White House tree has local ornament
December 15, 2008
Issaquah artist’s design selected
Issaquah native Kimberley Dodd created this ornament, now hanging on the White House Christmas tree. Contributed
Everyone knows that the fame of Issaquah residents reaches around the world, but now it reaches right into the White House, too.
Kimberley Dodd, an Issaquah native, was selected to produce an ornament for the White House Christmas tree. Read more
Belting out ‘Jingle Bells’
December 15, 2008
Sabina Gaudiano belts out ‘sleigh,’ the last word of ‘Jingle Bells,’ with Misha Tokumi and Emily Robinson, as their Issaquah Valley Elementary School choir sings for residents Dec. 12 at Áegis Senior Inn of Issaquah. ‘They did such a beautiful job. It just lifts you up,’ resident Bonnie Dauron said after the show. Sixty children in kindergarten through fifth grade, performed in two groups, with their parents bringing refreshments. Photo by By Greg Farrar.
Final attendance boundaries set for district schools
December 15, 2008
Superintendent Steve Rasmussen approved new school boundaries for the district Dec. 11.
“Today, I am pleased to officially adopt the committee’s final recommendation for implementation in the fall of 2010,” he wrote in a letter to the community. Read more
City services, schools ready for cold
December 15, 2008
It’s cold, but it’s expected to get a lot colder.
Whether it’s snow, ice, a deep freeze, or some combination of them all, Issaquah’s police, fire and schools have been preparing for the cold, as should you.
The clear, arctic air has sent temperatures into the teens and they may persist until Christmas. It is likely to become the longest frigid spell since December 1990, when a similar event caused thousands of frozen pipes, cold houses and flooding when the burst pipes thawed. Read more
Elderly man kidnapped, tricked into marriage
December 15, 2008
Issaquah police have arrested two Bellevue women in a scheme to steal money from an elderly Issaquah man.
The arrests took place Dec. 11 in Bellevue, according to Cmdr. Scott Behrbaum. He said the women, ages 29 and 56, were reported to the police by King County Adult Protective Services after they tried to take advantage of the vulnerable 78-year-old. Read more
December Dash helps food bank
December 15, 2008
David Seligman, of Squak Mountain; Gretchen Dowling, of Mirrormont; and their spouses Heidi Seligman and Steve Dowling (left to right), with dogs both named Tucker, enjoy the spirit of the holidays, giving and running, as they finish the 5K December Dash held Dec. 13 with the start and finish at Issaquah High School. Registration fees of $15 were donated to the Issaquah Food and Clothing Bank, and Costco donated a $250 gift card for the food bank to use. About 84 students, families and friends ran, with 139 total registrations submitted. Photo by Greg Farrar.
100 percent of donations helps Issaquah families
December 15, 2008
TO DATE: $16,945
GOAL: $50,000
As winter approaches, the calls increase from families needing a bit of financial help to keep them in their homes and the heat on. Read more
Voter-OKed trap ban led to increase in mole population
December 15, 2008
Moles have always presented a local problem, as witnessed in 2005 by the sign at a home in the 200 block of Northeast Crescent Drive. Photo by Jon Savelle.
Moles, those scourges that create unsightly, volcano-like mounds, can create widespread damage at parks and school grounds. Want an example? Check out the playfield at Issaquah Valley Elementary School.
The number of moles in Issaquah hasn’t increased (or decreased) in recent years, but killing them got a lot harder, thanks to a citizen-sponsored initiative passed by Washington voters in 2000, said Al Erickson, Issaquah parks and recreation manager.
Initiative 713 banned steel-jawed, leg-hold traps, neck snares and other body-gripping traps to capture any mammal for recreation or commerce in fur. The measure passed with 54 percent of the vote.
“It kills me to see those mole hills, knowing that we can’t trap them,” Erickson said.
The most effective of those, he said, is a “scissor trap” set underground along a mole’s primary route. Prior to passage of the initiative, park staff killed 40 to 50 moles annually with the traps, he said.
Tibbetts Valley Park, Veterans Memorial Park, Rainier Boulevard and the upper cemetery are some of the areas plagued by moles, he said. Read more
City’s citizen panel gets a handle on sustainability
December 15, 2008
Sustainability is the buzzword of the year, but really, how do you measure it? A diverse panel of 16 citizens is trying to answer the question.
Called the Sustainability Sounding Board, the group was convened this fall and has met three times. It meets again Dec. 17 to finish its concept of sustainability and how to measure it. Read more
Local church to distribute 500 turkeys to needy families
December 15, 2008
Issaquah’s Eastridge Christian Assembly members will distribute 500 free turkeys and a bag of groceries to local families in need Dec. 20.
