Issaquah’s only locally owned newspaper
THE ISSAQUAH PRESS
117th Year, No. 27
Thursday, July 7, 2016
issaquahpress.com
School district may use eminent domain to acquire Providence Heights property By Scott Stoddard sstoddard@isspress.com
IF YOU GO The Issaquah School Board will consider condemnation of the Providence Heights property during its meeting on July 13. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. and will be held at the Issaquah School District Administration Building, 565 NW Holly St.
The often-passionate debate over the future of the Providence Heights College campus is about to veer into new territory. The Issaquah School District’s Board of Directors on July 13 will consider authorizing condemnation of the property, which has been at the center of a dispute pitting historic preservation groups and
former students against a Kirkland megachurch and a Bellevue developer. Condemnation is the process of implementing eminent domain to take private property for public use. State law permits school districts to employ eminent domain to acquire property as sites for schools. Jake Kuper, the school district’s chief of finance and operations, said in an email the district “has
identified a need for property to accommodate a new high school and a new elementary school, both funded as a part of the recent bond measure.” The district wants to obtain three parcels totaling 40.6 acres owned since 2008 by Plateau Campus LLC, a company controlled by The City Church of Kirkland. See DISTRICT, Page 5
MORE COVERAGE INSIDE
A closer look at the history and artwork of Providence Heights College. Page 5
“Everything has changed, yet nothing has changed.” Bernard Garbusjuk
reflecting on a 44-year career at Boehm’s Candies
Scott Stoddard / sstoddard@isspress.com
The city says construction on Front Street should be completed before Salmon Days in October.
Front Street businesses cope with construction By Lizz Giordano For The Issaquah Press To create a more pedestrian-friendly Olde Town, the City of Issaquah is in the process of doubling the width of some sidewalks along Front Street. The construction project’s primary goal on Front Street is to improve stormwater drainage by eliminating ponding on the sidewalk, but it will also make curb ramps compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, improve crosswalks by installing rapid-flash beacons and extend the width of the sidewalk along the east side of the street. “Wider sidewalks make for a better pedestrian experience,” said Issaquah’s Transportation Manager Kurt Seeman. “It’s going to be a great place to linger and meet your friends.” The driving lanes will narrow to accommodate wider sidewalks, but city planners say parking will remain unchanged. “We believe we are maintaining the same amount of parking,” said Seeman. Also this summer, the city plans to upgrade the railroad crossing at Front Street and Northwest Dogwood See FRONT, Page 6
City at odds with senior center leaders over insurance, operations
Photos by Lizz Giordano / For The Issaquah Press
Bernard Garbusjuk will be inducted into the Candy Hall of Fame this October after nearly 35 years of owning and operating Boehm’s Candies. “I still have to keep in mind what Boehm’s and Julius Boehm’s legacy is all about,” Garbusjuk says.
Candy Hall of Fame honor is a real treat for Boehm’s owner
O
By Lizz Giordano
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For The Issaquah Press
ff the beaten path, far from the bustle of downtown Issaquah, the sweet smell of chocolate beckons visitors to peek through the windows of an Alpine chalet to watch the Boehm’s Candies crew hard at work. Some are stretching toffee or hand-dipping individual candies, others are mixing sugar and milk for the next batch or leading a group on a tour of the candy factory.
By David Hayes dhayes@isspress.com Courtney Jaren, executive director of the Issaquah Valley Senior Center, feels the city is out to destroy the organization that runs the facility. To support her suspicions, Jaren refers to a June 24 letter from Mayor Fred Butler to Issaquah Valley Seniors, which manages the center. The letter points to the group’s lease, calling into question its insurance status and whether the facility is actually being run as a senior center. “Do we think the city is trying to get this lease taken away from us? Yes, we do,” Jaren said. City officials did not respond to repeated requests for comment. See SENIORS, Page 3
Somewhere in the background, Bernard Garbusjuk is moving briskly from one job to the next with the energy of a man half his age. He is driven by the determination to preserve the legacy of Boehm’s Candies that the founder, Julius Boehm, established 60 years ago in the Issaquah foothills. “I have great admiration for Julius, because he is the soul of this business,” said Garbusjuk. “We are all tools to his legacy.” Boehm is never far from Garbusjuk’s mind. He is often asking himself; “What would Julius think of Boehm’s Candies today? Is it a good store? Is it a bad store?” An answer could be found in the honor Garbusjuk’s peers in the candy industry are bestowing upon him this fall by inducting him into the Candy Hall of Fame, the industry’s most prestigious honor. Fellow candymaker Charles Flavelle of Purdys Chocolatier in Vancouver, British Columbia, nominated
Chocolates are still hand-dipped and rolled at Boehm’s Candies 60 years after Julius Boehm moved his company’s factory to Issaquah.
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