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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2013
A DIVISION OF SOUND PUBLISHING
Future downtown housing will offer variety of options
Strike up the band
Samantha Pak spak@redmond-reporter.com
Evergreen Middle School band director Eric Peterson conducts band students during a concert. Courtesy photo
School district program opens up to fourth graders
grade reconfiguration to a K-5, 6-8, 9-12 system, both band and orchestra In the past, students students will have the in the Lake Washington chance to learn their inSchool District (LWSD) struments for two years would have to wait until before heading to middle fifth grade if school. they wanted to Eric Peterson, join the band band director For more program. Schools news, at Evergreen But now Middle School see page 6 thanks to the (EMS) in Redefforts of music mond, said this instructors disshift benefits trictwide, youngboth the program, as well sters interested in band as the students. can pick up their instruHe said fourth and ment of choice a year fifth grades are the best earlier in fourth grade times for students’ brains just like their counterto pick up on things and ng Session! parts in the orchestra they are more receptive program. to learning. The extra With the district’s year of instruction also Samantha Pak
spak@redmond-reporter.com
gives students more time to develop their technical skills. Peterson said this is important if they choose to try out for any sort of honor program as the level of competition in such programs is high and only becoming more challenging. Even if students don’t choose to try out for an honor program, Redmond High School (RHS) orchestra director Paula C. Ferguson said the skill level in music programs at the high school level is also high. Although the program change takes place at the elementary level, both Ferguson and RHS band director Andy Robertson
will benefit. Robertson said once the students reach the high school level, their skill level will be higher. “I think it’ll be great,” he said. Bryan Kolk, the orchestra director at Redmond Middle School (RMS), said having the band program begin at the same grade level as orchestra also allows for consistent instruction. Previously when band began a year after orchestra, some students would join the latter for a year before switching to the former in order to play the instrument they really wanted to play. [ more music page 7 ]
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Since 1993, about 2,250 new housing units have been built in downtown Redmond. These units have come in the form of traditional apartments and condominiums, town homes and sustainable living communities and offer people several options when looking for a place to live. “We want to look at a variety of housing,” said Jeri Rowe-Curtis, chief policy adviser for the City of Redmond. This variety includes units for residents ranging from young professionals to young families to empty nesters who want to move out of their bigger homes and into something smaller. In addition, about 10 percent of the units built must be affordable housing. The City of Redmond is focusing on development downtown to turn the neighborhood into an urban center. According to city documents, officials plan to bring the number of downtown dwelling units up from 2,300 in 2010 to 6,170 by 2030. This would more than double the number of residents from 4,270 to 11,350. The city saw a big wave of developers in 2004
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but senior planner Gary Lee said things stalled and paused a bit with the economic downturn in the last few years, adding that there have been two recessions since then but Redmond has fared better than other cities. “It’s been going in waves with the economy,” said he about housing developments in the neighborhood. “We’ve been really fortunate compared to other cities.” Lee said according to the urban vision set for downtown, development and construction activity has been brisk during the past few years, and it looks like it will continue for the next several years if the economy holds steady. There are a number of four- to six-story buildings currently under construction through private development in downtown. Lee said they are the 154-unit Redmond Square Apartments on 170th Avenue Northeast at Northeast 80th Street, the 130-unit Center Pointe development on Cleveland Street at 164th Avenue Northeast, the 150-unit Old Town development on Cleveland and Brown streets, the 150-unit 85th Street Apartments on Northeast 85th Street at 158th [ more building page 7 ]