issaquahpress061312

Page 1

Making dog treats for a cause 4

See Page B1

Liberty High School snaps up statewide drama awards

Tastin’ n Racin’ hydros excite crowds at Lake Sammamish 4Sports,

Adamink offers soulful sound

4A&E,

Page B4

Page B8

THE ISSAQUAH P RESS www.issaquahpress.com

Wednesday, June 13, 2012 • Vol. 113, No. 24

Locally owned since 1900 • 75 Cents

s

See Page B8

4

s

City Council bans plastic bags

Ordinance goes into effect for most businesses in March 2013 By Warren Kagarise Issaquah Press reporter

“There’s got to be better uses of your time and resources than legislation that hurts working families and small businesses while doing nothing for the environment.” — Ken Holmes American Plastics Manufacturing marketing director

Issaquah joined a string of cities along Puget Sound to outlaw plastic bags at local retailers June 4, after months of sometimes-acrimonious debate about adverse impacts to the marine environment and the regional economy. In the end, concerns about the environment led the City Council to decide 5-2 to eliminate most retail uses for plastic bags. The legislation — and a 5-cent fee on paper bags — go into effect in March 2013 for most businesses. The council listened to advocates from environmental groups and the plastics industry in public meetings throughout April and May, and then again before the decision. The plastic bag ban sponsor, Issaquah Highlands entrepreneur and City Councilman Mark Mullet, presented the legislation as a way to reduce the estimated 10 million plastic bags the city sends to the King County landfill each year. Proponents said plastic bags pose problems at recycling facilities and use up space at the local landfill needed for nonrecyclable items. Opponents said outlawing the bags could hurt businesses in the region, from plastics manufacturers to mom-and-pop stores. “I believe that our society must change our habits so that we are not so wasteful of nonrenewable resources,” Issaquah resident Lori Danielson said before the council decision. “Our population is growing fast, and in order to ensure a high quality of life in years to come,

we must conserve and thoughtfully use the limited nonrenewable resources that we have.” Ken Holmes, marketing director for Seattle-based bag manufacturer American Plastics Manufacturing, said the measure harms the economy rather than aids the environment. “There’s got to be better uses of your time and resources than legislation that hurts working families and small businesses while doing nothing for the environment,” he said. In addition to limiting most plastic bags, the legislation requires retail stores to collect 5 cents for each paper bag provided to customers. The fee is meant to help offset the changeover cost as retailers eliminate plastic bags. Ordinance does not ban all bags from retailers Still, consumers should not expect plastic bags to disappear from local businesses altogether. The ordinance includes exemptions for numerous everyday uses, such as plastic bags to carry dry cleaning and newspapers. The legislation also exempts restaurants, so diners can expect compostable takeout containers to come in plastic bags at some establishments. The city mandated compostable takeout containers for See BAN, Page A8

Police ask for help to find attack suspect

By Warren Kagarise Issaquah Press reporter

WHAT TO KNOW

Police asked for assistance June 5 to find the suspect in a violent attack against a woman near Southeast Newport Way and Lakemont Boulevard Suspect Southeast at the base of Cougar Mountain. Bellevue investigators said the woman used pepper spray to fend off the attacker and later escaped. Bellevue police responded to the area near the Bellevue-Issaquah city line at 11:30 p.m. June 1. The 23-year-old woman had just disembarked from a King County Metro Transit bus at a stop near the intersection. Police said the male suspect, another passenger on the bus, followed her as she exited the vehicle. The bus did not have a surveillance camera. The suspect then grabbed the

Investigators ask people with information about the Southeast Newport Way and Lakemont Boulevard Southeast attack to call 911 if they see the suspect.

woman from behind and attempted to drag her from the roadway. Police said she resisted, but the suspect punched her in the face several times and then threw her to the ground. The woman then retrieved pepper spray from her pocket and sprayed the suspect. The attacker then fled from the scene. Police later used a dog to search for the suspect, but could not locate him. The woman and the Metro bus driver described the suspect as a noticeably pale, white male. They described him as mid-20s; about 5 feet, 7 inches tall; with a thin build, shaved head and thin mustache. Police said he wore a white polo shirt with brown horizontal stripes and baggy blue jeans.

Victory lap

John L. O’Brien signals a V for victory, after co-piloting the famed vintage unlimited hydroplane Miss Thriftway for several laps with Larry Fuller during the 16th annual Tastin’ n Racin’ June 10 on Lake Sammamish. See story, Page B4.

Homes sought for neglected dogs By Warren Kagarise Issaquah Press reporter Local shelters need to find homes for Chihuahuas seized from a filthy home in Issaquah last year, officials at the organizations announced June 8, days after the dog owner convicted in the case pleaded guilty to animal cruelty charges. Regional Animal Services of

B8 B7 B1 B3

Opinion ............ A4 Police & Fire ...... A Schools ............ B6 Sports ........... B4-5

King County and foster families started caring for the dogs in October, after animal control and King County Sheriff’s Office investigators discovered 62 dogs in a raid on a home in the 5900 block of 189th Avenue Southeast on Cougar Mountain, about a mile south of Cougar Mountain Zoo. Prosecutors said Issaquah resident Margaret Ann Hamilton, 70, hoarded more than 100 dogs at

homes in Issaquah and Burien. Police discovered 38 more dogs at a Burien home owned by Hamilton’s brother-in-law. Veterinarians later euthanized 14 ill animals — 13 dogs from the Burien home and one dog from the Issaquah home. Officials at Regional Animal Services of King County and the Seattle Animal Shelter asked the public to consider adopting the

rescued animals. “We’re happy that these dogs have a second chance at a good life,” Glynis Frederiksen, Regional Animal Services of King County operations manager, said in a statement. “Thanks to our hardworking staff and wonderful foster families, we’ve been able to See DOGS, Page A8

Report: Crime declines in Issaquah By Warren Kagarise Issaquah Press reporter Crime declined in Issaquah last year, although as the rates of violent crimes and property crimes tumbled, robberies and burglaries increased from the prior year. The information for Issaquah — from a report on crime statewide — showed a 12.2 percent drop in the overall crime rate for the city last year. The violent crime rate dipped 26.8 percent as the number of reported forcible rapes and aggravated assaults dropped. The property crime declined during 2011 by 11.6 percent, as police responded to fewer arsons, larcenies and motor vehicle thefts. Still, despite the overall decline, the city experienced a 40 percent increase in robberies, a violent crime, and a 19.8 percent increase in burglary, a property crime. The number of robberies

reported to police inched upward between 2010 and last year. Police also responded to more burglaries in 2010 than 2011. The overall crime rate statewide dropped from 39.8 percent in 2010 to 38.3 percent in 2011, or 39.8 crimes for every 1,000 residents. Issaquah is home to a little more than 30,000 people. The data comes from Crime In Washington 2011 — a report compiled by the Washington Association of Sheriffs & Police Chiefs and the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission. Local law enforcement agencies statewide collected the data for the annual report. The report compiles a crime index from local law enforcement agencies statewide. The crime index is the total number of certain See CRIME, Page A8

BY GREG FARRAR

An Issaquah Police motorcycle officer writes a traffic ticket to a motorist during the afternoon commute May 31 on Front Street South.

BY THE NUMBERS

Source: Crime in Washington 2011

CLEARED OFFENSES: 456

DRUGS

JUVENILE ARRESTS: 103

30 PERCENT

8 PERCENT

17 PERCENT

ALCOHOL

OFFENSES: 1,057

70 PERCENT TOTAL OFFENSES: 1,513

ADULT ARRESTS: 503

NONE

83 PERCENT

89 PERCENT

TOTAL ARRESTS: 606

QUOTABLE

INSIDE THE PRESS A&E ................. Classifieds ........ Community ...... Obituaries ........

BY GREG FARRAR

“We got there and Aunt Nellie was crying and carrying on. Evidently, she was having flashbacks. I got kind of scared. I kind of hid behind my mom. I said, ‘Mom, what’s wrong with her? Why is she acting this way? She’s scaring me.’ Mom told me about the Titanic.”

— Jill Carrizales North Carolina woman traveling to Issaquah for a Titanic presentation. (See story on Page B1.)

3 PERCENT

ALCOHOL AND DRUG INVOLVEMENT

SOCIAL MEDIA Connect with The Issaquah Press on social media at www.twitter.com/issaquahpress and www.facebook.com/issaquahpress. Scan the QR code to go to www.issaquahpress.com.


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.