sammamish scene 2013 by The Issaquah Press

Sammamish Scene RESIDENTS GUIDE 2013

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TABLE OF CONTENTS FRIENDS

TEEN CENTER

HISTORY

Whether new to Sammamish or a longtime resident, there’s always people to meet. Page 4

The Sammamish teen center is a beehive of activity. Page 16

Meet the residents of one of the oldest houses on the plateau. Page 30

LIBRARY

ADULT SPORTS

Libraries are about much more than books on shelves. Page 22

Sammamish youth aren’t the only people using those fields. Grown-ups still got game. Page 34

CLUBS Sammamish is chock full of groups looking for like-minded members. Page 10 LAKE FUN The city has three big lakes, each with its own character. Page 12

FARMERS MARKET The Sammamish Farmer’s market brings fresh food to you. Page 24

YOUTH Sammamish residents enjoy helping developing countries. Page 38

FRIENDS

GETTING INVOLVED Seattle’s Mike Westra rides along the 200-yard-long boardwalk at Sammamish’s Duthie Hill Mountain Bike Park. Photo by Mike McQuaide

Find friends with common interests in Sammamish By Lillian O’Rorke

eing new in town has its challenges. Not only do you have mountains of boxes to unpack, but you are also faced with the task of navigating new streets, figuring out where to find the best take-out and perhaps the most challenging – making new friends.

Book clubs One place to start is finding others who share your interests by joining a club or two. Here are a few suggestions. The Mary, Queen of Peace Book Club is perfect for the person who likes to read and enjoys lively discussion and debate even more. Don’t let the name dissuade you. The only thing that is Catholic about this club is it’s meeting place. From September through June, the group meets at 7 p.m. on the third Thursday of the month at the church to discuss the club’s latest book. While members occasionally choose non-fiction, the group tends to steer toward novels. Past selections include “The Tortilla Curtain,” “Beethoven’s Hair” and “Shanghai Girls.” “It’s all over the board,” Karen Hauser said. “Even the group’s ages are widespread,” she added, explaining that she, her daughter and her mother are all members of the book club. “We are a real lively group. We’ve got lots of opinions,” she said. “It’s definitely social. When we run out of things to talk about in the book, we talk about other things.” When possible, she added, the group invites local authors to come speak at meetings and gathers for a party in December. Check at the Sammamish library for other book clubs or email Hauser at office@mqp. org.

Pedal people

Photo courtesy of Dawn Sanders Rain or shine, the city of Sammamish hosts a variety of volunteer events, including tree planting.

If diving into a good book doesn’t quite get your heart pumping like pedaling down the pavement or skirting around a bend on a mountain trail, then check out the bike club at Sammamish’s Pacific Bicycle. With four weekly free rides, there is something for every two-wheeled wanderer. “We’ve got everything from elite northwest racers to the guy who just bought his bike last week,” said Mat Signoretty, Pacific Bicycles. “It allows you to connect with other riders that you didn’t even know about on the plateau.” Ride No. 1 is a road ride that leaves the bike shop at 6 p.m. every Tuesday from April through September and goes out for about two hours. It’s a very social ride, explained Signoretty, with the slowest cycler setting the pace. Anyone is welcome, he added. Averaging about 30 miles round

Photo courtesy Sammamish Kennel Club The Sammamish Kennel Club celebrates its ‘Best in Show’ winner.

trip, the group avoids busy roads by taking a different route every week. Ride No. 2 is completely different. Yearround, they meet at different area mountain bike parks from 7-8:30 p.m. Wednesdays for night trail riding. As your field of vision is limited, the ride is more thrilling, explained Signoretty, but does require a high skill level. Ride No. 3 takes cyclists back out onto the pavement. Taking off from the shop at 6 p.m. every “Turbo Thursday,” the fastpaced ride averages around 22 miles-perhour and covers 40 to 45 miles. Ride No. 4 takes people back to the mountain bike parks but this time at 9 a.m. on Sunday mornings. The two-hour ride is adult oriented, but Signoretty said, some advanced children and even dogs come along for the excursion. “The big problem in Sammamish is the sense of community; they don’t really connect with each other” Signoretty said. The rides can change that. Last year, he recalled, three women that didn’t realize they lived in the same neighborhood met during one of the rides

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and now go on their own excursions every Saturday. “It’s cool to get connected in the community.”

Community service If you don’t own a bike, another option is getting involved with a community service project. “Volunteering is a great way to meet people,” said Dawn Sanders, the city of Sammamish’s volunteer coordinator. “There are a lot of real opportunities to talk to people and mingle. At the volunteer events, you are usually working next to people; it’s easy to start up conversations.” Throughout the year, Sanders helps the city put together tons of activities and volunteer programs. Upcoming events include Sammamish Earth Day Celebration April 20; the Computer Recycling Drive at City Hall May 11; removal of invasive plants and park clean up at Sammamish Landing May 18 and the Fourth on the Plateau celebration July 4 with clean-up the next day. For a complete list of upcoming volunteer op-

Photo courtesy Assistance League of the Eastside Members of the Assistance League of the Eastside work to put together Assault Survivor Kits.

portunities go to www.ci.sammamish. wa.us or call 295-0556. Sanders also works with several local nonprofits and is able to match people with charity groups that fit their interests. One of the organizations that Sanders often recommends is the Assistance League of the Eastside. The all-women’s group meets the second Wednesday of the month, except for July and August, to help those affected by poverty or violence. “We are a very welcoming group and we are always looking for new members,” said Leslie Adams of Sammamish, the club’s president-elect. With 140 members from around Sammamish and nearby places like Redmond and Woodinville, Adams added that the club provides a great opportunity to get to know other women. There are plenty of ways to get involved, she explained, as the group has several philanthropic un-

dertakings. Projects include organizing back-to-school shopping events for students who can’t otherwise afford new clothes and putting together giant baskets of items that people need when they are fleeing domestic violence. An introductory coffee, as well as training for new volunteers is held in early September. More information can be found at www.eastside.assistance.org.

Special interest clubs For those who are interested in dog shows, the Sammamish Kennel Club is a perfect fit. “If they have a dog and they want to learn about dogs, then this is the place to be,” said club member Rusty Kingery. Unlike most groups of the furry persuasion, she explained, this one welcomes all purebreds, from hounds

to terriers. The club holds two all-breed shows every year, including one in late August at Marymoor Park. Conformation, junior showmanship, obedience, rally and agility are all part of the events. Joining the club not only means learning all about dog fancy, Kingery said, but it also offers a behind-the-scenes insight to all that it takes to host a dog show. The club has a philanthropic side, too. A percentage of the proceeds from each show is donated to canine causes, like the Humane Society. The club also strives to make a donation every year to a scholarship for a veterinary student at Washington State University. The yearly membership fee of $10 includes activities that range from health and first aid seminars to visiting schools. More information is available at www.sammamishkennelclub.com.

Brenda Butler stops for a photo during an ‘Operation School Bell’ event where local students in need are taken on a shopping spree.

Photo courtesy Assistance League of the Eastside

CLUBS

Civic/Community 1 Beaver Lake Community Club meets at 7 p.m. the first Monday at the Lodge at Beaver Lake Park, 25201 S.E. 24th St. 1 The Cascade Republican Women’s Club meets at 11:30 a.m. the third Wednesday (except July and August) at the Sammamish Plateau Club, 25625 East Plateau Drive. Call 788-2028. 1 Friends of the Sammamish Library meets monthly in the library meeting room. Visit www.sammamishlibraryfriends.org. 1 Lake Sammamish Elks Lodge No. 1843 meets at 7:30 p.m. the first and third Tuesday at 765 Rainier Blvd. N., Issaquah. Call 392-1400. 1 Moms Club of the Sammamish plateau has activities including weekly, age specific playgroups and monthly meetings, coffee mornings, mom’s nights out, craft club and local area outings. Visit www.momsclubsammamish.org or call 836-5015. 1 Moms in Touch prayer groups meet for one hour each week. Visit www. MomsInTouch.org. 1 Mothers & More of Sammamish and Redmond has play groups, mother’s night out, book club, movie night, family night and family events. Visit www. redmondmothersandmore.org. 1 Sammamish Plateau Parent Networking Group meets normally the last Monday of the month at Sahalee Fire Station #82, 1851 228th Ave. N.E. Visit www.pinelakecommunityclub.com. 1 The Pine Lake Community Club Board usually meets the third Wednesday, with other meetings held as needed. Call 392-4041 or 206-601-9103. 1 Sammamish Heritage Society meets the second Wednesday of each month at the Pine Lake Community Center. Visit www.iinet.com/~shs. 1 Toastmasters of Sammamish meets from 7-8:30 p.m. Tuesdays at Mary, Queen of Peace Catholic Church, 1121 228th Ave. S.E. Call 427-9682. 1 Foster Parent Support Group meets the last Thursday of each month from 6-8 p.m. at Mary, Queen of Peace Catholic Church, 1121 228th Ave. S.E. Earn your training/foster parent hours. Refreshments and child care are provided. Call 206-7198764. 1 The La Leche League is commit-

JOIN Z

There are dozens of other clubs in Sammamish. Here’s a look at what your community has to offer. ted to helping mothers breastfeed. They plan to meet on the second Wednesday of each month from 10 a.m. to noon at the Sammamish EX3 Teen Center, 825 228th Ave. N.E. Visit www.lllusa.org/web/SammamishWA. 1 The Social Justice Book Group meets at 10 a.m. the third Monday of each month in Sammamish. Email hineswa@live.com. 1 Foster Parent Support Group meets the last Thursday of each month from 6-8 p.m. at Mary, Queen of Peace Catholic Church. Earn your training/foster parent hours. Refreshments and child care are provided. Call 206-719-8764.

Service 1 Kiwanis Club of Sammamish meets at 7 a.m. Wednesdays at Sammamish Hills Lutheran Church, 22818 S.E. Eighth St. Visit www.sammamishkiwanis.org. 1 Kiwanis Club of Providence Point meets at noon Fridays at Collin Hall at Providence Point. Visitors are welcome. 1 Rotary Club of Sammamish meets from 7:15-8:30 a.m. Thursdays for breakfast at Bellewood Retirement Apartments, 3710 Providence Point Drive S.E. Visit www.sammamishrotary.org. 1 Sammamish Chamber of Commerce meets at 11:30 a.m. the third Thursday (January through November) at the Plateau Club, 25625 E. Plateau Drive. Visit www.sammamishchamber.org. 1 Sammamish Citizens Corps holds a refresher/advanced training class for CERTs on the second Saturday of each month from 9-11 a.m. at Fire Station 82. The Citizen Corps, a volunteer branch of the Department of Homeland Security, is for those interested in learning more about Disaster Preparedness Education

and Training. Visit www.sammamishcitizencorps.org. 1 Rotaract, a community service for young adults ages 18-30 sponsored by the Sammamish Rotary, meets twice a month. Email scott.brewer@sammamishrotary. org. 1 Guide Dogs for the Blind Eager Eye Guide Pups Club needs volunteers to raise puppies for use as guide dogs for the blind. Email sjbonsib@aol.com. 1 Volunteer drivers are needed for the Senior Services Volunteer Transportation Program. Flexible hours, mileage, parking reimbursement and supplemental liability insurance are offered. Call 206-448-5740. 1 Visit residents in nursing homes. Friend to Friend matches volunteers with residents in Sammamish nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Volunteers are asked to visit residents a couple times a month for a year. Orientation will be provided. Background check required. Call 1-888-383-7818.

Hobbies 1 Sammamish Garden Club, formerly Morning Glories Garden Club, meets the second Tuesday of each month. Call 836-0421. 1 Pine Lake Garden Club meets the second Wednesday of each month. Call 836-7810. 1 Sammamish Saddle Club meets at 7 p.m. the second Monday at Bellewood Retirement Home, 3710 Providence Point Drive S.E. The club hosts a trail ride for horse owners at noon the first Saturday at Section 36/Soaring Eagle Park, Sammamish. Visit www.sammamishsaddleclub.org. 1 Washington Park Arboretum Unit 74 meets the fourth Friday on the plateau. New members are welcome to meet and study local trees and shrubs. Call 8684344. 1 Block Party Quilters Club meets at 7 p.m. the first Thursday of each month at Mary, Queen of Peace Catholic Church, 1121 228th Ave. S.E., Sammamish. Visit www.bpquilters.org. 1 Sammamish Plateau Amateur Radio Club meets at 7 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month at Fire Station 83. The club is open to amateur radio operators and those interested in the hobby.

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Judging criteria: Originality, composition, lighting & strength of Issaquah/Sammamish identity. All submissions come with permission to be reproduced, with photo credit, in any publication of The Issaquah Press or Sammamish Review.

Submit JPEG by email: contest@isspress.com Include name, address, phone, email, and the photo’s story. Limit 3 entries per photographer.

Deadline: August 11, 2013

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LAKE FUN

GOJUMPINALAKE When the mercury starts rising, Sammamish residents are blessed with multiple places to take a dip. The city’s three large lakes – the sprawling, 7-mile-long Lake Sammamish and smaller Pine and Beaver lakes – all make for good, free swimming when summer finally rears its head.

BEAVER LAKE PARK

While it doesn’t have an official swimming area, Beaver Lake sees its share of swimmers on a hot day. The lake has a bit more underwater vegetation than Pine Lake and doesn’t have lifeguards on duty, but that doesn’t stop people from taking a dip. “It’s swim at your own risk but we get a lot of swimmers in there, depending on the temperature,” said Lynne Handlos, Sammamish Recreation Coordinator. The park, located off Southeast 24th Street at the southern end of Beaver Lake, has plenty of water frontage, picnic shelters, a playground and lots of wooded trails that wind through its 81 acres. In the coming years the city plans to improve the swimming area by taking out trees and adding gravel and a restroom.

Above: Not everyone swims for leisure. The Beaver Lake Triathlon draws hundreds to the lake’s waters every summer.

Below: Not quite swimming, these anglers participate in a popular pastime. Beaver Lake is popular for year-round fishing including some who get in the Christmas spirit before they try to reel in the big one.

PINE LAKE PARK As the only of Sammamish’s lakes with lifeguards, Pine Lake is the de-facto town swimming hole, attracting hundreds if not thousands on a sunny summer day, Handlos said. The park, located off 228th Avenue across the street from Discovery Elementary, contains a stretch of beach and shallow water for younger children and a larger swimming area inside the dock for older children and teens. Lifeguards keep watch over the swimming area from noon until 7 p.m. everyday from June 15 until Sept. 2. The park has many other options once you’re tired of swimming — picnic shelters for a sit-down lunch, sports fields and a basketball court and a fishing pier. The park is also the site of many community events, including the Thursday Summer Concerts in the Park series. The park’s 70 parking spots fill up quickly during events and on weekends. Using overflow parking at Discovery Elementary is recommended. Before and after events, a shuttle runs from the Pine Lake Park and Ride to the park.

When the heat wave strikes, Pine Lake becomes a very popular spot to cool off.

So far, Sammamish Landing is only accessible via the Lake Sammamish Trail, but its becoming a popular spot to take in views of the lake.

The city’s newest waterfront park requires a bit of work to get to, but offers plenty of water access once you’re there. Sammamish Landing, opened in 2011, offers 8.23 acres of waterfront, with a large grass field for getting some sun and Lake Sammamish nearby for swimming. The park, located off of East Lake Sammamish Parkway at the north end of the city, also contains numerous “pocket beaches” – small clearings amongst the woods where users can have the lake to themselves. The park also has a portable restroom and two picnic shelters. Visitors might consider packing a lunch or stroller for young children, as the park is currently only accessible via the East Lake Sammamish Trail. The nearest street parking is on 187th Avenue, about a half-mile walk from the park. While the lake does not have lifeguards, the city plans to repair two docks and designate swimming and boating areas this year, making the park a destination for boaters or kayakers on the lake.

SAMMAMISH LANDING

Many hands help manage Sammamish For all you style of government geeks out there, Sammamish operates under a council-manager form of government.

For those who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what that means: Citizens elect seven members to the council. Those seven choose a mayor

from among themselves for a two-year term. Mayor in Sammamish is a largely ceremonial position; the mayor wields the gavel and runs City Council meetings, but has no more power than any other councilmember. The council then chooses a city manager to run the day-to-day operations of the city. The council sets broad policies and adopts a budget. It is for the city manager and his department heads to enact those policies. In addition to the full council, the City

15 Council has committees, which study public safety; finance; and community and economic development. The City Council also appoints members to its three main advisory boards, the Planning Commission, the Parks Commission and the Arts Commission. Members of those three bodies offer advice to the council about policy issues, but they do not set policy. Sammamish also tries to reach out to the youth in the community – roughly a third of residents are under 18. At each meeting of the City Council, a student liaison from each of the city’s three high schools is invited to give a brief presentation about what’s happening at their school. The city also has a youth board, which coordinates events throughout the year that strive to reach out to Sammamish youths. This year is an election year for the Sammamish City Council. Councilman John Curley has already indicated he does not plan to run for a second term. Three other seats on the council, those held by Don Gerend, Tom Odell and John James are up for election this year.

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TEEN CENTER

Knitting Club founder, Vaiva Snapkauskaite watches as Ben Skaggs casts on to a round knitter circle loom.

Knitting Club brings teens and tweens together

By Lillian O’Rorke Every Friday afternoon, a group of four to six people gather at the Sammamish EX3 Teen & Recreation Center to turn yarn into everything from scarves to Japanese amigurumis. The knitting club is as diverse as the colors of its yarns. They hail from different area schools; there’s boys and girls, 10-year-olds and teenagers. Their common thread: enjoying settling into cruise control and letting the knits and purls basically stitch themselves. “You don’t have to just focus on knitting, like ‘I’m going to make this cupcake or

sweater’. You just do it, and you don’t really think about it,” Ben Skaggs said. As the 12-year-old explained how knitting puts his mind at ease, he used his crochet hook to slowly form a chain. Having already learned knitting basics in elementary school, he was trying something new that day. “I’m just practicing rows,” he said. “I’ve knitted before, and I really, really loved it, and I did it all the time. But after a while, I just had too much homework, and I just kind of stopped.” Skaggs returned to the pastime March 1, when Vaiva Snapkauskaite launched Knitting Club.

“I really like the idea of like having more people learn about it because I had always made scarves or sweaters. I’d wear them to school, and people would be, like, ‘Oh, how did you do that?’ and I’d be, like, ‘Oh, I made it myself,’” Snapkauskaite said. “So at some point, I was, like, ‘why don’t I just teach people, and then we can all get together.’ You know, have fun just talking and knitting and stuff.” Every week, the Skyline High School sophomore sits down with whoever shows up at the club that day and teaches different aspects of crocheting and knitting. Sometimes as well, she just sits back and works on her own project while everyone else

17 concentrates on their own creation. Snapkauskaite has been at it for several years and has a plethora of skills to share. Recently, she designed a vest using doily patterns. When she’s in the mood for a quicker project, she makes teacup cozies and little miniature figures, called amigurumis. Snapkauskaite’s family moved from Lithuania when she was 18 months old. While she was too young to remember much about the country of her birth, her mother does, and she passed the knitting and crocheting skills she mastered there to her daughter. “She lived during the time of Soviet occupation, so even to buy clothes at the store, you’d have to wait for hours just because there was lack of even having anything,” Snapkauskaite explained. “They wouldn’t have anything interesting or nice, so they had learn how to knit and crochet.” Now Snapkauskaite is passing it on to her generation for one hour every Friday. “It’s getting there,” she said. “I know it takes time, and it’s a big hassle, so no one really gets it right off the bat. But it’s cool to see people progressing. So, that is what I’ve enjoyed the most.”

Across the table from her sits, or rather bounces, Ian Nelson. “I like it a lot,” the 11-year-old said. “It’s fun, and I get something to keep my fingers busy, and I get to see my friends.” For his project, Nelson explained that he is making a worm suit, which he hopes will fit him when its finished. “There’s lots and lots of different things you can do with knitting needles and crochet hooks,” said Megan Richins, who, at age 10, is the youngest in the group. Sitting next to Nelson, she worked steadily on a circular loom, adding row after row to an infinity scarf. “It’s really very simple, you wrap around and then you take the crochet hook and pull the bottom over the top,” she said while doing exactly that. “I’m going to learn to knit without any holes because all scattered along, there are holes,” she added. Just like Skaggs, joining the club for Richins meant taking up a hobby she had once enjoyed but eventually abandoned. She explained that a family friend first taught her how to knit. “She taught me first, but for some foolish decision I cut my yarn to make a kite and never knitted again,” Richins said. “I

wanted to try but I forgot. And I tried to use YouTube videos but they were too complicated.” Now that she’s back at, Richins explained that she is looking forward to giving away homemade gifts, like hats and scarves. That fits perfectly with Snapkauskaite’s vision for the club. She said she’d eventually like to see the group producing things like baby hats and donating them to places like Eastside Baby Corner, or knitting infinity scarves to keep people warm during the winter. “A lot of these kids have these great talents that they want to share or give back,” said Meaghan Jowdy, the senior teen director of the Redmond/Sammamish branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs of King County. She explained that working with Snapkauskaite to get her club off the ground fits perfectly into Jowdy’s vision for the teen center. “I want to provide opportunities for the teens,” she said, “whether that’s me going and finding a yoga instructor to do yoga classes or if that’s a teen coming and saying ‘I have this great idea, and I think the teen center would be a great place to do it.’”

What does your child do after school? Parent Information Seminars every Tuesday and Thursday between April 18th and June 20th. There are limited seats in each session so please RSVP in advance to contact@positiveally.com. You will get a chance to ask questions and learn more details about the program.

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Are you looking for a “licensed” afterschool program with certified teachers conducting homework and academic reinforcement daily for an hour? Are you looking for an afterschool program that offers four days of organized sports soccer, basketball, cross-fit, yoga - taught by qualified coaches? Are you looking for an afterschool program that offers extracurricular activities like theater, chess, keyboard, music, science, visual art, destination imagination, and nutrition?

Smart girls and wise guys Every week middle school aged boys and girls gather in gender-specific clubs to hang out and help each other adopt healthy attitudes and lifestyles. For females, ages 8 to 12, SMART girls, which stands for “Skills Mastering and Resistance Training, meets every Thursday from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. The club aims to help members maintain a positive self-concept, make sound decisions and foster mentor relationships. Similarly, Wise Guys meets every Monday from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. and gives young ages 9 to 13 a chance to talk about different topics they face and how to maintain a strong moral character. “It’s about teaching the kids selfesteem and self-value and empowering them,” said Meaghan Jowdy, the senior director at the teen center. “There is national curriculum that we can use as well; and some of it is just the staff finding what their interests are and incorporating that kind of stuff.” Both clubs are free with a membership to the teen center.

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Above, During Torch Club, Kyle, Nate and Robert get to work making cookies. Erik strikes back in a game of table tennis at the teen center (opposite).

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Homework Help Available every day, but designated quiet time with staff assistance in the computer lab is 3-4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Pizza and Pages Book Club Club meets to eat pizza and talk about its latest read 3:30-4:30 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of every month.

Late Nights and Open Mics For upcoming dates of Friday late night events and open mic nights, check the club’s website at www. rs.positiveplace.org/teencenter.

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Torch Club Middle School aged service and leadership group

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Sports Athletics are offered through out the year and include basketball, volleyball, track and field, micro soccer, flag football and much more.

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LIBRARY

Technology changes libraries for the better By Ari Cetron

ornita Shomez really enjoys using the selfcheckout option at the Sammamish Library. “Sometimes if someone has a question (for a librarian) you have to wait a bit,” she said. “With the

computers you can just go up and get it done — it makes a difference.” Basic things like the selfcheckout and free Wi-Fi in all library branches are just the beginning for libraries in the King County Library System, which is increasingly finding new ways to

use technology. “We want to provide tools and content that helps people fulfill their goals,” said David Wasserman, virtual library services manager for the library system. The library provides some tools only in the building, such as computer programs that

allow people to do genealogical research. However, most of the newer options are available from anyplace with an Internet connection. Some don’t even require a library card. Do you like the idea of a librarian reading age-appropriate stories to your children, but don’t have the time to get to the library? The “Tell Me a Story” service has about 400 YouTube videos of county librarians reading and performing popular children’s stories. Parents can also access booklists of various topics by age to find books their children might like. While that service may be useful, Wasserman said that asking a few questions of a children’s librarian at a library branch is still probably going to give the best results. Maybe the children are grown and some international travel is in your plans. The library offers online classes in dozens of different languages from Hebrew to Hindi and Turkish to Thai. You can even learn to talk like a pirate. Other online resources include help with résumés or information about starting a small business or car repair. But one of the technologies Wasserman is most excited about is loaning out e-books. The library can loan books that will work with pretty much any of the various ereaders on the market. Last year, Wasserman said, about 62,000 people borrowed more than 1 million of the e-books

and about one-third as many electronic audio books. There are roughly 1 million people who have a library card, so about 6 percent have used the download service, according to Wasserman. So far, the library system can’t loan out magazines in this fashion, but is working on it, and hopes to be able to soon, Wasserman said. For the existing services, library cardholders download an app. Then, through a service called Overdrive, log on

On the Web Access many of the library’s free online services at www. kcls.org/downloads.

and with a few taps, check out a book for up to three weeks and start reading. Patrons can have as many as 26 e-books checked out at a time. For those who aren’t as tech savvy, there are online tutorials to help explain how to use the service. Most library staff members can also train people in using the technology. “You can, of course, just walk into a library and get help,” Wasserman said. Similar to print copies, the library can only loan out as many copies of an e-book as it has. With a popular title, the library might have 20 or so electronic “copies” of the book

to loan to patrons. Once they’re all out, cardholders can put themselves on a waiting list, just like with a print book. One big advantage to the system for e-books is time. When a book is returned, the next person on the list gets an email and can download the book right then, even if they’re in the bathroom at 2 a.m. No trying to squeeze a trip to the library into the schedule in the next couple of days. The library has a few other clients it uses to administer downloads, including one for electronic audio books. Another is called Axis 360, which is heavy in picture books, like children’s books and cookbooks. Others like Bookflix and Tumblebooks features children’s books, including many that are narrated, and some books that will allow children to read along with the machine. So far, however, most publishers have been hesitant to allow libraries to loan out e-books, fearing a loss in sales in the long term. Since they’re electronic, they won’t be subject to the wear and tear of a physical product and won’t need to be replaced. Only McMillan and Random House are willing. Publishers are still working on the business model that will allow them to work with the libraries and not lose money in the process. “It’s a new variation about something they’ve been doing forever,” Wasserman said.

FARMERS MARKET

Farmers Market heralds months of outdoor fun By Michele Mihalovich The cowbell that has opened the Sammamish Farmers Market for the past five years will ring out again at 3 p.m. May 15 to welcome in the sixth season. Sammamish is loaded with summertime activities (see page 28), and in some ways, the farmer’s market’s mid-May debut kicks off the summer season. Dana Van Reeth Thorn, who was hired as the new market manager in January, said people will see most, if not all, of the local vendors they’ve enjoyed in the past, but she will bring in some new farmers, food vendors and crafters. The market, held every Wednesday from 3-8 p.m. through Sept. 25 at the Sammamish Commons, will showcase 25-30 vendors each week, featuring everything from produce, honey, homemade pasta, baked goods, jewelry and crafts to restaurant prepared food. Weekly entertainment is also on the menu, featuring various music acts, as well as a magician. Children’s booths, where youngsters can sell their own crafts or paintings, will also return this year. The last Wednesday of each month has an emphasis on crafters, so it’s a great day for gift buying. But one of Van Reeth Thorn’s big goals this season is to increase the number of vendors – especially produce farmers. “Sammamish has about 50,000 people living here, so I see an opportunity of having 40 vendors each

A florist puts the finishing touches on a bouquet at a past Farmers Market.

A vendor prepares his booth to sell flats of plant starts at the Farmers Market.

Welcome Home!

week,” she said. “So, there is opportunity for great growth at the market.” She also wants to see more high school students attending the market. “We have lots of high school students who volunteer at the market, but we’d like to see more students come here and eat healthy food,” Van Reeth “We have lots of Thorn said, adding that she’s going to high school stumeet with high school athletic departments to see the best way to reach the dents who volunstudent population. teer at the market, She’s still in the early planning stages for booking entertainment acts, but we’d like to but for information on what produce is see more students in season and who will be performing, check the website at http://sammamish- come here and eat farmersmarket.org. Van Reeth Thorn said the market is a healthy food.” great place to put together a meal, look Dana Van Reeth Thorn at the beautiful setting overlooking the market manager Seattle skyline and Olympic Mountains, and listen to the entertainment. She also added that it’s a great place to bring children for playing around on the expansive lawn at the Sammamish Commons.

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EVENTS

Sammamish has lots of canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t-miss activites that bring the plateau alive all year round.

January Christmas Tree Recycling q Tree collection is the first week of January, by local Boy Scouts as a fundraiser for troop activities. Visit to www.ScoutTreeDrive.org.

SAMMI Awards

March q Sammi (Sammamish Acknowledging Magnificent Moments of Inspiration) Awards are presented. Community members nominate their peers, co-workers and friends, and the winners are announced, celebrated with music and dance performances. Visit www.sammiawards.org.

April Eggstravaganza q Eggstavaganza, annual Easter egg hunt combined with entertainment arts and crafts for the kids, hosted by the Sammamish Family YMCA. Call 391-4840. q Sammamish Disaster Preparedness Fair, featuring exhibits, demonstrations, seminars and vendors, is from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at City Hall.

May Sammamish Walks q Take guided walks through different parks around Sammamish the third Saturday of the month through October. Go to www.SammamishWalks.org.

Bicycle Drive q The ARAS Foundation hosts an annual drive to collect old bicycles to be shipped to poor families in Africa from 9 a.m to 1 p.m. May 4 at City Hall. Visit http://arasfoundation.org/bike_project.html.

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June q TeenFest annual skate competition, for ages 13-20, is from 3:306:30 p.m. June 14 at Sammamish Commons Skate Park. Skate competitors must register in advance: $5/ residents; $10/non-residents. Helmets are required to compete. Registration opens at 2:30; competition starts at 3:30.

July q Fourth on the Plateau, the seventh annual, free fireworks at the Fourth on the Plateau celebration, is from 6-11 p.m. July 4 at the Sammamish Commons. Enjoy delicious food, bring the children to the fun-filled play area and dance to hit tunes at the main stage: Seattle Soul Stew performs from 6-8 p.m. and The Beatniks are from 8-10 p.m. q Concerts in the Park free concert series is Thursdays from 6:30-8 p.m. at Pine Lake Park and is co-sponsored by Plateau Jewelers. Barbeque dinner is available for purchase by Sammamish Rotary and ice cream from Sammamish Kiwanis. July 11 — Mulligans Rock July 18 — Creme Tangerine July 25 — Chance McKinney Aug. 1 — The Tropics! Aug. 8 — Cherry Cherry Aug. 15 — Petty Fever Aug. 22 — Sammamish Symphony, Tall Ships Aug. 29 — North Country q Kiwanis KidsFirst! Series This free event is held on Tuesdays in July and August throughout various Sammamish Parks and is co-sponsored by Friends of the Library. July 9, noon — Eric Herman and the Thunder Puppies, children’s music band, Beaver Lake Park July 23, noon — The Brian Waite Band, rock and roll adventurers, East Sammamish Park July 30, 1 p.m. — Eli Rosenblatt and Friends, musical adventure, Sammamish Commons Plaza Aug. 13, 1 p.m. — Charlie Hope, children’s musician, Sammamish

Commons Plaza Aug. 20, noon — Eric Ode, children’s musician, Ebright Creek Park Aug. 27, 1 p.m. — Alex Zerbe, The “Professional Zaniac” Sammamish Commons Plaza q Shakespeare in the Park, free Wooden O Shakespeare plays, cosponsored by the Sammamish Arts Commission, are performed at Pine Lake Park on Saturdays from 7-8:45 p.m. Bring a low-back chair. July 20 — “Henry V” July 27 — “The Tempest”

August q Safe and Sound Sammamish, the Sammamish Police Department’s annual community and awareness fair is from 2-5 p.m. Aug. 6 at the Sammamish Commons, features Radio Disney and two-time Guinness World Record holder and award-winning magician, Louie Foxx. This event also kicks off National

Night Out, a neighborhood organized safe evening out with neighbors and your local police force. q Beaver Lake Triathlon returns Aug. 17, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Registration has already begun for this year’s 16th annual .25-mile swim, 4.3mile run and 13.8-mile bike ride. Register online at http://blt.beaverlake.org. q Sammamish Cultural Days, an ethnically diverse event, offers something for all ages, and is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 10 in the Sammamish Commons Plaza. Listen to music, watch performers and create crafts from all over the world. This free event proudly offers the only food truck rodeo on the Eastside! Food and gifts are available for purchase. q Rotary Challenge Race Series is from 9-1 p.m. Aug. 10 at Discovery Elementary School. This event pairs youth living with disabilities with a go-cart driver in an exciting race down Southeast 24th Street while being cheered on by the Skyline High School Cheerleaders.

q Sammamish Nights is from 6-10 p.m. Aug. 10 at the Sammamish Commons. Sip wine, taste food, listen to music and socialize with your neighbors at Sammamishâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only outdoor wine event. Back by popular demand is jazz artist Darren Motamedy, a popular headliner locally as well as in Las Vegas. The event features at least 20 local wineries, including Project V Distillery and Pike Brewing Company and up to 10 local restaurants, as well as a preview of Sammamish Art Fair artists. Learn more at www.sammamishchamber.org. Must be 21 or over to attend. Discounted tickets for $40 are available by buying tickets early at sammamishchamber.org.

September Homecoming Pep Parade for Skyline High School along 228th Avenue Southeast is before the homecoming football game. Call 837-7700.

October q Sammamish Art Fair is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 13 at City Hall. q Ski and Sport Swap meet, sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Sammamish, is usually held in early October. Visit www. sammamishkiwanis.org. q Fall Home Tour, of choice real estate for sale, is a free drive-yourself affair, Oct. 12 and 13. Visit www.sammamishreview.com for details.

q Nightmare at Beaver Lake, a Halloween haunted house and outdoor event, is held every year at Beaver Lake Park for two weeks, sponsored by Sammamish Rotary Club. Visit www. nightmareatbeaverlake.com. q Halloween Happening is Oct. 31 at Sammamish Commons. To learn more, go to www.ci.sammamish.wa.us.

December q Breakfast with Santa is in early December. Includes music and holiday crafts. Visit www.sammamishkiwanis.org. q Christmas Tree and Menorah lighting is Dec. 2 at the Sammamish Commons. To learn more, go to www. ci.sammamish.wa.us.

HISTORY

In the 1980s, the Reard House was used in a movie starring Mickey Rourke and Ron Howard.

FREED HOUSE FINDS A HOME By Phil Dougherty

vvv Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an old crumbling building sitting on what is slated to become a heritage-themed area in Sammamishâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new Southeast Eighth Street Park. The more than a century-old farmhouse, recently moved to the location, is full of history. Some who have lived on the plateau are familiar with parts of the story of the Reard-Freed Farmstead, particularly the Freed half, which we will also review here. But new historical information sheds additional light on Jacob Reard (1866-1917), the man who first bought the property.

vvv

Jacob Reard and Emma Groat were married in 1891. They then built the Reard/Freed house in 1895.

Jacob Dominique Reard was born in Germany on March 4, 1866. Little is presently known of his early life or when he came to America, but he appears in the 1889 territorial census for King County, listed as an immigrant laborer. On Nov. 20, 1890, he bought 80 acres of land for $380 from the Northern Pacific Railroad Company. An 1897 map shows the farm located just northwest of the northern terminus of what was then a short leg of today’s 212th Avenue Southeast, a roughly four-block long dirt strip that connected today’s Southeast 20th Street and Southeast 24th Street (which in the early 1890s was an almost brand new road and known as either Martin Monohon Road — its official name — or more informally as Monohon Hill Road). Reard was living in Gilman (now Issaquah). On March 4, 1891, his 25th birthday, he married Emma Groat (1869-1964) of

Montague, Calif.; they were married at the Snoqualmie Parlors in Seattle. The young couple returned to Gilman, where the 1892 census recorded Reard’s profession as a gardener. However, they wouldn’t be long for Gilman.

vvv He built a house Reard took out a $900 mortgage in June 1892 to build a house on his new property, and according to tax assessor records, both the house and a barn were built in 1895. The mortgage was also paid in full in June of that year. Reard built his house in the “National” style, a relatively simple two-story rectangular house (and an attic) with a gable roof, which was a popular style used in homebuilding for

much of the last half of the nineteenth century. At some point, probably not long after the house was built, a one-story wing was added; this later became a kitchen. Reard also added additional touches, such as Queen Anne detailing (examples were fish-scale shingling on the primary gable ends, and porch rail detailing on the house’s porch), that made the house look more modern and ornate. The house’s overall dimensions are 25 by 57 feet, and it has a six-room interior. By the time the Reards moved into their new home they already had one child, John (1892-1974), and would have four more. Son Alfred died in infancy in 1896, but three children survived into adulthood: Herbert (1897-1943), Marguerite (1902-1988), and Alice (1908-1989). Reard’s grandson, Paul Thomas of Woodinville, says that his mother Marguerite was born in the farmhouse in 1902, and it seems probable that Herbert and

Jacob Reard, with his son John on a horse, pose for a photo in 1895.

Alfred were born there as well. Reard was a successful farmer. But “grandfather had itchy pants… he liked challenges” observes Thomas. “He went to the gold rush in Alaska [probably in the late 1890s] but only came back with one nugget about the size of my thumb.” Reard also farmed briefly in Wapato, alone for part of the time while his family remained here. Then he moved again, this time to a 200acre ranch in Ephrata, sold his farm here in 1905, and the rest of his family joined him in Ephrata. He died in 1917.

vvv Change of ownership Meanwhile back on the plateau, the farm went through several owners over the next decade, with many of its owners and tenants alternating between working at the farm or at any one of several area lumber and shinglemaking mills. In 1915, Olaf L. Skogman (1856-1929), a Swedish immigrant, bought the property and farmed there. The farmhouse itself became a gathering place for the community, with a large room on the second floor used for dances. In 1928, Oscar E. Freed (1894-1979) and

wife Dorothy (d. 1978) acquired the property as the result of a land trade with Skogman, but they didn’t move there right away. The Freeds lived in Seattle and owned the Rainier Valley Food Store there. Trying to commute to the farm from Seattle was impractical in 1928, so the Freeds remained in Seattle and rented out the property until 1934. At least one renter found a creative use for the property, and built a still on it. Prohibition was in effect at the time, but illegal stills were commonplace and many did not view them with any real stigma. In a 2005 interview, Oscar Freed’s son Richard (b. 1923) described the farm during these years: “We’d go out there and it’d be all quiet — there’d be a few cattle there but that’s all. The bootleggers had a still in the barn that was sunk down so you couldn’t see it. “They put hay over the top of it. Finally the federals came down and knocked the still over. It stunk of whiskey out there for a good three weeks!”

vvv Community leadership Prohibition had been repealed by the time

the Freeds moved to the farm in 1934, and Oscar Freed had different plans for it anyway. In 1931, a two-story, wood-frame chicken house with almost 3,000 square feet of space had been built. Freed utilized the chicken house to run what became known as the Mountain View Poultry Farm, and at its peak had 3,500 chickens laying up to 1,500 eggs a day. He also raised Hereford cattle, and sharpened dental equipment and made dental instruments to order. He operated the poultry farm into the 1940s, but a back injury from his younger years made it hard for him to move his neck, and eventually he sought out a less physical means of support. In 1945 Freed pitched the idea to his friends and neighbors of forming a local water district. It was put to the ballot in the fall of 1945 and passed (barely). In February 1946, Water District 82 was born and Freed became the district’s first water commissioner. The farmhouse became the first water district office. People just dropped by the farmhouse to pay their bills ($4 a month in the early years); Freed’s office manager late in his tenure, Margaret “Maggie” McCormick, had her office in the dining room. Freed served as water commissioner until retiring in August 1977. The following year his wife Dorothy died, and son Richard and his wife Blanche moved to the farm to care for Oscar, who

died on his 85th birthday on Feb. 14, 1979.

vvv Star turn Not long after Oscar’s passing, the farmhouse gained national attention of sorts when the TV movie “Act of Love” was filmed there. The house, which had been painted yellow, was painted red for the movie, and still has a flaking and washed-out version of this paint job today. Life on the farm quickly returned to normal after the hoopla from the movie died down. Richard and Blanche Freed remained on the farm, and in the early 1980s, Richard converted the interior of the chicken house into a living space for himself and his wife. This was going to be a temporary move, as he had plans to restore the farmhouse, but he discovered its underpinnings had dry rot and felt it made the house too impractical to restore, and bats had taken up residence in the attic. So, the Freeds remained in the converted chicken house on the farm until 1996, raising Hereford cattle. Blanche, an artist, also taught classes at the farm. In 1996, the Freeds sold the property to John Buchan Homes, a residential developer. And thus began a rather strange saga. The farmstead was successfully nominated to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001 — the only location in Sammamish that has been so recognized. But as the development of the property moved forward, only the original house (minus the kitchen wing) was saved from demolition; efforts to save the remaining buildings were not successful. In 2003, the house was moved several hundred feet, much closer to 212th Avenue South East, and placed on blocks pending a move to the Sammamish Commons, which many expected to occur after the Commons opened in summer 2006. It was not to be. Instead, on June 3, 2012, the Freed House was loaded onto a truck and carted to its new location at Big Rock Park. The city has plans to develop a master plan for the new park in the coming years, so the extent to which the city will be involved in the house has yet to be determined.

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ADULT SPORTS

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” George Bernard Shaw

Seasoned athletes continue to play a young man’s game

35 By Sebastian Moraga

ank Klein’s skill set is a hot commodity. About 20 years ago, he was recruited for an adult soccer league, partly because he had friends on the team, and partly because the Sammamish resident is a goalie. “Not a lot of people want to be goalie,” Klein said. While the plateau is well known for its youth sports, Klein is just one of dozens of adults playing in sports leagues across the region. Klein said that while it’s fun and good exercise, the league is also about camaraderie. “Sometimes, the most fun part is the drive to the game,” Klein said, “or the beer after.” He said it’s fairly easy to join his league, the Greater Seattle Soccer League. Pay the fee, and if you know

a team that is looking for players, they might let you join. Otherwise, you could be “drafted” by a team looking to fill out a spot on its roster. The league is based in Seattle’s Greenwood area, next to the neighborhood’s iconic watering hole Ould Triangle, although the league’s matches happen throughout the region, from Shoreline to West Seattle, or on the community fields at Skyline and Eastlake high schools. “We encompass the major Seattle area,” said Traci Briggs, the league coordinator. More than 130 teams play in winter, while more than 170 play in spring. Each player is required to hold a GSSL membership card and each team must pay entry fees. Spring and summer entry fees range between $1,120 and $1,185, while winter and fall fees range between $1,660 and $1,715. “Winter and fall are a bit higher

because it’s a longer season,” Briggs said. “Weeknights are more expensive because of custodians and lighting fees.” Teams build themselves, the league just secures fields and sets the schedules, she added. The Sammamish area houses about six teams. The first game of the spring season started April 1 on the Eastlake Community Sports Field No. 2, said Briggs. The league sets its competition based on age. The Over 30 teams and the Over 50 teams play on Monday nights, the O-40 crowd plays Wednesday nights and the O-55 crowd plays Thursday nights. Sundays are open for all ages. Klein said his team is in the Over50 division. Most players, he said, are conscious of their age as they play, and try to avoid injuries, since they realize they’ll probably be a bit slower to heal.

Dick Fitzgerald, (opposite left), of the Silver Foxes, pitches at a charity game of the Puget Sound Senior Baseball League at Safeco Field.

Contributed

The Blur, in green, take on the Team Audi Relics during the season opener at the Eastlake fields.

Contributed

36 “The game is obviously slower,” Klein said. “There’s less arguing and fewer collisions.” The all-ages division will be the most popular one this spring, Briggs wrote in an email, gathering 68 teams — 14 teams will play in the O-55, 31 teams at O-50, 34 teams at O-30 and 36 teams at O-40. Then, this summer the league will host an international championship, with adult teams re-forming based on nationality. The championship will be split between Redmond’s Marymoor Park and Renton Stadium under a World Cup format of a group stage followed by elimination rounds. The international championship is also split in three groups: O-30, O-40 and “Open” for all ages. The league is primarily adult and male, Briggs said, but that’s not etched in stone. “Women are more than welcome to play,” she said. “We are primarily a men’s league but we welcome women players.” She then joked, “We just let them know they might go up against some aggressive men.”

Softball When the softball season starts for the east division of the CSSA at Beaver Lake Park, the swing of the bat and the flight of the ball will mean spring is finally upon the association’s scores of players. It will also mean, for the members of the Clean and Sober Softball Association, they can win or lose on the field and still remain victors in their own personal battles. “It’s made sobriety fun,” said Roa Pesamino, the public information officer for the CSSA, who has been playing for almost seven years. “I really thought I would never have fun anymore once I got sober, because a lot of my time was spent at a bar.” The season started April 7. The two main requirements are that players be at least 30 days sober and that they be participating in a 12-step program of some kind, Pesamino said. “It gives the families of the players a safer environment,” said Pesamino of the 30-day rule. Some players have been sober for 35 years. The name of the game is slowpitch, co-ed softball, and the quality of play ranges from recreational to competitive, with some of the top players playing outside of the CSSA. Pesamino plays third and first base at Everett’s Kasch Park, recapturing the sport that filled many of her youthful afternoons. “I played softball when I was a kid, but then I didn’t play for a long time because I was partying,” she said.

The league consists of six different divisions with 10 teams each throughout western Washington, all focused on supporting people remain clean of drugs and alcohol. “Getting to meet and have fun with other people, it’s been great,” said Pesamino who will be seven years sober in October. “Life is not over when you get sober. We just do other things.”

Baseball What do the community fields in Sammamish, and the baseball diamond at Eastlake High School have in common with Safeco Field? Well, they will all host games by the Puget Sound Senior Baseball League this year. The league, a 19-and-over organization with 11 teams for people 55-and-over, will host a special exhibition game at the home of the Seattle Mariners this summer to celebrate the league’s 25th anniversary. “Since the league is a nonprofit, we will also use it to raise money,” said Tom Evans Krause, the league’s president. “We’ve done it before.” Indeed, a few years back, the league used its clout to raise money for a foundation created in memory of Sammamish’s Marin

Morrison, the teenage swimming star who died of a brain tumor in 2009 at 18. Andy Hay, Morrison’s coach at Eastlake High School, is a player-manager in the baseball league and actively involved with the foundation. “We’re always looking for volunteers,” Hay said. “Anyone wanting to donate their time, it’s more valuable than money.” Charity work aside, it’s a big thrill for the members of the PSSBL to play in a major league park. “Whenever we do this, our members line up to participate,” he said. “They have to pay an extra amount because it takes a lot of money to rent Safeco Field.” Some of the league’s players, particularly in the younger ranks, have circled the bases on the lower rungs of the majors. “There have been players who played Rookie League or Class A and wanted to continue playing so maybe they could latch on somewhere else,” Krause said. “A young man a couple of years ago had just separated from the White Sox organization, played one summer with us and then caught on with another team.” Some players are upperclassmen in college looking for a summer league. Most PSSBL players, however, just dig the

37 hardball. “Most of them just want to play baseball,” he said. “They love the game and they want to keep playing.” Count Krause among this group. He’s on his 19th year of PSSBL ball, the first 16 of which happened with one team. Between all the divisions, the league hosts 840 games each season, with recreational seasons lasting 18 games plus playoffs and competitive seasons lasting 24 games plus playoffs. Players pay a lump-sum fee to join, which averages to about $19 per game. “Being a nonprofit, we’re very conscientious on how we spend our money,” he said. “Ninety percent of our fees go to pay for the umpires, baseballs and fields. All of our general managers are volunteers and they don’t get anything outside of a thank-you.” This year, spring tryouts started March 11. Then, March 31, the league held its draft. “We have so many divisions, we usually find a place for every player who wants to try out and join as a member,” Krause said.

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John Warinsky, playing for the Seirra Islanders of the Puget Sound Senior Baseball League, takes an at bat at the University of Washington.

Thank You Issaquah! Dr. Thomas R. Quickstad would once again like to thank his generous dental patients for their donation of old gold crowns. The gold was recycled and the proceeds were donated to the Issaquah Food Bank. This year’s donation totaled $1,474.00! If you are interested in our donation program or have questions please call Dr. Quickstads’ office at (425) 391-1331.

Issaquah Lodge #1843 765 Rainier Blvd. N Issaquah, WA 98027 425.392.1400

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YOUTH

Marchers navigate the terrain from Snoqualmie Pass to the Seattle waterfront during the inaugural trek in 1990.

A group of Beaver Lake Middle School students sit among a mound of donated stuffed animals, destined for South Africa after the school’s humanitarian assembly.

Kids help kids a world away

By Christina Corrales-Toy

One by one, Beaver Lake Middle School students filed into the gymnasium, clutching their favorite giraffes, dogs, lions and bears – of the stuffed toy variety, that is. When they left, all that remained was a colorful mountain of stuffed animals littering the gym floor, all of which were destined to feel the warm embrace of a child in need. The pile was yet another example of a charitable school community that has sent more than 14,700 stuffed animals, 53,000 books and 450 bicycles to communities in Africa since 2004. Whether it is donating sports equipment, school supplies or toys, Sammamish residents do not hesitate to lend a hand to those living in less fortunate circumstances. The culture of giving starts at a young age in the community, thanks in part to the student-driven nonprofit Generation Joy, which is committed

A group of Beaver Lake Middle School students sit among a mound of donated stuffed animals that are destined for South Africa after the school’s humanitarian assembly.

Curtis Betzler, Beaver Lake Middle School science teacher and Generation Joy founder (right), and student Mason Bernard load one of the first boxes into the 40-foot shipping container during a past collection drive.

to collecting and delivering educational supplies to underserved areas around the world, beginning with South Africa. “It’s amazing the amount of money and supplies the students raise,” said Curtis Betzler, a teacher at Beaver Lake and one of Generation Joy’s founders. “They always seem to step up to the challenge and we’re very fortunate in the community that we live in that our kids are able to do that.” The venture to collect supplies, clothing and toys for children in Africa began as a Beaver Lake-specific effort, but once schools in the area found out about it, and as students left to attend Skyline High School, the reach of Generation Joy expanded across the city. “It just kept growing so much, we never really planned it,” Betzler said. “Kids from all over the Issaquah School District and the city kept rallying behind it.” Schools around the district hold yearly drives to collect items, while Betzler and a group of teachers and students, both former and current, travel to Africa during the summer to distribute the donations.

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Learn more about Generation Joy and find out how you can support the organization at www.genjoy.org.

“We come back from Africa every year and we’re actually able to show students pictures of their donated stuff in Africa,” Betzler said. “They see that the stuff that they’re donating is actually being put in the hands of kids that need them.” Generation Joy focuses on a kids helping kids philosophy. It encourages youth to get involved and be a part of something bigger than themselves. At Beaver Lake, it is the students, like eighth grader Paari Gopal, who put the work in to organize the donation drives, plan the drive’s kickoff humanitarian

assembly and spend hours after school to box the collected items. “In the world where there’s charity going on, it always seems to be the adults that do all of it,” he said. “So, I feel this kids helping kids motto is really great, because it’s really us. We’re reaching down into our hearts and we’re trying to find our greatness and we’re trying to help.” Through the process, the students tend to realize that they are not all that different from their peers living in South Africa, Betzler said. “As much as they’re different, they’re very similar,” he said “They enjoy playing sports, they enjoy hanging out with friends, they enjoy music, and they enjoy dancing and singing just like kids here.” In the end though, Generation Joy is all about empowering a generation to help others in need. “We’re really fortunate here in Sammamish,” Paari said. “There are people in the world that aren’t as fortunate. We want to help them. We want to give them the same chance that we’re getting here.”