Hazen’s Dominic Green signs with the Huskies Page 6
Hooray for Earth Day Page 8
VOL. 17, NO. 5
May 1, 2015
City Council election starts to take shape By Christina Corrales-Toy The Newcastle City Council will have at least one new face in 2016. City Councilwoman Lisa Jensen announced April 23 that she will not file for re-election this spring, guaranteeing that there will be one open seat during November’s election. Three other council members could be challenged as well. “I first ran for office because the city budget was out of control and a majority on the council had lost touch with the people they represented,” Jensen wrote in a letter to the editor. “In the last eight years we have made the necessary chang-
es to budget in a way that allows us to live within our means. We also have a city manager and staff that make customer service a priority and recognize everyone at City Hall is there to serve the community.” Jensen was first elected to the Newcastle City Council in 2007, and then re-elected in 2011. She served as the city’s deputy mayor for a two-year term beginning in 2012. In addition to Jensen, Mayor Steve Buri, Councilman Gordon Bisset and Councilwoman Carol Simpson will see their terms expire at the end of the year. Bisset and Simpson announced See ELECTIONS, Page 2
Energize Eastside scoping meetings begin
By Christina Corrales-Toy
A slew of Eastside cities are ready to take the next step in exploring Puget Sound Energy’s Energize Eastside project. Led by the city of Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, Renton and Newcastle will work together to provide an environmental review of PSE’s proposal to build about 18 miles of high-capacity electric transmission lines from Renton to Redmond. The Energize Eastside Environmental Impact Statement is a legally mandated process that will critically evaluate potential significant environmental impacts associated with the project and project alternatives. It begins in earnest this month with a 45-day comment period, highlighted by five com-
munity scoping meetings where residents are invited to share their thoughts about Energize Eastside. “I view it as one of the most, if not the most, critical projects on the radar for Newcastle,” said Tim McHarg, Newcastle’s director of community development. “So we’re hoping that a broad cross-section of folks will come and attend.” Newcastle’s meeting is from 6-8 p.m. May 28 at Newcastle Elementary School, but all are welcome to attend any of the four other meetings held in Bellevue, Kirkland and Renton, McHarg said. McHarg described the meetings as part forum, part open house. Meetings will be divided into two rooms, with one servSee ENERGIZE, Page 11
Get Granny on Fallon Movement starts to get Newcastle resident on ‘The Tonight Show’ By Christina Corrales-Toy
Italene Gaddis, a 90-year-old poet, songwriter and musician, plays the autoharp in her Newcastle home in 2013. The NBC affiliate in Seattle, KING 5, has started a social networking effort for Gaddis to share her message of peace, love and happiness on NBC’s ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.’ By Christina Corrales-Toy Newcastle resident Italene Gaddis had a dream. The 90-year-old musician, author extraordinaire wanted to join Johnny Carson on “The Tonight Show” and sing her mother a song. Almost 30 years after that dream was born, it’s still that, a dream. But if Gaddis and her supporters at KING-5 TV have their way, that fantasy will become reality sooner than later. “You know, some things you try to do, they don’t happen right away,” Gaddis said from her Newcastle home April 23. “It don’t mean it’s not going to be, it just means it’s not time.” KING 5 and reporter Lori Matsukawa started a campaign April 22 to try and get Gaddis an appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” The local NBC affiliate, the same network that carries Fallon’s show, is asking
Join the movement Help Newcastle resident Italene Gaddis get on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” Use the hashtag #GetGrannyonFallon in your social media posts on Facebook and Twitter to show your support for Gaddis. everyone to use the hashtag #GetGrannyonFallon on social media to show their support for the singing granny. Enhanced by her charming Southern drawl, the poet, musician and songwriter captivates with her quick wit and sunny disposition. She’s an endless source of encouraging words, uplifting songs and positive affirmations. She currently shares her inspirational songs and poems at senior centers and retirement homes around the area.
Still performing nearly every day, with autoharp in tow, the 90-year-old is hoping only to spread a message of peace, love and happiness. “I try to encourage people. That’s really why I do what I do,” she said. “To encourage someone, well, that’s the greatest gift you can give next to love.” Gaddis’ songs span a variety of topics, including more reflective pieces that delve into personal life experiences, as well as lighter pieces, such as one that tackles Puget Sound-area car traffic. While Gaddis effortlessly inspires those around her, a symbol of the woman that motivates her — the one she wanted to sing to — sits delicately in her hair for all to see. She credits much of her work to her mother, Sarah Elizabeth, who “raised her the right way.” Gaddis always dons a single flowSee GADDIS, Page 5
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