October 26, 2011 Locally owned Founded 1992 50 cents
Some candidates raking in dollars By Caleb Heeringa
Photo by Caleb Heeringa
A homemade giant spider sits in front of the home of James and Amy Gagnon in the Cimarron neighborhood. James has been working since August to design and construct the spider in time for Halloween.
Spiders invade Samammish home in time for Halloween By Caleb Heeringa
Cimarron trick-or-treaters shouldn’t be alarmed by the mansized, smoke-blowing spider when making the rounds Halloween night. It’s just a bit of holiday cheer from James and Amy Gagnon, who have decked out their home in webs, gravestones and giant homemade arachnids for the big evening. “We really like the community, so we thought, ‘Let’s do something for the kids,’” James Gagnon said. Gagnon said he’d been working on the giant spider since August. With legs of PVC pipe, an abdomen consisting of a giant kickball, golf tees for teeth and marbled eyes that light up, it’s
“We thought, ‘Let’s do something for the kids.’” – James Gagnon, Spider architect – not a piece you can buy at the store. He estimates that he spent upwards of 50 hours on the Frankenstein of a creation, including an hour or two of help from neighbors assembling it. “I spent most of one day at Home Depot investigating what parts I wanted,” said Gagnon, a Microsoft employee. The Gagnons don’t plan on disappointing trick-or-treaters either – they’ll be splurging for good candy this year. “Not just Jolly Ranchers or
something,” Gagnon said. The Gagnons house of horrors, located just off Northeast 14th Street, includes a full-sized Cryptkeeper figurine from the Tales From the Crypt television series and a mummified body and sack of spider eggs hanging from a web that covers the front of the home. It’s enough to get anyone in the mood for Halloween, including 5-year-old Dakota Gagnon, who already has his costume prepared. “(I’m going to be) a black ninja with black swords so no one can see me,” Dakota said. Reporter Caleb Heeringa can be reached at 392-6434. ext. 247, or cheeringa@isspress.com. To comment on this story, visit www.SammamishReview.com.
If money talks in politics, it’s telling us that the elusive balance between property rights and the environment is a hot button issue in the Nov. 8 City Council races. Recent battles between aggrieved property owners and environmental advocates during the Shoreline Master Plan seem to underpin many of the campaign contributions in this year’s election, though that’s far from the only thing on the minds of local donors. A look at election contributions on the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission website brings up the names that will be familiar to anyone involved in Sammamish government in recent years.
There’s considerable overlap in the donors to the campaigns of Planning Commission vicechairwoman Kathy Richardson and Jesse Bornfreund. Both candidates have collected donations from Planning Commissioner Mike Collins (through Concentric 2 LLC), Peter Scontrino, George Toskey and Megan Gee – all of whom have publically lobbied for the city to be more lenient on property owners when considering shoreline or wetland regulations. Collins, Scontrino and Toskey (as well as Richardson herself) were all members of the Shoreline Home Owners group that was instrumental in crafting the draft of the city’s See MONEY, Page 3
What would you do with $3 million? City Council considers setting aside funds to help with Town Center By Caleb Heeringa
The much-discussed idea of “jumpstarting Town Center” could inch closer to reality in 2012, with the City Council considering whether to earmark $3 million for public infrastructure in the area. During the Oct. 17 council meeting, City Manager Ben Yazici proposed that the council set aside $3 million in reserves to be used for future
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expenses in the area – whether it be expanding Southeast Fourth Street to a major arterial or for some sort of storm water detention pond that might be necessary. “It’s a first step in the right direction,” Yazici told the council. “It’s a pot of money to show that we are in fact serious about economic development in the community.”
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See BUDGET, Page 2