Agencies eye adding pedestrian access to Hazelwood Page 20
Local athlete prepares for Ironman World Championship Page 19
‘Do not pass’ sign to be added to Newcastle Way bus stop
October 7, 2011 VOL. 10, NO. 10
Schools funding School Board delays bond ballot question. Page 2
Police blotter Page 9
By Christina Lords
Incumbent councilwomen Lisa Jensen and Carol Simpson and incumbent Deputy Mayor Steve Buri have filed to run Frank Irigon for re-election this fall in their respective positions. Each will be unopposed on the November ballot. “If we reorganize and get rid of some of directors or man-
New “do not pass” street signage will be added within the next two weeks near the bus stop on Newcastle Way near the Coal Creek Parkway intersection in an effort to warn drivers not to pass buses loading and unloading passengers there. The Newcastle City Council voted Sept. 6 to add the sign after members of the community, the council and the city’s Public Works Department expressed concern about drivers performing the dangerous, illegal lane changes. The sign will be installed in the landscape strip on the north side of Newcastle Way before the bus stop. “We’ve heard from council members who feel strongly that there is a safety issue here,” Councilman Sonny Putter said. “It would be inappropriate for us to do nothing.” The council opted out of Public Works Director Mark Rigos’ additional preferred alternative of adding about 10 mounted plastic traffic delineators along the route to create a physical barrier for motorists attempting to pass the bus. Alternatives considered by the council also included increased police presence in the area, installing curbing along the route or taking no action on the issue. Rigos said drivers who pass the bus illegally could ultimately cause a dangerous a head-on collision. A $1,000 traffic study was conducted by consulting engineers to determine options to address the problem, and the sign and its installation should cost about $500, Rigos said. Drivers have a tendency to leave the westbound travel lane to pass the stopped bus — which blocks the traffic lane and bike lane because there is
See ELECTION, Page 5
See BUS STOP, Page 5
Home & Garden Recycling is not limited to just aluminum cans. Page 10
Football in the balance Liberty, Hazen teams line up efforts for post season. Page 18
By Greg Farrar
A bite of Newcastle Days Fearless children brave a ravenous alligator, one of the inflatable bouncing rooms, obstacle courses and slides at the 17th annual Newcastle Days community celebration at Lake Boren Park. See more photos on Page 3.
You should know The city of Newcastle has dimensional and location requirements for all political signs during an election cycle. Learn more about the do’s and don’ts of election signage at the city’s website at www.ci.newcastle.wa.us and click the election signage brochure tab under the “what’s new?” section on the main page.
Contact us: newcastle@isspress.com 392-6434, ext. 239
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Longtime Newcastle residents square off in contested race All budgetary options on table as candidates vie for council spot By Christina Lords As the city prepares to hammer out its 2012 budget in midOctober, the two men running for the only contested seat on the City Council say all options are on the table to combat continued decreases projected for the city’s revenue streams. Gordon Bisset, who dominated the Aug. 16 primary by gathering 70 percent of the
votes, said the city must focus on its true needs, not its wants — even if that means laying off some of its staff. Bisset faces Gordon Bisset Frank Irigon for the Position 4 seat on the council in November. The winner of the general election will replace longtime Councilman Sonny Putter, who was elected to the council in 1994.
Newcastle News
PAGE 2
OCTOBER 7, 2011
Issaquah School Board delays bond ballot question Project priorities are also shuffled By Tom Corrigan After roughly four hours of discussion, the Issaquah School Board voted 4-1 to place a revamped $219 million capital improvement bond package before voters. But in a decision that came earlier in the course of their regular Sept. 28 meeting, the board voted unanimously to mount the levy in April instead of February as previously planned. The issue will appear on ballots for an April 17 election. In 2014, voters also may decide a capital improvement levy — not a bond issue — to pay for some items removed from the original proposal for the 2012 bond question. The board moved the coming bond issue to April basically at the request of the bond campaign committee, Volunteers for Issaquah Schools. “They came and said, essentially, ‘We would like more time,’” board member Brian Deagle said. “That carries a lot of weight with me.” Board President Jan Colbrese said the change would allow the campaign to become better organized. Board member Chad
Magendanz said moving the issue to April would avoid potential conflicts with coming holidays. As for the removal of certain items from the bond package, that move came largely at the request of Deagle, though he received support from Magendanz and board member Marnie Maraldo. Deagle argued that for certain seemingly routine maintenance items, the district should be using a “pay-as-you-go” approach. But even setting aside what he saw as a common-sense policy, Deagle and others said using a levy ultimately would save the district interest dollars. “At the end of the day, there are things we shouldn’t be borrowing money to do,” he said. When using bond financing, the district sells bonds to pay for projects, and then pays that money back — with interest — over time using tax dollars. Using levy financing, the board collects tax dollars and then pays for projects upfront. Some board members and Jacob Kuper, district chief of finance and operations, said the district has bonded out maintenance items in the past. “Historically, it sounds silly to bond carpet,” Kuper said. But he added that in this case, plans call for the pur-
chase of millions of dollars in carpeting. Board member Suzanne Weaver had another objection to a capital improvement levy. A sizable district operating levy expires in the next few years. Officials almost certainly will be asking for renewal of that levy. Weaver expressed fears that adding to the cost of that levy with maintenance projects would make it a harder sell with voters. In the end, in a 3-2 vote, the board approved moving some items from the bond package to a capital levy, though not all levy details were finalized. Colbrese and Weaver cast the votes against the capital levy. Even after spending hours debating the idea of a capital levy, board members moved forward with finalizing a bond package for April. The board spent roughly two additional hours in discussion about various pieces of the proposal. Some projects received more attention than others, including plans to rebuild Tiger Mountain Community High School along with Issaquah Middle School and Clark Elementary School. In the original bond proposal put forth by Superintendent Steve Rasmussen, the total cost of the interrelated Tiger Mountain projects was $86 mil-
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lion. Initially, Deagle pushed for removal of the package saying the improvements to Tiger Mountain were not worth the price tag. He said while the changes were intended in part to allow better educational programming at Tiger Mountain, that programming has not been planned. Kuper said the issue was kind of a “chicken and egg thing,” noting some planning couldn’t logically be completed until new facilities are in place. Other board members argued improvements to the aging Issaquah Middle School couldn’t wait. Maraldo said the projects might not move forward immediately even if a bond is approved, giving time for the development of new educational programs. Although no specific vote was taken, Deagle backed off the issue, stating the majority of the board seemed to support moving forward with rebuilding the three schools. Deagle also led a somewhataborted charge to slash improvements to athletic stands at Issaquah High School. Rasmussen’s bond package included work to stadiums at Issaquah, Liberty and Skyline high schools. Deagle said the facilities at Skyline and Liberty
On the Web Find a complete list of bond projects on the Issaquah School District’s website at www.issaquahwednet.edu.
are substandard and clearly need replacing. But he argued that is not the case at Issaquah High. After attending the recent Issaquah-Skyline football game at Issaquah High, Deagle said he found the environment “perfect.” Some board members, as well as audience members, disagreed. Audience members reported long lines to get into the Issaquah stadium prior to major football games and said fans had to show up hours prior to kickoff in order to get a seat. In the end, the board agreed to scaled-down improvements at Issaquah, improvements that will still greatly increase stadium seating capacity. The board voted on the amended bond package at about 11 p.m. With no public comment, Magendanz cast the only negative vote. The district has posted a complete list of bond projects on its website. Learn more at www.issaquahwednet.edu.
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Newcastle News
OCTOBER 7, 2011
City to host annual town hall meeting The city of Newcastle will host its annual town hall meeting from 7-9 p.m. Oct. 27 at The Golf Club at Newcastle. Residents will be able to provide feedback to city staff and City Council members on issues facing the city for the next year, including the city’s budget. The event is free and open to the public. Learn more by contacting the city at 649-4444.
Candidate forum to be held at golf club The Golf Club at Newcastle, the Municipal League of King County and the Newcastle Chamber of Commerce will present this year’s Eastside Candidate Forum from 9 a.m. to noon Oct. 22 in the St. Andrew’s Ballroom at The Golf Club at Newcastle. The candidates who have confirmed attendance to the forum are Congressman Jay Inslee, Attorney General Rob McKenna, King County Councilman Reagan Dunn and King County Councilman Bob Ferguson. Inslee and McKenna are running for governor, while Dunn and Ferguson are running for attorney general. The candidates will appear one at a time and will be given 15 minutes to speak. The event is not a debate. It is free and open to the public.
Foundation appoints new director The Danna K. Johnston Foundation has appointed Howard J. McAuliffe to serve as its executive director. McAuliffe has more than Howard 10 years of McAuliffe experience in leadership roles in the nonprofit and private sectors. He most recently served as executive director of North Grand Neighborhood Services, a nonprofit organization in St. Louis, Mo. McAuliffe earned a master’s degree with honors in urban planning and real estate management from Saint Louis University. He has a background in the nonprofit arena including success in grant writing and community outreach efforts. The foundation is a nonprofit organization that serves innercity youths in the greater Seattle area. It aims to empower youths from different socio-economic backgrounds to be successful in high school and college. The foundation helps students graduate from high school on time and prepare for college. Learn more by going to www.dannakjohnston.org.
PAGE 3
Newcastle Days delivers Relive the sights and sounds of the annual event Sept. 10 Photos by Greg Farrar
Youngsters enjoy their ride on a dadpowered spinning ring at the Lake Boren Park playground.
At left, Dylan Lidstrand, 4, dances at the main stage to the music of Spirit of Ojah. Above, Robyn Dawn belts out vocals as Alan White performs on drums during the rock ‘n’ roll music of White.
Above, children ride the Lang’s Traveling Ponies living merry-go-round ride on the lawn at Lake Boren Park. Below, dancers sway in a close embrace on the parquet dance floor during the performance of White. Above, music lovers sit back as others party on the dance floor while White performs. At left, Jayden Lee, 4, a China Falls neighborhood resident, looks at the grille of a blue 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Sports Coupe.
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Opinion
PAGE 4
Letters to the editor
Editorial
Wanted: compost bins
Yes on I-1183 to end state liquor business Initiative 1183 — putting liquor sales in the hands of retailers instead of the state —is worth a yes vote. Last year, voters were asked a similar question, challenging the state’s monopoly on liquor sales. The voters said no. But I1183 is vastly different. For one thing, small stores like mini-marts will not be allowed to sell liquor, squelching the fear that teens will have more access than ever. Only stores larger than 10,000 square feet will qualify, unless a smaller store is the only option in town. Secondly, under I-1183, state revenues will increase with the state out of the liquor business, primarily due to retail license fees equivalent to 17 percent of all liquor sales. The state Office of Financial Management estimates I-1183 could increase state revenues by about $200 million in the first year, and by another $200 million in the next six years. There are a couple of other factors we especially like in I-1183. Liquor licenses can be denied to those outlets that do not demonstrate effective sales prevention to minors. In August, nine Sammamish retailers and restaurants were cited for selling alcohol to minors, following a police sting. With the state out of the business of selling alcohol, the Washington Liquor Control Board would have more time to concentrate on enforcement and oversight of its license holders. Don’t expect huge drops in liquor prices because the state’s high tax on liquor will not change. But, yes, prices will be more competitive with the state’s monopoly set aside. That’s the way a free enterprise system is supposed to work, and it will under I-1183. I-1183 is much improved over last year’s initiatives 1100 and 1105. There is little reason to vote against this bill. It is about privatizing liquor sales, not making access easier. Beware the anti-1183 campaign that attempts to create fears that are not based on the facts. Ballots will be in the mail mid-October. Watch for them, and vote yes on I-1183.
Poll question A. Maintain a balanced budget despite projected continued decreased revenue B. Continue making infrastructure improvements like the additional sidewalks along 116th Avenue and the playground equipment at Lake Boren Park C. Find more ways to encourage new development downtown, including finding new uses for the Mutual Materials site D. Encourage volunteer opportunities that benefit residents and the community Vote at www.newcastle-news.com.
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As another great summer in Newcastle winds down, we were talking about all of the events that the city held in the park this year. We live downtown and had a blast on the Fourth of July — being able to walk down to see a great fireworks show was an unexpected perk of moving into the area. The series of Concerts in the Park that were held this year were also great — we love taking walks in the evening after work and running into some free music along the way was a delight. Wanting to support local business, we purchased some grub from a few of the vendors. Most of the packaging that our food came with (cups, plates, silverware) was clearly marked as compostable. However, when we searched the appropriate compostable bin in which to toss our waste we could not find one. As a result, we were forced to throw our waste in the garbage. It is a shame that compostable food bins were not set up for these events — think about how much space we could have saved at the landfill! We would just like to raise the issue of having compostable bins at city events and also advocate for home compostable service and pickup like in other local cities. Justin Norman and Olyvia Velasquez Newcastle
Support Gordon Bisset for City Council Even though there are four City Council positions up for election this fall, only one of them will be contested, and Gordon Bisset is the right person for the job. Gordon is currently the president of his community association and a former chairman of the city’s Planning Commission. Most importantly, he was a City Council member from 2002 through 2005. He knows how to work with the city staff and other elected officials. Gordon believes strongly in operating with balanced budgets and has public safety (police and fire) and maintaining infrastructure (streets and storm water) as his top priorities. He also is a pro-
ponent of parks, trails, open space and improved downtown amenities. He will work to continue the direction established by the current council over the past 21 months. He has the time and desire to listen to our residents and represent us in his votes. Let’s give him that chance and put him back into office. Rich Crispo, city councilman Newcastle
Mary Alice Heuschel is right choice for hospital board Valley Medical Center is electing a new commissioner in the Nov. 8 election to fill a vacancy. Mary Alice Heuschel is running for this office and is the candidate of choice. You may remember Mary Alice as the superintendent of schools in Renton, and as having been selected as the Superintendent of the Year in Washington in 2011. She has demonstrated outstanding executive leadership skills as superintendent, and these same skills are badly needed on the hospital board. Mary Alice is used to dealing with large budgets, cost control, labor issues and personnel problems. These are the skills that are needed — not medical skills. There is already one doctor on the board. Two of the big issues at the hospital are to keep its public status, under which it has grown into a nationally recognized hospital, and to develop and implement the new Alliance Agreement with UW Medical. This agreement, when fully implemented, will provide even finer medical services to the citizens of Public Hospital District No. 1 (Valley). There are people on the board who would change both of these. Mary Alice is strongly committed to maintaining the public hospital status and implementing the alliance. Vote for Mary Alice. She will appreciate your vote and serve you well. Richard V. Gidner Renton The bus stop should have been designed to have a deeper pullout area to get the bus out of the traffic flow, with a merge lane. This intersection and stop should have been a “hub” stop for the area defining itself as our city center. The City Council needs to address this without effecting traffic flow. Jeff Skocelas
Rapid Response
What should be the No. 1 issue city staff and the City Council should tackle after they gain input from residents at Newcastle’s annual Town Hall meeting Oct. 27?
Newcastle news
OCTOBER 7, 2011
What should be done about drivers passing buses illegally at the intersection of Newcastle Way and Coal Creek Parkway? I think they need a legal way to do it so they don’t end up obstructing traffic that may be backed up onto Coal Creek Parkway. Peggy Price Make it not illegal. That “intersection redo” is the biggest waste of taxpayers’ money I have ever seen. Move the bus stop back to in front of HomeStreet Bank. Gary and Suzi Beerman
Should speed humps be used in Newcastle neighborhoods to slow traffic down? Why/why not? I’d rather we invest in speed displays to build awareness. Speeding is more pronounced on arterials where speed humps are not practical. Lee Strom No. Let’s spend the money for sidewalks on See RESPONSE, Page 5
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Newcastle News
OCTOBER 7, 2011
Driver hits sergeant’s car, arrested for DUI A Newcastle woman is being investigated for driving under the influence after her car collided with a sheriff’s patrol car Sept. 2 on Interstate 5. Washington State Patrol Trooper Julie Startup said the woman was traveling south on I-5 near downtown Seattle at about 8:45 p.m. The driver was in the lane to go toward Interstate 90, but at the last minute tried to switch lanes and stay on the mainline of I5. When she cut across the split
Election From Page 1 agers, this doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll have some cuts in service,” Bisset said. “It will just be more streamlined, and we’ll be spending less money.” Irigon agreed that city officials must re-examine the salary schedules of employees and determine if the size of the city staff is congruent with the size of the city. In a situation where some projections show the city running out of money by 2015, every revenue option must be explored — including the possibility of increased property taxes or implementing a utility tax, Irigon said. “My approach is this: I’m willing to work collaboratively with the City Council to look at those options and other options that are available,” Irigon said. Bisset said raising property tax is one option to create revenue for Newcastle, but he won’t favor it one way or the other until he sees a preliminary budget. The city must invest in its infrastructure instead of other less critical side projects, he said. “It’s really important we keep up our maintenance of our roads and storm water facilities,” Bisset said. “If you let them go, they just cost a tremendous amount more money to fix them later.” The council may also realize some cost savings by looking into less expensive health care
Bus stop From Page 1 no bus pullout at the location — in the center lane and move back into the westbound lane. A vehicle crosses the double yellow line twice every time a driver performs the illegal maneuver.
in the freeway, she hit a steel partition and the Lexus she was driving hit a car driven by a sergeant working for the King County Sheriff’s Office. The sergeant suffered minor injuries, mainly from the airbag, and was transported to Harborview Medical Center, according to King County Sgt. John Urquhart. She was on her way to work for the beginning of her 9:30 p.m. shift. The driver was not seriously injured and was arrested at the scene. Her name was not released due to pending toxicology reports.
“My approach is this: I’m willing to work collaboratively with the City Council to look at those options and other options that are available.” — Frank Irigon City Council candidate
“If we reorganize and get rid of some directors or managers, this doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll have some cuts in service. It will just be more streamlined, and we’ll be spending less money.” — Gordon Bisset City Council candidate
plans for city workers, he said. Irigon said the key to making any budgetary decision is increased communication with the public. Explaining to residents how and why financial decisions are made is something residents feel the City Council isn’t doing well, he said. “While I was doorbelling, a person told me he wouldn’t mind having his property tax increased if he knew what the city was going to be doing with that money,” he said. “It’s up to the City Council to step up to the plate.” If elected, Bisset said he would like to set up monthly meetings with constituents for more open communication between the city and residents.
The stop serves two weekday Metro bus routes, and there are 39 individual stops made at the Newcastle Way location each day. The stop is just west of the intersection with Coal Creek Parkway. Members of the Public Works Department will review the effectiveness of the sign and report back to the City Council once it has been installed, Rigos said.
PAGE 5 I guess I would ask the question do they really work? Are they worth the price in dollars and ruined car air dams? Gary and Suzi Beerman
Response From Page 4 89th from 116th to Coal Creek and on 121st Avenue Southeast from 89th to 91st Street. Those are just two possibilities. Gretchen Paletta They can help significantly if not too abrupt and at a pedestrian crossing. Plus, they are fun to ride over on a bicycle — especially on a downhill. Peggy Price
No. I have to pass over several to get to and from my house now and they are VERY annoying. I have to slow to well below the speed limit for these. If the goal is to get traffic to go 10 mph then post that as the speed limit … chicanes are a much better solution. Troy Hopwood Speed bumps slow traffic effectively. The wider, well-
signed and diagonally striped bumps are comfortable for riders and acceptable for emergency vehicles. More of these should be on arterials, especially on roads without bike lanes or sidewalks. The “turtleback” speed bumps hinder snow clearing and EMT vehicles and physically jar older citizens. Jeff Skocelas What was your favorite part of Newcastle Days? The morning Newcastle Days 5K Run/Walk becoming part of the fun! Lee Strom
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Newcastle News
PAGE 6
OCTOBER 7, 2011
Fine dining for a cause Seattle-area chefs battle hunger, malnutrition at Newcastle dinner event By Christina Lords In his several decades of experience as a chef, Elijah Coe has fed the likes of the British Royal Family and presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. But at the 14th annual Chef’s Night Out Culinary and Wine Experience, Coe will create a meal that will benefit a different type of audience — Washington families facing hunger and malnutrition. Last year’s event raised $51,000 for Cooking Matters, a partnership between Solid Ground and Share our Strength, which offers classes in nutrition and food budgeting for struggling families. “It’s really for people of all ages,” said Nicole Wicks, Chef’s Night Out event manager. “The program teaches them how to cook, how to cook on a budget and, perhaps more importantly, how to cook healthily.” Each of the 13 participating chefs will create a minimum five-course meal at The Golf Club at Newcastle, which helps facilitate the event at a discounted rate. Attendees will be arranged in groups of 10 people per table, and someone at each table will spin a wheel to determine who will be its chef for the night. Tickets to the Oct. 30 event are $200. For Coe, the executive chef at The Golf Club at Newcastle’s Calcutta Grill, the event is a way to meet and collaborate with other Seattle-area chefs, showcase his own work and contribute to a worthwhile cause.
City clerk steps down, takes job in Lynnwood
If you go Chef’s Night Out Culinary and Wine Experience ❑ The Golf Club at Newcastle ❑ 15500 Six Penny Lane, Newcastle ❑ 5-9 p.m. Oct. 30 ❑ $200 per person
“It’s great to speak to other chefs,” he said. “They’re all talented, and when you can recognize that talent, it’s great for everybody.” Coe said while he can’t give away too much about what the meal will consist of other than its seasonal flavor with local influence, he did guarantee 100 percent of the food will be made by hand — down to the pastas and the butter being served. Understanding where their food comes from and understanding the nutritional value of healthy food is something people are really losing sight of, Coe said. Wicks said Cooking Matters conducts an exercise where it gives children or families $10 in a grocery store to buy as much food as they can, and most come back with a frozen pizza or other processed food. By the end of the classes, the same participants have come back with $10 worth of basic items like vegetables, breads and essential proteins that could be used in several recipes, she said. “They come back with the knowledge that Brussels sprouts aren’t necessary horrible, and they’ve worked up some really cool recipes for kids and families on the go,” she said. Learn more about Cooking Matters at www.cookingmatters.org.
By Christina Lords
Contributed
Quite a catch Kenji Nishimura, of Newcastle, landed a 14-pound, 14-ounce coho salmon Sept. 10, winning the Westport Charter Boat Association’s catch of the week award. Nishimura is on the derby board for the largest coho of the season and could win the $1,500 prize that goes along with the honor.
Puget Sound Energy offers efficiency rebates Puget Sound Energy is offering additional and increased rebates on energy-efficient water and space heating equipment, as well as windows. The utility offers a selection of rebates and incentives for equipment designed to reduce energy use and lower customer bills. Some rebates qualify for additional promotional offers by using PSE’s contractor referral service. Customers combining PSE’s rebates and participating contractors’ promotional offers could receive as much as $2,000 for installing homeheating equipment and as
much as $2,250 for windows. Customers can receive up to $3,950 for converting electricspace and water-heating equipment to natural gas. Call PSE at 1-800-562-1482, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or go to www.pse.com/rebates to learn more. “PSE encourages customers to make energy-efficient choices when they are ready to upgrade or replace equipment,” Cal Shirley, vice president of energy efficiency services, said in a news release. Bellevue-based PSE serves more than 1 million electric customers and almost 750,000 natural gas customers throughout Western Washington.
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For Bob Baker, working within the community of Newcastle has presented some of his greatest opportunities for personal Bob Baker and professional growth. The city clerk announced Sept. 9 that he will step down from the position after working for the city for nearly six years, citing new opportunities to work closer to home and more time to pursue other interests. His last day working for the city was Sept. 23. He’ll take up the deputy city clerk position and provide executive support to the director of finance and city clerk at the city of Lynnwood this month. In an email to city staff and the City Council, he said his departure is bittersweet, stating while it isn’t easy to resolve every issue, “each of us has an opportunity to make a difference when we maintain an open mind, put aside personal differences and realize each of us wants what’s best for ourselves, our constituents and the community as a whole.” City Manager Rob Wyman said in the years he’s gotten to know him, Baker became a confidant and friend while doing an exemplary job of maintaining essential services to the operation of the city. Wyman said the city will revamp the job description for the clerk position, which hasn’t been updated in about 10 years, before posting the vacancy in October. The position is expected to be open for about a month during the application and interview process before a new clerk is selected. “After nearly six years of service to customers — internal and external — in this great community, I am proud to say we set goals, met goals, and together, accomplished some outstanding results,” Baker said.
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Newcastle News
OCTOBER 7, 2011
PAGE 7
Downtown development rules altered Man sentenced for immoral communication with minor By Christina Lords
Property owner Martin Seelig has grown weary of people telling his family how their property — currently home to the Newcastle Fruit & Produce stand — should be developed in the future. “The eight of us don’t know what we’re going to do with that site,” he said. “It’s interesting to hear what people say they’re going to do with it.” That’s why he spoke in favor of increased flexibility for property owners to develop their land in a way that fits for them — and the community — at a Sept. 20 public hearing about changes to the city’s downtown code. The CBC code — short for Community Business Center — generally aims to improve pedestrian connectivity to businesses and services offered downtown, and promotes mixed-use development. The City Council voted Oct. 4 to allow a business to install a drive-thru under certain stipulations, determine how tall a building can be, address a building’s density through its floorarea ratio and establish how far the building is set back from its property line. The CBC was originally adopted in 2000, with some amendments added in the mid2000s. The changes have been reviewed and recommended after a yearlong process by the city’s Planning Commission. In a 4-2 vote, council members Sonny Putter and Carol Simpson voted against the amendments. “We’re about to cut our own throats,” Putter said. “The primary motivation of the council in starting this effort was to try to encourage further development in our downtown. The changes that have been made go
in precisely the opposite direction.” Putter said the amendments go too far by adding too many restrictions on what a developer can do, effectively reducing the economic potential of Newcastle’s downtown. Simpson said the changes didn’t go far enough to undo the changes made to the code in the mid-2000s. She said the amendments are a “half-baked effort” that are out of scale for the small community feel Newcastle is trying to maintain. The changes reduce the maximum overall height allowed for a building from 75 feet to 65 feet and eliminate the zero-foot maximum setback requirement currently in place for new developments. As a reference, Regency Newcastle is about 55 feet tall. “This represents a great improvement over what was in the code,” Councilman Bill Erxleben said. “We have produced something, while not perfect, that I think is a reasonable plan going forward that will encourage development and … will likely provide more variety in terms of retail.” Some developers said they’d prefer the city retain flexibility for potential upcoming developments, including maintaining a 75-foot maximum height and increased floor-area ratio requirements. Mutual Materials’ president Joseph Bowen said the company is looking to redevelop the 53acre site where the brick plant is located. “Don’t limit us in terms of what we can do,” Bowen said. The council agreed to the 65foot maximum height with the Mutual Materials site as an exception to their ruling. The commission recommended doing away with a minimum
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floor-area ratio — the ratio between how big an overall lot size is and how many square feet of floor space the development actually has — for developers. For example, a single-story building would have a .5:1 ratio if it occupied half its overall lot size. Before the changes, the city had a minimum ratio of .75:1 and a maximum ratio of 4:1. The council agreed to the commission’s recommendations of lowering the maximum to 3:1, with the exception of the brick plant site. “If the council’s goal is to provide more incentive for development … more incentive means more floor area for footprint,” Putter said. “Why would you lower the amount of floor area that you can build on the same footprint?” Developers can receive incentives, outlined by the city’s municipal code, for the properties to achieve a denser ratio.
Gil Furman, a 39-year-old Newcastle man charged with two counts of communication with a minor for immoral purposes, received a one-year suspended jail sentence in King County Superior Court. The suspension comes under the conditions that he spend 60 days in jail work release and complete 720 hours of community service within one year. Furman, sentenced by Judge Mariane C. Spearman on Sept. 16, was also sentenced to two years of probation. He must register as a sex offender and cannot have contact with the victim or her family, according to court documents. Furman entered an Alford plea for the charges Aug. 9. Under the plea, Furman denied the allegations against
him, but pleaded guilty “to the two gross misdemeanor counts in order to avoid going to trial on the charges and risk conviction of one or more felony counts,” according to a statement attached to his plea. The charges stemmed from a string of incidents where Furman molested a teenage girl for about two years beginning when the girl was 13 and ending in November 2009 when she was 15, according to court documents filed by prosecutors. Furman pushed the girl into walls and kissed and groped her, sometimes under her clothes but over her underwear, prosecutors said in the charging documents. The girl stated the incidents happened about 50 times, the documents said.
Newcastle News
PAGE 8
Laughing all the way
Born to walk By the time you read this, the Newcastle Days 5K will be over. Winners will have been crowned, and times posted. This year, the Sainted One Pat Detmer and I signed up for it. Let me pre-face this by saying that I am not a natural runner. I believe in “nature” as well as “nurture,” and I think that some people have it in their nature to run, while others — like me — with a low center of gravity, extra weight and a distinct lack of desire, just don’t have it in them to move faster than an occasional trot. On the other hand, I have a little sister that shot out of the womb wearing tennis shoes, and she ran everywhere: to the bath-
room, to school, out the door, down the hall. Monday at the Y, I do something that might appear — if you were feeling particularly generous or were legally blind — to be “running.” I do intervals on the treadmill, and every two minutes I crank it up to a blazing 4.5 miles an hour. But I’m a great walker, and if you’ve ever driven through Newcastle and have seen someone striding along and thought to yourself, “Gosh. That looks a lot like Pat Detmer,” it probably was. Twenty or so years ago, I had a girlfriend who talked me into a 10K. I was in good enough shape to have begun inserting quarter-mile runs into my 5-mile walks, and she insisted that I just needed to push myself a little more to do the 10K. And it was for a good cause, she said, and people at all different levels of fitness did it, she said, and
City seeks feedback on Frisbee golf at park
The possible location of the course would not be located near the park’s playground, lake or other heavily used areas. Any residents with ideas, suggestions or concerns about the project are encouraged to contact the Public Works Department.
Members of the city of Newcastle’s Public Works Department are seeking feedback from the public about the possibility of adding a nine-hole Frisbee golf course at Lake Boren Park.
OCTOBER 7, 2011
sometimes folks just ended up walking it. She said. So the race began, and my friend was out of sight before I’d even lifted a foot. In spite of my discomfort, I told myself not to sweat it. I would go at my own pace, and not measure myself against anyone else there including the toddlers still wearing training shoes and 80-year olds in walking casts who were passing me at an alarming rate. I really relaxed once everyone else in the race had left me in the dust. Now I could trot at my own glacial speed and take pleasure in the view and environs. That’s when I realized that I wasn’t alone. Someone was behind me. I turned to see a young man on a bike with an official race shirt on. It was clear that he was the sweeper, and his job was bringing up the rear. Following me, his pace was so slow that he couldn’t keep his bike upright. That’s when I quit. But I didn’t quit the Newcastle 5K! Not me! I overslept instead. You can reach Pat Detmer, who enjoyed chatting with readers at the Newcastle Days Sidewalk Sale (especially Emma), at
Provide feedback by emailing Public Works Director Mark Rigos at markr@ci.newcastle.wa.us or call him at 649-4444, ext. 124.
King County Sheriff’s Office joins Facebook King County social media
users can now like another government agency on Facebook — the King County Sheriff’s Office. “This gives us another exciting opportunity to communicate with citizens,” Sheriff Sue Rahr said in a statement. “And for them to communicate with
us! I know we are not the first police agency to have a Facebook page, but at least we are not the last!” Facebook users can like or check out the sheriff’s office on the mega-popular social-networking site at www.facebook.com/kingcountysheriff.
Newcastle News
OCTOBER 7, 2011
Police blotter Car stolen A man reported his 1991 red Volkswagen Golf was stolen from his driveway in the 12100 block of Southeast 75 Place on Aug. 26. The theft was believed to have occurred at about 4:15 a.m., and the car was worth about $1,500.
Assault arrest A 35-year-old woman was arrested for fourth-degree assault Aug. 29 at her Coal Creek Parkway apartment after she reportedly bit and hit her male roommate. The incident was reported at about 12:30 a.m.
Trailer gang tagged A trailer registered to the Talerico Excavation Co., of Puyallup, was reportedly spraypainted with gang-related symbols in the 7100 block of 133 Avenue Southeast sometime between Aug. 19 and 22. The vandalism will cost about $200 to paint over.
Car break-in A woman reported her $220 Coach purse and her $250 iPod Touch were stolen from her Honda Odyssey after someone broke in through the front passenger window, causing $480 worth of damage. The incident occurred sometime between
1:30 and 2:30 p.m. Aug. 24 at Cougar Mountain Park.
on Sept. 3. The vehicle was worth about $3,000.
Baby stroller swiped
Car break-in
A baby stroller was reportedly stolen from a Newcastle man’s 2011 Volkswagen Toureg sometime between Aug. 21 and the morning of Aug. 22 in the 7000 block of 115 Court Southeast. The stroller was worth about $720.
About $550 worth of miscellaneous items was stolen Sept. 10 from a 2004 Toyota Matrix parked at the Coal Creek Apartments, in the 6800 block of Coal Creek Parkway. A woman reported an iPod Nano, a GPS and a radar detector were stolen.
Minor in possession
Arson fire creates little damage
A 14-year-old boy was arrested for minor in possession of alcohol and released to the custody of his mother after an officer found him hiding in some bushes located near 132 Place Southeast on Aug. 24. The officer recognized the boy from a previous runaway bulletin, and the mother said they were looking into youth at-risk programs for him.
House ransacked while owners eat lunch About $6,500 worth of electronic equipment, silver coins, baseball cards and jewelry, including two wedding rings, was stolen in a residential burglary Aug. 25 in the 13000 block of Southeast 79 Drive. The burglary occurred between 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., while the homeowners had left the house to go to lunch.
Car stolen A 1996 green Honda Civic was stolen from the 14000 block of Southeast 85th Street
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Newcastle City Council Position 2 GOVERNMENT INTEGRITY Newcastle residents deserve an open and responsive government I will keep the public informed and actively involved in a thoughtful decision making process Results -implemented better communication between the city and you Results - increased information available on the city website I will continue to actively engage citizens in face to face dialogue
“I will continue to work for you - for a better Newcastle”
Join my “Information for Newcastle” e-newsletter email carols@ci.newcastle.wa.us
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A man reported someone set fire to floor plans for a home and burned a small area of the living room floor between Sept. 9 and 12. The suspect accessed a home being built in the 7200 block of 115 Place Southeast through an open garage door. The fire did not appear to have been started by any accelerant. Little damage was done to the home.
Items taken from Suburban Cash, Bose headphones and a woman’s purse were among the items reported stolen from a Newcastle woman’s Chevy Suburban sometime between the night of Sept. 17 and the morning of Sept. 18. The items are worth about $520.
PAGE 9
Police seek information about Hazelwood burglaries After several burglaries and an attempted burglary in the Hazelwood neighborhood in September, Newcastle police are reaching out to residents for information assisting in their investigations of the crimes. According to a news release from Police Chief Melinda Irvine, there are multiple burglary groups breaking into homes on the Eastside, including in Newcastle and surrounding jurisdictions. The attempted burglary took place Sept. 11 in the 7000 block of 122 Avenue Southeast. Residential burglaries were reported Sept. 12 in the 12300 block of Southeast 74th Street and in the 15100 block of Southeast 80th Street. An additional residential burglary was reported Sept. 22 in the 12200 block of Southeast 74th Street. The entry or attempted entry in these instances often is made to a back window by cutting or prying screens open, according to the release. Give information that may assist in the investigations by calling the Newcastle Police Department at 649-4444, ext. 120. Submit anonymous tips through the city website at
www.ci.newcastle.wa.us; click the police tab on the left to follow the quick links tab. Police encourage residents to lock all doors, windows and garages even when residents are home, place rods in sliding windows to prevent entry, keep the perimeter of a house well lit, keep shrubs trimmed back around windows and doors, and use timers on lights and radios to make a home appear occupied when owners are away. Residents should also have mail held or have a trusted person pick it up when they are away, use an alarm system and use the Newcastle Police Vacation House Check program. Forms for the program may be submitted through the city website, www.ci.newcastle.wa.us, or at City Hall. The forms are available outside City Hall 24 hours a day, seven days a week with a night drop box to submit them. Police encourage Newcastle residents to work with neighbors to prevent crimes in the area. Get more information about a Block Watch program by emailing Officer Ryan Olmsted at ryan.olmsted@kingcounty.gov.
PAGE 10
Home & Garden
OCTOBER 7, 2011
Recycling is not just for aluminum cans, newspaper Weeping conifers add focal point for landscapes By Christina Lords
If residents are looking to replace used pots and pans, old garden tools or aging aluminum ladders, Jeff Gaidjiergis will take them all — and then some. Gaidjiergis, more affectionately known to some Newcastle residents as Mr. Scrappy, said most people have scrap metal, electronic waste and countless other odds and ends items that have been collecting dust around the house and they don’t even know they can be recycled. “The most asked question I get is, ‘What else do you take?’” he said. “It’s all about just trying to educate people. Everyone of them who asks me that question has stuff stored up that I break down and recycle.” As people make home improvements or update appliances, Gaidjiergis said many people don’t know where to turn to get rid of their metal and electronic waste or old items. Mr. Scrappy Recycling can accept any item with metal or electronic components, including TVs, microwaves, computers
What to know Learn more about Friendly Earth at www.friendlyearth.org. Make an appointment for Gaidjiergis to pick up scrap metal or electronic items by calling 591-3320. See a list of products he collects at www.scrappyrecycling.com.
By Christina Salwitz
By Christina Lords
Jeff Gaidjiergis, who owns and operates Mr. Scrappy Recycling, shows some of the items he’s collected from residents that are waiting to be broken down and taken to a recycling facility. and computer parts, heaters, industrial equipment, car parts, lawnmowers and more. Gaidjiergis, a member of the Newcastle Chamber of Commerce, said he has been building a scrap recycling business for the past year by offering to pick up materials from residents’ homes for free. His business coverage has grown from Everett to Tacoma, and includes residential and commercial pickups.
“Every time I’d go to the dump or just make a trip going to the Dumpster, I’d see all kinds of metal and wire — stuff that just doesn’t go away,” he said. “I always thought that there’s got to be a better way. My main goal now is to keep that stuff out of landfills.” As more people across the globe become increasingly reliant on electronic products, limiting the amount of those appliances that go into the
waste stream will become even more critical, said Rex Young, of Friendly Earth. Friendly Earth, a nonprofit organization based in Seattle and also a member of the Newcastle Chamber of Commerce, holds several events every month to pick up electronic waste throughout the Seattle area. Facilitating ways for residents to properly dispose of their ewaste See RECYCLING, Page 11
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Modern landscapes tend to be on the smaller side, and most people would like to concentrate on smaller-scale specimen plants as focal points in a small garden. The benefits of conifers in winter in particular add to the focal point options in landscapes by adding structure, texture and color with interesting shapes and colors. Weeping trees are often not very tall. They will usually stay at whatever height the lead is or where the crown is no longer supported and begins to weep downward as they grow. However, do not underestimate how wide any weeping tree may get, and give them room to fulfill their potential. The weeping deodora cedar (cedrus deodora pendula) is a striking steel blue that really holds up to strong, bold colors in the landscape. It thrives in the hottest locations as a drought-tolerant tree, with stiff, short needles. It can make a very creative container display plant for many years as well. The weeping Eastern white pine (pinus strobus pendula) is a soft-needled conifer that begs you to touch it as you walk by. It has a soft blue-green needle color, and it lends an excellent flair to any style of garden but particularly an Asian or Zeninfluenced design where it can shine as a tree that can be near a path or walkway for its tactile quality. The weeping Norway spruce (picea abies pendula) is an elegant, small-needled tree that has a more stiff structure to its deepgreen branching. This tree adds a graceful waterfall effect in the small garden. It looks particularly nice when the lower branching is allowed to puddle down at the base, like fabric curtains on the floor. It’s another quite droughttolerant species once it is established in later years. The weeping larch (larix pendula) is an excellent example of a conifer with multiseasonal interest. It is a deciduous conifer, which is hard for people to imagine until they see it in its various stages of development. In spring, it will come out with soft, bright-green needles, while in summer, the needles will turn more of a blue-green. In fall,
Newcastle News
OCTOBER 7, 2011
PAGE 11
Enduring another La Niña Conifers From Page 10
By Jane Garrison Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, Jeff Renner tells us we are in for another La Niña. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not moping around, crazy mad about the weather. Every little ray of sunshine and every little tinge of warmth have been appreciated to the max by me. But still, I’m unable to come to grips with the big picture. The issue of global climate change is huge, impacting much more than just gardening, making it hard to comprehend. When pondering different subject matters for this column I looked at many fall activities, such as planting bulbs, appreciating dahlias or storing fruit. All paled by comparison to the nagging, overwhelming subject of global warming. The receding glaciers, the issue of water supply, unbelievable tornadoes, debilitating droughts, and massive flooding all fit into the picture painted for us by scientists just a few years ago. It appears to be coming true and quickly. In the past, what did people do when faced with uncertain change? Some of you remember the victory gardens of World War II. It seems to me that a good thing to do now is to be resourceful and self-reliant. This might be one of those times to put our concerns closest to home by planting an edible garden. You will need good drainage and at least four hours of strong sunshine. Share what you grow with your neighbors. Someone with a big, sunny plot might grow corn. Another person with less exposure could grow potatoes and squash. Maybe someone has an ideal spot for tomatoes. Many different people could grow greens, carrots and radishes. Know all of your neighbors, even the old ones, and the ones
What to know Master gardening clinics are over for the year. You can still reach master gardeners through the Center for Urban Horticulture 206-685-5104 and online at www.kingcountymg.org.
with the screaming kids and barking dogs. Every one of them will have something to share, whether it be baked goods, extra fruit from their trees, canning equipment, quilts and handmade items, hand-medown children’s clothes, compost and the list goes on. Stories and knowledge can be shared, so that everyone in your sphere benefits, and no one is left uncared for — so very important in uncertain times. Plant that fall garden, and then do me a favor. Go out and get yourself some bulbs to plant this fall. Common ones are daffodils, iris, crocus, tulips and hyacinths. Plant them in well-drained soil and sunshine where you can see them from your window. Protect the tulips bulbs from squirrels with chicken wire baskets you can make up yourself. If you do that now, come next spring you will be unsinkable. Not even rain, snow, sleet or Jeff Renner will keep you down. You will be up and focused on the thrill and hope you see in those early spring flowers. Just do it. Jane Garrison is a local landscape architect and master gardener who gardens in glacial till on the plateau.
they will start to turn from bronze to a lovely, rich gold with amber hues before dropping the needles to reveal the tree’s graceful weeping structure for the winter. Christina Salwitz is a professional landscape designer and nursery consultant at the Newcastle Fruit and Produce stand.
Weeping deodora cedar
Weeping Eastern white pine
Weeping Norway spruce
Weeping larch
Recycling From Page 10 can also eliminate harmful chemicals and hazardous materials from entering the environment and drinking water, Young said. “A lot of people don’t really know why they need to recycle electronic waste,” he said. “They’re not aware of the contaminants associated with those products and toss them in the garbage.” All items that are still functional that are picked up by Friendly Earth will be reused if possible. If they can’t be reused, all of the items are processed domestically and won’t be shipped overseas. “We try to reuse any kind of product we can, because that’s the most obvious and most efficient way to recycle anything,” he said. “Some of the stuff we get is still in great condition. It’s still working, so we can help facilitate finding a new home for it.” Some of the items donated benefit organizations like area homeless shelters, Young said.
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Newcastle News
PAGE 12
Correction Incorrect City Council terms were identified in the Sept. 2 Newcastle News. Gordon Bisset
served on the council from 2002-2005 and Sonny Putter has served on the council since 1994.
OCTOBER 7, 2011
Riders excel at equestrian triathlon By Christina Lords A season for riders from the Napoleon Limited Equestrian Center can begin as early as January and last well into October or November, depending on how many events they attend each year. But every season each rider knows that come July, their focus will be on doing well at one major competition — The Event at Rebecca Farms in Kalispell, Mont. Among Olympian and worldclass riders and thousands of spectators who attended the event, three local riders excelled at this year’s competition held July 21-24. Emily Pestl-Dimmitt, 17, of Renton, won first place in the Jr. Training B class riding Airlington, a Bavarian warmblood. Alexandra Ahearn, 15, of Newcastle, won second place in the Jr. Novice B class on her German sport horse, Mai Baum, also known as Lexus. Mackenna Shea, 18, of Tacoma, took fourth place in the Advanced Class riding Landioso, also a Bavarian warmblood, competing against world and Olympian champions such as Karen O’Connor and Phillip Dutton. Michele Pestl has trained riders, including Pestl-Dimmitt, Ahearn and Shea, from beginning novice to advanced levels at the Napoleon Limited Equestrian Center located in the Renton Highlands since 1996. “We do well because Michele has a good understanding of our skills,” Shea said. “We never have to move up a level too
Contributed
Newcastle resident Alexandra Ahearn, 15 (left), won second place in the Jr. Novice B class on her German sport horse Mai Baum, also known as Lexus, at an equestrian triathlon at Rebecca Farms in Kalispell, Mont. soon or anything like that. We go to (Rebecca Farms) to do a good job and to do the best that we can.” This year marked the 10th anniversary of the event at Rebecca Farms — an extension of an event that used to be held at Herron Park in Montana. This year’s event was particularly important to riders from Napoleon because it honored Rebecca Broussard, the woman who owned the 640-acre farm and made the event what it is today, Pestl said. Broussard died in December after battling cancer. “The Broussard family has always been so involved, so pre-
sent at this event,” Pestl said. “This has always been such an important part of my life.” The Rebecca Farms event is one of 12 three-star competitions in the U.S. and a selection trial for athletes aiming for the London Olympics in 2012. With more than 500 registered competitors, it is the largest equestrian triathlon, which includes dressage, cross country and show jumping, in the United States. More than 20,000 spectators attended the event in 2010. Learn more about Napoleon’s facility, services and students’ other recent events at www.napoleonltd.net.
Newcastle News
OCTOBER 7, 2011
PAGE 13
Newcastle woman honors father in Seattle Brain Cancer Walk By Christina Lords
On the Web
Kelly Dowell’s father was healthy. He ran marathons at age 60. He worked and traveled around the world for The Boeing Co. for 30 years. He had just traveled home to Newcastle after receiving his marine surveying license in Florida. But in 2008, Dowell got a call she can’t erase from her mind. Come home immediately, her mother told her. Her father had a seizure and was transported to the hospital for testing. A day later Dowell’s father was in surgery. Doctors discovered he had a tumor the size of a golf ball in his frontal lobe. He had brain cancer. That year, Dowell and her father learned of and participated in the first annual Seattle Brain Cancer Walk — an event that has gone on to raise more than $800,000 for research, clinical trials, advocacy and comprehensive care for brain cancer patients in the Pacific Northwest. In 2009, after he died from the disease, she walked in her father’s memory. She’s been walking ever since. “One of his biggest philosophies revolved around treating everybody with respect and
❑ Learn more by emailing seattlebrainccancerwalk@swedish .org or by liking the Seattle Brain Cancer Walk’s Facebook page. ❑ Connect with Kelly Dowell on her blog at http://braincancerblog.org.
Contributed
Kelly Dowell (left) celebrates Christmas with her mother and father, the year before he was diagnosed with brain cancer. acknowledging everyone for who they are,” she said. “That’s the kind of man he was.” The walk, organized and funded by Swedish Hospital, held its fourth annual Seattle Brain Cancer Walk on Sept. 24. All of the money raised goes toward brain cancer research. The entire route of the walk was a 2-mile loop, which includes walking twice around the Fountain Lawns at the Seattle Center. The walk could be shortened to a quarter-mile around the South Fountain Lawn, or participants could choose to go once around the Fountain Lawns for a 1-mile loop. The route was scenic, flat and wheelchair accessible. The event was dedicated to providing hope and support for
the 1,500 patients in the Pacific Northwest who face brain cancer, said Nan Street, an organizer for the walk. Street’s 23-year-old daughter died from brain cancer in 2008. “Brain cancer is a terribly isolating disease,” she said. “It seems very obvious, but brain cancer changes your brain. It changes who you are, how you think, how you express yourself and how you communicate. The patient and the family feel like only they’re the only ones in the world dealing with this.” While most patients are given a survival rate of one to two years, Dowell said it’s important for families and patients to reach out for support and to spend as much time as possible with family
and loved ones. For her, walking and interning with the walk, as well as starting her own blog on the topic of brain cancer, has helped her connect with other people going through the same hardships. The Seattle Brain Cancer Walk raises money that will be distributed to brain cancer research projects in the Pacific Northwest, including the Ben and Catherine Ivy Brain Tumor Center at the Swedish Neuroscience Institute. Each year, more than 200,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with a primary brain tumor, or cancer cells specific to the brain only or a metastatic brain tumor, where cancer cells have spread to the brain from another part of the body. Primary brain tumors comprise approximately 40,000 of those diagnoses, but the FDA has approved only three treatments for brain cancer in the past 25 years.
It’s the produce! It’s the plants!! It’s the people!!!
Area students named to UW dean’s list The following students from Newcastle were recently named to the dean’s list for the spring quarter of 2011 at the University of Washington: Matthew Betsch, Tiffany Chau, Lauren Colyer, Shahrzad Dow, Bernard Ellouk, Stephen Heppler, Kenneth Ishikawa, Jessica Kim, Rebecca Lau, Mary Lebeau, Kendrick Lentini, Jessica Li, Jiaqi Liang, Tami Mason, Paul Nichols, Brandon Nudelman, Svetlana Petkova, Zachary Adam Pritchett, Rebecca Queitzsch, Sydney Safley, Teodora Stoica, Nathan Tat, Diem To, Sam Trautman, Mika Tsuboi and James Wang. To qualify, students must have a grade point average of at least 3.5.
Newcastle residents graduate from SPU The following Newcastle students graduated from Seattle Pacific University in June. Melissa Ann Cazares graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in communication. Kathryn Joy McGreenery graduated with a Master of Education in literacy. Zoe Higheagle Strong graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology. Founded in 1891, Seattle Pacific University is a Christian university with an academic program that has more than 4,000 undergraduate and graduate students.
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PAGE 14
Events Fire Prevention Week (Oct. 9-15) gets off to a blazing start Oct. 8 with dramatic demonstrations at Bellevue fire stations, including Station 9, 12412 Newcastle Way. Firefighters and fire prevention officers will stop by each station and provide a real stovetop fire display and fire extinguisher demonstrations that both children and adults can also handle. Each station will have displays with several sets of real bunker gear to try on. The following specific events also take place: ❑ The state fire marshal’s office sprinkler trailer will be at Station 8, 5701 Lakemont Blvd. S.E., conducting several live fire displays. ❑ A child safety house trailer, to learn about kitchen and home fire safety awareness, will be at Station 3, 16100 N.E. Eighth St. Celebrate Arbor Day by helping plant 250 trees in the May Creek basin from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 8 at the May Creek open space on 89th Place. The city of Newcastle provides the trees and tools. Dress for the weather and wear sturdy shoes. Learn more by contacting Grace Stiller at 206-795-5783 or gracestiller@gmail.com, or Michael Holly or Corey Miller of the city of Newcastle at 6494444, or go to www.newcastleweedwarriors.org. The Newcastle Chamber of Commerce hosts holiday card workshops at 11 a.m. Oct. 8 and 2 p.m. Oct. 9. Workshops are $25. Learn more at www.newcastlecc.com. The Newcastle Chamber of Commerce luncheon is from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Oct. 12 at Tapatio’s Restaurant. The cost is $20. The guest speaker is Andy Wappler, of Puget Sound Energy. RSVP by emailing info@newcastlecc.com. A candidate forum is from 9 a.m. to noon Oct. 22 at The Golf Club at Newcastle, 15500 Six Penny Lane. Candidates include Rob McKenna and Jay Inslee, for governor; Reagan
OCTOBER 7, 2011
IN THE SPOTLIGHT Volunteers needed to plant trees
Contributed
Volunteers are needed to plant 250 trees from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 8 along the new East May Creek Trail. Participants should meet at the access road on 89th Place, west of Coal Creek Parkway. Follow the signs to parking. Construction of the East May Creek Trail began several months ago in cooperation with the city of Newcastle, Newcastle Trails, Weed Warriors, the Boy Scouts and a group of volunteers. The groups are celebrating Arbor Day now due to better planting conditions. The city of Newcastle will supply the trees, gloves and shovels. Participants are asked to wear sturdy shoes. To learn more call 649-4444.
Volunteers plant trees at a previous event at East May Creek Trail.
Dunn and Bob Ferguson, for attorney general. RSVP by emailing RSVP@newcastlecc.com. Learn more by calling John Jensen at 206-241-5774.
Public meetings All city public meetings are at City Hall, 13020 Newcastle Way. Call 649-4363. ❑ Parks Commission — 6-8 p.m. Oct. 12 ❑ City Council — 7-10 p.m. Oct. 18 ❑ Planning Commission — 7-9 p.m. Oct. 19 ❑ City Council — 7-10 p.m. Nov. 1 Town Hall Meeting — 7-9 p.m. Oct. 27, The Golf Club at Newcastle, 15500 Six Penny Lane The Newcastle Trails board meets the first Monday of the month at 7 p.m. at the Regency Newcastle, 7454
Newcastle Golf Club Road.
October
YMCA The Coal Creek Family YMCA, 13750 Newcastle Golf Club Road, has regular family programs for all ages throughout the summer. Get a complete schedule by calling 282-1500 or going to www.seattleymca.org/ Locations/ CoalCreek/Pages/ Home.aspx.
Library events The Newport Way Library is at 14250 S.E. Newport Way, Bellevue. The following programs are offered the rest of the month: ❑ Newport Way Library Association Meeting, for adults, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 10 ❑ “Innovatively Organized Workshops for Time
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Management,” for adults, 6:30 p.m. Oct. 11 ❑ “Write to Win,” for teens and adults, 7 p.m. Oct. 12 ❑ Newcastle Friends Meeting, for adults, 10 a.m. Oct. 15 ❑ The Newport Way Book Group discusses “The Lady in the Tower: The Fall of Anne Boleyn,” by Alison Weir, for adults, at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 17 ❑ Study Hall, for teens, 3 p.m. Thursdays ❑ Young Toddler Story Time, for ages 1-2 with an adult, 10:15
Newcastle News welcomes Kevin Ring joins Newcastle News as a sales representative with a diverse background in sales, graphics and account management. He also has experience in print, web and video. A 20-year resident of Washington, Kevin lives in Factoria with his wife, Naomi, and son, Kaelan. He enjoys spending time with his family and hiking. Kevin’s advertising territory includes Newcastle, Renton, Factoria and portions of Bellevue. He looks forward to helping customers with both print and web advertising.
NewcastleAds@isspress.com
Christina Lords joins Newcastle News as our new reporter. Christina was born and raised in Pocatello, Idaho and is an avid lover of potatoes in any and every form. After graduating from the University of Idaho in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, she completed a 20-week science-writing internship through the Idaho INBRE program. For the last year and a half, she has been a reporter for the Moscow-Pullman Daily News, covering Moscow city and Latah County government before switching to the Washington education and WSU beat.
newcastle@isspress.com
November
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a.m. Tuesdays ❑ Toddler Story Time, for ages 2-3 with an adult, 11:15 a.m. Tuesdays ❑ Preschool Story Time, for ages 3-5 with an adult, 1 p.m. Tuesdays ❑ Baby Rhyming Time, for children and families, 10:15 a.m. Wednesdays ❑ World Language Story Time, for children and their families, 1:30 p.m. Saturdays
Clubs East Shore Singles, a social See CALENDAR, Page 15
Newcastle News
OCTOBER 7, 2011
Volunteer joins eye care group headed to serve Ghanaian poor By Christina Lords As an ophthalmic assistant at a multispecialty ophthalmology practice in Seattle, Newcastle resident Elice Kim knows Elice Kim how important accessible eye care can be. This month, Kim will spend 15 days in Ghana’s capital city of Accra to work with eye clinics associated with Unite for Sight, a global organization that offers comprehensive eye care in areas where underprivileged people lack access to adequate medical care. Unite for Sight has completed more than 44,450 sight-restoring surgeries so far this year. The organization has the ultimate goal to complete 50,000 surgeries by the end of 2011. For about the price of a tank of gas, donations to the organization can provide life-changing eye care for the people of Ghana and around the world. Through the organization, the average cataract surgery costs about $50. Kim will volunteer with Unite for Sight from Oct. 1-15 to work with local eye doctors who diagnose and treat eye diseases in Ghanaian villages. Surgical patients are brought to the eye clinic for surgery by the local ophthalmologist. “I have been fortunate to have had many volunteer experiences over the years,” she said. “These opportunities to invest my time, energy and resources to help others have had a very high return and greatly enriched my outlook on life … I always
Get involved Contribute to Elice Kim’s Unite For Sight fundraising efforts by going to her fundraising page at http://tinyurl.com/UFSek. Donations are tax-deductible. Learn more about Unite For Sight by calling 203-404-4900 or go to www.uniteforsight.org.
learn something new, meet great people and grow in my capacity to understand others.” Kim attended Liberty High School and went on to receive a bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington in biochemistry. She first heard about Unite For Sight while volunteering with student organizations at the UW. While in Ghana, Kim will assist local ophthalmic nurses and optometrists in all aspects of the eye care programs, including taking a patient’s history, testing visual acuity, distributing medication and eyeglasses prescribed by the local eye nurses and optometrists, providing eye health education in the villages and schools, and helping with data collection and analysis. “By observing and supporting local eye clinics in Ghana, I will better understand how to effectively combat patient barriers to quality care through sustainable global health delivery and high-impact volunteering,” she said. “I also hope to better serve the diverse patient population and community I interact with on a daily basis, and gain insight on how I can contribute to global health in the future.”
PAGE 15
Calendar From Page 14 group for single adults older than 45, sponsors monthly activities and special events on the Eastside. New members are welcome. Call 433-0558 for a monthly bulletin or go to www.eastshoresingles.org or www.meetup.com/eastshore-singles. The Society of Artists for Newcastle, an art organization, is seeking new members. Call 271-5822. MOMS Club of Renton meets for play dates at parks and other locations. New activities are planned daily. This nonprofit, nonreligious organization provides daytime support for moms and their families. Call 260-3079. Bridge players are wanted, evening or daytime. Games take place at various homes in the Hazelwood area. Call 255-0895. Newcastle Historical Society meets at 4 p.m. the first Thursday at City Hall, 13020 S.E. 72nd Place. Call 226-4238. An international dinner, sponsored by Baha’i Faith of Newcastle, is at 6:30 p.m. the third Friday. Call 430-8047. Drinking Liberally, an informal progressive social group that discusses politics, meets at 7 p.m. the first and third Thursday 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 255-9705.
Volunteers The Regional Coalition for Housing has a volunteer position opening on its Citizen Advisory Board. The board consists of 12-15 community residents and housing professionals that work with ARCH staff to evaluate local housing funding proposals and increase awareness of housing issues on the Eastside. The board meets one Wednesday evening a month for two hours. Learn more at www.archhousing.org. Apply by contacting Arthur Sullivan at 861-3677 or asullivan@bellevuewa.gov. The Coal Creek Family YMCA Seniors Program needs volunteers for intergenerational opportunities, including rocking and comforting infants, teaching children to play bridge and read-
ing to kindergartners. 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 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. Call 3693235.
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Newcastle News
PAGE 16
OCTOBER 7, 2011
Moonshine memories still linger in Newcastle By Gwynneth Anderson The revenuers came to arrest Frank Martin’s dad in 1948. Alerted by a disgruntled neighbor, several cars filled with federal agents anxious to find an illegal moonshine still swarmed up the Martins’ dirt driveway that Saturday morning in Newcastle. “They tore the place apart trying to find something,” Frank said. “They searched the chicken coop, looked in the pig pen, checked the garden — they even inspected our furnace.” The agents even questioned Martin. “I remember one man pulling me aside to ask if I knew anything,” he said. “I was only a little boy at the time, maybe 8 or 9, and I was scared. I just kept saying over and over, ‘I don’t know what you are talking about.’” The agents called off the search after finding nothing that hinted at the presence of a still, but they weren’t convinced Lee Martin was innocent. Three weeks passed before the strange cars keeping vigil at the foot of the Martin property disappeared. Lee waited another week before fetching the still out of hiding and firing it back up. Thanks to a tipoff from the local authorities who enjoyed his particular brew, Lee knew about the impending raid in advance. There was just enough time to feed most of the fermented mash to his pigs and hide the rest — including the
Back tracking: an ongoing series about the history of Newcastle
still — in the woods now known as Cougar Mountain Wildland Park before agents arrived. Lee realized that if he was going to continue making moonshine, the still needed an undetectable location. He found it right outside his back door. The looming mass of blackberry bushes in the Martins’ back yard offered the perfect spot. Carefully digging into the middle of the thorny mass, Lee hollowed out an area wide enough to hold the cooking stove and high enough to fit the still. When it came time to cook the mash, Lee poked a small stovepipe up through the brambles that helped dissipate the smoke. Once the mash was cooked, the pipe was pulled back inside the hollowed center, leaving no sign that the blackberry bushes were anything but an overgrown, brambly heap of vicious thorns.
The Martins were back in business. How Lee outwitted federal agents is just one of the many stories Frank, 70, who now lives in Renton, chuckles over when recalling a moonshine-steeped, Newcastle boyhood. “It was around 1944 or so when I first started helping Dad make the whiskey,” he said. “I remember my father kept telling me, ‘You need to learn how to count.’ So I learned, and my first job was counting the gallon jugs of moonshine on the cellar shelf — all the way to 50.” As he grew older, responsibilities increased. If he wasn’t scrubbing out the mash barrels and prepping them for the next load, he was lugging heavy buckets of water from the nearby creek to pour over the still’s condenser coils to ensure the alcohol didn’t evaporate when it dripped into the gallon jugs. Fortunately, moonshine making was mostly a weekend event. During the week, the mash was left to ferment in one of three 50-gallon barrels while Lee worked in the local coalmines. Saturday was cook day and ran from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., or until all the fermented mash was processed. Sunday was delivery day. “We’d cook about 100 gallons of mash per month, and that gave us between 40 and 50 gallons of whiskey,” Frank said. “Come Sunday, when everyone else was in church, we’d drop it off at the local store.” Frank estimates that between
Rumor has it that this still, displayed during the annual Newcastle Days, once belonged to former Newcastle resident Lee Martin. Lee’s son, Frank Martin, estimates that between the 1940s until the early 1950s, he helped his father make almost 10,000 gallons of moonshine near their Newcastle home. Contributed
1944 until the early 1950s, he helped his father make almost 10,000 gallons of moonshine. “You can make moonshine from many things,” Frank said. “We made it from peaches, corn, plums, even apples.” While flavor was certainly important for the customers, purity was paramount for Lee. Some moonshiners would cut corners by running their whiskey through old car radiators that leached lead into the moonshine, giving unwitting patrons lead poisoning. Not so with Lee. Frank said his father refused to use anything in his still except silver solder or hand-rolled copper to avoid accidental seeping. Alcohol proof level also helped determine product purity. “Dad would flick moonshine drops onto an open flame to determine its strength,” Frank said. “If the flame was yellow, it was less than 80 proof and had to be run through the still again. If the color flashed bright blue, it meant the whiskey was 150 proof and ready to go.” Moonshine wasn’t just a drink with a potent kick, it was currency for cash-strapped times. “Moonshine was what kept
the food coming in for us when there were no jobs to be had,” Frank said. “We’d deliver the jugs to the local store, the owner would count them … for when we came back later in the week to pick up groceries.” Lee would eventually receive another tipoff. “Someone told Dad that the last Newcastle mines were going to close in six months and that he should find another job before everyone else started looking,” Frank said. Lee took the advice. He soon landed a clay mixer’s job in Renton but realized that doing so meant making a serious decision. While Newcastle’s sparse population had allowed him the privacy he needed to run a still, Renton was a whole different matter. For safety’s sake, the still had to be shut down for good. After almost six years of moonshining, Lee gave the still away to an old friend and moved his family to a new life in Renton. He never returned to Newcastle. But his legacy still lives here. Rumor has it that the still displayed during the annual Newcastle Days once belonged to Lee Martin.
Newcastle News
OCTOBER 7, 2011
PAGE 17
Newcastle couple named Washingtonians of the Year Retired Seahawks fullback Mack Strong and the executive director of HOPE worldwide Washington, Zoë HigheagleStrong, were honored as recipients of the Association of Washington Generals’ annual “Washingtonian of the Year” award. Lt. Governor Brad Owen emceed the Sept. 17 event at Seahawks headquarters to celebrate the married couple’s accomplishments.
The award recipients are residents of Newcastle. The reception was held at the Seahawks Headquarters/Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton. Along with featuring the Washingtonian of the Year and highlights of AWG projects, the event included tours of the center, performances by the Blue Thunder Drum Line and the Sea Gals, refreshments and a barbecue. The Washingtonian of the
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Year Award is given annually to people who have demonstrated leadership, selflessness, generosity and compassion in their service to others. In addition to his career as a standout fullback for the Seattle Seahawks, Strong founded a sports and leadership camp that serves American Indian youth. Higheagle-Strong is the executive director of the Washington chapter of HOPE worldwide, an international charity organization, and is also involved with the youth camp.
For the past eight years, the couple has helped raise funds for Childhaven, a nonprofit organization committed to stop the cycle of abuse and neglect of children. The Association of Washington Generals is a statechartered service organization that recognizes outstanding contributions of individuals in the state of Washington. Established 40 years ago, the AWG is affiliated by statute with the lieutenant governor’s office. The organization honored
another football great, longtime Pacific Lutheran University football coach Frosty Westering in 2010. Past recipients of the award have included the Honorary Consul of Spain for Washington Luis Fernando Esteban, Bill and Melinda Gates, Paul Allen, Priscilla Bullitt Collins and Don James. Learn more by going to the Association of Washington Generals website at www.wagenerals.org or send an email to info@wagenerals.org.
SPORTS
PAGE 18
Hazen football coach selected as Seahawks Coach of the Week
OCTOBER 7, 2011
Patriots overcome rocky start A different team from yesterday
By Christina Lords Hazen High School football coach Drew Oliver was selected Sept 3 for the Seattle Seahawks’ High School Coach of Drew Oliver the Week award for its week one winners after Hazen defeated Blaine, 35-32, in the Emerald City Kickoff Classic. Each week during the high school football season, the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington State Football Coaches Association select two high school football coaches for the award. John Peterson, of Willapa Valley High School, was also awarded week one honors. Each recipient receives a $225 Sports Authority gift card from Sterling Savings Bank and a $500 donation to the school’s football program from the Seattle Seahawks and NFL Football Fund. At the end of the high school season, one coach is selected as the NFL High School Coach of the Year for the state of Washington. The NFL High School Coach of the Year receives a $2,000 grant. The Coach of the Week program aids in the development of youth football. It provides high school coaches with recognition, and provides high schools financial assistance in maintaining and upgrading their football programs.
After a rocky 2-3 start and a tough opening schedule in the season, Liberty High School coach Steve Valach is honing in on clean, focused football to get the Patriots’ season back on course. “We’re not where we expected to be, and it is what it is,” he said. “But we really focus on the fact that we can’t worry about the last game, the last practice. What we’re focusing on is getting better today.” The Patriots endured backto-back losses to start the season against district rivals Skyline and Issaquah, 62-27 and 23-13, respectively. “Not to take anything away from our opponents, but in football we say you lose more games than you get beat,” Valach said. “For us, I think that’s the case here.” The Spartans and the Eagles are ranked among the state’s top 4A teams. “When you’re playing good football teams, there’s just not a lot of margin for error,” he said. “When you’re both good football teams, whoever makes less mistakes is the team that is going to win.” But the Patriots rallied in a big way Sept. 16, winning their first home football game of the season, 54-7, against the visiting Sammamish Totems. Liberty senior quarterback Jordan West completed 16 of 23 passes for 304 total yards and two touchdowns on the night against the Totems. The Patriots would go on to
points in the season in the second half. Oliver said the Highlanders must learn to be more productive in the first half to avoid a scramble to catch up later in the game. “In the wins we’ve had, the scores have been very close,” he said. “We’ve done well as far as battling to the end and making up for mistakes.” The Highlanders rallied after the two losses, picking up a 41-19 dominating conference win against Evergreen on Sept. 30, which included a 70-yard interception return from junior co-captain Cody Moorehead. The team faces additional challenges, as starting quarterback Tony Nipert, a junior, will remain on the injured list
Allow me recreate a scene from Sept. 20’s tennis match — Liberty versus Juanita. On court No. 3, the final exhibition match was nearing completion and the thankful end of a one-sided match was concluding. Mike Salokas Juanita coach Liberty High School Justin Ochsner and tennis coach I are amid obligatory congratulations while I am packing supplies and equipment. Suddenly, Justin and I hear commotion coming from court No. 1. Players from both teams run there in such haste the Juanita coach and I fear something terrible is occurring. Players from both teams merge together and begin an intra-team game of King of the Hill. Much to the coaches’ surprise, players from both teams combine and begin to yell, cheer and laugh as they proceeded to play in a tennis drill often used by coaches every day at practice. The irony is the Liberty team record in 2011 at this point is a dismal 0-5. During the formal match against Juanita, I took critical notes of Liberty play with intent to use the data and observations as a motivational tool in future practice. Listed and underlined on my clipboard were instances of mechanical (swing) failure, lack of strategy in point creation, and clear deficiency in stamina and conditioning. I was preparing my no-holdsbarred tennis lecture. As I watched the players on my team engaged in full-scale King of the Hill with the Juanita players, a first thought was, “Oh swell, poor on-court performance has given way to goofing around after the important match is over.” My next consideration was, “Well, if my players understand they are underperforming, maybe hitting some extra shots will help.” As I further watched what was happening on the court, I realized that many of the Liberty players were actually exhibiting better form, shot selection and tactical consideration than their play dur-
See HAZEN, Page 19
See TENNIS, Page 19
By Greg Farrar
Nothing can stop senior wide receiver Joshua Gordon of Liberty on this 22-yard gain, even losing a shoe to Sammamish tackler Joey Sullivan. lose in overtime during a heartbreaker against Mount Si on Sept. 23 in Snoqualmie. In overtime, Wildcat kicker Cameron Vanwinkle nailed a 35-yard field goal, while his Patriot counterpart Josh Johnson missed a 35-yard attempt, giving Mount Si the victory, 16-13. Liberty would go on to defeat Juanita High School 1614 on Sept. 30 with two rushing touchdowns from senior running back Tei Staladi and a field goal knocked between the posts from Johnson. “We are going to continue to pay attention to detail and continue to not allow our record to define us,” Valach said. “I really believe that right now we could be 3-1 and not 1-3. We can’t
“We really focus on the fact that we can’t worry about the last game, the last practice. What we’re focusing on is getting better today.” — Steve Valach Liberty High School football coach
forget that.” Valach said the Patriots must turn the ball over less and watch unnecessary penalties as it looks to the rest of its season against conference opponents. “My thought is own up to mistakes you’ve made, but don’t let the mistakes own you,” he said.
Hazen hopes to pave its own road to post season By Christina Lords In coach Drew Oliver’s eyes,
there’s only one thing standing in the way of the Hazen High School football team and post-
By Lisa Lombardo / Double L Photography
Hazen’s Eric Jacobs (7), and Cody Moorhead shake hands Sept. 3 with captains for the Blaine High School Borderites before the coin toss at CenturyLink Field in Seattle.
season success. Itself. “We need to execute for four quarters — that has to be the biggest area of growth for us,” he said. “We need to clean up our mistakes, and we need to be able to play a full football game without shooting ourselves in the foot.” Hazen (3-2, 1-2) won both of its nonconference games to start out the season, beating the Blaine Borderites, 35-32, on Sept. 3 and the Cedarcrest Redwolves, 17-14, on Sept. 9. It was shut out at its Sept. 17 conference opener against Kennedy Catholic High School, 0-28, and dropped its Sept. 23 game against Lindbergh High School, 22-20. In the five games Hazen has played, the Highlanders have scored 78 of their 113 overall
Newcastle News
OCTOBER 7, 2011
PAGE 19
Local athlete prepares for Ironman World Championships By Christina Lords After losing several months of training time due to a car versus bicycle collision a year ago, Newcastle resident Cindy Bigglestone will compete with seven other Eastside triathletes in the Ironman World Championship this month. This year’s world championship will be Oct. 8 in Kona, Hawaii. Cindy, who was unable to start training until February for the event, qualified for the championship Aug. 28 at Ironman Canada with the help of her husband and coach, Ben Bigglestone. “Mentally, it’s not fun to be on your bike when you’re scared,” she said. “With the help of honestly a great coach and team to train with for support, it got me back to the start line at Kona.” An Ironman competition
Contributed
Cindy Bigglestone, of Newcastle, races the running leg during Ironman Canada in Penticton, British Columbia on Aug. 28 to qualify for the Ironman World Championship Oct. 8 in Kona, Hawaii. includes a 2.4-mile swim, a 112mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run. An Olympic triathlon, by comparison, is a 1,600-yard
swim a 24.9-mile bike ride and a 6.2-mile run. The Ironman Canada event was Cindy’s 15th Ironman. She
Final 400 free decides Liberty, Hazen swim meet By Christina Lords After 11 events between the Liberty High School Patriots and the Hazen Highlanders at Sept. 22’s dual swim meet, the teams were tied going into the final 400-yard freestyle relay. With a final time of 3 minutes, 57.71 seconds, Hazen’s relay team grabbed eight critical points to narrowly clinch a final score of 95-88 in favor of the Highlanders. Liberty coach Kris Daughters said she opted out of bringing the Liberty diving team —which cost the Patriots 13 critical points — due to safety concerns related to the depth of the Hazen pool. The pool Liberty practices in is 10 feet deep, while Hazen’s is only 8 feet deep. “I thought we’d be further behind them because I knew we wouldn’t be bringing our divers, so the fact that we were tied going into the last relay was awesome,” she said. “It made it a good meet, and it was good to have my fast kids to have that pressure on them.” Hazen coach Rick Wertman said the team experienced another close meet and lost earlier in the week against Kentridge High School. To make improvements individually and as a team will help the Highlanders’ momentum as they look toward future meets in the season, he said. “This really brought us up to our game,” Wertman said. “We came within three points … against Kentridge and didn’t win, so to come to the same juncture and prevail, feels like growth.”
By Greg Farrar
Kourtney Brunings, of Hazen, swims the anchor leg of the 400-yard freestyle relay Sept. 22 against Liberty. Brunings, with Kayla DiMicco, Amy LeBar and Taylor Gale, used the decisive win to break the point tie and give the Highlanders’ their team victory. Hazen senior Sarah McCormick took first place with a score of 200.7 in the 1-meter diving event. “To break 200 was my goal,” she said. “It was awesome because I didn’t feel like I did very well, but I was able to do a personal best there.” Kayla Dicco, a sophomore, scored 157.85 for second place in the diving event, while Stacy Stenslie, a junior, took third with a score of 128.1. Elise Tinseth, one of four team captains for Liberty, took first in the 200-yard freestyle event and first in the 100-yard breaststroke, with times of 2:03.63 and 1:12.27, respectively. “So far, we’ve had a lot more KingCo and district qualifying times,” she said. “Sometimes, we feel a little bit like the under-
dogs at district meets because we’ll usually have just a relay there, or four girls, but this year I think we’ll have more doing well. That’s really exciting for us as a team.” Tinseth also took first place with Cecilia Nelson, Caitlin Duffner and Mackenna Briggs in the 200-yard freestyle relay with a final time of 2:03.63. Briggs racked up five state qualifying times in her first three meets of the season. Liberty junior Katie Nelson grabbed her first-ever first-place finish in a high school event with a 6:19.79 time in the 500yard free; she took third place in the IM. “She dropped 18 seconds in the 500 free, which is a huge drop in swimming,” Daughters said. “It was just really nice to see her excel.”
previously competed in the world championships in 2004 and 2005. Cindy said she has been swimming three times per week, running 40 to 50 miles per week and biking 10 to 12 hours per week to prepare for the event. “It’s great to see what your body can go through and what you can achieve,” she said. “You know that you can push beyond that and see how much faster you can get, how much fitter and healthier you can be.” Tens of thousands of people participate in Ironman-qualifying competitions worldwide throughout the year, but only 1,800 ultimately qualify for the world championship. “A lot of triathletes are driven by that goal,” Ben said. “That’s the pinnacle of the sport for them — qualifying for the Ironman World
Championships.” Eight other athletes Ben coaches from Vo2Multisport, an indoor performance training facility founded by Ben, qualified for the world championship. They include Whitney Engle, from Bellevue; Lilia Paradis, from Seattle; Gerry Marvin, from Bellevue; Mike Pritchard, from Bellevue; Joe Silvernale, from Yarrow Point; Kara Nielsen, of Seattle; and Ryan Dolan, from Seal Beach, Calif. Dale McClure, of Mercer Island, qualified for the event but will not compete. “Statistically, that’s probably quite unusual to have that many athletes qualify from a small area or region go to that event,” Ben said. “It’s been a very successful year. It’s rewarding because for some of the people going this year, it’s been an eight- or nine-year goal for them.”
Hazen
Tennis
From Page 18
From Page 18
for six to eight weeks with a broken foot. Nipert was injured late in the game during the Highlanders’ third contest of the season against Kennedy. Senior Cody Taylor and junior Kyle Nelson will split time in the offensive leadership role in Nipert’s absence. “To get into the same rhythm as before, to establish that with a new signal caller is going to take some time,” Oliver said. Taylor, who was honored with The Seattle Times 3A Athlete of the Week award for the week of Sept. 3, scored three touchdowns and a twopoint conversion in the victory over Blaine. He had 218 all-purpose yards (117 rushing, 94 receiving and seven on returns) on 15 touches, and also intercepted a pass in the game. Nelson, who also plays defensive back, recorded 20 solo and 28 assisted tackles in his first four games. Oliver credited Hazen’s defensive line for its strength and determination — something it will continue to depend upon in future conference games. Nelson, who also plays defensive back, recorded 20 solo tackles in his first four games. “We still have a good shot of controlling our own destiny going forward,” Oliver said. “We just need to play our own game.”
ing the formal match. I tend to coach from an “old-school” perspective. As a lifelong athlete, I compete to win. The opponent is the enemy — someone to exert all energies, and within the guidelines of rules and fair play, to defeat. At the end there is a winner and a loser. Losing has no redeeming value. As a coach, my perspective changes. I’m vigilant toward opportunities to demonstrate how winning, good sportsmanship, team togetherness and merely participating in good competition are all important qualities and life-developing opportunities for transformation into adulthood. At times, however, the desire to win — the drive to win along with necessary tenacity and ferocity seep into my coaching. During the Juanita match, the seeping level had raised to dripping. As I watched Liberty varsity players perform with players from Juanita — and as I reflect on what my goal as coach is — I see how positive the impact of the match truly was. What Justin and I witnessed was an extraordinary occurrence. Today, my perception of the Liberty varsity tennis team is different from what it was before the Juanita match. The experience makes me feel proud to be a high school coach.
SCHOOLS
PAGE 20
OCTOBER 7, 2011
Agencies eye adding pedestrian access to Hazelwood Entities seek quick fixes, long-term solutions for safe routes to school
If you go Fun run/educational events to promote walking and biking to school ❑ Organized by the Hazelwood PTSA ❑ 9:45 a.m. Oct. 7 ❑ Hazelwood Elementary School ❑ 7100 116th Ave. S.E. ❑ 204-4550
By Christina Lords With some short-term fixes already realized and long-term strategies starting to take shape, Hazelwood Elementary School Principal Cindy Farnsworth said local agencies have come together to make walking and biking safer for area schoolchildren. As a part of Washington’s Safe Routes to School program, about 30 teachers, parents and students participated in a walking audit last month — a report Farnsworth said can lead to tangible improvements to access to school by pedestrians and bikers alike. The state’s Safe Routes to School program and grant money provides technical assistance and resources to cities, counties, schools and state agencies for improvements that increase safety, reduce traffic congestion around school areas, and provide healthy alternatives for children by walking and biking. “We looked at the whole report and decided what we can focus on, what we can do some-
Contributed
Hazelwood Elementary School paired last year with members of the Bicycle Alliance of Washington to teach fourth- and fifth-graders at Hazelwood bicycle safety tips at a Safe Routes to School program event. thing about,” Farnsworth said. “We’re looking at quick and easy solutions and how to keep those moving forward, while collaborating with other agencies who are working toward more long-term and sustainable goals.” The program also encourages healthy activities that combat
childhood obesity, she said. The school paired with members of the Bicycle Alliance of Washington to teach fourthand fifth-graders at Hazelwood bicycle safety tips. Representatives from the city of Newcastle, the Renton School District, the Newcastle Police Department, the city of Bellevue
and Feet First, a nonprofit walkable communities advocacy group based in Seattle, recently met to discuss the findings of the audit report. “With all of us meeting together, we could see what was already being done in these areas,” she said. “Then we could go from there to start to put
plans in place for the future.” Newcastle Public Works Director Mark Rigos said the city’s role in the project would be to install and maintain certain types of infrastructure that will facilitate better access for residents and their kids. “The obvious benefit for us is public safety, for children to be able to walk to school with their parents,” he said. “It also provides safety for other walkers and bicyclists using those routes.” Tree trimming for improved sign visibility and maintaining sidewalks and gravel walkways are a few ways the city can provide support to the Safe Routes program on a local level, Rigos said. The city will also remind residents living along sidewalks See SAFE ROUTES, Page 22
Candidates square off for open Issaquah School board seats Newcomer Patrick Sansing eyes Brian Deagle’s Seat 3 Family: Married, two children Education: California State University, business administration Experience: PTSA, including executive committee, bond and levy committees. Current Job: Technology manager, T-Mobile Residence: Bellevue
Family: Married, two children Education: Law degree, University of Washington Current Job: Attorney, Microsoft Experience: Appointed to board Oct. 2006; elected Nov. 2007 Residence: Sammamish
Patrick Sansing
By Tom Corrigan “I still think we have more work to do,” Issaquah School Board member Brian Deagle said, about why he decided to seek re-election to the board seat he has held since late 2006. “I think we have good schools,” challenger Patrick Sansing said. “But I think they are not good enough. I really think we can do better.” The two Sammamish residents will square off in November for the Issaquah
Brian Deagle School Board’s District 3 seat, which covers the north end of the school district including parts of Klahanie and parts of the portion of Sammamish included in the district. Although candidates run for a specific geographic seat, voters districtwide cast ballots for all Issaquah school board members. Members are elected to four-year terms. Board members may request $50 See SEAT 3, Page 22
Brian Neville challenges Suzanne Weaver for Seat 5 Family: Married, two children Education: Accounting degree, University of Washington Current Job: Senior manager, revenue accounting team, TMobile Experience: Five years on board of Community for Youth, a Seattle nonprofit Residence: Issaquah
Brian Neville
By Tom Corrigan During her roughly five years on the job, Issaquah School Board member Suzanne Weaver said that the board has done a good job of keeping its focus on student achievement and success. But the Sammamish resident also said funding is an obvious ongoing problem. “It’s frustrating,” Weaver said. “Every time we start to deal with an issue and make some headway, we suddenly have to figure a way to pay for it.”
Family: Married, two children Education: MBA in finance, University of California, Berkeley Current Job: Stay-at-home parent Experience: Appointed to board January 2007; elected November 2007 Residence: Sammamish
Suzanne Weaver
As one example, Weaver pointed to discussions about closing the achievement gap that historically has affected minority students. “I don’t think Olympia is going to make it easier any time soon,” she added regarding school finances. Holding the District 5 seat, Weaver is being challenged in the November elections by Issaquah resident Brian Neville. District 5 includes the northwest corner See SEAT 5, Page 23
Newcastle News
OCTOBER 7, 2011
Anne Moore running unopposed for District 1 By Tom Corrigan Local voters are guaranteed of seeing at least one new face on the Issaquah School Board next year. Bellevue resident Anne Moore is running unopposed for the District 1 seat being vacated by current board president Jan Colbrese. “I will always be deeply invested in the Issaquah School District,” Colbrese said. But after what will be 12 years on the board, she said, following discussions with her husband, she decided it was time to move on. She further noted that all of her children have now graduated from the district. Colbrese announced her decision not to run in June, prior to the filing deadline. Since then, she was diagnosed with a serious illness. Colbrese said she is well on the way to recovery, but that is another reason she is glad she decided to step aside. Although they run for specific seats representing certain geographic areas, all Issaquah board members are voted on districtwide. District 1 includes a northwest slice of the district around Cougar Mountain. Moore lives in the area of Bellevue served by the Issaquah School District. School board terms are four years. Board members can request $50 per meeting and they are reimbursed for travel expenses. Travel expenses are capped at $4,800 per board member, but last year the board as a whole received $4,000 for expenses according to Sara Niegowski, district executive director of communications. Moore is no stranger to the district having served with the PTSA and on various district committees for what she said has been 14 years. Moore has served on various bond and levy committees, including the committee that made initial recommendations for a bond that will be in front of voters in April. She said joining the school board feels like a natural progression of her past involvement
Family: Married, three children Education: Degrees in electrical and computer engineering and a master’s degree in science in engineering management from Santa Clara Anne Moore University Experience: Served on PTSA and various bond and levy committees for 14 years Current Job: Stay-at-home parent, formerly an engineer for IBM Residence: Bellevue
with the schools. Talking about the coming bond issue, Moore said she does not believe the schools have been lavish in their recent capital improvements or with the projects now under consideration. One current board member voiced a hope the new performing arts center at Issaquah High School is not “too beautiful,” possibly telling voters officials have gone overboard with improvements. “It was time to rebuild Issaquah High School,” Moore said, stating that in past years, school drama productions were done on an inadequate stage in the student commons. Because they hoped groups from outside the schools might be able to use the facility, Moore
said some community members lobbied for the new performing arts center to be larger than it is. In general, Moore said her goals for the board will remain the same as they were when she served on various committees or in the PTSA. In short, she wants to ensure that when they leave Issaquah schools, students are ready for whatever comes next, be that college or entering the job market. “I think there is more we need to be doing in the area of STEM,” Moore said of the acronym for science, technology, engineering and math. As for the never-ending issues revolving around state funding of schools, Moore said she has worked in the past and will continue to work to adjust the levy lids that in her opinion hurt local tax collections for the district, especially when compared with surrounding districts. In another vein, Moore said she knows of at least one issue every district in the state eventually will need to deal with. At present, Washington education officials are running pilot programs in several districts across the state, testing new and different ways to evaluate teachers and principals, Moore said. At 49, Moore still has children in district schools. Now a stay-at-home mom, she previously spent 12 years as an electrical engineer for IBM.
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Candidate encourages keeping cuts away from classrooms By Christina Lords As a mother of two children in the Renton School District, school board candidate Denise Eider has seen Denise Eider back-toschool supply lists get longer and longer. “Everyone’s had to cut back and really watch dollars,” she said. “The district has definitely had to do that, too. Educators are being asked to do so much more with less from Olympia. Our main focus needs to be keeping those cuts away from classrooms.” Eider, an account executive for a title company who lives in the West Hill area, is running unopposed for the fouryear, district No. 4 position. Todd Franceschina and Lynn Desmarais, two uncontested incumbents, are on the November ballot to retain their seats on the Renton School Board. The school board will need to continue to provide feedback to state lawmakers on how Washington schools are affected by legislators’ continued cuts to public education, Eider said. Parents, community leaders and other residents must be involved in those conversations to make a greater impact, she said.
“Educators are being asked to do so much more with less from Olympia.” — Denise Eider Renton School Board candidate
“Our biggest challenges right now are the budget cuts,” Eider said. “I’ve seen that teachers in the district want to be here, and students are genuinely excited to learn here. They need to know community leaders, parents and staff are behind them 100 percent.” One way parents and residents can support schools is by voting in favor of district-sponsored levies when they’re on the ballot, she said. The school board must retain high expectations of its students, and make sure professional development and higher education opportunities are options for Renton students, she said. Eider said she would like to see continued support for teachers and other staff to be able to communicate, collaborate and problem solve with each other and other educators across the district. Her experience as an account manager and volunteering with her church has helped prepare her for her role on the school board, she said. “I’m excited to support all of the school district, including those schools in the Newcastle area,” Eider said. “I’m excited to participate and, if elected, give my time to this board.”
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Safe routes From Page 20 with rolled curbs to not park on the sidewalk, which can be a barrier to bicycle and pedestrian access. City officials also will consider adding handrails on certain stairways, establishing new crosswalks, conducting speed studies and installing vehicleactivated signs in some areas to ensure children have safe routes to their school, Rigos said. The city’s sidewalk improvements along 116th Avenue just
south of the elementary school are examples of long-term projects that will benefit pedestrians in the area — including students attending Hazelwood — for years to come, he said. “If residents or students or teachers come to us with something they see that needs improvement, it’s beneficial for us because the more eyes on these things, the better,” Rigos said. The money raised from that event helps support the school’s field trip curriculum, purchase items for teachers’ classrooms and provide for community events throughout the school year.
Seat 3 From Page 20 per meeting, but the current board has chosen not to accept that money, said Sara Niegowski, district executive director of communications. Deagle said his main goal is to give Issaquah district graduates assurances that they are prepared to enter the world, ready for whatever comes after high school. “We have fallen short of that in a number of ways because we are limited by our resources,” Deagle said, adding that finances dictate teacher availability, which in turn dictates and limits what classes schools can offer. In order to offer more classes, Deagle proposed such measures as online learning, which can “put more hours into the day” and isn’t as teacher intensive. In terms of improving the schools, Sansing returned several times to the idea of “finding the next big thing, the next big idea.” He said the current school board doesn’t seem to have any long-term plans. Sansing added he does not know what the next big educational idea might be, but said the board needs to figure that out to get ahead of the curve. In addition to dealing with
OCTOBER 7, 2011 academic shortfalls caused by a tough financial climate, Deagle said the district could do a better job helping students reach their individual potential. In evaluating students, he said he thinks the schools might depend too much on standardized tests that do not measure individual performance or potential. Deagle said Issaquah schools on paper seem to be doing pretty well academically. But he wondered out loud whether the district is lucky enough to have exceptional students, well-prepared for schools by their families, or whether the district is good at educating. “I think that’s a question we can do a better job of answering,” Deagle said. Sansing agreed that Issaquah students come to school well prepared. But he said teachers do not receive the support they should. “I think focusing on teachers will be very important,” Sansing said. Money is another issue on Sansing’s list of priorities. He said the district seems to do well handling bonds and capital improvements, but officials need to have a long-term plan for funding day-to-day operations. “We need to think strategically about the levels of funding and we need to project that out into the future,” Sansing said. Deagle said he believes fund-
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ing problems, in terms of operating expenses, all go back to the failure of the state Legislature to live up to its responsibilities. He said the state has never made education its priority as the state constitution requires. Better state funding of education would put strains elsewhere on Washington’s budget, Deagle said, but he added that legislators have a duty to uphold the constitution. As board President Jan Colbrese has decided not to run for re-election, Deagle said he would be the longest tenured board member remaining if he were re-elected. “When I came on the board, I was surprised by how much I didn’t know,” Deagle said. “I worked hard to fill in the blanks.” Sansing said he has a good idea of what he might be getting himself into. As a college student, he served on a state education board in California. Sansing said he was nominated by that state’s governor to continue serving after he graduated, but in the end wasn’t selected. Although he didn’t say so, if Deagle and board member Suzanne Weaver are both reelected, Deagle would be the senior member of the board by a few months. He was appointed to the board in October 2006, while Weaver was appointed in January 2007.
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Seat 5 From Page 20 of Issaquah as well as parts of Sammamish. Although board member seats represent specific geographic areas, voters from throughout the district cast ballots for each board member. Members serve a four-year term. They are eligible to receive $50 per meeting, but the board has historically declined to take that pay, said Sara Niegowski, district executive director of communications. Members also may request reimbursement for travel expenses up to $4,800 per member. Last year, the board as a whole received $4,000 in travel money, Niegowski said. An accountant by trade, Neville said he grew up in Issaquah and earned his advanced degree at the University of Washington. “I’m deeply connected to the community,” he said. Neville spent five years on the volunteer board of the Seattle-based nonprofit Community for Youth. The group’s aim is to help struggling or at-risk high school students. Neville said he hopes to continue his service to young people but wanted to find an opportunity on the Eastside of the Seattle area. That was when he decided to try for the local school board. “I want to just jump in and
do something impactful,” Neville said, adding he has three priorities regarding Issaquah schools. The capital improvement bond voters will be asked to approve in April makes the top of the list. Neville said he believes the board and other school officials are going to have to do a good job of selling the need for the bond to the public. He noted that a major school operating levy expires in two years and he said that fact needs more discussion than it has received. He said the district can’t afford to ask voters for too much. “We can’t go to the well too often,” Neville said, adding the expiring operating levy accounts for one-fourth of district revenues. While at least one board member expressed concern the
public may perceive that school officials have been aiming too high regarding capital improvements, Weaver doesn’t think that is the case. “I think our community has high standards,” Weaver said, adding that is exactly is as it should be. While the completed reconstruction has been getting some attention, Weaver said work at Issaquah High School came in under budget. “It’s a beautiful facility … I think we got a lot of bang for our buck,” she said. Other issues on Neville’s mind include revamping how the district completes teacher evaluations and optimizing student curriculum. He described the first issue as a “very tricky thing.” The current board has discussed the issue, Neville con-
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PAGE 23 tinued, but said that discussion needs to be revived and expanded. Regarding the curriculum of Issaquah schools, Neville said he doesn’t see any particular problem. But he also feels there is always potential for improvement. For her part, Weaver talked a bit about the controversial and often criticized federal No Child Left Behind Act. The act accomplished some good and was wellintentioned, Weaver said. But she added the punitive aspects of the law do more harm than good. Under the act, schools are
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punished if they do not achieve what the federal government considers Adequate Yearly Progress. She said funding cuts hardly seem the way to effect change at struggling schools. Overall, Neville wasn’t highly critical of the current board or school administrators. But he added he doesn’t like the idea of people running unopposed for political office, arguing that competition is a good thing for the district and for voters. “It’s work that I enjoy and I want to continue doing it,” Weaver said of serving on the board.
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Newcastle News
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