Liberty’s Hamilton Noel is a triple-threat athlete Page 22
Home & Garden Grow your own edibles in containers Page 10
May 6, 2011 VOL. 9, NO. 5
Sonny Putter retires City councilman calls it quits after 17 years. Page 3
Police Blotter Page 6
Man shot at Castle Creek Apartments A man was shot in the leg at about 2 a.m. April 23 after asking a group of people making noise in the parking lot to be quiet, according to the King County Sheriff’s Office. The man initially called to the group from his balcony at Castle Creek Apartments, 7000 132nd Place S.E., City Manager Rob Wyman wrote in an email
to the City Council. An argument and a fight followed, leading to one member of the group to pull out a gun and fire several shots, hitting the resident once. The resident — who is in his 40s — suffered only minor injuries and was transported to Overlake Hospital Medical Center in Bellevue.
Two Newcastle Police officers were on duty at the time, and one heard the shots. One officer responded to the apartment complex, and the other followed a group of cars speeding away from the scene, Wyman wrote. The officer stopped the vehicles and — with the help of witnesses — arrested the alleged shooter, a Seattle man
Newcastle cops hit the ground running for cancer research
Have you seen him? New photos of bank robber are released. Page 8
By Tim Pfarr
Community calendar Page 16
Once upon a time... McKnight students read picture books to preschoolers. Page 20
You should know Find information about the City Council on the city’s webpage, www.ci.newcastle.wa.us, by clicking “City Hall” and “City Council.”
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in his late 20s. The alleged shooter did not allow the officer to search his car, so the officer impounded the vehicle, Wyman wrote. After obtaining a search warrant, police searched the car and found the gun allegedly used, which Police Chief Melinda Irvine said was a .40-caliber semiautomatic pistol.
By Tim Pfarr
Earth Day efforts Dylan Lidstrand, 4, tries out an antique water pump at Earth Day. Volunteers from the Newcastle Historical Society brought a slew of antique equipment to the celebration for demonstrations. View a slideshow of the event at www.newcastle-news.com.
Newcastle cops don’t sit around eating doughnuts, and Police Chief Melinda Irvine and officer Steve Kajihiro can attest to that. This spring, Irvine and Kajihiro teamed up with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training to get in peak physical condition while raising money for cancer research. Irvine — who completed two ironman triathlons and a half-ironman triathlon in the last three years — is mentoring athletes aspiring to compete in half-ironman triathlons this year. She is aiming to raise $4,000 this year to add to the more than $10,000 she raised training for the halfironman triathlon. As of Newcastle News’ deadline May 3, Irvine had raised $1,500. Kajihiro — who competed in the Seattle Half Marathon Contributed in November 2010 and Newcastle Police officer Steve the Honolulu Kajihiro prepares to take off Marathon in running in the Seattle Half December 2010 — is Marathon in November 2010. training to compete in the San Diego Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon and the Seattle Rock ‘N’ Roll Half Marathon, both in June. The San Diego marathon will benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and the Seattle marathon will benefit the American Cancer Society. His goal is to raise $3,000 for cancer research. As of Newcastle News’ deadline, he had raised $1,870. See MARATHON, Page 2
Newcastle News
PAGE 2
Marathon From Page 1 Team in Training captains and coaches named Kajihiro one of the four most inspirational athletes of the year.
Contributed
Newcastle Police Chief Melinda Irvine runs in the Baker Lake 50K run in Baker Lake in October 2010.
Irvine the ironwoman Irvine said her inspiration in 2008 came from fellow Newcastle Police offer Jerry Gilley’s 27-year-old daughter, Holly, who was battling leukemia at the time. Her cancer went into remission, but months after the event, Holly’s cancer returned. She died that fall. Irvine said she also has numerous friends and colleagues who have battled cancer. “Sadly, I think everybody can reach out and touch several people” who have battled cancer, she said. “There are so many people around you when you start counting.” She said mentoring this year was a great way to continue fundraising. “Ever since I did it (in 2008), I wanted to come back and mentor and give back to Team in Training,” she said. “I knew how much my mentors helped me.” Her practices this spring are six days per week, with hourand-a-half training on weeknights and three-to-five-hour training on Saturdays. Training is different every day, with swimming, biking, running and combinations of the three. Irvine said there are many aches and pains involved with such intense training, and
MAY 6, 2011 although there can be a lot of discomfort, it’s all worth it. “It’s a great feeling, because every practice they do what they call mission moments. Usually somebody talks about how they have been affected by cancer,” she said. “Every time, we get a reminder of the importance of what we’re doing to raise the money.” Gilley said his colleagues’ efforts are touching. “I think that it is cool that my friends and co-workers help to bring awareness to look for a cure for the many horrible diseases that many of our loved ones suffer from,” he said. “I appreciate their dedication.” Kajihiro the marathon man Kajihiro — who took the nickname “Danger” from his friends — said he began distance running for the first time in August 2010. He ran his first two endurance events in honor of a friend who was born with spina bifida — in which vertebrae are not fully formed — and has been forced to use a wheelchair his entire life. “The reality is, my gift of walking can be taken away from me at any second,” Kajihiro wrote on his fundraising website. “My life can end in a second or I could get diagnosed with cancer, so why not live life to the fullest, have fun, be happy and use the gifts that were given to us to help others?” Kajihiro said he learned about Team in Training from Irvine, and he was impressed with what he heard about the program and what he found when he began looking into it himself. “After doing those marathons, I thought, ‘If I’m
Get involved To contribute to the officers’ fundraising, go to: ❑ Police Chief Melinda Irvine http://pages.teamintraining.org/wa/ nbhtri11/mirvine ❑ Officer Steve Kajihiro www.rundangerrun.com
going to do these, I might as well do it for a good cause,’” Kajihiro said. To prepare for the upcoming events, Kajihiro goes on runs with others from Team in Training three nights per week. On Tuesdays, they run near Green Lake in Seattle; on Thursdays, they run in Mill Creek; and on Saturdays, they run at various locations in Seattle. With each workout, they increase the distance slightly. Heading into May, the group is up to 18-mile runs. Kajihiro’s training has also had an element of recovery — he suffered a tendon injury in his right foot after 16 miles in the Honolulu Marathon, and he limped the final 10 miles to cross the finish line. Although his foot caused him pain early in his training, it has fully healed. However, Kajihiro said training and fundraising with Team in Training has been a fantastic experience, and that he is already considering doing it again in the future. For those who want to become distance runners, he said both mental and physical preparation is important. “You need to believe in yourself and never give up,” he said. “Have confidence in yourself.”
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MAY 6, 2011
PAGE 3
Parks chair to run for City Council Councilman Sonny Putter to retire By Tim Pfarr Parks Commission Chair Andrew Shelton announced in April that he will run for City Council this November in Position 4 — the position Councilman Sonny Putter occupies. However, just before Shelton announced his intention to run, Putter announced he would retire at the end of the year, ending his 17-year stay on the council. Shelton joins Deputy Mayor Steve Buri and Councilwoman Lisa Jensen on the November ballot. Buri and Jensen announced in March their intentions to seek re-election in positions 3 and 1, respectively. City Council positions are not divided geographically in the city. Councilwoman Carol Simpson, who sits in Position 2, filed paperwork April 2 with the state Public Disclosure Commission, a precursor to running for election. The deadline to file for election is June 10. Andrew Shelton Shelton has lived in Newcastle since 2003; he grew up in Kirkland. He is a human resource advisor for Graham Group, a genAndrew Shelton eral contracting agency. Shelton has a bachelor’s degree in history from Western
Washington University, a master’s in labor relations and human resources from Michigan State University, and an master’s of business administration from the University of Maryland. He has served on the Parks Commission since its inception in 2004; he has served as the commission’s chairman for the last three years. Prior to serving as chairman, he served as vice chairman for two years. He said he is running for City Council to bring a new voice to the city and make Newcastle a better place to live and do business. He said he would support the parks and trails systems, as well as preserving the city’s environmental sanctuaries. “It’s an opportunity to make an impact on the city that I care so much about,” Shelton said. “It’s a logical extension to the time that I’ve spent on the Parks Commission.” He said he would bring the perspective of a resident who is an employee rather than a consultant or retiree, as many on the council fall in the latter categories. Shelton said budgetary issues are the largest ones facing the city. He said he would support measures to attract businesses to Newcastle, as those would bring increased services to residents and more sales tax dollars to the city. In addition to his work on the Parks Commission, Shelton volunteers in work parties in the city with organizations such as Newcastle Trails. He was a member of the Seattle Society of Human Resource Management
in 2009. David Edwards, a friend and Newcastle resident, will serve as Shelton’s campaign manager. Shelton lives in Lake Washington Crest with his wife Wendy. His hobbies include playing golf, hiking, playing sports and gardening. He has not yet scheduled a campaign kickoff party. Shelton ran for City Council Position 2 against Simpson in 2007, but he was defeated. Sonny Putter’s retirement Putter was elected to the council in 1994, and he was re-elected in 1995, 1999, 2003 and 2007. He also served as mayor from 2000-2001. Sonny Putter Putter said he decided not to run for re-election based on the direction the council is taking the city. “We’ve got a less collegial, more corrosive atmosphere on the City Council,” he said. “Going forward, I didn’t think I could make a difference.” He cited specific concerns with the stance the council has taken with respect to the city’s downtown area, as it directed the Planning Commission to explore changes to development codes without altering the comprehensive plan or the community business center plan, which detail the long-term vision for the city. Putter announced the news in an email, acknowledging the progress the city has made since its 1994 incorporation. “Newcastle is now ‘on the
map,’” he wrote. “We have become a highly desirable place to live, all the while maintaining the green canopy of parks and open spaces that characterizes our community. “Newcastle residents feel a sense of place, a sense of belonging to a real community of neighbors. Now, when we tell people that we live in Newcastle, they often respond, ‘Oh, you live in Newcastle,’ with eyebrows raised in admiration.” Regionally, Putter is one of the city’s two representatives in the Eastside Transportation Partnership, of which he is vice chairman. 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. 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 chairman of the Suburban Cities Association’s Public Issues Committee.
City awards contracts to build 116th sidewalks Renton firm Delta Excavating Inc. will build Newcastle’s sidewalks on 116th Avenue Southeast from Southeast 84th Street to Southeast 88th Street. The City Council unanimously voted to award the contract to the firm, which presented the cheapest bid to the city for the project. The firm will complete the work for $173,400. The city’s contract engineer estimated the cost of the project to be $310,000. Construction will start later this spring or this summer, interim Public Works Director Steve Roberge said. The project will take less than two months to complete. The City Council reviewed three design concepts for the project in August 2010, and it chose an option that calls for concrete sidewalks, curbs, gutters, driveway ramps and pedestrian ramps compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The design also calls for enhancements to storm water drainage, minor landscape improvements, retaining walls and a 12- to 15-foot driving lane. It will not have a bike lane, but the wide driving lanes — one to four feet wider than most — will give some room to bikers. The council also considered cheaper and more expensive design options. Sidewalks are also to be built on 116th Avenue Southeast from Southeast 80th Street to Southeast 84th Street. The council has not yet approved the sidewalk design for that stretch of road.
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Opinion
PAGE 4
Letters to the editor
Editorial
Get ready for start of campaign season If you’ve been thinking about taking on a bigger leadership role in Newcastle, it’s time to take the next step. Filing for candidates is June 6-10. Newcastle City Council, school districts and the Coal Creek Utility District will hold elections this fall. Many candidates are already filling out the needed paperwork with the state. Others have announced their intentions. City Council incumbents Lisa Jensen, Carol Simpson and Steve Buri will seek re-election. Sonny Putter will opt out after serving 17 years; Parks Commission Chair Andrew Shelton has said he Council candidates must be will seek Putter’s seat. Council candidates must registered voters at the time be registered voters at the of f iling and have one year time of filing and have one of Newcastle residency. year of Newcastle residency. Those qualifications are the Those qualif ications are the law, but candidates should law, but candidates should also bring the willingness to also bring the willingness to devote hours every week to numerous meetings and devote hours every week to study of the issues. An numerous meetings and elected official’s most imporstudy of the issues. tant attribute is the ability to listen and communicate. The issues sure to be hot topics in City Council races this year include future city budgets, future development in the city limits and mitigation of seasonal flooding on Lake Boren. Park development and funding is sure to come up, and the relocation of City Hall will likely get rehashed. Both Issaquah and Renton school districts will have board member seats open this year. However, the director districts that encompass Newcastle will not be open until 2013. The only CCUD commissioner up for re-election is Pam Martin. The commission meets twice monthly. Elected office is the ultimate volunteer job. While some positions come with pay, the pay is nominal — far less than minimum wage. Candidates will represent their constituency at the table for important decisions, but also at regional and state meetings. It’s not a job for the faint of heart — although some say it gets easier after the campaign! The City Council election two years ago was a turning point for the city. Candidates were forthcoming about their differing visions for the city’s future. It will be interesting to see if the new direction the voters chose in 2009 will be upheld come Election Day 2011.
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MAY 6, 2011
Wanted: vision and leadership
I am writing to announce that after 17 years of community service, I will not be running for reelection to the Newcastle City Council. I am proud of how far our community has come. When we struggled to incorporate the city of Newcastle, the then-Chair of the King County Council echoed Gertrude Stein’s opinion of Oakland, saying “There is no there there.” Since incorporation in 1994, we encouraged the location of the prominent Golf Club at Newcastle on the site of an old landfill. We provided incentives for the location of a full-service YMCA — now overflowing with active users — and an 11,000-square-foot King County library, now under construction. We encouraged the funding and construction of two new elementary schools in the city. We leveraged Newcastle’s small capital resources over this period to construct major street, bicycle and pedestrian improvements, like the $55 million Coal Creek Parkway project and the $4 million Newcastle Transit Center. All these amenities have attracted a highly diverse population of new residents and the construction of a large number of new, high-valued homes. Since incorporation, our population has grown by almost 50 percent to its current 10,300 residents. Newcastle is now “on the map.” It has become a highly desirable place to live, all the while maintaining the green canopy of parks and open spaces that characterize our community. Newcastle residents feel a sense of place, a sense of belonging to a real community of neighbors. Now, when we tell people that we live in Newcastle, they often respond “Oh, you live in Newcastle,” with eyebrows raised in admiration. I hope the future leaders of our community will safeguard this legacy and sustain our community’s vision into the future. Sonny Putter Newcastle City Council
I am surprised at the lack of reporting on the City Council’s efforts to dismantle Newcastle’s downtown plan. The current downtown plan calls for a pedestrian-friendly, multistory, mixed-use town center along the lines of what Mercer Island and many other cities are doing. But the council is pushing changes to the downtown zoning code that would invite single-story, strip-mall uses, like those along Sunset Boulevard. If the council adopts these changes, you will soon see a Walgreens with a drive-through on the fruit stand corner. Other similar uses will likely follow. The council says these uses are needed to increase city revenues. But this defies common sense. Fiscal analyses prepared when the downtown zoning code was first adopted showed that multistory, mixed-use development would provide significantly greater revenues than singlestory, strip-mall development. Construction sales tax revenues would increase due to greater expenditures on construction materials. Property tax revenues would increase due to the much higher assessed value of multistory buildings. In addition, with specialty restaurants and shops on the ground floor and office or residential uses above, there would be more downtown workers and residents to patronize businesses. Therefore, sales tax revenues would increase over the long term as well. As the economy improves, commercial development is starting again in cities around us. With vision and leadership on the part of the council, Newcastle could attract high-quality developers to create a vibrant, financially sustainable downtown. Our current downtown plan and zoning code won the Governor’s Smart Growth Award. It is still the smart way to grow. I ask all of you who have pride in our city to speak out at a council meeting, or write or email your councilmembers. Ask them to stop opening the door to Walgreens and other strip-mall uses. We deserve better. Jean Garber Newcastle
Poll question
Rapid Response
Rental fees are now standardized for the Lake Boren Park picnic shelter and the City Hall community room. Are you now more likely to rent these spaces for an event?
The city is allowing residents to build sheds and other structures as close as five feet to their rear property lines. Is that too close?
A. Yes. I’ve rented before, and this will definitely make it easier! B. Yes. I never rented, but now that payment is simpler, I’m more likely to rent. C. No. I’ve rented before, but this doesn’t make much difference to me. D. No. I’ve never rented before, and I’m indifferent to the change. Vote at www.newcastle-news.com.
I think this is a fair ruling regarding only the back property line since houses are rarely ever located that deep on their lot. I would not want to see this rule extended to side property lines that are shared with neighbors. That could have a negative impact on the value of a neighbor’s property. — Jeff Skocelas, Newcastle
Veteran Newcastle councilman to retire in December
See RESPONSE, Page 5
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Newcastle News
MAY 6, 2011
PAGE 5
Molestation suspect faces July trial Newcastle Valley Medical Center could offer more services By Tim Pfarr Valley Medical Center — which has a clinic at 7203 129th Ave. S.E. in Newcastle — signed a letter of intent in January to form a strategic alliance with UW Medicine. The alliance would likely make UW Medicine resources readily available to Valley Medical Center patients. UW Medicine operates Harborview Medical Center, the UW Medical Center, and numerous other hospitals and clinics across Western Washington. It is also an affiliate of the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. The two organizations are working out the details of the alliance this spring, and the alliance could take effect as soon as July, Valley Medical Center spokeswoman Kim Blakely said. Dr. Jamie Park, director of Newcastle Primary Care and Valley Medical Center’s clinic network, said the alliance would make more specialists and specialized procedures — such as open-heart surgery — more readily available to Valley Medical Center patients. “UW is pretty clearly the best fit for us,” Park said. “They have things that we need, and we have some things that they need.” When it comes to scheduling appointments, the process would be much easier, and records could be relayed electronically. “If we have this affiliation with the University of Washington, it will just be a matter of picking up the phone or getting on a computer to schedule an appointment,” she said. Without the alliance, Park
said it can be a weeklong process to get an appointment with UW Medicine. “I don’t think people realize how big it is for the quality of care,” he said. “Increasing the access is really great.” UW Medicine would benefit from having a larger patient base, and although Park said he doesn’t foresee its specialists working at the Newcastle clinic, specialists could spend time working at the Valley Medical Center’s Renton hospital. That could allow Newcastle patients to trade trips to Seattle for trips to Renton. Valley Medical Center CEO Rich Roodman offered praise for the planned alliance. “Valley Medical Center brings community focus, a personalized and contemporary patient environment, and a history of great clinical outcomes and technical innovation,” he said in a news release. “Combining these features with the excellence of UW Medicine’s clinical, teaching and research programs would certainly be a benefit to the residents of southeast King County.”
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A Newcastle dentist charged with child molestation will face trial in King County Superior Court beginning July 25. If Gil Furman, who was charged in January with one count of second-degree child molestation and two counts of third-degree child molestation, is convicted on all counts, he will face a sentence between about four and a half years and 10 years in prison, according to the King County Prosecutor’s Office. Furman allegedly molested a teenage girl for two and a half
Corrections ❑ The headline with Jeff Kluth’s letter to the editor in the April 1 edition of Newcastle News was printed incorrectly. The headline should have read, “Thank you to those who voted against expensive new City Hall.” ❑ Deputy Mayor Steve Buri’s volunteer experience was incorrectly stated in the April 1 edition of Newcastle News. Buri is a former member of the Hazelwood Elementary School PTSA and the Washington State Department of Transportation Property Task Force in Newcastle.
years beginning when the girl was 13 and ending when she was 15, according to charging documents. Furman — who is married with children — was 35 when the alleged molestation began. Furman was arrested and arraigned Jan. 25, and he pleaded not guilty. He was given conditional release and a no-contact order with the girl and minors. The no-contact order was modified March 31 to allow him to be in the presence of a minor if the minor knows of the
Response From Page 4
The chamber of com merce invites speakers to its monthly luncheons. Who would you like to hear speak? A business etiquette professional such as Arden Clise, of Clise Etiquette, or other local successful entrepreneurs, such as Newcastle resident Carrie Middlemiss, of Bella Cupcake Couture. — Trina Sooy, Newcastle
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This would be great. It’s a fantastic event, and adding it to Newcastle Days would help raise awareness and ensure future success for the race. — Troy Hopwood, Newcastle I think it’s a great idea to combine the Newcastle 5K with Newcastle Days. Possibly use it as the catapult to the week or as a nice completion to the week. — Jana Miller, Newcastle
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charges against him and an adult is present. The girl reported the situation to a school adviser in November, according to charging documents. The alleged molestation occurred weekly, and Furman allegedly pushed the girl to a wall and kissed and groped her, sometimes under her clothes but over her underwear. She said that happened more than 50 times, usually with others nearby but out of sight.
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Police Blotter Car theft A man reported that his Subaru Impreza was stolen from the Coal Creek YMCA, 13750 Newcastle Golf Club Road, between 5:10 and 6:10 p.m. March 23. He reported that he had locked his vehicle and left his keys in an unlocked locker. When he returned, his keys and his car were gone.
Teen climbs bridge Police responded to the corner of Coal Creek Parkway and Southeast May Valley Road, where a teenage boy was walking near the edge of the May Creek Bridge just before 1 p.m. March 25. Passing motorists called 911 because they thought the boy was going to jump. The boy was upbeat and told police he had been suspended from Hazen High School that day. He said he was not allowed to call for a ride from school and was told to walk home. He said he was bored, so he walked along the edge of the bridge on his way home.
Possible home break-in? A woman reported that her home in the 7900 block of 122nd Place Southeast may have been broken into at 12:30 p.m. April 2. She said she was in her yard at the time, and a motion detector in her house was tripped. The woman said she believed somebody with information about her security system was stalking her. Police found no signs of forced entry to her home.
911 hang up Police responded to a home in the 7200 block of 121st Place Southeast at 11:20 a.m. April 3 after somebody at the home dialed 911 and hung up. The dispatcher said a man and woman could be heard arguing on the
phone before the caller hung up. Police said a car was leaving the driveway as they arrived at the house. Nobody was at the house after the car left.
Park potty party Police responded to Lake Boren Park, 13000 S.E. 84th Way, at 2 a.m. April 4 after receiving reports of men yelling and being loud in the park. Police arrived and found four men near the park’s restrooms. Police warned the men that the park was closed, and the men left.
Espresso stand break-in Police responded to the 6400 block of Lake Washington Boulevard at 6:15 a.m. April 7 after somebody had thrown a flagpole through the side window of the nearby espresso stand during the night. The stand’s clerk reported that the stand appeared to have been entered, but nothing was taken.
Locker break-in A teenage boy reported that his locker at the Coal Creek YMCA, 13750 Newcastle Golf Club Road, was broken into between 4 and 5:40 p.m. April 7. He said his belongings had been locked up, and he returned to find them missing. He reported the stolen items to be an iPhone worth $400, a wallet worth $50, $30 in cash, his driver’s license worth $15 and a credit card.
Driving with suspended license A woman reported that she heard a crash outside while in her home in the 11400 block of Southeast 72nd Street at 10:40 a.m. March 27. She looked outside and found that a man driving a 1995 Ford F150 had crashed into her parked car. The woman called police to report the incident. Police found that the man’s driver’s license had been suspended,
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Trailer theft A man reported that his 1999 Morgan utility trailer was stolen from the 11200 block of Southeast 76th Street between 8 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. April 8. The trailer, worth $700, was unlocked.
Job site burglary A construction supervisor reported that a worksite in the 12900 block of Newcastle Way was burglarized between 3 p.m. April 18 and 6:45 a.m. April 19. He reported that somebody had cut a hole in the chain link fence on the south side of the worksite and smashed the lock to a Conex storage box inside, causing $50 in damage. He reported the burglar or burglars stole a chainsaw worth $500, a chop saw worth $1,000 and numerous batches of copper wire. The supervisor said it would have taken a strong person multiple trips to steal all of the items. Police found footprints in the mud near the box.
Job site trespass A construction supervisor reported that somebody trespassed on a construction site in the 7600 block of 129th Avenue Southeast between 5 p.m. April 21 and 8 a.m. April 22. The trespasser entered a house on the site and opened the upstairs windows. Nothing else appeared to be disturbed. The trespasser also left a set of keys on a piece of equipment outside.
Car break-ins ❑ A man reported that his 1996 Toyota 4Runner was broken into at the Red Town Trailhead, 15500 Newcastle Golf Club Road, between 6:15 and 8 a.m. April 13. He reported that the front passenger-side window was broken, causing $300 in damage. He reported the stolen items to be a
MAY 6, 2011 backpack worth $75, a hooded sweatshirt worth $50, a jacket worth $150, a pair of jeans worth $150, miscellaneous gym clothes worth $50 and a pair of Nike shoes worth $100. ❑ A man reported that his 1992 Honda Prelude was broken into in the 13400 block of Newcastle Golf Club Road between 9 a.m. and noon April 16, and that subwoofers worth $225 had been stolen. ❑ A woman reported that her 1989 Honda CRX was broken into at the Cougar Mountain Trailhead, 10200 RentonIssaquah Road, between 12:30 and 2:30 p.m. April 18. She reported that the passenger-side window was broken, causing $400 in damage. She reported the stolen items to be a digital camera worth $100, $900 in cash, five credit cards, her and her friend’s driver’s licenses, a jacket worth $40, a purse worth $200 and a wallet worth $100. ❑ A man reported that his 2007 Jeep Wrangler was broken into in the 7600 block of 111th Place Southeast between 11 p.m. March 23 and 8:30 a.m. March 24. He reported that the passenger-side window had been broken overnight, and that the stolen items were an iPod worth $250, the vehicle registration and manual worth $50, sunglasses worth $200 and prescription sunglasses worth $300. ❑ A woman reported that her 2010 Chevrolet Malibu was broken into between 10 p.m. April 6 and 7:30 a.m. April 7 while it was parked at Newport Crossing Apartments, 7311 Coal Creek Parkway S.E. The front driver’s-side window had been smashed, but did not collapse. The back driver’s-side window was shattered. Both doorframes were bent, seemingly from prying. The owner reported the only missing item to be her car’s registration, worth $25, although she estimated the damage to her car to be about $1,000.
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Stolen phone A woman reported that her cellphone worth $150 was stolen from her home in the 11400 block of Southeast 87th Place on April 18. She reported that people from several companies had been helping her move that day.
Home burglaries ❑ A woman reported that her home in the 12500 block of Southeast 74th Street was burglarized between 7 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. March 24. The back door had been kicked in, and her bedroom and office had been ransacked. She reported the stolen items to be $100 worth of $2 bills, a bedspread worth $95, a box of 50 insulin needles worth $50, $300 in coins, an electric blanket worth $170, 10 bottles of prescription drugs worth $300, a 45-caliber Ruger revolver worth $200 and an old 50-caliber black powder rifle worth $200. Police recovered fingerprints and a bent screwdriver used to pry open a lock in one of the rooms. ❑ A man reported that his home in the 13400 block of Southeast 84th Court was burglarized between April 11 and 15. The back door had been left unlocked, and there were no signs of forced entry. He reported the stolen items to be a Bluray player worth $265, a desktop computer worth $1,100, a 37inch flat screen TV worth $830, a five-piece surround-sound stereo system worth $1,200, two outdoor speakers together worth $400 and a stereo receiver worth $500. Police collected four cards of finger prints from the home.
Abandoned cars ❑ A man reported at 9:30 a.m. March 25 that a 2003 Toyota 4Runner had been parked in the 7000 block of 125th Avenue Southeast since September 2010. ❑ A woman reported at 10 p.m. March 25 that a 1995 Geo Prizm had been parked in the 8400 block of 128th Avenue Southeast for three days.
Vandalism ❑ Police responded to Coal Creek Apartments, 6830 Coal Creek Parkway S.E., at 1 p.m. March 30. Somebody had allegedly thrown a rock at a doublepaned, sliding glass door. The man who called police said he believed the vandalism might have been the result of a domestic dispute, although there were no witnesses. ❑ A man reported that his 1991 Nissan pickup truck was vandalized while it was parked in the 7800 block of 155th Avenue Southeast between 7 and 10 p.m. April 16. He reported that the hood was dented, a windshield wiper was broken and the driver’s-side mirror was cracked. He estimated the damage to be about $500.
Newcastle News
MAY 6, 2011
City revenue on the rise, but still below normal By Tim Pfarr The city’s revenue in the first quarter of this year is better than it was last year, which is indicative of a slow economic recovery, at least in the area of development and sales tax revenue, city Finance Director Christine Olson said. The city has collected $1.45 million in revenue so far this year, which accounts for 24 percent of the $5.95 million budgeted in the general fund for the year. The city has spent $1.44 million so far, which accounts for 23 percent of the $6.38 million budgeted in the general fund for the year. Olson said $6.38 million is likely higher than what the city will pay out of the general fund for the year, as other city funds will reimburse some expenses. Sales tax collections for the year are at 19 percent of what was budgeted for the year, which is about 4 percent below what is typically collected in the first quarter. By the end of the year, that could amount to a $31,000 shortfall in sales tax revenue. Olson said expenses from the city’s contract with the King County Sheriff’s Office could be higher than expected for 2010. When the city’s officers are sick or on vacation, the city must pay to have an additional officer fill in temporarily, and the exact cost of that can often be hard to
predict. The city will pay for the 2010 overtime this year. Olson said she expected the additional cost to be about $20,000, but the cost of that in 2010 turned out to be $51,000. However, she said the city budget is in fairly good shape at the end of the first quarter. “I believe we’re dong fine. I’m cautiously optimistic,” Olson said. “There’s nothing to trigger any concerns right now.” Some items could offset revenue shortfalls, such as the police contract for 2011, which may come in under budget. The city is also saving about $10,000 per month by leaving the public works director position unfilled. City Manager Rob Wyman said he is interviewing candidates. He said the position will be filled in as little as three weeks if he hires someone from the current pool of candidates, but it could take as much as three months to fill the position if he doesn’t. This winter’s weather was a mixed blessing, because the city didn’t use all of the money it budgeted for snow removal, although there is a large bill to pay from December’s landslide on Newcastle Golf Club Road. The permanent fix to the hillside will likely cost between $400,000 and $650,000, but the city could receive money from the Federal Highway Administration to pay for the repair, Wyman said.
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Become a friend of the Newcastle Library By Tim Pfarr Excited for the completion of the Newcastle Library at the end of the year? You may consider joining the group Friends of the Newcastle Library, which will raise funds and volunteer to support the new facility. King County Library System officials will hold a meeting at 9 a.m. May 21 at the Newport Way Library, 14250 S.E. Newport Way in Bellevue, for those interested in joining the group. The meeting will be in
the library’s meeting room. “Library friends groups really play a vital and dynamic role, not just in King County or across the state, but across the country,” KCLS spokeswoman Julie Brand said. “It’s hard to imagine libraries functioning without them.” Each Friends of the Library group is autonomous, raising funds for and spreading awareness of a given library in its own ways. Some groups hold book sales and attend street fairs and parades.
The library system has 37 Friends of the Library groups across the county, and together they raised nearly $400,000 in 2010, Brand said. The Newcastle Library will be KCLS’ 47th library, and the Friends of the Newcastle Library will be the system’s 38th friends group. More than 100 people already expressed interest in joining Friends of the Newcastle Library, Brand said. “That’s definitely a record response,” she said.
Newcastle News
PAGE 8
New photos released of Newcastle bank robber The King County Sheriff’s Office released new photos March 29 of the man who robbed KeyBank, 6917 Coal Creek Parkway S.E., on March 18. After robbing the bank, the man fled on foot across the parking lot to Safeway, 6911 Coal Creek Parkway S.E., where he entered the store through the south entrance. He took off his jacket, cap and glasses in the store and left through the north entrance. Surveillance cameras at Safeway recorded the photos. The man robbed KeyBank at about 12:20 p.m. that day. He walked inside and delivered a handwritten note to the teller explaining that he was robbing the bank, sheriff’s office spokesman Sgt. John Urquhart said. The teller did not see a
The man who robbed the Newcastle KeyBank was caught on camera inside Safeway, 6911 Coal Creek Parkway S.E., just after the robbery. Contributed
weapon, but he gave the man money from the till and tripped the bank’s alarm. The man was white, about 6 feet tall and thin. He wore a black cap, black jacket, lightcolored blue jeans and black-
rimmed glasses. Police searched the area but did not find the man, Urquhart said. If you recognize this man, call the sheriff’s office at 206296-3311 at any time of day, or call 911.
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Proposed Eastside transit changes include Newcastle bus routes King County Executive Dow Constantine has proposed changes to King County Metro Transit bus routes as part of a plan to offer more and faster transit service on the Eastside. The proposal includes changes to Route 240, which runs from the Renton Transit Center to Clyde Hill, serving Newcastle. Under the proposal, Route 240 would be shortened, ending at the Bellevue Transit Center — at the corner of 108th Avenue Northeast and Northeast Sixth Street — instead of Clyde Hill, reducing wait times, according to Metro Transit’s website. It would also stop along 112th Avenue Northeast in Bellevue instead of 108th Avenue Northeast, better serving offices, homes, hotels and the King County courthouse in the area, according to the site. The revised Route 246 would serve Clyde Hill. Constantine presented the proposal to the King County Council at a public hearing April 12. In the proposal announced April 8, Constantine called for additional Eastside transit service through the launch of RapidRide buses between Bellevue and Redmond. “RapidRide will allow you to just show up to catch a bus between Bellevue and Redmond every 10 or 15 minutes, without having to check a schedule,” he said in a statement. “We heard from Eastside residents, businesses and public agencies, and this proposal reflects their wishes to consolidate resources and make Metro an easier alternative to driving a car.”
The plan aims to revise 24 King County Metro Transit bus routes at the same time RapidRide B Line service launches between Bellevue and Redmond via Overlake and Crossroads. If the council adopts the service changes, the updated routes should take effect Oct. 1. Some Eastside routes could be eliminated under the proposal, though none of the affected routes serve Newcastle. The existing RapidRide line — serving a route from Tukwila to Federal Way — has proven to be popular among riders. In the initial four months, ridership is up 25 percent from the less-frequent route RapidRide replaced. Through the partnership between Metro Transit and the First Hill Transportation Group — a consortium of the Harborview, Swedish and Virginia Mason medical centers — the proposal calls for trips to be added to routes serving suburban cities. Route 211 runs between First Hill and the Eastgate Park & Ride. The proposal aims to extend the route to the Issaquah Highlands. Implementation of the Transit Now partnership should add about 7,500 annual hours. If adopted, the agreement calls for Metro Transit to be responsible for two-thirds of the cost and the partners to cover the remaining one-third. Overall, Constantine said the proposed transit service changes should improve Eastside connections to take advantage of recent service additions made by Metro Transit and Sound Transit to the all-day routes between East King County and Seattle.
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Newcastle News
MAY 6, 2011
Issaquah changes class requirements to recommendations By Laura Geggel In the past, high school students have needed to fulfill specific class requirements before taking higher-level courses. Starting this fall, Issaquah School District administrators are changing those prerequisites to learning recommendations. “We’re trying to increase access for students,” Executive Director of Secondary Education Patrick Murphy said. “We used to say, ‘You must have at least a B-minus to take this class.’ But what if I have a C-plus?” Changing the prerequisites to learning recommendations has been a year and a half in the making. Throughout the year, Murphy meets with the principals from Liberty, Issaquah, Tiger Mountain Community and Skyline high schools. The group brainstorms ways it can increase access for students. The access talks serve as an umbrella for several subjects, including how the district could increase student access to quality teachers, better activities and challenging courses. This is not the first time the district has changed prerequisites to learning recommendations. Middle school students traditionally had to take a sixthgrade math placement test. If students performed poorly on the placement test, or if they missed the mark by a few points, they would be placed in the regular class. The district changed that policy a few years ago, making the placement test more of a yardstick to show where the student stood academically. If students did not perform well on the test, but had good math results from
the Stanford Achievement Test, standardized testing and math class, they could make a decision with their parents about whether they should be in the regular or the advanced math class. Theoretically, every student could have registered for the advanced math class, but that did not happen. “I was the principal (at Maywood Middle School) at the time when we did it, and I can tell you I was nervous,” Murphy said. One year after the policy switch, both the regular and the advanced math class had almost exactly the same number of students as before the change. Communication was key, Murphy said. “We said very clearly in our letter, ‘You need to live with that decision.’ This isn’t, ‘Hey, I want to try this out for a while,’” Murphy said. Communication between students and parents is also important. Both should make a decision about what is best for a student’s academic level, Murphy said. After the middle school math change went well, the district made a similar policy change for ninth-grade math placement in the 2010-11 school year. The new learning recommendations do not change graduation requirements, Murphy said. Students will still need to take four credits of English and three credits of math, for example. The ninth-grade physical science class is no longer required. Eighth-grade students can take a physical science challenge test online to see if they are prepared to enroll in biology.
5K is likely to join Newcastle Days lineup The Newcastle 5K, in its third year this year, will likely join the Newcastle Days lineup this summer, according to Newcastle Days committee officials. The race, which typically takes place in late August, will be held the morning of Sept. 10 as part of the festivities in Lake Boren Park. The race typically begins and ends in Lake Boren Park. It follows a 3.1-mile path, circles the park and follows city trails to the south. Valley Medical Center has again committed to sponsoring Newcastle Days with $10,000.
YMCA seeks students for international trip The YMCA of Greater Seattle will send about 40 teenagers from Western Washington overseas this summer to learn about life and customs in other cultures as well as complete community service. The trips are offered through the Global Teens Program and this year students will travel to Japan, South Korea, Colombia or Senegal for two weeks. Students will meet twice a
PAGE 9 month leading up to the trip to learn more about the country they will visit, and the students will share their experiences abroad at the annual YMCA Growing Global Connections Celebration on Oct. 13. Call or email David KellyHedrick at 206-382-5343 or dkhedrick@seattleymca.org, or Monica Quill Kusakabe at 206382-4362 or mkusakabe@seattleymca.org for more information.
Liberty High School PTSA to host electronics recycling drive May 7 The Liberty High School PTSA will host an electronics recycling drive from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 7 at Briarwood Market Place, at the corner of 164th Street Southeast and Southeast 128th Street. It will take place in the back parking lot behind Doofers Bar & Grill. Accepted items include working and broken electronics, appliances, bicycles, motorcycles, cars, trucks, batteries, fitness equipment, medical equipment, lawnmowers and barbecues. Be sure lawnmowers and barbecues are empty of gasoline and propane. PTSA volunteers will collect
the items, and Issaquah nonprofit 1 Green Planet will haul away the collections. Donating is free, but the Liberty PTSA appreciates monetary donations as well.
Cost of renting picnic shelters, community room now simpler Fees for renting the Lake Boren Park picnic shelter and the City Hall community room recently became standardized, making the process of renting the spaces simpler. Previously, rental fees varied based on how long the space was rented, the size of the group using the space and the day of the week. Now, renting the picnic shelter for a half-day will cost residents $60 and nonresidents $120 every day. A full-day rental will cost $120 or $240, respectively. Renting the community room will now cost $30 per hour for residents with a $150 deposit and $60 per hour for nonresidents with a $300 deposit. Community groups and nonprofit organizations may rent the community room without an hourly fee, but they must pay a $150 deposit.
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HoME & GARDEN
MAY 6, 2011
A seismic retrofit can help protect homes during earthquakes By Warren Kagarise
Contributed
Herbs like lemon thyme and chamomile add interesting foliage interest and texture.
You can grow edibles and ornamentals in containers By Christina Salwitz The grow-your-own-food revolution is in full swing for small space gardeners. Blend that with the desire for pretty container designs and you have a remarkable variety of combinations at your fingertips. Apartments, condominiums, balconies or small-scale patios are all viable locations for growing many edibles in containers. As long as you can find a small spot of sun for the bulk of the day, you can grow quite a harvest. Choosing plants that are nutritious, delicious and beautiful is the very best way to maximize your limited space, whether it’s in a window box or several large containers. A number of edibles that are highly ornamental also create horticultural drama. By adding some of your favorite ornamental annuals or perennials to your container designs, you can have the best of all worlds in one square-footage-challenged garden. If you decide you want to grow tomatoes in containers this season, try under planting your tomato with trailing million bells or calibrichoa and sweet potato vine. The only limit to what you can grow with edibles is your imagination. Alternatively, you might try a blueberry bush with some
Contributed
Heuchera and nemesia cranberry blend nicely with the silvery foliage of a climbing pea plant. trailing annuals, such as nemesia or verbena. Add in some herbs like lemon thyme and chamomile for added foliage interest and texture. Strawberries make great con-
tainer plants, too. Try a hanging basket or a half wall planter and add some lobelia for a powerful combination! See EDIBLES, Page 11
Strengthening a residence through a home earthquake retrofit is as simple as ABC: anchor, brace and connect. Most homes built in the past 30 years or so do not need a retrofit to hold steady in earthquakes, but older homes may need some foundation tune-ups. If the foundation is not secured to the rest of the structure, major damage can result from the ground shaking. The earthquake in Japan — plus major temblors in New Zealand, Chile and Haiti in the past year — has renewed the focus on seismic safety at home. “When the earth starts shaking sideways, the foundation moves with the earth,” Sound Seismic co-owner Leif Jackson said. “This big, massive object is not going to immediately move with the foundation. It’s going to kind of lag behind, and it’s going to lag behind when that foundation oscillates back in the opposite direction. So, the house and the foundation get out of synch, and it can get jolted off of the foundation.” Though most homeowners can take some small steps to reduce earthquake risks, older homes make for the likeliest candidates for a seismic retrofit, due to the adoption of modern building codes from the mid1970s onward. Jackson and brother Erik started the Seattle-based company in 1999, before the 2001 Nisqually earthquake reminded people about the risk in the region. Sound Seismic conducts retrofits throughout Western Washington each year, including a handful in Issaquah. In a seismic retrofit, contractors brace the cripple wall, a short stud wall extending from the top of the foundation upward to support the floor. Because the cripple wall is constructed to support weight from above, the side-to-side movement in earthquakes can cause the wall to topple. Sound Seismic and other retrofit contractors brace the cripple wall. Now, back to the ABCs. Contractors attach the floor
Seismic safety tips Inside a home, many injuries from earthquakes result from people running around as the ground shakes. They fall down, run into furniture, step on broken glass or take hits from falling objects. In and near older buildings especially, a much higher likelihood of broken windows, falling bricks and other dangerous debris exists. The local American Red Cross chapter offers simple tips for residents to prepare for earthquakes: ❑ Bolt and brace water heaters and gas appliances to wall studs. Bolt bookcases, china cabinets and other tall pieces of furniture to wall studs. Brace overhead light fixtures. ❑ Hang heavy items, such as pictures and mirrors, away from beds, couches and anywhere people sleep or sit. ❑ Install strong latches or bolts on cabinets. Place large or heavy items in cabinets closest to the floor. ❑ Learn how to shut off the gas valves in your home, and keep a wrench handy for use. ❑ Learn about your area’s seismic building standards and land-use codes before you start construction.
of a house to the braced cripple wall, use plywood to brace the cripple wall and then bolt, or connect, the braced cripple wall to the foundation. “Certainly, homes built in the ’50s or earlier, they won’t have plywood, they won’t have anchor bolts, they won’t have anything, so they are absolutely See RETROFIT, Page 11
Newcastle News
MAY 6, 2011
Retrofit From Page 10 candidates for a retrofit,” Jackson said. Disaster serves as stark reminder The scenes of destruction from Japan — and the inherent seismic risk in the Pacific Northwest — caused calls to Sound Seismic to increase tenfold since the March 11 disaster. The most common question from potential customers is about cost. The price tag varies based on the home, although the project is less expensive to conduct in crawlspaces (about to $4,000 to $6,000) and unfinished basements (about to $5,000 to $8,000) than finished basements (about $8,000 to $15,000). In Newcastle and unincorporated King County, earthquake retrofits require building permits. Chimneys also merit special attention during a seismic retrofit. Many chimneys failed in the 2001 Nisqually earthquake, though numerous collapses left a mess rather than destruction. “Most of them, fortunately, fell away from houses and landed in the yards instead of on and going through the roof,” Jackson said. Homebuilders in the Pacific Northwest also use materials designed to ride out tremors. “Our wood-framed houses are probably the No. 1 best-performing structure in earthquakes,”
PAGE 11
What to know Newcastle homeowners interested in a seismic retrofit can call the city Community Development department at 649-4444. Homeowners in unincorporated King County can call the Department of Development and Environmental Services at 206-296-6600.
Jackson said. “The wood has a lot of give. It will bend before it breaks, and all those nails and all that wood fiber just gives it some flexibility. What that means is, your house is probably not going to come down in a heap.” The seismic risk in East King County is real. Newcastle rests near the Seattle Fault, a shallow seismic zone stretched along the interstate from Puget Sound and east through lakes Washington and Sammamish. Many seismic-retrofit practices and techniques come from earthquake-prone California. “Everything we do — all of the methods that we use, and the science and engineering — we borrowed from building codes and requirements in California, because they’ve been kind enough to be guinea pigs for us,” Jackson said. “They’ve done the work and they’ve had it tested, and they’ve figured out how to improve it and had that tested. We just get to reap all of the rewards.”
Contributed
Strawberries make great container plants, and they are particularly pretty when hanging.
Edibles From Page 10 Artichoke or rhubarb can be dramatic and bountiful in a container. Add some ornamental grasses for textural contrast with those big leaves, some fancy geraniums and some edible flowers, such as violas or nasturtium, for a long-lasting display that’s yummy, too!
Climbing peas can be a unique centerpiece in a container when you grow them up some twisted will branches. At the base, heuchera and nemesia cranberry, play nicely with the silvery pea foliage. Before you plant your container edibles and ornamentals, here are the top five questions you should ask yourself: 1. What do I like to eat? 2. How much care will my containers need weekly? 3. How much light do I have
for ripening and good pollination? 4. How many containers do I need/want? 5. How much should I plant for a good harvest? Your skilled nursery person can help you design a container with the best fruit, herb and vegetable selections that are appropriate for your setting, maintenance and appetite. Email Christina Salwitz at personalgardencoach@comcast.net. Comment at www.newcastle-news.com.
PAGE 12
Newcastle News
Easy solutions to the most common garden problems By Heather Bradley Do you have a problem? Do you find it difficult to grow the plants you love because of hungry beasts that ravage your roses down to stubs? Perhaps the endless rainy winters have left an unexpected pond in your backyard where you wanted a cactus. Or maybe it is your neighbor’s small forest of evergreen conifers casting deep, dry shade on your side of the fence. Let’s take a look at a few solutions for some of our area’s most common gardening challenges. Deer There are a lot of hungry deer in Newcastle. They will eat practically any plant, or at least try it once. And if you plant any of their favorites, such as hostas, roses or tulips, you might as well put out a neon “All You Can Eat Buffet” sign. And, for heaven’s sake, please stop feeding your deer emerald arborvitaes. Try Degroot’s spire arborvitae or Pacific wax myrtle instead. Although there are no truly deer proof plants, several have proven to be consistently left alone. Other deer-resistant plants include: ❑ Boxwood ❑ Leucothoe ❑ Juniper ❑ Mahonia ❑ Sedum ❑ Pieris japonica ❑ Japanese holly ❑ Viburnum ❑ Sambucus ❑ Many ornamental grasses ❑ Strong tasting herbs, such as lavender, rosemary and thyme Wascally wabbits Fencing may be the only way to keep
that tenacious Peter Rabbit away from your garden patch, but planting unpalatable plants may be easier. Hungry bunnies tend to dislike prickly, rough and fuzzy textured leaves. They also tend to dislike the same strong herbs that deer won’t eat. All of the following rabbitresistant plants are also deer resistant: ❑ Astilbe ❑ Iris ❑ Lamb’s ears ❑ Peony ❑ Salvia ❑ Veronica ❑ Achillea (yarrow) ❑ Perovskia (Russian sage) ❑ Euphorbia ❑ Yucca Dry shade under evergreen trees This is typically the toughest spot in the garden. It is difficult to establish plants under conifers, as the soil is dry, there is not enough sunlight and accumulating needles create very acidic conditions. If the area in question is on the north side of these trees, decorative mulch and garden gnomes might be your best option. Planting on the southwest side, however, has the advantage of more sunlight and rain. Preparing the soil by adding compost will also help. Watering during the first growing season is a must. That said, the following plants stand the best chance for success in deep, dry shade: ❑ Epimedium ❑ Sarcoccocca ❑ Taxus (yew) ❑ Helleborus ❑ Geranium macrorhizzum ❑ Asarum (wild ginger) See SOLUTIONS, Page 13
MAY 6, 2011
As pretty as they are tasty By Molly Lavelle
en-green variegation
Be bold! Be brave! Be bountiful! Fruits, vegetables and herbs don’t have to be relegated to a rectangular bed in the backyard. Consider integrating these beautiful plants that grace us with food into your traditional landscape. Expand your edible palette with the following plants that exhibit great ornamental appeal.
Bold accent or architectural presence ❑ Artichoke (cynara) displays stunning, deeply cut, silver-gray leaves in a large bold clump, as well as delicious edible buds. ❑ Elderberry (sambucas) “black lace” has intense purple-black, finely-cut foliage and soft-pink frothy flowers followed by purple-red fruit. Let it grow into a small multitrunk tree or prune for a large striking shrub. ❑ Rhubarb (rheum) has large, majestic, tropical-looking leaves with bright crimson stalks — fun to mix into a perennial shrub border.
Trees Apple, pear, plum, cherry or the more exotic persimmon, quince and fig. Dwarf forms are available as well as grafted combinations. Apple, pear and fig lend themselves to espalier (trained horizontally) to grow against a fence, side of the house or a garage. Sweet bay (laurus nobilis) evergreen is a perfect accent as a small topiary tree and also as a shrub form for hedging. Hedging and borders Grow your own fresh, sweet blueberries (vaccinium) as an informal hedge. They are available in highbush (5-6 feet tall), semidwarf (3-4 feet tall) and also dwarf, which only grow to 18 inches tall. Blueberries produce abundantly in our climate. Evergreen huckleberry (vaccinum ovatum) A delightful native with small, glossy green leaves, delicate creamy-pink flowers followed by small, sweet-tart bluish blackberries. Much overlooked as an ornamental that thrives in partial sun. Rosemary (rosmarinus) ❑ Arp — hardy to 0 degrees, growing to 3 feet tall ❑ Tuscan blue — hardy to 10 degrees, growing to 5 feet tall ❑ Goldust — hardy to 10 degrees, growing to 18 inches tall with soft gold-
Bronze fennel (foeniculum v. purpureum) A favorite ornamental herb with sweet anise-tasting fronds and stronger flavored seeds is a perennial growing to 6 feet. Airy, ferny foliage emerges a bright copper then deepens to rich bronze in summer. Vining or vertical forms ❑ Perennials — train up posts, arbors, stairway railings, trellis or fencing ❑ Grapes (vitus) — purple-leaved variety is gorgeous ❑ Hardy kiwi (actinidia) — male and female needed ❑ Hops (humulis) — The golden variety is stunning with glowing leaves and flowers like paper lanterns. Vigorous. ❑ Annuals — excellent to grow up tee-pees, trellis or any unsightly object ❑ Peas — sugar-snap, Oregon pod or English shelling ❑ Beans — blue-lake, Kentucky or scarlet wonder with bright red flowers ❑ Nasturtiums — Charming lily padlike leaves are studded with jewel-toned edible flowers. See TASTY, Page 13
This month, Jensen Roofing is supporting
a USO Happy Hour at The Golf Club at Newcastle in the Wooly Toad Lounge We would like to buy a Happy Hour glass of beer or wine for those who have served their country in military service.
Monday, May 23rd 4 - 6 PM in the Wooly Toad. Please RSVP to JensenRoofing@msn.com For more information please call John Jensen at 206-241-5774 For non-vets come thank a vet in person!
Newcastle News
MAY 6, 2011
Solutions From Page 12 ❑ Dicentra formosa (Western bleeding heart) ❑ Acuba japonica ❑ Buxus sempervirens ❑ Gaultheria shallon (salal) Wet winter soil This is a problem with several newer homes in our area. As topsoils are scraped away to level building sites, compacted clay may be left behind, which holds too much water in winter and not enough water in summer. This area requires a plant that will tolerate both extremes.
Tasty From Page 12 Ground covers, rockeries and tuck-ins Tuck in fragrant herbs to nooks and crannies. The following are particularly well suited: ❑ Roman chamomile (anthemus nobilis) ❑ Thyme (thymus) — lemon, silver, Doone Valley. Elfin and wooly thyme are excellent matlike growers for gaps between paving. ❑ Oregano (oreganum vulgare) — Golden with a milder flavor or Greek, the classic Mediterranean aromatic
Standing water spells certain death for many plants. There are, however, a few beauties that do not seem to mind at all. Those with * will even tolerate some standing water. ❑ Betula nigra (river birch) * ❑ Betula jaquemontii (whitebarked Himalayan birch) * ❑ Pinus contorta var. contorta ❑ Japanese barberry ❑ Pacific wax myrtle ❑ Vine maple ❑ Ninebark ❑ Acorus “ogon” * Western sword fern ❑ Lobelia cardinalis (cardinal flower) * ❑ Redtwig and redosier dogwood *
❑ Yerba buena/savory(satureja) — This lovely herb thrives in shady, moist spots. Consider also these mixers and minglers with presence. ❑ Parsley — so fresh and ferny ❑ Chives — to create small grassy clumps with cute-as-abutton, puffy, purple flowers that are also edible ❑ Bloody dock/sorrel — This is a gruesome name for a spectacular, edible perennial with seersucker leaves and wine-colored veining. It will accept part sun and moist soil. Molly Lavelle is a certified nursery professional and designer at Newcastle Fruit and Produce. Comment at www.newcastle-news.com.
PAGE 13
Newcastle man helps win debate championship Newcastle man Samuel Pizelo helped lead Bellevue College to a national championship in the Novice National Parliamentary Debate Association competition in Gresham, Ore., in March. The team — now in its second year — also earned superior marks in speaking. Pizelo, the team’s president, thanked the Bellevue College faculty for its support, as its last-minute, out-of-pocket donations funded the team’s
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Newcastle named Tree City USA Community The Arbor Day Foundation in April recognized Newcastle as a Tree City USA Community for its commitment to urban forestry. This marks the fourth consecutive year the city has received the distinction. To earn the distinction, the city is required to have a tree board or department, a treecare ordinance, a comprehen-
sive community forestry program, and have an Arbor Day observance and related proclamation. “We commend Newcastle’s city staff, elected officials, volunteers and residents for providing vital care in its urban forest,” Arbor Day Foundation Chief Executive and Founder John Rosenow said in a news release. “Trees provide numerous environmental, economical and health benefits to millions of people each day, and we applaud communities that make planting and caring for trees a top priority.”
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Newcastle News
PAGE 14
MAY 6, 2011
Presidential performer brings toddler rock to the masses By Tim Pfarr After almost 15 years of rock ‘n’ roll, Grammy-nominated Seattle musician Chris Ballew decided to turn down the gain on his amplifier. In 2009, The Presidents of the United States of America front man formed the children’s band Caspar Babypants, playing shows for parents and toddlers across Western Washington. The group will make a stop in Bellevue May 7 for a 10:30 a.m. performance at Aldersgate United Methodist Church. The band’s songs — written by Ballew — are folkie and touch on topics such as centipedes, elephants and frogs. Although the tunes are directed at children younger than 6 or 7, adults might find themselves just as entertained. “Caspar Babypants isn’t music for just kids,” Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard is quoted saying
on Caspar Babypants’ website. “It’s fantastically hooky, cool, authentic pop. Chris Ballew is a master and has proven it in two bands now.” Newcastle News caught up with Ballew over the phone in March. How did you end up going from rock ‘n’ roll to children’s music? The rock ‘n’ roll band, although I love it dearly, is not my true voice. And I knew that the whole time. So I searched and searched the entire time and looked in the background for a sound and a feeling and a place musically in the world that is really who I am. It’s been a long 15- or 20-year search that was over when I found this simple, innocent kind of acoustic, folkie style. There is a bit of history going back to 2000. I made an album of traditional kids songs in the same style for PEPS, Program for
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On the web Read the full interview at www.newcastle-news.com. If you go ❑ May 24 ❑ Aldersgate United Methodist Church, 14230 S.E. Newport Way, Bellevue ❑ Set starts at 10:30 a.m.
By Tim Pfarr
Chris Ballew, The Presidents of the United States of America lead singer, rocks out with Caspar Babypants in Sammamish in March. Early Parents Support. They’re an organization that I used when my kids were little. Doing that record, I noticed that I was really relaxed. All of the [rock ‘n’ roll] music was a big struggle, and it was hard, and there were moments when I liked it, and it was mostly kind of annoying. And I did this record for PEPS and I was completely relaxed during the whole thing. How did you know that children’s music was your voice? My wife is an artist. Her artwork kind of embodies what I wanted to do with music. It’s
simple, it’s funny, it’s well-crafted, it has folk roots and traditions in it. It transcends age. So I looked at her art, ‘Oh my god, I want to make music that sounds like her art looks.’ And that sort of was the last step in a long, sort of meandering path. She illustrates children’s books, and that’s kind of what also led me to think, ‘Well, maybe this is for children.’ What I love about this music is that it doesn’t go out there and just advertise me as a clever songwriter. It goes out there and actually makes families relax, and then makes them sing
together, makes a car ride better, and in some cases it makes kids who are doing well do better. There are a few cases of severely autistic children who have responded miraculously to my music, and they come out of their shells. So I feel like there is a purpose to the music that transcends me. And that is also something I was looking for. With the rock band, I definitely lost track of that, and felt like I couldn’t tell where the song ended and the advertisement for the band began. I heard you took the name Caspar Babypants in the early 1990s, before The Presidents of the United States of America took off. I took the name, but it wasn’t to do kids music. It was because I got tired of my first name and changed it to Caspar and found See ROCKER, Page 15
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MAY 6, 2011
Newcastle News
PAGE 15
New pub is a family affair for Liberty grad Rocker By Rachel Solomon
From Page 14
Like a lot of students, Joel Stedman worked his way through college, waiting tables and bartending to pay for school. He loved being around people, and he loved the atmosphere of restaurants and pubs. But when he graduated from Western Washington University in 2007 with a degree in economics, Stedman didn’t want to go straight to a cubicle job, as many of his peers did. Instead, he began working at The Parlor, a billiards bar in Bellevue. “I fell in love with it,” Stedman said. “It made me want to do it on my own.” A few years later, Stedman did exactly that. The 2003 alumnus of Liberty High School bought a sports bar in Seattle’s Magnolia neighborhood in December. The Magnolia Village pub, a cozy joint specializing in microbrews and burgers, sits in the heart of Magnolia Village, which Stedman said reminds him of Issaquah’s Gilman Village. “On a busy day when everyone is out and about, we’re right there,” said Stedman, who’s now 26 and lives in Eastgate. After working at The Parlor, Stedman was in charge of food and beverages for a cluster of retirement homes on the Eastside. It gave him a foundation to understand how to handle a staff. When he decided he wanted to own his own bar, Stedman said he looked at 30 or 40 different places. He knew exactly what square footage and which neighborhoods he wanted, and eventually landed in Magnolia. “We realized it has a lot of potential and room for growth,” he said. As a sports bar, the pub’s sheer number of TVs can’t be matched: 28 in all, including giant screens mounted on walls and personal-sized televisions for most of the tables, guaranteeing that when almost any game is on — from football to basketball to hockey — the customer will be able to watch it. Stedman said he plans to open an Eastside location in a couple of years. Stedman, who said he’s pinched every penny since graduating from high school, bought the pub with his dad, Larry, the vice president of a group of retirement homes. It’s a true family effort: Stedman’s two younger brothers, both of whom also graduated from Liberty, work there. And one of his good friends from high school, Justin Sauvageau, is a bartender there. Sauvageau
a pair of baby’s pants that I wore as a winter hat in Boston, and so I got called Caspar Babypants. But I was not playing kids music at all. I was playing in bars, getting drunk and making trouble as Caspar Babypants. It turns out I couldn’t tell what the true calling of Caspar Babypants was until much later. By Greg Farrar
Liberty High School alumnus Joel Stedman (right) opened Magnolia Village Pub in Seattle in December. Shannon Brock (left) is one of the pub’s 15 servers. double-majored in finance and accounting at Seattle University, so he’s also on hand to help Stedman with the books. “I like being able to work with someone I know,” Sauvageau said. Stedman and Sauvageau said the whole staff already knows a lot of customers’ names. Anne Herkenrath is one of the regulars. She lives in Magnolia and said she stops by for a beer and some grub every week. “It’s easygoing, sort of relaxed but fun at the same time,” Herkenrath said. “I love coming in and seeing tables crowded with kids and families.” And it can get crowded. The pub was packed for the Super Bowl, with football fans standing shoulder-to-shoulder. Forbes.com crowned it one of the best bars in the country to watch the big game — the only place in Seattle to claim the honor. But it can be nonstop work when trying to get a business off the ground. Stedman said he clocks more than 100 hours per week, often in 10- or 12hour shifts. But he said it’s worth it, and he still can’t believe his good fortune: that his college job has become his career. “I wake up every day and I think, ‘I really can’t believe this is what I do,’” he said. “I feel really privileged to be in this position.” Rachel Solomon is a student in the University of Washington Department of Communication News Laboratory. Comment at www.newcastle-news.com.
What made you choose Caspar for your first name? I’m kind of white and pasty, and I just thought of Casper the friendly ghost, but I wanted to spell it a little differently. I’m white and friendly. Do you play with The Presidents of the United States of America anymore? We will never break up. We did that once, and now we know that’s pointless. We’re just taking a break. We’ve learned the difference between a break and a break-up. We’re going to play the Showbox every year on President’s Day weekend every year until we’re in wheelchairs. That’ll just happen. That will never not happen. Never say never and all that, but I really cannot imagine another Presidents’ album. I just feel like we have enough songs. I mean, how many more ways can you sing about a bug? I’ve pretty much covered every bug I can find. When you add up all the bug songs with The Presidents and Caspar, I’m surprised I have any more bugs left.
Do you ever get fans of The Presidents of the United States of America turning their young children onto Caspar Babypants? Absolutely. I get parents coming up to me after Caspar shows saying, ‘Your record was the first record I ever bought, and now I’m here with my 2month-old, and we’re just keeping it going.’ I love it. You can listen to Caspar Babypants until you’re 6 or 7 and then switch right to The Presidents. There might be a gap between 6 and 10 that I’m not covering. What is the best part of writing and performing Caspar Babypants? There are a couple. My top two favorite parts are, No. 1, writing and recording songs by myself like a sculptor or a painter in the studio. It’s fantastic. I went to art school, and I thought I was going to be an artist, and I like applying that kind of aesthetic to the creation of a song. Then, I like to collaborate with Fred [Northup] and Ron [Hippe] on performance version and get it out in front of the actual kids and feel how it changes and morphs and how it connects to the audience. The second thing I love is how the kids are like little drunk adults. They’re so random and weird. They’ll just walk up and start touching my guitar or turning the pages of my songbook, or talking to me in the middle of a song. Or asking me to play a song that has a title that isn’t any of our songs, and then we’ll make up an entire song, and I’ll say, ‘Is that the song you wanted?’ And they’ll say, ‘No.’ They just are free. Being around that freedom, it’s relaxing.
COMMUNITY
PAGE 16
Events Eastside Mothers and More hosts an American Red Cross talk, for moms only, about disaster preparedness is from 7-9 p.m. May 10 at Eastshore Unitarian Church, Room No. 206, 12700 S.E. 32nd St., Bellevue. Learn more at www.eastsidemothersandmore.org or email info@eastsidemothersandmore.org. The Newcastle Weed Warriors’ next ivy removal project is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 14 at Cross Town Trail, near Newcastle Cemetery, and a Spring Cleanup of Newcastle Cemetery May 21. Download a volunteer form at www.newcastleweedwarriors.org/projects.html. Valley Medical Center Open House, is from 5:30-7:30 p.m. May 12. Light hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be served. Admission is free. Mayor John Dulcich will provide opening remarks and give an update on the library. The medical center is at 400 S. 43rd St. Eastside Mothers and More hosts a discussion about organ donation with LifeCenter Northwest from 7-9 p.m. June 14 at Eastshore Unitarian Church, Room No. 206, 12700 S.E. 32nd St., Bellevue. Learn more at www.eastsidemothersandmore.org or email info@eastsidemothersandmore.org. The Newcastle Chamber
of Commerce lunch meeting is from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. May 11 at Tapatio’s, 6920 Coal Creek Parkway S.E. Cost is $20. Mary Trimarco, from the Washington State Department of Commerce, will be the guest speaker. RSVP by emailing info@newcastlecc.com.
MAY 6, 2011
IN THE SPOTLIGHT Golf Club to host USO happy hour
Public meetings All city public meetings are at City Hall, 13020 Newcastle Way. Call 649-4363. City Hall will be closed May 30 in observance of Memorial Day. ❑ Parks Commission — 6-8 p.m. May 11 ❑ City Council — 7-10 p.m. May 17 ❑ Planning Commission — 68 p.m. May 18 The Newcastle Trails board will hold its May meeting at 7 p.m. May 9 at the Regency Newcastle, 7454 Newcastle Golf Club Road.
Youth The following events take place at the Coal Creek Family YMCA, 13750 Newcastle Golf Club Road. Call 282-1500 or go to www.seattle ymca.org/Locations/CoalCreek/ Pages/Home.aspx. ❑ “Fun With Food: Personal Nachos,” for ages 3-10, 10:30-
Contributed
Vietnam veteran Mike Laws (left) sits with Jackie Foskett, of Healing Hypnotherapy, his wife Mary Laws and Blaine Kinniebrew (from left) at the 2009 USO happy hour event at The Golf Club at Newcastle.
11:30 a.m. May 22, $10 ❑ Family dinners, 5:30-7:30 p.m. May 13, $5 per adult, $3 per child ❑ “Kids Create 3: Hanging Rainbow Fish,” for ages 4-10, is 3:30-4:15 p.m. May 18, $10 ❑ “Itty Bitty Basketball Class,” for ages 3-4, 4:30-5 p.m. and 55:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, and 10:10-11 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, June 630, $35-$53 ❑ “Itty Bitty Basketball Class,” for ages 5-6, 5:30-6 p.m. June 629, $35-$53 ❑ “Tumbling: Mommy/Daddy & Me,” for ages 1-3, 10:45-11:30 a.m., through June 29, $5-$9 ❑ Youth basketball classes, for ages 10-14, 5:15-6 p.m. and for ages 6-9 4:15-5 p.m. Fridays, June 3-24, $23 to $40 ❑ “Youth Flag Football Class,” ages 10-14 5:15-6 p.m. and ages 6-9 4:15-5 p.m. Fridays through May 27, $23 to $40 ❑ Happytalk: Spring Campout
May
2011
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at Orkila, May 20-22, $120, call for details ❑ Tahminawl: Spring Camp at Seymour, May 20-22, $100, call for details ❑ Tykes: Spring Campout at Orkila, May 20-22, $120, call for details
Clubs The Society of Artists for Newcastle, an art organization, is seeking new members. Call 271-5822.
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The Golf Club at Newcastle will host a happy hour for veterans from 4-6 p.m. May 23. Veterans can come enjoy a free drink courtesy of The Newcastle Chamber of Commerce, The Golf Club at Newcastle and various individual supporters. However, all are welcome to attend. There will be several short speeches at 5:30 p.m. The event precedes the USO Golf Tournament and Dinner May 24. This is the third year The Golf Club at Newcastle will host the happy hour and golf tournament. RSVP by emailing chamber of commerce board member John Jensen at rsvp@newcastlecc.com
June
2011
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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 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 2550895. 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 Baha’i Faith of Newcastle, is at 6:30 p.m. the third Friday. Call 430-8047. See CALENDAR, Page 17
Newcastle News
MAY 6, 2011
Calendar From Page 16 Drinking Liberally, an informal progressive social group that discusses politics, meets at 7 p.m. the first and third Thursday at Angelo’s Restaurant, 1830 130th Ave. N.E., Bellevue. Go to www.drinkingliberally.org. Eastside Mothers & More, a social network for mothers, meets from 7-9 p.m. the second Tuesday in the North Room at East Shore Unitarian Church, 12700 S.E. 32nd St., Bellevue. Go to www.eastsidemothersandmore.org. Hill’N Dale Garden Club, meets at 6 p.m. the first Monday September through June at the Newport Way Library, 14250 S.E. Newport Way. Call 2559705.
Seniors Lake Heights Family YMCA Seniors Program has drop-in time Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the YMCA, 12635 S.E. 56th St. in Newport Hills. Have lunch, socialize and have fun. Call 644-8417. Coal Creek Family YMCA Active Older Adult Program, ages 55 and older, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., 13750 Newcastle Golf Club Road, 282-1500 ❑ Open for community ser-
Worship Directory
vice projects, intergenerational projects, crafts, pinochle games, field trips and fellowship; sack lunches are available for a $3 donation. ❑ Refresher bridge class, 10 a.m. to noon Thursdays
Library events The Newport Way Library, 14250 S.E. Newport Way, Bellevue, is closed for expansion. A temporary location in Factoria Mall, 4055 Factoria Mall S.E., Bellevue, is open from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, for hold pickups, returns and a small browsing collection for checkout. Go to the library blog — http://blogs.kcls.org/newportway — for updated information regarding programs, classes and events.
Health Angel Care Breast Cancer Foundation-trained survivors offer free emotional support to the newly diagnosed, enhancing emotional recovery while going through treatments. Go to www.angelcarefoundation.org.
Volunteers The Coal Creek Family YMCA Seniors Program needs volunteers for intergenerational opportunities, including rocking and comforting infants, teaching children to play bridge and reading to kindergartners.
Assembly of God
Messianic
Bahá’í Faith
Christian
Call 282-1506. Newcastle Weed Warriors: Volunteers assist city workers in removing noxious and invasive weeds from Newcastle parks, trails and open spaces. Youth groups, community groups and individuals are invited to participate in monthly environmental stewardship projects. Learn more at www.NewcastleWeedWarriors.org. Newcastle Trails - Trail Advocates and Builders for Newcastle: The group has built and maintained miles of trails for the public throughout the city, and has regular meetings and work parties. Call 453-9292, ext. 110. Learn more at
PAGE 17 www.newcastletrails.org. King County Library System’s Words on Wheels program needs volunteers to select and deliver library materials to homebound patrons. Training is provided. A one-year commitment is required. Volunteers must be at least 18, have their own transportation and be able to pass a Washington State Patrol background check. Call 369-3235. Dependency CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate): Community volunteers advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children in King County. Call 269-3201.
DAWN (Domestic Abused Women’s Network): Provides services to survivors of domestic violence in King County. Call 795-1441. Grace Children’s Charity: Provides essential school supplies for impoverished children. Call 430-0300.
Places to go Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park, on Lakemont Boulevard Southeast, is a 3,000acre park with more than 30 miles of trails and the site of the 1880s coalmines. Go to www.metrokc.gov/parks.
Newcastle News
PAGE 18
Laughing all the way
Sainted, but not perfect By Pat Detmer I’ve written here about my husband, The Sainted One. I told you what a great catch he was, and how he was anointed “Sainted” because I do not carry that moniker and can be a holy handful. He loved the column. Others did, too. Our hairdresser said she wanted to frame the cartoon. Someone recognized him as we waited for our Valentine’s Day table at The Calcutta Grill and suggested that since he was ordained, he could renew their vows. And Dana Sullivan, cartoonist extraordinaire, said (and I quote verbatim): “I think anytime we can poke fun at Fred, we’ll have a better column.” Hmm. And here I thought I’d been turning out pretty decent columns for years without poking fun at Fred. But I get it. If votes were counted tomorrow, The Sainted One would win Mr. Newcastle Congeniality and I most likely would not. But let me tell you
Issaquah Rotary Club honors Liberty students The Rotary Club of Issaquah recently honored the following seniors as its students of the month for March.
Forrest Hurley ❑ School: Liberty High School ❑ Category of recognition: physical education ❑ Parent: Jennene Hurley ❑ Forrest Hurley Sponsoring teacher: Emily Corley
something: He is not perfect. Witness: ❑ He cooks, but does not bake. ❑ If asked to do anything on the home repair front that requires much more than hanging a picture, I will be able to find him by followPat Detmer ing a trail of blood. ❑ He doesn't know how to properly fill a dishwasher, but then I don't know a man who does. ❑ He insists upon opening food boxes on the wrong end, and if you look in our pantry, you'll find that most of our boxed foods are wearing masking tape diapers. ❑ He loses his cellphone earpiece constantly. When he can’t find one, he buys another. Then he finds the one he’s lost. The other day I came home and he
❑ Achievements: lacrosse team captain (two years); varsity athletic letters (track, football) ❑ Activities: FCA president, Link Crew, Associated Student Body Spirit director ❑ Interests: history, aviation ❑ Hobbies: lacrosse, pole vault, snowboarding, football ❑ Future goals: undecided about educational goals; become a pilot
Jessica Warren ❑ School: Liberty High School ❑ Category of recognition: pre-vocational ❑ Parents: Phyllis and Robert Warren ❑ Sponsoring teachers: Nancy Montgomery, Pamela Juretic,
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was charging all of them. Every outlet on the second floor was in use, and lights were surging and dimming all over Newcastle. ❑ He can’t understand why I insist that we do a quarterly garage cleaning. “It’s a garage!” he says, and he takes great glee in pointing out piles of detritus in other Newcastle garages that make it look like the owners are trying out for a “Hoarders” episode. “Look! Look!” he’ll cry. “And you complain about us?” ❑ He loves baseball. I like the faster game of basketball. When we go to a baseball game, I take a book. ❑ Periodically he falls in love with a piece of clothing, and I'm convinced that if that piece of clothing could animate itself, it might replace me. Ten years ago, it was a sweatshirt that became tattered with use. I did an Internet search to find an exact replacement, which we named “Son of Sweatshirt.” Now he’s into a series of sweatpants that he refers to as “Old Man Pants.” I learned long ago not to consign these to the garbage can. I think it might be grounds for divorce. So do you see what I have to put up with? Sainted, yes. But perfect? Well ... almost. You can reach Pat Detmer — lucky Pat Detmer — at patdetmer@aol.com.
Debbie Sutton and Andy Fickert ❑ Achievements: 3.714 grade point average; first place Pro Start Restaurant Management Competition ❑ Activities: three years of culinary arts; Culinary Arts Management Team (2009); volunteer for catering events ❑ Hobbies: reading, movies, collecting Jessica Warren records ❑ Outside school affiliations: Wilton’s cake classes ❑ Future goals: Renton Tech for baking/candy making; professional baker
Newcastle students named to UW dean’s list These students from the Newcastle area have been named to the dean’s list at the University of Washington for the winter quarter: Dylan Bussone, Lauren Colyer, Bernard Ellouk, Jaroslava Gurthova, Diana Hu, Victoria Hupf, Dylane Jacobs, Rebecca Lau, Mary Lebeau, Kendrick Lentini, Jessica Li, Jiaqi Liang, Meng-Ching Liang, Paul Nichols, Brandon Nudelman, Laura Pattison, Jeremy Powers, Anisha Prasad, Rebecca Queitzsch, Joshua Smithrud, Alyssa Spencer, Teodora Stoica, Emily Strom, Dennis Tat, Nathan Tat, Diem To, Sam Trautman, Nichole Tyler, Solomon Waldbaum and James Wang. To qualify, students must
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have completed at least 12 graded credits and have a grade point average of at least 3.5.
Rotary Club of Renton honors Hazen student Michelle Wnek, a senior at Hazen High School, was recently honored as the Rotary Club of Renton’s student of the month. Michelle Wnek While maintaining a 3.6 grade point average, Wnek has been involved in National Honor Society, Key Club (vice president), orchestra, drama, Hazen Happenings (public relations office) and Ignite. Wnek also participates in cross country and basketball and is the captain of the track and field team. She has received varsity letters, a sportsmanship award and Top Newcomer Award for basketball, and a scholar athlete award. In addition, she received first place in the school’s science fair. Wnek works part time at Osh Kosh B’gosh and volunteers with Newcastle Weed Warriors, Cross Country Running Club and Saint Matthews Community Program. Wnet plans to attend the University of Washington to study politics and international studies. She is interested in becoming an ambassador or diplomat.
Newcastle News
MAY 6, 2011
Theater helps performer connect to audience, life By Laura Geggel Budding actress Savannah Freese openly shares her experiences of living with Asperger’s syndrome and depression. Like a star accepting an award, the 19-year-old is quick to thank her greatest supporters — her family and friends — and she pours accolades on Liberty High School’s drama program, the conduit of her success. “I don’t know if I would have lived if it hadn’t been for drama,” Freese said. As a child, she felt introverted and shy. Making friends was difficult, especially when her family moved from Buckley in rural King County to Texas and then to Issaquah as a young girl. She felt disconnected at Maywood Middle School, and spent most of her time staring into space. Depressed, she visited the school counselor almost daily. “It was helpful a little bit because I was able to get everything out,” Freese said. In eighth grade, she received the Asperger’s diagnosis. Suddenly, her life made more sense. Reading social situations could be hard for her, and she then knew it was not her fault. Asperger’s can make social interaction awkward and difficult. Public school did not work well for her, so Freese’s family enrolled her in online classes for her freshman year, a grade she ended up repeating at Liberty when the Web didn’t engage her, either. “I was very apprehensive at first,” Freese said. “I didn’t want to go back to public school.” In spite of her reluctance, Liberty was where she found her lifeline. Drama queen Freese had enjoyed drama classes since her years in Texas, and decided to take it at Liberty with teacher Katherine Klekas. Though still quiet, Freese found herself pushed out of her bubble, talking with other drama students and playing intriguing characters. “I liked it because it’s a chance to pretend to be something I’m not,” she said. “At the time, it was an escape for me. Not only do you forget your problems, but you problemsolve through theirs” — the character onstage. Still, it was not easy sailing from the get go. During one rehearsal, Freese had not memorized her lines, and Klekas let her know that negligence was not acceptable. Although embarrassed at first, Freese learned not to take the criticism personally. “She wasn’t trying to get me
upset,” she said. “She just wanted me to learn my lines.” Freese embraced her roles and began making friends with her fellow Savannah actors. She Freese and the Patriot Players formed dozens of personal jokes, the kind that take a simmering relationship into a roaring boil of laughter and friendship. One time, she and another girl were playing old men, and could barely contain themselves when they rehearsed their “old men walking fast” routine, Freese said. After rehearsal, actors would sing “All You Need is Love,” or they would fall into a heap they called the “cuddle puddle.” Freese learned how to handle her Asperger’s better, though she still struggled as a teenager. Sometimes, she is quick to anger, but now she knows how to keep herself from flying off the handle by giving people fair warning, saying, “OK, I am about to snap. I need you to back off.” Her friends, aware of her diagnosis, help her when they can. She “goes through periods that because of her Asperger’s she gets really down about stuff, so I try to stay as a source of support,” Liberty junior Fiona Kine said. Klekas said it’s in the nature of most drama students to accept others. “It’s like kind of a part of their identity to accept people regardless of their identity,” she said. “They stick together pretty well and treat each other pretty well.” Freese agreed with her teacher’s assessment. “People in drama are just so darn friendly,” she said. Growing onstage Even though Freese had made strides against her depression, she still suffers from it. There are mornings she did not want to get out of bed, and once she misses one class, she is loath to go to school. “I hate the feeling of walking in late,” she said. “I’d rather miss class.” Again, drama provided her the support she needed, said her mother, Cynthia Freese. “I’ll never forget the day my daughter wouldn’t get out of bed and Ms. Klekas called and said, ‘We need her,’” she said. Cynthia Freese put her daughter on the phone, and
within minutes, the teenager was preparing for school. Savannah Freese said she went because, “I knew she was depending on me and I knew she trusted me and I just can’t say no to that.” Just as athletes have to keep up their grades to play on team sports, actors have to maintain certain grade point averages to audition for drama. Often, Savannah Freese would bring up her grades just enough to audition, and then let them slip. She is focused, her mother said, and once she starts a project she wants to finish it. But Liberty’s block schedule of eight classes was too overwhelming. This year, Savannah Freese is doing Running Start at Bellevue College, and excelling in her three classes per quarter. Since starting drama, she has worked on goal setting. Once she graduates, she wants to write and travel to Japan so she can practice her Japanese. Landing the lead Freese is incredibly creative, according to her friend, Liberty senior Kelsey Canaga. “We like writing plays and doing role-playing on pieces of writing back and forth,” Canaga said. “We make characters and stories and it’s so awesome because we get to stretch our imagination.” Freese stretched her own imagination, and came away with the prize. She wanted to play the lead in the musical “Drood.” As Edwin Drood, she would play a woman who plays a man — essentially a play within a play. Though she describes herself as a tomboy, Freese began wearing high heels and skirts, and worked even harder in her singing lessons so she could land the role. After auditioning, “I still remember very clearly receiving the cast list,” she said. She lay on the couch, iPhone in hand, and uploaded the website with the cast list. She started at the bottom of the page, and slowly scrolled to the top, looking for her name. She screamed when she saw her name at the top. She was playing Edwin Drood. Grabbing her phone, Freese called Canaga and Kine, and soon all of them were screaming. “We were like, ‘Yes! If there is one thing in the world to happen, that is the thing,’” Canaga said. In the four years of their friendship, Canaga said she has watched Freese emerge from her shell. Before, Freese could barely talk to anybody. Then, she would only talk with her friends. “This year, we got a new cast member and she started talking to him and just being herself,” Canaga said. “When she gets to be herself, that is an amazing thing.”
PAGE 19
Contributed
Sydney Dalry, 10, collected and donated about $500 worth of pet supplies and donated them to the Seattle Humane Society.
Local 10-year-old donates $500 in pet supplies to humane society By Tim Pfarr For Sydney Dalry, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals commercials were too much to handle. The sad faces of the cats and dogs made the Apollo Elementary School fourth-grader want to make a difference. “I saw the animals, and I wanted to help them,” she said. “Some animals just don’t quite make it.” She wanted to volunteer at the Seattle Humane Society, but was told she was too young. Her next idea was to collect donations instead of gifts for her 10th birthday in February. Her mother, Andrea Dalry, suggested she do a community outreach project instead, because it would allow her to reach beyond her friends. Sydney collected cat and dog food, toys, towels, brushes and leashes during the first three weeks in February, using a Facebook page to spread the
word. In all, Andrea Dalry estimated Sydney collected about $500 worth of pet supplies. Sydney also held a work party with her friends to create catnip toys out of baby booties. Sydney said she loved seeing the smiles on the faces of those who donated and knowing she made a difference. “It felt really good inside,” she said. “Just the way I felt, I want to do it again and again, and encourage others to do it, too.” Sydney delivered the supplies to the Seattle Humane Society March 28, and she was given a certificate of appreciation in return. “It’s just so rewarding to see her so kind-hearted towards the animals,” Andrea Dalry said. “Seeing her so motivated, it’s just very rewarding.” Next year, Sydney hopes to hold another donation drive, possibly using a donation barrel to help with her collections.
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PAGE 20
SCHOOLS
MAY 6, 2011
Hazelwood Elementary School seeks volunteers for bicycle safety courses Hazelwood Elementary School is seeking volunteers to assist in bicycle safety courses this month. Thanks to a grant from the county, the school received 30 bicycles and helmets for most of the month, as well as a basic curriculum that teaches students to ride safe and smart. The school’s fourth- and fifthgraders will use the bikes during physical education from 1:303:10 p.m. on select days through May 20. The school is seeking two to four volunteers to help students learn to ride and fix helmets, and understand the curriculum.
Hazelwood raises $5,500 for cancer research
By Tim Pfarr
A group of preschoolers sit and listen to McKnight Middle School eighth-grader Kiet To read ‘How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You?’ April 14 at Hillcrest Early Childhood Center.
Bringing to life the once upon a time McKnight students read picture books to rapt preschoolers By Tim Pfarr Reading aloud takes a lot of practice, and students in Zer Vue’s reading class at McKnight Middle School are getting a lot of it. About 40 of her students split into pairs and read aloud to classes at nearby Hillcrest Early Childhood Center. It went so well that Hillcrest officials asked the students to return each month. “The first reading went better than expected for most students,” said Vue, whose students are two or more years behind in their reading abilities. “They were nervous about reading to others, and then after the initial experience, they felt relieved and excited to do it again.” Each student read a children’s book to a class of between five and 12 preschoolers, concluding each story by asking the younger students basic reading-comprehension questions. The preschoolers and the middle school students both enjoy the now-monthly activity. “It boosts my confidence to read to little kids,” McKnight eighth-grader Kathy Ton said. “Maybe when I’m older and I’m giv-
By Tim Pfarr
Kathy Ton, a McKnight Middle School eightgrader, reads Kevin Henkes’ book ‘A Good Day.’ ing a presentation I’ll feel a little bit more comfortable because I had this experience.” Ton read “A Good Day,” by Kevin Henkes, when she visited Teresa Rishel’s preschool class April 14. After reading each page, she took time to show the pictures to the preschoolers, who sat around her in a circle.
The students choose their own books to read, selecting from books from local libraries or books Vue or the classroom paraprofessional bring into class. Ton said the library was helpful when it came to picking a good book to read aloud. “I went through a bunch of books and looked at which ones are colorful with good pictures and have words that they can see too,” she said. Eighth-grader Kiet To joined Ton in Rishel’s class April 14. He read “How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You?” by Jane Yolen. He said the key in picking a book was finding one that young children find interesting and can understand. “I looked through the book, and looked through the detail and kind of imagine that I’m a kid,” To said. “What do I want to hear?” Vue said the short monthly field trips to Hillcrest have been a year in the making. She wanted to start the program during the 2009-2010 school year, but she was new to the school and didn’t have the know-how to make it a reality. However, after networking and coordinating with McKnight Principal Mary Merritt, the program came together. It is now going wonderfully, Vue said. As they continue their monthly visits, students may add small activities to the series of questions they ask after reading. “I wanted to reintroduce kids to the love of books,” Vue said about her students. “It reassures them that they can build confidence. We do as much as we can to build fluency and confidence.”
Students at Hazelwood Elementary School raided their piggy banks to raise more than $5,500 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society during the school’s Pennies for Patients campaign from March 8-28. The Hazelwood Student Council sponsored the campaign, and the students’ efforts allowed the school to blow past its $2,500 goal. Lynn Maybee’s fourth-grade class alone raised more than $800, and the students were rewarded with a pasta dinner.
VFW honors Hazelwood teachers Hazelwood Elementary School teachers Lisa Moland and Lynn Maybee recently received the Hazelwood chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Teacher of the Year awards. The organization presented the teachers with the awards at a special ceremony.
Liberty High School senior wins National Merit scholarship The National Merit Scholarship Foundation in April named Liberty High School Jay Chakravarty as the recipient of a Jay Chakravarty National Merit Boeing scholarship. The company awards scholarships to children of employees. Chakravarty, who was also named Liberty High School’s male athlete of the year, will likely pursue a law degree in college.
Newcastle News
MAY 6, 2011
PAGE 21
Film production class turning out the next generation of directing dreamers By Tim Pfarr Roll out the red carpet, hit the spotlights and flash the cameras, because students at Newcastle Elementary School have footage in the can. Five years ago, the school launched its Video Production Club. It has since become one of the most popular groups on campus. More than 50 students applied for the 25 spots in the club this year to learn the basics of filmmaking, from storyboarding to completion. The projects help the students work better in teams, learn how to tells stories in creative ways, acquire new skills and identify their own strengths within the medium, said MJ Keller, fourthgrade teacher and club leader. The club is offered to fourthand fifth-graders twice a year, with meetings every Thursday morning before school for 10-12 weeks. By the end of a given session, students complete a film between five and 20 minutes long, and they use their final meeting to roll out a red carpet — literally — and screen their work for parents. This spring’s session includes 16 students, who split into groups of four to six to create their own film projects under the guidance of a teacher. Past projects include fairy tale news, twisted fairy tales, Newcastle ABCs and music videos. This time around, students are recreating picture books on camera, with groups taking on “I Can Be Anything,” by Jerry Spinelli; “Knuffle Bunny Too,” by Mo Williams; and “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day,” by Judith Viorst. For each of the roughly 20 scenes that make up each project, the students in each group divide the duties of acting, filming, directing and props. After mapping out on paper what each scene will look like, the students take to the cameras, filming several scenes around the school during a given hourlong meeting. “Some will flourish during this part, and some will flourish during the computer side of things,” Keller said. While filming each scene, the director calls “quiet on the set”
and then “action.” In accordance with typical filming technique, the students wait five seconds after starting the camera to begin acting, which helps in postproduction. Among those who love the process of filming are fifth-grader Dylan Strode and fourth-grader Lili Galluzzo. For Strode, in the club for his second year, the most fun is in using the equipment and going on camera. “At home, I don’t get to, because we don’t have this stuff,” he said. “I like acting. Filming and acting is way easier that it seems.” Galluzzo said she loves working the camera, as well as the bloopers of acting. “I like acting out the stuff because of how funny the stuff can be,” she said. “Sometimes you start laughing, and you just can’t stop.” Others enjoy the creative outlet of building props. Fourthgrader Jana Merca brings her scrap-booking skills to the club. “I get to make really fun props,” she said. Her creations — such as top hats and snowballs — have been used in numerous scenes in her group’s recreation of “I Can Be Anything.” It usually requires a few takes to get the dialogue down and the scene just right. Then, it’s off to the editing station — the computer at the front of the classroom. Students use the program Vegas Movie Studio to string their projects together and add the finishing touches. “It’s the first time we’ve tried picture books,” Keller said. “It’s interesting to try to bring somebody else’s words to life.” She said this spring’s projects have required nearly 100 props, compared to just a handful used when making music videos in the past. Keller, along with fellow teachers Kelly Goddard, Mariel Hanna and Mary Simonsen, lead the club, offering help and advice when the students need it, but staying out of the way as much as possible. “My first year, I had never filmed or edited anything,” Goddard said with a laugh. She is now in her fifth year leading
Photos by Tim Pfarr
Gabriel Waldbaum, Jessica Robblee and Jana Merca (from left) recreate a scene from Jerry Spinelli’s picture ‘I Can Be Anything.’ Fourth-grade teacher MJ Keller, right, gave the group tips between takes.
the club. “I’ve learned a lot about technology.” She said the students are incredibly quick to learn the editing software, often leaving the teachers in the dust. Keller said sometimes students even end up instructing the teachers on how to edit. “When it comes to the editing, they outpace us,” she said. The day of the red carpet premier, parents and school staff members come to Keller’s room to view the finished product for the first time, and then the videos are screened at lunch for the entire school. “The rest of the school loves watching them,” Keller said. “I think this is especially true for the third-graders, because that could be them next year.” She said the videos typically turn out better than expected, although bloopers often prove to be the biggest hits. “Sometimes, they are only funny to the kids,” Keller said. “Others hit the funny bone of the adults, too.”
Above left, Dylan Strode (center) takes charge as a videographer and Holly Rice (right) directs a scene while recreating Mo Williams’ book ‘Knuffle Bunny Too.’ Above right, Jessica Robblee and Jana Merca had to climb on a table to get the shot they wanted for the scene.
PAGE 22
SPORTS
MAY 6, 2011
Liberty High School junior is a triple-threat athlete By Tim Pfarr For as long as he can remember, Liberty High School wrestler Hamilton Noel has learned from the best. His father, Wright Noel, was a state championship high school wrestler and an NCAA First-Team All-American wrestler at Brigham Young University. With the lessons learned from his father — and his own strength and determination — Hamilton Noel took second place in his weight class at the state wrestling championships for the past two years. Building on the foundation of wrestling, Hamilton — now a high school junior — has become a dangerous football player and a dominating trackand-field athlete. “It’s a competitive-natured sport, and if you bring that to other sports, it helps,” Hamilton said about wrestling. He said that applies both mentally and physically, and the physical core strength gained in wrestling provides a solid physical foundation for other sports. His supreme drive has earned him widespread respect at Liberty. “He’s very highly respected by players, teachers and coaches,” Liberty football coach Steve Valach said. “You’d have to stretch a long way to find somebody who would have something bad to say about Hamilton.” A record that speaks for itself Hamilton Noel first began wrestling with his brothers at home before joining his middle school wrestling team. He was on the track-and-field team throughout middle school, and joined the football
By Sebastian Moraga
Hamilton Noel, Liberty High School junior (above), has the top position on Enumclaw’s Josh Musick early in their 152-pound state 3A championship match Feb. 19 at the Tacoma Dome. At right, Noel leaves the starting blocks for a relay race April 14. team in eighth grade, thanks to encouragement from his friends. When he started high school, he went straight to the varsity wrestling squad, taking to the 135-pound weight class. He finished the season with a 25-9 record, advancing to the Mat Classic state tournament in the Tacoma Dome. He won his first match in the tournament 14-1, but he lost his second match in triple overtime and his third by just four points, which ended his championship run. With just one more win, he would
have placed in the top eight in the state. By his sophomore year, Hamilton had moved to the 145-pound weight class, improving his record to 30-5 and again advancing to the state tournament, and falling just six points short of a championship. He further improved his record to 33-2 his junior year, advancing to the championship match again but failing to win by four points. Hamilton also competed in this year’s National High School Coaches Association High School Wrestling
Nationals Championship in Virginia from March 29 to April 3. Noel wrestled in five matches, boasting a 3-2 record against the county’s strongest. He fell just short of placing. Early in his high school career, Hamilton worked his way through the football program, advancing to the varsity team his junior year, getting considerSee NOEL, Page 23
Hazen sports blaze through spring Liberty High School track and field on the back of loaded baseball team athletes set records throughout April By Tim Pfarr Hazen High School’s baseball was red hot through April, going 7-2 during the month to finish its season with a 13-3 overall record and a 12-2 conference record. The team was awaiting results from Lindbergh High School’s final two games May 4, which was after Newcastle News’ deadline, to find out if it would be crowned Seamount Champions for the year. Hazen’s boys soccer team — now under the direction of coach Ken Matthews, the school’s girls soccer coach — went 2-3-1 in April, bringing its overall record to 5-6-1 and its conference record to 5-4-1. The Highlanders are third in the Seamount League behind Kennedy Catholic and Highline high schools. Meanwhile, numerous athletes on the track and field team set new school records. On the baseball diamond, Hazen outscored its opponents 95-26 in April. Thanks to that strong performance, the Highlanders clinched the Seamount 3A No. 1 seed heading into the postseason,
which begins May 6 with a seeding round. Hazen will likely play Enumclaw High School in a battle for the top spot heading into the district tournament. Although Lindbergh is still in contention for the Seamount League title, it will compete in the 2A playoffs. A diverse group of athletes led the Highlanders through each game, baseball coach Gary Jacobs said. “From one day to the next, we have a different group of guys that step up,” he said. “We have a big, strong, fast team that’s capable of scoring a lot of runs in a lot of different ways.” Senior team captains Jeffrey Beckman (catcher, shortstop and pitcher) and Travis Johnson (third base and shortstop) have been impact players, as have junior Zach Kolterman (first baseman and pitcher) and junior Jimmy Schmidt (pitcher and outfielder). On the soccer field, Hazen tied Kennedy Catholic at 0 and snatched games from Highline, 2-0, and Renton High School, 3-1, at the beginning of the month. At the end of the month, the team dropped three straight games, See HAZEN, Page 24
By Tim Pfarr Liberty High School’s track and field team set several new school records in April, overshadowing what was a mostly gloomy month for other spring sports. Liberty’s baseball team went 4-8 in April, bringing its conference record to 3-8 and its overall record to 6-10. The softball team went 4-5 in April, bringing its conference record to 5-6 and its overall record to 6-6. The boys soccer team went 2-5-1 for the month, bringing its conference record to 3-7-2 and its overall record to 4-8-2. In track and field, junior Josh Gordon led the way, setting three personal records in the long jump, beginning with a 22-foot, 7-inch jump April 8 at the Arcadia Invitational just outside Pasadena, Calif. He followed up the performance with a 22-foot, 8.5-inch jump April at the Eason Invitational at Snohomish High School, and a monstrous 23-foot, 7.5-inch jump at the Viking Relays April 23 at Curtis High School in University Place. The latter was the longest jump recorded by a 3A athlete in the state this year.
Senior Madison Birdsall followed Gordon’s lead, setting school records in the 400-meter April 21 and 28 with times of 58.7 seconds and 58.3 seconds, respectively. The latter set a state 3A record for the year. Meanwhile, junior Hamilton Noel set a school and state 3A record for the year with a 13-foot, 6-inch pole vault. Sophomore Rachel Shaw became the second Liberty runner to ever break 12 minutes in the 3,200-meter, recording a time of 11 minutes, 53.96 seconds. Liberty track and field also competed in the Issaquah School District meet May 5, after Newcastle News’ deadline. The team will next compete in the KingCo 3A championship meet at 3 p.m. May 11 at Juanita High School in Kirkland. Liberty’s softball team was in fifth place in the 3A KingCo conference as of the News’ May 3 deadline. Liberty’s soccer team was in sixth place and the baseball team was in seventh place. The soccer team started off April with a bang, whipping past Lake Washington High School with a 4-0 victory. However, See LIBERTY, Page 24
Newcastle News
MAY 6, 2011
Noel From Page 22 able playing time as a fullback, outside linebacker and safety. “It’s a great team sport. I really like the coaches,” he said about Liberty’s football program. “Games are obviously super fun.” In his junior season, Noel had 69 carries for 616 yards — an average of 8.9 yards per carry. His longest run was 77 yards, and he recorded six touchdowns. Defensively, he racked up 44 tackles — the second-most on the team — and a team-leading four interceptions. Valach said Hamilton is a quiet leader, although one with tremendous heart. “The best thing about Hamilton is he leads by example,” Valach said. “He’s not only tough and determined, he’s really talented. He’s a guy that lets his plays speak for him.” Hamilton took his freshman year off from track and field, and when he joined the team his sophomore year, he finished ninth in state in the pole vault with a 12-foot 6-inch leap. He also ran in the 100-meter and 200-meter sprints. This year, he dropped the individual sprints to join the team’s 4x400 relay team with Joshua Gordon, Hiron Redmon and Devin Bennett. The team runs the event in 3 minutes, 32.5 seconds — the third-fastest time in the state. “He’s like a cannonball. He’s just solid,” Liberty track-andfield coach Mike Smith said. “Hamilton, not even training with the runners, blasts one of the fastest 400s on the team.” Smith said the team also had to buy new, stronger poles to accommodate Hamilton’s everincreasing strength. “He’s just gotten so strong that we didn’t have anything that he could use,” he said. A family affair Wright and Hamilton Noel are not the only ones in the family who know how to wrestle. Hamilton’s brothers — Wright Jr., 19, and Romney, 14 — also began wrestling informally at home before joining teams in middle school. “It started as young boys just rolling around on the carpet,” said Wright Noel, an assistant coach for the Liberty wrestling team. “With three young boys, there’s a lot of rolling around on the carpet.” As the boys grew older, Wright began joining in on the wrestling, which he said now takes place whenever somebody wants somebody else to move out of the way. Hamilton agreed. “It’s pretty much always a wrestling match around the house,” he said. However, Wright Noel has an
advantage of 35 pounds and more than 20 years of experience. “Hamilton is very gifted. The sport is natural for him, but I’ve been doing it a lot longer,” Wright Noel said with a laugh. “I have a lot of tricks.” When Hamilton reached high school, he spent two years wrestling alongside his older brother. Wright Jr. qualified for the state tournament while at Liberty, but he never placed in the top eight. At first, Wright Noel said there used to be tension between the boys when one would do better than the other, but the relationship has since matured. “Now I think Wright is Hamilton’s biggest fan,” Wright Noel said about his sons. “One of the reasons Hamilton is as good as he is is because of his brother. He wanted to keep up with his brother.” Wright continues to coach on the Liberty team, but he said he will always be a father first and coach second, and he tries to not bring his coaching duties home with him at night.
A big senior year ahead On the football team this fall, Hamilton may take the role of the team’s leading rusher, since running back Chandler Jenkins will graduate in June. “Certainly when we talk about running the football, he’ll be the backfield,” Valach said. However, Valach said Hamilton will continue to be a key defensive and special teams player as well. Defensively, he will continue to drop back as a safety on coverage plays and creep up as a linebacker on fourlinebacker formations. “He’s the kind of guy when you think, ‘If we have 11 Hamilton Noels out there, who’s going to beat us?’” Valach said. “Wrestlers are so dog garn tough that they can do pretty much anything.” On the mat, Hamilton said he hopes to win a state championship, and Liberty wrestling coach Manny Brown will be there to help get there. “He’s determined. He loves the sport,” Brown said. “He’s just an athlete no matter what he does, and he wants to be the best at it.”
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PAGE 23 Brown said he will need to seek tough competition for Hamilton next year. “Every time I’ve got to schedule something, I’ve got to think kind of in 3-D,” he said. “I can take the team here, but I’ve got to send Hamilton there.” He said he hopes to give Hamilton enough competition next year that he has at least one loss during the season. “Not that I want him to lose,
but I want him to be able to challenge himself,” Brown said. “It really helps mentally. You’re not going to win every match, not going to win every point. It preps you mentally to know how far your body can go.” He said Hamilton Noel will be the team captain next year, as he was in the 2010-2011 season. “He’s just a natural athlete,” Brown said. “You don’t run into those every day.”
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Newcastle News
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Hazen From Page 22 falling to Foster High School, 10; Highline, 1-0; and Kennedy Catholic, 4-0. The team finished its season against Highline on May 5, also after the News’ deadline. With a win, the team would advance to the playoffs. Get results from the game at www.newcastlenews.com. Matthews took over as coach April 7 after former coach Rich Gouk resigned. Matthews said the team has been playing well, but many shots haven’t fallen. “If we ever get that ball in the net, we’re going to start scoring,” he said. He said many shots on goal have bounced off the goal post. “We’re very capable of doing it,” Matthews said about scoring. “When we lost to Highline, we outshot them 10-1.” The team was further at a disadvantage for the final three games of the month when both of its goalkeepers were out with scheduling conflicts. Senior defender Alex Bailey and sophomore defender Eddie Timm volunteered to step into the goal box. Senior midfielder Jonathan Bettencourt leads the team in scoring with four goals, and sophomore forward Samuel Bunnell and junior defender Frankie Johnson lead the team with three assists each. Bunnell also has three goals.
Although many shots haven’t fallen, Matthews said Bunnell and fellow midfielder Jordan Lewison, a junior, have been hard at work. “They’re working their tails off to get that ball in the net,” he said Matthews said he hopes to be the team’s permanent coach. In track and field, Lloyd Byram set a new school record in the 3,200-meter with a time of 10 minutes, 18.64 seconds at the Eason Invitational at Snohomish High School on April 16. Junior Sarah Schoville also set a school record in the 100meter, 33-inch hurdles, recording a time of 16.50 seconds. Keith Beasley, Travis Lily, Daniel Huie and Daniel Karpman also set a school record in the distance medley, which combines the 400-, 800-, 1,200and 1,600-meter events. The group recorded a time of 11:19.88, beating the previous record by nearly 11 minutes. Get updates about all of Hazen’s spring sports playoffs at www.newcastle-news.com.
Liberty From Page 22 after a 1-0 loss to Juanita High School and a 1-1 tie with Interlake High School, the team dropped four straight games. The team finished the month with a 1-0 win over Juanita. The Patriots took on Mercer Island High School May 3, also after the News’ deadline. Head coach Darren Tremblay said the loss against Juanita early in the month was a head-scratcher. It marked the Rebels’ first con-
MAY 6, 2011 ference win of the season. “It was a tough loss,” he said. “I really thought we played well enough to win the game. We just couldn’t put the ball in the net.” The Patriots outshot the rebels 10-2 in the contest, and the Rebels’ goal came from a penalty shot with 15 minutes left in the game. Senior forward Aaron Potoshnik leads the team with five goals for the year, followed by senior midfielder Blake Kessler, senior midfielder Danny Dapper and senior midfielder Riley Mackey. Kessler leads the team with five assists.
Liberty’s soccer team wraps up its season with a match against Interlake on the road May 6. Get updates about all of Liberty’s spring sports playoffs at www.newcastle-news.com.