County planners want input about May Creek Bridge replacement
November 21, 2009
NEW — 6 a.m. Nov. 21, 2009
King County transportation planners want to hear from drivers whose commutes will be impacted when crews replace the aging May Creek Bridge.
Send comments about the planned project to the King County Road Services Division. Comments must be received by 4:30 p.m. Nov. 23.
Submit comments to project manager Jessy Jose, 206-296-1916 or jessy.jose@kingcounty.gov, and environmental engineer Peter Drakos, 206-263-0428 or peter.drakos@kingcounty.gov. Road Services Division officials will review the comments.
Check out project details here.
Issaquah church will give away 500 turkeys and groceries Saturday
November 20, 2009
NEW — 4:40 p.m. Nov. 20, 2009
Eastridge Christian Assembly will give away 500 free turkeys and bags of groceries from 9 a.m. – noon Saturday at the organization’s Issaquah location, 24105 Issaquah-Fall City Road.
Organizers will distribute 500 dinner packages on a first-come, first-serve basis, with no demonstration of need required to receive the pre-Thanksgiving help.
Contact Eastridge Christian Assembly at 392-3253 or visit visit the Eastridge Christian Assembly’s Web site to learn more.
Discover the magic of ‘The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe’
November 20, 2009
Shannon Merz and Jacob Bernado rehearse a scene from Issaquah Middle School’s "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe." — By Phil Palios
NEW — 6 a.m. Nov. 20, 2009
Issaquah Middle School’s Squak Valley Players are stepping into C.S. Lewis’ famed Narnia for this season’s drama production.
The cast of more than 40 students hopes to take you and your family on an adventure through the magical wardrobe of “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe” at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Tickets are $7 and can be purchased at the door. The school is located at 400 First Ave. S.E.
“These talented students have infused their modern creativity into a world where fantasy creatures abound,” director Heather Carlyle said in a press release. “While the duels, delights (of the Turkish variety) and daring adventures will please all ages, the true heart of the play is a wonderful lesson in the power of forgiveness.”
Liberty grad Tim Lincecum repeats Cy Young
November 19, 2009
NEW — 11:55 a.m. Nov. 19, 2009
Liberty High School graduate Tim Lincecum repeated as the National League Cy Young Award winner in voting conducted by the Baseball Writers Association of America.
The San Francisco Giants right-hander collected 100 points to top Chris Carpenter, of the St. Louis Cardinals. Carpenter had 94 points. Lincecum received 11 first place votes and 12 second-place votes.
Lincecum became the first pitcher to win consecutive Cy Young Awards since Randy Johnson, won four straight for Arizona from 1999-2002.
This season Lincecum had a 15-7 record with a 2.48 earned run average and 261 strikeouts. Opponents hit just .206 off him, compared to .221 in 2008.
NEW — Thursday sports update
November 19, 2009
NEW — 10:45 a.m. Nov. 19, 2009
Notebook: Liberty refocused for quarterfinals
By Mason Kelley
Seattle Times staff reporter
When trying to get his team to refocus after its 38-35 come-from-behind victory against O’Dea last week, Liberty High School coach Steve Valach looked to Steve Sarkisian.
The Huskies’ first-year head coach has a “24-hour rule” for celebrating wins and, even after the Nov. 13 exciting finish, Valach’s goal was to get his Patriots (10-1) looking ahead to their Class 3A quarterfinal game Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. against Lindbergh.
Throughout Liberty’s feverish fourth-quarter rally — the Patriots trailed O’Dea 35-17 with 10:46 left — Valach told his players to play in the moment.
“I think the same thing applies now as we move forward,” he said. “It’s a similar idea.”
Southeast 43rd Way roundabout opens, will be completed next month
November 19, 2009
NEW — 6 a.m. Nov. 19, 2009
The soon-to-be-completed roundabout at Southeast 43rd Way and East Lake Sammamish Parkway Southeast is now open, but drivers can still expect delays during peak commute times.
Workers completed initial paving on the roundabout project Tuesday and the roundabout opened Wednesday. City officials said the initial paving had to occur before the northbound and westbound directions could be opened to two lanes during peak times.
Until final paving is completed and permanent markings are added during the next several weeks, temporary lane markings and traffic cones will be used.
Drivers should expect lane closures as workers complete the divider islands, and complete landscape, irrigation and illumination work. The project will be completed in December.
Election elevates younger members to City Council
November 17, 2009
The makeup of the City Council will undergo a demographic shift when the next council meets for the first time in early January: Members will be younger, newer to Issaquah and include more parents of school-aged and young children.
Tola Marts
The addition of newcomers Tola Marts and Mark Mullet will lower the average age of council members by about a decade, from 50something to early 40s. For the first time in several years, the council will include two members under 40: Mullet, 37, and incumbent Councilman Joshua Schaer, 31. Marts, 40, will succeed longtime Councilman David Kappler, a man two decades his senior.
Park bond stretched to preserve open space, upgrade parks
November 17, 2009
Crews work to install artificial turf and lights at a Central Park sports field. Courtesy of Issaquah Parks & Recreation Department
City parks officials used grants to stretch a $6.25 million park bond into almost $9.6 million — money then used to buy land for new parks, preserve open space and improve sports fields.
Issaquah voters approved the bond in November 2006 with a resounding margin: 76 percent. The dollars were split among open space acquisitions and improvements to existing parks. The park bond came almost 20 years after city officials last asked Issaquah voters for money to add recreation and open space.
Proponents pitched the bond to voters as a way to protect water quality in Issaquah waterways, add and enhance sports fields and open new areas to recreation and wildlife. Officials earmarked the biggest piece of the bond — $3.5 million — to buy creekside and hillside land. Read more
A night to think and dream big
November 17, 2009
Kim Evanger Raney
Family and friends are gathering to remember Kim Evanger Raney, a prominent athlete at Issaquah High School and community member, at the second annual Consider Concert benefit Nov. 22 at The Moore Theatre in Seattle.
Evanger Raney died in a bicycle accident in March 2007 while vacationing with family in Palm Springs, Calif. It was a life cut short at only 26.
Her spirit lives on through the foundation they’ve created and the good work that comes from it, said her brother David Evanger, 27. Read more
Budget crisis slows plans for state park upgrade
November 17, 2009
Ambitious plans for Lake Sammamish State Park include a bathhouse and restroom facility with a green roof and other eco-friendly features. The economic downturn has slowed implementation of the plans. Courtesy: State Parks and Recreation Commission
Ambitious plans to update Lake Sammamish State Park are on hold due to the state budget crisis, although design and permits for the project are almost complete.
Plans call for upgrades to a boardwalk, wetland improvements and construction of a new, eco-friendly bathhouse at the 512-acre state park, nestled against the southern shore of Lake Sammamish. Peter Herzog, a parks planner with the State Parks and Recreation Commission, said the design and permit work were necessary in case state lawmakers steer money to the project Read more
