newcastlenews01062017

VOL. 19, NO. 1

NEWCASTLE’S LOCALLY OWNED NEWSPAPER

N EWCASTLE

NEWS PATRIOT PRIDE

LOOKING BACK

Which Liberty and Hazen teams shined the brightest in 2016?

Page 14

City Council passes balanced 2017 budget

BY CHRISTINA CORRALES-TOY ccorrales-toy@newcastle-news.com

The Newcastle City Council passed a balanced 2017 budget Dec. 20, but discussion on the city’s financial future needs to happen immediately, Finance Director Don Palmer said.

In a 6-1 vote, council members approved a budget that uses the framework of Council member John SCOTT STODDARD | sstoddard@newcastle-news.com

Liberty head coach Steve Valach embraces senior defensive tackle Andrew Frandsen after the Patriots fell short in their bid for the Class 2A state football championship Dec. 3 at the Tacoma Dome. See story, page 14.

Downtown Newcastle’s future goes to the public

BY CHRISTINA CORRALES-TOY ccorrales-toy@newcastle-news.com

The City of Newcastle is putting the future of its downtown corridor in the hands of residents.

In an extensive public outreach project set for the end of January, city staff members and consulting firm Fehr & Peers are going out into the community to ask citizens what they want to see in downtown Newcastle.

Over the course of four days beginning Jan. 21, they’ll take over popular downtown spots such as the Newcastle Library, HomeStreet Bank and the Coal Creek Family YMCA to solicit opinions on the future of the corridor.

“Instead of dreaming of what we’d like Newcastle to be, we’re asking Newcastle what do you want it to be?” said

Charlie Gadzik, vice chairman of the city’s volunteer Planning Commission.

The city has heard resident frustrations about downtown issues frequently over the past few years, said Tim McHarg, Newcastle’s director of community development.

The first one that raised a lot of concerns was the Newcastle Way apartments project, the under-construction building currently towering over Newcastle City Hall.

Neighbors felt blind-sided, believing that the space, zoned as “Office,” would be used for just that, but just because the property was zoned that way, didn’t mean it exempted it from the type of multi-use, multi-story housing development being built, according to current city code.

“That really raised a whole set of concerns about things like

zoning, building height, building intensity, parking, density, uses,” McHarg said. “That’s an example where we heard people weren’t satisfied with what was permitted under our existing zoning regulations.

“So we’d like to hear from people. What do you feel is more appropriate in terms of all those issues? How do people want Newcastle to look, feel and evolve over time?”

The intent is to collect enough public feedback to establish welldefined goals, create new policies, recommend amendments to zoning and design guidelines and map future actions for the city to take.

It all kicks off on Jan. 21 with an introduction at the Newcastle Library. HomeStreet Bank will then serve as an all-day dropin center Jan. 23-25. Afternoon SEE FUTURE, PAGE 16

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

Dulcich’s proposal to achieve a balanced 2017 without adding a new revenue source — namely, a utility tax.

“We came up with a compromise proposal, we balanced the budget and this budget is right for the citizens of Newcastle,” Dulcich said.

At the previous meeting, the council agreed to reduce fund transfers, the parks maintenance budget and SEE BUDGET, PAGE 16

White to be inducted in Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

BY CHRISTINA CORRALES-TOY ccorrales-toy@newcastle-news. com

Recent Newcastle Days revelers were in the presence of rock royalty, whether they knew it or not.

Yes drummer Alan White has graced the festival stage on and off for the past few years, bringing a dash of star power to Newcastle’s annual celebration.

Newcastle Days is a regular stop for the musician who helped share some of the most influential music in rock history with iconic songs such as “Owner of a Lonely Heart.”

One of the next appearances on his calendar is a testament to Yes’ stature as a groundbreaking progressive rock band. In April, he’ll attend the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony as a member of the Class of 2017.

“It’s kind of the award SEE WHITE, PAGE 16

GREG FARRAR gfarrar@newcastle-news.com

Alan White performs on the Issaquah Community Center Stage in October during the All-Star Jam at the Salmon Days Festival.

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

NEWCASTLE NEWS

The Vineyard gets city’s first neighborhood grant

BY CHRISTINA CORRALES-TOY ccorrales-toy@newcastle-news. com

There are two new signs greeting visitors at The Vineyard, an 88-home subdivision embedded within the Olympus community.

“The Vineyard is a Block Watch Community,” the sign reads, “Many Homes have Video Surveillance.”

The signs are simple enough, but the project to get them installed represents a milestone for the city. The Vineyard is the very first recipient of Newcastle’s Community Improvement Grant, an initiative launched last year.

Resident Dee Mulford applied for the grant on behalf of her community’s homeowners association, intending the signs to serve as both a block watch notice and a marker telling visitors they’re in The Vineyard.

One sign is posted along Southeast 86th Place near 129th Avenue Southeast, while the other sits on

126th Place Southeast near Southeast 80th Way. The final cost of the project was a little more than $600.

With this grant, the city asks neighborhoods to match the awards through volunteer labor, donated materials, donated professional services or cash.

The Vineyard did its part by holding a series of neighborhood meetings, forming a committee to design the signs and messaging, and notifying all neighbors about the signs, said Wendy Kirchner, the city’s community activities liaison.

The meetings even resulted in more residents getting involved as block watch captains, Mulford said.

“This whole grant brought so many people together in a common interest and a goal to keep our community safe,” Mulford said.

In The Vineyard community, everybody looks out for one another, Mulford said. Whether it’s suspicious car sightings or curious wildlife on the

CHRISTINA CORRALES-TOY | ccorrales-toy@newcastle-news.com

The Vineyard resident Dee Mulford spearheaded the project to get block watch signs installed in her neighborhood through a community grant.

prowl, the group has a thorough block watch program ready to alert other neighbors at a moment’s notice.

“It’s just good for every-

one to know what’s going on,” Mulford said. “It does make you feel like you’re not alone.”

The goal of the grant is to bring neighbors togeth-

er to identify needs and assets of their neighborhood and then implement projects that will improve the community’s viability and livability, Kirchner

said.

Kirchner hopes The Vineyard signs will encourage other commuSEE GRANT, PAGE 9

Study: Energize Eastside, pipeline can safely coexist

BY CHRISTINA CORRALES-TOY ccorrales-toy@newcastle-news. com

A recent study shows the Energize Eastside project can safely coexist in the same corridor that contains an Olympic Pipeline Co. channel carrying fuel to SeaTac Airport, according to a Puget Sound Energy news release.

DNV GL, described as

a national pipeline safety consulting firm, completed the PSE-commissioned study regarding the utility’s plan to upgrade transmission lines from Redmond to Renton in response to the region’s growth.

The firm concluded that by optimizing the design and operation, the route using the existing corridor known as Willow 1, which goes through Newcastle, falls

in the low corrosion risk category.

Another route that combines the existing corridor with the Newport Way area, called Willow 2, falls in the “unpredictable” category, which means that corrosion may or may not occur, so Olympic would need to monitor the pipelines.

“Safety is our top priority. We’re encouraged by DNV GL’s con-

firmation that Energize Eastside and Olympic’s pipelines can be safely colocated within the existing corridor, just as we have done for the past 40 years,” Jens Nedrud, PSE’s senior project manager for Energize Eastside, said in a statement.

PSE overstates the conclusions of the report by calling the project “safe,” though, according to Don Marsh, co-founder of the Coalition of Eastside Neighborhoods for Sensible Energy.

Co-locating the upgraded lines along the pipeline corridor

has long been a concern for residents, especially those in the Olympus community.

“You’ve got a highenergy ignition source and a high-energy fuel source. That is a bad combination,” resident Brian Elworth said.

Neighbors are worried that construction along it could lead to a disastrous accident, Keith Hargis, then-president of the Olympus Homeowners Association, told the Newcastle City Council in 2014.

He mentioned the 1999 Bellingham pipeline explosion that caused

about $45 million in property damages and killed three people.

Those concerns haven’t changed following the DNV GL report, Marsh said.

“The report says only that PSE can make changes to reduce safety hazards,” he said. “But the report is silent regarding the safety risk of digging holes and installing poles within feet of the aging Olympic Pipeline.”

PSE has submitted the report for analysis in the Environmental Impact Statement process. Read SCOTT Z.noPROOF.SR.CMYK. the report at energizeeastPDF 1226 LAM side.com.

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NEWCASTLE NEWS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017 Paid Advertisement

City of Newcastle NEWS

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Newcastle is creating a strategic plan for downtown Recognize and thank our dedicated, hard-working maintenance staff

~ Winter 2017 ~

Help decide the future of your downtown area.

Newcastle is creating a strategic plan for downtown, and you’re an essential part of the process. Help decide the future of your downtown area.

What changes would you like to see in downtown Newcastle today as well as in the next five, ten, and 15 years?

We’re looking for input on these and other issues: • How to integrate downtown with surrounding neighborhoods?

• What changes are needed along streets like 132nd and Coal Creek Parkway?

• What connections are most critical to maintain downtown mobility?

• What’s “appropriate” for Newcastle in terms of density, building heights, land uses and walkability?

• What types of investments should Newcastle make to support envisioned growth?

Downtown is widely recognized as critical to Newcastle’s future, helping boost the economy and local tax base, improving resident quality of life and giving the city a greater sense of “identity” and “place.” A

detailed assessment of the Community Business Center (CBC) was completed in February 2016, calling for the development of a Downtown Newcastle Strategic Plan to establish well-defined goals, create new policies, recommend amendments to zoning and design guidelines, and map future actions for the city to take.

Work on the Downtown Newcastle Strategic Plan will begin in January, and city leaders need to involve a sizable number of citizens in the process so a plan that reflects the community’s preferences can be prepared. Headlining January’s efforts, a four-day “Drop-in Center” and two evening workshops will take place.

The Drop-in Center, to be set up in the Newcastle Library and Home Street Bank, will allow residents to drop by without appointments to share ideas, work with staff and

consultants on plan strategies, and take part in activities.

The evening workshops will use findings from the Drop-in Center to initiate participant activities. The result of the workshops will be firstdraft versions of the plan’s strategies.

City leaders have already identified a number of issues that need to be addressed by the new plan, including ways to buffer and integrate downtown with surrounding neighborhoods, locating new public spaces, coordinating downtown growth with Newcastle Commons, and identifying changes for streets like 129th, 132nd and Coal Creek Parkway.

The Downtown Newcastle Strategic Plan will include: • A long-term vision, detailed in a wide range of categories; • Goals, policies and strategies to

support the vision; • Preferred building design and land use approach, keyed to specific zoning standards and guidelines; • Implementation actions, sorted by relative urgency, overall value, and lead agency; and • Potential infrastructure improvements to support downtown goals, sorted by relative priority, feasibility, funding options and potential phasing.

Help us begin to shape the vision and the goals, policies, and strategies to implement the vision by joining us at the Drop-in Center and workshops!

Downtown Newcastle Stratigic Plan Schedule of Events Event

Date

Time

Location

Plan Preview

Saturday, January 21

2:00 - 5:00 pm

Drop-in Center

Monday, January 23

12:00 - 5:00 pm

Walking Tour I (132nd Place SE) Downtown Plan Workshop I Drop-in Center

Monday, January 23

12:00 - 1:00 pm

Monday, January 23

6:30 - 8:30 pm

Tuesday, January 24

9:00 am - 5:00 pm

Walking Tour II (129th Ave SE) Drop-in Center

Tuesday, January 24

12:00 - 1:00 pm

Wednesday, January 25

9:00 am - 5:00 pm

Walking Tour III (Shopping Centers) Downtown Plan Workshop II

Wednesday, January 25

12:00 - 1:00 pm

Newcastle Library 12901 Newcastle Way Home Street Bank 6949 Coal Creek Pkwy SE Home Street Bank 6949 Coal Creek Pkwy SE YMCA Community Room 13750 Newcastle Golf Club Rd Home Street Bank 6949 Coal Creek Pkwy SE Home Street Bank 6949 Coal Creek Pkwy SE Home Street Bank 6949 Coal Creek Pkwy SE Home Street Bank 6949 Coal Creek Pkwy SE Newcastle City Hall Council Chambers 12835 Newcastle Way, Suite 200

*Depart at 12:05 from Bank

*Depart at 12:05 from Bank

*Depart at 12:05 from Bank

Wednesday, January 25

Your participation at the Drop-in Center and at the workshops will assist in: • Compiling and refining overall objectives for downtown; • Developing multiple ways for downtown to evolve, each differing in terms of character, land use mix, overall layout and project priority; • Evaluating and identifying which downtown strategy (or strategies) best suit Newcastle’s vision; and

6:30 - 8:30 pm

• Evaluating key implementation strategies, including project concepts, zoning standards and transportation-related improvements.

Don’t have time to visit the Drop-in Center or attend the workshops? Need more information about the schedule, events or activities? Please visit the Downtown Strategic Plan website: www.newcastleplan.com.

You can fill in a poll to give us your feedback about the

present and future of Downtown Newcastle, share your ideas, see the schedule of opportunities to participate, learn about the activities planned for each event and find additional information.

Would you prefer to talk to or email City Planning staff instead? Call Tim McHarg, Community Development Director, at (425) 649-4444 or timm@ci.newcastle.wa.us.

Pictured, right to left: Jacob Woll, Brian Smith, Gary Gomes, Leo Anaya, Corey Miller, and John Martin.

The City of Newcastle gives recognition for maintenance staff The City of Newcastle would like to Recognize and thank our dedicated, hard-working maintenance staff. The City’s Public Works Maintenance Division is composed of our Maintenance Manager and five full-time staff, who work during adverse weather conditions and are on-call 24 hours a day to make sure that Newcastle’s infrastructure is functioning well.

During the cold and snowy forecasts in early December, maintenance staff worked around the clock to de-ice and plow our roadways.

Paid for by the City Of Newcastle

You’ll often see them in their bright orange safety gear removing leaves from drainage facilities or roadways, inspecting playgrounds, and maintaining our parks. Newcastle is only 4.4 square miles in area, but packed with infrastructure. The Maintenance Division is responsible for inspecting, maintaining, and de-icing over 41 lane miles of roadways. They make sure our stormwater system is functioning well by inspecting over 3,000 catch basins and over 50 detention ponds,

tanks, and vaults. They inspect and maintain 40 acres of parks, several with play equipment, as well as support the upkeep of 7 miles of City trails. In addition to regularly scheduled items, the Maintenance Division provides after-hours support, responds to drainage or infrastructure concerns, and provides support (including preparation, day of help, and clean up) for all of the Cityled community events. Thank you for all of your hard work!

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

OPINION

Editorial

Adding a new tax deserves a public process

Well, the time has come, Newcastle.

The menacing moment that financial forecasts have warned of for years is finally here. City expenses are outpacing revenues and future budgets are seeing red.

It’s not a surprise to city leaders — at least it shouldn’t be. This reality has been looming for a few years now as the pool of development revenue begins to evaporate.

That, coupled with rising public safety costs, has the city’s general fund forecast seeing deficits of $666,024 in 2018, $893,296 in 2019 and by 2020, the number goes above $1 million.

The Newcastle City Council erased a projected $400,000 deficit in 2017 through a series of budget amendments this December, ensuring the city stays in the black for at least a year.

But before the council reduced fund transfers, the parks maintenance budget and more to do that, new revenue sources — a utility tax, most prominently — were considered.

Newcastle needs to find a way to fix the coming deficits if it wants to remain a city — which is a separate but parallel conversation. Whether it was the intent or not, the way the utility tax was introduced this budget season seemed rushed and underhanded.

The council ultimately decided to reject the utility tax, but from a public standpoint, it certainly felt like the city was attempting to quietly impose the tax on its residents without much notice.

While the 2017 budget isn’t perfect — it’s essentially a one-year fix — it is a necessary compromise to ward off a new tax for the year and give the city time to do this thing right. Council member John Dulcich should be applauded for coming up with the framework to make it happen.

With the 2017 budget in the books, the city must immediately look to the future. If it’s time to add a new revenue source starting in 2018, begin that conversation right now, not with a month left before the budget has to be passed. Reach out to your residents through mailers, your website and community meetings to tell them why you need a new tax and what it looks like — is it a property tax, business and occupation tax or an admissions tax?

Give residents the chance to understand any proposal and offer feedback, a courtesy they didn’t truly get this budget season.

N EWCASTLE

NEWS Published the first Friday of every month by The Issaquah Press Group 1085 12th Ave. NW, Suite D1 | P.O. Box 1328 Issaquah, King County, WA 98027

NEWCASTLE NEWS

Guest column

Should Newcastle remain a city?

By Mayor Rich Crispo

The City Council has just completed a contentious 2017 budget process — a process that normally begins with estimates on revenues and proposals for expenses for next year. If agreed-upon expense requirements exceed expected revenues, then additional sources of incomes are considered.

This year the cart came before the horse and along with it came emotional pleas, condemnation of past actions and even threats from passionate residents. There was a premature, ill-advised vote on a utility tax before 2017 expenses were established.

Posts of half-truths and misinformation were provided on internet vehicles, such as NextDoor, by supposedly “people in the know.” As it

turns out we will not have to raise taxes for 2017.

The passion of some of our residents against any new tax revenues made me consider the long-term fiscal viability of Newcastle. Since incorporation in 1994, Newcastle has had three primary sources of revenue: property tax, sales tax and development revenue. The city portion of the property tax (about $950 on a $500,000 valued home) may only rise by 1 percent per year by state law, or $9.50. Sales tax stays fairly constant and generates $800,000 per year.

Development revenue varies greatly from year to year and, since the city is pretty much built out, will be dropping.

The cities around us (Bellevue, Renton and Issaquah), along with unincorporated King County, have all taken advantage of taxing

authority provided by the state and have utility taxes, transportation benefit districts, franchise fees, levies, admission taxes and bonds.

Newcastle has been able to exist for 22 years without any of these. With the upcoming increase in population of 30 percent, the 5-plus percent yearly increase in fire and police costs (partially based on population and assessed valuation), and a growth in city staff to accommodate the increased number of residents, new revenues are required in order to balance the budget on a year-by-year basis. There is an operational reserve of $1.8 million for unexpected events, but the goal should be to balance yearly without using the reserve.

are popping up everywhere around us. There is even some type of assisted living complex being built, that sadly enough, now sits on an area where waterfowl and deer could be seen frequently. What effect has this had on the overall quality of life in Newcastle?

It’s no secret that the traffic on Coal Creek Parkway (essentially, the only way in or out of Newcastle) is absolutely horrific, and it’s not anywhere near what it will be like when the construction projects around us are completed and become occupied.

We won’t even venture out, if it’s between the hours of 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., unless absolutely necessary. And in the mornings it gets pretty bad, also, due to the fact you have

thousands of people using Coal Creek Parkway as a thoroughfare, people who do not reside anywhere near here. Traffic signals have also been added, the commute takes longer, there are more minor accidents, more sirens at all hours and, of course, more animals are being struck and killed by vehicles. Good luck finding a spot to park at the shopping center unless its between 5 a.m. and 2 p.m. It stands to reason that crime in the area will also soar. The mailboxes at our complex are constantly being broken into, vehicle break-ins, and so on. It’s just disappointing. We are so, so, disappointed.

SEE CRISPO, PAGE 6

Letter to the editor The magic of Newcastle is gone forever One thing we noticed when we moved to Newcastle some five years ago was it seemed to have a unique, small-town feeling about it. Even when coming from the hectic, fast-paced, hustle and bustle of Bellevue, as we approached Newcastle, we would always feel a sense of relief. There was a sense of well being, of comfort, and even more apparent, the traffic in and around the downtown Newcastle area didn’t seem to be an issue. You could always find a parking spot at the shopping center.

But now, to our disbelief, numerous apartment structures, some gargantuan in size,

STAFF Charles Horton.......................................General manager Scott Stoddard...............................................................Editor Christina Corrales-Toy................................ Digital editor Neil Pierson.............................................................. Reporter Greg Farrar.....................................................Photographer Laura Feenstra.................................................. Advertising CORRECTIONS We are committed to accuracy at the Newcastle News and take care in our reporting and editing, but errors do occur. If you think something we’ve published is in error, please email us at editor@newcastle-news.com.

Gary Scott Schon Newcastle

CONTACT US All departments can be reached at

(425) 392-6434

Fax: (425) 392-1695 Email: editor@newcastle-news.com Online: newcastle-news.com ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS $26 for one year | $50 for two years Add $15 per year outside King County Add $20 per year outside the state of Washington

NEWCASTLE NEWS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

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A Special Performance by Newcastle resident, Grammy Award Winner, and member of the 2017 Induction Class of The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame,

ALAN WHITE.

presents the

11 Annual Diamond Awards Gala th

Please Join Us for an Evening of Community Recognition Thursday, January 19, 2017 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm THE GOLF CLUB AT NEWCASTLE

Partnering with Music Aid Northwest

(heavy hors d’oeuvres and no-host bar is included with admission) Door Prizes! Red-Carpet Photos! Festive/ Business Attire Recommended

Alan will perform with members of his local band — and a group of students from the Liberty High School Band

The Newcastle Diamond Awards ceremony is an annual event that recognizes community members who do good things in the greater Newcastle area.

The Diamond Award Recipients and Runner-ups will be announced at the event.

Coal Creek Family YMCA Regency Newcastle

GOLD SPONSORS Dataworks Consulting Goldsmith Land Investments Puget Sound Energy Waste Management

SILVER SPONSORS Aegis Gardens of Newcastle B&E Meats and Seafood

The 2016 Award Categories/Honorees Include: Dennis Yarnell Inspiration:

Sara Biancofiori, Finalist Darren Stott, Finalist

Business

ATI Physical Therapy, Finalist Autumn Paige Photography, Finalist

Community Leadership:

John Dulcich, Finalist Marcie Maxwell, Finalist

Customer Service:

Hope Gonzales, Finalist Patrick Manley, Finalist

Education:

Melissa Brown-Gibbons, Finalist Steve Valach, Finalist

Youth:

Grace Bovey Brinley Collins McKenzie King Olivia Lesnik

SUPPORTING SPONSORS HomeStreet Bank Waddell & Reed (Bellevue)

(each finalist will be presented a Diamond Award in this category)

The Mayor’s Award:

To be announced at the event*

ATTENDANCE IS LIMITED, SO PLEASE MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS TODAY!

Andie Ahlfors Animal Hospital of Newport Hills ATI Physical Therapy Autumn Paige Photography B&E Meats and Seafood Bill Burris Boy Scout Troop 499 Brinley Collins Carol Simpson Cathy Andrews Charisse Tsukamoto Chris Coy Christina Corrales-Toy Darren Stott Dataworks Consulting Dave Franklin Diane Nakamichi Dr. Geoffrey Strange Elda Barajas Gigi White Grace Bovey James Ricks

John Dulcich Karin Blakely Marcie Maxwell McKenzie King Melissa Brown-Gibbons Newcastle Heated Storage Newcastle Jewelers Olivia Lesnik Orthodontic Excellence Patrick Manley Paul & Irina Vedmed Rich Crispo Rob Wyman Russ Segner Sara Biancofiori Steve Vallach Tapatio Mexican Grill Tracy Pagel Tracy Sommerdorf Vera Risdon Vicki Baima-Olson Vicki Heck Wendy Kirchner Yea’s Wok

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We are grateful to our Sponsors for their support.

TITLE SPONSORS

We are Pleased to Recognize all of the 2016 Diamond Awards Nominees:

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

NEWCASTLE NEWS

Diamond Awards finalists announced

BY CHRISTINA CORRALES-TOY

ccorrales-toy@newcastlenews.com

Attendees at the Jan. 19 Newcastle Chamber of Commerce Diamond Awards gala are in for a special treat.

Newcastle resident Alan White, drummer of the famed British rock band Yes, will perform a few songs during the ceremony at The Golf Club at Newcastle. Members of the Liberty High School band will accompany him through a medley of Yes’ greatest hits.

White’s appearance at the annual event honoring the city’s top contributors comes as he readies to join rock royalty through enshrinement in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The chamber will honor his accomplishments and charity work.

“Our goal is to publicly congratulate Alan and his wife Gigi, while bringing exposure to their nonprofit Music Aid Northwest — an organization that supports music education in Washington state,” said Randy Ohlendorf, the chamber’s executive

CRISPO

director.

The gala kicks off at 7 p.m. and includes catered appetizer-type foods and a non-host bar. Formal attire is encouraged.

Before the event, the Newcastle Chamber announced finalists in each of the six award categories. The winners will be announced at the ceremony.

Meet the finalists (Information courtesy of the nomination submissions)

Dennis Yarnell Inspiration Award

ning the election in 2009.

If you go

Newcastle Diamond Awards 7-8:30 p.m. Jan. 19 The Golf Club at Newcastle 15500 Six Penny Lane Admission is $35 for chamber members, $38 for nonmembers Buy tickets at newcastle-chamber.org ber and other local nonprofits. She was nominated for motivating both the YMCA staff and the community she serves to be their best selves.

pictures at Newcastle Days for the city’s use this summer.

Community Leadership Award

n Darren Stott: Stott serves as the lead pastor at the Seattle Revival Center, a church located in Newcastle. The thirdgeneration pastor was nominated for his ability to inspire hope in everyone he encounters.

Marriages have been restored, people have been given a reason to live and families have gotten out of debt under his guidance. n Sara Biancofiori: Biancofiori is the branch executive of the Coal Creek Family YMCA. She’s active in the community, making time to volunteer with the cham-

n ATI Physical Therapy: The Newcastle therapy clinic was nominated thanks to a team of professional and knowledgeable employees. Not only does the clinic offer convenience of location for Newcastle residents, it’s also a great choice because of the quality of care. n Autumn Paige Photography: Photographer Jackie Stone named her small business after her two daughters. She is known for capturing special moments involving subjects young and old. She also donated time to take

n Marcie Maxwell: The former 41st District representative known for her support of education has held many roles, most recently as an education policy adviser for Gov. Jay Inslee. She is a longtime volunteer serving the communities of Newcastle, Renton and Issaquah. n John Dulcich: The longtime council member, who also served as mayor in the past, has been with the city since the beginning. He was first elected in 1994 and served until he briefly retired in 2007. His commitment to the city never wavered, as he returned to the council after win-

From Page 4

Due to the fervor of some residents against any new taxes, we have a dilemma. Without new taxes, we are not viable long-term. If we are not viable, we have to unincorporate and return

to King County. Then we would be hit with all of those new taxes.

Neighborhoods could petition to be annexed into Bellevue or Renton.

They might approve some areas, but not

Business Award

See something you like?

Customer Service Award n Patrick Manley: Manley, a Hazelwood Elementary staff member, was nominated for his initiative to always go the extra mile. He helps run the school’s Student Safety Patrol Program, provides main office support and so much more while also serving his country through the Air Force Reserves. n Hope Gonzales: Gonzales has served as the Coal Creek Starbucks store manager for the past three years. The store is one of Newcastle’s prime meetup spots and Gonzales helps enhance it by creating a friendly and inviting atmosphere.

Education Award

n Steve Valach: The Liberty High School football coach’s focus on the details beyond sport is what makes him special.

He’s inclusive, caring and inspiring as he teaches students to be excellent in all areas of their lives.

Valach never stops asking how he can help the Liberty community. others. Either way, residents would be hit with new taxes. They would also be a much smaller fish in a big pond rather than the situation of today.

As an elected representative, I do what the majority of our residents want and will follow direction. I do believe we are better off

n Melissa BrownGibbons: The new Hazelwood Elementary teacher has been a welcome addition to the school, showing an admirable passion for the job.

She sees the true capability in each of her students and takes the time to get to know them as the treasures they are.

Youth Award

n Brinley Collins and Grace Bovey: These Hazelwood Elementary fourth graders exemplify the school motto of STRIVE: self-control, true grit, resilience, integrity, vision and excellence.

Both girls put their heart and soul into schoolwork and take the initiative to give back to the community. n McKenzie King and Olivia Lesnik: This Liberty High School duo showed a great deal of care and professionalism when they reached out to Newcastle’s HomeStreet Bank as part of their school DECA project. King and Lesnik impressed the entire bank staff as they drafted a thoughtful, expertly designed survey to offer clients. by staying a city. Most of our residents chose to live in Newcastle, and not in Bellevue, Renton or Issaquah. We will need some new revenue sources going forward, and by staying a city we can control what and how much they are.

What do you think?

Cash buyers at Market Value for your land or fixer upper home.

Paul F. Mackay Jr. John L. Scott-KMS paulm@johnlscott.com | www.johnlscott.com/paulm

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NEWCASTLE NEWS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

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Laughing All the Way

Having a heart attack while 2,000 miles from home

then realized it was on People magazine. (BTW, Jennifer Lawrence has a hot new romance, and a Kardashian said something inane.) n Ten people waiting for us in the ER. I’m I’ve never had the hooked up to everything patience for repeatexcept Wi-Fi ing myself (although and a hooin retrospect it’s prob- Pat Detmer kah, and am ably a good thing to shaved in places where practice patience if you I’ve never shaved before. don’t want to have a n Off to Cath Lab heart attack!) so I sent it where the temperature in the hopes I wouldn’t is 21.5 degrees. I tell them have to repeat the story ad nauseum. It was a bul- I’m so cold my teeth are chattering, but they don’t leted version of flying to seem to care. What is it St. Louis for a reunion, with these people? driving to Quincy, Ill., n Right arm tied first for a night at my down, covered with aunt’s, and having a plastic. I feel pressure, heart attack very early doctor says, “Does that the next morning. The feel better?” It does. Nurse email was deliberately appears at my side with light-hearted — I am a a sheet of paper. I idly humor writer, after all, think of Vanna White as and that’s not likely to she holds up the sheet to change — and included show me what I’ve won: tidbits such as: n Called 911. Couldn’t Before image, ventricle remember address, 99 percent blocked; after,

ventricle clear post-stent insertion. I buy a vowel: Oooooo.

I checked out after a night in ICU, and The Sainted One (who had flown in the night before) and I flew back home the next day, the only restriction being that I couldn’t

lift anything over five pounds with my right arm for a week, which meant that Fred had to carry my underwear upstairs from the laundry room. For a while, I looked like I’d lost a fight with someone whose weapons included meat-

tenderizing hammers and tape guns. The bruises eventually faded, but to get rid of the stubborn electrode tape, I finally resorted to Goof Off, which is not half as much fun as it sounds.

I’m feeling great. The cardiologist says that

in a couple of weeks I should be back to where I was from an exercise and stamina standpoint.

I now take a raft of medications — a new experience for me — so I set my phone alarm to remind me. I try to choose songs from my playlist that make me dance so I can kill two birds with one stone.

A piece of advice if you’re unfortunate enough to have a heart attack far from home: Rather than calling people, use FaceTime. Telling my sisters that I was OK wasn’t the same as them being able to see that I was. As they said later, “You didn’t even look tired! You just looked like you were in a crappy hotel room wearing an incredibly unflattering shirt we’d never seen before.”

You can reach Pat Detmer, who got through it all quite well, but doesn’t advise it for anyone, at PatDetmer@aol.com.

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he second week of November, I sent out an email to friends and family that opened with “Hello there! Don’t have a heart attack, but you’re receiving this email because I had a heart attack.”

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

NEWCASTLE NEWS

Liberty community rallies around former student

BY CHRISTINA CORRALES-TOY

ccorrales-toy@newcastlenews.com

When friends Jonathon Ha, Quincy Loreen, Alex Wilsey and Ryan McNeil gathered at Renton’s Lord of Life Church on Dec. 18, it was as if nothing had changed for the 2016 Liberty High School graduates.

They talked fantasy football — Ha’s team has the inside track at winning the league — and jokingly coaxed a shy Ha, known as the quiet one of the group, as he nervously answered questions.

Things are different, though. Loreen and Wilsey are fresh from Pullman, while McNeil is back from Gonzaga, all three having wrapped up their first semester of college.

Ha, meanwhile, never made it to Central Washington University after a serious swimming accident at Seattle’s Discovery Park kept him hospitalized for two months.

How to help

Support Jonathon Ha’s recovery through his GoFundMe page at goo.gl/fsERwJ.

Ha struck his head and fractured his neck while diving into the water in August. Damage to his spinal cord left the lower half of his body paralyzed.

“It was definitely pretty hard,” Ha said. “It was definitely a struggle to get through all of that stuff.”

It was hard on his friends, too, especially Loreen and Wilsey who learned of the accident right before they were ready to depart for Washington State University.

“We didn’t really know what was going to happen,” Wilsey said. “There was a lot of uncertainty at that point. We felt like we were just leaving him behind, which definitely sucked.”

McNeil, who had not left for school yet, was regularly commuting

to Seattle for work, but Harborview, where Ha was hospitalized, became a frequent stop. At first, he made the visits alone, but as more and more classmates heard about the accident, he accumulated passengers.

“People started asking for rides,” McNeil said.

“It showed how everyone cared about him.”

Doctors discharged Ha from Harborview in October. He’s staying positive through it all thanks to the help of his family and a group of friends that are more like brothers.

Wilsey, Loreen and McNeil, along with several other Liberty families, organized a Dec. 18 dinner and silent auction to raise money for Ha’s medical expenses.

“With an injury like this, the battle does not end a month from now,” Wilsey said. “The support that we get now is hopefully going to last for as long as possible, but we’ve just got to keep

SEE RECOVERY, PAGE 9

CHRISTINA CORRALES-TOY | ccorrales-toy@newcastle-news.com

Liberty High School graduates Alex Wilsey, Quincy Loreen and Ryan McNeil helped organize a fundraiser to support their friend Jonathon Ha (second from left) as he recovers from a serious swimming accident.

01.18406.NN.S

NEWCASTLE NEWS School board declares Newcastle parcel as surplus land The Issaquah School Board authorized the administration to declare as surplus 0.89 acres of land it owns at 8400 136th Ave. SE in Newcastle. The authorization is the first step required to sell the land, to either a private or government entity.

The land was originally purchased in 1999 to use with the Newcastle Elementary School. However, the property was divided by a roadway following the acquisition of the school site, leaving the little

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017 patch of land unusable for school purposes.

Declaring the land surplus allows the superintendent to schedule a public hearing, provide public notice and take other actions required under public statute to dispose of the property.

The board will discuss the proposed sale in a public hearing at 7 p.m. Jan. 11 at the district’s administration building in Issaquah, 565 NW Holly St.

passport applications at City Hall on Jan. 3. The service was suspended for a time while the city went through a period of staffing shortages.

Appointments are available on Tuesdays from 2-4 p.m. and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to noon at Newcastle City Hall, 12835 Newcastle Way, Suite 200. Call 425-649-4444

to schedule. View passport requirements at goo.gl/U9GOxO.

GRANT From Page 2

nity groups to apply for grants in 2017.

Examples of community improvements include: landscaping, installation of neighborhood signage at entrances, community cleanups, special neighborhood0103 events and eduNEIL.noPROOF.NN.CMYK.PDF LAM cational workshops.

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All projects must be initiated, planned and implemented by community members in partnership with the city. The grant will be awarded on the basis of merit, with a maximum $1,000 available per project.

Contact Kirchner at wendyk@ci.newcastle. wa.us for information on how to apply for the grant.

City Hall resumes passport services The City of Newcastle resumed processing

RECOVERY From Page 8

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pushing, keep giving him support.”

About 100 members of the Liberty community, past and present, gathered at Lord of Life, just a few minutes from the high school. Families donated auction items, while local businesses including Tapatio’s Mexican Grill and Doofers Bar and Grill contributed their own donations. The event raised $13,754.

That showing says a lot about the Liberty High community, Ha said.

“It just shows we’re a tight-knit community, with good friends and good people,” he said.

Ha has started regular physical and occupational therapy at Harborview. He’ll start taking Bellevue College classes online in January. He almost always has visitors at his home, a testament to Ha’s popularity, Wilsey said.

The four friends regularly keep in touch through text messages and FaceTime calls, and they come home to visit when they can. The experience has been a life-changing one for all involved, and the way Ha has handled it has been an inspiration, Loreen said.

“Something he said that really struck me was, ‘There’s always somebody worse off than me,’ ” Loreen said. “He has that mindset. He knows that what he’s going through is super-hard, but it could be way worse and he’s making the most of it.”

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

NEWCASTLE NEWS

Students of the month

Sophie Wartena

Wyatt Waters

The Issaquah and Renton Rotary clubs honor local students and teachers every month. December’s selections are Liberty High School students Sophie Wartena and Wyatt Waters.

EDMUND TEE | firefightersforgood.org

Newcastle police officer Steve Kajihiro (right) participated in a Dec. 17 “Shop With a Cop” event in Woodinville.

Newcastle officer participates in Shop With a Cop event Steve Kajihiro of the Newcastle Police Department joined other law enforcement agencies at a Dec. 17 “Shop With a Cop” event in Woodinville.

The King County Sheriff’s Office hosts annual “Shop With a Cop” events pairing disadvantaged children with officers during a holiday shopping spree. It is made possible with dona-

tions from citizens and community groups.

The participating children are nominated by police officers, school teachers and counselors or community members. The event offers opportunities for kids and cops to interact in positive and non-traditional ways.

Read more about the Woodinville event at firefightersforgood.org.

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

NEWCASTLE NEWS

Police blotter Pried A real estate agent called police after she noticed possible pry marks on the door of an unoccupied home in the 11023 block of Southeast 73rd Way on Nov. 29.

Peeping drone A resident called police after she noticed a drone with red and green lights hovering over her large bathroom skylight as she got out of the shower at her home in the 7800 block of 146th Place Southeast Nov. 29.

Take the gold A thief stole a gold bracelet and a Seahawks tin containing about $15 worth of change, but didn’t touch expensive electronics such as televisions and computers, at a home in the 7900 block of 110th Avenue

Southeast Nov. 30.

Park perp Someone smashed a window and stole a $100 purse from a vehicle in the Lake Boren Park parking lot, 13058 SE 84th Way, Dec. 1.

DUI A 27-year-old Shoreline woman was arrested for a DUI after reportedly causing an accident when she drove her car over the centerline and hit a driver on Newcastle Golf Club Road Dec. 4.

Grinch A thief stole $1,072 worth of goods, including gifts the homeowners were hiding from their kids, from a home in the 9100 block of 143rd Avenue Southeast before 5:45 a.m. Dec. 5.

Honda heists A 2001 Honda CRV was stolen from a parking lot in the 7400 block of Newcastle Golf Club Road before 7 a.m. Dec. 5. In another incident, a 1998 Honda Civic was stolen from the 7900 block of 110th Avenue Southeast before 9 a.m.

Dec. 5.

Smashed A thief stole Seahawks boots, Starbucks gift cards and smashed the rear window of a vehicle parked in the 8200 block of 127th Avenue Southeast before 1:30 p.m. Dec. 5.

You’re on camera A man called police after a burglar triggered a motion detection camera alert at a home under construction in the 11200 block of Southeast 74th Street

Dec. 9. The suspect was gone before police arrived, but not before the thief stole more than $400 worth of tools.

Almost stolen A citizen reported an attempted auto theft after his girlfriend awoke to find the hood of her car open and the ignition damaged in the 13301 block of Southeast 79th Place before 8 a.m.

Dec. 11.

Gucci gone A Gucci bag was stolen from a car parked in the 7300 block of Coal Creek Parkway before 5:30 a.m. Dec. 12. The vehicle owner flagged down police as he was investigating another vehicle prowl in the area.

String of thefts While investigat-

ing yet another vehicle prowl in the 7300 block of Coal Creek Parkway, someone told police about $300 worth of soccer items was stolen from his car Dec. 12.

YMCA thefts Thiefs broke into at least two vehicles and stole purses, wallets and more at the Coal Creek Family YMCA, 13750 Newcastle Golf Club Road, Dec. 13. On Dec. 20, someone broke two vehicle windows in the parking lot, but didn’t take anything.

Lost and found A vehicle was stolen from the 13000 block of Newcastle Way, but later found nearby on 132nd Place Southeast missing its spare tire on Dec. 15.

The real Grinch An unknown suspect

cut the wires to a string of Christmas lights at a home in the 7000 block of Lake Washington Boulevard Southeast before 4:23 p.m. Dec. 17.

Radio rebel Someone broke a car window and stole a radio from a car in the 7400 block of Newcastle Golf Club Road before 10:19 a.m. Dec. 22.

Booze heist Somone stole about $350 worth of liquor from the Safeway, 6911 Coal Creek Parkway SE, Dec. 23.

Mailbox mischief A resident called police Dec. 25 to report someone used a pry tool to gain entry into mailboxes in the 8000 block of 116th Avenue Southeast.

Triple XXX revs up for another season of car shows

BY DAVID HAYES dhayes@newcastle-news.com

As the owner of Triple XXX Root Beer Drive-In, Jose Enciso has been inseparably intertwined with cars and the food business for more than 40 years.

As Enciso unveiled the Triple XXX’s 2017 schedule of events, he reminisced about how two of the biggest loves of his life came to be linked at one popular drive-in, putting Issaquah on the national road map of go-to venues for car shows.

In 1967, Enciso said he had a mom-and-pop grocery store in Riverside,

Calif.

“This hippie always came down from the college with this 1929 Model A pickup truck,” Enciso said.

“He’d always have some of these tamales I sold from a crockpot on the counter.

I started asking if he would sell Jose Enciso his truck.”

The answer was always no — until the day Enciso’s little sister visited from Santa Maria, Calif. They started talking, hit it off and the hippie eventually asked her out. She sought

permission from her big brother first.

“I tell her no, at first, to dating a hippie. Then ‘Ding!’ It hit me,” Enciso said. “You tell him he can take you out if he sells me his pickup.”

The hippie agreed.

Enciso offered him $175 and he took it. Of course, that left the hippie with no car to take Enciso’s sister out on the date. So he rented his 1963 Riviera to him for another $175.

When Enciso moved north to Oregon and eventually Issaquah, he transitioned beyond owning classic vehicles and started collecting them — cars,

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pickups, tractors, farm Enciso has been bringequipment, vans, buses ing that joyful spirit to and on and on, including a classic vehicle lovers at horse-drawn hearse from the Triple XXX for nearly the 1800s. Now in his 18th two decades. When he year owning the Triple took over the drive-in, it XXX, his collection was had exactly one car show nearing 200 vehicles. a year. That changed That ended Dec. 3, when Bud Worley and the however, when he sold the Northwest Classic Chevy entire lot at auction.

Club asked Enciso if he “They were deterioratwould host their monthly ing. I never drove them, meetings.

I was here (at the Triple “He’s the only one XXX) all the time,” Enciso around who has a drive-in said. that caters to the car comAll that remains from munity,” said Worley, who his collection is that 1929 is now the club’s president.

Model A pickup he bought “He’s just a really genuine from the hippie. He gave guy.” the cherished truck to his That first show became dad. the Tri-5, because the club’s “That collection was a membership is made up piece of my heart,” Enciso of owners of Chevys from said. “But I’m happy all 1955, ’56 and ’57. those vehicles can bring “We now have the largjoy to so many other est one-day Tri-5 in the LAURA F.noPROOF.SR.CMYK. PDF 1226 LAM people.”

U.S.,” Worley said, adding 01.18177.THU.0105.2X2.LAM

most venues elsewhere spread their shows over two or three days.

“Car shows are just great for bringing back memories,” Worley said.

“You have a classic car because your dad had one, or your neighbor had one.

Plus, it’s a great hobby, there’s great people and it’s a fun way to get together.”

Including the Tri-5, Enciso said the Triple XXX now hosts five of the biggest car shows in the country.

“Who would have thought?” he asked.

“Issaquah! You’ve got L.A., Arizona, California. But it’s Issaquah with the biggest.”

The biggest include the Northwest Muscle Show, the Camaro show, Fenders on Front Street and the electric vehicles, which actually meet twice a year.

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SEE CARS, PAGE 13

NEWCASTLE NEWS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

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Firing of deputy found asleep in patrol car is overturned

BY STEVE MILETICH

The Seattle Tiimes

The firing of a King County sheriff’s deputy — who was arrested in Newcastle on New Year’s Eve 2013 after being found asleep in his patrol car and showing signs of impairment — has been overturned by an arbitrator.

Arbitrator Michael Cavanaugh, in a decision issued in November, ordered that Deputy Whitney Richtmyer be reinstated and paid back wages.

Richtmyer has returned to duty and assigned to the records unit as a result of his appeal brought by the King County Police Officers Guild.

Richtmyer, who joined the sheriff’s office in 1998, was fired

CARS From Page 12

er bunch over there. Hot rods drive by, go ‘Vroom!

Vroom!’ Electric car shows are the most silent car

13

in July 2014 for violations involving criminal conduct and dishonest statements related to his actions the previous New Year’s Eve, as well as an investigation that found paperwork, including citations, in his car hadn’t been turned in over a fouryear period.

Richtmyer was taken into custody after a citizen called 911 to report that the deputy was hunched over the steering wheel of his marked vehicle in the parking lot of the Newcastle Starbucks.

He was not a member of the Newcastle Police Department and wasn’t working overtime in the city, Newcastle Police Chief Melinda Irvine told the Newcastle News when the incident was first

reported.

Alcohol wasn’t suspected, but a Bellevue police drug-recognition expert who was called to the scene believed the deputy was “under the influence of some sort of drug, possibly a narcotic,” a sheriff’s spokeswoman said after the arrest.

Blood drawn from the deputy was submitted to the State Patrol Toxicology Lab, which ran a standard screen on the sample and did not detect drugs, according to the Bellevue Police Department.

Because that finding was at odds with what the drug-recognition expert observed and the deputy’s alleged admission he’d taken prescription drugs during his shift, Bellevue

police submitted a blood sample from the deputy to a lab in Pennsylvania that conducts broader substance screenings.

Bellevue police said that new lab analysis had returned with positive result for the presence of multiple prescription drugs, all of which have impairing qualities and carry warnings they are not to be used while operating machinery or vehicles.

In the arbitration decision, Cavanaugh disagreed with Sheriff John Urquhart’s finding that Richtmyer was physically in control of vehicle while impaired because the deputy had pulled safely off the roadway as allowed under state law.

Cavanaugh also

found Richtmyer had not been dishonest about his use of medication, as well as other actions related to the incident.

“I agree that initial appearances in this case strongly suggested serious misconduct on the part of Deputy Richtmyer,” but “appearances” aren’t a sufficient basis for the firing of a law-enforcement officer protected under a collectivebargaining agreement, Cavanaugh found.

Cavanaugh ordered Richtmyer be issued a written reprimand for the paperwork violations in lieu of termination, calling his actions sloppy and procrastination but not deliberate. Termination was too severe, particularly when compared

to the prior discipline of another deputy in a similar case, he wrote.

He upheld Urquhart’s written reprimands for sleeping on duty and similar conduct that occurred after the incident.

During the arbitration proceedings, the guild said Richtmyer was diagnosed with a sleep disorder after the incident for which he is being treated.

Urquhart, in a statement, said: “Under the collective bargaining agreement, the police union has an opportunity to take discipline cases to an outside arbitrator, which was done in this case. I certainly respect the process, but I believe the arbitrator got it wrong. I stand by my decision to terminate.”

show we’ve ever had.”

The Triple XXX’s schedule has no open weekends left. And it’s not just for cars anymore.

Enciso said the Vintage Travel Trailer show, which started with just

the ladies, has grown in popularity. The guys have since crashed the party with their trailers.

And then there’s the two-wheelers. The Thundering Angels motorcycle club, headed

by Issaquah’s David Harris, has scheduled its seventh annual Burgers, Bikes and Babes show July 9. Harris said the Triple XXX has proven to be an ideal location for their rally for myriad

reasons.

“It’s very well-known in the area, it’s convenient to get to, they use up the whole parking lot and they serve up great hamburgers,” Harris said.

“There are very, very few

motorcycle events in the whole area that aren’t at a dealership. That’s an attraction for bike riders.

We are just so lucky Jose had a date open up and we were somehow able to snag it.”

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Drawing by Faaiza, 3rd grade, Endeavour Elementary

Drawing by Sasha Duboc, 3rd grade, Grand Ridge Elementary

Drawing by Sophie, 4th grade, Grand Ridge Elementary

01.18380.NN.R

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from Your Local Newspaper!

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SPORTS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

NEWCASTLE NEWS

Liberty leaves it all on the field in 2A state championship loss

BY NEIL PIERSON

npierson@newcastle-news.com

Many teams, after leaving the field with a 42-point loss, would’ve focused on all the things they did wrong.

Not the Liberty Patriots, who had overcome long odds to reach the Class 2A football championship game.

Coach Steve Valach huddled his players, their parents and fellow students together in a corner of the Tacoma Dome. There, he delivered a message of congratulations, not consolation.

Archbishop Murphy completed an undefeated season on Dec. 3 by dominating every phase of the game and beating Liberty, 56-14. But Valach lauded the competitive fire and unbreakable bond the Patriots formed on their way to a fourth title-game appearance in program history.

“They’re just a bunch of fighters,” Valach said.

“They play together.

They love each other.

The biggest thing is, this is beyond high school … We’ve got a bunch of kids that I’m excited to see the kind of husbands, dads and community members they are.”

Liberty (12-1) was the clear underdog in the championship, getting there with four hardfought playoff wins, while Archbishop Murphy (140) hadn’t won a game by less than 34 points.

And the championship quickly slipped away from the Patriots.

“We needed to have sustained drives, get first downs, eat up clock, prevent the big play,” Valach said. “We just weren’t able to do that.”

The Wildcats took the lead on their second play from scrimmage.

Connor Johnson tossed a deep ball down the right sideline to Ray Pimentel, who completed a 60-yard scoring play just 55 seconds into the game.

The Patriots’ first offensive series didn’t go smoothly as quarterback Austin Regis fumbled a shotgun snap and

SCOTT STODDARD | sstoddard@newcastle-news.com

Liberty scored their first points of the game on this 2-yard run by Reilly Larson with 4 seconds left in the first half of the Dec. 3 state championship game at the Tacoma Dome.

Wildcats lineman Jackson Yost pounced on the loose ball at the Liberty 45-yard line.

“They’re a really standout, good defensive team,” said Regis, who finished 7 of 12 for 116 passing yards and 13 carries for 32 yards.

“We made some mental

mistakes that really put us in a bad position.”

Archbishop Murphy was back in the end zone 10 plays later as a roughing-the-passer penalty on third-andlong kept the offense on the field. Collin Montez capped the series with a 5-yard TD run up the

middle.

The Wildcats forced a punt and made it 21-0 at the end of the first period.

Johnson again beat coverage over the top to find Anfernee Gurley for a 52-yard TD play.

Johnson went on to match the 2A title-game record with five passing

TDs. He had rarely been asked to air it out this season, but was 10 of 12 for 356 yards against Liberty.

“They definitely have some amazing athletes,” said Liberty senior defensive back Isaiah SEE PATRIOTS, PAGE 15

2016 Sports Year in Review

Liberty sports teams have marquee year in multiple arenas

BY NEIL PIERSON AND CHRISTINA CORRALES-TOY npierson@newcastle-news.com ccorrales-toy@newcastle-news. com

Liberty High School teams had lots to celebrate in 2016 as their athletes continued to produce top-quality performances in everything from golf to football, swimming and soccer.

Listed below are some of the most notable moments of the past year involving Hazen and Liberty athletics.

GREG FARRAR | gfarrar@newcastle-news.com

Liberty senior Andrew Cooper shares a smile with his mother, Julia, after winning the Class 2A 3,200-meter race on May 28 at the state track and field championships.

Hazen girls win first Seamount League championship

When it comes to league championships, the empty space on the wall

was motivation enough for the Hazen High School girls basketball team.

That void was filled on Jan. 27 as the Highlanders hung on for a 47-44 win despite nearly blowing all of a 14-point, second-half lead over Renton to win the Seamount League title.

It’s fitting that Hazen, which opened in 1968, claimed its first Seamount crown in girls basketball in its last season with the league.

defended its two state titles on March 26.

For the second straight year, the Patriots won Class 2A titles in the military and kick categories at the state drill/dance championship in Yakima.

It was a good March for the Patriots. Liberty also earned first place in the Open Medium Military division at the United Spirit Association Nationals in Anaheim, Calif.

Liberty drill team goes back to back

Liberty golf team wins first state title

The Liberty High School drill team successfully

Longtime Liberty High School golf coach

Jon Kinsley has seen some bad teams in his day.

Winless seasons, poor scores, bad golf, you name it, Kinsley saw it. That’s what makes the 2016 boys team’s season all the more special.

“It’s a really great feeling to come from being the doormat of the league to the top of the mountain,” Kinsley said.

The Liberty boys golf team clinched the Class 2A state title in convincing fashion, leaving the field in the dust at Richland’s Horn Rapids SEE REVIEW, PAGE 15

NEWCASTLE NEWS

REVIEW From Page 14

Golf Course May 24-25.

Andrew Cooper wins state track title Liberty’s Andrew Cooper puts his heart and soul into running, and the Washington State-bound senior wasn’t about to quit when Sehome’s Colton Johnsen looked like a shoo-in to win the Class 2A boys’ 3,200-meter title.

Johnsen had a sizable lead with half a lap to go but Cooper found another gear and surged past him in the final 50 meters, winning his first state title in 9:24.57.

Hazen changes leagues, opts up to Class 4A After the Seamount League disbanded, Hazen High School joined the all 4A North Puget Sound League at the beginning of this school year.

Hazen plays in the league’s Cascade Division alongside Kent-Meridian,

PATRIOTS From Page 14

Owens, singling out the play of Gurley (three catches, 122 yards, two TDs) and Kyler Gordon (five catches, 163 yards, two receiving TDs and a defensive score).

The lead grew to 28-0 in the second quarter as the Wildcats marched 85 yards in 13 plays, using nearly seven minutes in the process.

Gordon turned a short pass into a 34-yard gain and Montez got his second toss on a toss sweep to the right from 10 yards.

Regis guided the Patriots to a score on their final possession of the half. They covered 80 yards in 10 plays, with a pass-interference penalty and a 36-yard completion to Torey Anderson putting them on the doorstep.

Reilly Larson swept around right tackle for a 2-yard score with 4 seconds left before halftime.

“I love the fact that we’re down 35-zip and

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017 Wong, a senior, overcame a sizable deficit entering the 1-meter diving finals and captured the title with 338.80 points.

Russell, a junior, pulled the upset of a lifetime in the 200 IM when she beat Pullman’s Taylor McCoy. McCoy was a U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier who would’ve finished her prep career with the maximum eight individual titles, except for the second-place finish against Russell.

Kentlake, Kentridge, Kentwood, Kennedy Catholic, Mount Rainier and Tahoma.

The transition to the new league has been a tough adjustment for most teams so far. The Highlanders’ girls crosscountry squad has found the most success, finishing 11th overall at the Class 4A state meet. Sophomore Shannon Gifford had a podium finish, placing 11th.

Hazen’s Tryon commits to WSU Defensive end Joe Tryon was a major bright spot for what was a 2-8 Hazen football team.

Tryon made an impact on both sides of the ball and was rewarded for it, earning a long list of postseason awards including inclusion on The Seattle Times’ all-area and all-state teams.

The Hazen star committed to play for Washington State, but that hasn’t stopped schools like Oregon and Utah from recruiting him.

guys are still making plays,” Valach said of the drive. “A lot of times, it’s easy when you’re down by that much to kind of turn on each other.”

“That definitely had a big impact on us and we just kept on fighting,” Owens said. “We didn’t want to go out on our backs.”

The Wildcats didn’t let the Patriots back into contention after halftime, eventually

Patriots soccer team nearly takes 2A title

CHRISTINA CORRALES-TOY | ccorrales-toy@newcastle-news.com

Hazen defensive end Joe Tryon explodes into the backfield to pressure Kentridge quarterback Jett Briceno during a 2016 football game.

Liberty claims three-peat in 2A girls swimming The Patriots keep finding ways to get it done in the pool. This year, it was

implementing the running-clock rule on scoring passes of 50 yards to Gordon and 69 yards to Gurley.

Liberty put the final points on the board as Regis found Alex Olague on a 10-yard TD toss.

After taking post-game photos with his senior teammates, Regis spoke about the brotherhood that solidified over the course of the 2016 season.

“Tonight doesn’t show

Abby Russell and Belle Wong who pushed coach Kris Daughters’ program to a third straight 2A championship. how good we are,” he said. “We just played one of the best teams and I’ve got so much respect for Archbishop Murphy.

Really good guys.”

“I’m proud of how well we’ve done this year and really wouldn’t trade it for anything,” Owens added.

It was a heartbreaking ending to the girls soccer season for Liberty, which returned to the state final for the first time since 2013 only to lose on penalty kicks to Columbia River following a 2-2 tie.

Liberty had outstanding performances on both ends of the field during its 16-5-3 campaign. Freshman forward Nikayla Copenhaver was a key offensive figure, scoring a hat trick in a 6-2 semifinal win over Archbishop Murphy.

Defensively, the Patriots

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got plenty of help from freshman Taylor Elfstrom, senior Callen Mackey and the two-headed goalkeeping monster of Sophie Mendoza and Taylor Thatcher.

Liberty wows its way to 2A football championship berth The Liberty Patriots proved that mastery of fundamentals can carry a football team a long way.

The Patriots used the fly sweep – the polar opposite of many teams’ spread passing attacks – with devastating effect. After an 8-0 regular season, four tooth-and-nail playoff wins followed against Blaine (27-24), Steilacoom (20-13), River Ridge (21-14) and Ellensburg (35-26).

A 56-14 defeat to Archbishop Murphy in the Dec. 3 title game didn’t seem to take the wind out of coach Steve Valach’s sails. The Patriots broke in a first-year quarterback, Austin Regis, and simply wore down other teams in the trenches for a 12-1 finish.

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2017

BUDGET From Page 1

more in an effort to balance the budget, reducing 2017’s forecasted $400,000 deficit in one night.

But the single biggest savings came at the expense of a city staff that says it is overworked and understaffed. The amendment calls for a $150,000 reduction to the budget for the hiring of four new employees.

During the meeting, Palmer indicated the city would only be able to hire two of the four employees within the year after the reduction.

FUTURE From Page 1

walking tours and evening workshops are also scheduled, while consultants and staff will likely spread out throughout the downtown area.

Kendra Breiland, a project manager with Fehr & Peers, described this format as a “more intimate approach to public outreach.” Times are varied — a Saturday date, all-day drop-in, evening gatherings — to allow for residents’ busy schedule.

“We’re trying to engage people,” she said. “We find public outreach works a lot

The impact on city staff is the main reason Council member Carol Simpson was the only one to vote against the budget, she said in a fiery prepared speech calling the budget “deplorable.”

“This so-called balanced budget is congratulating oneself for paying all ones’ household expenses, but forgetting there’s no money left to buy food,” she said. “You can only cut the food budget so many times before the family starves.

“These essential city employees are our food.

Starving staffing levels, disrespecting our professional, experienced directors’ and city manager’s

recommendations on the best way to run and maintain the city — is starving the city.”

Mayor Rich Crispo supported the budget, but indicated he had concerns that while this fixes 2017, there are financial challenges ahead with forecasts showing general fund deficits in 2018 and beyond.

Declining development revenue and rising public safety costs have the city’s general fund seeing red for the foreseeable future. The latest forecast, published in the council’s Dec. 20 agenda packet, has that deficit exceeding $1 million by 2020.

better if you go to where people are.”

The drop-in center will allow residents to come in without appointments to share ideas and work with staff and consultants on strategies for a downtown plan.

The evening workshops will use findings from the drop-in center to initiate participant activities. The result of the workshops will be first-draft versions of the plan’s strategies.

Walking tours will offer citizens a closer look at the downtown corridor’s current assets. All venues allow residents to give feedback in an informal forum.

“We’re ready to have conversations at whatever level a resident wants to have them,” Breiland said.

“Whether it’s a quick ‘The city should do this,’ or something more involved, the whole point of this isn’t for us to talk at people, but to listen.”

To that extent, don’t expect to go into these events and see detailed artistic renderings of what the downtown area could be, Gadzik said.

“That’s the question.

What kind of picture do you want to see?” he asked.

The residents are the artists, Council member Allen Dauterman said. He

WHITE

From Page 1

everybody wants to get,” said White, a Newcastle resident.

“It’s quite an achievement and shows you made a worthwhile cause of the type of music you played.”

The other inductees, who were announced Dec. 20, are Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), Joan Baez, Journey, Nile Rodgers, Pearl Jam and Tupac Shakur.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame website describes Yes as “the most enduring, ambitious and virtuosic progressive band in rock history.”

“They created complex, progressive, and virtuosic rock suites built on influences ranging from psychedelic rock to classical music,” the website continues.

White has been with Yes for more than 40 years, but

that’s not the only highlight of his illustrious career. He’s played drums alongside industry legends including John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton and Joe Cocker.

White began playing piano when he was just 6 years old.

He was introduced to the drums at age 12 and just three months later, he was playing on stage with a band.

One of the many highlights of his career came in 1969, when he received a call from Lennon asking him to join the Plastic Ono Band. It was such a remarkable offer that White shrugged it off as a silly prank.

“I thought it was a friend of mine joking with me,” he said. “So, I hung up on him, and then actually, he called back.”

At that point, White knew it was the real deal, and of course, he was not about to

NEWCASTLE NEWS

“Next year, we have to look and see what does the future call? What does the future say to us and what do we have to do to make sure we’re viable going forward?” he said.

Council member John Drescher said there were parts of the budget, and this year’s process, that he didn’t like, but he ultimately supported it.

“I’m going to support this budget as the best alternative to avoiding unnecessary tax increases,” he said.

Council rejects utility tax

The council voted down an ordinance

also encouraged citizens to take pictures of features they might like in other cities and share them at any of the venues.

Mayor Rich Crispo stressed that this is the chance for those who frequent the downtown corridor to have a hand in its future.

“People choose to live here,” he said. “But here is changing. And if they want to have some say about how it changes and how much it changes, then they need to participate.”

Learn more about the Downtown Newcastle Strategic Plan and offer feedback at newcastle-plan. com.

refuse a request from Lennon.

A day later, White was aboard a plane to Toronto alongside Lennon, Yoko Ono and Clapton. The result of the ensuing performance was the album, “Live Peace in Toronto.”

“We hadn’t even played together and we got on the plane and rehearsed a few songs, with me just playing drums on the back of a seat and then we went onstage right when we got there,” he said.

White got a heads up a few days before the Hall of Fame announcement, so he knew Dec. 20 was going to be a special day for Yes. He was still up early watching the Today show announce the Class of 2017 that day.

Immediately after word broke, the messages of congratulations started pouring in.

“My phone was ringing off

adopting a utility tax, much to the delight of several residents in the audience at the Dec. 6 meeting.

The larger-than-normal crowd applauded after the measure failed 2-4, with Crispo absent.

Council members Linda Newing and Simpson were the two who voted in favor of the proposed 4 percent utility tax.

During public comment, several residents told the council to reject the utility tax. Former Council member Bill Erxleben called it overkill and urged the council to study alternatives such as a business and occupation tax or an

admissions tax instead.

Simpson and Newing argued in favor of the utility tax, speaking in particular to the need for the new staff members it would fund, given voiced concerns about the city’s currently overworked and understaffed employees.

Drescher and Dulcich were vocal in saying this decision required public outreach and discussion in the community, something that hadn’t happened. They also agreed the city could balance the 2017 budget without the utility tax, which proved true at the subsequent meeting.

If you go n Jan. 21 — Plan preview — 2-5 p.m., Newcastle Library, 12901 Newcastle Way n Jan. 23 — Drop-in center — noon to 5 p.m., HomeStreet Bank, 6949 Coal Creek Parkway SE n Jan. 23 — Walking tour I (132nd Place Southeast) — noon to 1 p.m., HomeStreet Bank n Jan. 23 — Downtown plan (workshop I) — 6:30-8:30 p.m., Coal Creek Family YMCA, 13750 Newcastle Golf Club Road n Jan. 24 — Drop-in center — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., HomeStreet Bank n Jan. 24 — Walking tour II (129th Avenue Southeast) — noon to 1 p.m., HomeStreet Bank n Jan. 25 — Drop-in center — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., HomeStreet Bank n Jan. 25 — Walking tour III (shopping centers) — noon to 1 p.m., HomeStreet Bank n Jan. 25 — Downtown plan (workshop II) — 6:30-8:30 p.m., City Hall, 12835 Newcastle Way

the hook,” he said. “Emails from everyone, everywhere.”

White said he’s looking forward to the April ceremony, but now it’s a matter of getting all of his bandmates back together. Yes members who participated in the UNION tour lineup are the ones who will be officially inducted.

Of that group, only White and guitarist Steve Howe are still in the band. The other members to be inducted are late bassist and founding member Chris Squire, and former members Jon Anderson (vocals), Bill Bruford (drums), Tony Kaye (keyboards), Rick Wakeman (keyboards) and Trevor Rabin (guitar).

Yes is unique because the group was always looking for the “next thing” or the next sound, White said.

“We always made albums that were in the future as it

were, we never did anything that was normal,” he said.

“Yes has always been a band that looks over the horizon.”

Before he answers the Hall’s call though, White has a January appearance scheduled closer to home.

Accompanied by members of the Liberty High School band, he’ll perform at the Newcastle Chamber of Commerce Diamond Awards Jan. 19. Together they’ll play a compilation of Yes and Lennon hits.

The annual awards ceremony honors groups who give back to the Newcastle community. White will also be recognized for his work with Music Aid Northwest, a nonprofit that supports music education throughout the state.

“Of course, when it comes to Newcastle, I love to do stuff for my own small city,” he said.