Donate toys for foster children Sunday at Starbucks locations
December 5, 2009
NEW — 6 a.m. Dec. 5, 2009
Help local children have a fun and memorable holiday season. Donate toys Sunday when several local Starbucks stores host a drive to benefit children in foster care.
Eastside Fire & Rescue firefighters will join Santa Claus and a special “Reindeer Sleigh Fire Engine” at the following Issaquah-area coffee shops:
- 9-10 a.m. — East Lake Sammamish Center Starbucks, 6170 E. Lake Sammamish Parkway S.E.
- 10:15-11:15 a.m. — Klahanie Village Starbucks, 4566 Klahanie Drive S.E.
- 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. — Pine Lake Starbucks, 3016 Issaquah-Pine Lake Road S.E.
- 12:45-1:45 p.m. — Sammamish double drive-thru Starbucks, 340 228th Ave. N.E.
The donated toys will be given to foster children in The Mockingbird Society’s care model. The society is a Seattle-based nonprofit child welfare advocacy agency. The care model establishes a sense of extended family and community around participating children, youth and families, a network called a constellation.
The network functions like an extended family where both children and the adults who care for them can find support in order to thrive.
Local author signs book at Grange Saturday
December 4, 2009
NEW — Noon Dec. 4, 2009
Meet local author Zoe Escobar and get a signed copy of her book, “Beyond Cuckoo’s Nest, The Art and Life of William Sampson Jr.,” at the Grange from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Saturday.
Escobar worked on the book for 25 years.
Sampson co-starred in films such as “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” or “The Outlaw Josie Wales.”
Learn more about the book here. For more information about the signing, call the Grange at 392-6469.
NEW — Friday sports update
December 4, 2009
Health officials launch free H1N1 flu vaccination clinics Saturday
December 4, 2009
NEW — 6 a.m. Dec. 4, 2009
Public Health – Seattle & King County will host free H1N1 vaccine clinics Saturday and Wednesday. The clinics are set up to provide access to people at the greatest risk from the illness, also known as swine flu, but cannot afford to pay for a vaccination.
The vaccination clinics will be from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturday and from noon – 7 p.m. Wednesday. The vaccine will be available at these locations:
- Renton Public Health Center, 3001 N.E. Fourth St., Renton
- Columbia Public Health Center, 4400 37th Ave. S., Seattle
- North Public Health Center, 10501 Meridian Ave. N., Seattle
- Federal Way Public Health Center, 33431 13th Place S., Federal Way
Officials said 4,000 doses of vaccine would available across the four sites Saturday. During the Wednesday clinics, 1,000 doses will be available across the four locations.
Vaccinations will be available on a first-come, first-served basis; no reservations will be taken. If demand is high, people will be given a time later in the day to return for a guaranteed vaccination. After the supply is exhausted, people will be told as they arrive.
District needs volunteers to advise planned Liberty High School remodel
December 3, 2009
NEW — 3:45 p.m. Dec. 3, 2009
Issaquah School District officials want parent or community volunteers to be on the project Design and Planning Team for the upcoming Liberty High School remodel.
Construction at Liberty is on schedule to begin in late summer 2010, with partial completion set for fall 2011. Final completion is scheduled for spring 2012, Issaquah School District officials said at a Nov. 17 meeting at the school.
The district needs two volunteers for the team.
With the construction, the school will receive new science labs, eight classrooms, a performing arts facility and mat room, new kitchen equipment and new roofing. The school will also receive heating and air ventilation system improvements.
NEW — Thursday sports update
December 3, 2009
NEW — 10:35 a.m. Dec. 3, 2009
Issaquah boys top Mercer Island
The Issaquah High School boys basketball team held off host Mercer Island in the fourth quarter Dec. 2 en route to a 57-51 nonleague victory.
Joe Evans led the Eagles with 17 points and Nick Price contributed 14 points. Nik Landdeck and Derek Quan each had seven points as Issaquah posted its second victory of the week.
Kaj Sherman topped Mercer Island with 13 points.
Issaquah led 27-20 at halftime and had an 11-point lead going into the fourth quarter.
DOT report shows traffic congestion declined last year
December 3, 2009
NEW — 6 a.m. Dec. 3, 2009
On a typical weekday commute between Issaquah and Bellevue in 2006, drivers faced traffic snarls on interstates 90 and 405 — a 67 percent chance of traffic moving slower than 35 mph, in fact. Drivers who made the same commute last year, however, had only a 32 percent chance of traffic plodding along at less than 35 mph.
Officials released the information Wednesday in the state Department of Transportation’s annual traffic congestion report.
Department of Transportation officials attributed reduced congestion throughout the region last year to higher fuel prices, the recession and the completion of several congestion-relief projects on state highways. Read the complete report here.
Help the hungry at Saturday run
December 2, 2009
NEW — 11:45 a.m. Dec. 2, 2009
Dash and donate to the Preston Food Bank at Issaquah High School’s second annual 5K Fun Run.
The race begins at Lake Sammamish State Park, 2000 N.W. Sammamish Road, at 9 a.m. Saturday.
Registration and check-in begins at 8:15 a.m. Register by the deadline today and the fee is $15, afterward it’s $20. E-mail your name, age, shirt size and phone number to carle@issaquah.wednet.edu.
Franchise coach maps capital opportunities
December 1, 2009
Phyllis Pieri
Franchise coach Phyllis Pieri clearly remembers her first business venture — a lemonade stand.
“When I was a child visiting my grandparents, I remember us driving past the Grace Cathedral in San Francisco,” Pieri said. “It needed to replace a broken stain-glassed window.”
Determined to help, Pieri opened a lemonade stand and sold an impressive $285 of the thirst quencher.
That entrepreneurial spirit followed her into adulthood. With only a degree earned from the school of hard knocks, Pieri has parlayed years of managerial experience in running local franchises (Sir Speedy and Automotive Lube & Tune) into an international consultation agency, MatchPoint, headquartered in her Issaquah Highlands home.
“I’ve been consulting now for around 20 years,” Pieri said. “My goal is to quit being the best-kept secret.” Read more
Santa visits tree lighting Saturday
December 1, 2009
Deck the halls in historic downtown
Jason Bond and Mark Taylor (from left), of the Parks Maintenance Department, install wreaths Nov. 25 along Front Street for the holidays. There are 36 wreaths for the lamp posts downtown, according to the maintenance department’s Steve Lindsley. By Greg Farrar
Start your holidays off by helping Issaquah deck the halls. Join the DownTown Issaquah Association for the city’s annual tree lighting at 4:30 p.m. Dec. 5.
Association volunteers, like Ryan Hughes, were already helping last week set the scene for a winter wonderland at Pedestrian Park, where the lighting will take place, by stringing white-and-blue low-voltage lights around the area.
“My wife and I just moved here, so I thought I’d get involved,” he said.
It is the first year in many that the tree will be lighted at Pedestrian Park, located at the corner of Front Street North and East Sunset Way.
The city’s usual town tree at Front and Dogwood had gotten too big and became too expensive to light. The city cut the tree lights from its budget, said Michael Johnson, a coordinator for DIA.
This year’s tree is one that was purchased by a community member for the community years ago, Johnson said, adding that much more meaning to it.
The nearly 15-foot tree was purchased years ago when it only stood about 6 feet tall. It was bought by Johann Sasynuik, who owns the Kung Fu Club of Issaquah, now located in Fall City.
Prior to the lighting, families are encouraged to bring their children to a variety of fun-filled events, like the holiday open house from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the Train Depot, 50 Rainier Blvd. N., sponsored by the Issaquah History Museums.
