From Page 11 cially since expanding out to Fred Meyer in the East Lake Sammamish Center in February 2007, according to Rochelle Ogershok, a spokeswoman for King County Metro Transit. In the past decade, the route has averaged between 300 and 340 riders per day, Ogershok said. Each trip averages about nine riders. “You fill it up at rush hour,” Quimby said. The 200 covers most of Issaquah’s valley floor, running from the Issaquah Community Center in downtown Issaquah to north Issaquah and Fred Meyer. It weaves by the Issaquah Public Library, the Issaquah Transit Center, Gilman Village, Issaquah Commons and Pickering Place along the way. The route passes by most of the city’s retail centers, giving people easy access to grocery stores, restaurants, hardware stores and more. Robinson said he sees a lot of riders using the bus to reach Fred Meyer and Target.
By J.B. Wogan
Ruben Simpson and Kelley Boehlke wait to be picked up by the 200 bus.
Jing Pecht, who works at the customer service desk at Fred Meyer, said the 200 has helped business a little bit. She said employees from nearby businesses, like the Siemens on Southeast 51st Street, use the 200 to shop. “I don’t think it’s a big impact right
now, but it’s probably a matter of advertising,” she said. Metro Transit has plans to expand the route out to the Issaquah Highlands on one end and to the Talus neighborhood on the other, but those aren’t scheduled until 2011.
Your Local Butcher Since 1910 History Fischer Meats has been Issaquah’s full service meat counter for 100 years. We may be the oldest business in Issaquah but two things never change. The quality of our meat and our outstanding customer service.
Quality Our meat is all-natural Washington grown and minimally processed – resulting in superior taste and tenderness.
Services Fischer Meats is owned and operated by trained butchers who will cut meat to order. We smoke products in-house and grind our meat daily.
Don’t miss our monthly Throw-Back Pricing! Next throw-back: Sat., March 20 11am-12pm
Our customers are prime
85 Front Street North • Issaquah 425.392.3131
www.fischermeatsnw.com 12
6 •
February 10, 2010
SAMMAMISH REVIEW
Helping Haiti however they can
Photo by J.B. Wogan
The new lot would go on this open area south of City Hall. The Kellman house is visible on the right.
City considers extra parking near library By J.B. Wogan
More parking may be on the way in the Sammamish Commons Park near City Hall. At the Feb. 3 City Council meeting, Deputy City Manager Pete Butkus told the council that adding a parking lot west of the Sammamish Public Library is possible, though it could cost as much as $30,000. The council directed Butkus to look into additional parking that could accommodate the visitors
for the library, the Sammamish Commons Park, the Sammamish Farmers Market and other events near or in City Hall. The new library opened in January with 67 total parking spaces, 22 surface parking and 45 underground. Butkus cautioned the council that the city’s cost estimate of $30,000 was rough at best. He proposed three parking lot options, one with 52 spaces, one with 76 spaces and one with 102 spaces. He added that the Public
Contributed
Blackwell Elementary students Devina (left) and Ella, both 6, organized a fundraiser for the people of Haiti Jan. 31. The girls put a hot cocoa stand at the entrance of Timberline community. They sold hot cocoa, cupcakes and cookies and collected $150 in donations, which have been sent to the American Red Cross. Works Department did not have the funding to tackle the parking lot in 2010, but could allocate funds for the 2011-2012 budget cycle. The council agreed that they wanted the city to proceed with exploring parking lot designs
B REAKI NG N EWS ! B REAKI NG N EWS ! B REAKI NG N EWS ! FISCHER MEATS IS TURNING 100 YEARS OLD! Since 1910, FISCHER MEATS has been Issaquah’s full service meat counter.
(with cost estimates attached). The council also agreed that if it installed a parking lot, it would be lighted. The site for the proposed lot served as an interim gravel parking lot during the new library’s construction near City Hall. The city had plans to fence it up and reseed it. Councilman John James said he was in favor of adding parking now, rather than restoring the lot and then tearing it back up for
parking later. Deputy Mayor Nancy Whitten said she was in favor of looking at the designs, but wanted the city to be cautious about how the lot might impact future Town Center development. “As the Town Center develops out, we may want to reclaim this for a different use,” she said. Reporter J.B. Wogan can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 247, or jbwogan@isspress.com.
Happy Valentine’s Day from Dr. Ogata & staff
As a THANK YOU to our customers and the town, each month we will be offering throwback pricing on select items. The pricing will only be available on a specified date and time, keep an eye out for
THROWBACK PRICING announcements!
Saturday, Feb 13 • 11am-12pm Year featured:.........................1962 Item featured:..................Rib Roast 2010 price:......................$12.99/lb. 1962 THROWBACK price:. .$.93/lb Up to 3 lbs.
www.fischermeatsnw.com
Children, Teens, and Adults
Dr. Gregory Ogata 425-868-6880 Sammamish
February THROWBACK
Our customers are prime
The Coolest Place To Brace Your Face!
85 Front Street North • Issaquah 425.392.3131
www.ogataortho.com
2 •
March 17, 2010
Sick
SAMMAMISH REVIEW
Councils
B REAKI NG N EWS ! B REAKI NG N EWS ! B REAKI NG N EWS !
tial step last fall to consider a regional fire authority, and formed a planning group. The group met last month and organized. “This is only a planning committee,” Issaquah Councilwoman Maureen McCarry said. “It’s not to establish a regional fire authority. It’s only to start seeing if it’s viable for any municipality or any fire district.” If formed, a regional fire authority would have the ability to tax residents within its boundaries. Under the current model, Sammamish pays Eastside Fire & Rescue from city tax dollars. The arrangement has strained the relationship between Sammamish and emergency-service provider EFR. Sammamish Mayor Don Gerend said the city had no intent to join the planning committee, but said a city staffer will attend future meetings of the group. “We’ve been watching it from the sidelines because we had expressed concern about an RFA from the point of view of whether it makes sense for Sammamish taxpayers,” he said. Participation in the planning committee does not commit Issaquah or the fire districts to joining a regional fire authority. Parties can withdraw from the process at any time. The planning process has no effect on the way EFR functions, but the formation of a regional fire authority could require adjustments to the inter-local agreement underpinning the agency. Besides Issaquah, the group includes fire districts 10 and 38. Districts 27 — in Fall City — and 45 — in Duvall — also expressed interest in the regional fire authority.
Since 1910, FISCHER MEATS has been Issaquah’s full service meat counter.
Warren Kagarise: 392-6434, ext. 234, or wkagarise@isspress.com. Comment at www.issaquahpress.com.
Why are negotiations still going?
Continued from Page 1
Dale Folkerts, a spokesman for the Lake Washington Educational Support Personnel, said raises for long-time employees were a point of contention in the labor negotiations. A new system, which both groups agree on, will restructure the way support staff receive raises. Under the new system, the employees will receive raises every few years – in addition to annual cost of living increases. The union proposal would allow an employee to hit their maximum pay grade within 11 years, while the district wants it to take 15 years. Kathryn Reith, communications director for the Lake Washington School District, said the district is wary of the financial ramifications of having 90 percent of their secretaries and support staff at the highest wage level. She added that those employees already receive cost-of-living increases commensurate with inflation and 20 employees did bump up to a higher wage bracket this year. Donna Lurie, the chief negotiator for the union’s bargaining group, said the district had relented on maintaining the old quota structure for salaries; the district has even proposed switching to a salary schedule based on years of experience, she said. “We’ve come very close to reaching an agreement,” she said.
ranging from a verbal warning to getting fired. Reith said the district’s position was that an inappropriate use of sick days would be the same as stealing money from taxpayers. “We take that very seriously,” she said. Reith said that the use of sick days may have been a symbolic gesture. “I think that was their attempt to communicate in a roundabout way what they were sick about,” she said.
“The members of LWESP have decided it is time to take care of themselves and not come into work sick.” – Lake Washington Educational Support Personnel blog The bargaining group’s blog (http://lwesplocal.blogspot.com) sought to explain how it happened that so many of them took ill on the same day. “The LWESP group is sick and tired of dragging themselves into work when they are not feeling well and/or their family members are ill or injured,” the post reads. “The members of LWESP have decided it
is time to take care of themselves and not come into work sick.” Folkerts explained that the district was delaying a resolution to the negotiations, causing workers undue stress and hurting employee morale. He described the district’s response to the sick days, both the investigation and potential for reprimands, as “draconian.” He said employees had met to discuss the contract bargaining process the week before. Many employees who had been putting off doctor’s and dentist’s appointments for months
FISCHER MEATS IS TURNING 100 YEARS OLD!
“apparently scheduled them” on the same day, he said. Folkerts maintains that the bargaining group did not go on strike March 8. “The district has made an assumption that is not correct,” he said. “Was the number (of employees out sick) higher? Yes. Does that mean that workers were on strike? No.” Reporter J.B. Wogan can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 247, or jbwogan@isspress.com. To comment on this story, visit www.SammamishReview.com.
Continued from Page 1
management had resulted in animal cruelty. Then, a 2008 report prepared by a consultant said the county organization had too few staffers, too little shelter space, failed to track licensed animals and had a strained relationship with volunteers. Another report delivered in December 2009 said the county used euthanasia drugs in excessive doses. Lambert and other council members extended the original Jan. 31 deadline to close countyrun animal shelters. The decision allowed County Executive Dow Constantine until June 30 to put together a regional animal-services plan. “We have already extended the date once, and so, we have put in a substantial amount of money that we don’t have at this point, so I don’t think the county will be ready to extend too many more times,” Lambert said. Sammamish observes fire planning ‘from the sidelines’ Issaquah officials encouraged Sammamish leaders to join a stillnascent plan to change the way local governments provide fire protection and emergency services. Issaquah City Council members and officials from King County fire districts took the ini-
Don’t miss our March THROWBACK PRICING !
Parties Meetings Weddings Receptions Accommodates 200 • Stage for band or DJ
March THROWBACK
THIS SATURDAY!
March 20 • 11am-12pm Year featured:.........................1936 Item featured:....Little Pig Sausage 2010 price:........................$4.99/lb. 1962 THROWBACK price:. .$.20/lb Up to 1 lbs. & while supplies last.
Our customers are prime
Your Local Butcher Since 1910
85 Front Street North • Issaquah
www.fischermeatsnw.com
425.392.3131
RENT PINE LAKE COMMUNITY CLUB
392.2313