The Issaquah Press – News, Sports, Classifieds in Issaquah, WA

Local

Issaquah grew by 139 percent since 2000

NEW — 11:35 a.m. July 3, 2009

Through annexations and influxes of new residents to Talus and the Issaquah Highlands, Issaquah grew by 139 percent since 2000. Between April 2000 and April 2009, the city swelled to nearly 27,000 residents. The population explosion made the city the fifth fastest growing in Washington.

Issaquah added 15,678 residents due to annexations and growth in the hillside urban villages. State figures show the April 2009 population at 26,890.

Figures released Monday by the state Office of Financial Management showed Issaquah trailing four smaller cities on the list of fastest-growing cities. Snoqualmie — the fastest growing — ballooned by 8,099 residents to 9,730 people.

Sports

Patriots’ track coach leads by example

Michael Smith (right) starts his watch and heads out with other runners June 13 on the 7.6-mile Cougar Mountain Trail series race. By Greg Farrar

A little more than 30 years ago, Michael Smith loaded his running shoes and his other earthly belongings into a pint-sized Honda 600 car and moved to Seattle from his San Francisco Bay-area home.

He never moved back to the city by the bay and the two-cylinder, 36-horsepower micro car bit the dust decades ago.

In the past three decades, Smith has made quite a name for himself in the local running community after winning several Cougar Mountain Trail series and other races. Smith, who coaches the Liberty High School track and cross country teams, can hold his own with runners half his age.

Fresh out of high school, a friend suggested Smith enroll at Highline Community College.

“He said, ‘It’s really green up here and you really have to come here,” Smith said. Read more »

Schools

High School math curriculum adoption is put on hold

NEW — 2:31 p.m. June 25, 2009

After community concern and lack of clarity at the state level, Issaquah School District Superintendent Steve Rasmussen told school board members June 24 that he had decided to delay the district’s high school math adoption for one year.

“The teachers on the adoption committee have done thorough, exceptional work and we don’t want to lose that. But it is prudent to wait for the dust to settle,” he said.

Teachers will continue to use the current math program, College Prep Mathematics, when students come back to class in the fall, said Patrick Murphy, executive director of secondary education.