City, businesses work to protect ground water
November 28, 2009
NEW — 6 a.m. Nov. 28, 2009
Almost 95 percent of Issaquah businesses affected by regulations to protect city drinking water have complied with the requirements, city officials announced this week.
City Public Works Engineering staffers initiated the Critical Aquifer Recharge Area program to protect ground water last year. Ground water in the Lower Issaquah Valley Aquifer is a major source of city drinking water.
Liberty downs Lakes, 17-14, in 3A football semifinal
November 27, 2009
NEW — 4:30 p.m. Nov. 27, 2009
The Liberty High School Patriots downed Lakes in the 3A semifinal state football playoffs at the Tacoma Dome today after making a 42-yard field goal to take the game 17-14.
Liberty kicker Dean Byron clinched the win with a career-best kick with one second remaining on the clock.
Liberty plays the winner of tonight’s 7 p.m. game between Bellevue and Union.
Issaquah school board is Board of Distinction
November 27, 2009
NEW — 6 a.m. Nov. 27, 2009
Members of Issaquah School District’s school board have been selected as the 2009 School Board of Distinction by the Washington State School Directors’ Association.
The announcement was made Nov. 20 as part of the association’s annual conference.
Issaquah’s board was among eight honored at the 2009 conference. The other school district’s honored were from the Evergreen, Pasco, Puyallup, South Kitsap, Vancouver, West Valley and White River school districts.
Travel safe during Thanksgiving weekend
November 26, 2009
NEW — 6 a.m. Nov. 26, 2009
Thanksgiving will make for a busy travel day, and the state Department of Transportation wants to keep problems to a minimum.
Calm weather could mean more drivers on highways Thanksgiving weekend. State transportation officials urged drivers to plan ahead, plan for late-November weather and pack cold-weather supplies, like tire chains.
Transportation officials also advised drivers to pack patience, because peak travel times could be met with traffic snarls on major highways.
Skyline-Issaquah state girls soccer action / Nov. 25, 2009
November 25, 2009
Issaquah city, schools elections attracted only 50 percent of voters
November 25, 2009
NEW — 6 p.m. Nov. 25, 2009
About half of Issaquah city and school district voters cast ballots in the Nov. 3 election, official King County Elections results released Nov. 24 show.
Turnout in the city races reached 50.27 percent, while in the school district — which includes parts of Sammamish and Renton — turnout was a bit lower: 49.87 percent.
Elections officials mailed 16,351 ballots to city voters; 8,219 were returned. The elections office sent 56,804 ballots to school district voters; 28,329 were postmarked by midnight Election Day.
The contest was the first all-mail general election held in King County, and the elections office forecast 56 percent turnout countywide. But turnout was lower: 53.55 percent. The county Canvassing Board met Nov. 24 to certify the election results, the final step in a quiet campaign season for Issaquah voters.
Remember: no garbage pickup on Thanksgiving
November 25, 2009
NEW — 3:27 p.m. Nov. 25, 2009
Hold onto the Thanksgiving leftovers, Issaquah. There will be no garbage, recycling or compost collection from Waste Management and Rabanco on Thursday due to the holiday.
Service will be delayed by a day for the balance of the week, with Thursday customers collected on Friday, and Friday customers collected on Saturday. Normal collection schedules return Monday.
City officials encouraged residents to compost vegetable trimmings, turkey bones, food-related paper items and food scraps. The items can be composted in the green compost and yard waste container.
Remember: Garbage and recycling is collected as usual from both residential and commercial customers on all weekday holidays except Thanksgiving, Christmas (Dec. 25) and New Year’s Day (Jan. 1).
If your collection day falls on a weekday holiday, service will be delayed by a day. If your regular collection day comes after collection has been delayed because of a holiday, your service will also be a day later that week.
Maxine Schmelzer
November 24, 2009
Maxine Schmelzer
Maxine Schmelzer, of Issaquah, died Nov. 20, 2009, at home. She was 83. Read more
Council holds property tax rate level amid recession
November 24, 2009
City Council members decided against a 2010 property tax increase last week. With the Nov. 16 decision, officials held the property tax rate at the 2008 level. The council also nixed a 1 percent increase last year on account of the economic downturn. Read more
Spartans repeat as soccer champs
November 24, 2009
Michelle Bretl, Skyline junior forward, skids on the turf while driving the ball away from Issaquah’s Morgan Gierke (6) and Audrey Thomas, as Skyline’s Nicole Candioglos follows the play late in the first period. Bretl scored the winning point in the shootout for Skyline’s state championship victory. By Greg Farrar
Overcome with emotion and reeling from what she had helped her team accomplish, Skyline High School sophomore goalkeeper Tina Vargas wasn’t quite sure what to say after the game was over Nov. 21 at Harry Lang Stadium in Lakewood.
All she knew was that she had just helped defeat district rival Issaquah in the 4A state championship soccer game. She blocked two of the Eagles’ four penalty kicks — one went over the goal — in a shootout.
“My goal is to make them scared, and I know that when I make them scared, that makes me better,” Vargas said. “When they look me in the eye, that’s when I get them intimidated.”
Paired with Vargas’ intimidation factor and its 3-1 shootout margin, the Skyline girls soccer team repeated as the 4A state champion, beating Issaquah 2-1.
“Tina Vargas just was absolutely out of her mind. She is able to go to a place, mentally, that very few players I’ve ever had are able to go to,” head coach Don Braman said. “She is just absolutely dominant in penalty kick situations.” Read more
