PATRIOTS SINK EAGLES
COHO GET THEIR MOJO
Liberty gets first win ever over Issaquah — Page 8
Images of the Salmon Days Festival — Page 5
The IssaquahPress
Issaquah’s only locally owned newspaper
State conditionally suspends Elks charter
www.issaquahpress.com
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
THE THRILL OF SALMON DAYS
Local group working to save lodge with new business, membership participation plans By Christina Corrales-Toy and Peter Clark A revamped business plan and more member participation will be needed if the Lake Sammamish Elks Lodge No. 1843 wants to continue. Washington State Elks Association Vice President John Fry said the Issaquah chapter, previously based at 765 Rainier Blvd. N., recently faced a change in its charter. “It’s been suspended so the lodge can reorganize,” Fry said. “They just needed to come up with a business plan and engage the community a bit more.” The suspension comes after members voted to retain its charter Sept. 16, and it will allow a 90-day reorganization. Member Sean Crowder volunteered to lead a group that will focus on reorganizing. He said
“I think of this as a new beginning. If you were to start an organization that could benefit the community and it’s day one, what would you do and how would you do it differently?” — Sean Crowder Leading the group to save the lodge
he is already working on drafting a business plan along with the help of other members. The vote to retain the charter was an “encouraging” sign for the organization, he said. “We do a lot to give back to the See ELKS, Page 3
By Greg Farrar
SLIDESHOW See more photos from the Salmon Days festival at www.issaquahpress.com.
Above, Annabel Thompson, 5, of Fall City, is thrilled by her ride on the Dragon Wagon children’s roller coaster at the Salmon Days Carnival Oct. 4. At right, Erick Yuferev, 6, of Redmond, wears the artEAST Art Center paper fish hat he colored during the festival.
Seattle task force seeks ‘Rent Money Bandit’ Council gets bike, pedestrian plan Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying a man believed to have robbed banks in Issaquah, Newcastle and Bellevue. The Seattle Safe Streets Task Force is calling him the “Rent Money Bandit” because each of the incidents occurred during the first few days of the month, according to a news release from the FBI. The man is wanted for his alleged involvement in the following bank robberies: 10 a.m. Aug. 4 at Issaquah’s Gilman Boulevard Chase Bank; 2 p.m. Sept. 2 at Newcastle’s Chase Bank; and 2:30 p.m. Oct. 2 at Bellevue’s Overlake Chase Bank branch. The subject is described as a white male in his 30s or 40s, about 6 feet tall and of thin build. In each robbery, he is wearing a dark baseball cap of various styles, dark sunglasses and black gloves. In two robberies, he wore a raglan shirt with dark sleeves. For the Newcastle incident, his hat had a distinctive, triangular letter A. He implied he had a weapon in at least one robbery. Anyone with information as to the identity or whereabouts of
By Peter Clark pclark@isspress.com
‘Rent Money Bandit’ the suspected robber should call law enforcement immediately and refrain from approaching him. Those with information should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800222-TIPS (8477) toll free. Callers to Crime Stoppers may remain anonymous and are eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $1,000 if the information given leads to an arrest and charge of the person(s) involved. The Seattle Safe Streets Task Force includes members from the FBI, Bellevue Police Department, Auburn Police Department, King County Sheriff’s Office and Seattle Police Department.
The bike and pedestrian plan is meant to guide city officials regarding how to build traffic and infrastructure improvements with an emphasis on increasing mobility for cyclists and walkers. As the central area redevelops, city officials wanted to provide guidance for developers regarding how to help Issaquah grow more helpful for alternative transportation. “This is actually an outgrowth of a council goal from 2012,” Council President Paul Winterstein said. The council asked the administration to compose the plan in response to and gauge public opinion regarding the community’s present and future needs pertaining to walking and cycling. The Department of Sustainability worked with consulting firm Parametrix to formulate a final draft. “We asked the Issaquah public, ‘What’s the most important thing you need to get you walking and rolling?’” Ryan Abbotts, the transportation planning manager at Parametrix, said.
Local residents want to walk and roll all night — and probably through the day as well. The Issaquah City Council received the most recent bike and pedestrian plan from the city’s Department of Sustainability during its Committee of the Whole meeting Sept. 22. Named Walk + Roll Issaquah, the plan aims to provide a framework to ensure easier nonvehicle travel in the city through “guiding the development and implementation of future projects and programs.” Though parts of other plans deal with how to plot the city’s future aim to add more ways to walk and bike, Department of Sustainability Director David Fujimoto said the city needs one document to tie it all together. “There’s a foundation of documents within the Comprehensive Plan, but there are some missing pieces to that,” Fujimoto said. “And really, this plan is taking some of those pieces and building on them.”
“We heard many, many times that it was way-finding, education, having an ambassador program, really focusing on improving projects in the downtown core and strengthening those community base connections.” The plan outlines programs and projects that would benefit the city and provides pathways toward their completion. “We’re looking for a safe, seamless, convenient bike and pedestrian network,” Fujimoto said. “One that enhances mobility and livability. Really, we’re trying to put in place the elements that will help us move forward with our implementation.” As it was only the presentation of the plan, no action was expected from the council, though members expressed great interest. “I can commit to you that this is not going to go on the shelf,” Winterstein said. “I will personally be taking a long look at these. I believe this is really just the beginning.” Learn more at http://bit. ly/1rOf56C.
Weekend Wanderer goes to Leavenworth’s Oktoberfest By David Hayes dahyes@isspress.com If you have a bucket list, THE place to celebrate Oktoberfest is, of course, the site of its origin, Munich, Germany, where a wedding feast was thrown in 1810 in the city’s outskirts to celebrate the union of Prince Ludwig I and Princess Therese from SaxonyHildburghausen. But if you can’t drop more than $2,000 to join more than 6 million of your friends for a 17-day celebration, might I suggest the next best thing a little closer to home — Leavenworth’s Oktoberfest. What started with a turnout of just 400 people drawn by Projekt Bayern’s efforts in 1998 to promote and enhance the Old By David Hayes World Bavarian theme in the city The horse-drawn keg cart brings up the rear Oct. 4 in the traditional kick-off of Leavenworth has now grown parade of Leavenworth’s Oktoberfest. to one of the United States’ top
IF YOU GO Leavenworth Oktoberfest 46 p.m. to 2 a.m. Oct. 10 and Oct. 17; noon to 2 a.m. Oct. 11-12 and Oct. 18-19 4Entry — $10 to $20; food/drink $1 per ticket, about five tickets per food item and seven per beer 4Getting there: From Issaquah, head east on Interstate 90, and then north on state Route 97 and northeast on state Route 2 (a longer, but more direct, less curvy route); or head north on Interstate 405, go northeast on state Route 522 and then east on state Route 2 Oktoberfest festivals with more than 6 million people attending
in 2013. The festival in Leavenworth has grown so popular over the years that second and third weekends were added to the schedule. So, if you’ve missed the first weekend, there’s still time to make plans for the Oct. 10-11 or 17-18 events. Don’t even try to make plans to stay overnight if you haven’t booked accommodations at least four months in advance. Some of the popular downtown Leavenworth hotels are booked with reservations a year in advance. If you’ve never been to Leavenworth, do take the time to shop and browse the city’s many shops, which offer everything from tea and spices to authentic Australian cowboy hats. Be sure to take a break from shopping at See OKTOBERFEST, Page 3
Virtual Dementia Tour: Day to Day Life of Living with Dementia
Thursday, October 16, 2-6 pm (tours are 45 min, every 15 min) University House Issaquah 22975 SE Black Nugget Rd, Issaquah, WA 98029 RSVP at (425) 200-0331 by October 13.
eraliving.com
75 cents