Baseball town
June 29, 2010
America’s favorite pastime has long been among Issaquah’s most popular activities
Long before motorists began speeding westward on Interstate 90 to Safeco Field for Seattle Mariners’ games, even before the designated hitter became a position, baseball was thriving in Issaquah.
America’s pastime has been one of the favorite pastimes of Issaquah residents since the early days of the community.
Old timers, recalling memories of their early years in the Issaquah Historical Society, often mention the fascination local residents had about baseball.
In the 1920s and 1930s, if children didn’t have a field to play ball on, it was no problem. They just picked sides and played in the streets. Of course, this was long before Humvees came roaring down Front Street.
Often, residents gathered to watch Issaquah town teams. In the early years of the 20th century, many small towns had amateur teams that played against other small town amateur teams.
Native, invasive plants tango in the wilderness
June 29, 2010
Hooray for plants. Without them, hills would be reduced to nothing more than big brown mounds of dirt, and we would all be suffocating from lack of oxygen in the air. It would be like Los Angeles all over the world.
In Washington, native plants flourish in the often-wet environment. Those plants that have historically grown in our state prior to European contact, based on the best scientific evidence, are considered native plants, according to the Washington Native Plant Society.
The society offers lists of native plant species on its website, sorting them by region. Near Issaquah, trees such as Douglas fir, western hemlock and red alder are native, as are plants such as spearmint, deer fern and bitter cherry, according to the society.
Find full lists of Cougar Mountain, Squak Mountain, Tiger Mountain, Tradition Lake and the Issaquah Alps’ native plants at the society’s website, in the “native species list” section. Also, King County’s Water and Land Resources Division’s website, provides plants and photos of plants native to the county under the “resources you can use” tab.
However, plants that do not naturally grow in Washington and were brought here by people, animals, water or wind are known as invasive species, according to the Washington Invasive Species Council. These plants may be a wonderful addition to the environment from which they came, but they can cause great damage to a different ecosystem.
National outdoors program spotlights Mountains to Sound Greenway
June 29, 2010
NEW — 1:30 p.m. June 29, 2010
America’s Great Outdoors Initiative — a national program spearheaded by President Obama — has chosen to highlight the Mountains to Sound Greenway as a success.
The national initiative supports community efforts to conserve outdoor spaces and to reconnect people and the outdoors.
The greenway has been selected for field visit from 8:30-10:30 a.m. Thursday. Greenway leaders — joined by representatives from Cascade Land Conservancy, state Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Forest Service and other stakeholders — plan to discuss land acquisition, working farms and forests, recreation and stewardship at Snoqualmie Point Park, 37580 S.E. Winery Road.
Issaquah runners rock Seattle marathon
June 29, 2010
NEW — 11:05 a.m. June 29, 2010
Kim Harding, an Issaquah High School graduate, had not been running competitively in recent years until last November. So, the 22-year-old surprised herself and her family at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Seattle Marathon on June 26 by placing second in the women’s division.
Harding finished the race in 2:56:43. She finished 27th overall in the pack of men and women runners. In November, she placed 13th at the Seattle Marathon.
Sopagna Eap, a past Olympic Trials participant, took first in the women’s division in 2:43.05. Eap was a former NCAA Division II All-America at the University of California, Davis.
Nick Roumonada, an Issaquah and University of Washington graduate who now lives in New York City, competed in the half-marathon. The 31-year-old Roumonada, who runs with a high-tech, carbon-fiber prosthetic on his left leg, finished in 1:38:38. It was his 10th half-marathon this year.
Dine at Coho Café to support a cure for breast cancer
June 29, 2010
NEW — 11 a.m. June 29, 2010
What could be better than hitting the outdoor patio at Coho Café? How about dining out to help find a cure?
Coho Café in Issaquah will host a fundraiser July 17 to raise money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s 3-Day for the Cure walk in September.
The restaurant has teamed up with a dining membership company, allowing members to donate their meal savings to The Rack Warriors, a local team of 10 women who are walking in Seattle’s 60-mile event this September.
So where do you come in? All you need to do is eat lunch or dinner.
Issaquah School Board approves contract for educational assistants
June 29, 2010
NEW — 6 a.m. June 29, 2010
The Issaquah School Board approved a three-year contract for school district educational assistants last week.
Educational assistants’ union representatives reached a tentative agreement with district officials May 27. The union’s membership met June 15 and approved the contract. Board members approved the labor pact June 23.
“This was a very brief bargaining in that both parties were interested in generating a settlement,” the district’s Director of Employee Relations Milton Ellis wrote in an e-mail. “The parties met on three occasions to reach a contract settlement.”
County Council supports Issaquah astronaut’s effort to acquire space shuttle
June 28, 2010
NEW — 4:35 p.m. June 28, 2010
King County Council members cleared a space shuttle for landing Monday afternoon.
The council offered support to a push by The Museum of Flight to acquire a decommissioned orbiter. The council approved the ceremonial measure a day before the museum breaks ground on a facility to house a space exhibit and, maybe, a space shuttle.
Issaquah resident and former astronaut Bonnie Dunbar leads the effort to acquire the spacecraft for the Seattle museum.
NASA will retire the three orbiters by next year. Museums across the nation hope to net the shuttles Atlantis and Endeavour. The space agency has promised the shuttle Discovery to the Smithsonian Institution.
Expect overnight and daytime SR 900 lane closures through Friday
June 28, 2010
NEW — 7 a.m. June 28, 2010
Crews will close a lane in either direction of state Route 900 from east of the Issaquah city limits to the Interstate 5 interchange in Tukwila overnight this week.
State Department of Transportation workers will close lanes at various locations between 8 p.m. – 5 a.m. through Friday. Workers will add shoulder and centerline rumble strips, and, in some locations, guardrails. Construction started last month and should wrap in August.
Transportation officials said the rumble strips and guardrails reduce the likelihood of crossover and run-off-the-road collisions.
City leaders ignore protests, honor retired administrator
June 28, 2010
NEW — 6 a.m. June 28, 2010
Former City Administrator Leon Kos shunned the spotlight during the week before he retired April 30. The longest-serving city administrator in the state repeatedly insisted against a farewell party.
Mayor Ava Frisinger and the City Council ignored the protests.
The city inducted Kos into the Issaquah Hall of Fame last month, but he had departed for a trip to the Midwest after he retired, and missed the ceremony.
City leaders managed to lure Kos back to City Hall last week to recognize his contributions to Issaquah and the region.
Puget Sound Energy offers home-improvement safety tips for summer
June 27, 2010
NEW — 6 a.m. June 27, 2010
Despite day after day of cooler-than-normal temperatures, summer started last week and, with it, so did the season for gardening and outdoor home improvements.
Puget Sound Energy reminds residents to watch for underground and overhead utility lines when building a new fence or deck, working on the roof, planting trees and shrubs, or even flying a kite.
Follow these safety tips during summer and the rest of the year:
