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December 31, 2014

Review sammamish

City’s first murder among most notable 2014 news

Christmas blessings

By Tom Corrigan tcorrigan@isspress.com

By Trevor Fisher

Logan Krulish (left) and Megan Chang performed as Joseph and Mary among shepherds, angels and lambs at the 19th annual Sammamish Live Nativity, held Dec. 19-20 at the Church of Latter-day Saints’ chapel on the Sammamish Plateau.

Sammamish police, kayaker thwart Christmas mail thieves Working closely with observant citizens, deputies and detectives with the Sammamish Police Department ruined Christmas for two mail thieves.

Just after 7:30 a.m. Dec. 24 citizens began calling 911 about a male and female going through mailboxes in the city, according to a news release from the King County Sheriff’s Office. A suspect vehicle description was also broadcast to responding deputies.

Shortly after the initial calls, police spotted the suspect car, but almost immediately the deputy lost sight of it. The suspects next parked their car in a driveway in the 2900 block of 204th Avenue

Southeast and fled on foot. The homeowner could see a large amount of mail inside the car and another neighbor used a vehicle to block the suspect car in the driveway.

More witnesses began to call about the suspects running through yards and a perimeter was set up. At approximately 8:20 a.m., Sammamish Police Chief Elledge took the female suspect into custody without incident.

The male suspect continued to run, choosing a kayak as his getaway vehicle. Another resident saw that and gave chase in his kayak. The male See THIEVES, Page 2

Christmas tree curbside recycling is Jan. 3 Sammamish Boy Scouts will pick up Christmas trees for recycling Jan. 3.

Place your tree curbside in front of your residence. If that’s not possible, place the tree at the nearest cross-street corner. Trees need to be out before 9 a.m.

Donations are critical to providing a quality Scouting program for local youths. The Scouts

cover Sammamish, including the Issaquah Highlands. They pick up your tree curbside — no reservation required. The suggested donation is $15 to $30 per tree.

Make checks payable to “Boy Scouts of America.”

If you would prefer to drop off your tree, you may leave your tree and donation between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. at:

• East Sammamish Park next to Margaret Mead Elementary School off Northeast 16th Street near the 216th Avenue Northeast intersection.

• The baseball fields near Beaver Lake Park.

All donations go directly to Scouting programs in Sammamish. Learn more at www.scouttreedrive.org.

The city’s first homicide might have been the biggest story of the year about to end, but there were several issues that got the attention of residents and city leaders as well.

Tree preservation became a hot topic and the ongoing construction of the East Lake Sammamish Trail continued to be a big source of contention for many residents living near the trail.

In no particular order, here are our choices for the 10 biggest local news stories of 2014.

Sammamish’s first homicide On Sept. 17, Sammamish Police Chief Nate Elledge said officers responded to a request for a welfare check made by the friend of a resident living at a home on the corner of Southeast 26th Place and Audubon Drive.

Police discovered Richard Bergesen, 57, dead in his home at 23145 S.E. 26th Place. The King County Medical Examiner’s Office said Bergesen died from multiple blows to the head.

Police accused two men with beating the Boeing manager to death with shovels and then stealing his credit cards and car and fleeing to Canada.

Kevin David Patterson, 20, who lived with Bergesen, and Christopher Shade, 18, of Issaquah, were arrested in British Columbia, Canada; Shade has since been extradited to the U.S. King County prosecutors have charged both men with firstdegree murder, first-degree robbery and theft of a motor vehicle.

What’s next? Patterson, a Canadian citizen, has yet to be extradited to the U.S. for trial.

Elderly woman charged with vehicular homicide A 68-year-old Sammamish woman was charged for alleg-

edly having mixed wine and the sleep aid Ambien when she crashed her Jeep through her lakefront home in May, killing her husband and son-inlaw and seriously injuring her daughter.

Carol Fedigan, also accused of endangering her young grandson who was seated on her lap at the time of the crash, was briefly booked into the King County Jail in May. Fedigan was charged Dec. 5 with, and pleaded not guilty to two counts of vehicular homicide, one count of vehicular assault and one count of reckless endangerment, according to court records.

In addition, the vehicular homicide and assault charges each carry a special enhancement that the offenses were committed when a child younger than 16 was an occupant of the vehicle, which, if proven, would automatically add a year to any jail sentence.

Tree preservation In a unanimous vote Oct. 14, the Sammamish City Council passed an interim ordinance regarding tree-retention standards. That ordinance will remain in effect for six months.

City Councilman Don Gerend and others said the city was reacting to a strong public outcry, mostly about the residential development going in on what is best known as the Kampp property on 228th Avenue.

What’s next? The city Planning Commission is trying to find an acceptable balance of tree preservation and landowner See NOTABLES, Page 3 Prsrt Std U.S. Postage PAID Kent, WA Permit No. 71 POSTAL CUSTOMER

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December 31, 2014

SAMMAMISH REVIEW

City and other leaders discuss drugs, heroin use

By Tom Corrigan tcorrigan@isspress.com While he said Sammamish is hardly immune, Police Chief Nate Elledge said there is little evidence of increased heroin use in the immediate area.

That doesn’t seem to be true of the Eastside, where use of the drug appears to be on the rise. Partly with that in mind, representatives from various interested groups got together Dec. 10 for what organizers hope is the first of a number of community conversations regarding drug use and similar problems in Sammamish.

Sponsored partly by the Healthy Youth Initiative of the Issaquah Schools Foundation, two such conversations have been held in Issaquah. The Sammamish meeting attracted about 28 people from various groups and interested parties.

“Basically, it went really well,” Mayor Tom Vance said. “It was good to see all those people turn out.”

The wide variety of attendees provided a wide variety of perspectives, he added.

To answer questions from Sammamish Review,

Elledge said he ran a check on police reports for 2014. For the year coming quickly to an end, safety forces responded to one call regarding a drug overdose that seemed to have been heroin related. The adult involved was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

But even if there does not appear to be a specific problem in Sammamish, Elledge said the impression he gets is that heroin use is on the rise in King County and even nationally.

“We do hear it’s making a comeback,” he said.

Numbers from King County seem to point to a noticeable rise of heroin use. In 2012, there were more than 1,100 calls concerning heroin made to the King County Recovery Helpline. The second largest number of calls was for help with prescription pain pills; that number was about 800.

At the same time, the county reported a steep increase in the number of first-time admissions to treatment for heroin abuse.

In 2003, the number was 594. It jumped to more than 1,300 in 2012.

At the December meeting in Sammamish, participants were asked

some basic questions, said Barbara de Michele, director of the Healthy Youth Initiative, a meeting sponsors.

Those questions included: What is it you value about the Sammamish community? Have you seen anything — evidence of drug use, etc. — that you found disturbing? What are you doing to help?

“We have to go to our communities and see what they are thinking, what they are concerned about,” said Pat Castillo, project coordinator for the Drug Free Youth Coalition, an arm of the Healthy Youth Initiative.

Those attending the Dec. 10 meeting included King County Councilwoman Kathy Lambert; representatives from the Issaquah and Lake Washington school districts, both of which serve Sammamish; counselors and students from Skyline High School; and local police.

Both de Michele and Castillo said there are a few issues that rose to the top.

Many participants reported seeing a need for more connectivity, or interaction, between youths and adults.

There also seems to be a need for more places for teens to safely gather.

Parents need more tools to deal with teen issues, especially drug use, Castillo said. For many teens, drug use is a right of passage and often the

result of peer pressure, she added.

“That’s a bit of a challenge,” she said.

While marijuana use is now legal for adults, Castillo said teens and parents need to be concerned with the possible side effects any drug use can have on developing brains prior to at least age 21.

Touching on other issues and thoughts, the community very much values the small-town feel in Sammamish, de Michele said, adding that her group still is organizing comments made at the Dec. 10 meeting.

Follow-up meetings are planned, though a date for the second session has not yet been set.

If heroin use has increased in the Seattle area, one obvious question is why the drug has regained some of its popularity. Abuse of prescription drugs had become widespread, but those drugs have gotten harder to obtain, Elledge said. If a drug is in scarce supply, prices naturally go up. Heroin has possibly become a cheaper and more readily available alternative to prescription drugs, he said.

Castillo talked about a cycle of drug abuse in which users move from marijuana to much harder substances such as heroin.

“The challenge is how do we stop that cycle,” she added.

Eastside Catholic teachers earn national certificates Eastside Catholic School announced Dec. 4 that four teachers earned their National Board Certification in 2014.

The newly certified teachers are high school Vice Principal Justyna King, high school science teacher Tara Maloney, high school art teacher Megan McDermott and middle school science teacher Erin Vickers.

Eastside Catholic now has seven teachers with national certifications.

“National Board Certification sets high standards for what teachers should know and be able to do as accomplished educators,” ECS Principal Polly Skinner said in a news release.

Lake Washington district teachers earn national certificates Ten teachers from Sammamish-area schools were among 28 educators in the Lake Washington School District who recently achieved National Board Certification status from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

Seven of the teachers are from Eastlake High School: Darin Fisher (English, language arts); Kathrine Hauser (math); Jenine Hutsell (English, language arts); Jennifer Macchiarella (English, language arts); Rebecca Nelson (English, language arts); Sarah Norris (English, language arts) and Mariana Timofte (math).

Two Inglewood Middle School teachers — Grant Greenman (English, language arts) and Holly Odle (science) — earned their certificates, as did Alcott

Thieves From Page 1

On Stage January 21 - March 1, 2015 Box Office: (425) 392-2202 • VillageTheatre.org

suspect didn’t make it very far on the water as he was using only his hands to paddle. He was convinced to return to a nearby dock and surrender.

The car the suspects were in had been stolen

Elementary School teacher Kristin Sterrett.

National board certification takes teachers through a demanding process to further their instructional skills, and it typically takes more than a year to earn the distinction. Teachers build portfolios that include student work samples, assignments, videotapes and thorough analysis of their classroom teaching.

City invites students to apply for scholarship The city of Sammamish is now accepting applications for the Association of Washington Cities Center for Quality Communities Scholarship fund.

To be eligible, a student must be graduating from high school, home school or receiving a GED in spring/summer 2015; live or go to school in Sammamish; plan to continue his or her education at an accredited postsecondary institution in the 2015-2016 academic year on a half-time or more basis; and have been involved with a city government or with a community/school leadership activity.

The city is nominating one local candidate to compete for the AWC Center of Quality Community’s Scholarship. The $1,250 scholarship will be awarded to six Washington state students.

Those wanting to be considered should submit a completed scholarship application form by Jan. 30. Information and application materials can be obtained at cfqc.org.

Mail your completed application package to City of Sammamish, Attention: Recreation Coordinator, 801 228th Ave. S.E., Sammamish, WA 98075.

Email questions to lhandlos@sammamish.us.

earlier that morning in Issaquah. The female in her 20s was booked into the King County Jail for investigation of mail theft.

The male in his 30s was booked for investigation of vehicle theft and mail theft. Further investigation will be done by Sammamish detectives working with the U.S. Postal Service.

SAMMAMISH REVIEW

Notables From Page 1 development rights. The commission likely will make a recommendation to the City Council in March or April as part of the state-mandated update of the city’s comprehensive plan.

East Lake Sammamish Trail Even during cold, wet winter weather, King County has continued paving and widening the East Lake Sammamish Trail, which follows the old railroad route around the edge of Lake Sammamish.

The trail remains a sore spot with many residents living near the pathway, some of whom claim the trail essentially has cut their property in two.

In mid-December, city officials, including City Manager Ben Yazici, met with county leaders and later expressed optimism that the county might be softening its stance on trail construction, becoming willing to retain more trees and perhaps allowing the width of the trail to vary.

“I think there’s a process going forward,” Mayor Tom Vance said, though he did not mention any specific additional talks with county officials are scheduled.

What’s next? Work continues on widening and paving the northern section of the trail, said Doug Williams, a media relations manager for the King County Department

of Natural Resources and Parks. Paving and widening work will reach the last, southern section of the trail some time next year, he said.

Klahanie annexation steams ahead If all goes as envisioned by city leaders, the annexation of the Klahanie area by Sammamish will be in front of voters in April.

Early in December, Sammamish submitted the documentation necessary to move the annexation forward to the King County Boundary Review Board.

The city filing included an updated fiscal study of the annexation and a look at the local services provided in the annexation area.

What’s next? The boundary review board has 45 days from Dec. 8 to respond to the city filing and a public meeting (not a public hearing) is planned for Jan. 8.

Opponents can attempt to block the annexation by gathering signatures and doing what the boundary board calls “invoking jurisdiction.”

Marijuana businesses banned Marijuana usage is now be legal in the state of Washington, but on Oct. 21, the Sammamish City Council banned businesses from growing, processing or selling the drug within city limits.

Since December 2013, the city had passed two temporary moratoria to

December 31, 2014 keep recreational marijuana businesses away.

More than 30 cities in the state have adopted permanent laws regarding the passage of Initiative 502 in 2012.

Fifty-five percent of Sammamish voters approved I-502, which legalized recreational marijuana use statewide.

While there have been no laws passed or legal precedents set upholding permanent bans on marijuana businesses by specific cities or counties, the state Attorney General’s Office has said it believes I-502 “includes no clear indication that it was intended to pre-empt local authority to regulate such businesses.”

Homelessness, Tent City 4 The roving homeless encampment Tent City 4 arrived in Sammamish in October 2013 and set up behind Mary, Queen of Peace Catholic Church with a 60-day permit.

In December 2013, the Sammamish City Council unanimously passed a measure that effectively allowed it to stay in Sammamish for another 30 days.

The group left Jan. 19 and, for a few days, it seemed the camp might remain in Sammamish and move to Good Samaritan Episcopal Church, but that plan fell through. Unable to find a host, the homeless encampment spent a month in Lake Sammamish State Park.

In January 2014, the council imposed a sixmonth moratorium on even considering home-

less camps in the city.

In March, Tent City 4 was able to move to First United Methodist Church in Klahanie. The congregation there voted to approve hosting the roving homeless shelter.

Thanks to a unanimous vote by the council July 2, homeless camps are now allowed to stay for four months, a month longer than in any other Eastside city.

Sammamish Community and Aquatic Center Construction on Sammamish’s $33.8 million community center began in June after the contract for the facility was awarded to Porter Brothers Construction, of Edgewood.

The projected cost for the community center increased slightly due to setting aside additional contingency funds.

The $33.8 million price tag is more than the previously projected cost of $32.4 million but less than the $34.5 million budgeted. However, the center’s budget remains over and above the $30 million approved by residents in a 2012 nonbinding, advisory vote.

What’s next? The center is scheduled to open in early 2016.

Lake Washington schools bond issue fails — twice Even with 57.8 percent of the vote in favor, the Lake Washington School District’s try for a $755 million bond issue failed, as the measure needed a

supermajority of 60 percent in order to pass.

In April, the district asked voter permission for a more modest bond sale of $404 million. The measure again fell short of the supermajority.

Rules barred the district from going back to voters a third time in 2014.

District officials said the bond sale, to support new construction and renovations, was needed because of a rapidly growing student population.

What’s next? A district appointed Long Term Facilities Planning Task Force will determine how to proceed. It is just at the start of its discussions, having held one meeting so far, district Director of Communications Kathryn Reith said.

Eastside Fire & Rescue saved Conflicts between Sammamish and Issaquah almost led to drastic changes in the fire service provided both cities by Eastside Fire & Rescue.

Mostly because of financial issues, Sammamish was considering leaving the regional fire agency and forming its own fire department.

In late 2013, the EFR governing board voted unanimously to change its funding structure to one more amenable to Sammamish, based partly on assessed value in a community and partly on the number of incidents responded to. The Sammamish City Council voted to approve the new funding model in January.

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State Parks offers 12 ‘free days’ to visitors in 2015 The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission has released its schedule of days in 2015 when visitors are not required to display the Discover Pass to visit a state park.

The “free days” are in keeping with legislation that created the Discover Pass — a $30 annual or $10 one-day permit required on state recreation lands managed by Washington State Parks, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Department of Natural Resources.

The legislation provided that State Parks could designate up to 12 “free days” when the pass would not be required. The free days apply only at state parks, like Lake Sammamish State Park or the Tiger Mountain State Forest; the Discover Pass is still required to access WDFW and DNR lands.

The free days are: • Jan. 1 — New Year’s Day and State Park’s First Day Hikes Day • Jan. 18 and 19 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day • March 19 – Washington State Parks’ 102nd birthday • April 4 – A springtime free Saturday • April 22 – Earth Day • May 10 – A springtime free Sunday • June 6 – National Trails Day • June 13 – National Get Outdoors Day • Aug. 25 – National Park Service 99th birthday • Sept. 26 – National Public Lands Day • Nov. 11 – Veterans Day Learn more at www.discoverpass.wa.gov.

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December 31, 2014

OPINION

Editorial

Letters to the Editor

Time to set goals, resolutions for 2015

It’s long past time for public to have initiative, referendum powers

It’s the time of year when people make resolutions, to decide to do better, be better.

We at Sammamish Review have decided to make some resolutions on behalf of the city and its residents. We hope you will adopt them and keep them.

Trees — City officials are already listening to residents, as evidenced by an emergency ordinance that already helped save some trees. But there is more work to be done.

Developers should consider more than their projects, but rather the future of what the city looks like in and around those projects. While planting replacement trees is an admirable goal, once you’ve torn up a place, you can’t really restore it.

Community & Aquatic Center — Construction has started on this project. Get it done on time and under budget. People are looking forward to using this great planned community space.

Skyline High School stadium — It’s time for everyone involved in this matter to listen to one another, and then it’s time for the project to get moving. It’s already a year behind schedule.

East Lake Sammamish Trail — City and county officials should continue to work together to try to make residents along the trail happier than they are. Maybe the trail doesn’t need to be so wide in spots. Maybe it doesn’t need to be paved in spots. All parties should at least listen to one another and consider all points of view.

Lake Washington schools — Repairs need to be made at schools and new buildings need to be built. Find a bond issue that includes projects, and costs, that people can get behind, and soon.

Initiatives and referendums — The City Council should take a good look at this and then decide. If the answer is no, give solid reasons why citizens can’t have these rights.

If the answer is yes, give the rights and move on to another important topic.

Residents and city officials, decide what you want as a city and don’t delay projects that are a benefit for all.

Plenty of people want a shopping center that is economically viable, and affordable housing options so people can work, and live, nearby. Let’s get them done.

Letters to the editor — Get involved in the conversation about your community. Write a letter to Sammamish Review and start talking about issues that matter. Every opinion counts.

Finally, any resolutions for us? Things that we can do better? Email samrev@isspress.com.

Poll of the week What is your New Year’s resolution?

A) Spend more time with friends and family B) Lose weight or get in shape C) Get more involved in the community D) Other Vote at www.sammamishreview.com.

I fully concur with and approve the editorial in the Dec. 17 Sammamish Review and the letter to the editor of Christie Malchow, in the same issue, strongly advocating action by the Sammamish City Council to move to grant the city’s citizens the rights of petition and referendum enjoyed by the vast majority of King County citizens.

The usual explanation of why Sammamish citizens occupy this second-class status to this day is that the planners for creation of the founding charter “overlooked” these pillars of a free democracy.

Involved was the then-legal counsel, now departed from the city administration.

Also involved in the process was a longtime member of the present council, who has served as the mayor and been a City Council

SAMMAMISH REVIEW

member since the beginning. And, not surprisingly, he today is a continuing vocal critic of “granting” the citizens the fundamental rights of petition and the right to repeal locally imposed ordinances.

It is worrisome to me that a paternalistic system of government has been imposed that is more interested in perpetuating an oligarchy, with both the City Hall and the council chamber being complicit. Seemingly, they are more interested self-preservation and protection to the well-being of the citizenry.

Coverage in the Dec. 24 Sammamish Review, reporting on a meeting of the City Council reviewing the matters of petition and referendum further buttresses that perception. City Hall and the council are more interested in their own iron-handed control of government than to the commonwealth of the citizenry.

Most pitiful was the contention of the city lawyer whose only excuse for not supporting wider

Letters Sammamish Review welcomes letters to the editor about any subject, although priority will be given to letters that address local issues. We reserve the right to edit letters for length, clarity or inappropriate content.

Letters should no more than 350 words. Include your phone number (for verification purposes only). Email is preferred.

Deadline for letters is noon Friday prior to the next issue.

Address letters to: Sammamish Review P.O. Box 1328 Issaquah, WA 98027 samrev@isspress.com freedom for the people is that the proposals might be poorly written.

For shame, lawyer person!

Paul A. Oostmeyer Sammamish

From the Web Duthie Hill Road reopened after head-on collision I am always scared to drive this road but have no alternative to get home. I am constantly seeing

speeders and texting drivers. This road needs to be reconstructed to have a divider to lower the risk. It is a road that is narrow and highly travelled by many age groups and bikers. Not to mention lots of deer.

I am always dodging drifting cars heading into my lane as they text.

This is so unfortunate but not surprising.

Debbie Moseley

Share your views Citizens can make a difference by contacting their elected representatives.

Federal President Barack Obama (D), The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20500; 202-456-1414; president@whitehouse.

gov U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D), 511 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C., 20510; 202-2243441; http://cantwell.senate.gov; 915 Second Ave., Suite 512, Seattle, WA 98174; 206-220-6400 U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D), 173 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C.

20510; 202-224-2621; http://murray.senate.gov; Jackson Federal Building, Room 2988, 915 Second Ave., Seattle, WA 98174; 206-553-5545 U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert (R-8th District), 1730 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515; 202-225-7761; 22605 S.E. 56th St., Suite 130, Issaquah,

Published every Wednesday by

Issaquah Press Inc. All departments can be reached at 392-6434 fax: 392-1695 / email: samrev@isspress.com www.sammamishreview.com 1085 12th Ave. N.W., Suite D1 / P.O. Box 1328 Issaquah, King County, WA 98027 Annual subscription is $35 or $60 for two years Add $15 outside King County / $20 outside state

WA 98029; 677-7414; www.house.gov/reichert

State — 45th District Sen. Andy Hill (R), andy.hill@leg.wa.gov Rep. Roger Goodman (D), roger.goodman@leg. wa.gov Rep. Larry Springer (D), larry.Springer@leg.wa.gov

STAFF Joe Heslet.......General manager Kathleen R. Merrill ....................

Managing editor Neil Pierson..................Reporter Greg Farrar... .......Photographer Deanna Jess.............Advertising Rebecca Morrissey ....Newsclerk

SAMMAMISH REVIEW

POLICE BLOTTER Tougher than they thought A thief or thieves found it was harder than they presumably expected to make off with a backhoe from a construction site in the 21300 block of Southeast 20th Street. Police reports said the would-be perpetrators tried to load the backhoe onto a flatbed truck but apparently were unable to. The backhoe and truck were abandoned.

Police confiscated a video surveillance tape and some gloves. The incident was reported early Dec. 11.

Another Grinch For at least the second week in a row, police reported vandals attacked a residential Christmas display. This time, the perpetrators severed wires in a display in the 1900 block of 205th Place Northeast.

The incident was reported at 2 p.m. Dec. 15.

No parking At about 5:15 a.m.

Dec. 16, an allegedly impaired driver became stuck in the front yard of a home in the 4500 block of 192nd Drive Northeast. A tow truck was called to remove vehicle. The man ended up taking a cab home, but police say he stiffed the driver the $100 fare.

Tractor stolen Someone made off with a tractor from a vacant residential lot in the 23700 block of Northeast Sixth Court. Reports said the property is isolated, with the home sitting on top of a steep, moss-covered driveway. The theft was reported to officers Dec. 17.

Happy, safe ending A woman exited a local bus at the wrong stop and was missing for about two hours beginning at about 3 p.m. Dec. 18. A family friend found the woman, unharmed, on a public street.

Blotter comes directly from local police reports.

December 31, 2014

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Skyline High School seniors use their business smarts to help charities

By Neil Pierson npierson@ sammamishreview.com

How to help Donate to Fundify, a search engine that benefits charity organizations, at www. searchfundify.org. Enter an email address at the bottom of the home page to be notified when the product launches. Fundify users will be able to select the charities they wish to support.

When Arjun Narayan began researching search engine concepts, he discovered the humongous profits he could tap into.

Google alone makes about $50 billion per year from advertising, money that trickles in from millions of online searches taking place every day.

“I thought, if we could take a small part of that and channel it toward nonprofits, we can create a big social impact,” Narayan said.

The Skyline High School senior worked feverishly for about year on another fundraising idea to bring clean water to impoverished communities in India. He enlisted the help of fellow senior Justin Zhong, a graphic artist. But the two scrapped the idea after trying to solicit donations the old-fashioned way.

“We realized … that

Contributed

From left, Skyline High School seniors Parker Ciambrone, Arjun Narayan and Justin Zhong have collaborated to create Fundify, a search engine that donates 70 percent of its profits to charities. the approach we had of just collecting money from people wasn’t enough to actually make a difference,” Zhong said.

This fall, Narayan identified a new business

model that allows Web users to become charity donors at no cost. A similar site, Freelanthropy, has been using the concept since 2004.

Two other Skyline

seniors, Parker Ciambrone and Mike Seeley, partnered with Narayan and Zhong to create Fundify, a search engine that gives 70 percent of its revenues to nonprofit organiza-

tions.

Ciambrone took charge of site development and Seeley, who recently left the team due to other commitments, led marketing efforts that cemented partnerships with Red Light Traffic, an anti human-trafficking organization; Washington DECA, a student-led marketing association; and the Lake Washington Schools Foundation.

See SEARCH, Page 7

Holiday wreath workshop raises funds for charity A holiday event combining decking the halls with the spirit of giving raised more that $2,500 for Sammamish/Issaquah Young Life and the ALS Association.

Susan Maki, a Sammamish resident and horticulturist, opened the doors of her garage to teach a wreath-making workshop to friends and neighbors Dec. 6-7. The annual event was open to anyone who would like to learn how to create his or her own spin on the traditional way to adorn the front door for the holidays.

With greenery donated by local businesses Serres

Farms and Lonnson Arbor Care, as well as clippings from yards around Sammamish, Maki taught people how to combine the materials to create oneof-a-kind wreaths. She also made wreathes for people who would like to have one but could not attend the weekend seminar.

This year, 75 wreaths were created, and participants could chose to donate to ALS Association in honor of Sammamish resident Jeff Files, who is battling the disease, or to Sammamish/Issaquah Young Life. In all $2,510 was raised for the two charities.

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Karen Cox, Susan Maki and Karen Bonomo (from left) work on a wreath that helped raise money to battle Alzheimer’s disease.

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December 31, 2014

Sports

SAMMAMISH REVIEW

Crusaders’ football title tops year’s best sports stories gave the Vikings a third consecutive crown, and the Crusaders finished their season with a 23-7 record.

By Neil Pierson npierson@sammamishreview.com The Eastside Catholic Crusaders made history in multiple ways when they hoisted the Class 3A state championship football trophy Dec. 5.

Not only did the Crusaders win the school’s first state title in the sport, they erased some bad memories in the process.

Their 35-13 victory over Bellevue was historic: It ended the Wolverines’ state-record 67-game win streak and their bid for a seventh straight state crown. Eastside Catholic also avenged losses of 52-20 and 35-3 to Bellevue in the previous two season finales.

Quarterback Harley Kirsch (20 for 22, 188 yards, two touchdowns) and running back Brandon Wellington (33 rushes, 110 yards, three TDs) led the way to victory at the Tacoma Dome.

Eastside Catholic’s football title is the Sammamish Review’s No. 1 sports story of 2014. Here are nine other stories, in no particular order, that made headlines over the past year:

Edward Kim secures his place among state’s alltime great swimmers In 2011, Eastside Catholic’s Ethan Hallowell became the first Washington high-school boy to win eight individual titles — the maximum allowed — at the state swimming championships.

It took only three years for someone to match the feat.

Eastlake senior Edward Kim capped his amazing prep career in February at the King County

Plateau golf teams surge to the forefront of state’s premier programs

File photo

The Eastside Catholic football team was all smiles after winning the school’s first state championship in the sport in December, ending Bellevue’s 67-game winning streak in the process.

Aquatic Center in Federal Way, winning the 100-yard and 200yard freestyle events with AllAmerica times.

Kim is now competing at Harvard, and is likely to return to the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2016.

Divers Kaela Call, Christina Torrente overwhelm competition During the past year, Kaela Call and Christina Torrente were practically inseparable. The Eastlake High School seniors commuted often to Federal Way, where they competed with a club team, and their bonds of

friendship carried them to the pinnacle at November’s Class 4A state diving championships.

Call scored 425.90 points for first place, edging runner-up Torrente by 0.95 points. They were so evenly matched, nobody was sure who’d won until the final results were announced.

“I was honestly shocked when I saw my name at the top because I thought Christina was going to win for sure,” Call said.

Eastside Catholic boys basketball comes up just shy of ultimate prize The Eastside Catholic boys

basketball program hadn’t reached the state tournament in 15 seasons, but their talent and desire proved nearly untouchable last winter.

The Crusaders dominated nearly every team during the regular season except Metro League rival Rainier Beach. The Vikings — winners of the past two state titles — beat Eastside Catholic three times prior to the state tournament.

Led by star players Matisse Thybulle, Mandrell Worthy and Nathan Christie, Eastside Catholic got all the way to the Class 3A title game and a fourth game with Rainier Beach in March.

A basket in the final seconds

Eastlake and Skyline high schools have strong traditions on the golf course, and 2014 showed they’re still among the teams to be reckoned with on a statewide level.

Ashley Fitzgibbons shot a two-round total of 155 for sixth place, fellow sophomore Maddie Nelson was ninth at 157 and Washington State-bound senior Jamie Midkiff was 10th at 159 as the Eastlake girls finished second at May’s Class 4A state tournament in Vancouver.

Meanwhile, the Skyline boys were busy in nearby Camas, where the Spartans captured third place. Kelley Sullivan (seventh, 148 strokes) and Brian Mogg (30th, 156) were the team’s low scorers.

Skyline girls soccer settles for third place after heartbreaking loss For the first 70 minutes of their state semifinal girls soccer game in November, the Skyline Spartans were superior to the Jackson Timberwolves.

Skyline built a 2-0 lead in the first half, but saw Jackson score three late goals for a 3-2 victory that sent the T-Wolves to their first state title game.

The Spartans (15-3-2) See BEST, Page 7

State champions

By Greg Keyser

Two local 15-and-under soccer teams won divisional championships at the Washington State Youth Soccer Association’s Recreational Cup tournament Dec. 14 in Tukwila.

The Sammamish Thunder boys team went 16-0 this year and outscored their opponents 48-6. The team members are Ivan Penev, Ryan Page, Nate Verboort, Erik Moulton, Evan Hamilton, Daniel Hoffman, Beck Latham, Robert Russo, Odin Vondruska, Tristan Smith, Liam Thrun, Colton Wimberly, Blake Singleton, Will Peterson, Justin Qiu, Luke Wilson, Kevin Fourie, Jack Lamp, and coaches Kevin Verboort, Scott Page and Troy Thrun.

The Eastlake Wizards girls team won a thrilling penalty-kick shootout in the semifinals en route to their first-place finish. The team members are Katie Musolino, Hayley Barney, Lilly Davidson, Ryan Kurtz, Tara Berg, Heather Keyser, Peyton Weaver, Jordan Brown, MacKenzie Kurtz, Isabel Cappo, Cora Gillin, Katherine Bo, Mallory Kruml, Yazmin Daneshjoo, Megan Bultman, Olivia Victorino, and coaches Kenton Berg, Norm Victorino and Brad Jordan.

SAMMAMISH REVIEW

December 31, 2014 ners returning from a 10th-place team finish in 2013, the Skyline High School girls cross country team knew 2014 had the potential to be a special season.

The Spartans lived up to those high expectations by winning the fourth-place trophy at November’s Class 4A state meet in Pasco. Maizy Brewer won her second straight individual medal, as the junior placed sixth in 18 minutes, 16.72 seconds.

Skyline scored 163 points to get on the trophy podium. Mckenzie Deutsch, Brooke Harmer, Callie Juetten, Jennifer Tidball, Whitney Darnell and Alex Pletcher also contributed.

File

Eastlake High School pitcher Mick Vorhof gets a bear hug from teammate Mitch Augenstein after the Wolves won the Class 4A KingCo Conference baseball tournament title in May.

Best From Page 6 rebounded the next day with a 3-1 victory over Gig Harbor, getting goals from Amanda Johnston,

Search From Page 5 Fundify is searching for more nonprofit groups to partner with in its business-to-business model, in which charities tap into their own supporter networks for financial contributions.

Competitors often have user-based models that target random consumers, which lessens the financial impact to individual charities, Narayan explained.

“The nonprofit can reach out to their own supporters and say, ‘Use search on Fundify and we can raise some money,’” he said. “So, that’s a great way to leverage something from a user base that already exists. If people already support nonprofits … this is a great way for them to be doing that.”

Fundify has partnered with Yahoo on an application program interface, or API, a way of sharing user data. In exchange for gen-

Kelli Sullivan and Lindsey Fujiwara to earn the thirdplace trophy.

Maizy Brewer powers Skyline girls cross country team With most of its run-

Skyline girls, Eastlake boys finish exceptionally at Star Track meet At May’s Star Track XXXII state championships in Tacoma, the Skyline girls and Eastlake boys got to feel the thrill of reaching the podium.

Skyline scored 35 points for fourth in the 4A girls meet. The Spartans won a state title in the 1,600meter relay as Mckenzie Deutsch, Alex Daugherty, Brandi Hughes and Dorie Dalzell set a new school

record in 3:53.24.

Eastlake earned 38 points for fourth in the 4A boys meet, with senior sprinters Troy and Drew Lewis earning three individual medals between them. The Lewis brothers also teamed with Matt Morrison and Nathan Pixler to win the 1,600 relay in 3:18.68.

Mick Vorhof pitches Eastlake baseball team to first KingCo title There was no questioning who the ace of the Eastlake Wolves’ pitching staff in the spring. Senior Mick Vorhof dominated most opponents, leading Eastlake to a berth in May’s KingCo Conference baseball tournament title game.

Eastlake had never won a KingCo tournament crown, but accomplished the feat on Woodinville’s field by beating the Falcons, 3-1. Vorhof was masterful on the mound, scattering five hits and no walks with eight strikeouts.

The Wolves finished their season with a 14-8 record, bowing out with a 7-1 loss to Kentridge in the first round of the state tournament.

Skyline volleyball team returns to state tournament again Coach Callie Wesson has built something special during her four-year tenure with the Skyline volleyball program, taking the Spartans to the state tournament each season.

Skyline had plenty of good memories in 2014

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but he has coding experience with Windows and Android phones that is serving him well.

“I picked it up pretty quickly — it’s using the same core technology as all the other Microsoft services,” he said of creating the website.

7

as it won the KingCo regular-season and tournament titles. Outside hitter Chloe Epker shared the KingCo MVP award, and players like Kate Richardson, Kathleen Bui and Meghan Wedeking also had outstanding numbers.

At November’s state tourney, the Spartans fell short of a top-eight trophy as losses to Olympia and Central Valley offset a win over West Valley (Yakima).

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erating traffic for Yahoo, Fundify will get a portion of the profits. Narayan estimates Fundify can earn one cent from every Web search it generates.

That tiny amount quickly adds up: If a person searches once a day, that’s $3.60 a year.

Nonprofits with 100 supporters would generate $360 a year, while those with 100,000 supporters would generate $360,000 annually.

“Really, how much money a charity can raise from this platform depends on how big they are and how many supporters they have,” Narayan said.

The partners hope to launch Fundify by Jan. 1, although a specific date hasn’t been announced.

Nonprofit officials, or anyone looking to use the program for Web searching, can visit www.searchfundify.org to sign up.

Ciambrone, who previously worked as an intern at Microsoft, is debuting as a website developer,

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December 31, 2014

Calendar of events Upcoming events ‘What will happen to your family history stuff when you downsize your residence or pass on?,’ learn the steps you can take now with The Eastside Genealogical Society, 7 p.m. Jan. 8, Bellevue Regional Library, 1111 110th Ave N.E., Bellevue, www.rootsweb. ancestry.com/~wakcegs Community Preschool Fair, preview multiple preschools, hosted by MOMS Club of the Sammamish Plateau, 9:30 a.m. to noon Jan. 10, In the Beginning Preschool at Faith United Methodist Church, 3924 IssaquahPine Lake Road, Klahanie, email momsclubsammamish@gmail.com ‘What’s All the Buzz About?’ presented by ‘Queen Bee’ Missy Anderson, learn about native blue orchard bees and how to care for them, 7 p.m. Jan. 14, Sammamish Library, 825 228th Ave. S.E., 3923130

‘Build It Sammamish,’ Lego class with Master Builder Dan Parker at 10 a.m. Jan. 24, followed by an open Lego build event from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., City Hall, 801 228th Ave. S.E., must preregister for class, allisong@sammamish.us

Thursday, Jan. 1 All libraries and government buildings are closed for New Year’s Day. Nia fitness classes, fusion of martial arts, dance and healing arts fitness, beginners welcome, 9:30 a.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, Blue Heron Ranch, 25025 N.E. Eighth St., 427-7010, $15 drop-in, $40/monthly class card Grief Share Support Group, 7-8:30 p.m., Sammamish Presbyterian Church, 22522 N.E. Inglewood Hill Road

Friday, Jan. 2 Volunteers are needed for LINKS, a community support group to fill the growing number of volunteer needs throughout Lake Washington School District; learn more

SAMMAMISH REVIEW at www.lwsd.org/links; register for an upcoming volunteer orientation by emailing Nanci Wehr at nwehr@lwsd.org or call 936-1410

Saturday, Jan. 3 Providence Marianwood, assist with group activities, dining room host/hostess, befriend a resident, clerical support or staff the Gift Nook, 391-2897 or email andrea.abercrombie@providence.org

Sunday, Jan. 4 Pine Lake Covenant Church ministry for children with special needs, 10:45 a.m., 1715 228th Ave. S.E., call 3928636 Young Professionals, mid-20s to mid-30s professionals meet and enjoy fellowship, single or married welcome, 6:30 p.m., Eastridge Church, 24205 S.E. Issaquah-Fall City Road, 681-6736 or email marianne.giberson@gmail.com Mary, Queen of Peace Catholic Church youth groups, for children in sixth through eighth grade, and ninth through 12th grades, Mass at 5 p.m., dinner and then meetings

at 6:30 p.m. Sundays, 3911178, ext. 129

Monday, Jan. 5 Spanish Story Times: Hola!, 10 a.m., Sammamish Library, 825 228th Ave. S.E., 392-3130 Hello English!

Intermediate ESL Class, 11:30 a.m., Sammamish Library, 825 228th Ave. S.E., 392-3130 ‘Democracy in Action’ youth and government program for teens, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Mondays through May, Sammamish YMCA, 4221 228th Ave. S.E., call 3914840 or email mholyoke@ seattleymca.org ‘A Cut Above,’ artist reception, contemporary works in a variety of media, 6-8 p.m. Jan. 5, City Hall at Sammamish Commons, 801 228th Ave. S.E., Sammamish, 295-0584 Study Zone, grades K-12, free drop in homework help, 6-8 p.m., Sammamish Library, 825 228th Ave. S.E., 392-3130 Citizens for Sammamish Meeting, 7 p.m., Fire Station #82, 185 228th Ave. N.E., citizensforsammamish.com

Tuesday, Jan. 6 Play and Learn

Chinese, ages 2-5, 10:30 a.m., Sammamish Library, 825 228th Ave. S.E., 3923130 ‘Using Your Gifts: Learn to Love your eReader,’ 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Sammamish Library, 825 228th Ave. S.E., 3923130 Study Zone, grades K-12, free drop-in homework help, 4-8 p.m., Sammamish Library, 825 228th Ave. S.E., 392-3130 Sammamish Youth Writing Club, 7 p.m., Sammamish Library, 825 228th Ave. S.E., 392-3130

youth group; games, worship and fun for students in grades six through 12; 7-9 p.m., Sammamish Presbyterian Church, 22522 N.E. Inglewood Hill Road ‘New Year, New You through Meditation,’ 7 p.m., Sammamish Library, 825 228th Ave. S.E., 3923130

Wednesday, Jan. 7

Mothers of Preschoolers; make friends, share stories and grow spiritually while your children are in childcare; multiple groups in Sammamish — usually twice a month at 9:30 a.m.

Thursdays at Mary, Queen of Peace Catholic Church, 1121 228th Ave. S.E; 9:15 a.m. Wednesdays at Pine Lake Covenant Church, 1715 228th Ave. S.E.; 9:15 a.m. Fridays beginning Sept. 26 at Sammamish Presbyterian Church, 22522 N.E. Inglewood Hill Road; www.mops.org

Sammamish Plateau Community Bible Study, open to all women and their children, 9:30 a.m., Faith United Methodist Church, 3924 Issaquah-Pine Lake Road S.E., email juliegusecbs@ gmail.com Toddler and Infant Lapsit Story Times, ages 2 and older at 10 a.m. and ages 0-1 at 11 a.m., Sammamish Library, 825 228th Ave. S.E., 392-3130 Study Zone, grades K-12, free drop in homework help, 6-8 p.m., Sammamish Library, 825 228th Ave. S.E., 392-3130 Wednesday night

Focus on Faith

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