Hazen flourishes, Liberty struggles in December Page 18
Orchestra students will perform at private shows Page 14
Jeweler makes his bling sing
January 7, 2011 VOL. 10, NO. 1
Porter Jensen Jewelers pioneers interactive Tekno Charms
Coming attraction Lake Boren playground to be installed by spring. Page 2
By Tim Pfarr
Police blotter Page 7
By Tim Pfarr
The heavy rain that assaulted the city the weekend of Dec. 11-12 caused a landslide off Newcastle Golf Club Road. City crews were forced to use almost 1,400 tons of rock to stabilize the hillside.
Liberty grads win USC film competition. Page 14
Winter wonderland replaced by Pineapple Express damage
Reading material
By Tim Pfarr
Author brings new life to 13th century China. Page 15
In the wake of the snow and ice that pounded Newcastle just before Thanksgiving, a balmy Pineapple Express weather system blew into the area the weekend of Dec. 11 and 12, dumping more than three inches of rain on the city, according to the National Weather Service. The wet conditions caused a landslide off Newcastle Golf Club Road and flooding in numerous locations across the city.
Now showing
You should know The Newcastle Library will not open until later this year, but you can find the libraries nearest to Newcastle on the city’s website, www.ci.newcastle.wa.us, by clicking ‘Residents’ and ‘Libraries.’
Contact us: newcas@isspress.com 392-6434, ext. 239
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The landslide Motorists traveling on Newcastle Golf Club Road first notified city officials of the landslide at about 9 a.m. Dec. 13. The slide had begun just feet off the north side of the road and spilled several hundred feet down the hillside. City crews closed the road between 136th and 155th avenues southeast Dec. 13 after inspecting the site, because a natural gas line runs through
Porter Jensen Jeweler coowner Joe Waldmann is continually on the hunt, searching for new realms in which to expand his business. In 2003, he developed and patented mechanical titanium T3 rings, which are reconfigurable and allow for different elements to be threaded onto a base band. This fall, the coowner of the Newcastle business bred jewelry with digital media, creating silver charms that can trigger an iPhone to break into song. The name: Tekno Charms. The 1 3/8-inch by seveneighths-inch sterling silver charms are placed on bracelets See JEWELRY, Page 2
City approves 2011 budget By Tim Pfarr
the summer, although city staff and Puget Sound Energy officials are inspecting the hillside daily using survey pins that detect movement as small as fractions of an inch. Wyman said the city is now working with engineering contractor Gray & Osborne to
The City Council passed the 2011 budget with a 6-1 vote — with Councilman Sonny Putter dissenting — at its Dec. 7 meeting. The budget forecasts a $46,000 surplus for the year. “I want to commend the staff for working creatively,” Deputy Mayor Steve Buri said at the meeting. Mayor John Dulcich also said the budget was a success, given that the council and members of city staff were able to balance the budget with virtually no tax hikes nor service cuts. Although the sentiment for the 2011 budget was largely positive, comments were infused
See WEATHER, Page 3
See BUDGET, Page 8
By Tim Pfarr
China Creek roared into the north end of Lake Boren with the heavy rain, flooding residents’ properties and dumping a slew of gravel and sediment on their lawns. the area. City workers and contractors dumped almost 1,400 tons of rock on the slide to temporarily stabilize the hillside Dec. 14, and the city reopened the road Dec. 15. The three days of worked racked up a bill of about $60,000. City Manager Rob Wyman said the temporary fix should keep the hill stabilized through
Newcastle News
PAGE 2
JANUARY 7, 2011
By Tim Pfarr
Joe Waldmann, Porter Jensen Jeweler co-owner and Tekno Charm creator, demonstrates how to scan the charm with an iPhone.
Jewelry Lake Boren playground to be installed by spring The new playground to be installed in Lake Boren Park will likely be in place this spring, said Steve Worthy, manager of the Seattle firm Worthy and Associates, which is designing the new structure. Worthy attended the Dec. 7 City Council meeting to give an update on the design process and garner feedback from the council.
Newcastle Days volunteers invited to happy hour The Newcastle Chamber of Commerce is hosting a reception for 2010 Newcastle Days volunteers at the Wooly Toad
The playground is slated to expand to the north and east, and include two separate play areas: one for children 2-5 years old and another for children older than 5. The design calls for a concrete pathway to separate the play areas, and for the current swings — which are in good condition — to not be removed or replaced. Furthermore, the design also Bar at The Golf Club at Newcastle from 4-8 p.m. Jan. 13. There will also be a happy hour from 4-6 p.m., and Mayor John Dulcich will make a speech at 5:30 p.m. to acknowledge the
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calls for the backless, concrete seating areas to be replaced with benches, and for picnic tables to be placed along with benches and a sandbox in a concrete plaza in the southeast corner of the playground. The floor of the playground itself will contain cedar chips. The playground will be funded by a $325,000 grant from the state. volunteers. The event will also be open to the general public. R.S.V.P. to chamber of commerce board member John Jensen at jensenroofing@msn.com if you plan to attend.
From Page 1 and necklaces, and by scanning a charm with an iPhone barcode scanner, the phone connects to the Tekno Charm website and launches into a short, animated music video. Joe Waldmann and his wife Nancy Waldmann — with whom he co-owns the business — launched their first set of charms in late November, synching a set of Christmasthemed charms with a technopop version of “The 12 Days of Christmas.” “It kind of blows people’s minds,” said Joe Waldmann, who has a patent pending for the design. He conceived the idea while getting ready for work on a Friday morning in early October.
On the Web: Learn more about the Tekno Charm at www.teknocharm.com.
He mentioned the idea to Nancy, who was instantly excited. The couple worked furiously to finish the product in less than two months. The process began with building prototypes and advanced to developing the product and establishing footholds in manufacturing, and marketing the product. The charms are manufactured entirely in the Seattle area, and each contains a genuine diamond on the bale — the portion of the charm that connects to the bracelet or necklace strap. The charms use quickresponse technology — essentially two-dimensional barcodes — to sync with phones. A typical product barcode is a one-dimensional line denoting information. While Joe and Nancy Waldmann handled the hardware, they teamed up with customer, friend and web developer Penny Laine to make the corresponding animation. For music, they turned to their 16-year daughter Charlie, a former allstate cellist and multi-instrumentalist. Charlie dusted off the family’s old keyboard and wrote a ditty for the video, and — in key with the urgent pace — was in a family friend’s recording studio two days later creating the finished track. “It was just kind of a funny little turn of events,” Nancy Waldmann said about the quick turnaround from conception to fruition.
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Newcastle News
JANUARY 7, 2011
Weather From Page 1 design and install a permanent fix to the hillside, which will likely be a concrete wall. The permanent fix will likely cost between $400,000 and $650,000, he said. The Newcastle and Bellevue property line is about five feet off the north side of the road at the location of the slide, and most of the slide occurred on Bellevue property. Wyman met with officials from Bellevue at the end of December to discuss financial contributions for the repair. Although Newcastle would bear the full cost of the project without Bellevue’s assistance, he said the city is seeking emergency management funds from various sources, including the county and state, to pay for most or all of the long-term repair. Flooding As the rain fell, China Creek raged with water, rocks and sediment, dumping into the north end of Lake Boren. The heavy flow caused water levels to rise and flood residents’ yards and basements. One resident who was forced to battle the rising water was Gerald Roux. Even after water levels began to subside, he spent much of the day Dec. 14 in rub-
ber boots attempting to remove some of the silt from the creek’s inflow into the lake. Much of it had accumulated on residents’ lawns. “I was just astounded by the amount of debris that came down the creek,” he said that day. “None of these rocks were here until Sunday.” Roux’s basement flooded when the water levels reached their peak, and he was forced to pump the water out before it damaged his furnace. Rocks from the creek also piled up on resident Robin Peterson’s lawn. “I had a beautiful yard here and it’s going to take a lot of work to get it back where it should be,” he said. Wyman said the city requested clearance from the state Department of Fish & Wildlife to perform emergency dredging on the lake’s inflow and outflow, but both requests were denied. A home’s driveway on Southeast 89th Place also flooded, as the home’s property contains a wetland and is on a shallow point in the land that collects water. City Development Engineer Kerry Sullivan said the property has a pipe to remove water, but city staff and the property’s developer found that the pipe’s outflow was buried four feet underground. Sullivan said they used water jetting to clear the outflow.
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PAGE 3
By Tim Pfarr
How to hang on Brittany Toombs (left), 11, gets tips on the parallel bars from Liberty High School gymnasts at the gymnastics team’s mini camp Dec. 11.
Opinion
PAGE 4
Letter to the editor
Editorial Current park locations cannot host dog park
City should worry about something other than parks
The Parks Commission should either find a suitable location for an off-leash dog park in the city or recommend to the City Council that no park be built in Newcastle at all. The two locations still being considered — the southwest corner of Lake Boren Park and the future sports park to be off Southeast 95th Way — present issues significant enough to warrant disqualification as potential sites. Olympus residents have expressed concern about the Lake Boren Park location. Some live a matter of yards away from the proposed dog park site, and have objected to side effects of what a dog park could bring, including noise and sanitation issues. These residents are concerned a park could aversely affect the value of their homes, and they might be right. Many dog owners who would use an off-leash park — including those from the Newcastle organization Friends Embracing the Canine Heart — have rejected placing a dog park at the site of the future sports park, citing concerns with the site’s remoteness and its location near the city’s south limits. Thus, the city is likely to get little or no private financial assistance in constructing or maintaining a park here. Given the city’s tight budget, financial assistance is imperative, and if dog owners will not use a selected park site, building one would be pointless and a waste of money. The Parks Commission has twice gone through the process of winnowing out locations not suitable for a dog park, and if it chooses to return for a third try, it needs to find an alternative site. However, if all of the parties involved cannot reach a compromise, the commission should recommend that no park be built. There is a need for a dog park in the city, or so say dog owners. As more multifamily homes are built in the city, the need will only increase. But a dog park is not critical to the health of a city. If there are no right locations or donations of time and money from dog owners, the city should not feel bad about choosing a no-build option.
Poll question A. Yes. I didn’t help last year, but I’d like to in 2011. B. Yes. I volunteered last year and plan to do so again! C. No. I didn’t volunteer last year and don’t plan to this year either. D. No. I volunteered last year, but don’t plan to this year. Vote at www.newcastle-news.com.
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P.O. Box 1328 Issaquah, WA 98027 Phone: 392-6434 ❑ Fax: 391-1541
I have lived in this community for 15 years now, and it never ceases to amaze me that the most frequent chat is about city parks and now dog parks. You would think there is nothing else ever going on around here by reading these similar letters every month. How about the city worries a
bit more about the out-of-control development, and every tree and animal in this area being displaced in the rush for money to put in the city coffers? This once-sleepy community is way overdeveloped and not so sleepy and country as it once was. Wes Tipton Newcastle Lee Strom, Newcastle
Rapid Response What is your New Year’s resolution? Reduce the amount of clutter in our home. Trina Sooy, Newcastle More of the same. Lee Strom, Newcastle
I want to see the vacant lot by Chase turn into a library. Be nice to have it and the activity will be good for downtown businesses. John Jensen, Newcastle
What did you think of the city’s response to the early season snow? I had no issues getting around town, so I guess that means they did great! Trina Sooy, Newcastle
What would you most like to see changed in the city in 2011? Not really changes, but rather my wish list for Newcastle includes its own ZIP code, a unified school district and a complete sidewalk for every major road in the city. Trina Sooy, Newcastle A positive vibe for our city management and council.
Good enough. Lee Strom, Newcastle Good. It was a tough one and a bit of a surprise since the forecast said, “turning to rain by noon.” I saw them out there working hard. John Jensen, Newcastle
Share your views
tle.wa.us Councilman Bill Erxleben, bille@ci.newcastle.wa.us
Citizens can make a difference by contacting their elected representatives.
Write to the mayor and City Council at the City of Newcastle, 13020 Newcastle Way, Newcastle, WA 98059. Call 649-4444.
County King County Executive Dow Constantine, King County Chinook Building 401 Fifth Ave., Suite 800, Seattle, WA 98104; 206296-4040; or kcexec@kingcounty.gov King County Councilman Reagan Dunn, District 9. King County Courthouse, 516 Third Ave., Room 1200, Seattle, WA 98104; 206-2961009; 800-325-6165; reagan.dunn@kingcounty.gov
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Newcastle news
JANUARY 7, 2011
Mayor John Dulcich, johnd@ci.newcastle.wa.us Deputy Mayor Steve Buri, steveb@ci.newcastle.wa.us Councilwoman Lisa Jensen, lisaj@ci.newcastle.wa.us Councilwoman Carol Simpson, carols@ci.newcastle.wa.us Councilman Sonny Putter, sonnyp@ci.newcastle.wa.us Councilman Rich Crispo, richc@ci.newcas-
Issaquah School Board President Suzanne Weaver, 313-2494; weavers@issaquah.wednet.edu Director Brian Deagle, 785-8623; deagleb@issaquah.wednet.edu Director Chad Magendanz, 391-3318; magendanzc@issaquah.wednet.edu Director Marnie Maraldo, 220-3379; maraldom@issaquah.wednet.edu Director Jan Woldseth, 641-9941; woldsethj@issaquah.wednet.edu
Renton School Board President Lynn Desmarais, lynn.desmarais@rentonschools.us Vice President David Merrill, david.merrill@rentonschools.us Director Todd Franceschina, todd.franceschina@rentonschools.us Director Al Talley, al.talley@rentonschools.us Director Pam Teal, pam.teal@rentonschools.us
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Newcastle News P.O. Box 1328 ❑ Issaquah, WA 98027 Fax: 391-1541 ❑ E-mail: newcas@isspress.com
Newcastle News
JANUARY 7, 2011
Correction In the Dec. 3 issue of Newcastle News, the headline for a story regarding a new American flag being given to Hazelwood Elementary School was incorrect. The headline should read “Pack 497 Cub Scouts give flag to Hazelwood Elementary.”
Mortgage broker named professional of the year The Washington Association of Mortgage Professionals recently named Evergreen State Mortgage broker Jeffrey Jeffrey Lorsch Lorsch the mortgage broker of the year. Lorsch was given the award for how he interacts with members of the community and his customers, and how well he upholds the ethics and ideals of the industry, according to the Washington Association of Mortgage Professionals.
Coal Creek Utility District general manager to take on state duties Members of the Washington Association of Water and Sewer Districts elected Coal Creek Utility District General Manager Tom Tom Peadon Peadon to serve as secretary on their board of directors. Peadon was elected in September and began his duties Jan. 1. He will serve on the board of directors until December 2012.
Local moving company receives recognition National van line Mayflower recently recognized its affiliate, Newcastle-based Rainier Moving Systems Inc., at the annual Mayflower convention for the affiliate’s exceptional profession-
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Parks Commission to host second off-leash dog park public hearing The Parks Commission will host a public hearing at 6 p.m. Jan. 12 at council chambers, 1320 Newcastle Way, to gather more input regarding a potential off-leash dog park in the city. The commission held a public hearing Dec. 8. After the next hearing, the commission may choose to make a recommendation to the City Council regarding a potential off-leash dog park in the city. If you are unable to attend the hearing but would like to offer input, send written comments to City Clerk Bob Baker at City Hall, 13020 Newcastle Way, by 4 p.m. Jan. 12. Comments submitted in writing will be copied and distributed to members of the commission at the hearing.
PAGE 5
Chamber of commerce names officers for 2011 By Tim Pfarr Angela Wingate, municipal liaison manager for Puget Sound Energy, will take over as chairwoman of the Newcastle Chamber of Commerce in 2011. Angelica Buri — owner of Angelica Buri Designs — will take the role of vice chair once again, while Larry Betsch takes over as treasurer and Coal Creek Utility District Commissioner Doug Kunkel takes over as secretary. Wingate will replace Nick Sooy, who served as chairman for the past two years. “I am very excited and honored to represent the chamber as chairman for 2011 and plan on continuing Nick’s efforts in bringing the community, city and businesses together in order to support economic
development in Newcastle,” Wingate said. “It is critical, now more than ever, to support our local businesses so we can sustain the Newcastle community. “Please join me this year in finding ways to strengthen businesses by supporting chamber-sponsored events — such as the Newcastle Days sidewalk sale — in order to keep Newcastle thriving.” Sooy will still serve as a chamber of commerce board member. “It’s been very rewarding and a lot of work and a lot of fun,” Sooy said about serving as chairman. “I think Angela is the perfect person to pass on the baton to. I think very, very highly of her, and I think she’ll do exceptionally well in this position.”
Newcastle News
PAGE 6
JANUARY 7, 2011
Laughing all the way
There goes the neighborhood By Pat Detmer My niece and her fiancé are moving into a home in Lake Washington Ridge. According to Google Maps, it’s .63 miles away as the crow flies, although via road, it’s a mile. The house is newer than ours, and I Pat Detmer will admit to a mild case of kitchen envy, but that envy is offset by the fact that they have 4-wheeldrive vehicles (we don’t) and a generator (we don’t), both good things to have nearby in a La Niña year. They also have air conditioning, so I know where we’ll be sleeping on the three nights a year when the temperature soars over 78 degrees. While they were contemplating an offer, I put together a portfolio with a cover letter explaining that we’d conducted a survey with some anonymous area residents, and we hoped that it would help them make their decision. In the interest of impartiality, I included the bad along with the good: Good: You might see these in your yard: deer, raccoons, bobcat, opossum, Pacific tree frogs, the other kind of frogs that aren’t as cute, snakes, chipmunks, native Douglas squirrels, bear scat and more than 30 species of bird, including the bald eagle. Bad: Well, there’s that bear scat thing. And crows can be loud and territorial. Good: Because we’re in the hills, the views are fantastic: the Cascades, Mount
Baker, Mount Rainier, the Olympics, Lake Washington, Puget Sound, Seattle and Bellevue. Bad: The wind comes up the Kent valley and slams into our hills. That can mean power outages, a problem unless you have a generator. But wait! You do! And if it snows, you’re stuck here unless you have a 4-wheel-drive vehicle. But wait! You do! Good: We buy our cigars at the Golf Club at Newcastle, where they have a large, well-stocked humidor. Bad: Smoking is not good for you. Good: Newcastle is still a young city, and hosts new homes and businesses. Bad: Nobody knows where the hell we are, and you will have to explain it to people and constantly refer them to online mapping sites or hope that they have invehicle GPS systems. Many of your friends coming to visit you in your new home will vanish and never be heard from again. Good: The Coal Creek Y: swimming, cooking classes, Zumba, yoga and free weights, all under one roof. Bad: They asked your aunt to participate in a photo shoot while pretending to Zumba, meaning that if those photos ever go public, there’s potential embarrassment for you. Good: There’s a great little monthly newspaper. Bad: Your aunt writes a column for it, which means there’s potential embarrassment for you. You can reach Pat Detmer, who is amazed that they went ahead and made an offer anyway, at patdetmer@aol.com.
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Newcastle News
JANUARY 7, 2011
Police blotter Mail theft A woman reported mail had been stolen from her mailbox, in the 6800 block of Lake Washington Boulevard Southeast, at about noon Oct. 30.
Tractor break-in A man reported his 2000 FRHT Tractor was broken into at Walkers Run Condominiums, 7453 Newcastle Golf Club Road, between 3 and 6 p.m. Nov. 18. He reported the wing window of the tractor had been smashed, causing $300 in damage. A cell phone worth $300 and a GPS worth $100 were stolen.
Stolen guns A man reported two guns were stolen from his condominium at Cedar Rim Condominiums, 7920 110th Ave. S.E., between Nov. 30, 2009, and Nov. 30, 2010. He said he discovered the guns were missing while taking an inventory for an insurance policy. The missing guns were a .22-caliber Rigarmi Brescia worth $500 and a .22-caliber High Standard Duramatic worth $450.
Car break-ins ❑ A woman reported her 1998 Ford Explorer had been broken into at Valley Medical Center, 7203 129th Ave. S.E., between 1:30 and 2 p.m. Nov. 30. The front passenger window had been broken, causing $200, and a GPS with a charger worth $250 and a pair of sunglasses worth $200 were stolen. ❑ A woman reported her 2005 Chevrolet Aveo was broken into in the 14400 block of Southeast 79th Drive between 9 p.m. Dec. 6 and 9 a.m. Dec. 7. The right, rear passenger window was shattered, causing $200 in damage. The stolen items were a book bag worth $10, an iPhone charger worth $20 and five chemistry textbooks together worth about $200. ❑ A man reported his 1995 Chevrolet Suburban was broken into at the Cedar Rim Apartments
between 9:30 p.m. Dec. 9 and 8 a.m. Dec. 10. There was no sign of forced entry to the car. The stolen items were a GPS charger worth $45, an iPod charger worth $40, Bluetooth ear buds worth $20, a headlamp worth $300, a knife worth $150, another knife worth $60, $20 in cash, his vehicle registration and the ownership title for a Honda ATV. ❑ A woman reported her 2000 Acura Integra was broken into at the Cedar Rim Apartments, 7920 110th Ave. S.E., at 4 a.m. Dec. 17. The car had an alarm, but it appeared as though the suspects opened the hood and disconnected the alarm. Nothing was missing. ❑ A man reported his 2004 Toyota 4Runner was broken into at Castle Creek Apartments, 7000 132nd Place S.E., between noon and 7 p.m. Dec. 20. His passenger side window was shattered and a GPS unit worth $300 was taken. ❑ A man reported his 2011 Hyundai Sonata was broken into at Castle Creek Apartments, 7000 132nd Place S.E., between 11 p.m. Dec. 25 and noon Dec. 26. His vehicle was entered through the driver’s side door, and his cell phone worth $50 and a blue athletic vest worth $50 were taken.
Drugs Police responded to the 7000 block of 121st Place Southeast at 12:40 a.m. Dec. 1 where a man was knocking on his neighbors’ doors and asking them to call 911. The man said he took cocaine and thought his family was trying to poison him with Anthrax. The man’s family said he had also injected himself with heroin, so his family would call for medical attention. The man was taken to Overlake Hospital.
Unlocked belongings A man reported a cell phone worth $500 and $50 in cash had been stolen from an unlocked locker at the Coal Creek YMCA, 13750 Newcastle Golf Club Road, just before 10 p.m. Dec. 3.
Home burglaries ❑ A woman reported her home, in the 11600 block of Southeast 77th Place, was bur-
glarized between 8:30 a.m. and 1:40 p.m. Dec. 7. The burglar entered through the rear door of the home. The doorjamb was shattered, causing $350 in damage; the door was damaged from prying, causing $250 in damage; and the rear screen door was scraped and gouged, causing $125 in damage. The stolen items were jewelry worth $6,000, liquor worth $1,000, $700 in cash, purses worth $300 and snowboarding equipment worth $500. ❑ A man reported his home, in the 6900 block of 115th Place Southeast, was broken into between 6 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Dec. 8. The burglar had entered through a bedroom sliding glass window. The stolen items were $1,100 in cash, a purse worth $1,400, a watch worth $100 and a passport. ❑ A woman reported that her unit at Cedar Rim Apartments, 7920 110th Ave. S.E., was burglarized between 8 a.m. and 3:10 p.m. Dec. 9. The woman came home and found her front door open. The stolen items were two checkbooks, each worth $15; a credit card; a laptop computer worth $1,000; a 50-inch, flatscreen TV worth $800; and a ring worth $400. ❑ Police responded to the 11000 block of Southeast 76th Street just before noon Dec. 23 where a home’s alarm was heard blaring. The rear, glass door had been shattered by a rock, causing $300 in damage, and a neighbor contacted the homeowner. A bag of Christmas gifts worth $250 and a house key worth $5 were stolen.
Mailbox bombing A woman reported her mailbox, in the 7400 block of 125th Avenue Southeast, was bombed between 7:15 and 7:45 p.m. Dec. 10. A firecracker or a similar device caused the explosion, which dented the door and damaged the paint on the exterior of the mailbox, causing about $15 in damage.
PAGE 7
Champagne thief
Scouting out cars?
Employees at the Coal Creek QFC, 6940 Coal Creek Parkway S.E., reported a man had stolen more than a $1,000 worth of champagne from a locked box just before 10 p.m. Dec. 15. Security cameras recorded part of the shoplifting. The man broke the wooden and Plexiglas case, causing $150 in damage, and stole two bottles of Veuve La Grande, together worth $360, and four bottles of Dom Perignon, together worth $680.
Police responded to a suspicious circumstances call at Walkers Run Condominiums, 7453 Newcastle Golf Club Road, just before 3 a.m. Dec. 26. A Hispanic female and two men were walking around the parking lot, with the men using flashlights. Those who called to report the suspicious activity checked the vehicles in the lot after the woman and the two men left, but found nothing out of place. Police located the woman and two men at the AM/PM at the corner of Coal Creek Parkway and Newcastle Way. However, police let the three go, as there was no evidence a crime had been committed.
Getting worked up about a fender bender Police responded to the Castle Creek Apartments, 7000 132nd Place, at 4 p.m. Dec. 20 after a man bumped his car into another vehicle. The man was nervous, said he did not want to get sued and that he did not trust the police. The man then began trying to scrub the victim’s car, a 2001 General Motors Yukon, with a cloth to minimize the damage, and then began yelling and not making sense, and he had to be handcuffed. Policed discussed the matter with the man whose vehicle was bumped and issued a warning to the handcuffed man.
Vandalism ❑ A man reported his home in the 11800 block of Southeast 75th Place had been egged between 11 p.m. Dec. 20 and 6:45 a.m. Dec. 21. The egging broke a shutter on the front of his house, causing $200 in damage. ❑ A man reported someone kicked the bumper of his 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse while it was parked at the Coal Creek McDonald’s, 13049 S.E. 69th Way, between midnight and 7:35 a.m. Dec. 24. The bumper had fallen off and had shoe prints on it.
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Newcastle News
PAGE 8
JANUARY 7, 2011
Issaquah schools could lose $3 million in state budget cuts By Laura Geggel and Tim Pfarr The Issaquah School District is slated to lose $3.17 million in the proposed budget Gov. Chris Gregoire released Dec. 15. The Renton School District has not yet calculated how the proposed state budget would affect its budget, spokesman Randy Matheson said. The 2011-13 proposed state budget aims to address a $4.6 billion shortfall. “This is on top more than $10 million in cuts from the last two budget cycles and a $1-million mid-year cut to our current budget,” Issaquah
Superintendent Steve Rasmussen said in a statement. “If I have said we were down to the bone before now, this starts cutting into the marrow of classroom operations.” State legislators cut $1 million from the Issaquah district during a round of budget cutting Dec. 11. Gregoire’s budget reduces or eliminates funding in seven key areas for Washington’s public K12 education, including: ❑ Eliminating $216 million for kindergarten through fourthgrade class-size reduction. ❑ Suspending $860.2 million from Initiative 728, a measure to
reduce class size and provide professional development for teachers. ❑ Suspending $253.3 million from Initiative 732, which grants cost-of-living increases to teachers. ❑ Suspending $57 million in planned increases for all-day kindergarten. ❑ Suspending $99.5 million in annual bonuses for National Board-certified teachers. ❑ Suspending $56.3 million for annual step increases for teachers. ❑ Eliminating $18.6 million for the gifted-student program. The proposed budget also
increases employer contributions for pension plans and lowers a calculation factor for collecting local maintenance-andoperations levies, Issaquah School District spokeswoman Sara Niegowski said. Superintendent of the state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn called the proposed budget the worst he had seen in the 30 years he had worked in education. “But this budget isn’t all about numbers, it’s about kids,” he said in a statement. “And once again, our kids got cut.” The state Legislature will
Library is cleared for construction
A Scout’s pledge Scouts from Newcastle-based Cub Scout Troop 497 pledge allegiance at the Dec. 7 City Council meeting. The Scouts presented the colors at the beginning of the meeting.
The Newcastle Library is cleared for construction. Library officials submitted its final payment and paperwork to the city during the first week of January, City Manager Rob Wyman said. King County Library System
By John Jensen
Budget From Page 1
Residents can now file police reports, track crime online By Tim Pfarr Newcastle residents and others served by the King County Sheriff’s Office have two new Internet-based resources at their disposal when it comes to reporting minor crimes and tracking crime in the region. The King County Sheriff’s Office website now offers a new feature known as Report to Sheriff, which allows residents to notify police of incidents by typing reports on their computers rather than by waiting on hold on the phone. Through Report to Sheriff, residents can file and print reports for general property theft, mail theft, identity theft, bicycle theft, car prowls, vandalism and suspicious circumstances. They can also anonymously report narcotics activity or file traffic complaints. To report an incident, there must not be a suspect nor evidence left by a suspect. It also mustn’t have occurred on a
On the Web ❑ www.reporttosheriff.org ❑ www.crimereports.com
state freeway or Metro or Sound Transit bus. If the crime is in progress or it is an emergency, dial 911, the site reminds. For more information about what crimes can be reported online, visit the Report to Sheriff website or call the King County Sheriff’s Office nonemergency line at 206-2963311. Newcastle Police Chief Melinda Irvine said the new system will be very helpful to those who are victims of minor crimes. “When people want to file a report over the phone these days, the wait can be long,” she said, adding that the convenience of the new system should encourage people to
report minor crimes when they may not otherwise do so. “We want to know when crimes and activities are occurring,” she said. In October, the King County Sheriff’s Office and its 13 contract cities joined the website Crime Reports, which pinpoints crimes and sex offenders on a map driven by Google maps. The site also links to the state sex offender registry, which gives details about each sex offender’s convictions. The site also allows users to track trends in given areas, and sort crimes by type, date and location. Users can also sign up for crime alerts. Some independent police departments, such as Renton, have also joined the site, allowing users to see crime data across jurisdictions. The site also has an iPhone application. “It’s a great way for people to look at their area and see what criminal activity may or may not be around it,” Irvine said.
with statements regarding the importance of financial cautiousness in future years. “Are we the Titanic or are we the Exxon Valdez?” Dulcich asked. “We can’t be sitting in our cabin. We have to be at the helm.” Councilwoman Carol Simpson emphasized that the city’s financial future will be difficult. “I don’t think it’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’ that we had before,” she said. However, Putter rejected the budget’s conservative forecast, which does not take into account any new revenue sources or call for property tax hikes that could help fund additional services and projects. “Where this budget fails is we have no plan A,” Putter said, referencing the worst-case-scenario budgeting tactics. He also warned that the city might be the target of a lawsuit by cutting funds for A Regional Coalition for Housing, which facilitates the construction of housing projects affordable to those with moderate or low incomes. The city cut its funds for ARCH from $53,000 to $3,000 last year, which the council had said would be a one-time cut. This year, the budget calls for $10,000 to be allocated to ARCH, but the funding will be
“If I have said we were down to the bone before now, this starts cutting into the marrow of classroom operations.” — Steve Rasmussen Issaquah superintendent
begin its work on Gregoire’s budget this month. Under state law, the governor takes the initial step for the budget. Then, both houses of the Legislature hammer out proposals. The end result is typically a blend of the proposals. Director of Facilities Development Kay Johnson said she is waiting to receive a schedule from contractor Synergy Construction for details as to when construction will begin. Go to Newcastle News’ website, www.newcastle-news.com, for updates about the library construction schedule. contingent on receiving money from developments in the city to fund affordable housing. In an interview after the meeting, contract City Attorney Dawn Reitan said she is not concerned the city could be subject to a challenge or a lawsuit for decreasing its funding, citing the city’s previous contributions to ARCH — which total more than $500,000 — and its inclusion of affordable housing requirements and incentives in city code. Just before voting to adopt the budget, Councilman Bill Erxleben proposed taking $1.5 million from the city’s rainy day fund and transferring it into reserves, which requires a supermajority of the council. His proposal failed 1-6. Erxleben said his proposal was intended to protect Newcastle citizens in the event the city becomes no longer financially viable and disbands, possibly joining another jurisdiction. If Newcastle were to disband, its residents would still bear the debt the city had accumulated. Transferring rainy day funds to reserves would ensure the city would have money to pay off much of its $2.8 million debt, which it incurred from partially funding the construction of Coal Creek Parkway. “I think it’s important for somebody to take into account the risks of the future, especially when they’re so apparent on paper,” Erxleben said at the meeting. “I’m not saying it will happen. I’m saying you have to plan for these things.”
Newcastle News
JANUARY 7, 2011
PAGE 9
Obituary Cynthia Youngblood Cynthia Youngblood, of Newcastle, died at home, surrounded by her family, Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2010. She was 53. There was a viewing Cynthia Dec. 22 at Youngblood Flintoft’s Issaquah Funeral Home. Committal was at Upper Hillside Cemetery. There was also a memorial at Calvary Fellowship Chapel in Montlake Terrace. Cynthia was born in Columbus, Wis., on April 14, 1957. The second oldest of five daughters of Raymond and Shirley Keck, she grew up on a dairy farm in Berlin, Wis. After graduating from high school, Cynthia went on to the University of Wisconsin, where she graduated with degrees in fine arts and teaching. In 1986, Cynthia went to Alaska to work on a fishing boat. There, she met Jon, her husband. They had two children, Brandon and Brenna. While raising her children, she became a home schoolteacher. The family moved to the Newcastle area in about 1995. Her passions were drawing, poetry and freelance writing. Her inspiration came from her Christian faith. She was a comfort to those in pain, a mentor to creative minds and a compassionate listener to those who had faltered. She was the first to forgive and the last to receive. “Sacrificial love for the sake of others” defined her life. She was truly a good and faithful servant. She is survived by loving husband Jon; son Brandon; daughter Brenna; her father Raymond; sisters Suzie, Sarah, Linda and Becky; brother Mathew; and one grandson. Friends are invited to share memories and sign the family’s online guest book at wwwflintofts.com.
Local news, updated daily!
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Newcastle News
JANUARY 7, 2011
Councilman Sonny Putter earns leadership certificate By Tim Pfarr The Association of Washington Cities has presented Councilman Sonny Putter with an Advanced Certificate of Municipal Sonny Putter Leadership. Putter completed 60 hours of coursework to earn the distinction. The Certification of Municipal Leadership program is one that provides mayors and council members with training to “effectively operate within the law, plan for the future, secure and manage funds, and foster community and staff relationships,” AWC officials wrote on their website. Putter said he was grateful to receive the distinction. “It’s truly an honor to achieve this level of knowledge and leader in this municipal arena,” he said. Putter was elected to the Newcastle City Council in 1994 and served as mayor from 20002001. Regionally, he is one of the city’s two representatives in the Eastside Transportation Partnership, of which he is vice chair. He was also elected to serve as chair of the Suburban Cities Association’s Public Issues Committee in 2011. Putter is Newcastle’s representative on the Eastside Corridor Tolling Study Executive Advisory Group, and he was a member of the I-405 Corridor Program Executive Committee. In addition, he serves as a member of the Puget Sound Regional Council’s Executive Board and on the Metropolitan King County Regional Policy Committee. He previously served as a member of the Metropolitan King County Regional Water Quality Committee, the Regional Transit Committee and the King County Jail Advisory Committee. Furthermore, from 2002-2004, Putter was co-chair of the Suburban Cities Intercity Cooperation Policy Board and a member of the organization’s executive committee, according to the Newcastle city website. In 2005, he was elected vice chair of the Suburban Cities Association’s Public Issues Committee. Councilwomen Lisa Jensen and Carol Simpson as well as Deputy Mayor Steve Buri have also attained the certification.
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Newcastle News
JANUARY 7, 2011
PAGE 11
City Council passes developer stimulus ordinance
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The City Council unanimously passed an extension to a developer stimulus ordinance at its Dec. 7 meeting that will continue helping certain development projects in the city withstand the economic recession. The ordinance — originally adopted in February — defers fee collection and allows more time for developers to obtain permits and city approvals. With the extension, preliminary plat approvals granted between Jan. 1, 2006, and Dec. 31, 2014, may be valid for two additional years; engineering review permits set to expire in 2011 may be valid for one additional year; and traffic as well as parks and open space impact fees — paid to the city — may be deferred for all developments for four to six months. Through preliminary plat approval, the city approves the design and layout of a given development, and the approval is typically valid for five years. Nine developments are eligible for the extension. Engineering review permits give developers clearance to begin constructing utilities, typically the first step in construction, City Manager Rob Wyman said. The permits are typically valid for two years, and several developments are eligible for this extension as well. Impact fees are required to offset a development’s impact on public infrastructure and adjust for the provision of public services. The city typically collects these fees when it issues building permits and/or gives final approval to a development. Redmond, Sammamish, Kenmore, Kirkland, Federal Way and King County have taken similar actions in the past two years.
City gets grant to fix Olympus pond
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The city received an $112,000 grant from the state Department of Ecology to improve the storm water pond in the Olympus neighborhood. Pond water now has only one entrance and exit, and the improvement will create separate inflows and outflows, Assistant City Engineer Jed Gonzales said. He said the change will enhance the water’s quality before it flows into Boren Creek.
Community
PAGE 12
Events The (rescheduled) 116th Avenue Southeast Sidewalk Project Open House is from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Jan. 10 in the commons room at Hazelwood Elementary School, 7100 116th Ave. S.E. The public is invited to discuss city design for pedestrian improvements on the east side of 116th Avenue Southeast from Southeast 88th Street to Southeast 84th Street. If you are unable to attend, but would like to comment, call Kerry Sullivan, project manager, at 649-4444, ext. 113, or e-mail him at kerrys@ci.newcastle.wa.us. The Newcastle Chamber of Commerce lunch meeting is from 11 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Jan. 12 at Tapatio’s, 6920 Coal Creek Parkway S.E. Cost is $20. R.S.V.P. to info@newcastlecc.com.
JANUARY 7, 2011
IN THE SPOTLIGHT Bring out your trees
Public meetings All public meetings take place at City Hall, 13020 Newcastle Way. Call 649-4363. City Hall will be closed Jan. 17 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. ❑ 116th Avenue Southeast Open House — 6:30-7:30 p.m. Jan. 10, 7100 116th Ave. S.E. ❑ Parks Commission meeting/public hearing for proposed off-leash dog park — 6-8 p.m. Jan. 12 ❑ City Council regular meeting, 7-9 p.m. Jan. 18 ❑ Planning Committee meeting — 7-9 p.m. Jan. 19 ❑ City Council regular meeting — 7-10 p.m. Feb. 1
Contributed
Boy Scout Troop 499 performs its annual Christmas tree collection in 2007.
Youth The following events take place at the Coal Creek Family YMCA, 13750 Newcastle Golf Club Road. Call 282-1500 or go to www.seattleymca.org/coalcreek. ❑ Musical Theater, for ages 610, 3:45-4:30 p.m. Mondays Jan. 3 – March 28, $55 - $88 ❑ Happytalk Winter Campout – Lazy F, Jan. 15-16, $75 ❑ MIP Winter Campout –
Lazy F, Jan. 15-16, $75 ❑ Tykes Winter Campout – Lazy F, Jan. 15-16, $75 ❑ Westerners Winter Campout – Lazy F, Jan. 21-23, $95 ❑ Tumbling – Mommy/Daddy & Me, for ages 1-3, 10:45-11:30 a.m., Jan. 5 March 30, $5 - $9 ❑ Beginning Ballet, for ages 45, 9:15-10 a.m. Jan. 8 – March 26 and 4:30-5:15 p.m. Jan. 3 – March 28, $95 - $170 ❑ Gymnastics/Tumbling, for ages 5-6, 3-3:45 p.m. Jan. 5 – March 23, $70 - $125 ❑ Gymnastics/Tumbling, for ages 7-10, 12:30-1:15 p.m. Jan. 8 – March 26, $70 - $125 ❑ Itty Bitty T-Ball Class, for
January
2 9 16 23 30
Boy Scout Troop 499 will do its annual Christmas tree collection Jan. 8. To have your tree collected and recycled, set it out on the curb by 9 a.m. that day. The service is free, but the Scouts ask for donations. The troop distributed pamphlets to about 4,000 homes in Newcastle and surrounding areas last month with information about the collection, as well as an envelope in which to place donations. To donate, place an envelope with the tree the day of the collection or mail it to Troop 499 at 8042 116th Ave. S.E. Make checks out to Troop 499 BSA. The troop will circle Newcastle and surrounding area three or four times, and Burris said he expects the troop to collect 500-600 trees that day. However, he said residents who do not put their trees out for pickup Jan. 8 can call a troop official at 206-947-4356 or 206-579-7732 for pickup as much as a week later. Trees collected will be chipped and recycled by the Green River District of the Chief Seattle Council.
2011
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ages 3-4, 4:30-5 p.m. and 5-5:30 p.m. Monday and Wednesday Jan. 3-31, $30 - $53 ❑ Itty Bitty T-Ball Class, for ages 5-6, 5:30-6 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, Jan. 3-31, $30 $53 ❑ American Red Cross Youth Preparedness, for grades one through six, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Jan. 11 ❑ Friday Night Live, for teens, 9:30-11:30 p.m. Jan. 14, $5 - $8
February
6 13 20 27
2011
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Clubs The Society of Artists for Newcastle, an art organization, is seeking new members. Call 271-5822. MOMS Club of Renton meets for play dates at parks and other locations. New activities are planned daily. This nonprofit, nonreligious organization provides daytime support for See CALENDAR, Page 13
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Newcastle News
JANUARY 7, 2011
PAGE 13
Calendar
Middle school students take control of a Lego robot
From Page 12
By Tim Pfarr
moms and their families. Call 260-3079. Bridge players are wanted, evening or daytime. Games take place at various homes in the Hazelwood area. Call 255-0895. Newcastle Historical Society meets at 4 p.m. the first Thursday at City Hall, 13020 S.E. 72nd Place. Call 226-4238. An international dinner, sponsored by Bahai Faith of Newcastle, is at 6:30 p.m. the third Friday. Call 430-8047. Drinking Liberally, an informal progressive social group that discusses politics, meets at 7 p.m. the first and Third Thursday of the month at Angelo’s Restaurant, 1830 130th Ave. N.E., Bellevue. Go to www.drinkingliberally.org.
If anybody ever said Legos were just toys, he didn’t have a clue what he was talking about. A team of eight local middle school students that entered the state’s First Lego League robotic competition knows that better than anyone. The group banded together in July and teamed up with parent advisor Eleonor Schneider to build and program a robot made almost entirely of Legos to enter into the competition, which was open to those from ages 9-13 and took place Dec. 4 at a Seattle’s Brighton Elementary School. The theme of this year’s competition was biotechnology, and the team — which dubbed itself The Devil Duckies — was required to complete a research project and create a robot that could perform various functions related to this 2010 theme: medical engineering.
Library events The Newport Way Library, 14250 S.E. Newport Way, Bellevue, is closed for expansion and will remain closed for eight months to a year. A temporary location is in Factoria Mall, 4055 Factoria Mall S.E., Bellevue. It is open from 10 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. Monday – Saturday and from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Sunday, for hold pickups, returns and a small browsing collection for checkout. Visit the library blog — http://blogs.kcls.org/newportway — to get updated information regarding programs, classes and events.
Meet The Devil Duckies The group — 12-year-olds Alex Chapman, Isaac Berglind, Austin Surber, Bradley Jarvis, Anna Malesis, Erik Roberts, and Ajeet Dhaliwal, and 13-year-old Greyson Elms — originated as a group of friends from a youth soccer team. Although several members of the team entered the competition last year, they became more serious in 2010, beginning preparation in July. “It started out pretty mellow, and now we have two to three meetings per week.” Surber said the day of the competition. The group met at Schneider’s home for the project, keeping a large practice mat in the living
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room. Schneider, a chemical engineer by training, said she was allowed to guide and facilitate, although she was not allowed to directly work on the project. Her son, Chapman, was a member of the team specializing in the mechanical aspects of the building the robot. The challenge In September, the league released the details of this year’s competition, and the group began working on programming the robot to perform specific tasks for the 2010 challenge, including mending an artificial broken bone, distinguishing between numerous different pieces, dispensing artificial medicine and applying a pacemaker to an artificial heart. All the challenges were to take place on an 8-by-4-foot table scattered with objects and obstacles, requiring precise movements by the robot. For their research project, they chose AIDS, discussing how HIV progresses to the disease and what can be done for patients in different stages of diagnosis. Programming proved to be difficult at times, as the robot ran on a sophisticated programming language. However, working on the robot was the most challenging task. “Most of our time was navigation, getting our robot to navigate around the table,” Schneider said. The group also ran into issues relating to the charge of the AA batteries that drove the device. Fresh batteries would cause the robot to move too quickly, and
those with less charge would make the robot more lethargic. “We didn’t really think about it that much at first,” Roberts said about the issue with the batteries early in the design process. Elms said fresh batteries seemed to rocket the robot further than it was supposed to go across the table. “If you put new batteries in, it goes zoom,” he said. On the day of the competition, the group presented its research project, as well as its robot, for a design critique, and finally, it took to the competition tables for three two-and-ahalf-minute runs, striving to complete as many tasks as it could in the allotted time. The team members often had to lift the robot by hand back to the starting corner of the table to interchange attachments for specific tasks. They would then unleash the robot and watch it buzz across the table, lifting, pushing and grabbing items. The team improved on each run on the competition table, and between runs, the group tested and tweaked the device. “I think it went well,” Roberts said about the final run. “We didn’t do super great on the first two.” A positive experience Awards were given for the top finishers in categories such as robot design, robot performance and teamwork, and teams receiving awards advanced to the state championships. Although The Devil Duckies did not advance, Schneider said members of the team felt positive about their
On the Web Learn about the First Lego League and how to start a team at www.firstwa.org and www.firstlegoleague.org.
work, meeting days later to discuss what went well and what could have gone better. “They felt like they worked well as a team. They felt like they had good solutions to the missions,” she said. “They were pleased with their presentations.” Schneider said the team plans to enter the competition next year, and at the insistence of the team, work will begin now to improve their weaknesses. “They’re already planning experiments on how they’re going to improve the battery liability for next year,” she said. Schneider said the team also hopes to become more skilled with its programming and alter the robot’s fundamental design. Assistant coach Larry Berglind said the program is a great way for preteens and teenagers to learn about science and engineering. “It’s been a really good time. The kids have gotten so much out of it,” Berglind said. “For 12year-old boys, it’s hard to get them to focus. It’s like trying to herd a cat.” Schneider emphasized how even those with varying interests have found the program fun. “It’s a great program, and the kids get pumped,” she said. “You don’t have to be a science geek.”
Newcastle News
PAGE 14
JANUARY 7, 2011
Liberty grads tame a wild SUV Orchestra students will perform private shows to win USC film competition By Christopher Huber and Tim Pfarr
By Tim Pfarr One day while attending the University of Southern California, Liberty High School alumnus Trevor Marti Smith had a bad experience with his Jeep. Water seeped through the sunroof, shorting the car’s electronics and killing the battery. He was forced to jumpstart the car, and as the car came to life, the horn began honking on its own. “I thought I better take it to the mechanic,” said Smith, a 2007 Liberty graduate. As he drove down the streets of Los Angeles to the auto shop, the horn continued to honk uncontrollably, and electric windows, headlights and windshield wipers began functioning on their own. “I thought I was going to get shot,” he said. However, in November, Smith teamed up with four other USC student filmmakers —including friend and 2009 Liberty graduate Alex Bell — to create a short film based on the experience. That film took best picture in the school’s Campus MovieFest. “We were completely shell shocked,” Smith said about winning. Per the rules of the competition, the group had one week to create a five-minute film. After considering numerous ideas for their plot, they settled on Smith’s story, and Smith said the finished product turned out surprisingly truthful. The team drove south to Orange County to film, using unorthodox filming techniques, such as propping the expensive camera on a towel on the back of a convertible for road shots. “We basically did everything we weren’t supposed to do,” Bell
Contributed
Andrew Joncich, Craig Hung, Alex Bell, Trevor Marti Smith and Josh Cumbee (from left) plan the details of their short film, ‘Check Engine.’
On the Web To watch ‘Check Engine,’ go to www.newcastle-news.com/ category/videos.
said with a laugh. The group filmed in one day, then returned to Los Angeles for postproduction, which included an all-night editing session by Bell. Fellow group member Craig Hung applied a slew of effects to Bell’s cut to give the film a professional gloss, and another group member, Josh Cumbee, composed a five-minute original score in just six hours to accompany the film. The process was a whirlwind, Smith recalled. “There’s not a lot of time to get bogged down in the little details,” he said about creating a finished film in just one week. “We just have to do what we can and work as fast as we can.” As the group submitted the
film, Bell and Smith recalled that they merely hoped to take home the prize for best comedy. When they took the top prize, everyone in the group was surprised. “It was really exciting for us,” Bell said. “It was pretty unexpected.” The group was given a copy of Final Cut Studio — an editing suite worth more than $1,000 — and an iPod Touch for winning first prize. The group posted the video to YouTube for friends and family members to enjoy. Among the video’s big fans is Alex Bell’s mother, Jayne Bell. “I thought it was so good technically,” she said. “I thought that’s something you could see on television.” Next, the group will take “Check Engine” to Hollywood in the spring for the International Grand Finale, where it will compete with winning videos from other colleges. If “Check Engine” wins best picture, each member of the group will receive an iPad.
Liberty High School violinist Marika Tindall-Ralph and her friends from across the Issaquah School District have the chance of a lifetime this school year. Tindall-Ralph, a senior and co-concertmaster for the district’s Evergreen Philharmonic orchestra, will be one of 54 musicians who will get to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York in May. Carnegie Hall has hosted the likes of the Beatles, Leonard Bernstein, composer John Adams, the New York Philharmonic and Duke Ellington, among others. “It’s pretty amazing,” Tindall-Ralph said about playing in Carnegie Hall. “I think it will really get Evergreen Philharmonic out there.” While the high schoolers are excited about the May trip, many of them have begun to raise money to help cover the cost — about $2,100 per person. As co-concertmaster, Tindall-Ralph is in charge of helping organize these fundraising efforts. The musically talented teens have sold ads in their concert programs, held a music camp for junior high students and now are offering music groups for hire, said parent coordinator Beverly Tindall, Marika Tindall-Ralph’s mother. “They have just about every kind of combination,” Tindall said about the array of fundraising efforts. Small groups of two to up to five or six Evergreen Philharmonic members are
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Marika Tindall-Ralph available to play at various community or private events throughout the winter, she said. “(The group) has not done this as a fundraiser before,” Tindall said. Some students have already raised the full amount of their trip cost, said Doug Longman, the orchestra’s director. “They’re very excited and motivated to do this,” Longman said. “The community is behind this.” Longman, who also teaches orchestra at Skyline and Issaquah high schools, took the extracurricular group on one big trip each year until 2008. They often went to Europe, he said, and this is the first group trip since then. “There’s no stage in America that has more history, more tradition,” Longman said. “If you’ve played Carnegie Hall, why, everything else is a come down.” The audition-only orchestra was formed in 1991 and has performed at the University of British Columbia, the University of Southern California, Montreal, Quebec and southern England. Participation ranges from 65-75 strings, woodwinds and percussion musicians. Evergreen will perform with the Issaquah High School jazz band at the Swingin’ in Vienna concert at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 16 at Issaquah High School’s new commons. The concert features jazz and swing music and waltzes. Call Beverly Tindall at 206330-7837 or e-mail quartets@evergreenphil.org to book a group to play at your event or to support the program through a concert program ad.
Newcastle News
JANUARY 7, 2011
PAGE 15
Author brings new life to 13th-century China By Tim Pfarr
her voice after the move.
Newcastle resident Dori Jones Yang wants to take you back in time. On Jan. 11, the former “Business Week” and “U.S. News & World Report” journalist will publish her third book, “Daughter of Xanadu,” which tells the story of Princess Emmajin, who strives to become a warrior in the Mongolian army led by her grandfather, the Great Khan Khubilai. However, Emmajin meets foreign explorer Marco Polo, who challenges her beliefs, and together they travel across 13thcentury China, battling warriors and hunting. As their relationship progresses, she faces the inner struggle between her attraction to Marco Polo and her desire to become a warrior. The historical fiction novel tells the story from the eyes of the Asian woman rather than the European explorer, presenting a perspective with which many are unfamiliar. Jones Yang — a Youngstown, Ohio, native — spent eight years as a correspondent in Hong Kong for “Business Week” before relocating to Bellevue. In 2005, she made the move to Newcastle. She is also the author of “Pour Your Heart Into It: How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time,” which chronicles the coffee giant’s rise to power, and young adult book “The Secret Voice of Gina Zhang,” in which a Chinese girl immigrates to America and loses
What made you decide to transition into writing books? I’ve wanted to write books ever since I was a girl, when I wrote three mysteries inspired by Nancy Drew. When I was 17, my dad suggested I go into journalism as a way of making a living from writing, and I enjoyed that for many years. My favorite part of journalism is meeting and interviewing fascinating people. Writing books is more solitary, but I love delving into a littleknown period of history and finding out everything I can. What interests you about Marco Polo and 13th-century China? Marco Polo was the first Westerner to go to China and write about it, so I consider him ‘the godfather of China writers.’ As a foreign correspondent in Hong Kong for eight years, I traveled around China and wrote about it for American readers. In reading about Marco Polo, I discovered that, in Polo’s day, China was ruled by Mongols and Khubilai Khan was its leader. We think of the Mongols as barbarian hordes, but they had a distinctive, appealing culture and immense pride. In those days, the Mongol Empire was the
world’s only superpower, richer and stronger than any other country on earth — just as the U.S. is today. Like many of us, the Mongols sometimes didn’t understand what they looked like to people like Marco Polo of weak, distant lands. What helped you get in the head of your protagonist, Princess Emmajin, and how she perceived Marco Polo? I can easily understand Emmajin as a young woman who wanted to achieve recognition and respect in a man’s world. Most history is written from a white, male perspective, but I wanted this book to be told from a fresh outlook: that of an Asian female. She initially saw Marco as a strange-looking foreigner, but he gradually opened her mind to new ways of looking at the world. As a Caucasian woman married to a Chinese man, I also understand a lot about cross-cultural romance! You wrote on your website that you traveled a lot to write this book. How did that affect the story? Finding Xanadu was huge for me. Most people think Xanadu is mythical, but it was real; it was the site of the Khan’s summer palace, north of Beijing. Nothing but ruins are left, and
What was your favorite part of writing “Daughter of Xanadu?” As a journalist, I had to learn the techniques of fiction — plot, character, setting and dialogue — so it took me nearly 10 years to write this book. I enjoy that steep part of the learning curve. What is the hardest part about writing a full-length novel? Knowing when to stop! My writing mentor kept encouraging me to “go deeper” to understand the motivations of my characters. Eventually, the novel reached nearly 1,000 pages! I tightened it, but eventually I had to cut the story in half. I am saving the second half of
Emmajin’s story for a sequel. How has living in Newcastle — and the Seattle area as a whole — influenced you as an author? The rain is great — very conducive to writing. So are the long walks I take in Newcastle. The Seattle area has many great writing classes and critique groups, writing societies and conferences, so I have a terrific community of writer friends here.
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almost no tourists go there, but my friend Jeanne and I found a guide willing to take us there. Standing amidst the wildflowers in the grasslands, I could feel the magic of that long-ago place, where Khubilai Khan built his “stately pleasure dome.” After that, I rewrote the descriptions of Xanadu.
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SCHOOLS
PAGE 16
JANUARY 7, 2011
Hazelwood Elementary could bring in more students next year By Tim Pfarr Hazelwood Elementary School’s attendance area could get larger next year. The Renton School Board voted at its Dec. 8 meeting to alter the district’s elementary school boundaries in the 2011-2012 school year, if the district decides to open Honey Dew Elementary School, 800 Union Ave. N.E. in Renton. The change would expand Hazelwood Elementary’s attendance area south, bringing in as many as 40 new students to the school who would otherwise attend Kennydale or Bryn Mawr elementary schools. No children in Hazelwood’s service area would be moved to other schools, as Hazelwood’s service area would only be made larger. Honey Dew was previously used as an elementary school, but was closed due to population changes. The district opened the school for kindergarteners this year. Whether the district will open Honey Dew as a full elementary school hinges on the district’s budget for the 2011-2012 school year, and district officials will make a recommendation to the school board in spring regarding the school’s full reopening. Hazelwood Elementary is at 80 percent capacity, with 453 students and a capacity of 564. The change would potentially boost the student body to 493 students, which would put the school at 87 percent capacity. District spokesman Randy Matheson said the district’s goal is to have schools at 90 percent capac-
ity. The changes would have no effect on middle or high school boundaries. For example, students from the Kennydale service area shifted to Hazelwood Elementary would still attend Demmitt Middle School and Renton High School, as current middle school and high school boundaries dictate. Although Honey Dew has not served as a full elementary school for more than 17 years, it has housed students from across the district during renovations at other schools. District officials have been preparing financially to fully reopen Honey Dew, and Matheson said it would cost the district about $1.6 million to do so. However, he said the district has been preparing financially for the school’s opening, as officials set aside $600,000 in the 2008-2009 school year and $500,000 in the 20092010 school year for the effort. The Boundary Review Committee recommended the boundary changes that the school board then approved. The changes would also mitigate overpopulation in the district’s other elementary schools, which school board member Pam Teal, who represents Newcastle, applauded. “I am happy to know that our elementary schools will have 90 percent capacity balance, allowing needed space in some of our very overcrowded schools,” she said. However, if the school board chooses not to reopen Honey Dew as a full elementary school, it will still be used on a limited scale, such as it is now, Matheson said.
District could consider changing Renton Academy to a middle school By Tim Pfarr The Renton School Board will convene a committee in the 2011-2012 school year to examine the building needs in the Renton School District, district spokesman Randy Matheson said. The committee will recommend items that could be brought forward in a possible bond measure in 2012. The district’s three middle schools are at capacity and do not have room to expand. Thus, the committee may examine
building a middle school on the property that hosts Renton Academy — a kindergarten through 12th-grade, specialeducation school at 6928 116th Ave. S.E. in Newcastle. The building previously hosted Hazelwood Elementary School until it moved to its new building one block south in 2005. Matheson said the committee may consider the proposal because the site is the only district-owned property big enough to house a new middle school. “Right now, it’s sort of a
passing thought on our part,” Matheson said. A new middle school would need to be recommended by the committee, approved by the school board and then approved by voters. If voters were to approve it, the school would undergo a two- to four-year planning phase before any construction begins, Matheson said. If a middle school were to be built on the site, district officials would be responsible for determining how to continue offering services provided by Renton Academy.
Student brings handgun to Hazen High School A 16-year-old Hazen High School sophomore brought a handgun to school Dec. 6. He was arrested and expelled, but stated that he did not intend to use the gun at school. “We worked with Renton Police and have been assured that there is no reason to believe the boy and the presence of the gun poses a greater danger to students and staff at Hazen,” Principal John Kniseley wrote in an e-mail to parents after the incident. “Questioning the boy revealed no plot or uncovered any other students conspiring to do harm to others at the school.” School officials were notified
of the situation when another Hazen student told a security officer that a classmate was rumored to be carrying a gun. Kniseley and the school security officer removed the student in possession of the gun from class, and after discovering the gun, they called police. The student told police and school officials the gun was not his and that he was holding it for somebody else who was not a student at Hazen. “We are fortunate that the student who had heard rumor of the gun came forward to report it,” Kniseley wrote to parents. “Such action is extremely courageous and should be a model for all students.” By state law, the expelled student cannot return to Hazen High School.
Newcastle News
JANUARY 7, 2011
PAGE 17
Rotary clubs honor top students, teacher Issaquah The Rotary Club of Issaquah recently honored the following seniors as its students of the month for December.
Arianna Romo
Contributed
Matthew Martin, 6, and Zach Martin, 3, enjoy pancakes with their mother, Jenny Martin, and Brooke Sanders (from left), 5, at the 2009 Hazelwood Elementary School PTSA pancake breakfast.
Families chow down at Hazelwood Elementary’s pancake breakfast Hazelwood Elementary School’s PTSA will hold its annual pancake breakfast at the school from 8-11 a.m. Jan 22. This year’s breakfast will be in conjunction with a Scholastic book fair. All are welcome to attend. The cost to attend will likely be between $4 and $5, event co-chair Grace
Whiteaker said. Proceeds from the breakfast will go to the Hazelwood Elementary PTSA, and proceeds from the book fair will go to benefit the school library. The pancake breakfast will showcase classic breakfast foods and drinks, including sausage, fruit cups, Starbucks coffee, tea, hot chocolate, orange juice and all-you-can-
eat pancakes. The school also provides the breakfast for free for about 30 families with students at the school. Event co-chair Lisa Tintinger said the event usually brings in about 300-400 people. “It’s just a fun community event,” she said. “You get to see your neighbors and support the school at the same time.”
Issaquah, Renton teachers earn National Board Certification Eleven Newcastle-area teachers — seven from the Issaquah School District and four from the Renton School District — earned National Board Certification in December. The NBC certification process is the only one that compares a teacher’s skills and knowledge to a national set of standards, according to the Issaquah School District’s website. To attain certification, teachers must submit a portfolio including lesson plans, student work samples and a videotape of a lecture. Teachers must also submit a document detailing work outside the classroom with colleagues and community members, and discuss how such work
affects student learning, according to the Issaquah and Renton school districts’ websites. Finally, the teachers must complete numerous exercises demonstrating subject-area mastery. A review board gives the teachers final approval of certification. In addition to the local teachers who achieved certification this year, 24 other teachers in the Issaquah School District and 20 other teachers in the Renton School District achieved certification this year. Liberty High School ❑ Jessica Johnson, social studies ❑ Julie Larsen, English
❑ Tonja Reischl, English Maywood Middle School ❑ Carrie Junke, science ❑ Ross Matheny, humanities ❑ Stephanie Tolonen, humanities Newcastle Elementary School ❑ Mary Jo Keller, fourth grade Hazen High School ❑ Michelle Hansen, language arts McKnight Middle School ❑ David Kitzman, language arts ❑ Zer Vue, reading ❑ Jeffrey Willis, language arts and discovery
❑ School: Liberty High School ❑ Category of recognition: Foreign language Arianna Romo ❑ Parents: Charles and Tricia Romo ❑ Sponsoring teacher: Michael Hausenfluck ❑ Scholastic achievements: Four scholar athlete awards; Honor Society; 3.96 grade point average; early acceptance to Central Washington University ❑ Scholastic interests: LINK Crew, Honor Society, president of Future Educators of America ❑ Athletics: Captain volleyball team, two varsity letters, junior varsity most valuable player, junior varsity most inspirational ❑ Hobbies: Going to the movies with family and friends ❑ Outside school affiliations: Briarwood Homework Club ❑ Activities: Organized Relay for Life group for Future Educators of America, preparing for a trip to FEA conference in Atlanta ❑ Future goals: Attend Central Washington University, get degree in elementary education and early childhood education; be an elementary school teacher
Kelsey Canaga ❑ School: Liberty High School ❑ Category of recognition: Art ❑ Parent: Susan Canaga ❑ Sponsoring teacher: Anne Cooper ❑ Scholastic achievements: Rotary student of the month Kelsey Canaga for English ❑ Scholastic interests: Art, English and drama ❑ Hobbies: Theater, art, gaming design ❑ Activities: Drama, Advanced Placement Art,
Improv Club, Harry Potter Club ❑ Outside School filiations: Village Theatre scenic painting ❑ Future goals: Deciding between Western Washington University/Pacific Lutheran University/Whitman College; major maybe in Digi Pen; occupation in art (graphic design of animation), acting or education
Renton The Rotary Club of Renton recently honored its Youth of the Month and Teacher of the Month for December.
Youth of the Month Casey Chandler is a senior at Hazen High School. She has a 3.9 grade point average and has been involved in Key Club, Casey Ignite, Swim Chandler Team (captain) and gymnastics (captain). Chandler has received a 4.0 plaque from McKnight Middle School, Reflections program certificates/awards, varsity sports letters and Women in Technology “Science” recognition. She volunteers with Renton First United Methodist Church, U.S. Open Swimming, Hazen Boosters and various homeless shelters. Chandler plans to attend a four-year university in Washington and hopes to work in the field of science, particularly bioengineering.
Teacher of the Month Laurie Parten is a math teacher at McKnight Middle School. This is Laurie’s 10th year teaching in Renton. She Laurie Parten attended the University of South Mississippi, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in education. Parten also earned an endorsement in secondary mathematics from Seattle Pacific University. Currently, Parten is completing a master’s in mathematics education from Marygrove College.
SPORTS
PAGE 18
JANUARY 7, 2011
Drama is still unfolding in tale of two teams Hazen boys basketball flourishes through December; Liberty struggles By Tim Pfarr The Hazen High School boys basketball team had a successful December, going 6-3 overall and 3-1 in conference play. However, the Liberty High School boys basketball team encountered adversity during the final month of 2010, going 3-6 overall and 13 in conference play.
Hazen Hazen started off the season with a bang, facing off against defending 4A state champion Kentwood High School and falling by just one point, 55-54. From there, Hazen took down Renton High School, 68-58; Lindbergh High School, 78-59; Evergreen High School, 74-54;
Highline High School, 75-45; Liberty, 84-44; and Ingraham High School, 67-46. Hazen also dropped games to Kennedy Catholic High School, 89-85, and Cleveland High School by forfeit. Hazen played Foster High School on the road Jan. 5, but the game was after Newcastle News’ deadline. Senior shooting guard R.J. Magar leads the team with 121 points and an average of 15.1 points per game, followed by junior center Dawit Kasa, who has 100 points and an average of 12.5 points per game. Other top scorers include senior center and power forward Brandt Graybeal with 89 points and an average of 11.1 points per game, as well as senior
Photos by Tim Pfarr
Above, Hazen senior Brandt Graybeal leaps for a layup in the third quarter against Evergreen High School Dec. 15. Below, Hazen senior shooting guard Michael Dampier prepares to make a move in the first quarter against Evergreen. shooting guard Michael Dampier and senior point guard De’corius Sampson, who each have 66 points and an average of 8.3 points per game. Sampson also leads the team in assists with 39, and Graybeal and Kasa have been rebounding monsters, pulling down 101 and 48 rebounds, respectively.
Liberty In December, Liberty defeated Juanita High School, 51-47; Highline High School, 59-58; and Chief Sealth High School, 45-41. The Patriots dropped games to Mariner High School, 58-53; Sammamish High School, 60-53; Bellevue High School, 8551; Mercer Island High School, 72-42; Cascade High School, 7055; and Hazen. Liberty hosted Lake Washington High School Jan. 4,
but the game was after Newcastle News’ deadline.
By Greg Farrar
Above, Kylan Marlow, Liberty senior post, puts up a shot Dec. 3 against the Sammamish Totems. At right, Hazen junior point guard Frankie Johnson prepares to deliver a pass to Brandt Graybeal in the third quarter against Evergreen High School.
By Tim Pfarr
Senior guard Chandler Jenkins leads the team with 104 points and an average of 13 points per game, followed by sophomore guard Tynan Gilmore with 77 points and an average of 9.6 points per game and senior post Kylan Marlow with 73 points and an average of 9.1 points per game. Gilmore leads the team in with 30 assists and 13 steals, and junior post Ben Wessel leads the team in rebounds with 35. “I think we’re going to come along,” Liberty head coach Joe Fithian said. “It’s just going to take some time.” He added that the Liberty team needs to get in the winning mindset. “Once they experience success, then the lights will come on,” Fithian said.
Newcastle News
JANUARY 7, 2011
PAGE 19
New coaches lead Liberty, Hazen basketball teams By Tim Pfarr Liberty High School and Hazen High School have named new head coaches to lead their boys basketball programs. Liberty officials brought on Joe Fithian, a former Seattle University coach, and Hazen officials called upon teacher, former head coach and former athletic director Gary Schaplow.
Joe Fithian Liberty’s coaching situation was shaken last year when school officials fired former head coach Jevon Green midseason. To fill the coaching holes, they hired Joe Fithian to take over as interim junior varsity head coach. In April, Liberty offered him the varsity job. Fithian had been working as a high school basketball referee at the time of his initial hire, although beneath the black-andwhite stripes he had a long history of coaching. Fithian had spent eight years at Seattle University, serving as a head coach for one year and an assistant coach for seven. Prior to that, Fithian coached Shoreline Community College and Mililani High School in Hawaii. However, his roots as a coach stretch back to his pre-teenage years, when he coached a fourth-grade basketball team. Later, while attending Cascade High School in Everett, a hip injury ended his own high school basketball career, and he began coaching the girls freshman basketball team. “That was my first taste of
Liberty girls go 2-1 in tournament The Liberty High School girls basketball team won two of three games last week in the KingCo/WesCo Challenge Tournament at Juanita High School. Liberty, 7-3 on the season, defeated Glacier Peak, 56-53, Dec. 28. Aspen Winegar tallied 17 points to lead the Patriots. Liberty fell behind by seven points in the first quarter, but fought back to tie Glacier Peak 24-24 at halftime. The Patriots went ahead in the third quarter and held a 43-40 lead entering the fourth quarter. Danni Sjolander contributed 12 points and Halie Ericksen 11 points for Liberty. Liberty rallied from a firstquarter six-point deficit Dec. 29 to defeat Shorewood, 43-33. The Patriots trailed 13-7 after the first quarter and were down by four points at half-
“I think these are really, really good kids that I’ve got. They’ve been really cooperative and they’re open to learning.” — Gary Schaplow Hazen boys basketball coach
coaching,” he said. At the helm, Fithian said he prefers to have his team play an up-tempo game, also running structured plays rather than a looser, motion offense. School officials fired Green because he was arrested at the school Dec. 26, 2009. Green was doing laundry inside the school that day and had set off the school’s burglary alarm, according to police. He had an arrest warrant stemming from driving with a suspended license, and police arrested him.
Gary Schaplow After Hazen school officials fired former boys basketball head coach James Olive Dec. 13, they turned to Schaplow to take over leading the team. Schaplow takes the job with more than 25 years experience of coaching high school basketball. He came to the school in 2001 and served as the team’s head coach for the 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 seasons before stepping down. He served as the school’s athletic director from 2004-2009. Prior to coming to Hazen, Schaplow served as the head basketball coach for Vashon Island High School for six seasons and Franklin High time. However, the Patriots outscored Shorewood 16-8 in the third quarter to surge into the lead. Liberty put away Shorewood with 14 points in the final quarter. Sjolander topped the Patriots with 11 points. Winegar added 10 points and Sierra Carlson had eight points. The Patriots lost to Lynnwood, 65-60, Dec. 30. The teams were deadlocked at 27 at halftime. However, Lynnwood outscored Liberty 17-9 in the third quarter to break open the game. Carlson topped Liberty with 16 points. Sjolander contributed 15 points and Winegar had 13 points. Liberty, 3-1 in 3A/2A KingCo Conference play, resumes league action at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 5 at Lake Washington.
Liberty boys fall to Cascade, 70-57 The Liberty High School boys
Contributed
Above, Gary Schaplow is the new head coach for the Hazen High School boys basketball program. School for two seasons. Schaplow teaches government, current world issues, psychology and sociology courses at Hazen, and he said he felt it was time to take a step back from coaching in 2003. Regardless, he said he is happy to be back coaching the team. “I think these are really, really good kids that I’ve got,” he said. “They’ve been really cooperative and they’re open to learning.” Schaplow took over as head coach Dec. 14, and coached his first game just one night later, stomping Evergreen High School, 74-54. He said his coaching style calls for a swarming defense, an up-tempo offense pace and aggressive rebounding, and he said he used the winter break to work with the team and apply his own coaching strategies. team fell behind by seven points in the first quarter and could never overcome the deficit as the Patriots lost to Cascade, 7057, Dec. 30 in a nonleague game. Kylan Marlow topped Liberty with 19 points and Tynan Gilmore had 15 points.
Liberty wrestler takes second place Hamilton Noel, of Liberty High School, placed second in the 152-pound division at the Pacific Coast Wrestling Championships Dec. 30 in Vancouver, Wash., Noel lost a heartbreaker in the final, getting edged by Travis Schutzler, of West Linn, Ore., 1-0. Noel opened with a 14-4 major decision against Zeke Gaeta, of Olympic, and then defeated Matt Rice, of Union, 10-5, in the second round. He pinned Stephen Doman, of Timberline, in the
By Greg Farrar
Joe Fithian imparts advice to the players on the Liberty HIgh School boys team during a recent game. School officials fired Olive for allowing Hazen players to participate in a jamboree without the required 10 practices. Olive
had been on probation for allowing an ineligible player to participate in a jamboree last season.
quarterfinals and edged Kris Fenton, of South Kitsap, 4-3, in the semifinals. Jay Chakravarty, of Liberty, finished fifth in the 160-pound division. He defeated Anthony Thomas, of Evergreen, 7-2, in the match for fifth place. Chakravarty avenged a loss after losing to Thomas on a pin in the quarterfinals. Prior to the quarterfinal match, Chakravarty had pins against Vicente Hubert, of Camas, and Joel Trujillo, of BurlingtonEdison. Liberty finished 24th in the 34-team tournament, which had squads from Washington and Oregon.
education and a state boater’s card. The Bellevue Sail and Power Squadron is the only squadron that offers classes to boaters in Issaquah, Sammamish, Bellevue, Kirkland and rural King County. Certified instructors, also experienced boaters, teach classes and seminars. The Bellevue Squadron begins a five-week class from 79 p.m. Jan. 20 at the Newport Yacht Club. Topics include boat terms and types, rules, aids to navigation, boat handling, tides and currents, and government regulations. Everyone passing the course can attain the state boater’s card. There are junior navigation, engine maintenance, advanced piloting, sailing, and many other courses offered in January and February. Go to www.bellevuepowersquadron.org or call 206-2365441.
Power Squadron offers boating classes The Bellevue Sail and Power Squadron will start boating classes early this month. The state now requires all boaters ages 21-35 to have boater’s
Newcastle News
PAGE 20
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Liberty High School tennis players named to all-league team
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Three Liberty High School tennis players — Thomas Lowes, Sho Kato and Ken Kato — were recently recognized as KingCo 3A All-League players this year. Lowes was named to firstteam all-league, and the brothers Sho and Ken Kato — a senior and freshman, respectively — were named second-team allleague. Liberty head coach Mike Salokas was also named KingCo 3A coach of the year. Lowes, the No. 1 player on the Liberty team, finished fourth in the KingCo 3A tournament last fall, and his strong finish earned him a berth in the district tournament in Seattle in May. The Kato brothers — who play together as a doubles team — lost their final match in the KingCo 3A tournament to a Mercer Island High School team, losing the opportunity to compete in districts. However, Lowes and the Kato brothers were named to the alltournament team. “Liberty has, in at least recent past, never had players selected to the all-tournament team,” Salokas wrote in a news release.
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