Highlanders hit win streak just in time for football playoffs Page 22
Teacher receives good news after cancer diagnosis Page 19
November 4, 2011 VOL. 9, NO. 11
Discussion opens on 2012 preliminary budget Revenue, flat sales tax problem area for city, financial director says By Christina Lords With flat sales tax and projected revenue problems, the 2012 preliminary budget for the city of Newcastle calls for transferring money from the Real
Follow the vote
Estate Excise Tax fund to maintain and operate the city’s capital projects. But some City Council members aren’t convinced that’s the best way to bridge the $180,000 gap between the city’s revenue and expenditures for 2012. Based on the city’s revenue forecast, total revenue — about $5.7 million — will be down 4 percent from 2011. The use of REET funds for
Ballots’ journey juggles security, transparency. Page 2
operations and maintenance of capital projects — such as street maintenance for Coal Creek Parkway — is a new provision designated by the 2011 Washington Legislature under House Bill 1953 for cities to meet budgetary demands during the economic downturn. The council held its first public hearing on the budget Oct. 18.
If you g o The council’s final public hearing on the budget will be at 7 p.m. Nov. 15 at City Hall in the Newcastle Professional Center, 12835 Newcastle Way, Suite 200.
See BUDGET, Page 11
Residents provide feedback to city’s revenue problems
Police blotter Page 6
Decision 2011 By Christina Lords
City hosts forum for state candidates. Page 7
Faced with a bleak financial forecast due to a still-stalled economy, elected officials are looking to Newcastle residents for feedback on how the city should maintain operations as it braces for continued revenue decreases. About 45 residents armed with electronic voting clickers responded to the city’s real-time poll questions at its annual town hall meeting held Oct. 27 at The Golf Club at Newcastle. The questions ranged from how the city should seek new revenue sources — such as raising property taxes or implementing a car tab fee — to how its officials can better communicate with residents online. Of
It’s in the mail Glitch delays ballots for more than 900 voters. Page 8
On their feet 25th annual Fun Run raises money for school. Page 18
You should know Senior Housing Options, a new tool to inform seniors, caregivers and their families of housing choices for seniors, is available in East King County. The program allows seniors to evaluate their values and needs, and discover housing and service options in East King County. Learn more at www.archhousing.org; click on the “Senior Housing” link under the current residents tab.
50¢
those polled, 60 percent opted for direct emails for updates over Facebook, Twitter or a city-sponsored blog. Striking decreases in the city’s revenue from 2007 to 2012 have created budgetary problems for the city, including decreases in sales tax and other development-related revenue. In 2007, the city took in about $1 million in revenue related to development. In 2012, that number is expected to See TOWN HALL, Page 11
Lake Boren flooding options considered in new study By Christina Lords
Contact us: newcastle@isspress.com 392-6434, ext. 239
On the web View the preliminary budget in its entirety on the city’s website at www.ci.newcastle.wa.us.
Fishing for treats Grace Pernula, costumed as Belle from Disney’s ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ participates in a children’s fishing activity at the Seattle Revival Church’s second annual Trunk or Treat event on Oct. 31 in Newcastle. The event featured games, trick-or-treating and family photos at the church.
Large drainage system could be installed by next summer, budget permitting By Christina Lords Preliminary efforts are under way to evaluate how flooding of Lake Boren might be regulated in the future. Public Works Director Mark Rigos said flooding has been caused by land-use changes upstream in the China Creek
Drainage Basin and by lack of maintenance on the lake’s natural stream outlet, or Boren Creek, on the south side of the lake. The flooding could be physically alleviated by a large storm drainage system, equipped with a weir and jailhouse window, which would allow for overflow. The weir’s width and elevation would be determined by engineering consultants Gray See LAKE BOREN, Page 17
Newcastle News
PAGE 2
NOVEMBER 4, 2011
Transportation leaders King County Elections relies on census to determine languages for ballots oppose tolling initiative data Federal law requires elections office to offer materials in Vietnamese By Warren Kagarise
Elected officials on the Eastside Transportation Partnership agreed to oppose Initiative 1125, Tim Eyman’s tolling initiative, days before ballots started to reach voters. I-1125 calls for the Washington Legislature to approve tolls rather than the appointed state Transportation Commission. The initiative also aims to prohibit different toll rates for peak commute times and to require toll revenues to be put toward projects on the road being tolled. On Oct. 14, Eastside Transportation Partnership members heard from Bellevue developer and I-1125 supporter
Statewide ban goes into effect for ‘bath salts’ State health officials have banned the dangerous chemicals in so-called bath salts — dangerous substances used as substitutes for cocaine and methamphetamine. The rule goes into effect this month. The state Board of Pharmacy banned the sale, possession and use of products called Spice, K-2, bath salts, plant food, Ivory Wave and White Lightening. The chemicals in the products mimic the effects of cocaine, Ecstasy, LSD and methamphetamine.
Kemper Freeman and I-1125 opponents, former state Secretary of Transportation Doug MacDonald and Deputy King County Executive Fred Jarrett. Members discussed the presentations and voted to oppose the initiative. Newcastle City Councilman Sonny Putter is the vice chairman of the partnership; Deputy Mayor Steve Buri is also a member. Eyman said I-1125 ensures accountability and transparency. The partnership includes elected city and King County officials representing communities east of Lake Washington. The organization is focused on advocacy for regional transportation issues.
Users typically inhale the bath salts in a manner similar to snorting cocaine. In April, the Board of Pharmacy adopted a temporary emergency ban on bath salts and later adopted a permanent ban. The state ban gives clear authority to law enforcement agencies to prosecute people for the manufacture, distribution, sale and possession of bath salts. Based on complaints and reports to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency from poison centers, hospital emergency rooms and law enforcement agencies, the DEA also announced a yearlong, nationwide ban.
By Warren Kagarise King County is often celebrated as a melting pot and, reflecting a demographic shift recorded in the most recent census, ballots should soon start to include another language spoken in the community. Under a provision in the U.S. Voting Rights Act, King County is required to create and offer election materials in Vietnamese. The county is home to about 28,000 Vietnamese speakers — enough to trigger the federal threshold for election materials in Vietnamese. Data collected in the 2010 Census determined King County needed to add the language. The elections office already produces instructional election information and ballot packets in English and Chinese. The elections office could spend $50,000 to $70,000 per year to add elections materials in Vietnamese, although King County Elections spokeswoman Kim van Ekstrom said the figure is a rough estimate. The federal government does not provide funding for the elections office to add Vietnamese election materials. The threshold requires jurisdictions to add a language for election materials if more than 5 percent or more than 10,000 voting-age citizens speak the language.
What to know The countdown to Election Day is on as ballots arrive in mailboxes. Options abound for local voters to learn about City Council, school board and regional races. King County Elections mailed a local voters’ pamphlet — a guide to Newcastle, school district, special district and county races. See the complete guide at www.kingcounty.gov/ elections. Follow the “Current elections” and “Local voters’ pamphlet” links. For statewide issues, such as ballot initiatives, the Secretary of State’s Office sent a separate statewide voters’ pamphlet to residents. See the complete guide at www.sos.wa.gov/elections. Follow the “2011 General Election Voters’ Guide” link. “We anticipated that the recent census would bring at least one additional language requirement,” Elections Director Sherril Huff said in a statement. “We have successfully complied with our past language requirements and we have already begun discussing how to address this additional translation requirement.”
The elections office hires translators to interpret ballots from English to Chinese. Officials could do the same to create Vietnamese election materials, or contract out the process. Huff announced the additional language requirement Oct. 12 — too late to create Vietnamese materials for the Nov. 8 election. However, if a voter requested a ballot in Vietnamese for the upcoming election, the office is bound by law to comply. “Once you are told that the language requirement is in place, it’s now in place, but we don’t have to go back and reprint ballots because that job was already done,” van Ekstrom said. “The language requirement is now in place and so for future elections, all ballots will be printed in both languages assuming that they’ve been requested.” County elections staffers plan to start identifying Vietnamese-language voters soon for assistance in future elections. Statewide, the law requires Adams, Franklin and Yakima counties to print ballots and election materials in Spanish. Nationwide, 248 jurisdictions must provide language assistance for groups unable to speak or understand English adequately enough to participate in elections.
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Ballots’ journey juggles security, transparency Odyssey leads from Everett printer to voter to Renton office By Warren Kagarise King County Elections places a huge mail order each year. Officials must secure enough ballots for more than 1 million voters spread across a county larger than Rhode Island. Then, the elections office is responsible for ensuring a secure — and hassle-free — process to distribute, authenticate and tally ballots on a strict deadline. The complicated process starts on a printing press in Everett and ends in a tabulation machine in Renton. The voter is situated in the middle, black ink pen at the ready. The job to print almost 1.1 million ballots is delegated to a commercial printer. The elections office oversees the process as Everett-based K&H Election Services prints and inserts ballots into envelopes. The printer creates ballots for King County and jurisdictions across the United States. Then, ballots stacked on pallets await shipment to voters. “At any given time, you can see boxes that are shrinkwrapped with ballots that go to all different kinds of counties,” King County Elections spokeswoman Kim van Ekstrom said. About 20 days before Election Day, as TV campaign advertisements reach cruel-and-unusualpunishment status, the U.S. Postal Service starts to mail ballot packets to voters. Each packet contains a signature envelope, security envelope and ballot. The arrangement is meant to ensure voters’ anonymity as elections staffers open,
authenticate and tabulate ballots. Ballots do not emerge from behind a security cordon until postal employees send the oversized envelopes through the mail. Security measures shield ballots Nov. 8 is the deadline to slip a completed ballot in the mailbox or a drop box. The simple act launches a complex and much-scrutinized journey to the elections office in Renton. The security setup is part “Mission: Impossible” and part common sense. King County Elections staffers travel in pairs to retrieve ballot packets from ballot drop boxes. Trucks must pass through a secure gate and a concertinawire-topped chain-link fence to deliver completed ballots to the elections office. Inside, electronic key cards and biometric controls to authenticate fingerprints limit access to ballots and processing areas. Crews transport returned packets in a separate elevator from the loading zone to the processing area. The building lacks wireless Internet access to limit possible information leaks. The office maintains a strict policy to require employees and guests to don color-coded lanyards to determine security clearance. “So, from a distance, at a glance, if we don’t recognize somebody, we know what type of employee they are and basically where they should be in the building,” van Ekstrom said. The security system includes more than 20 cameras aimed at crucial areas 24/7 and a sophisticated alarm system on doors and sensitive areas. “We have a total chain of custody for watching over and tracking all of the ballots that come back to us,” van Ekstrom said. Staffers then sort ballot pack-
By Greg Farrar
Matthew Chan uses a practiced flip of the wrists to levitate voter ballots from a tray onto a sorting machine at King County Elections in Renton during the August primary. ets into batches — 200 to 400 ballots apiece — by legislative district. The office also records a digital image of each voter’s signature for verification. Employees do not open a ballot until the signature is checked against a voter’s registration. Specialists check for similarities — such as letter height and spacing — between the registration and the ballot. If the signatures match, the packet proceeds to the next step. If a signature problem arises, a staffer contacts the voter. Transparency is encouraged Opening a ballot packet is a multistep process. Once the security envelope is removed from the signature envelope, a staffer opens the security envelope and pulls out the completed ballot. The team then inspects the ballot for stray marks, corrections or to see if the voter used a forbidden ink color. (Only a black ink pen is acceptable.) If a ballot is damaged and cannot pass through tabulation equipment, the elections office follows a guide in a state-
approved voter intent manual to duplicate the ballot. If a voter’s intent is unclear on the damaged ballot, staffers send the document to the county Canvassing Board for further discussion. Then, as completed and OK’d packets reach the elections office, staffers scan ballots. Officials tabulate the scanned images and release the results at about 8 p.m. on Election Day. More results follow after Election Day as the office tabulates additional ballots. Before each election, officials invite political party observers and reporters to a logic and accuracy test — a process to determine if scanning and tabulation equipment functions properly. Come election season, King County Elections is open for public access. Guests can peer inside the processing area from a loop around the outside. Only a partial Plexiglas panel separates guests from the process, so people can see and listen to elections staffers at work. Observers from political parties act as watchdogs throughout the process.
What to know ❑ The deadline for people to register in this election has passed. ❑ People can register for future elections in person at King County Elections from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays at 919 S.W. Grady Way, Renton. Or register in person at the Voter Registration Annex in the King County Administration Building, 500 Fourth Ave., Room 311, Seattle. The annex is open from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2-4:30 p.m. ❑ In order to register as a Washington voter, a person must be a U.S. citizen, a Washington resident, at least 18 by Election Day and not under the authority of the state Department of Corrections. ❑ In Washington, voters do not register by political party or declare political party membership to vote in primary or general elections. ❑ Learn more about the process at the King County Elections registration website, www.kingcounty.gov/elections/registration.
On the Web King County Elections mailed ballots to voters Oct. 19. Track ballots online at the King County Elections website, www.kingcounty.gov/elections. Follow the “Track your ballot packet” link.
If you go See elections staffers process ballots from the viewing loop at King County Elections, 919 S.W. Grady Way, Renton. The loop is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and features extended hours on Nov. 8, Election Day. Call 206-296-8683.
“We’re very transparent. We’re very secure. But our transparency is also a part of our security,” van Ekstrom said.
Opinion
PAGE 4
Letters to the Editor
Editorial I-1125 not right answer to new tolling fees
Support Gordon Bisset on Nov. 8
I
nitiative 1125 is one of those ballot measures that does so much more than put limits on what can and cannot be done with gas taxes and toll revenues. It’s one more initiative that screams, “We don’t trust our elected representatives to run the state!” We get that sentiment, and encourage voters to hold their representatives accountable. Tim Eyman’s I-1125 ballot measure is supposedly about reinforcing laws already on the books. It makes assumptions that the Legislature has run amok, bending rules on road tolls and taxes. It covers state bids and contracts for vessel dry-docks and goes on to specify that there will be no tollbooths. And then it slips in a little wiggle that stops light rail from expanding across Lake Washington via Interstate 90. I-1125 limits road tolls to funding of a project — only. Nobody likes a road toll, but when the Evergreen Point Bridge tolls begin, the I-90 clog is sure to be worse than a stopped-up toilet. It’s possible that drivers on I-90 will be begging for equal tolling just to get back to today’s usual commuter gridlock. Do we want a red light on that option? Eyman says tolls are just another name for a new tax. Yup. But aren’t user fees more equitable than across-theboard tax increases? I-1125 says tolling rates must be determined by the Legislature, not an appointed commission. Good golly, why would we trust the Legislature to ever agree on a toll rate? We prefer depoliticizing the decision. Most of all, those here on the Eastside voted along with the rest of the region to fund light rail from Seattle to Bellevue and beyond. If this option is off the table, do we get back our share of taxes paid? I-1125 is misleading at best, convoluted for sure. Vote no.
Poll question As the holiday season approaches, how will you give back to local organizations or people in need this year? A. I plan to donate my time through a volunteer service organization. B. I plan to give a cash donation to those in need. C. I plan to donate food or work in a food bank to benefit the hungry. D. My resources are too limited to be able to help others this year. Vote at www.newcastle-news.com.
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For four years (2002-2005), Gordon Bisset was an outstanding Newcastle City Councilman. And fortunately for us, he will again be a Newcastle City Councilman on Nov. 8. I urge Newcastle's voters to support Gordon, as he is a man who really cares about the city. As president of Hazelwood Community Association, his leadership spearheaded a neighborhood improvement at Donegal Park with the Gene Porter Memorial Barbecue. As a concerned citizen, he regularly attends City Council and Parks Commission meetings, adding to his vast knowledge about how the city functions. All of Gordon's hard work and discerning expertise are what the city needs in these tough economic times. Diane Lewis, vice chairwoman Newcastle Parks Commission
Save our hospital and its services — vote for Mary Alice Heuschel Valley Medical Center is at a turning point. There are those who would change the hospital’s status from public to private. And there are those who would cancel its new alliance with UW Medical.
Rapid Response With a harsh La Niña winter predicted for Western Washington, what are some of the ways you'll prepare for storms in Newcastle? I try to make sure I know where we have a flashlight with good batteries, and keep my cell phone charged. If the power goes out after a windstorm, I go to the nearest trail and start clearing — I’ll be warm! Peggy Price By making sure I have enough emergency supplies on hand. Everyone should go to www.emergency-pac.com. Great emergency packs that contain loads of supplies. It's a local business to support! Jackie Foskett
What are ways you'd like to see the Mutual Materials brick plant site redeveloped? No more banks, that's for sure. How about some nice restaurants and shops? Bring in revenue to Newcastle! Jackie Foskett I hope someone comes along who wants to use
Under its public status, Valley has grown to a large regional hospital with national recognition. Its alliance with UW will provide enhanced medical skills, research and services that benefit the entire Valley Medical region. Mary Alice Heuschel is running for the vacant seat on the Hospital Commission. She is strongly committed to keeping the hospital’s public status and implementing the alliance with UW to its full potential. Look for Mary Alice on your ballot under “Public Hospital No. 1.” You may know Mary Alice as the superintendent of schools in Renton. This year, she was selected as the Superintendent of the Year in Washington for her work in that position, and was further recognized as one of the top four superintendents in the entire United States. Mary Alice will bring tremendous skills to the position of hospital commissioner, including personnel skills, cost control and managing large budgets. Collectively, these executive management skills are the essence of the position. Medical skills are not needed, and in fact could be construed as a conflict of interest. Mary Alice is dedicated to education, but believes there must be a strong link between education and health if we are to achieve the best of both worlds. She is the only candidate who can establish that link. Vote for Mary Alice. She will serve you well. Jean Garber Newcastle
that site for something that isn’t duplicated nearby. I’m afraid that putting in a shopping center like Factoria Mall and Newcastle’s city center could render all three not economically viable. Peggy Price The only thing I'd like to see is a Trader Joe's. Trina Sooy
Will you be more likely to visit City Hall now that it’s in the Newcastle Professional Center? Why/why not? I visit City Hall when I need to — it’s not an impulse decision. I might visit Sweet Decadence more, though. Peggy Price Not sure, as my main reason to visit would be for business and I don't have a lot of business to conduct at City Hall. It will certainly be more convenient, as I love going to Sweet Decadence, which is in the same building! Jackie Foskett Of course I'll be more excited to visit the new location ... since I can get chocolate downstairs! Elizabeth Llata Brecht Probably not. I've lived here for 10-plus years and have never had a reason to go to the old City Hall location. Trina Sooy
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Newcastle News
NOVEMBER 4, 2011
Free massage offered to military members Puget Sound-area Massage Envy centers from Olympia to Everett will salute active military members, veterans and their spouses on Veterans Day (Nov. 11) with its Massage for the Military event. The free one-hour massage sessions on Nov. 11 are a way for the business to say thank you for military members’ service to the country. The 19 Massage Envy locations in Western Washington include the Newcastle Massage Envy, 6920 Coal Creek Parkway S.E. The event requires an appointment and there are a limited number of free massage appointments at each clinic. Proof of military status is requested, such as a military identification card. Make a reservation by calling the Newcastle Massage Envy at 957-7979 or go to www.massageenvy.com.
State minimum wage to rise to highest in nation Washington’s minimum wage is due to increase Jan. 1 to $9.04 per hour — the highest state minimum wage in the nation. The state Department of Labor & Industries announced the 37-cent per hour increase Sept. 30. The agency calculates the state minimum wage each year. The recalculation is required under Initiative 688, a measure passed by Washington voters 13 years ago. The increase reflects a 4.258 percent increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers since August 2010. The calculation is a measure of the average change in prices over time of goods and services — such as food, clothing and fuel, and services, such as doctor visits — purchased by urban wage earners and clerical workers. The minimum wage applies to workers in agricultural and nonagricultural jobs, although 14- and 15-year-old workers may be paid 85 percent of the adult minimum wage, or $7.68 per hour, starting next year. Washington and nine other states adjust minimum wages based on inflation and the CPI. Washington has the highest minimum wage nationwide, followed by Oregon.
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Police Blotter Burglary About $3,650 worth of electronic items was stolen from a man’s home Sept. 22 in the 12200 block of Southeast 74th Street. The items included a Kodak camera, an iPad2 and two laptop computers.
Inappropriate advances On Sept. 22, a woman working in the floral department of the Coal Creek Parkway Safeway reported a semi-regular customer asked her to go out to his car. After they talked for a while and he asked her for her phone number several times, he eventually tried to place her hand on his groin area. She called police. He was later contacted by police at his Bellevue home and said the two of them were just flirting together. The woman said she did not want to pursue prosecution because she was transferring to another store soon.
Windows were broken out of a Caterpillar front loader in the construction area of Liberty High School sometime between Sept. 23 and 26. The vandalism caused about $2,000 worth of damage.
Injured deer euthanized An injured deer was located after an officer was dispatched on Oct. 3 to Coal Creek Parkway Southeast just south of Southeast 84th Way. The officer observed the deer collapsing near the roadway due to a bro-
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Marijuana, knife found in backpack
An 18-year-old Liberty High School student was arrested after he admitted to having A man reported about $7,200 cookies laced with marijuana in worth of items were stolen from his backpack on school properinside his home after it was ty Oct. 5. During the search, a open to 35 to 40 different con- 4-inch steel-bladed, spring-opertractors doing renovations on ated knife was found. He was the house. The incident was “emergency expelled” from reported Oct. 1 in the 12600 school for violation of district block of Southeast Eighth Place. policy, and was transported and The items stolen consist of booked into the Regional Invicta and Cartier watches and Justice Center in Kent. several valuable rare coins.
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Chemically inclined
A 47-year-old woman, who lives in the 8000 block of 119 Avenue Southeast, called authorities Oct. 6 after she suspected her neighbor to the north had been spraying chemicals on his yard. The woman said the chemicals were affect-
ing her yard and were toxic to her health. She placed clear adhesive tape over each space between the boards of the wooden fence between the two residences. She said a white toxic substance covered the tape, but the responding officer stated he only saw condensation and small pieces of wood off of the fence. In 2010, the woman reported someone was dumping toxic chemicals in her driveway. The responding officer at that time determined it was a plant growth on the concrete due to wet weather.
Fraud A 57-year-old Newcastle woman reported three fraudulent charges totaling more than $3,200 were made to her credit card. The charges were made at a Chevron and Target in Seattle and an Apple store in Bellevue. The Newcastle News publishes names of those arrested for DUI and those charged with felony crimes. Information comes directly from local police reports.
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Newcastle News
PAGE 6
NOVEMBER 4, 2011
Newcastle hosts forum for high-profile state candidates By Christina Lords Candidates for the state’s top office met Newcastle residents and laid out dueling plans for the future Oct. 22 during a forum at The Golf Club at Newcastle. The candidates for governor, Republican Rob McKenna and Democrat Jay Inslee, touted education reform as top priorities for the state more than a year before voters choose a successor to outgoing Gov. Chris Gregoire. State attorney general hopefuls Reagan Dunn, a Republican, and Bob Ferguson, a Democrat, also participated in the Eastside Candidate Forum. The candidates — both King County councilmen — said more should be done statewide to protect consumers from fraud and foreclosure. Candidates could speak for up to 15 minutes during the seventh annual forum. The event attracted about 100 residents and local politicians. The major party candidates in the race for governor agree restoring funding to the state’s education system will bring stability to Washington’s job market and aid the state’s still-struggling economy. How they propose to do that, however, is where some differences between McKenna, the state attorney general, and Inslee, a U.S. representative, begin to surface. Inslee said the state must aggressively seek new ways to encourage development in the business and technology sectors, implement reforms for education, restore education funding and deliver government services more efficiently.
Jay Inslee
Rob McKenna
Reagan Dunn
Bob Ferguson
“We are no longer going to accept a two- to three-year delay in removing substandard teachers from the classroom,” he said. The state must follow through with its pilot program for the teacher and principal evaluation process to set a quantifiable expectation of high achievement, he said. Years of cuts to higher education — which McKenna said has been slashed to 1989-90 levels even though the system has about 34,000 more students today — must come to an end. “Fewer than half of the jobs that require college degrees are being filled today by people who earn their degrees in Washington state,” McKenna said. “Thank goodness our employers are competitive that they are able to attract people to move to Washington state to take jobs, but wouldn’t it be better if the majority of those jobs were being filled by people who grew up here or earned their college degrees here?” Without an educated work
force, new businesses will see little incentive to make Washington home and employment opportunities will continue to be filled from workers from out of state, he said. Inslee called for more opportunities — such as skill centers, apprenticeships and technical colleges — for students who don’t go on to a four-year university. “We’ve got to set an expectation level that 100 percent of our kids graduate from high school,” he said. “By adopting some risk-based assessment programs and by focusing our mentoring … we know that we can do this.” McKenna said teachers who are willing to work in high-risk or low-performing school districts should be paid more to even the odds for Washington students. “The largest amount of money is spent in the schools with the wealthiest parents,” he said. “The least amount of money in every one of these districts is spent in schools with the poorest students, because the money follows the adults, not the kids.”
Candidates emphasize consumer protection Ferguson and Dunn said protecting Washington consumers is in the long-term interest of the state. “We know in our own experience that there are all sorts of unscrupulous businesses that prey upon folks who may be senior citizens, who speak English as a second language,” Ferguson said. “We see that all the time. The Office of the Attorney General is in a position to do something about that.” Dunn said consumer protection applies to several different types of services. “This is an ongoing challenge that every AG will face,” Dunn said. “Whether it’s telemarketing scams, Internet scams or even cyber bullying … we need to provide protections in that area.” The state needs to enforce a new foreclosure law, Ferguson said. State lawmakers passed the Fairness Foreclosure Act earlier this year. The legislation aims to aid homeowners with finding resolutions to foreclosure proceedings with their lender or service provider.
Dunn said more education and preventative work by the attorney general’s office is necessary to protect the public’s safety interests, especially with increased gang violence in South King County. “We need to give both the resources and the tools to fight those gangs,” he said. Both candidates said they would continue to support work that protects open spaces and the environment. Ferguson cited efforts to improve Puget Sound’s water quality as an example of how the attorney general can impact the protection of the environment. Dunn said he would support continued litigation to encourage cleanup of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Eastern Washington. Event organizer John Jensen said the forum is an avenue for candidates to face the public and each other in a noncombative way. “They all came here and operated in the spirit of what we wanted to have happen here today, which was just the opportunity to meet and greet them,” Jensen said.
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Newcastle News
NOVEMBER 4, 2011
PAGE 7
City faces liability issue in fire services contract New negotiations will save Newcastle $68,000 in 2012 By Christina Lords After almost a year of meetings and contract negotiations, the city of Newcastle may realize a cost savings of about $68,000 for its 2012 fire services provided by the Bellevue Fire Department. A potential savings of about $2 million in fire services costs could be realized by the city over the next five years. But one unexpected addition to the contract, concerning how firefighters’ medical costs will be paid in the future, has the Newcastle City Council thinking twice about immediately signing on for an additional six-year term. Over time, contracting cities like Newcastle have paid into Bellevue’s LEOFF 1 Retiree Medical Liability plan, which provides a defined benefit pension to local government law enforcement officers and firefighters. The plan, created in 1970 and
State tracks prescription medication purchases State health officials have started collecting information regarding purchases of prescription pain medication to crack down on a statewide overdose problem. Officials rolled out the Washington State Prescription Monitoring Program in October to reduce abuse and promote safe prescription drug use. The
closed to new members in 1977, also stipulates cities are responsible for the lifetime medical and long-term care costs for their LEOFF members and retirees, according to the Association of Washington Cities. But the LEOFF account hasn’t been adequately updated by the city of Bellevue to cover the radically increased medical costs for those enrolled in the plan, City Manager Rob Wyman said. “I’ve heard their side of the story, and I understand it in the sense that we are all partners here and we took on this liability together,” he said. “It’s a pretty positive contract overall … but for this point, I do think it’s entirely appropriate to push back and say, ‘Hey, my council is not going for this.’” The city of Newcastle would be responsible for $182,575 in remaining liability costs if it decides not to contract with Bellevue at the end of the pro-
posed six-year contract, according to 2012 fire services fee calculations. “In context, we were in this place before,” Councilman Sonny Putter said. “What’s new is the assumption of the permanent liability that is open-ended, even if we find an alternative. I don’t know that we’ll find an alternative, but if we do, we’re now putting a huge liability on our books that we had not assumed before.” Newcastle has contracted its fire services through Bellevue since its incorporation in 1994. Beaux Arts, Clyde Hill, Hunts Point, Medina and Yarrow Point also contract fire services through Bellevue and would also be affected by the changes. Bellevue proposes the contracting cities must pay into the LEOFF account until the liabilities have been met, even if the city discontinues the fire department’s services at the end of the contract
program collects information on commonly abused medications. Information from pharmacies and health care providers is collected and stored in a central database. Starting in January, health care providers can view their patients’ prescription history dating back to the start of data collection. The program also allows patients and law enforcement officials to view the prescription
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— a stipulation not required in the current agreement. Newcastle’s contract expires Dec. 31. The city managers involved in the contract negotiations are presenting the proposal to their City Councils before moving ahead with additional meetings with the city of Bellevue. Wyman said it is highly unlikely the city of Newcastle would contract with another agency at the end of the six-year term. The city ruled out annexing the city into an existing fire district, creating a regional fire authority and establishing its own fire department as viable options for fire service in the future during the renegotiation process. Councilman Rich Crispo said that the LEOFF liability isn’t a deal-breaker for the contract because it would create a muchneeded cost savings for the city. “We’ve been paying this fee every year,” he said. “I’m wondering if we go forward, if we’ll be cutting off our nose to spite our face.”
But Councilman Bill Erxleben said bargaining hard over the LEOFF part of the agreement would be worthwhile and encouraged including other contracting cities in the discussion. “You don’t leave money on the table,” he said. “It may not be a deal-breaker and we may have to take it, but if you don’t negotiate and ask for the discount, you don’t get it.” Much of the renegotiation phase of the contract was spent on how to create a new formula that more accurately determines fire protection costs for the contract cities, Wyman said. The formula used now bases allocating costs on one single factor: a city’s population. The new formula would factor in population, the assessed value of an area and the number of incidents to which Bellevue responds. The contract would provide a range of fire services, such as fire suppression and rescue, emergency medical services, fire prevention and emergency management.
doubled from 2000 to 2010. Since 2006, deaths from unintentional drug overdoses have surpassed the number of deaths from automobile crashes.
The slam is open to Liberty High School students. Anyone is welcome to submit poetry, and participants can bring any kind of spoken word performance. The event is free and open to the public. The winning poem will receive publication in Newcastle News and its sister publication, The Issaquah Press. The submission deadline is Nov. 17. Submit a poem by emailing it to issaquahpoetryslam@yahoo.com.
Poetry slam is open to Liberty students The second annual Issaquah Poetry Slam hosted by the Issaquah Youth Advisory Board is from 3 to 5 p.m. Nov. 19 at the Skyline Black Box.
Newcastle News
PAGE 8
NOVEMBER 4, 2011
Glitch delays ballots for more than 900 local voters By Warren Kagarise King County Elections did not mail ballots to 11,000 Eastside voters — including more than 100 people in Newcastle — in mid-October due to a glitch. Officials, after receiving calls from residents about missing ballots, mailed ballots to the affected voters Oct. 29. The deadline to return ballots via mail, drop box or accessible voting center is Nov. 8. Overall, the issue impacted 11,000 Eastside voters, including 54 in Issaquah, 141 in Newcastle, 875 in Sammamish, 1,118 in North Bend and 72 in Snoqualmie. King County Elections started mailing 1.1 million ballots to
voters Oct. 19. Calls to the elections office about missing ballots started soon after. The reason for the delay remains unknown, officials said Oct. 28. “Fortunately, we had some voters who were on top of it and that tipped us off to start checking and seeing if there were any anomalies,” King County Elections spokeswoman Kim van Ekstrom said. “There are always voters who don’t get their ballots. Things happen, and that’s why they have several weeks to try to connect with us.” Liz Lawrence, a rural King County resident on the Sammamish Plateau near Issaquah, is a diligent voter, and the late ballot raised some questions. “My husband got his ballot and I said, ‘I guess mine is going
What to know King County Elections urges voters waiting on a ballot for the Nov. 8 election to call the office’s voter hotline at 206-296-VOTE. to come in the next day or two,’ and then I forgot about it” — until the announcement from the elections office, she said. Just before Election Day, the Lawrences check voters’ pamphlets and fill out ballots before dropping the completed forms into the mailbox or a ballot drop box. Liz Lawrence, a website designer, said she enjoys the convenience of mail-in ballots. The delay did not cause concerns
about the system, she added. Officials study calls to the King County Elections hotline to determine if issues arise during elections. The calls about missing ballots for Eastside voters prompted the elections office to act. “We were able to clearly figure out who didn’t get them, but we’re still not completely sure on why it happened,” van Ekstrom said. “We’re still trying to figure that out.” The office hears from a small percentage of voters in every election about not receiving a ballot due to address changes and other issues. “In every single election, you hear a fair amount from us about, if you haven’t received your ballot, call us, call us, call us,” van Ekstrom said.
Proposed King County budget touts savings, eschews deep cuts By Warren Kagarise and Christina Lords As the King County Council begins to listen to hours of public testimony at a series of budget hearings, one overall theme became clear at its Oct. 13 session — support human services now, before it’s too late. Derek Franklin, a Sammamish resident and representative of the Alliance of Eastside Agencies, said the county must begin to formulate a dedicated and stable long-term funding source for human services, such as those aimed at protecting residents from homelessness, domestic violence and inadequate legal counsel. “Although sometimes obscured by the high socioeconomic status of the Eastside, human service needs here are quite high,” he said during a public hearing at Pacific Cascade Middle School near Issaquah.
“We urge the budget committee to establish a long-term fix for the human services safety net. It’s been significantly dismantled over the years by budget cuts, and people … are beginning to fall through the cracks.” King County Executive Dow Constantine’s 2012 budget proposal earned praise from County Council members for eschewing cuts to services in the general fund — elections, law enforcement and other basic government functions. The overall budget proposal is $5.3 billion, including $648 million in the general fund. Using $1 million from savings, Constantine proposed creating a fund for human services to invest in nonprofit organizations offering food for the needy, support for the homeless and more. Steve Roberts, executive director for Congregations for the
Homeless, echoed Franklin’s sentiments in increasing funding to services for the homeless on the Eastside. He praised Constantine’s supplement that has been added for human services, but said more needs to be done to protect the most vulnerable residents of King County. “As you know in these tough economic times, unfortunately, as funding goes down, needs go up,” he said. “We really need to address the needs of the hungry and the homeless and the poor. It’s really when we address those needs, we reflect our humanity.” Councilwoman Kathy Lambert, a member of the council’s budget team, said the council hears and understands the human services message on a financial and personal level. The more opportunities the county has to keep people out of the
justice system and prevent incarceration, the better, she said. “We just got some information that says for every $1 you put into prevention, you save $60 on the back end,” she added. “We want families to stay together. Having somebody to be able to continue working and taking care of their family is really important.” Constantine protected most services in the 2012 county budget, but called for reduced road maintenance on roads in unincorporated areas, including some near Issaquah. Cost reductions elsewhere could not salvage funds for roads in rural and unincorporated areas. In mid-September, Constantine proposed a plan to prioritize road maintenance, snow removal and storm response on a tiered system to save money for the cash-
Officials monitor ballots throughout the process, from printing and insertion into envelopes to mailing and then to the Renton elections office for tabulation. “We investigated the matter and discovered a technical problem associated with part of our voter database that resulted in exclusion of these ballots from being mailed on the date originally scheduled,” Elections Director Sherril Huff said in a statement issued Oct. 28. “Quality assurance is an important component of our elections processes and while we regret that this event occurred, I’m pleased that the reviews we have in place helped us in identifying and problem-solving the issue.” strapped Road Services Division. Streets on a lower tier — including Tiger Mountain Road Southeast, Southeast Klahanie Boulevard and sections of Southeast May Valley Road west of state Route 900 — could receive little or no snow or storm response, especially during major storms. In recent years, annexations of unincorporated areas into nearby cities, lower property valuations and a dip in gas tax revenue caused the fund to drop 18 percent, from $128 million to $106 million. Issaquah School Board member Chad Magendanz encouraged the council to review the proposed reduced road maintenance to make sure it doesn’t overlap with the school district’s snow removal routes. “Right now, many of our snow routes are in your lowest served tier,” he said. “Without any snow plow service, we’re going to have to cancel school.”
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Newcastle News
NOVEMBER 4, 2011
PAGE 9
Newcastle Library’s Friends group takes shape By Quinn Eddy and Christina Lords As construction continues on Newcastle’s new library, community members have begun the process of creating a sustainable partnership to support the facility once it’s up and running — a Friends of the Library group. “We’ve known for a long time the community was interested in getting a friends group going,” said Julie Brand, community relations and marketing director for the King County Library System. Made up of volunteers, friends groups act as advocates for local libraries and primarily focus on fundraising. The funds earned go to programs such as summer reading programs and other library system initiatives. In 2005, the most recent year for which numbers are available, King County Friends of the Library groups raised more than $388,000, Brand said. The facility, expected to be complete by June or July, will incorporate environmental efficiencies while offering Newcastle residents increased access to the King County Library System, associate facilities director Kay Johnson said. Recent work on the library includes the installation of post tension slab cables and storm drains in the right of way. In late October, work was being done to finish grading and exporting remaining dirt at the site, and the facility’s curb wall was finished. The underground parking portion of the garage is also taking shape. “This should lead to increased access to the library’s system for Newcastle residents,” Johnson said. The Newcastle friends group is one of 37 groups supporting King County’s 46 libraries. “They help libraries have a greater participation in commu-
What to know Learn more about construction and upcoming meetings on the library’s blog at http://blogs.kcls.org/newcastle. nities,” Brand said. The first meeting of Newcastle’s Friends took place in May at the Newport Way library. At the mainly informational meeting, the group of about 20 discussed the role of friends groups, what they do and how the King County Library System offers support. At the end of the meeting, the group took a tour of Newport Way’s behind-the-scenes areas. “They enjoyed seeing the new automatic materials handling machine that has revolutionized Newport Way Library's materials check-in process,” said Kirsten Corning, managing librarian for the Newport Way Library. “We will have a similar machine at the Newcastle Library.” The group has discussed the construction timeline for the new library and how often the group is to meet. Members also discussed methods of fundraising and how the group will be involved with the annual Newcastle Days event. According to Corning, there will be an election of board members but the day of the election has not yet been chosen and the group’s bylaws have not yet been written. In 2010, friends groups were instrumental in helping pass the levy lid-lift election. Had the measure not passed, library funding would have been drastically decreased due to lower revenues earned from lower property taxes. Many friends groups collaborated to help create the LibraryTo-Go program. The program consists of five special vehicles
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designed as community outreach vehicles. The vehicles are available for checkout by any local library staff to take to places such as community centers and apartment complexes to reach people that cannot normally get to a library. “It’s a new way to get to areas of the community we haven’t been able to reach before,” Brand said. Fundraisers for friends groups typically include book sales, but in some cases groups have gotten creative, such as Fall City’s big plant sale.
By Christina Lords
Most of the concrete work for the underground parking structure of the Newcastle Library, seen here Oct. 19, was completed in October.
Newcastle News
PAGE 10
Laughing all the way
Old habits die hard
an article suggesting that our motto should be "Newcastle: City of Speed Bumps." We have a lot of them, and we've become accustomed to the act of slowing down to go over them. And if you actually read road signs, they also thoughtfully provide one with the word "Bump" a few yards before you hit it. They recently repaved 122nd Place Southeast and parts of Southeast 75th Place, which is a route that we regularly take through and over Lake Washington Crest. They've yet to replace the speed bumps. But after years and years of going by the warning sign and slowing down at the same spot, we still dutifully brake and drive 7 miles an hour over ... nothing. Nothing! We always note it, feel like idiots and laugh really hard. But in the past week or so, we've finally let go of our old habits and are blowing over the former bump locations at the speed limit. When they finally replace those things, I'm pretty sure we'll need a quote on undercarriage replacement.
During the first windstorm of fall, the lights flickered, but never went out. Our power providers have taken great strides when it comes to reducing outPat Detmer ages in Newcastle. I remember when we used to have long spans without power, dark times that the Sainted One and I took in stride by drinking far too much alcohol and griping about the fact that the south Bellevue hills — which we could see from our cold and gloomy house — always seemed to be lit up like a rolling sea of massive Christmas ships. Perhaps the most galling thing about power loss is how it shows you, time and time again, just how stupid you can be when it comes to mindless daily action, those little things that
you do automatically and unconsciously, like flipping on the light switch upon entering an internal closet. You know that the electricity is out. You know it because you've already entered the windowless closet three times since the outage began. But you still flip that switch as if you expect the lights to magically come on in spite of that knowledge. I believe that's one of the definitions of insanity. To make ourselves laugh and feel better about our misfiring brain synapses, The Sainted One and I always call out the number of times that we hit the switch, e.g.: "Number 7!" But since we've also named that closet "The Sound-Proof Booth," most of those admissions go unheard, which might be best for all egos concerned. Proving that we're creatures of habit while outside of our home as well as in it, we've recently had the same kind of reaction while driving on local roads. Many years ago I wrote
You can reach Pat Detmer — whose niece lives near those streets, is seven months pregnant, and is grateful for the no-bump bladder relief — at patdetmer@aol.com.
Department of Ecology offers alternatives to burning yard waste
burn vegetation. In most areas, including Issaquah and rural King County, burning is regulated to protect people from breathing smoke and to prevent fires from spreading. Smoke from burning leaves, grass, brush and tree needles can aggravate or contribute to asthma, emphysema, bronchitis and lung cancer. If left unattended,
yard waste fires can spread out of control, damage property and threaten people. Most cities and all urban growth areas do not allow residential outdoor burning. The state also bans burning garbage or using burn barrels across Washington. Residents in rural areas should call local fire agencies before
Fall means abundant fallen leaves and piles of other yard waste. The state Department of Ecology is urging residents not to give in to the temptation to
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burning. People should also ask the regional Department of Ecology office or local clean air authority — the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency in King County — for burn permit requirements. The agency recommends chipping, home composting or hauling yard waste to a composting facility as alternatives to burning.
Deal keeps popular transit app moving Local transit agencies and the University of Washington agreed Oct. 12 to keep a popular transit app up and running. The future of the app, One Bus Away, had been uncertain, because the original developer, a UW graduate student, had moved on to the private sector. The app tells people when a bus is expected to arrive at a stop — in real time. King County Metro Transit, Sound Transit, Pierce Transit and the university agreed to fund up to $150,000 to further develop and maintain the app for 13 months. One Bus Away is available on the Internet, for iPhone and Android devices, and as text message alerts. The app is used by thousands of transit riders to plan trips through the region and is used more than 50,000 times per week.
Newcastle News
PAGE 11
Budget From Page 1 Councilman Bill Erxleben said merely transferring money from one fund to another doesn’t fall in with the city’s financial policy, which states “the amount budgeted for operating expenditures (including transfers) shall not exceed the amount of forecasted revenue for the budget year.” “We just need to clarify the policy,” he said, “so we don’t cover the shortfall by claiming we’ve presented a balanced budget by … taking a bunch of money from another fund,
Town hall From Page 1 dwindle to only about $220,000 — a 78 percent decline in five years. Sales tax collected by the city has decreased by 23 percent in the past five years, while property tax collected has increased by 11 percent. New development revenue from construction — not city imposed taxes — account for much of that increase, said City Manager Rob Wyman. All told, the city has seen a 12 percent decrease in revenue
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dumping it into the analysis and saying, ‘Hey, we balanced the budget.’ In truth, that’s an accounting trick.” Councilman Sonny Putter disagreed, citing the City Council’s ability to make changes to the budget if necessary. “It absolutely meets the council’s policy statements about operating revenues,” he said. “The council has the capacity to change every line in this budget, and if this council chooses not to use that, we can make that decision. To say that this is inappropriate is plain wrong when the Legislature said it is appropriate.” As per the financial policy, no new taxes or rate increases to existing taxes are included in
the preliminary budget. Christine Olson, the city’s finance director, said using REET funds for capital projects is a legal, short-term solution to balance the city’s general fund. She acknowledged using the REET funds would reduce money available for capital improvement projects in the future. “This was a way to balance our budget without reducing service levels,” she said. “We have been cutting for three years now. We don’t have anything else to cut.” The council directed Olson and City Manager Rob Wyman to bring back two other alternatives to balancing the budget. The second alternative will be a budget that proposes cuts to
services and/or staff. The third would restore $140,000 to the general reserve fund after it was mistakenly transferred to the parks fund in 2006. Olson had proposed that money be placed into a new budget surplus fund, which would allow the city to more easily respond to minor shortfalls in revenue at the end of the year. Without increased sales tax and little construction-related sales tax expected in the near future, residents will shoulder more of the city’s financial burden. In 2007, 56 percent of the revenue for the general fund was supported by property taxes. In
2012, that percentage is expected to be up to 71 percent. The city will aggressively explore education programs for city staff and residents to recoup unreported sales tax revenue in 2012, Wyman said. The budget includes three transportation-related projects for the city: a proposed $160,000 pedestrian access improvement project for 125th Avenue, a $350,000 improvement project on 118th Avenue Southeast and a $583,000 pavement overlay project for the city. Proposed parks projects — totaling $225,000 for 2012 — include a covered stage and maintenance garage for Lake Boren Park.
since 2007. “Over the same period of time, as those numbers have dropped, you can see that we’ve become more reliant on property taxes to fund our operations,” he said. For the average household in Newcastle, about 17 percent of a resident’s property taxes go to the city. About 31 percent go to the state and 39 percent goes to the school district. In the preliminary budget, the next five years show expenses outpace revenue projections for the city, Wyman said. “At some point you reach that tipping point where there’s no big ticket items to slash,” he said. “There’s no sav-
ings that make it up. You’re talking about paper clips at some point … we’re up there right now. We’re butting up against some tough decisions, and that’s part of the reason why we’re having these types of conversations.” In order to maintain city operations, 56 percent of residents polled at the meeting said they would be in favor of raising taxes as a way to stabilize the city’s financial condition, while 28 percent said they’d be in favor of lowering the level of services the city provides. About 16 percent said they’d like to explore consolidation with an adjacent municipality as
a way to handle the financial situation. Of the available revenue options, 42 percent of those polled said they’d prefer the city to implement a utility tax of 3 percent, 28 percent said they’d prefer to pay a $20 per vehicle license tab and 19 percent said they’d support raising property taxes above the allowed 1 percent by asking voters to approve a levy lid lift for a specific purpose. Twelve percent of the residents said none of those options were preferred. As a part of the Q-and-A session during the meeting, residents requested updates on the progress of the library and want-
ed to know whether the city is still looking into getting a ZIP code for Newcastle. Mayor John Dulcich said city efforts to include apartments above the library stalled the beginning of construction, but the library is expected to be open to the public by summer 2012. He said the city is still in the process of evaluating alternatives to get the city its own ZIP code. Many residents thanked the city for its efforts to provide sidewalks with curbs and gutters along 116th Avenue Southeast and encouraged similar infrastructure improvements in other areas of town.
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From left, Dennis E. Yarnell Jr, Owner/President; Elizabeth Widseth, Owner/VP; Beni Alway, Tech; Alex Ellis, Appentice; Richard Popek, Cashier.
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Newcastle News
PAGE 14
NOVEMBER 4, 2011
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Newcastle News
NOVEMBER 4, 2011
PAGE 15
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COMMUNITY
PAGE 16
Events Close to My Heart Santa Workshop is at 2 p.m. Nov. 6. Make fun cards for friends and families. Cost is $10. Get location by RSVPing to lisa@lisasargent.net or calling 255-3731. The Newcastle Weed Warriors next project is maintenance and restoration work from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 12 at Lake Boren, 13058 S.E. 84th Way. Childhaven and the Seattle Seahawks team up for their 10th annual dinner and auction Nov. 14, to benefit Childhaven, a 102-year-old organization dedicated to the treatment and prevention of child abuse and neglect. The “Evening of Healing, Hugs & Hope” starts at 5 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Bellevue, Grand Ballroom. Go to www.childhaven.org/auction or call 206-957-4896.
NOVEMBER 4, 2011
IN THE SPOTLIGHT Diamond Awards honor achievements
Public meetings File
All city public meetings are at City Hall, 12835 Newcastle Way, Suite 200. Call 649-4363. ❑ Parks Commission — 6-8 p.m. Nov. 9 ❑ City Council — 7-10 p.m. Nov. 15 ❑ Planning Commission — 7-9 p.m. Nov. 16 Newport Way Library Association Meeting — 7:30 p.m. Nov. 14, Newport Way Library, 14250 S.E. Newport Way, Bellevue The Newcastle Trails board meets the first Monday of the month at 7 p.m. at the Regency Newcastle, 7454 Newcastle Golf Club Road.
YMCA The Coal Creek Family YMCA, located at 13750 Newcastle Golf Club Road, has regular family programs for all ages throughout the summer. For a complete schedule, call 282-1500 or go to www.seattleymca.org/Locations/ CoalCreek/Pages/Home.aspx.
Library events The Newport Way Library is at 14250 S.E. Newport Way, Bellevue. It will be closed for Veterans Day Nov. 11 and Thanksgiving Nov. 24. The following programs are offered the rest of the month: ❑ “The Real Community College: Pros and Cons of the Last College Bargain” — for teens and adults, 7 p.m. Nov. 2 ❑ eReader and Digital Download Demonstration — for adults and teens, 3:30 p.m. Nov. 6 ❑ Computer Class: “Internet Level 1” — for adults, 10 a.m. Nov. 7
Diamond Award plaques await presentation at last year’s chamber of commerce ceremony.
❑ Newport Way Book Group discusses “When She Flew,” by Jennie Shortridge, at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 21. ❑ Computer Class: “Microsoft Word Level 1” — for adults, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 28 ❑ Young Toddler Story Time, for ages 1-2 with an adult, 10:15 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 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.
Health Angel Care Breast Cancer Foundation-trained survivors offer free emotional support to the newly diagnosed, enhancing emotional recovery while going through treatments. Go to www.angelcarefoundation.org.
Volunteers The Regional Coalition for Housing has a volunteer position opening on its Citizen Advisory Board. The board consists of 12-15 community resi-
November
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dents 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 reading 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. 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
The Newcastle Chamber of Commerce’s annual Diamond Awards Luncheon will be from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Nov. 10 at The Golf Club at Newcastle. Cost for lunch is $25 at the door, which includes a program, tax and gratuity. The awards celebrate individuals that have demonstrated dedication to improving the Newcastle community. Community members nominate recipients, and the awards are given in four categories: business, youth, education and community service. Learn more by going to the chamber’s website at www.newcastlecc.com.
December
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program needs volunteers to select and deliver library materials to homebound patrons. Training is provided. A one-year commitment is required. Volunteers must be at least 18, have their own transportation and be able to pass a Washington State Patrol background check. Call 369-3235. Dependency CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate): Community volunteers advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children in King County. Call 269-3201. DAWN (Domestic Abused Women’s Network): Provides services to survivors of domestic violence in King County. Call 795-1441. Grace Children’s Charity: Provides essential school supplies for impoverished children. Call 430-0300.
Places to go Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park, on Lakemont Boulevard Southeast, is a 3,000-acre park with more than 30 miles of trails and the site of the 1880s coalmines. Go to www.metrokc.gov/parks.
Newcastle News
NOVEMBER 4, 2011
Birth
Local woman offers insight in ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul’
Brady William Westendorf Brian and Amy Westendorf welcomed son Brady William Westendorf to their Newcastle home Sept. 26, 2011. Brady was born at Valley Medical Center, in Renton, weighing 8 pounds, 2 ounces and measuring 20.75 inches. He joins brother Ian Thomas, 22 months.
By Christina Lords
Brady Westendorf
Lake Boren From Page 1 and Osborne Inc. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife would ultimately approve the work, Rigos said. From the manhole, the water would be conveyed by a buried pipe or culvert system between Coal Creek Parkway and the outflow channel. It would be discharged into Boren Creek north of 84th Way. Residents said King County used to dredge the south side of the lake and the stream channel, but that work ceased after Newcastle was incorporated in 1994, Rigos said. The flooding has worsened over the past several years, he said. The City Council approved a contract with Gray and Osborne at its Oct. 18 meeting. The work will include a topographic survey of the area; a hydraulic analysis of the lake and outlet channel; wetland delineation; and preparation of topographic, profile and cross-section maps. It is expected to cost between $35,000 and $40,000.
PAGE 17
The work will include a topographic survey of the area; a hydraulic analysis of the lake and outlet channel; wetland delineation; and preparation of topographic, profile and cross-section maps. It is expected to cost between $35,000 and $40,000. Councilman Sonny Putter said while he supports the project, he is worried about giving residents a false sense of hope if the actual construction costs are too great for the city to complete. While definitive construction costs are not yet available, the project could cost about $115,000, Rigos said. Under a best-case scenario, construction could be done as early as next summer. Once the technical and professional studies are complete, the next major step will be to begin the process of submitting the appropriate permits to state and federal agencies. That step is tentatively scheduled for the spring of 2012. Councilwoman Lisa Jensen said the issue has been a problem for residents too long and she is glad to see the first steps of the project moving forward.
Every Thursday for three years, Dawn Lilly sat down with a handful of first-graders at a Renton elementary school to help them develop their reading skills. One incident from her time there, however, will stick out in her mind — and in print —forever. “As a tutor, I had five kids all year long,” she said. “They each have their own personalities and quirks, and I genuinely loved spending that time with those kids. You could see them grow and learn to be proud of themselves.” Lilly bestowed a super reader award on a student after he was able to overcome a mild stutter during the school year. As the student read the “reading tutoring program” award out loud, he slipped and instead said, “reading torturing program.” The line stuck, and Lilly said she was inspired to sit down to write “Sweet Torture” two years ago. Lilly, a Newcastle resident and former television newswoman who left the industry 30 years ago to devote more time to her family, has spent the past two years developing nonfiction and inspirational freelance writing part time. The story was picked up for “Chicken Soup for the Soul: Inspiration for the Young at Heart,” a collection of stories about seniors enjoying life after 60. The book was released in August. The Chicken Soup series has more than 200 titles and has sold more than 112 million copies, with titles translated into
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more than 40 languages. Lilly’s writing was also featured in “Chicken Soup for the Soul: Thanks Dad” in 2010, as well as “The Secret Place,” “Evangel” and DaySpring Cards. She’s just started her first novel, and said personal, reflective writing — especially pieces with inspirational or Christian messages — is something she’s always wanted to do. “I’m compelled to do it,” she said. “I can’t stop, even if that means I have to bang my head against the keys however many times, even if it’s not working that day. I’m going to keep trying.” She said she joined the Northwest Christian Writers’ Association, which holds its meetings in Bothell, and started attending writing conferences as
a way to get feedback about her writing. Anyone can begin writing for publications if they set their mind to it and are willing to face rejection, Lilly said. “It’s easy for everybody to draw from life experiences to have something to tell,” she said. “You have to have tough skin, and mine is getting very tough.” Lilly said much of what she and other freelancers send to publications is rejected, so having something selected for print is always special. “You put so much of yourself into writing something,” she said. “So when you do get something that’s selected, you think, ‘Maybe that is confirmation that I’m doing the right thing.’”
Schools
PAGE 18
NOVEMBER 4, 2011
Fun Run gets Hazelwood students on their feet 25th annual PTSA fundraiser provides money for field trips, academic supplies By Christina Lords Ten. Nine. Eight. Camila Sandi picks up her pace, her hair flowing behind her. Seven. Six. Five. As an announcer counts down the final seconds, hundreds of children dressed in red Fun Run shirts surround Sandi, scrambling to get in one final lap before the 25th annual Hazelwood Elementary School PTSA Fun Run event comes to a close. Four. Three. Two. Some kids drenched in sweat flank her side, others huff and puff to pass her from behind. Kids with heavy feet and tired legs lag behind her. One. A smile brightens Sandi’s face. She’s done. While the second-grader ran 29 laps in the Fun Run event,
Sandi has even loftier goals for next year — 63 laps. “It gives me exercise, and it’s so fun,” she said. The event, held in conjunction with Hazelwood’s International Walk to School Day, is the largest fundraiser of the year for the PTSA and includes children from every grade. The yearly goal of $25,000 is broken down to fund a variety of services for the school, including $10,000 for classroom supply grants for every class, $2,000 for library books, $1,000 for musical instruments, $10,000 for field trips for every class and $2,000 for math curriculum enrichment. Students work to collect pledges from family and friends before the Fun Run and collect money based on the number of laps a child runs after it’s completed, said Missi Wilson, the Fun Run’s co-chair. Students had from 10:3011:15 a.m. to get in as many laps as possible. First-grader Lucena Villasenor said she ran some of
By Tom Corrigan
Representatives of the King County Sheriff’s Office greet students outside Apollo Elementary School.
Apollo Elementary School pulls some strings to host big Red Ribbon Week By Tom Corrigan
See FUN RUN, Page 21
By Christina Lords
Samantha Wilson (right) and Jaxon Nap (center), Hazelwood Elementary School second-graders, get laps checked off by Julie Collins at the school’s 25h annual PTSA Fun Run on Oct. 7.
Ultimately, the topic at hand was serious. But even the adults in the crowd outside Apollo Elementary School Oct. 5 seemed to be enjoying themselves. Asked before and after whether they liked the show local law enforcement put on in front of the school, the answers from the students were predictable, “cool” and “fun” being the most common comments. One youngster obviously took one of the messages of the day to heart, warning his friends not to talk or give their names to a reporter, who was, after all, a stranger to them. Representatives of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, the King County Sheriff’s Office and Eastside Fire & Rescue were all on hand to help the students of Apollo mark Red Ribbon Week, which runs Oct. 23-31. Safety personnel showed up in full gear, including a hazmat suit strongly resembling a spacesuit. To much cheering, a DEA helicopter made several low-flying passes over the school. The school-front performance further included appearances from McGruff the Crime Dog and Badge Man, a man-sized DEA badge. Still, easily most popular among the mascots was the Seattle Seahawks’ Blitz. The latter showed the first two cos-
By Tom Corrigan
Microphone in hand, the DEA’s Matt Duran served as emcee for the Red Ribbon Week event at Apollo. tumed characters — along with one or two lucky audience members — how to dance. With its healthy-lifestyle, anti-drug message, Red Ribbon Week gets attention at plenty of schools, including those in the Issaquah School District. Still, no one else is liable to get quite the show that Apollo did. How did the school end up with such an event? “They asked,” DEA Public Information Officer Jodie Underwood said. “We’ve got connections,” added Apollo Principal Susan Mundell. “The kids loved it. I’ve got some great feedback from teachers.”
The Seattle DEA office partners with other law enforcement and safety personnel to put on one or two big shows each year for Red Ribbon Week, started to honor a slain DEA agent. “What happens is, the word of mouth starts to spread,” Underwood said regarding the major display of law enforcement. This year, the DEA and its partners actually will bring out the big trucks and the helicopter three times. “It’s fun but it’s educational,” Underwood added. Red Ribbon Week is held in See RED RIBBON, Page 21
Newcastle News
NOVEMBER 4, 2011
PAGE 19
Still Mrs. Tinnea Newcastle Elementary School teacher receives good news after cancer diagnosis By Christina Lords In late September, Katie Tinnea’s oncologist broke a rule he’s held strong to for 20 years. Instead of waiting to tell Tinnea — a 29-year-old Newcastle Elementary School first-grade teacher diagnosed in late July with stage four colon cancer — the latest news in person, he placed a call. Her latest scan was in, and it showed something amazing. Every one of her tumors, which include growths in her liver, colon and spots on her lungs, were shrinking. Tinnea said when she was first diagnosed in July, one of her tumors was as large as a tennis ball. By the end of September, that same tumor was down to the size of a golf ball. Because traces of the disease can be found in Tinnea’s blood, those cells could connect to an organ to form a new tumor at any time. She’ll be on routine maintenance chemo, or once every other week, for the rest of her life. “My doctor is very encouraging and has given me no reason to think of anything but the best,” she said. “I feel great and like my normal self. Why would I mope around and be negative?” As one of the youngest people receiving chemotherapy treatments at her medical center, she has quickly become an advocate of early detection and finding a cure for the disease. “My family and I were completely blindsided, and I don’t ever wish that on anybody,”
“I didn’t have symptoms — even today I feel totally fine. I want people to know that unfortunately colon cancer is one of those sneakier diseases that can creep up on you at any time.” — Katie Tinnea Newcastle Elementary teacher Tinnea said. “My mother was with me at the hospital, and I had to come home to tell my husband I have stage four cancer. I didn’t have symptoms — even today I feel totally fine. I want people to know that unfortunately colon cancer is one of those sneakier diseases that can creep up on you at any time.” She’ll participate in her firstever 5K to take a stand against the disease after her 14-monthold daughter’s child care center, Bright Horizons in Issaquah, formed a team to show their support. The Get Your Rear in Gear event is Nov. 6 in Bothell. The team is one example of countless acts of kindness, prayers and good thoughts sent her way, Tinnea said. Every other Thursday, she goes in for her chemo treatment. But she doesn’t call them chemo days. Instead, family, friends, people in the community, and especially her students and fellow Newcastle Elementary staff, show their support for “Purple Power Day” —
By Carly Bish, of Carly Bish Photography
Katie Tinnea (right), a first-grade teacher at Newcastle Elementary School, enjoys some family time with husband Ryan and daughter Kennedy, 14 months. where people wear purple bracelets and other purple clothing as a reminder to send good thoughts Tinnea’s way as she goes in for treatment. People ask Tinnea why she’s still working. She has a question for them — why not? “Teaching is who I am, and I can’t imagine just not doing it because of this,” she said. “I feel great. I still feel like Mrs. Tinnea. The children have been so supportive. They just know I’m sick on the inside, but I haven’t used the word cancer with them.” The class has a designated substitute that steps in for those two days when she is away, she said. “This cancer is not who I am,” she said. “Yes, it affects me every other week, but I’m so grateful my school district has
Get involved Join Katie Tinnea’s Kickin’ the Stick out of Colon Cancer Team at the Get Your Rear in Gear 5K. ❑ Date: Nov. 6 ❑ Registration: 7 a.m. ❑ 5k run: 8:30 a.m. ❑ 5K walk: 8:35 a.m. been so wonderful to allow me to be out those two days.” Tinnea encourages anyone who has a history of cancer in his or her family to talk about early detection. Tinnea’s aunt was diagnosed with colon cancer at age 43 and died from the disease. For colon cancer, family members should be screened for the disease 10 years before their
❑ Kids Dash: 9:30 a.m. ❑ Location: Brooks Sports Inc., 19910 North Creek Parkway, Bothell Registration fee: survivors — free, adults — $40, children (12 and younger) — $15 ❑ Learn more about Tinnea’s story at www.caringbridge.org/visit/katietinnea.
relative’s diagnoses age, Tinnea said. “Almost every day someone comes to me to say they’ve added me to a prayer chain or their friend has added me,” she said. “People share my Caring Bridge site with their friends, and their friends share it with their friends … the support I’ve seen has meant the world to me.”
30 Hazen students named AP Scholars, Scholars with honors
Contributed
Kyle Yuasa, Priscilla Yu, Taylor Yee, Jack Chen and Michael Valentine (back row from left to right), and Kyle Arinobu, Katelyn Neff, Maggie (Yong) Huang, Diana Chen and Aileen Isaharova (front row from left to right) are Hazen High School Advanced Placement Scholars.
More than 50 high school students in the Renton School District — including 30 students from Hazen High School — have earned the designation of Advanced Placement Scholar or AP Scholar with Honors by The College Board. The designations are in recognition of the students’ exceptional achievement in AP Program courses and on college-level AP exams. Only about 18 percent of the more than 1.9 million high school students worldwide who took AP tests performed at sufficiently high levels to merit the recognition of AP Scholar or AP Scholar with Honors. There were 14 Hazen students who received the designation of AP Scholar for receiving scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP exams. AP exam scores range from 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest. The 2011 Hazen graduates who are AP Scholars are Erin Anderson, Tyler Brown, Cassandra Chandler, Luc Charbonneau,
Amy Delo, Meredith Ladd, Michael Mayer, Autumn Roybal and Logan Walton. Current Hazen seniors awarded the AP Scholar honor include Kyle Arinobu, Jack Chen, Daniel Huie, Katelyn Neff and Taylor Yee. There are also 14 Hazen students who received the designation of AP Scholar with Honors, granted to students who received an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP exams taken, with scores of 3 or higher on four or more of the exams. Graduates from the class of 2011 who received the award are Jason Choi, Ben Maison, Kyle Martin, Jesse Miles, Kaela Nurmi, Christian Roy and Alan Vu. Current Hazen seniors who received the distinction include Diana Chen, Yong Huang, Aileen Isakharova, Senay Kargaci, Michael Valentine, Priscilla Yu and Kyle Yuasa. There were two Hazen students who See AP EXAMS, Page 21
Newcastle News
PAGE 20
Newcastle girl earns scholastic award
Contributed
Kate Ingalls (center, back row) celebrates Sept. 30 with her Hazelwood Elementary School second-grade class after being honored as STAR 101.5’s Teacher of the Week.
Local teacher honored with radio station award Kate Ingalls won STAR 101.5’s Teacher of the Week award for the week of Sept. 30. The radio station’s afternoon show host Corine McKenzie made a surprise visit to Ingalls’ second-grade Hazelwood Elementary School classroom in Newcastle to announce the award. Each student in Ingalls’ class received a goody bag full of prizes from Applebee’s, the Washington State Employees Credit Union, Dairy Farmers of
Washington and other sponsors. Ingalls received a personalized plaque from Issaquah Trophy and Awards, a $100 check from the Washington State Employees Credit Union and a $100 Applebee’s gift certificate. She also got to choose between a makeover or a Kindle courtesy of Blanc N’ Schwartz Salon. Caroline Smith, the student who nominated Ingalls for the award, received a $50 Applebee’s gift certificate.
Seattle Christian High School student Brittany Hoff, of Newcastle, has been named as a commended student in the 2012 Brittany Hoff National Merit Scholarship Program. About 34,000 commended students throughout the nation will be recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Other Seattle Christian students to receive the honor were Matthew Bohman, of Kent, and Kyle Swain, of Burien. Principal Stephanie Knipp will present a letter of commendation from the school and National Merit Scholarship Corp., which conducts the program, to the seniors. Although they will not continue in the 2012 competition for National Merit Scholarships, commended students placed among the top 5 percent of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2012 competition by taking the 2010 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. The seniors are narrowing their choices for the college
Certified Residential Specialists
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Renton Rotary honors Hazelwood music teacher Grant Mead, a general music teacher at Hazelwood Elementary School, has been selected as the Rotary Club of Renton’s Grant Mead Teacher of the Month. First-grade teacher Diane Seil, who teaches at Bryn Mawr Elementary School, and fitness teacher Tabetha Magnuson, who teaches at the Sartori Education Center, also received awards for the month of October. As a part of the recognition, teachers selected attend a luncheon at the Maplewood Golf Course and receive $200 for classroom supplies or instructional materials. Mead attended Florida State University and earned a bachelor’s degree in music. He received a master’s degree in curriculum design. He has been a teacher in the district for 22 years and has spent many years teaching piano, flute and guitar outside of the classroom.
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The Volunteers of Issaquah Changing Education Mentor Program is seeking community volunteers to work one on one with students in the Issaquah School District. VOICE is funded by the Issaquah Schools Foundation in cooperation with the district. Teachers and counselors throughout the district refer students who need extra support academically, socially or emotionally. The volunteer commitment for the program is one hour per week throughout the school year. The volunteers work in the school setting in partnership with school staff members. Placements are made based on the mentors’ interests, location and time availability. Mentors can help a student with math, science, reading or learning English as a second language. For high school students looking to complete community service at a local level, the commitment of one hour per week could be set up from 2:403:40 p.m. at Newcastle Elementary School. Email Susan Gierke, VOICE mentor director, at voice@issaquah.wednet.edu or call her at 837-6801. Learn more about the program at its website at www.voicementorprogram.org.
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Choose a CRS Certified Residential Specialist when you buy or sell a home. Some CRS Realtors in King County are shown here. Call 1-800-540-3257 for Certified Residential Specialists serving other areas or counties in the state. For more information on the CRS designation or for the names of CRS out of state, call 1-888-462-8841. The Council of Residential Specialists of Realtors National Marketing Institute is an affiliate of the National Association of Realtors.
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Newcastle News
NOVEMBER 4, 2011
Red ribbon
Fun run
From Page 18
From Page 18
memory of Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, an 11year DEA veteran assigned to a unit in Mexico. On Feb. 7, 1985, he was kidnapped, tortured and eventually murdered by Mexican drug traffickers. Shortly after his death, a childhood friend of Camarena launched Camarena Clubs in the agent’s hometown in California. Member pledges to lead drug-free lives were delivered to then-First Lady Nancy Reagan. In 1988, the National Family Partnership launched Red Ribbon Week nationwide in Camarena’s honor. The NFP estimates some 80 million people now take part in Red Ribbon events each year. “It’s just taken on a life of its own,” Underwood said. While the helicopter, the dancing Seahawk and motorcycles might have gotten the attention of students, Mundell said the more serious message of Red Ribbon Week got through. She said many Apollo teachers put together lesson plans around the event or held discussions about health and drug issues with their students. In many cases, Mundell said those discussions turned out to be student led. Underwood said it’s perfectly appropriate to take an antidrug message to an elementary school — that children are never too young to hear that message. “This is the time when you want to start talking to kids,” she said, adding children of elementary school age tend to be very impressionable. “I think it’s pertinent,” said Mundell, especially referring to her older students. She said many teachers had students think and talk about making healthy lifestyle choices, not so much emphasizing an anti-drug message.
her 29 laps and walked the rest, but she looks forward to next year’s event because “you get a lot of exercise in.” She’s going to shoot for 32 laps next year, she said. Corporate matches from Microsoft, The Boeing Co. and other workplaces help supplement the donations, while about 30 volunteers and Hazelwood teachers and staff step up to make the Fun Run happen, she said. “This really gets the whole community very active and very giving,” Wilson said. Students also received raffle tickets to earn prizes, such as bicycles provided by Peterson Bicycle or helmets provided by Valley Medical Center, and the student who raises the most money wins the opportunity to be principal for the morning. Orthodontic Excellence sponsored the Fun Run’s Tshirts, and each child received an Otter Pop and a water bottle for participating in the fundraiser. Hazelwood’s staff and PTSA organized the fun run and the Walk to School Day event with additional support from King County Public Health and the CDC’s Healthy Eating/Active Living grant, Feet First and Safe Routes to School.
PAGE 21
By Christina Lords
More than 450 student participants at the Fun Run received complimentary Otter Pops, water bottles and T-shirts, which were sponsored by Orthodontic Excellence of Newcastle.
AP exams From Page 19 received the designation of AP Scholar with Distinction, granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP exams taken, with scores of 3 or higher on five or more of the exams. The 2011 Hazen graduates awarded with that honor are Mishaal Aleem and Kelsey
Mejlaender. Students took AP exams in May after completing collegelevel courses at their high schools, and many of the recognized students have graduated and are now in college. Some took the test in their junior year and are now seniors in high school. The College Board’s AP program offers students the opportunity to take challenging college-level courses in high school. Students receive college credit, advanced placement in
college, or both, for successful performance on the AP exams. This year, 267 students at Hazen are enrolled in one or more AP courses at the school, including AP biology, AP calculus, AP environmental science, AP English language, AP German, AP micro economics, AP macro economics, AP physics, AP statistics, AP U.S. government, AP French and AP U.S. history. In the spring, Hazen will proctor more than 500 AP exams.
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SPORTS
PAGE 22
NOVEMBER 4, 2011
Liberty’s playoff hopes fade as injuries plague team By Christina Lords
By Rob Nichols
Daymontray Brown, Hazen senior running back, scores from four yards out during the third quarter Oct. 28 against Renton. The Highlanders won their homecoming game, 21-7.
Highlanders hit win streak just in time for playoffs years, with both seasons ending after they were defeated in the first round of the playoffs. Hazen will meet the Franklin Quakers, the No. 2 seed out of the Metro Conference, this week at Seattle Memorial Stadium. The Quakers (5-4) ended the Highlanders’ season one year ago, and Oliver said after injuries forced his team to focus on their run game during the second half of the season, the Highlanders are ready for the challenge. “We had go back to basics,” he said. “We have to run those
plays rather than trying to get too fancy. There’s not too much in the way of surprises in the way we run the ball, but we’ve been able to execute in practices and on the field.” Oliver said fumbles and penalties must be eradicated as the team looks to the playoffs. “If we can eliminate those mental errors, we’ll be much better off,” he said. Hazen has had a successful second half of the season with
Patriot girls clinch the KingCo title, No. 1 seed
won their third straight KingCo title. “Winning KingCo was No. 1 on our list,” Liberty coach Jaime Giger said. “Obviously we’re still looking at the next two games. I told the girls we’re not looking at state yet. I want to take care of this league. I want to win all of the games before us.” In her first year at the helm for the team, Giger said she’s proud of the way the Patriots have gelled as a unit. “I’ve gotten my feet wet,” she said. “When we went through the first half of the season, it was my first time ever seeing these teams. For me as a coach … the nice
By Christina Lords After winning four straight games going into the post-season, Hazen High School coach Drew Oliver knows that kind of push is exactly what his team needs right now. “Momentum is good, especially at the right time of the year,” he said. “I feel like we still haven’t put together a perfect game, but this team is really starting to come into its own.” The Highlanders have gone 7-4 and 7-3 in the past two
By Christina Lords They’ve already wrapped up the KingCo Conference 3A/2A title Oct. 20 with a 5-3 victory against host Juanita. They’ve already clinched the automatic No. 1 seed in the Class 3A state playoffs. But make no mistake — the Liberty High School girls soccer team is still focused on the here and now. “We’re not thinking about state yet,” Liberty junior
Kailiana Johnson said. “We’ve been focusing on games coming up next week and then we’re going to focus on postseason during our off week and get prepared.” The KingCo title is the second straight for the Patriots, who captured the league’s state 3A berth earlier in the week with a 3-0 win against Lake Washington. This is the first time Liberty has won back-to-back titles since 2001, when the Patriots
Liberty High School coach Steve Valach certainly had higher expectations than to finish regular season play with just three wins. So did his players. With a 33-0 loss on Oct. 28 against the Bellevue Wolverines, any hopes of a 2011 post-season faded. “As a team, I still think we played well enough to grab that No. 3 spot for the playoffs,” Valach said. “Ability wise, we were good enough to do that. We just didn’t get it done.” After picking up a 42-7 victory against Lake Washington, the Patriots fell to Mercer Island, 3210, on Oct. 14. The two key losses for the Patriots were their Sept. 23 matchup against Mount Si and their Oct. 21 home game against the Interlake Saints, Valach said. Liberty was up 13-0 at the half and gave away 16 unanswered points in an overtime loss to the Wildcats. The Patriots made two 14-point surges in the second and fourth quarters of the Interlake game, but couldn’t overcome the Saints in a narrow 33-28 loss. “In a lot of ways, it was a very frustrating season,” Valach said. “We talk about it’s all about us, it’s all about us. And for us, it wasn’t about getting beat, it’s that we were the ones losing the
game.” The Patriots went 3-6 on the season. Part of the team’s difficulties was related to several key injuries to critical players in the Liberty lineup. Senior running back Hamilton Noel was sidelined after a separated shoulder injury at the Mount Si game. “Hamilton is the heart and soul of our team,” Valach said. “He didn’t always say much, but he would always lead by example. He’s definitely a good player.” Senior running back Tei Staladi sustained a cracked collarbone injury late in the season. “It’s part of the game, and it seems like sometimes part of having a good season means good fortune when it comes to injuries,” Valach said. “It definitely impacts you in terms of momentum and continuity.” Despite Liberty’s shutout against Bellevue, the team’s coaching staff respected the way the Patriots played, he said. “They fought four full quarters in that game,” he said. “We were down to our No. 6 running back. I was just proud of how they fought and they scrapped and they played hard. As a coach, it was actually really satisfying.” Liberty will play in a crossover game against the Ingraham Rams at Liberty on Nov. 4.
See FOOTBALL, Page 23
See SOCCER, Page 23
By Greg Farrar
Jordan West, Liberty High School senior quarterback, leaps over a Juanita defender for a few more of his 26 yards on a third-quarter rushing play Oct. 21 against the Rebels.
Newcastle News
NOVEMBER 4, 2011
Soccer From Page 22 thing is these kids all get along. They all have great attitudes. They all work really hard.” Johnson had a hat trick to lead Liberty in its victory against Juanita. Liberty got a battle from Juanita, which has just one league victory this season. Juanita took the lead three times in the game, but Liberty always answered with a tying goal. “The first half we really just kind of struggled,” Johnson said. “We weren’t really focused in the warm up … but then we started putting things together, talking more, playing as a team and just competing.” Juanita scored first at the 25th minute on a goal by Sara Holden. Liberty’s Shannon Daly knotted the score a minute later with an unassisted goal. Juanita went ahead 2-1 on a goal by Karissa Radke at the 36th minute, but Johnson, assisted by Kimi Fry, tied the score on a goal at the 37th minute. The teams were tied 22 at halftime.
By Greg Farrar
Kailiana Johnson, Liberty junior forward, fires her hat trick into the Juanita goal in the 74th minute Oct. 20, for the 5-3 margin of victory over the Rebels. Radke put Juanita ahead for the last time on a goal three minutes into the second half. Johnson, assisted by Kiana Hafferty, tied the score at the 62nd minute. Nicolle Marlow, assisted by Fry, put Liberty ahead for good at the 71st minute. “We would love to finish this league strong,” Giger said. “I always say we want to get better every single game, and that was the frustrating thing about tonight. We didn’t get better.” Johnson gave the Patriots
some breathing room three minutes later with her third goal. “We don’t like being down,” she said. “As you can tell from our standings, we don’t like to lose. Once we got scored on we just got fired up. We had the right mentality.” Liberty went to 12-0-0 in league play and 13-1 on the season. Giger said she’s proud of the way to team has come together this season — on and off the field. “The thing about these girls is that they’re nice to each other,” she said. “They all have the right attitudes.” Patriots blank Kangaroos Johnson scored two firsthalf goals to lead the Patriots past Lake Washington on Oct. 18. Johnson's first goal, assisted by Kali Youngdahl, came just eight minutes into the game. Three minutes later Johnson, assisted by Hafferty, scored again. Daly, assisted by Fry, scored Liberty's final goal at the 65th minute. The shutout was the seventh of the season for Liberty goalkeeper Macaire Ament.
Football
Photos by Scott E. Coburn
Long distance champs Kristin Ericksen (left), a freshman on the Hazen High School girls cross country team, wins the 5,000 meters varsity event at a Sept. 22 Seamount meet with a time of 22 minutes, 35 seconds. She went on to take 11th place at the Seamount League Championships on Oct. 15. Lloyd Byran (right) , a senior on the Highlanders boys cross country team, also wins the 5,000 meters varsity event with a time of 17 minutes, 33 seconds. He went on to take ninth place at the Seamount League Championships.
Newcastle Chamber of Commerce
From Page 22 wins over Evergreen on Sept. 30, Highline on Oct. 6, Foster on Oct. 13 and Renton on Oct. 28. Senior running backs Cody Taylor and Daymontray Brown have stepped up in a big way for the Highlanders. Brown, a senior running back, scored what is believed to be a school-record seven touchdowns in a 54-35 comeback victory over Highline on Oct. 6. He scored six of the game's final seven TDs and finished with 158 yards on 27 carries. He was chosen as The Seattle Times’ high school star of the week for Oct. 2-8. Taylor ranks second among Seamount League rushers with 708 yards, averaging 101 yards per game. He has also scored six touchdowns during the season. Brown ranks third among league rushers with 587 yards, and scored a league-high of 18 touchdowns. Brown and Taylor are supported by a solid offensive line that has facilitated their playmaking capabilities throughout the season, Oliver said. “We’ve got a pretty experienced line as well,” he said. “They’ve all been in the program for two years now. It just helps with this team’s identity. They’re who we are and what we’re about. We’re playing the kind of football we want to play.”
PAGE 23
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Newcastle News
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NOVEMBER 4, 2011
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Newcastle 5K raises $4,200 for scholarships Visit our website www.MyNewcastleHouseValue.com designed to help you follow the activity of house sales in your neighborhood. This is current and accurate information direct from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service.
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About $4,200 in scholarships will be awarded this spring to local college-bound students from 2011 Newcastle Days 5K Run/Walk. There were 240 registered participants — 41 percent of them from Newcastle — who attended the event. Interested individuals can email Newcastle5K@hotmail.com to receive scholarship application notifications and details. Since the event's founding in 2009, donations by the nonprofit Newcastle Running Club has resulted in $15,000 in community fundraising. The contributions have been made possible from participants, sponsor support, city of Newcastle staff members and significant volunteer hours. The 2011 Newcastle Days 5K Run/Walk presenting sponsor was Valley Medical Center. Other sponsors included The Balanced Athlete, Coal Creek YMCA, QFC, HomeStreet Bank, Sweet Decadence, South Bellevue Chiropractics, ING Financial, Printing Control Graphics, Mathes Design, Newcastle Weed Warriors, Newcastle Trails and the city of Newcastle.
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