Seven city employees opt for severance package
August 31, 2009
NEW — 6 a.m. Aug. 31, 2009
City officials will save nearly $600,000 because seven city employees have opted to accept severance packages. But the savings from the severance program will not be enough to remedy a $3.6 million budget shortfall for 2010 and a similar decline in city revenue for 2010.
Finance Director Jim Blake said Friday the city would save about $595,000 in 2010 as a result of the severance program. Though city officials have said employee layoffs and furloughs are other possible cost-saving measures, Blake and Mayor Ava Frisinger said last week that it would be too soon to say whether other positions would be eliminated.
“Any further staff reductions are still being discussed and a final decision is still a week or two away,” Blake wrote in an e-mail.
Depot parking lot to close tonight
August 30, 2009
NEW — 6 a.m. Aug. 30, 2009
The depot parking lot – behind the businesses on the east side of Front Street North – will close to vehicles from 10:30 p.m. Aug. 30 – noon Aug. 31, weather permitting.
Crews will finish work to repave and restripe the lot. All vehicles must be out of the lot during this time, or they will be subject to towing.
The closure includes the parking spaces south of the Issaquah Valley Senior Center, north of Issaquah City Hall and west of Veterans’ Memorial Field.
Governor will address Kiwanis, Rotary members Sept. 8
August 29, 2009
NEW — 6 a.m. Aug. 29, 2009
Gov. Chris Gregoire will address members of the Kiwanis and Rotary clubs of Issaquah at a Sept. 8 luncheon.
Gregoire, a second-term Democrat, will focus her talk on service, Kiwanis Club President Judy Rogers said.
The luncheon begins at noon at Our Savior Lutheran Church, 745 Front St. S.
Lunch is $11, but there is no cost to see Gregoire’s speech.
R.S.V.P. to Rogers via e-mail at judylhr@nwlink.com or by phone at 271-8678. Checks can also be sent to P.O. Box 1111, Issaquah, WA 98027.
Make checks payable to the Kiwanis Club of Issaquah.
Issaquah woman faces jail time after injecting salon customers with counterfeit Botox
August 28, 2009
NEW — 12:05 p.m. Aug. 28, 2009
The proprietor of a Bellevue salon was arrested late Monday after federal authorities said she illegally injected customers with counterfeit cosmetic products.
The proprietor, Issaquah resident Xin “Faith” He, 46, illegally injected customers with counterfeit Botox, a prescription wrinkle remover, and prescription cosmetic filler Restylane, authorities said in a three-count indictment unsealed Tuesday. He could face up to the three years behind bars.
Authorities said He had been injecting patients at her Bellevue salon, Natural Beauty, since November 2004. Customers paid for misbranded drugs, the indictment states.
Agents searched the salon in April, where they discovered vials labeled with Chinese characters. Food and Drug Administration officials have approved no products similar to Botox and Restylane manufactured in China.
Learn about FEMA flood grants at today’s meeting
August 27, 2009
NEW — 11:45 a.m. Aug. 27, 2009
City officials will apply for cash through the federal Hazard Mitigation Grant Program to help prevent future flood losses at commercial and residential buildings.
Officials will hold a pair of meetings about the program. The first is at 5 p.m. today in the Pickering Room at City Hall Northwest, 1775 12th Ave. N.W. The second meeting is at 7 p.m. Sept. 10, at the same location.
The proposed project includes elevating first floors of up to eight homes and flood-proofing three commercial buildings to prevent floodwaters from causing extensive damage to the buildings.
First chinook of season arrives at salmon hatchery
August 26, 2009
NEW — 4:20 p.m. Aug. 26, 2009
Issaquah or bust: Issaquah Salmon Hatchery workers and Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery members spotted the first chinook of the season is Issaquah Creek.
Hatchery and FISH representatives saw the fish Monday; they described the chinook as a 25-pound hen.
The salmon disappeared from view for most of Tuesday. Hatchery visitors clambered across a bridge over Issaquah Creek, hoping to catch a glimpse of the trail-blazing fish.
Drain covers law is saving lives
August 25, 2009
Come on in! New law is making area pools safer for swimmers
Issaquah pool operators are working on changes to make your swimming experience safer.
Come on in! New law is making area pools safer for swimmers
A federal law that was supposed to be implemented by December has pool operators rethinking safety and investing in new equipment. But the road to implementation has been anything but smooth.
The Virginia Graeme Baker Act was passed by Congress in December 2007 after the 2002 drowning of Virginia Graeme Baker, 7, granddaughter of former Secretary of State James Baker III.
The act is designed to prevent drowning caused by entrapment in pools and hot tubs.
Pool operators in the Issaquah area are hiring engineers to evaluate systems, purchasing drain covers that meet standards, and even tearing up pools and re-installing systems to ensure compliance. Read more
Park Pointe parcel heads to auction block
August 25, 2009
Housing developer defaults on loan
A parcel of land on the lower west slopes of Tiger Mountain known as Park Pointe development will be auctioned Nov. 6, county documents state. Read more
Issaquah Highlands to get movie theater; grocery store next
August 25, 2009
Theater giant Regal Entertainment Group will operate a long-planned movie theater in the Issaquah Highlands — and officials with highlands developer Port Blakely Communities said they hope the theater announcement is the first sign of a turnaround after a series of disappointing delays. Read more
Rollover snarls traffic
August 25, 2009
A flatbed trailer rolled over near the overpass at Interstate 90 and Front Street North at 5:47 p.m. Aug. 21, causing several hours of traffic delays for motorists. The name of the trucking company and an estimated loss was not known at press time. By Kirk Painter
