Sammamishreview122216

Merry Christmas!

25TH YEAR, NO. 51

THE PLATEAU’S ONLY LOCALLY OWNED NEWSPAPER

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2016

SAMMAMISH

H20 HISTORY Skyline swimmers get first-ever win over Newport Page 9

REVIEW

Parents threaten Title IX lawsuit Group cites unresolved inequities between Skyline’s baseball and softball programs

BY DAVID HAYES dhayes@sammamishreview.com

A group of parents representing Skyline High School softball players are poised to file a Title IX lawsuit against the Issaquah School District and the school if measures are

not taken to put the program’s facilities more on par with the boys baseball program.

The group first filed a complaint with Mariah Banasick, the district’s internal auditor and Title IX officer, on June 20.

After contact with district officials that the parents con-

sidered minimal and unsatisfying, the group took its message directly to the Issaquah School Board during public input at its regular meeting Dec. 14.

“The letter originated in June due to longstanding neglect and inequities between Skyline softball and baseball and other schools’ softball programs,” said the group’s lead spokesperson, Stacy Arellono-Bowman, at the meeting.

Newly elected School Board President Lisa Callan said in an interview the following day this was the first the board had heard of the situation.

“We certainly want to be compliant with Title IX, not only because it’s the law, but it’s the right thing to do,” she said.

The list the group provided Banasick was extensive, alleging the the girls’ field was so inadequate compared to the

boys’ field, it rose to the status of a Title IX violation. Chief among the complaints was the lack of a dedicated field for the girls’ program while the boys did have a dedicated field.

Other complaints included: n Temporary fences and foul poles on the softball field versus permanent fences and foul SEE TITLE IX, PAGE 3

Council postpones NATIVITY BROUGHT TO LIFE plan to develop YMCA forested land

BY LIZZ GIORDANO

lgiordano@sammamishreview.com

In a unanimous vote, the City Council agreed to postpone the planning process on a 7.25-acre lot of densely forested land owned by the YMCA until an update to the Parks, Recreation and Open Space plan and a land acquisition study can be completed.

During the Dec. 13 meeting, several councilmembers also supported eventually putting the final decision in the hands of

residents with an advisory vote, but said the idea is premature without an updated parks plan.

The land in question, which is adjacent to Pine Lake Middle School along 228th Avenue Southeast, was purchased by the YMCA in 2005. The city signed a ground lease agreement with the agency in 2013, which includes a requirement that the city operate and maintain recreational facilities on

SEE YMCA, PAGE 12

Eagle Scout goes above and beyond

BY CHRISTINA CORRALES-TOY

ccorrales-toy@sammamishreview.com

Less than 5 percent of all Boy Scouts fulfill the rigorous prerequisites attached to the Eagle Scout rank.

Even fewer receive Eagle Palms, awards recognizing those who keep earning merit badges even

after they became Eagle Scouts.

Eastlake High School junior Zach Umphrey just received his fourth Palm, the most anyone in local Troop 571 has ever achieved, he said.

“Instead of just hitting Eagle and kind of aging out, I wanted SEE SCOUT, PAGE 2

GREG FARRAR | gfarrar@sammamishreview.com

The three wise men that had seen the star in the east bring gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the infant Jesus with Mary and Joseph at the manger in Bethlehem, in a live Nativity performance enacted in Sammamish at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on 216th Avenue Northeast. The public was invited for any of six free performances each night on Dec. 16 and 17, which included recorded Mormon Tabernacle Choir music, barnyard animals to pet and light refreshments and Christmas carols inside.

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2016

SAMMAMISH REVIEW

Council eyes plan to protect neighborhood character

BY LIZZ GIORDANO

lgiordano@ sammamishreview.com

The City Council is considering implementing buffer requirements for new higher-density residential developments as a way to protect neighborhood character.

During the council’s Nov. 8 meeting, Councilmember Christie Malchow proposed that the Planning Commission offer new code language to establish a buffer or transition zone between differently zoned residential areas and require buffers along main roads to maintain trees. The motion was unanimously approved by the other councilmembers.

SCOUT From Page 1

to stay more active in the troop,” he said.

Most scouts achieve the Eagle rank just before aging out at 18, giving them little time to continue collecting merit

approved new school impact fees for 2017 proposed by the Issaquah, Lake Washington and Snoqualmie Valley school districts during its Nov. 15 meeting.

In the Issaquah School District, school impact fees for single-family units will increase $3,285 to $7,921.

Multi-family unit fees will go jump $852 to $2,386.

In the Lake Washington School District, the fees for single-family units will increase $1,107 to $10,822, and multi-family unit fees will increase $140 to $956.

In the Snoqualmie Valley School District, the fees for single-family units will go up $1,561 to $10,052, and for multi-family units, the fees will decrease $367 to $1,291.

The Planning Commission began the discussion this week with a joint meeting with councilmembers on Dec. 13. Any new code would eventually go back to the council for final approval.

“That character issue was really the idea of being able to drive down a principal arterial, the only one we have in the city, 228th Avenue Southeast, and not just see homes but also be able to see some trees along the way,” Malchow said during the joint meeting.

The preliminary plan the city brought to the commissioners for zone transitions included a 100foot setback requirement for areas zoned for four houses per acre (R-4) and

six homes per acre (R-6) areas that abut an R-1 (one home per acre) zone. A 50-foot buffer is proposed between R-4 and R-6 areas.

“The intent of this would be to shield the lowerzoned areas from the more dense neighboring zoning,” said Mike Sugg, management analyst for the city, during the Dec. 15 Planning Commission meeting.

Several commissioners questioned the need for new buffer requirements.

“I envision, sort of, enclaves of lower zones areas separated by stripes of trees from higher zone areas,” said Frank Blau, the chair of the commission. “Is that the character we want? Who is asking for that and how does that make our city better?”

The plan also suggested a 50-foot setback between principal roads and R-1, R-4 and R-6 areas, with a smaller setback for minor streets.

As written in the preliminary proposal, the new buffer requirements would put the entire burden of the setback on the higher-zoned areas.

Unless setback areas are capped, a 100-foot buffer requirement could impact up to 44 percent of a 1.2-acre site.

According to Jeff Thomas, director of community development, community character is defined in the city’s comprehensive plan as the “sum of all the attributes and assets that make a community unique, and

badges.

Umphrey was 14 when he finished his Eagle Zach Umphrey requirements.

Scouts must be active in their troops, complete a service project and more

to reach Eagle. Umphrey reworked a marshland and installed a new structure at a nearby park for his project.

“Some thought no one was going to use it, but it became one of the most used play sets in the park,” he said.

Eagle Scouts must also

earn 21 merit badges. an example for younger so he can focus on sports Palms are awarded for scouts to follow. and school, wants to attend every five additional “I think it gives a perspec- medical school where merit badges Eagle Scouts tive that anything is poshe hopes the lessons he’s earn beyond that. So, sible,” Umphrey said. “You learned through scouting Umphrey’s tally sits at 41. see all these scouts get Eagle will prove invaluable.

He received the leaftoo late, but I think if you “It sets me a part from shaped Palm award at a push yourself, you can do it. other people,” he said of Troop 571 ceremony last It’s a cool achievement.” his Eagle Palms. “It shows week. Leaders showcased Umphrey, who worked I can commit over a long his accomplishments as NEIL.ePROOF.SR.CMYK.RVS hard to reach Eagle early time and reach my goal.”

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that establish a sense of place for its residents.

Factors that contribute to community character include parking and transportation, building design, natural features, other similar features.”

Thomas said zone transitions are often used between industrial and commercial or residential zones and between commercial and residential zones.

Malchow said when transitioning from an R-1 area to a higher-zoned neighborhood, a visual buffer is needed and will help define the neighborhood’s character.

Council approves new school impact fees The City Council

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SAMMAMISH REVIEW

TITLE IX From Page 1

was a baseline question given, and it didn’t create that was supposed to be any goodwill on what addressed.” solutions were offered.”

The administration Superintendent Ron did meet with the group Thiele agreed communiof parents in November cation could have been with a PowerPoint better during the process between the parent group presentation outlining the steps the district is and the district. planning to address the “My question back inequities. Attending the to staff would be, ‘Why meeting for the district in did it take that long?’ As addition to Banasick were a supervisor, it makes Skyline’s softball coach me raise my eyebrows.”

Lindsay Sullivan, athletic Thiele said. “If you’re director Brent Kawaguchi looking into something, and assistant principal you have to take a Andrew Brownson. moment to let the group In summary, the disknow you have not fortrict promised by the 2017 gotten about them. It’s a season: step people often miss. If n To fix or replace the you’re on the side waiting scoreboard and pitching to hear back, you tend to machine. feel forgotten.” n To provide new safety On Oct. 26, Banasick bases and foul poles. provided an in-depth n To provide desigreport, including an execnated batting cages and utive summary acknowlpitching lanes edging the complaints, n To provide new storfinding there were inequities between the boys and age areas and a scorer’s box girls programs. n To upgrade the pitch“Some other areas have ing mound us concerned about the The district promised depth of the investigation, to address the following as well, if this matter has issues for the field by the been fully addressed,” Harnick said. “Nowhere 2018 season: in the report does ISD n New turf on the field say if there is actually a n New fencing Title IX violation.

That n Upgraded design NEIL.noPROOF.IP.CMYK.PDF 1219 LAM

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n Return maintenance been an incomplete and date to the agreement, to the school district unacceptable response Thiele said the city needs n Continue to get feedregarding the field integat least a one-year notice back from the coach and rity, security and quality to terminate it. The athletic director issues and setting a time- administration initiated However, the parent table for creating a field that process a few weeks group feels the proposed of their own. ago because of the change solutions continue to “Whether this is a redo in bell times Thiele just approved for the 2017-18 ignore what it sees as of a corner of the Skyline school year. the bottom line — no community fields or a “If we were going to designated space for the new field altogether, that push out the school day softball program, rather will have to be negotiby 35 minutes, then we than continuing to share ated,” Bowman wrote by needed to push out 35 space with the City of email. “The field would minutes on fields,” he Sammamish events. have to be Skyline soft“The players and famiball’s field for both varsity said. “We’ve kind of mutually agreed it would be lies are grateful for the and JV with both of these beneficial for the district 2017 proposed fixes, but sports having priority to take it back. Once we’re we need a road map to scheduling during the off it, we’d love it if outequality. Otherwise we season and offseason.” side community groups will be forced to file a suit The sticking point still use it.” against Skyline and the to accomplishing that “Equity is really ISD,” Harnick said. goal is the joint-use important to me,” Thiele To prevent the paragreement between the ent group from filing school district and City of added. “You can’t guarantee no inequities in a suit, Bowman added Sammamish. Currently, it would have to take the district owns the land, system. But when you hear about them, you some quick action by the but the city maintains it expect something to be school district, including and schedules its use. done about it.” acknowledging there has While there is no cutoff LAURA F.FINAL.SR.CMYK.PDF 1214 LAM 52.17900.THU.1222.3X8.LAM

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poles for baseball. n No batting cages or pitching lanes. n More storage options for baseball equipment than softball. n Exclusive use of the baseball field by Skyline and other baseball programs only, while the softball program must share its field with other community sports programs. n Inadequate equipment, including scoreboard, pitching machines and safety bases.

Tiffany Parker, whose fifth-grade daughter participated in Skyline softball clinics in the past year, told the board she was quite surprised by the condition of the softball facilities.

“I’ve been trying to explain to my 11-year-old daughter why the baseball team has a locked, exclusive field with fences all the way around to home plate, with dimensions that exceed Safeco Field, while the softball team plays on a substandard community field,” Parker said. “How is it equitable the school district spent approximately $400,000 in 2011 to improve the exclusiveaccess baseball field while the softball team doesn’t have its own dedicated field to play on? How is it equitable to move fences on and off the field in order to conduct practice or games? The boys don’t have to do this. The bottom line here is it’s not equitable.”

Banasick acknowledged receipt of the group’s complaint on June 24 and launched an investigation into the allegations. Parents took exception, however, to a lack of updates, leaving them in the dark as to the status of a report.

“The timeline between filing the complaint and waiting for a response was frustrating to families involved going into the upcoming season,” said Blake Harnick, whose daughter plays for the Spartans. “It was delivered four months from ISD only after several emails and phone calls.

But then no timeline was

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2016

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2016

OPINION

SAMMAMISH REVIEW

From the Editor’s Desk

Local publisher’s column didn’t tell the whole story

I

t’s been a brutal 2016 for honest journalism and a big year for what’s come to be popularly known as “fake news” — stories published online by politically charged groups or individuals that give the appearance of legitimate reporting but instead contain outright falsehoods.

Local residents were recently the target audience of a local newspaper column, published on the Issaquah-Sammamish Reporter’s editorial page, that I wouldn’t call fake, but it certainly was deceptive.

William Shaw, the publisher of the Reporter, wrote in his paper’s Dec. 9 edition about Classes2Connect, a Seattle startup.

In his column, Shaw wrote that his employer, Sound Publishing, was “committed to supporting growing businesses” and that his company’s “new partnership” with Classes2Connect “is a natural fit because the online class

marketplace empowers learners.”

Shaw goes on to say Sound Publishing “will be publishing stories about new and exciting Scott Stoddard classes, workshops and bootcamps in our papers in the upcoming months.”

There’s just one fact that was conveniently omitted from Shaw’s column: Sound Publishing’s parent company — British Columbia-based Black Press — purchased a “significant stake” in Classes2Connect in September, according to the startup’s website.

So we have a newspaper publisher shilling for a company that is co-owned by his employer, which stands to profit from business it steers to Connect2Classes.

A similarly worded but unsigned editorial in the Redmond Reporter was

headlined “Broaden your horizons with Connect2Classes,” not even trying to veil the piece’s unspoken ulterior motive. As in the Issaquah-Sammamish version of the column, readers are not told Black Press will be one of the profiteers when money is spent with Connect2Classes.

Shaw’s column not only violates a basic tenet of journalism (disclose even the appearance of a conflict of interest), it also damages the trust legitimate journalists are constantly striving to maintain with readers.

Shaw, a longtime Issaquah resident, is the vice chairman of the Greater Issaquah Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors. Along with his duties as publisher of the Issaquah-Sammamish Reporter, he is also the publisher of the Redmond Reporter, the Kirkland Reporter, the Bothell-Kenmore Reporter, the Mercer Island Reporter, the Bellevue Reporter and the Snoqualmie Valley Record, according

to those newspapers’ mastheads.

Also worth noting: The IssaquahSammamish Reporter is the official newspaper of the City of Issaquah.

The Sammamish Review, it should be pointed out very plainly, is a competitor of the Issaquah-Sammamish Reporter.

Some might see Shaw’s column as a shrewd business maneuver instead of an instrument of deception.

Regardless, local readers deserve to know the whole story. Newspapers exist in part because readers trust them, and violations of that trust are unacceptable.

From The Editor’s Desk is Scott Stoddard’s column.

You can email the editor at sstoddard@ sammamishreview.com.

Twitter: @scottstoddard Facebook: facebook.com/presseditor

On Further Review

New tax aimed to keep my car off the local roads

I

t appears the state Legislature has hatched a scheme to keep me in Issaquah and never let me go anywhere unless it’s by public transportation.

Let me explain.

First, it seems the most popular way to pay for more spending is by increasing the gas tax. It’s now at 49.4 cents per gallon — sitting at No. 2 in the nation, only behind Pennsylvania’s 50.4 cents per gallon.

Well, combine that with the federal gas tax of 18.4 cents, and that’s why it’s so expensive to fill your car’s tank here in Issaquah.

So, to reduce the costs of commuting between where I live in Kirkland and work in Issaquah, I ditched the old car, a “gas-guzzling” Toyota Rav4, and went with the fuel-efficient Fiat. Now I’m getting at least 10 miles-per-gallon more per tank and crushing it on long highway trips to Oregon.

But people like me in fuel-efficient

cars, or others in — gasp — electric cars, are depriving the state of its almighty gas tax revenue. Whether those dollars actually go toward infrastructure David Hayes or road projects is a topic to argue on another day.

Rather than do more with less, or even less with less, state legislators have latched onto the Vehicle Miles Traveled Tax. That’s right, they now want to charge you for every mile you drive, not just how many gallons you put in your vehicle’s tank.

KIRO-TV aired a story recently and did some math for a couple of commuters they met at a gas station. Both, interestingly, would pay less under the new plan.

I did some of my own rudimentary math — I am a journalist after all, not a mathematician — and surprise, surprise, my share of the tax burden would increase from about $8.88 a

SAMMAMISH

REVIEW Published every Thursday by The Issaquah Press Group 1085 12th Ave. NW, Suite D1 | P.O. Box 1328 Issaquah, King County, WA 98027 All contents © 2016 Sammamish Review

month to $15.93 a month.

I hate taking public transportation because ... reasons. Now they want me to hate driving my own car and settle for the lesser of two evils, public transportation.

Now this is only a proposal at this point. The plan is to institute a pilot program next fall, monitoring 2,000 volunteers. The first hurdle is how are the bean-counters going to track these volunteers? An honor system lets them log their miles and turn in the paperwork regularly. More likely, a monitoring device will be installed.

This opens a whole other can of worms beyond what’s appropriate taxation — namely, privacy. No way am I going to allow the government to track my whereabouts in my car. If my wife doesn’t care to know where I am 24/7, neither should the government.

Also, what’s to stop them from doing to routes like they’ve done to 405 with a variable pay-to-go fee in the car-pool lanes?

STAFF Charles Horton.......................................General manager Scott Stoddard...............................................................Editor Christina Corrales-Toy................................ Digital editor Lizz Giordano........................................................... Reporter Neil Pierson.............................................................. Reporter Greg Farrar.....................................................Photographer Scott Zerda.......................................................... Advertising CORRECTIONS We are committed to accuracy and take care in our reporting and editing, but errors do occur. If you think something we’ve published is in error, please email us at editor@sammamishreview.com.

I’m not driving enough? Crank up the fee on my monitoring device. And does that device automatically shut off if I cross state lines?

The easy work around to the VMT tax?

Move to Issaquah and commute less. But I’m in the same boat as many of the school district’s teachers. I can’t afford to live here.

Option B? Set up a cot here at work in Issaquah and only go home to Kirkland on the weekends. But then the state would probably just come up with a Time Spent Away From Home Tax. Let me know how you feel about a VMT tax. I’d like to compile the results for a future column.

Email reporter David Hayes at dhayes@ sammamishreview.com.

Twitter : @DavidHayesIP On Further Review is a weekly column by members of the Sammamish Review news staff. The viewpoints expressed do not necessarily represent the editorial views of the newspaper.

CONTACT US All departments can be reached at

(425) 392-6434

Fax: (425) 392-1695 Email: editor@sammamishreview.com Online: sammamishreview.com ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS $52 per year | $96 two years $48 per year for seniors Add $15 outside King County Add $20 outside the state

SAMMAMISH REVIEW

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2016

Calendar of events Friday, Dec. 23

Tuesday, Dec. 27

Cougar Mountain Zoo Reindeer Festival, 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. through Dec. 23, bit.ly/1xmnEtn Shaggy Sweet, 7:30-11:30 p.m., Vino Bella, 99 Front St. N., vinobella.com Kerry and the Keepers, 8-11 p.m., 21 and older, $5 cover charge, Pogacha, 120 NW Gilman Blvd., pogacha.com Village Theatre presents “Singin’ in the Rain,” 8 p.m., Francis Gaudette Theatre, 303 Front St. N., tickets are $35-$78, available online at bit.ly/2doxN4y, at the box office or by calling 392-2202

Birdwalk in the Park, 8 a.m. to noon, Lake Sammamish State Park, meet just inside the main entrance, 2000 NW Sammamish Road, lakesammamishfriends.org/ events Issaquah Alps Area Dog Hike, 10 a.m., easy 4-6 miles, up to 900 ft. gain, meet at 175 Rainier Blvd. S., 481-2341 Mock Newbery Book Discussion: A discussion on which of four books will win a “mock” award while awaiting real winners announced Jan. 23, ages 10-13, 1-2:30 p.m., Sammamish Library, 825 228th Ave. SE, 392-3130 Menorah Lighting at Grand Ridge Plaza, featuring hot cocoa, latkes decorating, music and chocolate gelt, 6 p.m., next to Ulta, across from Marshalls, free The Rovin’ Fidders, 7-9 p.m., Issaquah Highlands Fire Station, 1280 NE Park Drive, rovinfiddlers.com

Issaquah Alps Area Hike, 9 a.m., easy 4-6 miles, 800- to 1,200 ft. gain, meet at 175 Rainier Blvd. S., 369-1725 Classic Holiday Movies: “It’s a Wonderful Life,” noon, Regal Issaquah Highlands Stadium 12, 940 NE Park Drive, $5 Village Theatre presents “Singin’ in the Rain,” 2 and 8 p.m., Francis Gaudette Theatre, 303 Front St. N., tickets are $35-$78, available online at bit. ly/2doxN4y, at the box office or by calling 392-2202

Sunday, Dec. 25 Chabad of Central Cascades presents its annual community grand Chanukah celebration: Chanukah on Fire! featuring fire juggling by artist Matt Sol, potato latkes, doughnuts, chocolate gelt, dreidels, music, dancing and more, 5 p.m., Issaquah Highlands Blakely Hall, 2550 NE Park Dr., $5 suggested donation per person, $180 to sponsor, chabadissaquah.com

Monday, Dec. 26 Sammamish city offices are closed for the Christmas holiday

Wednesday, Dec. 28 Winter Break Camp: Kids’ Nutrition & Cooking Class, for ages 5-9, 9 a.m. to noon, Blakely Hall Kitchen, 2550 NE Park Drive, $200, limited to 10 students Idea Lab: A Makerspace for Kids, for ages 6-12, 1-4 p.m., Sammamish Library, 825 228th Ave. SE, 392-3130 Double Play with Rick SCOTT Z.ePROOF.SR.CMYK. and John, 6-9 p.m., 21 and PDF 1020 LAM older, no cover charge, 46.14741.THU.1110.1X2.LAM

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Pogacha, 120 NW Gilman Blvd., pogacha.com Village Theatre presents “Singin’ in the Rain,” 7:30 p.m., Francis Gaudette Theatre, 303 Front St. N., tickets are $35-$78, available online at bit.ly/2doxN4y, at the box office or by calling 392-2202 Wednesday Night Trivia, 7:30 p.m., Zeek’s Pizza, 2525 NE Park Drive, 893-8646

Thursday, Dec. 29 Double Play (John and Rick Duo), 7-9 p.m., Vino Bella, 99 Front St. N., vinobella.com Village Theatre presents “Singin’ in the Rain,” 7:30 p.m., Francis Gaudette Theatre, 303 Front St. N., tickets are $35-$78, available online at bit.ly/2doxN4y, at the box office or by calling 392-2202

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SAMMAMISH REVIEW

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2016

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2016

SPORTS

SAMMAMISH REVIEW

Brayton resigns as Eastside Catholic soccer coach

BY NEIL PIERSON npierson@sammamishreview.com

Scott Brayton, who has coached soccer at Eastside Catholic since 2002, submitted his resignation effective Dec. 14, the school announced in a news release.

“It is with a very heavy heart and a lot of conversation with myself,

my coaching friends and my family that I announce today that I have decided to end my status as the head soccer coach at Eastside Catholic,” Brayton said in the release.

“My business has expanded and continues to do so which means I need to pay more attention to it. I would not be

able to devote the time and focus the Eastside Catholic soccer programs need and deserve from a head coach.”

Brayton runs the Varsity Student Institute, which helps high-school student-athletes through the collegiate recruiting process. Thirty-eight of his players at EC have gone on to play college

soccer.

He has led EC’s girls soccer program since 2002 and the boys’ program since 2007, coaching nearly 400 combined games. He took five squads to the state playoffs, was named the Metro League Coach of the Year three times, and in 2011 was named the state’s coach of the

year by The Seattle Times and Washington Interscholastic Activities Association as the EC girls took third place at the Class 3A tournament.

Brayton was an all-state soccer and lacrosse player in high school, going on to play soccer at Hartwick College (N.Y.), where he was part of the school’s 1977 NCAA champion-

ship team.

“We thank Scott for his years of service and dedication to our student athletes,” EC Athletic Director Jeremy Thielbahr said in the release. “His success on the field was mirrored with deep and everlasting relationships developed off the field. He will always be a Crusader and will be missed.”

Elkugia’s big night powers Wolves past Wildcats, 76-61

BY NEIL PIERSON npierson@sammamishreview.com

Mount Si coach Jason Griffith paid a major compliment to Eastlake forward Yousef Elkugia following a Class 4A KingCo Conference boys basketball game in Snoqualmie on Dec. 13.

“I was telling their coach, he’s the perfect type of post kid for high-school basketball,” Griffith said. “He just gets stuff done. He’s got that workman mentality.”

Elkugia, a 6-foot-5 sophomore and first-year varsity player, was instrumental in the Wolves’ 76-61 victory. He led all scorers with 23 points, using a variety of post moves and midrange jump shots to befuddle

the Wildcats.

“I feel like I’m fitting in pretty well,” said Elkugia, who previously played select basketball for Northwest Prospects and is considering a move to Friends of Hoop Seattle.

“I play the post because I’m the tallest guy. I just like playing all around – shooting, driving, everything.”

Elkugia led Eastlake (3-2 overall, 1-2 KingCo) to its first conference win of the season and he got plenty of help as three teammates – Grant Henderson (18), Reid Pierzchalski (11) and Peter Chang (10) – scored in double figures.

The Wolves aren’t the biggest or most experi-

Eastlake sophomore forward Yousef Elkugia (24) drives around Mount Si senior forward Taylor Upton and finds the hoop for two of his game-high 23 points during the second quarter of their Dec. 13 basketball game.

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SAMMAMISH REVIEW

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2016

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Lady Wolves fire on all cylinders in second half

BY NEIL PIERSON

npierson@sammamishreview.com

GREG FARRAR | gfarrar@sammamishreview.com

Skyline High School junior William O’Daffer is seen Dec. 8 swimming the 500-yard freestyle during the Spartans’ meet against Eastlake.

Skyline gets historic win

BY NEIL PIERSON npierson@sammamishreview.com

It may have included a minor asterisk, but the Skyline Spartans weren’t about to downplay their victory over the Newport Knights on Dec. 15.

With the start of the Washington State Senior Championships club meet just a day away, some of Newport’s top

swimmers chose to not compete against Skyline in a Class 4A KingCo Conference meet at Julius Boehm Pool.

The Spartans, however, had their full arsenal on display and recorded seven winning times on their way to a 101-68 triumph over the threetime defending 4A state champions.

Skyline coach Susan

Simpkins said it’s the first time the Spartans have won a dual meet against the Knights since she began coaching on the plateau in 2002. Skyline opened in 1997, so it may be the school’s first-ever win against Newport in boys swimming.

The win kept the Spartans (3-0) atop the SEE HISTORY, PAGE 11

Eastlake coach Sara Goldie and Mount Si coach Bob Richey had very different observations of their teams during the first half of a Dec. 14 girls basketball game.

“It just felt like the whole gym was deflated,” Goldie said. “At one timeout, I said it was kind of like we were all being lulled to sleep. The problem was that we were trying to energize them in timeouts … and they just weren’t responding.”

“I thought they were gritty in the first half,” Richey said of the Wildcats, who ended a 17-game conference losing streak in their previous outing against Issaquah.

“I thought they did a really nice job battling back when they were down early – made really good decisions with the basketball, played great defense.

We played with poise.”

The roles reversed in the second half as Eastlake dominated, pulling away for a 61-43 victory in a Class 4A KingCo Conference outing in Snoqualmie.

Mount Si (2-2 overall, 1-1 KingCo) went to halftime feeling good about itself as the score was tied at 24. Senior guard Emma Smith had nine points on three 3-pointers, loosening up the lane for 6-foot-7 freshman center Sela Heide, who came off the bench at the start of the second quarter and scored nine points of her own.

Conversely, Eastlake (3-2, 2-1) was misfiring.

Freshman center Keeli Burton was playing well, but guards Gina Marxen and Cameron Edward had only eight combined points, and none of the Lady Wolves had made a 3-point shot.

Hayden Frederick’s

free throw early in the third quarter gave Mount Si a brief lead, but Eastlake found the spark it was looking for.

Two Stacie Keck baskets fueled a 9-0 run that pushed Eastlake’s lead to 42-31 after three quarters.

Marxen had 14 of her 18 points after halftime, including three 3-pointers, and Edward netted eight of her 12 in the fourth as the Lady Wolves led by as many as 21.

Goldie said her halftime talk and thirdquarter strategy seemed to push the right buttons.

Eastlake abandoned full-court pressure and went to straight man-toman defense, daring the Wildcats to beat them off the dribble rather than leave their shooters open.

Inserting reserves Korbyn Stahl, McKenzie Feinglas and Madison Lester also helped, the SEE GIRLS, PAGE 11

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2016

BOYS From Page 8

enced team in KingCo but they seem to have established an identity around high intensity, fast breaks and making open shots.

They could’ve easily started 3-0 in KingCo as they blew a seven-point lead with under four minutes to play at Inglemoor, then took a lead into the fourth quarter on Monday night before wilting against preseason favorite Bothell.

“A lot of the kids, they’re young and they’re just getting their feet under

them,” said Steve Kramer, Eastlake’s third-year coach. “The game has got to slow down a little bit. It’s pretty fast at this level for guys that haven’t really played there, so I think we’re getting a little more comfortable.”

Mount Si (0-3, 0-2) had an 18-16 lead after one quarter and had spurts of good play at the offensive end. But the Wildcats couldn’t pick up their first win under Griffith as they struggled to contain Elkugia and Henderson, in particular.

Eastlake hit three 3-pointers in the second quarter to take a 37-32

halftime lead, then ran the floor like thoroughbreds in a 29-point third period that all but settled the outcome.

Chang’s 3-pointer from the right corner gave Eastlake its first doubledigit lead. Jaxon Williams hit a trey off an Elkugia feed and Pierzchalski scored twice in quick succession to push the margin to 19.

“We’ve struggled in the third quarter for our first three games,” Griffith said. “I think we’ve been outscored now by almost 40 points in (third) quarters. We talked about it at halftime, being able to

SAMMAMISH REVIEW

come out and execute and defend right away.

“We didn’t do it and they made us pay for it.”

Freshman guard Tyler Patterson hit a pair of 3-pointers for eight points, and senior forward Taylor Upton had six points as Mount Si matched Eastlake’s execution in the first quarter.

But Upton was a virtual nonfactor the rest of the way, scoring one point in the final 24 minutes.

Patterson finished with 13 and senior forward LJ Linton had 10 of his teamhigh 16 in the second half, though the Wildcats were already behind the eight-

ball at that point.

“The bottom line is, we’ve got to be able to defend and if our bigs can’t defend then they’re not going to see the floor,” Griffith said. “We need kids that can understand what we’re trying to get done on the defensive end. We shot 48 percent and lost by 15. That has never happened in my entire 15 years of coaching.”

The Wolves, who had eight players on the score sheet, also had the type of ball security they’ll need throughout the season.

They had 21 assists and only seven turnovers.

“We kind of pass it around like it’s a hot potato sometimes, then nothing good happens,” Kramer said. “We’ve been having way too many turnovers. Turnovers were down tonight because they slowed down in the half court, kind of were all on the same page.”

And Elkugia believes their two losses were due largely to correctable mistakes.

“We had last-minute turnovers that we shouldn’t have made,” he said. “But we’ve learned from it and now we’re just moving on.”

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SAMMAMISH REVIEW

HISTORY

event he could consider in the bigger meets.

“I might swim the 100 free and the 100 back, but I might swim the 100 fly and 100 back,” he said.

“It’s just seeing where I’m at in February and then it’ll be a decision at districts.”

Skyline junior Will O’Daffer, a returning state medalist in the 200 individual medley and 100 fly, has state-qualifying marks in both events already this season.

He stepped away from his strong suits against Newport, however, and gave the Spartans firstplace points in the 200 free (1:53.02) along with third place in the 100 back (1:00.42).

“They both felt really good,” O’Daffer said of his races. “I felt really good about our team performance.”

The Spartans measured up with the Knights, he felt, even if it came with a caveat.

“They were missing a couple guys but we had all of our guys and were able to perform well,” O’Daffer said. “… But they’re definitely a contender again this year.

They’re a strong team.”

Skyline’s optimism for

From Page 9

KingCo dual-meet standings and announced them as serious contenders for the conferenceand district-meet titles come February.

Skyline senior Jacob Leahy, who had firstplace times in the 100yard freestyle and 100 backstroke, said his team is looking to follow in the path of the school’s girls swim team, which successfully defended its 4A state title last month.

“We want to do that – we want Skyline to have boys and girls win state,” Leahy said. “That’s a definite goal.”

Leahy, who won two state medals last winter as the Spartans took fifth in the team standings – one spot away from a trophy finish – already has state cuts in the 100 free and 100 back after three meets.

He didn’t reach the standards against Newport but was fast enough to win both races, finishing the 100 free in 50.71 seconds and the 100 back in 57.21.

Leahy was fifth at state last year in the 100 butterfly, so that’s another

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2016 postseason success lies in how the team is building depth. Freshmen Colin Huynh and Jeremy Kim have had solid starts.

Sophomore Joseph Spaniac is a returning state medalist in the 500 freestyle. And several others like Ryan Kinnear, Rehaan Bhimani, Kevin Xu, James Zheng and Ethan Zhu could contribute in an individual race or relay.

“We have a lot of guys that can be on the state team and I feel very optimistic about our chances at placing this year,” O’Daffer said.

The Spartans’ 200 medley relay team – which previously qualified for state - again broke the standard against Newport as Leahy, Kinnear, Bhimani and Huynh won in 1:42.07.

Kinnear, Bhimani, Huynh and O’Daffer won the 200 free relay in 1:33.07. Kim, Spaniac, Leahy and O’Daffer wrapped up the meet with a win in the 400 free relay (3:30.71).

Spaniac won the 500 free in 5:23.41.

Skyline rests for the holiday break and returns to the pool Jan. 5 at Bothell.

GIRLS From Page 9

coach said.

“Really, it was a matter of a couple subs, swing players, that went in and just played fearless and gave us that energy,” Goldie said.

“And we talked about them at the end of the game. We definitely gave them credit … They motivated their teammates.”

The game was the first high-school matchup between Burton and Heide, who’ve been playing against each other since fourth grade.

Both players had bright moments, with Burton scoring a game-high 22 points and Heide notching a career-high 11.

“I love playing against her because it’s not a lot of the time you get somebody that’s taller than me,” said Burton, who is listed at 6-3.

“She challenges me,” Heide said. “It was just a battle down there, and I think it was the fourth quarter where we started to lose our confidence and our effort.”

Eastlake needed the win after a three-point loss to defending KingCo cham-

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“It was a heartbreaking loss but we really bonded … and I think that we’re going to do way better in the future,” Burton said.

After finishing 2-18 last season, Mount Si has clearly raised its expectations. The Wildcats pinned the loss on playing poorly in the second half.

“I don’t think it’s anything (Eastlake) did,” Richey said. “We ran out

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of gas and we lost our composure … The goal is to learn from it. I’m not mad at them. We just have to learn from it and grow up a little bit, and learn to compete every second of every minute, every game.”

“Eastlake has some great shooters and it was shown in that fourth quarter,” Heide said.

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2016

YMCA From Page 1

that land.

“The Y really thinks that means a building,” Jessi Bon, Sammamish’s deputy city manager, told councilmembers. “We’re not so sure, but we are willing to talk.”

The lease also requires the city to submit a site development plan by June 2018. According to Bon, the YMCA is willing to discuss a renegotiation of the lease to extend the timeline.

Responding to an increasing demand for athletic fields that is exceeding supply, the city

put forth a preliminary proposal for the land that includes two indoor turf fields in a new 40,000-square-foot building for an estimated cost of $15 million.

But the land, filled with significant trees and frequented by wildlife, has many residents requesting the city do as little as possible with the property — or even buy the property to preserve the land.

Angie Feser, the city’s parks and recreation director, and Anjali Myer, a project manager in the department, presented councilmembers with an update on the property, including several envi-

ronmental studies.

According to Feser, there were no major red flags or surprises in any of the reports.

The presentation also included comments from the owner of Arena Sports, Don Crowe, who operates several indoor sports facilities in the area.

“Don’s best guess is that a single-field facility would probably be sustainable for Sammamish,” Myer said.

Myer said the city should take into consideration the exisiting Arena Sports with three fields in Redmond and a singlefield facility in Issaquah.

Arena Sports’ newest and

biggest facility is in the works in Mill Creek, but it has an emphasis on family entertainment.

“That is from the learning that it’s hard to always rent the fields out, and so there are lots of other amenities they are throwing in like bowling, laser tag, bumper cars, inflatable play equipment, party rooms and other amenities that make it easy to draw regular users,” Myer said.

“It seems to me there are almost more questions than answers,” Councilmember Kathleen Huckabay said.

“Let’s get more information before we move forward and make any

SAMMAMISH REVIEW

Provided by City of Sammamish

decision on this,” she said. “Get a better idea if it would be more successful with amenities or without amenities.”

Bon told councilmembers there is a lot of planning work scheduled for

2017 that will provide more data to help guide the decision. The parks plan involves a community survey on park needs and will “take a deeper dive into athletic field need,” she said.

“We need to look at the whole picture,” Bon said.

“It’s hard to make a decision about this property, to develop, to purchase, without having this policy (regarding land acquisition) in place.”

The lease allows the city to purchase the land at fair market value.

According to Myer, the current assessed value of the land from the King County website is about $1.9 million.

Marcia Isenberger, an executive director at the YMCA, said the reason the Y purchased the land was to build a facility.

“The Y isn’t in the business to own property and see it not do anything,” Isenberger said. “We just want a facility that will allow for kids and families to recreate.”

The council directed the city’s staff to renegotiate the lease with the YMCA to extend the deadline to submit the site development plan from June 2018 to June 2019.

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