SAMMAMISH
2010
Special section of Sammamish Review
Middle photo is centered on final, trimmed page.
Table of contents 4 8 12 20 24 28 34 36 40 44 46 54 56 62
Census 2010 U.S. Senior Open City’s Mansion Languages of the city Traditions, celebrations Swimming spots Your property taxes Tri-School Council New mountain bike trails Elected officials Q&A Emergency preparedness Club connections Totem poles Advertisers index
Publisher Debbie Berto
Editor Ari Cetron
Advertising manager Jill Green
Production Dona Mokin Breann Getty
Advertising staff Vickie Singsaas Neil Buchsbaum Jody Turner Suzanne Haynes James Hampton
Page design David Hayes Cover art View from City Hall, by Xing Du
Writers Ari Cetron Laura Geggel David Hayes Christopher Huber Warren Kagarise Chantelle Lusebrink Tim Pfarr Bob Taylor J.B. Wogan Cover design Dona Mokin
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Table of Contents Photo Jian Liang
Census 2010
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SAMMAMISH
Census 2010
Stand up and be counted BY TIM PFARR
The workers Last November, the Census Bureau began recruiting workers to go door-to-door for the 2010 census. The job can last as long as 12 weeks, and the base salary for workers in Sammamish is $17.50 per hour. Applicants take a 28-question, multiple-choice test to measure the skills required to perform a census job. The test examines clerical, reading, number and organizational skills. It also examines a person’s ability to interpret information and evaluate alternatives, according to the Census Bureau Web site. Paul Kim, field operations manager for the Bellevue office, said multilingual candidates are very desirable. The workers undergo training during the last week of April and begin working in the field May 1. Kim said people are generally helpful and receptive when it comes to interacting with census workers, although on rare occasions some people may ask census workers to leave their property. Census 2010: Time to step up and be counted
ave you filled out your household’s 2010 census form? It is 10 questions and it asks the ages, genders and races of the people living in the household as of April 1, 2010, and their relations to the homeowner. It also asks for a phone number. After filling it out, send it back to the Census Bureau in the provided postage-paid envelope. The Constitution requires that this process take place every 10 years. According to the Census Bureau’s Web site, participating in the census helps communities
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receive federal funds for things such as hospitals, job training centers, schools, senior centers, public works projects and emergency services. In total, more than $400 billion of federal funds will be distributed each year for such things. Census information is also used for redistricting, the process by which electoral districts and constituency boundaries change. Redistricting is required by the U.S. constitution. The Washington State Redistricting Commission will convene next year to use census data to redraw congressional and legislative district lines. The commission includes four voting members appointed by caucus leaders and a non-voting chairman appointed to the commission. The state Legislature will approve the new boundaries in 2012. Washington may gain a 10th seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, according to a 2009 study by Election Data Services. The study predicted that Washington will receive a 10th seat with about 25,000 people to spare. Tim Larson, Sammamish’s communications director, said city officials have used age demographics provided by the census to assess the city’s needs. John Saul, manager of the census office in Bellevue, said 72 percent of Sammamish households returned the 2000 census. If this rate of return holds this year, about 5,700 households will not return its census forms. The national rate of return in the 2000 census was 67 percent. If you do not fill out your census form or did not receive one in the mail, a census worker will knock on your door and ask you the census questions in person. There will be about 65 census workers traveling door-to-door in Sammamish this year, and they all live in Sammamish or nearby. They will never ask to enter your home, and they will always carry
Continued on Page 6
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Common questions about the 2010 census Who does the census count? The census counts everyone living in the U.S., including foreign nationals working in the country and people with green cards. Only people with tourist visas are not counted. What happened to the long form census? The long form census — which asked questions about things such as housing, income and education — has been replaced by the American Community Survey, which is distributed to 250,000 households across the country per month. Can political organizations manipulate the census? Congress, the U.S. Government Accountability Office and the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Commerce closely watch the census process, according to the Census Bureau Web site. Could there be criminals working for the census? All census workers undergo an FBI name background check. Fingerprinting has also been added as a requirement in 2010, according to the Census Bureau Web site. Will the census ask a bunch of intrusive questions? It will ask 10 questions, including name, gender, age, date of birth, race, household relationship and if a given home is owned or rented. What if I’m concerned about sharing my personal information with anyone? Census information is protected by law, and everyone who works for the census must swear to never disclose any personal information, according to the Census Bureau Web site. An employee who shares personal information could be sentenced to as much as five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Why can’t I fill out the census form on the Internet? Filling out the form online does not yield enough protection of responses, according to the Census Bureau Web site. The site said an online version of the form would also not increase the number of responders or save money. It said it is exploring using the Internet for the 2020 census and other surveys.
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6 From Page 5 identification verifying their employment with the Census Bureau, Saul said. If you are not home when a census worker knocks on your door, he or she will leave a door hanger with a contact number. Census workers make their rounds from May to July. Saul said the Census Bureau calculated that each person not accounted for deprives a community of about $1,400 of federal funding each year. Furthermore, it costs the Census Bureau about 42 cents to have a census form mailed back to its office, whereas it costs $56 per house for every house census workers have to visit, according to the Census Bureau’s table of facts and figures. After census workers have completed their rounds, the Census Bureau follows up with a quality-
Photo by Christopher Huber
The Census 2010 short form has just 10 questions. control check. Janet Osborne, field operations supervisor for quality control at the Bellevue office, will head up this operation in Sammamish, which involves con-
tacting 5 percent of the responders to ensure that the answers collected are correct. The first attempt at contacting this 5 percent of people will be on the phone. If the selected responders cannot be reached by phone, a census worker will come to the households and verify that the responses are correct. “The whole importance of all this is making sure we count every person,� Osborne said. The Census Bureau will deliver population data from each region of the country to President Obama in December, and it will add this data to its Web site next March for members of the public to view and use. For 72 years, no census data for individual households is made available to anyone. However, after 72 years, census data for individual households will be made publicly available to allow individuals to track their ancestors, according to the Census Bureau.
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U.S. Senior Open
SAMMAMISH
U.S. Senior Open comes to Sahalee Seattle’s Fred Couples to headline who’s who of participating pros BY BOB TAYLOR at Bangasser not only enjoys coaching Eastlake High School’s golf teams, he’s also a big fan of golf. Like many local fans, Bangasser circled July 26-Aug. 1 on his calendar months ago. Those are the dates of the 2010 U.S. Senior Open, to be held at The Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish. This is the first time the U.S. Senior Open has been held in the Pacific Northwest since 1982 when the tournament was held in Portland, Ore. This is also the first major tournament at Sahalee since the World Golf Championship-NEC Invitational in 2002. One could almost describe some fans like Bangasser, who is head coach for both Eastlake boys and girls golf teams, as almost giddy. The U.S. Senior Open includes many star professional players. You can count on Bangasser as being one of the members of the gallery who will be spectators at the tournament. “I’m definitely looking forward to it,” Bangasser said. “I live only a half-mile away from Sahalee. I wouldn’t want to miss this tournament because it has the best golfers in the world.” The list of 156 players expected to compete in the U.S. Senior Open is like looking at a list of Who’s Who in professional golfers for the past 20 or more years. The big local attraction is Fred Couples, who grew up in Seattle and is a graduate of O’Dea High School. “I’m sure he will have a big crowd following him around the course,” Bangasser said.
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Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images
Fred Couples hits his tee shot on the third hole during the second round of the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club on May 30, 2008, in Dublin, Ohio.
For ticket information, go to www.2010ussenioropen.com. Couples, who recently turned 50 years of age, will be playing in his first Senior Open. He is also honorary chairman for the 2010 Senior Open. Among his duties is hosting a junior clinic July 27.
“I look forward to seeing many of our young, aspiring players from the Northwest in attendance,” said Couples in tournament press release. Couples, who resides in Palm Springs, Calif., has been successful on the Champions Tour this year. On March 7, Couples won his second Champions Tour title by shooting a 6-under-par 65 the final day to capture the Toshiba Classic in California. When Couples was a regular on the PGA Tour, he annually ranked among the top players. He won the Masters Tournament in 1992. He was named PGA Tour Player in 1991 and 1992, winning the Vardon Trophy both times for lowest scoring average. Couples was also named to the United States Ryder Cup team five
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Past champions 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000
– – – – – – – – – –
Fred Funk Eduardo Romero Brad Bryant Allen Doyle Allen Doyle Peter Jacobsen Bruce Lietzke Don Pooley Bruce Fleisher Hale Irwin
times. He played in the PGA Championship in 1998 at Sahalee. In fact, a number of the field for the 2010 Senior Open played in the 1998 PGA Championship at Sahalee. Couples tied for 13th in that tournament and John Cook, also playing in the Senior Open, finished ninth that year. The field of players also includes 59-year-old Tom Watson, who almost became the oldest player ever to win the British Open last year but lost in a playoff. Watson’s list of accomplishments includes two Masters titles and one U.S. Open championship, and three Senior Open champi-
Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images
Greg Norman, of Australia, hits his tee shot on the first hole during the first round of the Senior PGA Championship at Canterbury Golf Club on May 21, 2009, in Beachwood, Ohio. onships. Fred Funk, who was a fan favorite at the NEC tournament in 2002 when he finished third, is also back. Funk is the defending champion.
Photo by Michael Cohen/Getty Images
Tom Watson hits his drive on the 18th hole during the third round of the Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship at Baltimore Country Club/Five Farms (East Course) held on Oct. 3, 2009, in Timonium, Md.
“There are so many great players. People who love golf will love watching this tournament,” Bangasser said. As high school golf coach, Bangasser has the luxury of having his practices and KingCo Conference matches at Sahalee, which was carved out of a wooded area of majestic Douglas fir and cedar. He has seen many improvements on the Sahalee course in recent months. Some trees have been felled to give more light to improve the greens. “Overall, Sahalee looks great,” Bangasser said. He gives credit to Rich Taylor, Sahalee’s superintendent, and staff for improving the greens and fairways. Tournament officials are expecting about 125,000 fans for the week. Practice sessions start July 26 with tournament play to begin July 29. “For people who are golf fans, this tournament is a great venue to watch great players,” Bangasser said.
Continued on Page 10
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From Page 9 Volunteers needed Volunteers are needed for the U.S. Senior Open July 26-Aug. 1 at the Sahalee Country Club. More than 3,000 volunteers are needed to work on 30 different committees, including admissions/will call, caddie hospitality, VIP transportation, and gallery control. For more information, contact Catherine Heintz, 2010 U.S. Senior Open volunteer manager, at 8688800, ext. 362.
Tickets on sale Tickets for the U.S. Senior Open are on sale for fans looking for a chance to watch some of the world’s top golfers. The field of players includes Fred Couples, Greg Norman, Tom Lehman, Fred Funk and Tom Watson. Get tickets online at www.2010ussenioropen.com, at Fred Meyer stores orat 877-281-OPEN.
File
Craig Parry (left) hoists his putter, while his brother Blenn holds the flag, after a birdie put on the 18th hole to wrap up the NEC Invetational title held at Sahalee in 2002.
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Mansion
SAMMAMISH
The Kellman conundrum
By Christopher Huber
The empty Kellman house can be seen from the new Sammamish Public Library, next to the Sammamish Commons.
City-owned $2 million mansion sits empty and in limbo BY J.B. WOGAN
I
ts original owner couldn’t see the really ugly stuff, like the water lines, cracks and stains from dog pee. Nonetheless, Don Morken wasn’t impressed with what’s become of his dream house since Sammamish took it over in 2006. “Believe me, it looked a lot better when we were living there than it does now,” Morken said. “We were appalled at the condition of the building.” Residents know the mansion Morken and his wife built in 1978 as the Kellman property, after its second owner, astronomer and astrophysicist Sanford Kellman. Morken lives in Redmond, hav-
The design The house was designed by TRA Architects, famous for its hand in designing Sea-Tac Airport and other modernstyled facilities in Seattle. Like the airport, the Morkens’ home had elements of modernity to it. Vern Cooley, who designed the home, remembers it fondly, even 32 years later. “Wanda (Morken) was raised in Italy and wanted the house to recall her childhood memories from there. Exterior stucco, concrete roof tiles, and the window shapes were used to give it traditional elements, but done with a modern interpretation,” he recalled in an e-mail. Chris Paulson said it was progressive for its time.
The house was a reflection of the couple’s work and hobbies, according to Cooley. Wanda Morken loved her gardens and Don Morken worked at a financial investment company, so the house had stepped, landscaped terraces for her and a home office for him. Cooley said the house was designed to take advantage of the mountain views, with natural light pouring in through the windows. Paulson worked on the house as an apprentice in his father’s company, Paulson Construction. Paulson said he was disappointed by the way the house looks today. He was in Sammamish with his children two months ago, visiting the Sammamish Commons area. “The house was gorgeous when it was built,” he said. “I couldn’t believe the state of disrepair it was in.”
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ing sold his house to Kellman for about $1.5 million in October 1990. Kellman subsequently sold the property to the city of Sammamish for $3.25 million in August 2006. Almost four years after purchasing the property, the city hasn’t decided what to do with it. At the January retreat in Cle Elum, the City Council told staff to hold off on taking any action because it isn’t clear how the land will fit into the city’s needs at the future Town Center. Kellman, who now lives 25 miles north of Berkeley, Calif., was surprised to hear that his old house was sitting empty. “I had hoped that the city would be able to put it to good use,” he said.
The house Don Morken recalls moving onto the Sammamish Plateau at a time when the area was far more rural than it is today. Trees surrounded his property, filling out what became Mary, Queen of Peace Church, Skyline High School and Sammamish City Hall.
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By the numbers ❑ 1978 — The house was built for Don and Wanda Morken ❑ $1.5 million — The selling price of the house in 1990 ❑ 9.4 — Acres of the original property ❑ 5,600 square feet — Size of main house, not including additions ❑ 2,600 square feet — Size of a major addition ❑ $3.25 million — Selling price when Sammamish bought the property in 2006 The respected architectural firm TRA Architects of Seattle designed the house. The property was 9.4 acres. The main house is 5,600 square feet with a 2,600-square-foot addition, plus two outbuildings and a 930-
❑ $2 million — The house’s assessed value today ❑ 930 square feet — Size of the garage ❑ 1990 — Year some of the house’s container gardens were featured in Sunset Magazine ❑ 6 — Poodles which lived in the house with Sanford Kellman ❑ $235,000 — Estimated cost of redesigning and repairing the house ❑ $300,000 — Estimated cost of retooling the house for use as an event hall
square-foot garage. The property is worth slightly less than $2 million today, according to the King County Assessor’s Office. “The house stood out like a sore
Continued on Page 14
By Greg Farrar
The Kellman house is in the center left, with a red roof. It is just north of Mary, Queen of Peace Church and opposite Skyline High School. The empty field northeast of the Kellman house is now home to City Hall and the Sammamish Library.
SAMMAMISH
14 From Page 13
By Greg Farrar
Sanford Kellman, when he still owned the house, spoke during the contentious process leading up to his selling it to the city of Sammamish. Morken’s wife, Wanda, was an avid gardener and would plant beds along the concrete walkways. Sunset Magazine even fea-
tured her container gardens in 1990. Upstairs, the Morkens installed a state-of-the-art bathroom with a
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thumb, initially,” Morken said. The west side of the house had expansive windows, allowing the Morkens to gaze upon the Seattle skyline from their home. Trees sprouted up, blocking some of that view by the time they sold the house, he said. When you walked into the house, your gaze immediately fell upon a stained glass façade embedded in a wall, which refracted light from above. Morken said it was his favorite feature of the house. The Morkens raised Afghan hounds as show dogs, which they kept in an outbuilding. The building was big enough to serve as both a dog shed and place for the dogs to run around. Because the dogs have such long, fine coats, the Morkens didn’t let them run outside (where they were likely to get things stuck in their hair).
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sauna that had four different spray settings. “The thing never functioned very well,” Don Morken said. “It was one of those things that after you did it, you wish you hadn’t.” The Morkens raised their daughter Sonya in that house. She would take horseback-riding lessons down the street and grab snacks at Sadler’s Store. Eventually, the Morkens grew weary of the teenagers sneaking down their driveway and throwing things at the house. One time, somebody came knocking on the door, thinking jazz songstress Nancy Wilson lived there. Another time, a man walking by asked Don Morken – who was outside mowing his lawn – if an oil sheik lived in the house. “It seemed like we were in a fish bowl out there,” Morken recalled. When somebody tried to break into the house one night, the Morkens had had enough. “It was more a
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“You can beat City Hall at its own game, you just need a lot of tenacity.” Sanford Kellman Previous owner of the mansion
matter of feeling that we didn’t belong there.”
How it fell into the city’s hands Sanford Kellman and his partner Bradley moved up to the plateau from northern California in 1990, having lost their previous house in an earthquake.
The Kellman property today is smaller than what the Morkens owned. The Morkens gave a portion of their land (3.97 acres) to Pacific Lutheran University, which subsequently sold its parcel to the city for $1 million in 1999. Within two years of purchasing the land, Bradley died of AIDS, leaving Sanford Kellman heartbroken and feeling lonely in a big home. The couple had six poodles roaming the house — which probably lowered its value, Kellman observed — but those soon died, too. Kellman bought two more poodles for added company, but felt anxious to return to sunny California, he said. After the city formed, the council investigated the possible purchase of Kellman’s land, realizing that it might serve some purpose in future plans for the Sammamish
Continued on Page 16
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From Page 15 Commons area. In 2000, the still-nascent Sammamish City Council voted 5-2 against purchasing the house from Kellman for $3.25 million. A back-and-forth negotiation process ensued, one that Kellman said left him embittered toward many members of the council. City Manager Ben Yazici said the council struggled over the cost of purchasing the building and the intended purpose of the land. Meeting minutes from the April 2000 vote show that most council members worried that they were paying too much for the property, or that the money they planned to use for the purchase might be better spent somewhere else. In June 2006, with four new members on the council, the council voted 6-0 in favor of the purchase. Yazici said the council had
By Christopher Huber
With more than 8,000 square feet, the house has some large spaces.
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planned to build the city’s maintenance and operations facility in place of the mansion. Soon after the purchase, however, community members started complaining that the location was too central for a maintenance shop and the space should serve some other use, Yazici said. Thus, the building and land remains in limbo. The city is in the process of building its new maintenance and operations facility this spring on 244th Avenue, north of Rachel Carson Elementary School. Kellman looks back at the six years between the first vote against the purchase of his property and the council’s final vote to buy it as a story of one man’s victory against local government. He calls the experience both tragic and romantic. “You can beat City Hall at their own game,” he said. “You just need a lot of tenacity.”
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Why it sits unused The city has researched the costs involved in rehabilitating the building for a civic use. Based on those findings, the city values the land much more than the mansion, according to the Cle Elum retreat notes. In 2006, a consultant from Kent, Staaleson Engineering, estimated that the house would require $235,000 worth of work, including a thorough investigation, a redesign and repairs. At the time of the 2006 inspection, Staaleson noted the mansion suffered from sagging garage doors, a leaky roof, hairline cracks in the foundation walls and large cracks in its patio. Fungus was growing in some parts of the roof, too, the report said. An earlier report by another consultant yielded similar comments. In 2004, the Seattle consultant,
Continued on Page 19
By Christopher Huber
Don Morken said his favorite feature of the mansion was the stained glass window visitors could see upon walking through the front door.
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Don and Wanda Morken had a state-of-the-art bathroom installed upstairs, including a shower with several different spray settings. ‘Too bad it never worked very well,’ Don said. By Christopher Huber
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From Page 17 Columbia Hospitality, which specializes in hotels, inns and event rental spaces, said the city would have to spend an estimated $300,000 to make the house useful. It concluded that Beaver Lake Lodge would be a much more attractive facility to host weddings and other events. The city has put the Kellman property’s outbuildings to use, storing maintenance equipment and the city’s portable outdoor performance stage. The rest remains empty. The City Council now hopes to incorporate the property into the designs of Town Center. Council members say they are hesitant to commit to a use for the house — or the land — until they develop a more comprehensive strategy for the area. “It’s the land and we need to think what the land is going to be used for,” said City Councilwoman Michele Petitti.
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Broken pipe rumor During election season in 2009, some residents pointed to the Kellman property as an example of gross overspending by incumbents on the City Council. In October 2009, Lori Barnett, a citizen activist, said that people were circulating a rumor that the house had suffered $1 million in damages. “Why have the residents not been informed of this? What is the extent of the damage? Time for some answers,” Barnett wrote. Deputy City Manager Pete Butkus has sought to debunk the $1 million rumor. Butkus said the city was losing about $300 per month to pay for heat and lights for the empty house, so in 2007 he decided to turn off the electricity. Vandals were turning on faucets outside the house, wasting water, so Butkus decided to shut off the water, too. Just before July 4, 2009, the city discovered that a water pipe broke as a result of having no heat for two winters. The cost to repair the broken pipe was $461.10, which included both labor and parts. “Stuff happens. I stand in front of, beside and behind my original decision to turn off the heating units to save money,” Butkus wrote in an e-mail.
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Languages
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I t takes many languages to create a diverse community How are you? BY CHANTELLE LUSEBRINK Change in Sammamish has been as much about the changing face of its population as the new buildings and roads. Many newcomers from countries like China, Russia, Korea, Italy and Mexico attend weekly Talk Time sessions at the Sammamish Library to practice their English skills. For immigrants like Fang Ping Zeng, a Chinese immigrant now living in Sammamish, the library is a valuable tool, but not the only one. “For me, the most important tool is the Internet. I use it quite regularly because I can get news and information,” Zeng said. “I also read the newspaper quite a lot in Sammamish for English words. The Sammamish Review is very good
2008 Census estimates for Sammamish Population: 40,670 ❑ Caucasian: 81 percent ❑ Asian: 15 percent ❑ Hispanic: 4 percent ❑ Black: 1 percent ❑ Other: .8 percent ❑ American Indian: .1 percent ❑ Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander: .1 percent ❑ Two or more races: 2 percent Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Como estas?
because it helps me learn about community events and news.” In the decade since its incorporation, Sammamish has grown in diversity. During the 2000 Census, 13 percent of people living in Sammamish identified themselves as a race other than white. The 2006-08 Census update estimates that number has climbed to 19 percent. The growing diversity is attributed mostly to the residents who move to Sammamish for employment opportunities, said City Manager Ben Yazici, who is Turkish. Area residents are gainfully employed at large multinational corporations that call the Puget Sound area home, like Boeing, Microsoft and Costco. But these employees, who come from throughout the world, don’t just bring their talents in business, aeronautics and software. They bring their cultures and languages, continuing to make Sammamish a more culturally diverse place to live. “This is a fun city to work for,” Yazici said. “It is unique and it is wonderful, particularly when you look at the history of the residents of our community who come from countries that have lasted for so long and built upon the strengths of their diverse population.” At supermarkets, drug stores and even at local coffee shops and restaurants, it isn’t uncommon to hear a variety of languages being
Comment allez-vous?
spoken. While the city doesn’t have communications writ-
Learn a language In addition to many for-profit businesses that offer language classes, religious and public institutions also have offerings to help people learn new languages, and not just English. ❑ Issaquah-Sammamish Interfaith Coalition hosts English language classes at 6 p.m. Wednesdays at Pine Lake Covenant Church. ❑ Hello English!, an ESL class for beginners, is at 10 a.m. Tuesdays at the Sammamish Library. ❑ Talk Time at the library provides conversation practice for adults who want to improve their English language skills every Tuesday at 7 p.m. ❑ Bilingual Story Time at the library is conducted in English and Spanish. Check www.kcls.org/sammamish for times. ❑ Hebrew classes are offered free through Chabad of the Central Cascades, 427-1654. ❑ Learn to read and speak Samskritam, also known as Sanskrit, at the Vedic Cultural Center. To register, go to vedicculturalcenter.org.
SAMMAMISH
Wie geht es Ihnen? ten in other languages, Yazici said, the city does ensure they have diverse representation on city boards and works to foster cultural understanding by hosting events centered on highlighting various cultures. For instance, the summertime farmer’s market often has special events highlighting different ethnic backgrounds. There are more than 55 languages spoken in homes throughout the community, according to data from the Lake Washington and Issaquah school districts. “The area has certainly grown in diversity and we think it brings a rich fabric of culture to the communities on the Eastside,” said Cheryl Chikalla, program specialist for the Lake Washington School District. “It has become so culture-rich that
21
o genki desu ka?
Nín hao ma? it brings depth and breadth to all students and all parents.” There are so many languages spoken in Sammamish that U.S. Census workers have posted flyers in various languages — like Laotian, Ukrainian and Arabic — informing people about the 2010 headcount. While language may separate students at first, their common experience in the schools on the plateau ultimately bring them together, said Inglewood Junior High School Principal Tim Patterson. Students there participate in the Heritage Project each year, he said. The project asks students to identify their background, understand their family’s history, research their cul-
ture and share it with other students. Teachers in the Issaquah School District use a program called Guided Language Acquisition Design to help students new to English-speaking classrooms. What students learn in school ultimately comes home and improves understanding for the cul-
Continued on Page 22
Common phrases Hello
❑ Chinese: Wei ❑ French: Bonjour ❑ Hindi: hailo ❑ Japanese: Kon’nichiwa ❑ Russian: Privet ❑ Spanish: Hola
My name is...
❑ Chinese: Wo de míngzì shì ❑ French: Mon nom est ❑ Hindi: MïrÇ nÇma hai ❑ Japanese: watashi no namae wa ❑ Russian: Menya zovut ❑ Spanish: Mi nombre es
How are you?
❑ Chinese: Nín hao ma? ❑ French: Comment allez-vous ? ❑ Hindi: Wie geht es Ihnen? ❑ Japanese: o genki desu ka? ❑ Russian: Kak dela? ❑ Spanish: ¿Cómo está usted?
Goodbye
By Chantelle Lusebrink
Merv Montacute (left), a volunteer with the King County Library System’s Talk Time program in Sammamish, helps Zina Throrenko (center) and Tanya Aniskina navigate an English language exercise.
❑ Chinese: Zàijiàn ❑ French: Au revoir ❑ Hindi: AlavidÇ ❑ Japanese: sayÿnara ❑ Russian: Do svidaniya ❑ Spanish: Adiós
SAMMAMISH
22
Languages spoken in Sammamish Afrikaans, Albanian, Amharic, Arabic, Armenian, Bengali, Bulgarian, Burmese, Cambodian, Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin and other dialects), Czech, Danish, Dutch, Farsi, Finnish, French, German, Gujarati, Haitian, Hebrew, Hindi, Hmong, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Kannada, Korean, Lao, Latvian, Lithuanian, Malayalam, Marathi, Pillippine, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Rumanian, Russian, SerboCroation, Slovak, Slovenian, Somali, Spanish, Swedish, Tagalog, Tamil, Telugu, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese. Source: Issaquah and Lake Washington school districts
From Page 21 tures around us, Patterson said. Like schools, the Sammamish Library is offering more opportunities to engage in the global community here. Many are in the form of English-language conversation sessions, courses and seminars, said Marsha Iverson, spokeswoman for the library. In the last decade, the programs in Sammamish have grown in popularity, she said. “It’s really beneficial because it helps us ensure that all members of our community have access to information,” she said. “When I travel to a different city the first place I go is to the library because it is so helpful when you’re learning English,” said Linda Ge, a Chinese immigrant living in Sammamish who frequents the Talk Time program. “It is the first place I recommend to newcomers.” The library has proven an invaluable resource to South Korean Elle Kang, a journalist try-
By Chantelle Lusebrink
Rafi Persegani (standing), a volunteer with the library system’s Talk Time program, attended the classes with his mother after they immigrated from Brazil. Now he helps others learn the language. ing to learn English so she can apply for graduate schools. “I find the Talk Time really helpful,” she said. “But it would be nice if there were opportunities to have native English speakers to meet with at coffee shops so I can practice more, too.” The library also hosts a bilingual children’s hour, where stories are read in both Spanish and English. “I think our community, as a whole, is accustomed to living and working with people from all over the world,” Patterson said. “But anytime we can help bring groups together that are unfamiliar with the cultures or new to the U.S., that only benefits us.”
Sammamish Days to celebrate cultures A new annual event for the city will debut 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29 at Sammamish Commons. Look for a children’s parade, music and entertainment, competitions, arts, food and fun from around the world, representing the rich cultural heritage of Sammamish residents. To get involved, call Dawn Sanders, the city’s volunteer coordinator, at 295-0556.
24
Traditions, celebrations
SAMMAMISH
Annual events keep ’em coming back While Sammamish is still a fairly new city, several annual traditions and celebrations have already taken root. While many events don’t yet have a date set for this year, here’s the typical lineup.
January Christmas Tree Recycling, the first week of January, by local Boy Scouts as a fundraiser for troop activities. Go to www.pickupmytree.com.
March Sammi (Sammamish Acknowledging Magnificent Moments of Inspiration) Awards are presented at Skyline High School. Community members nominate their peers, co-workers and friends, and the winners are announced, celebrated with music and dance performances. Go to www.sammiawards.org.
April Eggstavaganza, an annual Easter egg hunt combined with entertainment arts and crafts for the kids, is hosted annually by the Sammamish Family YMCA. Call 391-4840.
May
❑ Spring Home Tour of choice real estate for sale is a free driveyourself affair May 1-2. Go to www.sammamishreview.com for details.
❑ Sammamish Farmers Market opens for the season from 4-8 p.m. Wednesdays May 19 through Sept. 30.
Sammamish resident Amy Wang crouches to collect eggs during the 2009 Sammamish YMCA Easter Eggstravaganza. ❑ Women in Business is celebrated by the Sammamish Chamber of Commerce with a series of speakers. Go to www.sammamishchamber.org for details.
June
❑ Annual Home and Garden Tour of the city, hosted by the Sammamish Heritage Society. Go to www.sammamishheritage.org.
❑ Tastin’ and Racin’, an event complete with hydroplane boat races and plenty of summertime food and music, at Lake Sammamish State Park, June 6-8, 2010. Go to www.tastinracin.com. ❑ Teen Fest is a teen-only event 1-9 p.m. June 18 at Sammamish
Commons, featuring live music from local teen bands, skate board competition and free food and games. Sponsored by Sammamish Youth Board and Boys & Girls Club.
July
❑ Fourth on the Plateau is City Hall’s backyard barbecue for about 20,000 friends and family featuring food, entertainment and grand fireworks. It’s held July 4 at the Sammamish Commons. ❑ Summer Nights in the Park concert series, every Thursday evening at Pine Lake Park, July 8 through Aug. 26. Bring your picnic! Go to www.ci.sammamish.wa.us. ❑ Kids First Noontime Series brings live entertainment to Beaver Lake Park, noon-1 p.m., July 27, Aug. 17 and 31. Go to www.ci.sammamish.wa.us. ❑ Shakespeare in the Park free performances are at 7 and 8:45 p.m. July 17 and 24 at Pine Lake Park. This year, Wooden O Theatre presents “Othello” and “Much Ado About Nothing.” Go to www.ci.sam-
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mamish.wa.us. ❑ U.S. Senior Open golf tournament is at Sahalee Country Club from July 26 - Aug. 1. Go to www.2010ussenioropen.com.
August
❑ National Night Out on Aug. 3 is celebrated by several neighborhoods with a barbecue and block party. Local police and firefighters stop by each party to educate children and adults about safety. Call 898-0660. ❑ Challenge Day Race, a soapbox derby-type race for physically and mentally challenged children, is presented by The Rotary Club of Sammamish, in partnership with Life Enrichment Options on Aug. 16. Registration begins at 8 a.m.; the race starts at 9 a.m. Call 837-3773.
Sam (right) and Hannah Taafe get ready to zoom down Southeast 24th Street during the Sammamish Rotary Challenge Gravity Race in 2009. ❑ Sammamish Safety Fair is from 7-8 p.m. Oct. 1. Hosted by the Sammamish Citizens Corps Council, the event includes information for emergency preparedness and other safety precautions. Go to www.sammamishcitizencorps.org.
❑ Sammamish Nights wine tasting and jazz event, presented by the Sammamish Chamber of Commerce is from 6:30-10 p.m. Aug. 21 at Sammamish Commons. Go to www.SammamishChamber.org for tickets.
Homecoming Pep Parade for Skyline High School is held along 228th Avenue Southeast before the football game. Call 837-7700.
❑ Nightmare at Beaver Lake, a Halloween haunted house and outdoor event, is held every year at Beaver Lake Park, sponsored by Sammamish Rotary Club. Go to www.nightmareatbeaverlake.com.
October
December
September
❑ Beaver Lake Triathlon is Aug. 21. Registration has already begun for this year’s 15th annual .25-mile swim, 4.3-mile run and 13.8-mile bike ride. Go to www.beaverlake.org/blt.
❑ Ski and Sport Swap meet, sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Sammamish, is usually held in early October. Go to www.sammamishkiwanis.org.
❑ Breakfast with Santa is in early December. The event includes visits with Santa, music and holiday crafts. Go to www.sammamishkiwanis.org.
28
Swimming spots
SAMMAMISH
Take the plunge By J.B. Wogan
Zakk Weber, 11, launches into the water from the Pine Lake Park dock. His friend Adam Nakanishi, 16, watches the jump.
When the seasons change, the search renews for the perfect swimming hole By Greg Farrar
The 6- to 8-year-old youngsters jump in at the starting signal to collect their share of 500 plastic eggs at Issaquah’s Boehm Pool.
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BY LAURA GEGGEL very week, Susie Bell of Duvall picks up her grandchildren in Sammamish and drives them to the Northwest Center Redmond Pool. It’s not that Bell or her grandchildren enjoy driving that far, but the Redmond pool is the closest public pool to their house, and Bell wants 5-year-old Kameron Bell and 3-year-old Courtney Bell to know how to swim. “We are a family of extensive and talented swimmers,” Susie Bell said. “All kinds of aquatic activities have been in the family for a generation — we have a love for the water.” The Bells aren’t the only people who love the water. Many Sammamish residents enjoy swimming, but unless they live in a neighborhood with a pool or have paid to join a private pool, many find they have to drive to another city like Issaquah or Redmond to use a public one. Sammamish also has a number of public lakes, but “you can’t use them during the winter time,” Skyline High School senior Toni Scarcello said. The city already has some public feedback. About 21 percent of Sammamish residents said an aquatic center or pool was the most important recreation activity needed in the city, according to a 2008 survey. The next highest response on the survey, from people who wanted more soccer fields, reached only 9 percent. City Councilman Tom Odell said that while he was campaigning last fall, person after person said they wanted a pool. “The thing that got the most attention was a community center and right there with it was the need for some sort of aquatic center,” Odell said. “It outweighed the next subject by at least three to one.” People involved in Sammamish’s top-tier swimming community are scratching their heads over the lack
E
High school sports If Sammamish had a public pool, “it would be so nice, especially for our high school swim team,” Eastlake sophomore Kelsey Maki said. Students from Eastlake share Northwest Center Redmond Pool with Redmond High School. Eastlake pays $9,500 per season to use the pool — $19,000 annually for both girls and boys swimming. That price tag does not guarantee practice on all days. If Redmond High School has a By Greg Farrar Andie Taylor, Skyline senior swimmer, home meet, Eastlake students cuts through the water in the 500are out of luck. yard freestyle at Boehm Pool. This happens about three times per season for both girls and boys swimming, Eastlake Coach Andy Hay said. On those days, the team relies on less traditional methods of training. “We had to do a Tae Bo video, which wasn’t that useful,” Maki said. Skyline High School’s swim team uses outdoor pools in Klahanie, though its swim meets are held at the indoor Julius Boehm Pool, where Issaquah High School and Liberty High School practice. Swimming outdoors at Klahanie might not be ideal, but it works, said Skyline head swimming and dive coach Susan Simpkins. “I love it, even with yucky weather if it’s cold and icky, I like it,” Simpkins said. “It’s sometimes hard for the kids to get into the water, but once you’re in it’s fine.” She noted the Skyline ASB pays for the pool rental and that a bus takes the swimmers to Klahanie, although the athletes need to find their own rides home. Eastside Catholic High School’s swimming teams use the pool at Newport Hills Swim and Tennis Club, which it shares with Newport High School and Seattle Preparatory School. Swim practice starts at 7 p.m., meaning students have to drive there from home, Eastside Catholic Athletic Director Lance Gatter said.
of such a pool. “If you look at the demographic that is Sammamish though, it is absolutely crying for a public facility,” said Eastlake High School head swimming coach Andy Hay. “Look at the talent.” Hay is, of course, referring to a number of high school swimmers who win race after race. Eastlake’s Katie Kinnear and Skyline’s Andie Taylor both have state titles and
both went to the Olympic trials in 2008. Each of them have a host of other honors, and Skyline boasted several other state champs and won the team swimming title last year.
Other swimming areas Sammamish is spotted with public lakes, many of which are open with lifeguards during the summer.
Continued on Page 30
SAMMAMISH
30
By Greg Farrar
Jeremy Taylor (center) and Chad Cocks (background), Boehm Pool staff members amid the beach balls and floating toys, keep a watch on children in the pool, with baskets to collect plastic Easter eggs containing paper slips for prizes.
From Page 29
Where’d the pools go? As a triathlete who competes in Ironman triathlons, Sammamish City Councilman John Curley swims all year round. Ironman athletes swim outdoors, prompting Curley to use Pine Lake as his training ground for eight months of the year. “My last day in Pine Lake is Thanksgiving and my first day back is April 1,” Curley said. “I haven’t gotten the guts to get back in there right now.” He spends the other four months swimming at Gold’s Gym in Issaquah. As a swimmer and as a city councilman, Curley has heard much chatter about the need for a public pool. “I would welcome a swimming pool in Sammamish. It is an invest-
Up until several years ago, King County managed a number of swimming pools. That changed in 2002, when former King County Executive Ron Sims decided to get the county out of the pool business. The Northwest Center, a nonprofit with a mission of helping people with disabilities achieve independence, decided to get its feet wet and took over operation of five pools. But due to financial constraints, Northwest Center could not keep the doors for all five pools open for long. Two have closed, and a third, Si View, was taken over by the Si View Metropolitan Park District. Northwest Center continues to operate Mercer Island’s Mary Wayte Pool and the Redmond Hartman Pool. As a result, more people are driving to fewer pools, said Northwest Center Redmond Pool fitness instructor Kumiko Hunsaker. “We have lots of waiting lists, especially for small children at the preschool level,” Hunsaker said. Preschool classes only have four children per instructor, which people like, unless they are on a waiting list trying to get into a class, Hunsaker said.
SAMMAMISH
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ment in our physical and economic well being,” Curley said. Kelsey Maki, an Eastlake swimmer, said she swims at The Plateau Club from May to September, but the outdoor pool is closed during the winter. During the rest of the year, Maki swims at Issaquah’s Julius Boehm Pool. Her teammate, Eastlake junior Mackenzie Rands drives one hour south to Federal Way where she uses the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center, the closest facility with an insured three-meter diving board, she said.
Paying for a pool If Sammamish built a public swimming pool, there are a number of ways it could be financed. As with any construction project, the city could put a bond before voters to buy land for the pool and pay for its construction. Such a vote would need a 60 percent approval rating.
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Dozens of residents flocked to the public beaches at Pine Lake during the heat wave of 2009. Once the pool is built, it could operate like Issaquah’s Julius Boehm pool, which is paid for by Issaquah’s general fund as well as
pool classes and rentals, said Issaquah spokeswoman Autumn
Continued on Page 32
SAMMAMISH
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Swimming in Sammamish Columbia Athletic at Pine Lake ❑ Indoor pool ❑ www.columbiaathletic.com ❑ 2930 228th Ave. S.E. ❑ 313-0123 Heritage Hills Swimming Pool ❑ Outdoor pool ❑ Heritage Hills residents only ❑ 220th Avenue and 28th Street Pine Lake Park ❑ www.ci.sammamish.wa.us ❑ 228th Avenue Southeast at Southeast 24th Street ❑ 295-0500
The Plateau Club ❑ www.plateauclub.com ❑ Pool open from Memorial Day to Labor Day ❑ 25625 East Plateau Drive ❑ 868-6063
Lake Sammamish State Park ❑ 2000 N.W. Sammamish Road ❑ www.parks.wa.gov/parks
Swimming near Sammamish
Northwest Center Redmond Pool ❑ www.redmond.gov ❑ 17535 N.E. 104th St., Redmond ❑ 233-3031
Bellevue Club ❑ www.bellevueclub.com ❑ Indoor and outdoor pools ❑ 11200 S.E. Sixth St., Bellevue ❑ 688-3177
Sammamish Club ❑ www.sammamishclub.com ❑ Indoor pool ❑ 2115 N.W. Poplar Way, Issaquah ❑ 313-3131
Julius Boehm Pool ❑ www.ci.issaquah.wa.us ❑ Indoor pool ❑ 50 S.E. Clark St., Issaquah ❑ 837-3350
Sammamish Family YMCA ❑ www.seattleymca.org ❑ 4221 228th Ave. S.E., Issaquah ❑ 391-4840
From Page 31 Monahan. Another option is the pool in North Bend’s Si View Metropolitan Park District. Si View pays for about 80 percent of its pool through aquatic programming and pool rentals, said Executive Director Travis Stombaugh. The other 20 percent is paid for by the park district’s property tax levy. In yet another option, Sammamish could follow in the footsteps of Whitefish, Mont. After about 32 years of unsuccessful pool campaigning, a group of people in Whitefish formed a nonprofit called the Whitefish Community Aquatic & Health Center. The nonprofit raised $7.2 million for a 54,000-square-foot facility. In 2005, the nonprofit deeded the center to the city, according to the Web site. However Sammamish pays for the pool, it could cost a pretty penny. “That’s the million dollar question right there,” Eastside Catholic Athletic Director Lance Gatter said. “It might be a multi-million dollar question.”
Youngsters enjoy a day of fun in the sun at Lake Sammamish State Park. By Greg Farrar
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SAMMAMISH
Property taxes
Schools receive the majority BY J.B. WOGAN any think that if their property values go down, so do their property taxes. But as many Sammamish residents learned this year, that isn’t how taxes work here. “Washington State is one of only two states in the nation that adopt their property tax by revenue,” explained King County Assessor Lloyd Hara. In many places, the government sets the tax rate. In Washington, the government decides how much money it needs to operate. The assessor determines property values, and the tax rate is changed to make the numbers add up. This system cuts both ways. While it means taxes don’t drop when home values do, it also means they didn’t skyrocket along with property values a few years ago. Under state law, most agencies with taxing authority may only increase taxes by 1 percent per year. Between 2009 and 2010, the average assessed value of a property in Sammamish dropped 16.1 percent, from $654,100 to $548,900. Meanwhile the amount collected from that average valued property went up 1 percent, from $6,442 to $6,507. Before residents start blaming the city of Sammamish for its climbing taxes this year, keep in mind that their City Council actually voted not to raise taxes for 2010, something the council hadn’t done since the city formed in 1999. But the city only represents about onefifth of the property taxes Sammamish residents pay. Most of residents’ property taxes, about 59 percent, go to education. Hara said King County is unusual for its number of taxing districts, a patchwork of public agencies that derive revenue by way of property
M
Where do your property taxes go? (South of Southeast Eighth Street)
4.1% 18.6% 20.3% 11.6%
40.2%
0.9% 1.8% 2.5%
State Schools 18.6% King County 11.6% King County Ferry District 0.03% King County Flood Control District 0.9% Port of Seattle 1.8% Emergency Medical Services 2.5% Issaquah School District 40.2% City of Sammamish 20.3% King County Library District 4.1% Residents in the Issaquah School District pay more to schools, but don’t pay anything to the Evergreen Hospital District. taxes. Sammamish residents pay taxes to nine or ten different public agencies, depending on which part of the city they live in. Everyone pays the Port of Seattle, the city of Sammamish, King County, the King County Library District, the King County Flood Control District, the State of
Washington School Fund, the emergency medical services levy and the ferry levy. On the north end, residents pay taxes to the Evergreen Hospital District and the Lake Washington School District. A select few pay taxes to the Snoqualmie Valley School District rather than Lake
SAMMAMISH
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of tax collection Where do your property taxes go? (North of Southeast Eighth Street)
4.4% 4.7% 21.3% 23.3% 13.3%
26.9% 2.9%
1% 2.1%
State Schools 21.3% King County 13.3% King County Ferry District 0.03% King County Flood Control District 1% Port of Seattle 2.1% Emergency Medical Services 2.9% Lake Washington School District 26.9% City of Sammamish 23.3% King County Library District 4.7% Evergreen Hospital District 4.4% The north end of Sammamish has two different tax rates, depending on whether residents live in the Snoqualmie Valley or the Lake Washington school district. Snoqualmie Valley’s tax rate is $3.14 per $1,000 of property value. Lake Washington’s is $2.8 per $1,000 of property value.
Washington. On the south end, residents pay taxes to the Issaquah School District. They are not in any hospi-
tal district. In Sammamish, there are three different tax rates, depending on geographical location. Those rates
range from $10.31 per $1,000 of property value to $11.86 per $1,000 of property value. Senior citizens pay reduced rates, as do property owners whose properties are tax exempt, such as the property owner of a historic landmark.
Who to blame Why do taxes keep going up? One answer is, we do it to ourselves. A major reason that property taxes go up even as property values go down is that residents keep approving tax increases, even in a recession. Case in point: In February, voters approved two levies for the Lake Washington School District, three levies for the Issaquah School District and one levy for the King County Library District. “Fifty percent of your property taxes are voter approved,” Hara said. Among the taxes that Sammamish residents currently pay, voters approved all the school district levies. The same goes for all of the emergency medical services levy, about a fifth of the county taxes, about a seventh of the library taxes and about a third of the Evergreen Hospital taxes. Lyman Howard, the city’s finance director, said an individual’s property taxes could change even when taxing districts don’t change the amount they collect. He said an individual’s property taxes fluctuate relative to neighbors’ property values and property taxes. “What plays the biggest amount is your piece of the whole assessed value,” he said. To give a hypothetical scenario, imagine voters didn’t approve any new levies in 2010 and none of the taxing districts decided to raise taxes. A property owner’s taxes could still go up. If his property is valued higher than last year (perhaps as a result of a remodel, renovation or expansion), but everyone else’s was flat or went down, he would have to pay higher taxes.
36
Tri-School Council
SAMMAMISH
By Christopher Huber
Eastlake Associated Student Body president Ruth Weaver motions to an area of the Eastlake High School parking lot that will serve as vendor space at the first Plateau Pink Day to benefit cancer research.
Three is better than one BY CHRISTOPHER HUBER In the minds of about 20 Sammamish high school student leaders and their advisors, three is better than one. It’s better when planning events. It’s better when reaching out to the community. And it’s better when they want to unite, decked out in bright pink shirts, and walk the length of 228th Avenue Southeast for a cause. That is the premise upon which the Associated Student Body officers at Eastlake, Skyline and Eastside Catholic High School formed what they call the TriSchool Council. Three schools — from a private school and two different public school districts — all within one mile of each other, now
work together to create programs, plan events and promote a common bond among Sammamish youth. “This has gotta be one of the most unique circumstances that you’ll find nation wide,” said Greg Schellenberg, Eastlake’s principal. The group, which has met with Sammamish organizations and city officials, has spent the past six months planning a breast cancer fundraiser and awareness event, as well as developing ideas to unite their respective student bodies for a common good. “It’s an excuse to work toward something together,” said Eastside Catholic senior and ASB president Brooke Bachesta. “We’re hoping to create a sort of outdoor-summerbarbeque-type feel, a sort of low-key environment where people have the
opportunity to mingle with other schools as well as community members, while also having the opportunity to donate to a great cause.” The proceeds from their first event go to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, she said. The council meets once a month — it meets more frequently as the May 5 Plateau Pink Day approaches — at the spacious Eastside Catholic boardroom — to plan the event. Currently the group is focused on securing vendors, ordering T-shirts, getting the word out and garnering donations, Bachesta said. “Our main focus right now is putting on the event,” she said. They don’t have a lot of details worked out yet, but the students said they also discuss other ways to plug students into the Sammamish
SAMMAMISH
37
By Christopher Huber
Eastside Catholic student Lindsay Fracas (right), advisor Karen Skoog and ASB president Brooke Bachesta talk with various local student leaders and faculty advisors March 18 at Eastlake High School. community via relationships with the parks department and the arts commission. “The arts commission would love to be able to find some way to work with youth in the city,” said arts commissioner Barbara Jirsa a week after meeting with the Tri-School Council. “I’m incredibly impressed with those students. They’re amazing.” In addition to working with the community, ASB advisors like Eastside Catholic’s Karen Skoog want students at each school to eventually celebrate the other schools’ individual accomplishments. For example, she said, everyone should feel happy and proud for a school when they win a
Continued on Page 39
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39 From Page 37 sports title, because they’re from Sammamish. We want “to be able to say, ‘Yeah, we do stuff together,’” Skoog said. “It’s more collegial than competitive.” Skoog and Schellenberg said the formation of the council didn’t take much coaxing from the respective school administrators. “To be honest, I’d be surprised if there was a lot of coaxing that had to happen,” Schellenberg said. “I’m impressed with the level of initiative these kids are taking.” In fact, the three principals meet occasionally, too, to share notes and ideas. Community members are so excited about it, they want to come present ideas to the council, Skoog said. “The kids have made it a priority. They see it as important,” she said. “It matters enough to say, ‘let’s make sure we do this,’ and that they want to do it.” Although the council didn’t formally meet until the 2008-2009 school year — even then only meeting four or five times — the idea has been building since the year before Eastside Catholic moved to Sammamish, Bachesta said. They wanted to do events like battle of the bands or dances, but eventually realized they were too large-scale and too unpredictable, Skoog added. “It really laid groundwork for us being able to move this year,” Skoog said. Plateau Pink Day is a more manageable project. Students will kick off Plateau Pink Day at Skyline. The mob will walk down the hill and pick up students at Eastside Catholic and end up at Eastlake. There, event-goers can enjoy vendors like Cinnabon, Emerald City Smoothies and Pallino’s. “We’re trying to make this a tradition and build camaraderie on the hill here,” she said.
40
Mountain biking
SAMMAMISH
By Greg Farrar
Mike Westra, the Duthie Hill Park BMX trail project manager with Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance, looks off the top of a jump at a series of obstacles further down the double-black diamond ‘most difficult’ trail.
Leap faith of
Mountain-bike organization hopes new course will attract regional riders
By Greg Farrar
Dan Veitch, of Klahanie, jumps off one of the new, advanced technical trail features at Duthie Hill Park.
SAMMAMISH
41 BY DAVID HAYES
C
ome May 22, Klahanie resident Dan Veitch will have a new place to practice his faith. You’ll just have to excuse the fact his altar tends to get a little muddy; for the congregation Veitch belongs to receives its sermon atop a BMX bike. And his chapel is the new mountain bike trails being built at Duthie Hill Park. “It’s like our church,” Veitch said. “On Sundays you’ll see a bunch of guys getting their religion.” So it was only appropriate one of the flock of true believers is heading the construction. Project manager Mike Westra, a self-described former tech nerd, said the Duthie Hill trail is being built by bikers for bikers, through the help of the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance. Westra said over the years, no one had built trails designed specifically for mountain biking. “We’ve actually been kicked off a lot of hiking trails, from Cascade to Tiger mountains,” he admitted. Then last year, the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance debuted the I-5 Colonnade Mountain Bike Park — a BMX trail with advanced tech-
By Greg Farrar
Rebecca Jensen, on her Special Sapphire Women’s Stump Jumper, rides the cross country trail that encircles the four BMX courses on King County’s 120acre Duthie Hill Park. nical features built under Interstate 90 in Seattle. Both novice and advanced riders now had a facility to either stretch their legs on a cross-country trail or stretch their talents on the jumps, progressive drops, skinnies and logrides. Westra, who was a volunteer on the project, said at two acres, the Colonnade still lacked that expan-
By Greg Farrar
A prominent caution sign admonishes riders to wear the best safety clothing and equipment, ride responsibly and beware of any unfinished sections still to be completed before the ribbon-cutting on May 22.
sive, natural feel. He said bikers were envisioning a trail system that was more akin to a skiing experience. “We wanted a more tight, twisty riding, single track,” Westra said, waving his arms in and out to emphasize the twists and turns lacking at current facilities. Then along came an opportunity at Duthie Hill Park last year. At the center of this 120-acre forest on the plateau is a 2.5-acre clearing. King County, the park’s owner, gave the mountain bike alliance permission to build its newest project. For the past year, the alliance, through the help of a Community Partnership Grant, a Youth Sports Facilities Grant and private fundraising, has cobbled together $220,000 to construct the ultimate BMX trail. The alliance is seeking funding for phase II to build additional parking. More than 100 volunteers have logged more than 10,000 hours building a four-pronged course. Much of the site was used previously by an archery club. “So as we were clearing out locations, we’d find the occasional arrow left behind,” Westra said.
Continued on Page 42
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From Page 41 To decrease the location’s hazards, Westra said crews ripped down snags that dangled precariously above the trails and removed other dead trees ready for collapse. Then came time to build the courses. Keeping skill levels in mind, Westra said each course will be clearly marked like the ski slopes — all the way from beginner to double black diamond for the most experienced. Surrounding the four courses will be one 5- to 6-mile loop of cross-country trail. Westra said between the 50,000 feet of free ride trails and 5 miles of cross country trails, bikers can experience about 100 total technical trail features, or challenges, including stop ups and step downs, table tops and hip jumps or even a simple pile of rocks that need to be navigated around. Westra was especially proud of
By Greg Farrar
The takeoff ramp is on the left. With the landing being higher, this jump is called a step up, as one proceeds along the double black diamond BMX trail. the all-natural materials used for the courses. “It has a mix of natural blow
downs (trees that fell over during wind storms) and a lot of split cedar from mill rejects,” he said.
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By Greg Farrar
Two elements of the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance logo, a stylized chain gear wheel and an evergreen tree, are carved into jump ramp support brackets. He added none of the rocky cover along the trails was shipped in; it all was recycled from the Duthie
Hill Park site. Then to give the park additional flavor, many of the technical trail
features were given their own names, including: ❑ The Monolith ❑ The Legend ❑ The Fish Bowl ❑ Happy Ending “Happy Ending is already panning out to be the most popular jump in the park,” Westra said, quickly pointing out it’s also one of the park’s double black diamond challenges reserved for only the best riders. As Westra finished describing the features, Rebecca Jensen rode by, giving the nearly completed cross country trail a trial run. Jensen was one of the regional riders Westra was hoping Duthie Hill Park would attract. Although she lives in Marysville, she works in Bellevue, within easy traveling distance to take her Special Sapphire Women’s Stump Jumper out for spins. “This is amazing, totally amazing,” she said. “It’s small, but there are so many trails it looks like they used every inch of it. It’s really awesome.”
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Q&A
SAMMAMISH
Get to know your elected officials They represent you in the city, county and state government, but they’re people, too. They’re your elected officials. Here’s a look at some of the people who represent Sammamish. Some of Sammamish’s elected officials shared information about themselves, providing a glimpse into the person behind the job.
John Curley ❑ Sammamish City Council, Position 3 ❑ Public Safety Committee ❑ Last elected: 2009 ❑ Term ends: 2013 ❑ E-mail: jcurley@ci.sammamish.wa.us John Curley ❑ Phone: 206293-7853 ❑ Favorite book: “Atlas Shrugged” ❑ Favorite movie: I just watched “Rudy” with my kids. I cried like a baby. ❑ Favorite quote (our family motto): “Be kind. Be strong. Be funny when you can.” ❑ ❑ Hobbies: Training for Ironman competitions...what a bore I am. ❑ Favorite song. Frank Sinatra’s “Fly me to the Moon” Live at the Sands ❑ What would be a great weekend: Up at 6 a.m. Long bike ride. Good homily from Father Bryan at St. Joe’s, a swim in Pine Lake, and touch football game with my family. In bed by 8:30.
Michele Petitti ❑ Sammamish City Council, Position 2 ❑ Last Elected: 2007 ❑ Term ends: 2011 ❑ E-mail: mpetitti@ci.sam-
mamish.wa.us ❑ Phone: 425392-9208 ❑ Favorite book: Two recent good reads: “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” by Barbara Kingsolver and “A Walk in the Michele Petitti Woods” by Bill Bryson. ❑ Favorite movie: “The Man From Snowy River” ❑ Favorite quote: “Service Above Self” — from Rotary Club ❑ Hobbies: state competitive drill team, growing dahlias ❑ Favorite song: Anything country...George Strait to Keith Urban ❑ What would be a great weekend: A trail ride with my cowgirl buddies followed by a beer and a great hamburger.
Tom Odell ❑ Sammamish City Council, Position 7 ❑ Public Safety Committee ❑ Last elected: 2009 ❑ Term ends: 2013 ❑ E-mail: todell@ci.samTom Odell mamish.wa.us ❑ Phone: 8683635 ❑ Favorite book: Almost any of Tom Clancy’s books ❑ Favorite movie: “Pearl Harbor” ❑ Favorite quote: “The road to Hell is paved with good intentions,” — my father ❑ Hobbies: Fishing, reading ❑ Favorite song: “Blowing in the Wind” — Peter, Paul, & Mary ❑ What would be a great weekend: A quiet, sunny fall weekend at a lake cabin with my family.
Kathy Lambert ❑ King County Council, District 3 Representative ❑ Chairwoman, Government Accountability and Oversight Committee; vicechairwoman, Budget and Fiscal Kathy Lambert Management Committee, Employment and Administration Committee; member, Law, Justice, Health and Human Services Committee, Regional Water Quality Committee, Board of Health. ❑ Last elected: 2009 ❑ Term ends: 2013 ❑ E-mail: Kathy.Lambert@kingcounty.gov ❑ Phone: 206-296-1003 ❑ Favorite book: Besides the one I wrote of course (“Life of Martin Luther King, Jr.”) There are so many great books it is hard to tell. I collect autographed books. I really enjoy all kinds of biographies ... “Yes I Can” by Sammy Davis Jr. had a huge impact on me. ❑ Favorite movie: “The Blind Side” ❑ Favorite quote: Winston Churchill: “Never give in, never give in, never; never; never; never — in nothing, great or small, large or petty — never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense” ❑ Hobbies: Reading, walking, international and domestic traveling, scrapbooking and most of all time with family and my grandchildren ❑ Favorite song: “Celebration” by Kool and the Gang ❑ What would be a great weekend: Walking along the coast barefoot in the sand listening to the waves break on the shore. Then going dancing. Time with a good book and a hot cup of tea. Time with my husband, children, and of course, grandchildren!!!
SAMMAMISH
Glenn Anderson ❑ State Representative, 5th District (R) ❑ Higher Education Committee (ranking minority member), Capital Budget, Education Appropriations Glenn Anderson ❑ Last elected: 2008 ❑ Term Ends: 2010 ❑ E-mail: Anderson.Glenn@leg.wa.gov ❑ Phone: 360-786-7876 ❑ Favorite book: “The Power of Myth” by Joseph Campbell ❑ Favorite movie: “Saving Private Ryan” ❑ Favorite quote: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” (Gandhi) ❑ Hobbies: Playing with my dogs, reading history, photography, soccer ❑ Favorite song: Pink Floyd: “Wish You Were Here” (Goo Goo Dolls acoustic version) ❑ What would be a great weekend: No alarm clock, any beach, 85 degrees and tickets to a Jimmy Buffett concert that night.
Roger Goodman ❑ State Representative, 45th District (D) ❑ Judiciary (vice chairman), Early Learning and Children’s Services, Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Roger Goodman ❑ Last Elected: 2008 ❑ Term Ends: 2010 ❑ E-mail: Goodman.roger@leg.wa.gov
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❑ Phone: 360-786-7878, 425-7391810 ❑ Favorite book: “The Ruin of Kasch” by Roberto Calasso ❑ Favorite movie: “This is Spinal Tap” ❑ Favorite quote: “There is moderation even in excess,” by 19th Century British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli ❑ Hobbies: Sailing, photography, watching cagefighting (mixed martial arts) on TV ❑ Favorite song: Beethoven’s 7th Symphony, 2nd movement ❑ What would be a great weekend: At the beach with the kids, flying a kite and eating fish ‘n’ chips
Larry Springer ❑ State Representative, 45th District ❑ Finance, Local Government and Housing, Rules, Transportation ❑ Last Elected: 2008 ❑ Term Ends: 2010 Larry Springer ❑ E-mail: springer.larry@leg.wa.gov ❑ Phone: 360-786-7822, 425-7391806 ❑ Favorite book: “The Last Lion” by William Manchester ❑ Favorite movie: “Casablanca” ❑ Favorite quote: “You better cut the pizza in four pieces because I’m not hungry enough to eat six.” Yogi Berra ❑ Hobbies: Gardening and wine ❑ Favorite song: “Crazy” by Patsy Cline ❑ What would be a great weekend: At our mountain cabin with Penny, Beaune and Brix, and two-three wines from our cellar that I forgot we had.
Eric Oemig ❑ State Senator, 45th District (D) ❑ Government Operations and Elections (vice-chair), Early
Learning and K12 Education (vice chair, K12), Environment Water and Energy, Ways and Means ❑ Last Elected: 2006 ❑ Term Ends: Eric Oemig 2010 ❑ E-mail: oemig.eric@leg.wa.gov ❑ Phone: 360-786-7672 ❑ Favorite book: “Outliers” – Malcolm Gladwell ❑ Favorite movie: “Ironman” ❑ Favorite quote: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” (Ghandi) ❑ Hobbies: Drumming, hiking, triathlons ❑ Favorite song: “How to Save a Life” – The Fray ❑ What would be a great weekend: I have two small children, I would love to sleep in just once.
Sammamish’s other elected officials: Mark Cross City Council, Position 6 E-mail: mcross@ci.sammamish.wa.us Phone: 425-830-0287 Nancy Whitten City Council, Position 4 Deputy Mayor E-mail: nwhitten@ci.sammamish.wa.us Phone: 425-295-0500 Don Gerend City Council, Position 5 Mayor, Public Safety Committee E-mail: dgerend@ci.sammamish.wa.us Phone: 425-392-1412 John James City Council, Position 1 E-mail: jjames@ci.sammamish.wa.us Phone: 868-6165
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Emergency preparedness
Sammamish CERT trainees practice extinguishing fires as a part of the final exercise in their comprehensive eightweek training course. To date, more than 400 CERT members have been trained through the Sammamish Citizen Corps program. Contributed
Are you ready
for the next emergency?
Community programs help residents with their disaster preparedness This portion of a USGS scenario map depicts how a 7.2-magnitude earthquake might feel like on the plateau, as well as how much damage it could cause. Sammamish is in the zone most heavily affected. Contributed
SAMMAMISH
SAMMAMISH
BY CHRISTOPHER HUBER
I
n the wake of recent natural disasters in places like Haiti, Chile and Turkey, Kent Kiernan has seen a rise in interest for emergency and disaster-response training. Kiernan, the president of the Sammamish Citizen Corps Council, said before the catastrophic Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti, only a handful of Sammamish residents had signed up for the eight-week Community Emergency Response Team class. After the magnitude 8.8 earthquake hit Chile, about 20 people signed up, he said. “This is about doing basic things you can do to help family and friends get to the other side of a disaster,” he said. People around Sammamish have good reason to take action. Like the areas hit hardest in the Chile quake, Sammamish lies directly on top of two major fault lines — the Seattle Fault and the
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Southern Whidbey Island Fault, said Brian Sherrod, a research geologist with the United States Geological Survey. “Sammamish has got double trouble,” he said. “You’re basically right on these faults.” Both are “active faults” according to the USGS. The Seattle Fault runs between Pine Lake and Providence Point. The Southern Whidbey Island Fault runs from near Victoria B.C. through Everett and on to the Cascade Mountains and possibly beyond. It cuts near Duvall and North Bend north and east of the city, but that’s just a stone’s throw in geologic terms. But if the so-called ‘big one’ hits, it won’t matter where you live in Sammamish, Sherrod said. Sammamish’s one positive attribute, when it comes to handling a big earthquake, is that the city is mostly residential, with primarily wood houses and low-lying structures. “Most of that stuff generally
To retrofit or not to retrofit? In decades past, houses were not always attached to their foundations. In a major quake, this can sometimes cause these houses to slide off of their foundations. A seismic retrofit for these older homes can be one solution. Contractors (there are many in the region who do this work) bolt the foundation to the house. They also brace some walls and may perform other jobs, like securing the hot water heater. Costs can vary widely depending on the house, but are usually a few thousand dollars. In most cases, insurance companies will not sell homeowners earthquake insurance unless they’ve had a seismic retrofit, or have a newer house, which met these codes during initial construction.
Continued on Page 48
Volunteers participate in a CERT disaster response relay race at City Hall. The race was part of the Sammamish Citizen Corps' annual CERT drill. By Christopher Huber
SAMMAMISH
48 From Page 47 fairs pretty well in earthquakes,” Sherrod said. Even if your house makes it through a quake, Sammamish could be cut off from the outside. The plateau is essentially an island, said Dave Findley, Sammamish resident and engineering geologist. The few main roads that wind down from the plateau could be destroyed or blocked, cutting off aid or supplies, as well as ability to leave. However, amid the doom and gloom are plenty of ways to prepare and educate yourself for emergency or disaster response. One of the first rules is not to sit back and depend on emergency crews which may not be able to get to you, or may have larger problems. “People are going to have to be as self-sufficient as possible,” Findley said. Kiernan distinguished the difference between emergency and disas-
Keys to disaster readiness Set aside an hour a month to do one activity until you’re prepared. ❑ Develop an emergency/disaster action plan. ❑ Designate an out-of-area contact. ❑ Stock up on bottled water. ❑ Assemble a 72-hour comfort kit. ❑ Gather important documents: wills, mortgage, insurance. ❑ Stock up on batteries and flashlights or flares for extended power outage. ter being that, in a disaster, lines of communication will be severed. “You want to have a plan. Communication is huge. It’s all
Source: Washington State Emergency Management: www.emd.wa.gov/preparedness/prep_prepare_year.shtml about the contact link,” Kiernan, a former police officer, said. “When the
Continued on Page 50
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Using lengths of 4-by-4 wood and a pry bar, a 2008 CERT class training team of Providence Point residents raises a picnic bench off a stuffed plush toy during a disaster scenario. By Greg Farrar
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From Page 48 connection is broken it causes people to panic and to have anxiety.” That’s where the citizen corps can step in, at least on a neighborhood scale. The citizen corps is an all-volunteer national nonprofit that operates at the community level. It exists to help people prepare for emergencies and respond effectively to disasters, according to the organization’s Web site. It helps connect neighbors and runs programs like the emergency response team training. The Sammamish Citizen Corps also works with the city to provide emergency communications plans and equipment. Kiernan is not motivated by paranoia or doom and gloom. For him, it’s about being ready. When you can help yourself and rise
Continued on Page 52
By Greg Farrar
Zandra Walker (left) and makeup artist Jennifer Bromberg work on getting the right look for fake wounds in preparation for a CERT drill.
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SAMMAMISH
52 From Page 50 above fear and anxiety in a disaster, you can better help others, he said. He said he feels called to connect, educate and inform people, “and to help them see that they have the power to make change.” As one of his passions is connecting people, Kiernan helps organize the Map Your Neighborhood program, an hourlong DVD-based session that starts residents on the path to preparing themselves. The Map Your Neighborhood program teaches Sammamish residents how to quickly and safely act during a disaster to protect neighbors and minimize further damage, according to the state’s emergency management division. Anyone interested can participate in the local Map Your Neighborhood program, which is taught by members of the Sammamish Citizen Corps. They learn the nine steps to take immediately following a disaster, which will help secure one’s home and help others in the neighborhood. The whole point is to connect people so they can work together in emergencies and disasters, Kiernan said. It helps them identify skills and equipment neighbors have that would be useful during disaster response, thus creating an efficient use of time and resources. When neighbors connect and prepare together, they can then create a neighborhood map, which helps them know who has natural gas or propane tanks or any other essential resources. Neighborhood leaders can also compile a contact list that helps identify needs of children, the elderly or disabled. Map Your Neighborhood acts as a catalyst for residents to come together and communicate concerns or disaster response ideas. When it’s all said and done, Findley advised to at least have cash available at home, and maintain stocks of water and food to last three to 10 days. If a disaster hits Sammamish, crippling major infrastructure, stores like Safeway and QFC could be out of stock within a day, he guessed, and ATMs could be rendered useless. “The more you’re prepared, the less you’ll be panicked,” Kiernan said.
By Greg Farrar
Joan Norris (left) teams up with her husband, Bob, to put out a grease fire with a fire extinguisher during their CERT training class in Sammamish.
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Club connections
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SAMMAMISH
Clubs craft some good times hese are not your grandmother’s quilts. The Block Party Quilters take quilting into a new millennium. Certainly, there are members whose quilts are just what you want to snuggle under on a cold, dark night. But there are new quilting styles they explore, as well. These quilts wouldn’t really fit on a bed, and they might not keep you warm. But they will look beautiful hanging on the living room wall. Quilters now experiment with different fabrics and embellishments, creating patterns and textures to rival the most intricate tapestry — they just do it with a layer of batting in the middle. In Sammamish, the Block Party Quilters are one of the more prominent groups. The group’s monthly meetings draw guest speakers and allow time for members to chat and swap quilt ideas. They also have small groups that meet to delve into quilting particulars. They host workshops throughout the year. The quilters also strive to give back to the community and sponsor service projects, making quilts for area charities. The group usually holds an annual quilt show. This year’s is Nov 5-7 at the Issaquah Community Center. It will be the group’s 25th show. Block Party Quilters Club meets at 7 p.m. the first Thursday of each month at Mary, Queen of Peace Church, 1121 228th Ave. S.E., Sammamish. Go to www.bpquilters.org.
T
Here’s a look at the other clubs offering up myriad activities within Sammamish.
Civic/community
❑ Beaver Lake Community Club meets at 7 p.m. the first Monday at the Lodge at Beaver Lake Park, 25201 S.E. 24th St. ❑ The Cascade Republican
Contributed
This quilt will be raffled off by the Block Party Quilters this year. Women’s Club meets at 11:30 a.m the third Wednesday (except July and August) at the Sammamish Plateau Club, 25625 E. Plateau Drive. Call 788-2028. ❑ Friends of the Sammamish Library meets at 5:30 p.m. the first Wednesday in the library meeting room, 825 228th Ave. N.E. Visit www.sammamishlibraryfriends.org. ❑ 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. ❑ 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. Go to www.momsclubsammamish.org or call 836 5015. ❑ Moms in Touch prayer groups meet for one hour each week. visit www.MomsInTouch.org. ❑ Mothers & More of Sammamish and Redmond has play groups, mother’s night out,
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book club, movie night, family night and family events. Go to http://www.redmondmothersandmore.org ❑ Sammamish Plateau Parent Networking Group meets normally the last Monday of the month at Sahalee Fire Station #82, 1851 228th Ave. N.E. go to www.pinelakecommunityclub.com. ❑ The Pine Lake Community Club Board usually meets the third Wednesday, with other meetings held as needed. Call 392-4041 or (206) 601-9103. ❑ Sammamish Heritage Society meets regularly. Go to www.iinet.com/~shs. ❑ Toastmasters of Sammamish meets from 7-8:30 p.m. Tuesdays at Mary, Queen of Peace Church, 1121 228th Ave. S.E. Call 391-4834 or 373-6311.
Service
❑ The Eastlake Junior Orthopedic Guild for Children’s Hospital meets at 2:30 p.m. the third Tuesday at Eastlake High School. Members earn community-service credit by volunteering at the hospital or working on projects that promote the hospital. ❑ Kiwanis Club of Sammamish meets at 7 a.m. Wednesdays at Sammamish Hills Lutheran Church, 22818 S.E. Eighth St. Visit www.sammamishkiwanis.org. ❑ Kiwanis Club of Providence Point meets at noon Fridays at Bake’s Place at Providence Point. Visitors are welcome. ❑ 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. ❑ Sammamish Chamber of Commerce meets at 11:30 a.m. the third Thursday (January through November) at the Plateau Club, 25625 E. Plateau Drive. Go to www.sammamishchamber.org. ❑ Sammamish Citizens Corps holds a refresher/advanced training class for CERTs on the second Saturday of each month from 9-11 a.m. at 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. Go to www.sammamishcitizencorps.org. ❑ Youth and Government, teaching democratic values and skills to students in grades nine to 12, meets from 5-6 p.m. Mondays at the Sammamish Family YMCA, 4221 228th Ave. S.E. Call 391-4840.
Hobbies
❑ Sammamish Garden Club, formerly Morning Glories Garden Club, meets the second Tuesday. Call 836-0421. ❑ Pine Lake Garden Club meets the second Wednesday of each month. Call 836-7810. ❑ High Valley Riders Woman’s Equestrian Drill
File
Toastmasters of Sammamish allows people to hone their public-speaking skills. Team practices regularly. Go to highvalleyriders.com. ❑ 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. Go to www.sammamishsaddleclub.org. ❑ 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 868-4344.
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Beaver Lake Park carvings honor Native American Indian heritage BY WARREN KAGARISE
T
he forms tower above the placid water of Beaver Lake — alien and familiar at the same time, a visual cue of a proud and ancient civilization. Carved from trees older than the oldest structures in surrounding Sammamish, the Beaver Lake Park totem poles and houseposts hark back to the centuries before David Boxley white settlers staked claim to the area now known as the Sammamish Plateau. Although the carvings stand as relics of a more recent era — the 1990s — the poles and posts honor a more distant time. Carver David Boxley completed the largest poles at the park, the Beaver Lake myth pole and the taller eagle pole. He chose the beaver pole for obvious reasons — the name of the park and the lake. The eagle held a deeper meaning: Boxley, a Native Alaskan and a member of the Tsimshian tribe, picked the eagle as a symbol of power and strength. He uses the eagle image as his family crest. The carvings, he said, served to educate non-natives and members of other American Indian tribes about the Tsimshian culture of the Pacific Northwest. “The culture has always been real important to me,” he said. Boxley grew up in Metlakatla, Alaska, raised by Native Alaskan grandparents who instilled in him
S t o r y
T e l l e r s By Christopher Huber
A totem pole faces Beaver Lake near the shoreline at Beaver Lake Park. the importance of Tsimshian culture. He left a teaching and coaching career more than three decades ago to focus on Tsimshian arts, such as carving and performing. Nowadays, he lives in Kingston, a town near the tip of the Kitsap Peninsula where he also operates a workshop. Boxley completed the early work on the Beaver Lake Park totem
poles at the Kingston workshop. For weeks in early 1991, Boxley and a team of assistants worked — under the inquisitive eyes of local school groups — in Issaquah’s Gilman Village to complete the poles. They fashioned the poles from oldgrowth Western red cedar timber harvested from the Olympic Peninsula. Boxley said the wood used for the
SAMMAMISH
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By Christopher Huber
Three house poles adorn the pavilion near the water at Beaver Lake Park. poles takes centuries to mature. Boxley raised the poles at Beaver Lake Park in early 1991, eight years before Sammamish became a city. Each pole tells a handful of stories. Boxley included on the beaver pole the tale of how a beaver defeated the grizzly bear — a parable about how the outmatched beaver used quick wits to defeat a
larger, stronger adversary. The beaver pole rises to 30 feet; the nearby eagle pole rises to 42 feet. The eagle carving also incorporates legends about salmon, another revered figure in Tsimshian belief. The carver likens the poles to a billboard for Tsimshian culture. “They’re a sign board, a marker to say, ‘This is who we are,’” Boxley
said. Besides the Sammamish installation, Boxley has carved totem poles and native masks throughout the Pacific Northwest and the nation. A few years after the Beaver Lake Park project, Boxley carved a totem pole in a surprising, high-profile setting. In the late ’90s, Boxley carved a totem pole at Walt Disney World in Florida. The pole, carved from 30 feet of timber, depicts a native story of the raven tricking another figure in Tsimshian belief to release the sun, moon and stars into the sky. The carving stands in the Canada pavilion at Epcot, in a faux-Canadian landscape with ersatz waterfalls and fiberglass totem poles. Disney built a structure for Boxley to work amid the park visitors. The authentic totem pole includes a nod to the theme-park locale: a hidden Mickey Mouse symbol near the top of the pole. When he completed the carving, Disney flew Boxley’s fellow performers to the park to celebrate the newest attraction. Despite the attention the public carvings receive, Boxley said the most meaningful commissions come from native people who intend to use the totem poles as part of traditional performances or events. Back in the early ’90s, when the King County Arts Commission awarded the Beaver Lake Park project to Boxley, commissioners also OK’d another project based on American Indian traditions. The red-and-black carvings — believed by local American Indian tribes to carry supernatural powers — tell stories of tribes native to the Sammamish area, such as the Snoqualmie tribe. Seattle native David Horsley fashioned the Upper Inland Salish houseposts at Beaver Lake Park. Horsley carved the original posts from the last old-growth cedar logs harvested from Snoqualmie National Forest. Weyerhaeuser donated the logs for the houseposts. Like Boxley, Horsley carved the
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About totem poles Totem Poles are typically carved out of cedar and are prevalent in the Northwest from Washington state in the south, along the Pacific Coast through Canada to Alaska. They are one type of monument pole, which also includes poles placed at the fronts of houses, interior posts which support roof beams and free-standing memorial poles. The first free standing poles were made by the Haida, Tlingit and Tsimshian people in what is now Alaska and British Columbia. In the late 1800s many tribes stopped carving the poles when the ceremony during which the poles were erected, the potlatch, was made illegal in Canada. The law was repealed in 1951 and the poles began to flourish again. Totem poles, contrary to some beliefs, are not a recent introduction. Some had theorized that they only came into being after metal tools were introduced to the indigenous people, but oral histories indicate they have existed since ancient times. While some say a totem pole can be read like a book, they can not truly be understood without knowing the history of the people and family that owns it. There is not a single way that the creatures on the pole are ordered, so the “Low man on the Totem Pole” may not always be the least important. Source: Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture Web site
By Christopher Huber
A totem pole towers over the lawn between the lodge and pavilion at Beaver Lake Park. posts as part of the artist-in-residence program at Gilman Village. All told, more than 3,000 people watched the artists and their assistants at work. The program educated passers-by about the differences between Tsimshian and Salish styles and beliefs. The posts — adorned with animals and other symbols from Salish beliefs — debuted alongside the totem poles in early 1991.
Horsley installed the newest housepost at the park in March 1999. The most recent installation replaced a post uprooted and burned by Issaquah High School football players in September 1997. The students helped the carver prep the new housepost as part of their court-ordered community service.
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From Page 58 Houseposts, like the carvings displayed at Beaver Lake Park, used to dot the area now known as King County. None of the original houseposts remain. “There used to be houseposts at the south end of Lake Sammamish, on the Middle and South forks of the Snoqualmie River, on the Snohomish, Green and White rivers,” Horsley said in a 1999 guide to King County public art.
The quality is revealed in the ornate, detailed carving and painting. By Christopher Huber
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Amateur Photo Contest
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First Place in 3 categories: PEOPLE • SCENIC ANIMALS
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 Judging by Issaquah Press staff and invited professionals.
Submit JPEG by email: contest@isspress.com or deliver 8x10 print to: Amateur Photo Contest, 45 Front Street South, Issaquah, WA 98027 Include name, address, phone, email, and the photo’s story. Limit 3 entries per photographer.
Deadline: August 15, 2010 Winners announced: Sept. 8 in The Issaquah Press & Sammamish Review
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