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September 26, 2012
community
SAMMAMISH REVIEW
Sammamish’s new vintners focus on their family By Ari Cetron
When Heather and Doug Roberts, of Sammamish, decided to open a new winery and tasting room, they knew they wanted it to be about their family. The couple named their vineyard after their daughter, Ashlyn and the wines and tasting room after their other daughter, Amelia Bleu, both students at McAuliffe Elementary. “We have two daughters,” Heather Roberts said. “One got the vineyard, and one got the wine label.” Now, after years of work, they are debuting their 2009 vintage wines at their new tasting room in Woodinville, which opened Sept. 22. They wanted to go a step further to honor their families, however, said Heather Roberts. Both she and her husband had lost a brother to cancer, and they wanted to commemorate them. So they named one of their wines Riverenza, the Italian word for reverence, in their honor. The couple also plans to donate 5 percent of their profits to cancer research. “We kind of started the whole business around family,” Heather said.
If you go The Amelia Bleu winery is at 19501 144th Ave. N.E., suite D-500 in Woodinville. Grand Opening weekend, the tasting room will be open Sept. 22 from noon-7 p.m. Regular hours are Saturdays from noon-5 p.m. and Sundays from 1-5 p.m. The winery, which is part of the Woodinville Warehouse will also be open from 4-8 p.m. the third Thursday of each month. Visit www.ameliableu.com.
Contributed
Doug and Heather Roberts sample some wine as their vintage ages in barrels behind them. The trip to owning their vineyard started in 2009. The economy had tanked, and the couple was looking for investments to protect their money. They saw a vineyard for sale near a vacation
Local children grow food for the needy
home they own in Chelan. The 6-acre vineyard had been planted, Heather Roberts said, but grapes (barbera, syrah, cabernet sauvignon and merlot) had not yet grown. With the unsteady
economy, they thought that if they chose not to open a winery of their own, they would still likely be able to sell the grapes to other winemakers. “We knew we had some
options,” Heather said. They spent the past couple years learning everything they could about winemaking and the business. As the economic picture has begun to turn around, they decided to make a go of opening their own business. They found people to help them with harvesting the grapes, then carted them back to the area for production. They’ve partnered with another winery and use its facilities to make and age See WINE, Page 13
Mormons serve community
By Lillian O’Rorke
bles for the food bank. “It’s a culmination of my interIt’s a sunny early autumn est in gardening and wanting to afternoon and in between attend- have a mission for the children ing Sunday school and running of the church,” said Prestbo, off to soccer games and other who grew up on a small farm in fun pastimes, several local youth Spokane Valley. gather together to harvest food Having had a garden at nearly for the Issaquah Food Bank. everywhere he has lived, Prestbo “Digging the now volunpotatoes – it’s teers, teach“I plant a little bit of really fun,” ing classes at everything so the said Alexandra the Bellevue Mohn, 9. children have a chance Demonstration She, her and to see how to plant the Garden twin sister keeps a large different types of Isabella, and garden at about a dozen his home in vegetables.” other chilSammamish. – Wally Prestbo, dren from Much of what their church, is grown there Gardener – Spirit of is also donated. Peace United “That is probChurch of ably the largChrist, which meets at the Pine est need at the food bank. They Lake Community Center in never can get enough produce, Sammamish, have been tending a fresh produce.” garden for months. The “Spirit of Peas” garden, With the leadership of Wally as reads the sign made by one Prestbo they have grown more See GARDEN, Page 13 than 225 pounds of fresh vegeta-
Contributed
Julia and Elleny Lustig help create a quilt for Project Linus as part of the Day of Service. The two were among about 180 members of the Sammamish Church of Jesus Christ of Later-day Saints who volunteered their time and efforts on the Day of Service the weekend of Sept 15-16. One group of about 35 worked on Project Linus, making quilts and blankets for children in need. Another group of about 150 helped maintain the city’s native plant garden at the Lower Commons Park near City Hall.
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sports
September 26, 2012
SAMMAMISH REVIEW
Skyline graduate jumps for silver at London Paralympics By Lillian O’Rorke
Photo by Lillian O’Rorke
Eastlake’s Ally Haase dives into the Redmond pool for the 500yard race Sept. 18 during the swim meet against Interlake.
Eastlake girls swim team touches out Interlake 92-91 By Lillian O’Rorke
in 57.88 and to swim the third leg for the Wolves’ winning 400 freeGoing into the conference style relay team, which finished match up Sept. 18 against the 13 seconds ahead of the competiInterlake Saints, the Eastlake tion in 4:01.94. She also anchored girls swim and dive team knew the 200-yard freestyle relay team, that every inch would count. which took second in 1:48.80. “If you are going to beat The lead-off swimmer on that Interlake you have to race them same relay team was Erin Alleva. into the wall” Nikki Bennet, a She too had a record-breaking sophomore at Eastlake High day. Alleva out-swam the compeSchool recalled her coach’s pretition in the 200-yard individual meet words of medley and advice. “I didn’t look to the side; beat her perHeeding sonal best both I was in my own race.” by three secher coach’s warning, onds in 2:25.91. – Erin Alleva, Bennett hit the “I didn’t Swimmer – water kicking. know going Finishing the into the last 200 freestyle 50 so I worked in 2 minutes, 7.64 seconds, she hard. I just wanted to win,” said bested her personal record by Alleva. “I didn’t look to the side; nearly half a second and won I was in my own race.” the race, ultimately helping the She added that the only thing Eastlake Wolves skim past the she was aware of while pushing Saints 92-91. through the pool was the cheers “I knew I had to win,” said of her team. Bennett, who was seeded No. 1 Outside the water, the shrill going into the race. “If not, I’d be yells vibrated off the walls of the kind of disappointed.” Redmond Pool. Bennett went on to earn a touch-out win in the 100 freestyle See SWIM, Page 15
In 2002, Jeff Skiba, then a senior at Skyline High School, won the 3A state high jump championship. But it wasn’t just his 6-foot, 10-inch jump that was impressive – Skiba had one of his legs amputated as an infant. He never let that slow him down and a decade later he’s still at it. On Sept. 8, this time on the world stage, Skiba thrust himself 2.04 meters, or 6 ft. 8.3 in, to clear the bar and win the silver medal at the London Paralympics. “The stands were packed,” said Skiba, who also competed in the men’s javelin throw at the games and finished in eighth place Sept. 2 with a distance of 49.09 meters (161 feet). “It was just incredible.” This was not Skiba’s Jeff Skiba first trip to the Paralympics. He first competed in the 2004 games in Athens where he also won silver in the high jump. In 2008, he traveled to Beijing. While it was a bad year for the financial sector, it was a great year for Skiba. He won the gold medal for the high jump and earned the silver medal in the pentathlon. Now with three Paralympics under his belt he and his family agree that London put on the best show. “The people of Great Britain were amazing,” said his mother, Sheri Skiba, of Sammamish. She and Jeff Skiba’s father, sister, aunt and grandparents all traveled to London to cheer him on. “It’s probably the greatest support we’ve seen for the Paralympics.” After being born without a fibula in his left leg, Jeff Skiba had the limb amputated when he was 11 months old. His mother said they had a good pediatrician and had seen other children with her son’s condition play sports with prosthetics just like other kids their age. “We always assumed he’d have a normal life, we didn’t assume he’d have an extra-normal life,” said Sheri Skiba. “He’s a gifted athlete.” Since graduating from Skyline in 2002 and earning that first state title, Jeff Skiba
Photo by Randy Richardson
Jeff Skiba clears the high jump bar at the 2012 London Paralympics. became the first amputee to has gone on to add to his list of jump over seven feet. However, accomplishments. Outside of the Paralympics, which just like the event was not sanctioned by the Paralympic National the Summer Olympics, only Committee so the jump did not come around once every four count as a world record. years, he won the gold medal He didn’t let the quibble in the high jump at the 2002 set back his International Challenge “The London experience momentum. Later that Track and was awesome and all it year, he set Field competition. Later did was motivate me to the official world record that year he get ready for Rio in four of 2.11 meters gold medaled at the Beijing again in years.” games. the high – Jeff Skiba, Now a jump at the Olympian – police officer International in San Diego, Paralympic Jeff Skiba is Committee’s still training (IPC) World and already has his eye on Rio Championship. Then in 2006, de Janeiro, home of the 2016 he competed in the pentathlon Paralympics. at the U.S. Paralympic National “The London experience was Championship and took the awesome and all it did was motigold. vate me to get ready for Rio in He went to the IPC World four years,” he said. “I want to Championship again in 2006 get the gold metal back and my and won the high jump gold world record back.” medal and finished in fourth place in the long jump. Reporter Lillian O’Rorke can be And at the 2011 IPC World reached at 392-6434, ext. 242 or Championship, he won the silltucker@sammamishreview.com. ver medal in the high jump. To comment on this story visit It was at the Azusa Pacific www.sammamishreview.com. Invite in 2008 that Jeff Skiba