Patriot Players present ‘The Drowsy Chaperone’ Page 7
Highlanders win rivalry match Page 6
VOL. 17, NO. 4
April 3, 2015
Think globally, act locally at Newcastle Earth Day By Christina Corrales-Toy
Contributed
To the victors go the spoils
Newcastle woman charged with fraud in immigrant-investor visas Authorities on March 17 arrested a Newcastle woman on charges she and her former husband fraudulently obtained EB-5 immigrant-investor visas to enter the United States and laundered money from China to buy a home on the Eastside. Shilan Zhao, 51, and her ex-husband Jianjun Qiao, 51, knowingly made false statements to get visas through the federal
program, according to a federal indictment unsealed March 17. When the divorced couple applied for the investor visas, officials allege, they falsely claimed they were married and declared that the $500,000 they invested through EB-5 was obtained lawfully. Officials allege that Qiao embezzled the money from a Chinese grain warehouse he directed in Henan province. Zhao appeared in federal court in Seattle on March 17 and was
If you go Newcastle Earth Day q 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 18 q Lake Boren Park q 13058 S.E. 84th Way q www.newcastleweedwarriors.org effort to earn National Wildlife Federation Community Wildlife Habitat Certification. To obtain the certification, residents must commit to providing food, water, cover and a place for wildlife to raise offspring. A healthy habitat can be in a variety of places, including a backyard, a local city space or even an apartment balcony. After promoting the certificaSee EARTH DAY, Page 5
Randy Ohlendorf is chamber’s new director
The Liberty High School drill team surrounds its new hardware after winning two state titles at the 2015 state championship March 27 at the Yakima Valley SunDome. See story on Page 6.
By Sanjay Bhatt Seattle Times business reporter
Newcastle Earth Day Chairwoman Grace Stiller has one simple request for this year’s event — rain, please stay away. A year after the wet stuff put a damper on the 2014 event, Stiller said she is hoping for sunshine when the festival returns to Lake Boren Park on April 18. “All we need is a really nice day, no rain,” she said. “Last year, it dumped buckets. It was terrible.” The city of Newcastle and the Newcastle Weed Warriors, with funding from the King Conservation District, will provide speakers, seminars and activities for Earth Day 2015 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 18. Similar to previous years, Stiller said the event will serve, in part, to support a citywide
By Christina Corrales-Toy
held without bond, officials said. Qiao, also known as Feng Li, is being sought by U.S. authorities. If convicted, they could be sentenced to federal prison. The criminal case was investigated by a U.S. Internal Revenue Service unit in Los Angeles and an Immigration and Customs Enforcement unit in Seattle, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald Cheng in Los Angeles. The Chinese government, See FRAUD, Page 5
The Newcastle Chamber of Commerce board announced in a news release that Randy Ohlendorf will serve as the organization’s new executive director. The board received more than 20 applications for the position left vacant by Imelda Dulcich’s resignation, board President Sara Biancofiori said. Ohlendorf, a longtime Newcastle resident, is an experienced business developer and consultant in healthcare, human capital and employee benefits. “I’m ecstatic,” Ohlendorf said about his new appointment. “It’s a little overwhelming at the moment, but I look forward
to working closely with the chamber board and the business community to move the ball forward.” Ohlendorf and his wife Marilee Randy moved to the Ohlendorf area 25 years ago, settling down in the first house built in the China Creek neighborhood. “This area opened our eyes to a completely new and different place to live — we loved it,” he said. “We raised our kids See CHAMBER, Page 8
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