff training and held off on filling vacant city positions. But the measures were not enough.

Frisinger said city officials need to cut about $7 million overall from the ’09 and ’10 budgets. Officials

will tap a rainy day fund in order to cover the ’09 budget gap.

City Council members adopted a $109.5 million municipal budget last December. Council members will begin formulating the 2010 budget within the next few months.

Frisinger said employee labor groups are receptive to a proposal to defer employees’ cost-of-living increases and eliminate passing savings from the city’s Public Employees’ Retirement System to employees.

Frisinger said Issaquah is one of the last cities in the state to pass along PERS dollars to employees.

She said other cities have phased out the program as a cost-saving measure.

Blake said in July that the costof-living and PERS reductions would help the city save about $400,000 combined.

Frisinger hosted a farewell reception Aug. 26 at City Hall for the employees who chose the severance package. Over cake and punch, staffers talked about retirement plans. Frisinger said the sendoff was festive, until she made a speech honoring the employees’ service and tears started to flow.

“I said it was bittersweet, because the people who are leaving will be doing the things they want to do,” she said. But, “that we would miss them.”

Students perform well on SAT

This year, 840 Issaquah students took the Scholastic Assessment Exams and scored far better than their state and national peers.

The SAT is a curriculum-based, standardized exam and is primarily used for admission into colleges and universities by measuring a student’s readiness for collegiate-

level coursework.

In recent years, Washington students have led the nation in test scores for the SAT and American College Test, another college entrance exam.

For the seventh consecutive year, the state’s senior class had the highest average composite SAT

Construction

tion crews worked on all last school year will be ready to house students after first winter break, Crawford said.

Now, they are working erecting steel for the new gymnasium, weight training areas and framing areas in the 200 and 800 classroom wings.

Obviously, the new elementary school doesn’t need to be ready for students. However, crews did work Saturdays to finish prepping the site, pouring foundation and framing exterior walls, so they could seal the building and work inside in the winter months, he said.

“We are doing very well at this time,” he added. “We’re far ahead of where we were for [Elementary] 14 or Grand Ridge was at this point in time on the calendar.”

Liberty High School also received about $550,000 worth of work this summer to fix its heating and cooling systems, which were outdated, leaking and inefficient,

Crawford said.

District maintenance employees did similar work at four other buildings that were built in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

In the days before Sept. 2, construction crews sealed off parts of the buildings they could to keep construction noise from interrupting classes and were moving classroom furniture back into the buildings.

It’ll be a push to get everything finished and there will always be some things that can’t get done, Crawford said.

For instance, because construction workers had to install retrofitted seismic pilings in some of the existing classroom areas at Skyline, carpet in those areas won’t be reinstalled. The carpet will be reinstalled once that work is complete, so it doesn’t get damaged.

FROM PAGE A1

Crawford said.

When students left for summer break, construction crews had just started demolition. When they return, they will see the new building taking shape.

Construction crews worked in what Crawford described as rolling phases throughout the summer to ensure as much was being done as possible.

For instance, once the foundation was poured for the north classroom wing, workers began pouring cement for the second and doing groundwork on the third.

While that was occurring, workers began erecting steel framing for the north class wing.

At Skyline, students will return to another year of construction.

However, the new classroom wings and administration area construc-

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Chantelle Lusebrink: 392-6434, ext. 241, or clusebrink@isspress.com. Comment at www.issaquahpress.com.

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Wednesday, September 2, 2009 •

Erickson FROM PAGE A1

parks department and the city park system.

“He’s very calm, very focused,” McGill said. “He always looks out for the greater good of our community and how the most people can use a public facility.”

Though Erickson had planned to retire within the next few years, a severance package offered to city employees hastened his decision.

City officials are working to patch a $3.6 million budget hole and cut costs for 2010. Employees who accept the package receive four months’ pay. Longtime employees, such as Erickson, will receive an additional month of pay for every 10 years they worked for the city, for a maximum of six months’ pay.

Erickson, whose grandparents emigrated from Scandinavia to Issaquah in the early part of the 20th century, grew up in Issaquah, graduated from Issaquah High School and returned during college for a summer internship with the city Park Board.

EFR FROM PAGE A1

In that spirit, the EFR administration announced in August it would institute a salary freeze for its eight administrative employees, which could save $20,000 next year.

But the salary freeze was more of a gesture of good faith than a substantial solution to budget issues.

In one proposal, Gray said EFR would cut eight staff positions, saving $790,000 in 2010.

But he said laying people off would mean lowering the level of

score in the nation, according to figures released by the College Board, the organization that sponsors the SAT exams, in August In Washington, Issaquah’s students have continued to score well above the state and national averages. Below are the 2009 scores for each group. The composite

A3

When the city created a parks department in the early 1970s, staffers pulled double duty maintaining parks and coordinating recreation activities.

Kerry Anderson, the first city Parks & Recreation director, recalled hiring Erickson in 1973. Back then, the department had only three full-time employees. Today, it has about 60.

Erickson had just earned a parks and recreation degree from WWU. Anderson said the nascent department needed staffers who could juggle multiple tasks.

“We got our feet dirty and our hands dirty doing that,” Anderson said.

In the mid-1980s, city crews began work on Tibbetts Valley Park. The project was the first large-scale effort undertaken by the parks department team.

Anderson said Erickson was crucial to the development of the park.

“When Al and I look back, one of the most fun times we had was building that park,” Anderson said.

Anderson retired in 2000 and now owns a landscaping business in Spokane.

McGill fills Anderson’s former role.

Today, Tibbetts Valley Park is

34 acres of sports fields, tennis courts, playground equipment and picnic tables.

Erickson said Tibbetts Valley Park was one of the projects of which he was most proud.

Another big project launched during his tenure will be completed after he departs. Planners hope Cybil-Madeline Park will become a flagship of the city parks system.

The park along Issaquah Creek will feature “trails, picnics, open meadows, that kind of thing,” Erickson said.

Long before he began his parks career, his family had put down deep roots in Issaquah. In addition to his pioneer grandparents, his father, Tauno Erickson, served as a city councilman. His mother, Camilla Erickson, 91, lives in the city.

Erickson describes his long parks career as a way to give back to the community. He’s quick to praise the colleagues he’s worked with over the years.

“I’ve been fortunate to work for two wonderful parks directors,” Erickson said.

McGill, in turn, said she would miss his steady leadership.

“We’ve watched him accomplish a lot and he’s always done it with courage and grace,” she said.

fire protection, and he is opposed to that.

“I don’t recommend that we have layoffs,” he said. “I’m not making a recommendation to reduce the level of service.”

In the other proposal, there would be no layoffs, but there is also no guarantee that the cost reductions can become a reality.

Gray said that the no-layoffs option would be dependent on whether the local firefighters’ union would agree to cutting $263,509 from its labor contract.

EFR would also dip into its operating reserve fund and ask for less funding for replacing equipment in 2010. The threepronged plan would save $790,527.

Gray said either approach for the 2010 budget would be a oneyear plan. Partner contributions could not level off indefinitely.

“Pretty much, when we don’t pay the bill, it affects the service level pretty quickly,” he said.

Jack Barry, Sammamish’s deputy mayor and a member of the EFR’s board, said he was encouraged by Gray’s budget tightening efforts.

“I thinking we’re getting real close,” Barry said.

He said he was concerned about using the reserve. He said he would feel more comfortable with that if there was some long-term plan to guarantee that the reserve fund could return to its current level later on.

score is out of 2,400 points, while the individual subject scores are out of a possible 800 points.

Subject Issaquah State National Reading 563 524 501 Math 578 531 515 Writing 548 507 493 Composite 1,689 1,562 1,509

Issaquah is offering the Practice SAT for all juniors and sophomores in class Oct. 14. There is a $13 fee associated with the PSAT. However, the Parents and Teachers Associations and the Issaquah Schools Foundation are providing funding for families who can’t afford it.

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The Issaquah Press Section

B

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.

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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