Sammscene2014

sammamish

scene

residents guide 2014

special section of Sammamish Review

General manager Joe Heslet

Editor Ari Cetron

Marketing coordinator Jana Baker

Advertising staff

Page design

Cover design

Michelle Comeau Donna Duvall Deanna Jess Sandy Tirado Carolyn Trujillo

David Hayes

Dona Mokin

Writers

Photography

Production Breann Getty Dona Mokin

Ari Cetron Peter Clark Christina Corrales-Toy Sherry Grindeland Neil Pierson

Greg Farrar

Printing Rotary Offset Press

TABLE OF CONTENTS ENVIRONMENT

VOLUNTEERS

EVENTS

Beaver Lake and Hazel Wolf Wetlands preserves offer a glimpse of pre-developement Sammamish.

Page 4

Steve Wood still lends a helping hand to Eastside Fire & Rescue at age 61.

Page 16

Mark your calendar for the year with these community activities.

Page 28

SAMMIS

TEEN

The community honors its top, exceptional volunteers.

More than just school credit, students find joy and meaning in volunteering.

Page 32

GOVERNMENT Get to know your City Council members better with a few of their favorite things.

Page 12 TRAFFIC Take the direct route, when navigating a roundabout.

Page 15

Page 23

HEALTHCARE

CLUBS

With two locations, EvergreenHealth prides itself on community outreach.

Page 24

Here’s how to get involved with the dozens of community organizations.

Page 36

4

ENVIRONMENT

Wild lands

By Greg Farrar Hank Klein (left), city Parks Commission member, and Judy Petersen, Sammamish Walks organizer, cross a stream over a simple log bridge in the Beaver Lake Preserve.

Preserves offer glimpse of pre-development Sammamish

By Christina Corrales-Toy

A

wooded oasis exists in Sammamish, marked by easygoing trails, a fernblanketed floor and a forested canopy, where on a sunny day, rays of light subtly peak through, offering a regal shine on anything it touches.

Continue along those tranquil trails and eventually you’ll come

across a vast untouched wetland even more peaceful than the dirt path you just emerged from.

Not many know about the Beaver Lake Preserve, and the adjoining Hazel Wolf Wetlands Preserve, but that’s one of the things that make these little slices of pre-development Sammamish all the more idyllic.

“I just feel so refreshed, so at peace now,” Sammamish Parks

Commissioner Hank Klein said after a nearly two hour walk through the adjacent nature preserves.

Beaver Lake Preserve

The Beaver Lake Preserve is the newer of the two and bears connector trails to both the Hazel Wolf Wetlands Preserve and Soaring Eagle Park.

The 67-acre site opened to the public in 2007, but the effort

5

Who was Hazel Wolf?

Hazel Wolf’s influence was so far reaching, it’s no surprise the local Sammamish wetland is one of just a few things that bear the late activist’s name.

There was once a Hazel Wolf High School and a Hazel Wolf Environmental Film Festival; and there still is a Hazel Wolf Bird Sanctuary in Central Washington.

Born in 1898, Wolf grew up in Canada where, as an elementary student, she famously challenged her school principal who said girls couldn’t play basketball. Wolf, in what was the first sign of the activist she would become, created her own girls basketball league in response.

Wolf moved to Seattle in 1923 as a single mother looking for work to support her child.

She joined the communist party during the Great Depression, seeing it as an avenue to champion civil liberties and labor issues.

She drifted away from it shortly after World War II, but it didn’t stop the American government from attempting to deport her for more than a decade. Wolf eventually received her American citizenship after a handful of denials.

It wasn’t until the 1960s, though, that Wolf became involved in environmental issues. After retiring from her post as a legal secretary, Wolf was named the secretary of the Seattle Audubon Society, a group that works for the protection and preservation of natural habitats for birds and other wildlife.

She served as the secretary for more than 40 years, helping to establish society chapters across the state and raising thousands of dollars for the organization.

Wolf fostered her love of the outdoors well into her 90s, when she would continue to hike, bird watch and go camping.

The Hazel Wolf Wetlands Preserve was dedicated to the environmentalist in a special 1998

File photo by Greg Farrar Ann Weinmann (left) and Hazel Wolf each hold plaques at the 1998 dedication of a view deck and walking trails in the Hazel Wolf Wetlands. It was built on “Ann’s Walking Trail,” a natureobservation trail named after then-local resident Weinmann, who with her wetland-biologist husband Fred were advocates for preserving the land. Wolf died Jan. 19, 2000 at age 101.

ceremony. Wolf, at the time 100 years old, attended the ceremony, but made it clear that the preserve was more about the wildlife than its namesake.

“I’ll fade in people’s memory,” she said at the time. “And the land will be here, and all the little critters will be here. It isn’t important that I should be remembered.”

Wolf died in 2000, months shy of what would have been her 102nd birthday.

“Really, Hazel was an advocate for so many things. This preserve is an honor to her environmental work,” said Elsa Sargent, a lands manager at Forterra, the land conservation organization that manages the Hazel Wolf Wetlands Preserve.

6

Photos by Greg Farrar At left, a timber freespan footbridge built by Washington Trails Association members crosses over a ditch in the woods of the Beaver Lake Preserve trail. Above center, the main pond in the wetland preserve can be seen on a spring day through openings in the woods from Ann’s Walking Trail on the water habitat’s perimeter. Above right, informational signs and a guide map detail the history and extent of the Hazel Wolf Wetlands Preserve.

to preserve the area began long before that, said former Parks Commissioner Rena Brady.

Brady, who led the group attempting to establish the Beaver Lake Preserve, remembers applying for grants for the project as early as 1999.

She found the untouched property while simply exploring her neighborhood and was so taken with it, she thought maybe she could buy it herself, she joked.

“It was a place where I walked every day,” she said. “It was gorgeous and there were beautiful trees.”

State and county grants, along with a donation from the property owner made the $3 million purchase a reality for the city of Sammamish.

Local volunteers and representatives from the Washington Trails Association were responsible for constructing the 1.2 mile walking loop that meanders through the preserve.

Watching people working on the trails was what spurred Klein to get his hands dirty and participate. He laughed as he remembered the surprising ease with which the volunteers removed and replanted ferns to make way for a trail segment.

“You dig underneath them, and

Photos by Greg Farrar A beaver dam helps regulate the water level of the large pond, keeping intact the environment for aquatic plants and animals a mile-and-a-half east of Skyline High School.

then you grab the fern, you pull it up, and then you throw it to the side and there, it’s replanted,” he said. “It’s because they grow so easily, they’ll send down roots and they’ll be fine.”

The preserve’s main trailhead is located east of Beaver Lake Park on West Beaver Lake Park Drive Southeast. A small parking lot identified with a Beaver Lake Preserve sign makes it hard to miss.

Once ensconced in the preserve, walkers are surrounded by mosscovered native trees, and a calming quiet, disturbed only by the crunch of gravel beneath walking shoes,

the distant echo of a group of croaking frogs and the occasional chiseling sound of a woodpecker hard at work.

“We make ourselves stop to take in the scenery. Just stop for a minute and look at it,” said Sammamish resident Lisa Bialek, who frequents the preserve.

The preserve, which actually spans across both sides of West Beaver Lake Park Drive Southeast, features large western red cedars and Douglas firs, along with the ever present ferns.

Experienced birdwatchers may spot wood ducks, the olive-sided

7

By Greg Farrar The viewing deck Ann Weinman and Hazel Wolf stood on at the 1998 dedication looks out over “all the little critters” living in the Hazel Wolf Wetlands Preserve on March 12, 2014, 116 years plus two days after activist and environmentalist Wolf was born.

Call today for a

FREE Pest Inspection

….take back your home today Pests in your area…

• Wasps • Rodents • Moles • Odorous House Ants Locally owned & operated in North Bend

n n I y a d i l Ho comes wel u… yo See our extensive remodel in Spring 2014!

• FREE HIGH-SPEED INTERNET • 24-HOUR BUSINESS CENTER • HEATED, OUTDOOR POOL (SEASONAL) • SAMMAMISH CLUB FITNESS CENTER • FULL-SERVICE RESTAURANT & LOUNGE

(425)577-2944 FrontierPC@comcast.net

www.frontierbugs.com

425-392-6421• 1801 12th Ave. N.W. Issaquah ONLY 15 minutes from Seattle and minutes from Eastgate/I-90

Quality Excellence Award Winner

8 flycatcher and the willow flycatcher at the preserve. Bald eagles and barred owls occasionally show up as well.

The trail is very easygoing, offering a mostly flat surface, which makes it accessible for all ages.

Some parts are blanketed with gravel, while others are just dirt.

Washington Trails Associationconstructed puncheons, essentially a plank boardwalk, cover some spots that get particularly muddy.

Hazel Wolf Wetlands Preserve One of the preserve’s most important qualities is the fact that it does connect to other local parks, said Judy Petersen, a former parks commissioner and chief organizer of Sammamish Walks, a group that leads guided tours of local trails.

A fork in the path at the preserve’s northwest corner will lead visitors to the Hazel Wolf Wetlands Preserve. It brings trail goers to Ann’s Walking Trail, named after former resident Ann Weinmann, who along with her husband Fred,

By Greg Farrar Kris Jarvis (left) and Lisa Bialek, two Beaver Lake-area residents, share a walk on the Beaver Lake Preserve trail loop amid the trees and many ferns covering the forest floor.

were instrumental in the conservation of the preserves.

Ann’s Walking Trail is meant to be a more primitive, quieter foot path of the Hazel Wolf Wetlands Preserve. Dogs aren’t allowed on it, though leashed dogs are welcomed on the preserve’s main trails and in

Your

neighborhood pub

Also serves breakfast 8-12 Sat 8-1 Sun

Join us!

the Beaver Lake Preserve.

That restriction is one of the things that makes Ann’s Walking Trail feel so calm and tranquil; the model of what true nature should be, Petersen said.

“Right here, it kind of feels like you’re in a forest. You’ve made it,”

Your Hometown Newspaper for

22 years

No. 1 resource for community news, and consistently noted for its award-winningjournalism.

in addition to full lunch & dinner menu One of Eastside’s best craft beer selections, featuring 21 rotating taps www.pinelakealehouse.com

425.898.9099

640 228th Ave NE, Sammamish

Subscriptions: $35/year 425-392-6434 sammamishreview.com

9

By Greg Farrar A log lying on the forest floor is riddled with woodpecker holes acquired when it was still the trunk of a tree once reaching into the sky.

she said, while standing on the trail.

The Hazel Wolf Wetlands Preserve is a 116-acre wetland and forest habitat managed by Forterra, an organization dedicated to land preservation.

“There were a lot of local neighbors that had been living in the

Can You Hear the Cow Bell Ringing?

Sammamish Farmers Market Wednesdays 4-8pm Friendly Market in the “Friendliest City” New Dinner Options Many shopping delights Sammamish City Hall

area for a while that were really advocating for the conservation of the property,” said Elsa Sargent, Forterra lands manager, of the organization’s 1995 acquisition of the property.

Surrounded on nearly all sides by the million dollar homes of the

Windsor Greens community and the manicured greens of the Plateau Club golf course, many don’t know that this hidden gem is located right in their backyards.

Visitors can access the property through the Beaver Lake Preserve or park at a trailhead located on 248th Avenue Southeast, just north of Southeast 14th Street.

The property consists of equestrian and pedestrian trails, an interpretive deck, information kiosks, a boardwalk and bridge.

The walking trails are a bit more intense than the Beaver Lake Preserve, with some minor inclines, but nothing too difficult.

After a hard rain, some paths may flood, resulting in the need for some special maneuvering, as Klein and Petersen demonstrated while tiptoeing across a half-submerged log to reach the raised boardwalk that flows across the wetland.

The trouble is certainly worth it though, because at the end of the boardwalk sits an observation deck with a fascinating view of the pond.

10 From the perch, visitors can look out at the vast wetland, dotted with long plants and tree trunks poking out of its waters, as a variety of birds float across the calm surface.

A mix of wildlife including deer, bears and ospreys frequent the wetland. If you’re lucky, you might see a beaver, the architect of the dams that maintain the water level, but it’s rare, Petersen said.

Local schools use it as an outdoor classroom, Sargent said, and it also helps control quality and quantity of water flow.

“There are environmental benefits as well as the human benefit of having this great space so close to where people live so they can go out and enjoy it,” she said.

Sammamish Walks The best time to visit these properties is early spring into fall, Petersen said. That’s why her Sammamish Walks organization begins offering its monthly trail tours in April.

She started the venture in 2009 in an effort to educate locals about

By Greg Farrar Art designed for the wetland by Mette Hanson is carved into a boardwalk’s handrail on ‘Ann’s Walking Trail’ over marsh grass habitat in the Hazel Wolf Wetlands Preserve.

the trails that surround them.

“I knew there were a lot of people up here who never ventured on to our trails, so what drove me was, if you are going to weigh in on decisions that affect whether or not we protect these national treasures, you should be familiar with them,” she said.

The tours are led by knowledge-

able volunteers and take place across the city. Klein will lead a walk through both preserves Oct. 18.

“A lot of people in the city of Sammamish don’t know we have these treasures in our own backyard and they’re easily accessible,” he said. “Come take advantage of them.”

Se

eF a ce b o

il s eta ok for d

We’re Less Than 20 Minutes Away

.

LIQUOR SPECIALS

Visit our website for great deals on top brands.

37500 SE North Bend Way. Snoqualmie, WA 98065. (425) 888-3071

OPEN 7am–10pm, 7 DAYS A WEEK

MAJOR BRANDS American Spirit $7.33 Marlboro $6.66 Newport $6.73 Camel $6.36 Native $4.69 WARNING: Cigarettes are addictive.

Copenhagen Promo $3.79 Skoal Extra $3.59 Grizzly Natural $3.69 Kodiak $5.69 Camel SNUS $4.59 WARNING: This product can cause gum disease and tooth loss.

Gold $13.99

COMPLETE Pack $4.45

TRADITIONS Pack $4.99

PREMIS

ISLAND BLENDZ Pack $1.95

Pack $4.35

WARNING: Smoking causes lung cancer.

Be sure to check out our great selection of small batch whiskies and scotches

YOUR FAVORITE BRANDS – UNBEATABLE PRICES

Captain Morgan

SKOOKUM CREEK A LOCALLY CRAFTED TRIBAL BRAND

SMOKELESS TOBACCO

Whistle Pig

Smirnoff

Jose Cuervo

Buffalo Trace

Vodka $11.99

Gold $12.99

Bourbon Whiskey $20.99

$81.59

Woodinville Bourbon & Rye Whiskey $38.49

FEATURED SPECIALS

Crown Royal

Perdomo Reserve Champagne

$21.99

$4.69

GREAT PRICES ON WINE AND BEER - 10% off all wine

Kestrel Lady in Red 14.99

Tamarack Cellars Merlot $19.99

Novelty Hill Royal Slope

Hedges CMS

$14.99

$10.99

14 Hands Hot to Trot $10.99

Pike 6 pks $8.79

Red Hook 6 pks $7.89

Mens Room 6 pks $9.29

Everyone Has A Habit, Make Yours Saving Money

.........................................................

Come Visit Us Next To The Snoqualmie Casino

DIRECTIONS: I-90 Westbound take Exit 31 (North Bend and follow the signs to the reservation.

I-90 Eastbound take Exit 27 turn left (North). Follow North Bend Way around curve.

{

{ snotobacco.com

* All prices do not include sales tax. *All prices subject to change * Tobacco & Liquor company promotes the responsible use of Tobacco products. If you are interested in quitting smoking please visit www.smokefree.gov or call 1-800-QUIT NOW to learn more about the resources available to you.

12

GOVERNMENT

City Council gets personal Seven people serve Sammamish on the City Council. While residents might have a sense of where many of them stand on policy issues, they are people, too. Since it’s not an election year, this seemed a good time to toss a few softballs to the elected officials. Each council member was sent the same set of questions, the sorts of icebreakers you might ask them at a backyard barbecue, to help readers better learn about their City Council. (when it first came out in the 1950s), “2001 a Space Odyssey,” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” (our kids and exchange students’ favorite).

Don Gerend q Age: 73 q Hometown: Marinette, Wisc. q What’s your day job: Former rocket scientist, professor, real estate syndicator

Don Gerend

q What family do you have in the area: Here in Sammamish with me are my wife, Susan Gerend (Windermere broker) and our daughter’s Lakeland terrier, Tessa. Our daughter Jennifer (professor at Evergreen College) and grandson live in Olympia, and our son, Jason (technical writer at Microsoft), lives in Seattle. q What was the most interesting book you read in the past year and why: “Second Watch”

by J. A. Jance. A few years ago when I was Mayor, J. A. Jance gave a reading at our library. I complained to her that she didn’t ever have Sammamish in her J.P. Beaumont novels, and I pointed out that was probably because there hadn’t been a murder in Sammamish since it incorporated. Well, she tried to put a double homicide in Sammamish in Second Watch, but screwed up on the address and it ended up north of state Route 202. Aside from that, it was a great book, which actually brought tears to my eyes in the end. q What are your three favorite movies: Some that made real impressions were “The Thing”

q What do you listen to when you’re in the car: Well, sometimes 97.3 with John Curley, or classical 98.1 or NPR. On longer trips, I enjoy an audio book (preferably a science fiction). q What’s your favorite place in Sammamish: I enjoy the vista from the Sammamish Commons, and the Lower Commons trail as well as Big Rock Park. Hopefully, we can create a trail connection between them this year. q If someone just came to the area, where in Seattle proper, would you tell them to go out to eat: For pizza, I have enjoyed the Northlake Tavern since the 1960s. For Chinese, I like the August Moon here in Sammamish, and for Mexican, there is La Casita also at Pine Lake Village. q What was the best vacation you ever took: The summer of 1965 traveling through Europe (including going into East Berlin through Checkpoint Charlie), touching Asia in Istanbul and Africa in Tunisia, with my two best friends, in a Volkswagen we bought at the factory in Germany. q Describe your perfect weekend: Maybe a little tennis or a hike on Saturday and then eating homemade pizza while watching the Seahawks demolish the Denver Broncos in the Superbowl

Nancy Whitten I’m a baby boomer born midcentury.

I grew up in Chicago and have lived on Pine Lake for more than 30 years. As part of Nancy the Carson and Noel law firm in Whitten Issaquah, I’m a practicing lawyer focusing on estate planning matters. My husband, Dick, and I are fortunate to have three of our children and their families living in the area.

Some of my favorite shows are nature ones, like the Blue Earth series. I also like action or suspense films and books.

When I’m in my car I listen to NPR or KOMO. To someone who is visiting Seattle for the first time I might suggest eating at Ivar’s on Lake Union.

We’ve had many wonderful vacations over our lifetime. One of the best was the summer my husband and I were married and both of us in graduate school when we spent six weeks canoeing and camping in the Lake Winnipegosis chain of lakes in Ontario, Canada. My favorite places in Sammamish are some of our parks and trails like those in Soaring Eagle. My perfect weekend is a summer one at my home on Pine Lake with blue skies and sunshine, barbecuing and enjoying swimming and canoeing and other lake activities with family, and walking with our dog Tessa on some of the wonderful trails we have in the area.

13 q What was the most interesting book you read in the past year and why: “Full Rip 9.0” – I love a good mystery story and the uncovering of the hidden geological history of the northwest coast is not only a terrific read but makes me realize little control we have over nature.

Kathleen Huckabay q Age: 70 q Hometown: Chicago q What’s your day job: I’m a self-employed CPA and independent Financial Planner.

Kathleen Huckabay

q What family to you have in the area: My son lives with us and has worked at the Pine Lake QFC since the day it opened. We also have a daughter who lives in Des Moines and another daughter and granddaughters in Walla Walla.

Tom Odell q Age: 69 q Hometown: Edina, Minn. q What’s your day job (if you’re retired, Tom Odell what did you do): I am supposed (!!) to be retired. My first career was as an airline network planner and hub builder and subsequently as the financial comptroller for the North American station operation of a major US airline. This was followed by second career as an international marketing director for Boeing Commercial Airplanes for European and Chinese accounts q What family to you have in the area (include pets if you like): Wife, daughter, and an orange tabby named Tucker q What was the most interesting book you

q What are your three favorite movies: “Apocalypse Now,” “Miracle on 34th St.” and “Laura” q What do you listen to when you’re in the car: My one indulgence is Sirius so that I can listen to anything from jazz to Springsteen, Simon, Sinatra or the Opera as suits my mood.

read in the past year and why: “Snow Falling on Cedars” – detective story dealing with racial prejudice in a trial q What are your three favorite movies: “Pearl Harbor,” “The Hunt for Red October” and “Lincoln” q What do you listen to when you’re in the car: News and music q What’s your favorite place in Sammamish (besides your house): All of it! q If someone just came to the area, where in Seattle proper, would you tell them to go out to eat: Anthony’s Home Port in Kirkland q What was the best vacation you ever took: Summer vacation with my family at a very special lake in Wisconsin q Describe your perfect weekend: Filled with quiet time, family, and perhaps a bit of fishing

q What’s your favorite place in Sammamish: the new Landing park – where else can you enjoy Mt. Rainier, the water and a quiet walk in the woods q If someone just came to the area, where in Seattle proper, would you tell them to go out to eat: The Newcastle Golf Course on a sunny day q What was the best vacation you ever took: We took our granddaughter to Europe and seeing Rome, Paris, Venice and Austria through her eyes was amazing. q Describe your perfect weekend: Sitting on a beach and reading a great book

Ramiro Valderrama-Aramayo

q Hometown: Bethesda, Md. q What’s your day job: technology management consulting q What family do you have in the area: Kids, dogs, birds q What was the most Ramiro interesting book you Valderramaread in the past year and why: “The Immortals Aramayo - History of the Persian Empire” - I am into all types of history q What are your three favorite movies: “My Man Godfrey,” “The Quiet Man,” “Smiley’s People” q What do you listen to when you’re in the car: Mix of classical, rock, pop, Latin, Russian q What’s your favorite place in Sammamish: East Lake Sammamish Trail q If someone just came to the area where, in Seattle proper, would you tell them to go out to eat: Bai Tong in Redmond - but, younger I take my nieces and nephews to MOD’s in Sammamish q What was the best vacation you ever took: To Cuzco, Peru or Cancun, Mexico (water, mountains - very Seattle-like dilemma) q Describe your perfect weekend: Soccer games, great weather, followed by grilling, walk on the trail, and a good espionage or comedy movie to wrap the evening up

14

Bob Keller Age: 60 Hometown: Born in Detroit, but raised in Southern California. I spent countless summer days at Huntington Bob Keller Beach.

What is your day job: Currently Working: 30 plus years in document automation and negotiable document security. Expertise is workflow for hospitals, financial institutions and the entertainment industry. Collaborated with Frank Abagnale (reformed forger/impersonator and author of “Catch Me If You Can”) on secure document project for a mutual client What family do you have in the area: My wife and I have 24 nieces and nephews, mostly in California. Shannon and I followed our careers to Washington almost 20 years ago. A few cousins live in Washington. We’ve made close friends (neighbors, Kiwanis, work associates) and many are as close as family. We’re dog lovers and have two rescued shelter dogs: Wyatt (husky mix) and Jessie (flatcoat retriever mix).

What was the most interesting book you read in the past year and why: “Born to Run: by Christopher McDougall — a depiction of the Tarahumara ultra-runners.

This is an inspiring story, recommended by a friend when discussing the mental challenges of running.

What are your three favorite movies: “Lonesome Dove” (mini-series), “The Day the Earth Stood Still,” “Saving

Private Ryan” What do you listen to when you’re in the car: Music: classic vinyl or light jazz; news: CNN on satellite What is your favorite place in Sammamish, besides your house: Pine Lake Park is fantastic during the Summer Concerts in the Park.

Our Kiwanis group helped build the play equipment and sell ice cream as a fundraiser and service to the families.

During these summer evenings, families gather, kids play and great music makes for a fun evening.

If someone just came to the area, where in Seattle proper would you tell them to go out to eat: Salty’s on Alki. Get a window seat to see the Seattle skyline day or night.

What was the best vacation you ever took: Lake Powell on a 23 foot open bow lake boat with my wife and good friends, loaded with 9 days of provisions. 350 miles of pristine isolated coves, waterskiing until exhausted on water so flat and clear there seemed to be no surface. Such beauty, from the sunny days to the full moon at night and intense storms. An adventure every day Describe your perfect weekend: For me, the perfect weekend ends when I’m exhausted from some adrenaline-filled recreation.

Leavenworth is our frequent retreat. I enjoy running, motorcycle riding, snowboarding, hiking, BBQs with friends. Sunday nights are generally reserved for dinner at home, watching some relaxing program with a dog next to each of us and recharging for the week ahead.

Tom Vance q Age: 62 q Hometown (not Sammamish, where you grew up): Grover Beach, CA

Tom Vance

q What’s your day job (if you’re retired, what did you do): worked for communications company Times Mirror q What family to you have in the area (include pets if you like): Just me and my wife, Mary Lynn q What was the most interesting book you read in the past year and why: Finally finished Cormac McCarthy’s Border Trilogy, with “Cities of the Plain.” McCarthy may be America’s greatest novelist in the past 30 years or so. q What are your three favorite movies: I have about a hundred, but I’ll pick three of those: “Casablanca,” “Some Like It Hot” and less well known “The Lady Eve.” q What do you listen to when you’re in the car: Jazz (KPLU), classical (KING-FM) or sports radio. q What’s your favorite place in Sammamish (besides your house): The City Council Chamber during a meeting. It is fun and important. q If someone just came to the area, where in Seattle proper, would you tell them to go out to eat: Seafood somewhere down by the market: the Market Grill or Etta’s; and we’ll meet them there. q What was the best vacation you ever took: three weeks in Greece split between Athens, Rhodes, Crete and Santorini. q Describe your perfect weekend: Bike ride or hike, relax with a book or movie (at home), music – at home or performance, dinner with friends.

15

TRAFFIC

Key things to remember about driving roundabouts: q Yield to drivers in the roundabout. q Stay in your lane; do not change lanes. q Do not stop in the roundabout. q Avoid driving next to large trucks. q Bicyclists must follow the same rules as vehicles. q If an emergency vehicle approaches, continue to your exit and then pull to the right of the road. q Use your turn signal before exiting the roundabout.

If you’ve never driven a roundabout before, you might be intimidated by that first time. But with a little practice, and by following these rules, you’ll be a pro in no time. (This goes for drivers who don’t use them often as well.)

the direc e k t Ta

te rou

RO U N DAB

Illustrations courtesy of Washington State Department of Transportation

n av

igating

a

e wh n

O UT

On the web q Check out a video series about roundabouts from the state Department of Transportation at http://youtu.be/vsCoI7lERGE. q How do I drive a roundabout: http://youtu.be/MywmtskFiiI q Pedestrian and cyclists: http:// youtu.be/Y05qGz5B1Wg q Safety benefits: http://youtu.be/LnT1HXo7p_4 q What does this mean for me: http://youtu.be/NO1bi6inF60

16

VOLUNTEERING

“I get to play with fire hoses and drive fire trucks. What could be more fun than that?”

Steve Wood

By Greg Farrar Volunteer Firefighter Steve Wood stands next to Eastside Fire & Rescue Ladder 82A, based near Sahalee out of Fire Station 82, at 1851 228th Ave. N.E. in Sammamish.

Volunteerfirebrigade Steve Wood still lends a helping hand to Eastside Fire & Rescue at age 61

By Sherry Grindeland

Unless you ask, you can’t tell the difference between Steve Wood and the career fire fighters in Sammamish. They wear identical uniforms, they’ve all gone through extensive training and they respond to the same alarms.

Wood, however, is a volunteer firefighter. Unlike the career firefighters, he has a full-time job and

only works a few shifts a month.

The 61-year-old software entrepreneur describes volunteering with Eastside Fire & Rescue as a way to give back to the community that’s been his home since 1985. Plus there’s a side benefit.

“I get to play with fire hoses and drive fire trucks,” he said. “What could be more fun than that?”

EFR currently has 74 first responder volunteers said volun-

17

By Greg Farrar Greg Tryon (right), Deputy Chief of Operations for Eastside Fire & Rescue, speaks in March at headquarters with a roomful of volunteer firefighters about the agency’s philosophy of customer service and communication.

To become a volunteer first responder – a fire fighter and possibly an emergency medical technician – you need to be physically fit. Part of the application process includes a physical test.

The best way to prepare, according the Eastside Fire & Rescue website, is to walk or jog daily, include stairs in your workout routine and be capable of covering a mile in 12 minutes.

Here’s what you will be asked to do physically. And, oh, yes, there’s a time limit. Someone will be watching you do these drills and you have 29 minutes to complete everything. q Walk 265 feet q Climb seven rungs of a ground ladder (both feet on seventh rung) and return to ground q Repeat previous event q Raise 50 pound weight five feet vertically (25 times) q Hand saw through a 4-inch by 4-inch piece of wood q Walk 265 feet q Carry 90 pounds 200 feet q Run/walk, 800 feet

Do you have the right stuff? q Crawl 25 feet on hands and knees q Climb seven rungs of a ground ladder (both feet on seventh rung) and return to ground q Repeat previous event q Walk 100 feet while carrying 50 pounds q Walk 265 feet

Benefits for volunteers q Training and continuing education opportunities q Free use of Eastside Fire & Rescue workout facilities q All personal-protective equipment and uniforms q State of Washington Board of Volunteer Firefighter pension and disability programs q Additional insurance coverage q Credit union membership

Volunteer requirements q At least 18 years old at the time of appointment q Live within Eastside Fire & Rescue service area (all of Sammamish qualifies) or within five driving miles of an EFR fire station q Pass a physical fitness assessment q Speak, write and understand English q Be a United State citizen or be authorized to work in the U.S.

On the Web q For more information, including links to volunteer application materials, visit www.eastsidefirerescue.org.

Watch these two videos for more in-depth details about the application process. q http://www.screencast.com/t/ L178Mc2D0u7 q http://www.eastsidefire-rescue.org/Volunteers/ ResponderOpportunity.htm

18 teer coordinator David Misakian of Sammamish. The consortium hopes to recruit more for the next fire fighting academy class that begins in August. Applications are due May 30.

Misakian said EFR also needs more volunteer chaplains and service support people to help with logistics and communications.

Wood enjoys helping the public and the comradeship that goes with being an EFR volunteer fireman.

“Firefighters,” he said, “are a big family.”

In addition to regular shifts where he works out of local fire stations, Wood and other volunteers provide EMT support at community events such as football games at the three plateau high schools and at the city of Sammamish Fourth of July celebration.

“Having three or four volunteers pretty much dedicated to the event frees up the regular firefighters,” Wood said.

Wood has been a volunteer firefighter since 1996. His good friend, Curt Miller, had been on the force but stopped when the two of them

started a software business. Almost a year later when Miller was ready to return to EFR and needed to go back through recertification training, Wood decided it would be something he would enjoy and joined his friend.

Miller is the Volunteer Lead at Station 81. He’s been on the force, except for the brief work hiatus, since 1985.

As with all EFR volunteers, they went through a physical and written test, a board interview, a psychological evaluation and background check. That was followed by a boot camp where they learned fire fighting and basic EMT skills.

Now Wood usually devotes 15-20 hours a month to the service. Some of that time is drilling and continued training.

Training can be in the classroom or on the duty end of a fire hose, such as the recent EFR extended and specialized exercise burning down the Kellman Mansion where the Sammamish’s Community Center is being built.

“We tortured that house for three or four months but got to practice a

lot of things like search and rescue, cutting holes, spraying foam and finally burning it down,” he said.

Volunteers like Wood are important to the EFR corps said Fire Chief Lee Soptich.

“The volunteers at EFR are most special,” he said. “There are people testing the waters as a volunteer to see if a career is something they will pursue. There are also people who simply want to give back and be a part of a critical resource in the community.”

Both kinds of volunteers are a necessity and appreciated, he said.

Typically, two-thirds of the women and men hope to use their volunteer experience as a springboard to becoming career fire fighters. The other third are people like Wood who do it as a community service and for fun.

Volunteers work at least one ‘regular’ shift a month. Wood is often assigned to Station 83, on the Sammamish border near Providence Point and Klahanie. He said the advantage of that duty is good practice with geriatric patients and

New Patient Specials FREE

SONICARE TOOTHBRUSH ($99 Value)

New patients only with exam, x-rays and cleaning.

Subject to availability, Substitutes may be given.

With coupon only.

FREE ZOOM!

FREE

Whitening for life

SONICARE TOOTHBRUSH

New patients only with exam, x-rays and cleaning.

New patients only with exam, x-rays and cleaning.

($400 Initial Value) Subject to availability, Substitutes may be given.

With coupon only.

($89 Value)

Subject to availability, Substitutes may be given.

With coupon only.

OPEN SATURDAYS!

Dr. Alireza Besharati, DDS Dr. Shadi Araghi, Certified Pediatric Dentist

HIGHLANDS DENTISTRY

No Shots. No Drills.

No Kidding!

Your kids will love the benefits & comfort of laser care!

Call for an appointment today!

425-996-0457 www.IHDentistry.com 2520 NE Park Drive, Suite C Issaquah, WA 98029

19 “meeting really nice older people.”

Volunteers also expand their skills and stay sharp on methods they may not use as frequently. A recent EMT training covered a new method of dealing with allergic reactions being taught throughout King County.

“We get to practice giving injections by giving shots to oranges,” Wood said.

In addition to training, volunteers are issued uniforms and are covered by insurance while they’re working. They’re paid small stipends for their service. The amount is based on a point system that gives credit for calls they go on, shifts they work and drills. It amounts, he said, to something around minimum wage.

But the benefits outweigh any lack of monetary compensation.

The EMT training alone is top notch.

“King County is the top place to be in the world for emergency training,” he said, quoting statistics on the high save rate because of the area’s CPR and defibrillation protocols. “I get the training for free.”

Add some bloom to your life!

“A Premier Northwest Destination Nursery”

$5.00 Off $25.00 purchase

Coupon must be present - cannot be combined with any other offers.

• Hanging Baskets / Container Gardens • Evergreen & Flowering Trees • Huge Pottery Selection • Six Greenhouses / Grower Direct • Gift Shops & Display Gardens

42328 SE 108th St. North Bend, WA, 98045

425-831-2274

www.thenurseryatmountsi.com

Advertisers know... readership matters!

2013 First Place - General Excellence (WNPA) 2012 First Place - Best use of Social Media (WNPA) 2011 First Place - General Excellence (WNPA) 2011 News Writer of the Year (WNPA) 2010 First Place - Best Non-Daily in 5-state region (SPJ) 2010 First Place - Community Service (WNPA) 2010 First Place - Investigative Reporting (WNPA)

I t takes excellent journalism, creative design, consistent delivery and a community commitment to keep readers coming back for more.

2012 Second Place - General Excellence (WNPA) 2011 Third Place - General Excellence (WNPA) 2010 Third Place - General Excellence (WNPA) 2010 Third Place - Best Non-Daily in 5-state region (SPJ) 2010 News Writer of the Year (WNPA) 2009 First Place - General Excellence (WNPA)

2013 First Place - Community Service (WNPA) 2012 Second Place - General Excellence (WNPA) 2010 Feature Writer of the Year (WNPA)

www.SammamishReview.com/subscribe

schools & activities Pre-K, Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd & 3rd Grade Foundation Education/ Sammamish Plateau Campus • Accelerated Academic Program • Experienced & Compassionate Teachers • Individualized Instruction • After School Enrichment Program • State Approved & Regionally Accredited

Now Enrolling 2014 - 2015 School Year

Snoqualmie Springs School

25237 SE Issaquah-Fall City Rd. Issaquah 98029 (1 blk. S. of Klahanie QFC) www.snosprings.com • 425.392.1196

It’s Fall Enrollment Time!

• 12 years providing fun learning programs for children • Multicultural bilingual program • Academics emphasized in a warm and nurturing environment • Hands on learning • Lessons reinforced through art, science, dance and songs

425.898.7831 • 425.836.0212 www.sammamishspanishpreschool.com

• Ages 3-7 Pre-ballet, basic tumbling, tap • on the Plateau • 6 week summer program

A D ANCE

GOTT

Ages 2 - Adult

Recreational through Performance Team

OR SIGN UPCFAMPS SUMMER

Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop, Ballet, Lyrical, Combination Classes, Adult and Toddler We Do Birthday Parties!

Dance with Miss Sue 425.443.5737

Tuition or Drop In • 27 years experience Mbr. of Dance Educators of America

21

Call Today: (425) 861-5454 www.gttadance.com

17945 NE 65th • Suite 100 • Redmond, WA 98052

“Building a Strong Foundation”

Our features ~ Small school environment ~ Personalized lesson plans ~ Experienced, certified and trained staff ~ Academic, social & emotional growth ~ Extra curricular classes: Spanish, Japanese, Music, and more.

Program 8AM - 6PM, Monday — Friday, Part-time and full-time. Before and after care available.

Preschool - Kindergarten (2 1/2- 6 age).

Call today to schedule a tour

425-557-4238

www.astermontessori.com info@astermontessori.com

22

schools & activities

23

SAMMI AWARDS

The Skyline High School Vocal Jazz Choir entertains the crowd during the 2014 SAMMI awards.

Photo contributed

SAMMIs honor exceptional volunteers Dawn Sanders works to ensure the city has volunteers on hand, and helps bring together people willing to volunteer with groups that need them.

The Rev. Kevin Duggan, priest at Mary, Queen of Peace Catholic Church, lead his church to be the first place in Sammamish to play host to Tent City 4, a traveling homeless encampment.

Meet the exceptional people who work or live in Sammamish.

Every spring, to honor such special community members, a volunteer group produces the SAMMI Awards show.

The SAMMI — Sammamish Acknowledging Magnificent Moments of Inspiration — Awards were first created in 2001, thanks to the efforts of Karen Armstead, Loren Stayboldt and Jack Barry.

Today, a group of dedicated volunteers ensure that the show continues the tradition.

Typically, volunteers accept nominations in late fall for next year’s

On the Web

For more information about the SAMMI Awards, go to www.sammiawards.org. The organization, which accepts nominations each fall, is always looking for volunteers to help produce the community event. show. By late winter, nominees are announced; the awards presentation typically takes place in late March.

The show’s format has changed over the years, reducing the number of categories, but increasing the number of people recognized in each.

The show now features six categories: environmental stewardship, youth spirit, circle of service, community spirit, courage and the founder’s award.

The show doesn’t honor just the

winners, but the entire community.

Local performers, singers, dancers and artists can audition to perform during the ceremony.

In 2013, there were more than 90 nominations. Those nominated get winnowed down to a select few who receive the honor.

The 2013 SAMMI winners include: q Environmental Stewardship: Erica Tiliacos, Wally Pereyra, Ann Precup and Stephanie Hibner q Youth Spirit: Sara Baumert, Justin McOmber, Chirag Vedullapalli and Amol Garg q Circle of Service: Kathie Jorgensen, C.J. Kahler and David Misakian q Community Spirit: C.J. Kahler, Jan Bennett and Vicki Hoffman (posthumous) q Courage: Father Kevin Duggan and Mary, Queen of Peace Church, Don Pattee and the Schrier Family q Founder’s Award: Dawn Sanders

24

HEALTH CARE

The Evergreen Primary Care Center — Sammamish is located at 22850 N.E. Eighth Street, in the Saffron Shopping Center.

Photo contributed

Putting the care in health EvergreenHealth prides itself on community outreach

By Peter Clark

When voters agreed to fund the King County Public Hospital District No. 2 in 1967, the Eastside looked a lot different than it currently does. The area was far more rural, and when the district was created, the northern half of Sammamish ended up in the dis-

trict. They remain there, and continue to pay property taxes to support the hospital.

EvergreenHealth, as it is currently known, has expanded along with the population since the doors first opened on the Kirkland Evergreen Medical Center in 1972.

“We have grown from the hos-

pital on the hill to a world class medical center,” Administrative Director Laurene Burton said.

“Evergreen was born because there was a need for general services. As our community began to grow, a group of citizens decided it was time to form a hospital district and they brought it to the voters.”

25

Growth “It certainly has grown,” Burton said about the Eastside.

While the population first reacted to that growth with the founding of the hospital district, she said the Board of Commissioners followed that lead.

EvergreenHealth as a network now spans from its Kirkland main campus, to primary care facilities in Canyon Park, Duvall, Kenmore, Redmond, Sammamish and Woodinville.

“Our board really had the foresight to serve our community,” Burton said. “It has grown and the insightfulness of our board planned for that growth and built facilities for that need.”

That growth includes opening the primary care center in Sammamish in 2004. There, residents can get same-day appointments, see family practice physicians and receive x-ray and lab services.

EvergreenHealth’s website said the Primary Care Center in Sammamish connects patients with a network of more than 150 specialists all working for EvergreenHealth and another 600 affiliated specialists.

“We felt our services were needed in that area,” Burton said. “Primary care is the first and foremost entry into your health care center. It’s really a connection for you to create your annual health history.”

Taxing district Half of Sammamish pays its share to support the Evergreen Hospital District, but what does that get them? Sammamish property owners in the 98074 area code currently pay $.2835 per $1,000 annually, or $85 for a $300,000 home in the district levy.

“This provides a very, very small percent of our operating budget,” Burton said. “It’s less than 3 percent.”

The district collected $24.7 million in levy dollars for 2012, which was the most recent data available, according to Jessica Mathews with EvergreenHealth’s public relations

Meet the commissioners EvergreenHealth is led by a publicly elected Board of Commissioners, whose five members serve six-year terms. The members are meant to represent the various districts served by EvergreenHealth.

The board meets the first Tuesday of the month at 5:30 p.m. and the third Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in room Tan 250 in the Evergreen Surgery and Physicians Center.

For details about the board, including minutes of past meetings, visit www.evergreenhealth.com/about_evergreen/governance_leadership.

Al DeYoung q 2014 Board Chairman q Commissioner Position No. 1 q Represents: Bothell/Duvall/ Woodinville q Board member Al DeYoung since 1980 q A life-long resident of the Northshore area, Commissioner DeYoung has been involved in community affairs since he was elected to the Northshore School Board in 1968.

Jeanette Greenfield q 2014 Board Secretary q Commissioner Position No. 5 q At-Large representative q Board member since 1998 q Recently Jeanette retired from the Greenfield banking industry, she has 30 years of non-profit management experience and more than eight years in banking and finance.

Rebecca Hirt q Commissioner Position No. 2 q Represents Kirkland/Kenmore q Board member since 1984 q A resident of

Rebecca Hirt

the Kirkland area for more than 30 years, Rebecca Hirt worked part-time at EvergreenHealth Medical Center as a medical technologist before joining the board.

R. August Kempf q Commissioner Position No. 3 q Represents Redmond/ Sammamish q Board member since 2000 q Commissioner Kempf is presiR. August dent of Kempf Kempf and Company, an insurance, investment and financial planning firm. He is a past president of the Redmond Chamber of Commerce, and is actively involved in several other community organizations.

Charles Pilcher, MD q Commissioner Position No. 4 q At-Large representative q Board member since 2010 q Chuck Pilcher retired in 2009 after 35 years of service Charles in the Emergency Pilcher, MD Department at EvergreenHealth.

He also serves as a volunteer physician at Camp Korey in Carnation, and donates his time for medical missions to international countries.

26 contact Firmani + Associates Inc. She said this represented roughly 3.5 percent of the operating revenues for the district.

She said 75 percent of what is raised through the levy is dedicated towards debt retirement, paying off the voter-approved facilities which has expanded EvergreenHealth’s offerings. The other 25 percent goes towards community programs.

“It allows us to provide the community resources like the health line, the senior health specialist and grief and bereavement services,” Burton said.

Beyond that, she said the levy provides funding for the Community Healthcare team and resources to link people with insurance information.

“Today, the levy money is used to provide much-needed community health services,” according to EvergreenHealth’s website. “There isn’t profit in providing free vaccinations for schoolchildren or health classes for seniors, or in helping the community’s underinsured connect

EvergreenHealth regularly provides information booths at community events.

Photo contributed

Todd Steinhart, DMD Mark W. Nelson, DDS, MSD One of Seattle’s Top Rated Orthodontic Offices Treating children, teens and adults

336 228th Ave NE, Ste. 300 Sammamish 425-369-0366 www.sammamishortho.com

27 with preventive care. But because Evergreen is owned by the community, we have a responsibility to provide these services regardless of their profitability.”

Burton said the publicly elected Board of Commissioners kept a close watch on the purse strings to ensure residents saw the most value from their tax dollars.

“The board is very stalwart in how they want this money spent,” she said. “The community is our investors.”

Evergreen Medical Center 12040 N.E. 128th Street Kirkland Call 425.899.3000 or visit Evergreenhealth.com for more information

Evergreen Primary Care – Sammamish

Competition As EvergreenHealth has grown, so has the competition. On the other side of the plateau, Swedish Hospital opened its Issaquah campus in 2011 and Bellevue’s Overlake Medical Center has grown as well.

“In healthcare, there’s no doubt about it — it’s a competitive market,” Burton said. “The Eastside is a bursting population and I do

22850 N.E. Eighth Street No. 103, Sammamish (In the Saffron Shopping Center) Hours: Monday 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., closed Sunday believe there’s room for all of us.”

Still, as a public district, EvergreenHealth is subject to laws

Custom Aquariums

“Dan Moon creates living art. He has extensive knowledge, years of experience and total commitment to making your aquatic dreams come true; Dan’s passion for reef aquariums is unmatched. You haven’t seen anything like it in the Northwest!”

Maintenance

of Washington State that don’t restrict other medical centers.

“We’re bound by the Revised Code of Washington’s open public meeting act, we’re required to uphold the public disclosure law, and there’s different audits we have to go through,” Burton said. “We welcome that because it allows us to be transparent.”

Above everything else, Burton said the medical health center espouses openness and inclusion.

“I would say that Evergreen is very unique in their community outreach,” Burton said. “It’s a primary objective of everything we do.”

She said that Evergreen approached the future in trying to find better ways to serve the residents. After working with the public district for 22 years, she was proud in how much EvergreenHealth brings to the Sammamish community.

“We’ve just achieved excellence on so many levels,” Burton said.

“We really pride ourselves with building relationships with our patients.”

Live Stock

28

EVENTS

Summer isn’t the only time things happen in Sammamish. Here’s a look at the rest of the year.

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

March SAMMI Awards q SAMMI Awards are presented. Community members nominate their peers, co-workers and friends, and the winners are announced, celebrated with music and dance performances. Visit www.sammiawards.org.

April Eggstravaganza q Eggstravaganza, annual Easter egg hunt combined with entertainment arts and crafts for the kids, hosted by the Sammamish Family YMCA. Call 391-4840.

Spring Home Tour q Spring Home Tour of choice real estate for sale is a free drive-yourself affair, April 27 and 28, 2013. Visit www.sammamishreview.com for details.

May Sammamish Walks q Take guided walks through different parks around Sammamish the third Saturday of the month through October.

Go to www.SammamishWalks.org.

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

29

June Teen Fest q The Sammamish Teen Fest and skate festival is set for 3 p.m. June 7.

Lifeguard is on duty q Lifeguard season begins at Pine Lake Park at noon June 14.

Volunteers needed q Volunteer event to help Sammamish Landing is from 9 a.m. to noon June 21. Sign up at www.cedarriver.org/events

July Fourth on the Plateau q Fourth on the Plateau, the annual Fourth of July festival and fireworks show, begins at noon July 4 at City Hall.

KidsFirst! q The weekly KidsFirst! series, sponsored by Sammamish Kiwanis starts at Noon July 8. It runs Tuesdays through the end of August except Aug. 5. Locations vary. Visit www.

Sammamish.us for details.

Concerts in the Park q Concerts in the park, the free

show in Pine Lake Park starts July 10 and runs Every Thursday through August at 6 p.m. Time and location is the same, but the band change every week. Go to www.Sammamish.us for details.

Shakespeare in the Park q Shakespeare in the Park, a free performance of a play by Shakespeare is at 7 p.m. July 19 and 26. Typically, there is a different play each week. Plays have not yet been announced.

Children's Walk q Sammamish walks is hosting a children’s walk at Big Rock Park from 10 a.m. to noon July 19, 20 and 21. For more information and to register, visit www.sammamishwalks.org.

August National Night Out q Safe and Sound Sammamish, an annual event to kick off National Night Out, is at 2 p.m. Aug. 5 at City Hall.

Sammamish Days q Sammamish Days, a family friendly festival, and Sammamish Nights, which is an adults-only evening

30

31

Volunteers needed q Volunteer event to help Sammamish Landing is from 9 a.m. to noon Oct. 18.

Sign up at www.cedarriver.org/events.

Nightmare at Beaver Lake q Nightmare at Beaver Lake, a Halloween haunted house and outdoor event, is held every year at Beaver Lake Park for two weeks, sponsored by Sammamish Rotary Club. Visit www. nightmareatbeaverlake.com.

Halloween Happening q Halloween happening, a familyfriendly chance for children to safely trick-or-treat is at 2:30 p.m. Oct. 31 at City Hall.

December Breakfast with Santa

of music and wine, is set for Aug. 9.

Sammamish days starts in the morning, typically followed by a break of a few hours before Sammamish nights takes over. Both events are at City Hall.

September Lifeguard is out q The final day of lifeguards at Pine Lake Park is Labor Day, Sept. 1.

Volunteers needed q Volunteer to help maintain Illahee Trail from 9 a.m. to noon Sept. 20. Visit www.sammamish.us to sign up.

October Homecoming Parade q Homecoming Pep Parade for Skyline High School along 228th Avenue Southeast, before the football game is usually in September or October.

Art Fair q Sammamish Art Fair is at 10 a.m.

Oct. 11 and 12 at City Hall.

Ski & Sport Swap q Ski & Sport Swap meet, sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Sammamish, is usually held in early October. Visit www. sammamishkiwanis.org.

q Breakfast with Santa is in early December. Includes music and holiday crafts. Visit www.sammamishkiwanis.org.

Christmas tree lighting q Sammamish’s annual Christmas Tree and Menorah lighting is at 6 p.m. Dec. 5.

Visit www.Sammamish.us.

32

TEENS

By Neil Pierson Chase Whyte, an Eastlake High School junior, volunteers for the Homeless Outreach Program, an organization he created to help feed the homeless.

Students find joy and meaning in volunteering

By Neil Pierson

Volunteerism seems to be a growing activity among secondary students in the Lake Washington and Issaquah school districts.

Community service isn’t a graduation requirement, but many classes and extracurricular clubs at Eastlake and Skyline high schools focus on it.

At Eastlake, junior Chase Whyte has gone beyond simply finding a volunteer activity. He formed his own group – Homeless Outreach Program at Eastlake – to get other students involved.

HOPE blossomed out of Whyte’s initial foray into volunteering, when he began working at The Landing, an emergency homeless shelter for young adults in Redmond. Friends of Youth – an organization that

operates in 17 cities around the Puget Sound region – operates Redmond shelter.

Every Thursday night, Whyte went to The Landing and helped prepare breakfast for the following day. Homeless men and women ages 18-24 are served there, the only emergency shelter in east King County.

Whyte’s individual work sparked an idea – form a club at Eastlake to

33

By Neil Pierson Skyline High School senior Jonathan Yee helps fellow students through the school’s Key Club and Link Crew, and also works with Treehouse, an organization that supports foster children.

get others involved. HOPE now has 18 members, Whyte said, and they connect through social networks to take turns volunteering at The Landing.

Because of confidentiality agreements, the student volunteers work with shelter employees, rather than directly with the homeless.

“They’re always so grateful whenever we drop anything off,” Whyte said. “They’re very personally invested in the organization, so I always just get a sense of personal satisfaction whenever I see the gratitude … on their faces.”

Whyte said HOPE is looking to grow by working with additional homeless-aid groups, but it hasn’t found an opportunity yet.

He also thinks the club is a good way for Eastlake students to expand their horizons.

“These kids that go to Redmond, they don’t have any family. They don’t have any home,” Whyte said.

“Every single night is basically a fight for survival, to try to find somewhere they can stay and not be freezing to death, or finding food.

It’s definitely something that would be a foreign concept to a lot of the youth around this area.”

Jonathan Yee is well known around Skyline High for his outreach efforts. The senior serves on two school-based volunteer groups – Key Club and Link Crew – and helped organize a major donation project in December for Treehouse, a Seattle-based group that targets children in foster care.

Yee said he began volunteering several years ago. While at Pine Lake Middle School, he worked with teacher Curtis Betzler’s

nonprofit organization that aids needy children in South Africa, Generation Joy. That transitioned into joining Key Club as a Skyline freshman, which works with the Kiwanis Club of Sammamish on various service projects. Last fall, he helped develop a food drive that ended up raising 900 pounds of items for the Issaquah Food and Clothing Bank.

“I think, for me, volunteering is just a way to fit with people who take the same values as yourself,” Yee said.

As Link Crew member, Yee helps ninth-graders successfully transition to the high-school environment.

Two seniors are typically paired up with about 10 freshmen, and they work with each other the entire year.

He often checks in with the

34 freshmen in his group with text messages, and the seniors made care packages for their younger peers prior to finals week.

Yee plans to attend Seattle University next year, and he’s working on a Sullivan Leadership Award that pays for four years of tuition and living expense. The award is given to students with exceptional leadership and service qualities.

“We are targeting teen homelessness, and working in Key Club …

I think has really helped me know what I want to do in the future,” he said.

“We had a leadership day for finalists to come in, and hearing what other people had to say about service, I think, really opened my eyes to see what other people are doing around the world, not just in our small community itself.”

Issaquah High senior Robin Lustig has multiple volunteer commitments that help people in Sammamish and the rest of the Eastside, in addition to working two

Welcome Home!

By Neil Pierson Issaquah High School senior Robin Lustig volunteers with organizations like Friends of Youth, the Issaquah Community Network and the Drug Free Community Coalition.

at Issaquah Community Center

Connected to the Pulse of Sammamish & Issaquah for Over 35 Years

Let my expertise and enthusiasm help you with your real estate needs.

Susan H. Gerend, CRS, GRI, ASP Certified Residential Specialist

www.susangerend.com 206.719.4663 sgerend@windermere.com

Mon / Wed / Fri 6 AM Mon thru Fri 9:35 AM Mon thru Thurs 6 PM Sat 9 AM

All classes are one hour long and held at 301 Rainier Blvd. S. Issaquah, WA 98027

issaquahjazzercise@gmail.com for more info

Opening October 17th, 2014 Learn how you can get involved in this popular community event at the

Volunteer Picnic!

June 8, 2014 Beaver Lake Park Pavilion Start at Noon Free Improvisational acting class taught by the masters of Scare at 2 p.m.

Please RSVP to volunteer@sammamishrotary.org Rotary Club of Sammamish

35 part-time jobs.

She serves as a student representative to the board of directors at Friends of Youth, a Kirklandbased support network for children in need. She’s a secretary for the Issaquah Community Network, a more hyper-local group that seeks to strengthen families through a variety of activities. And she works with an ICN sister board, Drug Free Community Coalition, to reduce drug and alcohol usage among her peers.

Lustig referred to the schools district’s 2012 Healthy Youth Survey that showed many students began using marijuana and alcohol around 10th grade.

“So what we’re focusing on trying to do is … ‘What is the reasoning for that, and how can we stop it?’” she said. “And make people realize that even though people are using, most people are not using.”

“I think that teenagers in Issaquah turn to drinking for a deeper reason than to just fit in, because although some kids drink

in high school, it’s definitely not everyone,” she added.

Now in her third year with Friends of Youth, Lustig helps develop resources for kids dealing with myriad issues. Some might not have enough food at home. Others might not feel safe because their parents fight.

With the Issaquah Community Network, she works on issues surrounding substance-abuse programs, job fairs and vocational training opportunities.

She gives, but she also gets something in return, she felt.

“I think people kind of need to have a little push to volunteer, which isn’t a bad thing,” Lustig said. “People get inspired in different ways. I like to volunteer because I like the reactions of different people when I find out that I’ve helped them.”

Lustig hasn’t chosen a college yet, but plans to study pre-law next year, and said, “I really hope I can continue with community service and leadership.”

36

CLUBS

JOIN IN There are dozens of other clubs in Sammamish. Here’s a look at what your community has to offer.

Civic/Community 4 Beaver Lake Community Club meets at 7 p.m. the first Monday at the Lodge at Beaver Lake Park, 25201 S.E. 24th St. 4 Friends of the Sammamish Library meets monthly in the library meeting room. Visit www. sammamishlibraryfriends.org.

4 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.

4 Moms Club of the Sammamish plateau has activities including weekly, age specific playgroups and monthly meetings, coffee mornings, mom’s nights out, craft club and local area outings. Visit www. momsclubsammamish.org or call 836-5015.

4 Moms in Touch prayer groups meet for one hour each week. Visit www.MomsInTouch.org.

4 Mothers & More of Sammamish and Redmond has play groups, mother’s night out, book club, movie night, family night and family events. Visit www.redmondmothersandmore.org.

4 Sammamish Plateau Parent Networking Group holds regular programs to help parents become more effective. Contact Cherry O’Neill at dwo-mci@msn.com.

4 The Pine Lake Community Club Board usually meets the third Wednesday, with other meetings held as needed. Visit www.pinelakecommunityclub.com.

4 The Sammamish Heritage Society meets from 7:30-9 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month at the Pine Lake Community Club, 21333 S.E. 20th St. in Sammamish.

Visit www.iinet.com/~shs.

Photo contributed Members of the Sammamish Heritage Society put a fresh coat of paint on the Reard House.

4 Toastmasters of Sammamish meets from 7-8:30 p.m. Tuesdays at Mary, Queen of Peace Church, 1121 228th Ave. S.E. Call 427-9682.

4 Foster Parent Support Group meets the last Thursday of each month from 6-8 p.m. at Mary, Queen of Peace Parish, 1121 228th Ave. S.E. Earn your training/foster parent hours. Refreshments and child care are provided. Call 206719-8764.

Service 4 The General Federation of Women’s Clubs, local chapter Cascade Woman’s Club meets at 7 p.m. the second Thursday of each month in members’ homes.

Membership in the volunteer ser-

vice organization is open to all women. Call 898-8603 or visit www. gfwccascadeclub.org.

4 Kiwanis Club of Sammamish meets at 7 a.m. Wednesdays at Sammamish Hills Lutheran Church, 22818 S.E. Eighth St. Visit www.sammamishkiwanis.org.

4 Kiwanis Club of Providence Point meets at noon Fridays at the Providence Point Town Hall.

Visitors are welcome.

4 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.

4 Rotaract, a community service for young adults ages 18-30 spon-

37 sored by the Sammamish Rotary, meets twice a month. Email scott. brewer@sammamishrotary.org.

4 Sammamish Chamber of Commerce meets at 11:30 a.m. the third Thursday (January through November) at the Plateau Club, 25625 E. Plateau Drive. Visit www. sammamishchamber.org.

4 Sammamish Citizen Corps Council needs volunteers to help support the Community Emergency Response Team and other groups.

Email info@sammamishcitizencorps.org, visit www.sammamishcitizencorps.org or attend the meeting from 7-8 p.m. first Wednesday of every month at Fire Station 82.

4 Purrfect Pals cat shelter is seeking volunteers to care for and play with cats. Volunteers must be 18 or older. Shifts are two hours, once per week. Visit www.purrfectpals.org.

Hobbies 4 The Sammamish Gavel Club, a youth public speaking group sponsored by the Toastmasters of Sammamish, is for youths 6-18 who want to improve and practice public speaking skills. The club meets every Thursday evening at Mary, Queen of Peace Catholic Church from 7-8:15 p.m. Contact David Hall at 425-677-8345 or email orator@live.com.

4 Sammamish Garden Club, formerly Morning Glories Garden Club, meets the second Tuesday of each month. Call 836-0421.

4 Pine Lake Garden Club meets the second Wednesday of each month. Call 836-7810.

4 Toastmasters of Sammamish meet from 7:15–8:45 p.m. every Tuesday at Mary, Queen of Peace Catholic Church. Call 427-9682 or email davidlloydhall@live.com.

4 Block Party Quilters Club meets at 7 p.m. the first Thursday of each month at Mary, Queen of Peace Catholic Church, 1121 228th Ave. S.E., Sammamish. Visit www. bpquilters.org.

4 Sammamish Plateau Amateur Radio Club meets at 7 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month at Fire Station 83. The club is open to amateur radio operators and those interested in the hobby.

Find the perfect piece to turn your house into a home

Now Open in North Bend

Need A

Custom

Barstool?

• Counter Height Stools • Pub Tables and Bistro Sets • Tables and Table Sets • Unique Gifts • Counter Height Tables • Dining Chairs • Cabinets, Buffets & Servers • and much more!

Largest selection of Barstools and Dinettes in Washington

425.363.2175

412 Main Avenue South • North Bend info@barstoolsanddinettes.net Tues-Sat 10 - 6 pm • Sun 12 - 5 pm• Closed Monday

38

Register for Summer Camps with the Boys & Girls Clubs!

Teen Camps Sports Camps

Breakfast and Dessert served all day

Going into 1st-5th

Going into 7th and above

Tween Camps Going into 5th-6th

Theme Camps Going into 1st-5th & 6th-9th

Eat here...

Day Camps

Going into 1st-5th

it’s good!

To register visit

rs.positiveplace.org SAFFRON CENTER NORTH - SAMMAMISH PLATEAU

22830 NE 8TH ST., Suite 101 - 425.242.1350 - www.cafesinc.com MON-TUES 6AM-3PM • WED-SAT 6AM-8PM • SUN 7AM-8PM

Big City Care, Close to Home Harvard Educated?

Mayo Trained?

Board Certified?

A doctor who listens?

4 4 4 4

We’ve got all the skills and experience of a “big city” doctor, without the travel, traffic and parking headaches of a “big city” office.

Dermotologist, Dr. Arlo Miller

When it comes to your skin, rely on an expert.

Most insurances accepted

Schedule your appointment online at www.MillerFamilyDerm.com 450 NW Gilman Blvd., Suite 301A, Issaquah 425-654-3961 www.MillerFamilyDerm.com

39

INDEX

Adver tising Aegis at Marymoor Advanced Reef Management, LLC Agave Aster Montessori Cafes Inc Casual Dining Barstools and Dinettes Dance With Miss Sue First Impressions Family Dentistry Forest Ridge School of The Sacred Heart Frontier Pest Control Gilman Gallery, Inc. Gotta Dance Highlands Dentistry Holiday Inn Issaquah Cedar & Lumber Issaquah Jazzercise Miller Family Dermatology Montessori Children’s House NW University

35 27 35 21 38 37 21 2 21 7 39 21 18 7 40 34 38 22 10

Overlake Hospital Pine Lake Ale House Red Gate Farm Redmond Boys & Girls Club Rotary Club of Sammamish Sambica Sammamish Chamber of Commerce Sammamish Orthodontics Sammamish Spanish Preschool Snoqualmie Springs School Snoqualmie Tobacco & Liquor Co. Susan Gerend - Windermere TLC Montessori Thai Ginger The Grange Supply The Island Gallery The Nursery at Mount Si The Overlake School

30 8 20 38 34 20 9 26 20 20 11 34 20 19 9 37 19 22