STATE SHORTFALL
PRACTICALLY PERFECT
Skyline misses third-straight trophy — Page 9
Village Theatre’s ‘Mary Poppins’ delights — Page 5
The IssaquahPress
Issaquah’s only locally owned newspaper
www.issaquahpress.com
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Swedish Issaquah is chosen to treat Ebola By Tom Corrigan tcorrigan@isspress.com Swedish Medical Center’s Issaquah Campus is now one of eight hospitals throughout the state designated to receive and treat potential cases of Ebola. Hospitals in the state are undergoing preparations for possibly dealing with Ebola cases, according to a Nov. 17 press release from the Washington State Department of Health. But in addition to the basic training, Issaquah Swedish and seven other facilities are preparing to undertake ongoing care of Ebola patients, if needed. Swedish was asked to participate, according to Dr. Michael Myint, vice president of Quality and Patient Safety for Swedish Medical Center. From among all of the Swedish system’s facilities, Swedish Issaquah was selected for several reasons, Myint said. One was geographical location. “An Eastside presence just made sense,” Myint said.
Another reason was the physical layout of Swedish Issaquah, which lends itself to fully isolating a ward, he added. Issaquah Mayor Fred Butler said Swedish officials contacted him regarding the designation about a week ago. City leadership also received notification. Myint said he did not have an exact date, but that training began in Issaquah four or five weeks ago. “I talked to the Swedish CEO… He gave me a heads up,” said Baker, who rather than being worried about Ebola arriving in Issaquah, said he was glad a local hospital would be in a good position to deal with any outbreak of the headline-grabbing disease. Butler said he does not believe the training done at Swedish will turn the Issaquah hospital into a magnet for Ebola patients from elsewhere. “I’m comforted by the fact we have a hospital that can deal … See EBOLA, Page 2
Food program rule change raises concerns By Tom Corrigan tcorrigan@isspress.com A flurry of emails, a number of meetings, accusations of drug use and some hard feelings have arisen in the wake of a move to keep people from eating free meals outside the Issaquah Community Hall. Some say the move is an obvious attempt to keep the city’s homeless and underprivileged out of sight. “On a nice day, it can get packed in here. You have to eat outside,” Dave Hagert said as he sipped soup and ate his lunch inside the hall, between the Issaquah police and fire stations on East Sunset Way. “I think it’s a crazy rule now.” “There’s been kind of this unfolding story that didn’t track,” said Marilyn Ottinger, one of the founders of the Thursday lunch program. Her group also offers lunchtime meals on weekends. Ottinger said her group began offering the lunchtime meals six years ago. She said she had the help of the city, including the mayor’s office, in getting the
meals started. In the evenings, a separate group offers free meals five nights a week at the hall. That program is operated by Catholic Community Services, headquartered in Seattle. There was a lot of confusion over who implemented the rule against visitors eating outside, with fingers pointed at the city, which owns the hall. A sandwich board bearing a typed message announced the ban on eating outside the hall in early October, though several sources said it is unclear who posted the notice. Adria Briehl, lead volunteer coordinator for Catholic Community Services, said the instigation of the rule came from her organization. “We hoped it would be an easy adoption for everybody,” she said. “Obviously, it didn’t work out that way.” In an email, Briehl said the rule was made after talking with city officials, including Mayor Fred Butler and the police department, and hearing comSee CONCERNS, Page 5
By Greg Farrar
One of 20 students from the audience onstage takes her turn in a demonstration gouging an assailant’s ‘eyes’ with thumbs on a blue foam block held by Karin Walen, Issaquah High School art teacher.
AFRAID NO MORE Courage, strength define Issaquah’s Fight the Fear event By Christina Corrales-Toy newcastle@isspress.com Issaquah High School junior Aanya Nigam is done being silent. She’s done feeling fear, embarrassment and shame for a past incident that doesn’t deserve it, and she’s intent on speaking up, so others know they don’t have to experience those emotions. That’s why, on Nov. 13, the brave teen stood in front of a packed Issaquah High School theater and recounted the night she was raped. “I’m a survivor,” she said, “and my story doesn’t end here.” Nigam’s story was just one of the few shared at an intimate evening dedicated to empowering girls through self-defense and sexual assault prevention. About 200 girls from Issaquah, Skyline and Liberty high schools filled the theater for the school district’s Fight the Fear event, organized by Issaquah teacher Karin Walen and Maywood teacher Meggan Atkins. Atkins and Walen are known for offering self-defense classes at Issaquah and Liberty high schools, but the Nov. 13 event was less about going in-depth on those skills, and more about instilling a confidence through
PATRIOTS WIN FIRST STATE SWIM TITLE The trophy looks awesome up close for the Liberty High School swim team as it celebrates the school’s first-ever state swim team championship Nov. 15. The title was earned in style with a 2A-record 348 point total. Read the story on Page 10, and see a slideshow of photos at www. issaquahpress. com.
By Greg Farrar
Aanya Nigam, an Issaquah High School junior, speaks to an audience of 200 high school girls Nov. 13 during Fight the Fear, describing her feelings after a rape. strength, raising sexual assault awareness and bringing the district schools together for an important night of education. The offender in a sexual assault isn’t usually a masked stranger, students learned; it’s most often someone the person knows. In Nigam’s case, it was her first serious boyfriend during her freshman year at a different school.
See FEAR, Page 5
Police arrest Issaquah home-invasion robber
By Tom Corrigan tcorrigan@isspress.com
The victims’ description of their alleged attacker helped lead to the arrest of a suspect in connection with a home invasion Nov. 9, Issaquah Police Cmdr. Bob Porter said. The initial incident happened at about 9:30 p.m. in the 400 block of Newport Way Northwest. Bellevue police arrested the suspect at about 4:15 p.m. Nov. 10. Initial charges were to include first-degree assault and first-degree robbery for the 28-year-old Seattle man. As the suspect had not been charged, police had not released his name.
By Greg Farrar
A dog lover, Nigam told a story about Xavier, her black Lab mix, and the patience he exhibits when told, “No,” as his favorite treat sits in front of him. He’ll pace around the treat, she said, but he certainly won’t touch it until she gives him the OK. She used the example to of-
Porter said the man knocked on the door of the victims, a man and his wife, and then, brandishing a handgun, forced his way in when the wife opened the door. The suspect told the victims to sit down while he looked around the house for valuables. “They did comply,” Porter said. “They were very afraid because he had a gun.” Porter said no one is sure how long the man was in the home, but the victims reported about 10 minutes passed before the suspect allowed his attention to wander away from the couple. At See ARREST, Page 9
Experience University House Issaquah
Saturday, November 15
Presentation & Tours at 1:00 pm | Reception at 2:30 pm 22975 SE Black Nugget Road, Issaquah, WA 98029 RSVP at (425) 200-0331 by November 12.
eraliving.com 75 cents