Bear visits downtown residents / Aug. 27, 2010
August 30, 2010
By John Winkler
After a few nights and early mornings of restless barking by their dog at their downtown home, John and Denise Winkler found out what was keeping their pooch upset. At about 6:30 a.m. Aug. 27, Denise opened the double doors from their bedroom to see, less than 25 feet away, this black bear feasting on leaves, hazelnuts and walnuts for breakfast. “The bear was never agitated or showed any signs of aggressiveness toward us, which was kind of nice,” John said.
Help Habitat for Humanity during annual buildathon
August 30, 2010
NEW — 8 a.m. Aug. 30, 2010
Help Habitat for Humanity build houses in the Issaquah Highlands and elsewhere in King County during a buildathon planned for mid-September.
Habitat for Humanity of East King County and Habitat for Humanity of Seattle/South King County teamed up for the second annual event. The buildathon runs from Sept. 17-26. Learn more here.
The event is set up like a walkathon. Volunteers sign up to work on Habitat construction sites throughout King County and ask friends and neighbors to sponsor each shift with a financial donation.
Participants can volunteer at any Habitat building site, including the highlands, Federal Way, Pacific and Seattle, or at the Habitat offices in Redmond and Tukwila.
State seeks input to improve recreation offerings on state-managed lands
August 30, 2010
NEW — 6 a.m. Aug. 30, 2010
Help the state Department of Natural Resources determine how to best offer recreation opportunities on public lands.
The agency has invited the public to participate in a Web forum. From Sept. 13-17, moderators plan to pose a question related to recreation, including public need, planning, safety and funding strategies.
Expect questions to be posted to the Ear to the Ground blog.
Each day the forum is active, moderators plan to post a conversation starter to prompt deliberation about key issues related to recreation on agency-managed lands.
Stewardship class to educate landowners about protecting forests
August 29, 2010
NEW — 6 a.m. Aug. 29, 2010
Landowners can learn how to protect forests from fires, diseases and insects at a forestry stewardship class offered by the Washington State University Extension and the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks.
The course aims to teach participants how to develop a personal forest stewardship plan — how to provide habitat, enjoyment and income for years to come. Maintaining a healthy forest helps protect watersheds, wildlife habitat and aesthetics.
Moreover, a stewardship plan could also qualify certain owners for property tax reductions.
City launches redo of Newport Way Northwest section
August 28, 2010
NEW — 6 a.m. Aug. 28, 2010
The contentious plan to redo bicycle lanes and a pedestrian path along Newport Way Northwest from state Route 900 to the city line has started.
City engineers do not expect the project to cause significant traffic delays.
The project calls for bike lanes to be added in both directions, plus a separated pedestrian path along the north side of the roadway along Newport Way Northwest from state Route 900 to Lakemont Boulevard Southeast, the city line.
Skyline football star Kasen Williams picks UW
August 27, 2010
UPDATED — 7:10 p.m. Aug. 27, 2010
Skyline High School star Kasen Williams has announced his plans to attend the University of Washington.
The 6-foot-3, 200-pound senior receiver was expected to pick the UW, and follow in the footsteps of his father, Aaron, who played receiver for the Huskies from 1979 to 1982.
Williams made the announcement at Spartan Stadium after a scrimmage Friday evening.
Williams recently narrowed his list to a final five that included Florida, Notre Dame, California, Louisiana State and Washington. In a radio interview earlier this week, he said his list was down to two schools but would not reveal the names.
Parents face choice after Issaquah Valley Elementary School falls short
August 27, 2010
UPDATED — 3:40 p.m. Aug. 27, 2010
Issaquah Valley Elementary School fell just shy of meeting standards set by the No Child Left Behind Act and is being sanctioned for not meeting standards in low-income reading.
This is Issaquah Valley’s second year in a row of not meeting Adequate Yearly Progress standards in low-income reading.
If a subgroup of students fails in reading or math, then the school or district does not meet AYP. Schools that do not meet AYP in a subgroup for two consecutive years face sanctions if they receive federal Title I dollars.
In the sanctions leveled against Issaquah Valley, the school will have to notify parents, give families the opportunity to send their children to another elementary school and pay for that transportation.
May Creek Bridge near Issaquah reopens to traffic
August 27, 2010
UPDATED — 1:40 p.m. Aug. 27, 2010
May Creek Bridge near the intersection of Southeast May Valley Road and state Route 900 has reopened to traffic after a summerlong closure.
King County crews built a $1.7 million May Creek Bridge to replace a timber-supported span across the north fork of May Creek.
Teams from MidMountain Contractors dismantled the aging bridge and built a modern replacement designed to include wider lanes and shoulders, and bear heavier loads.
Tutta Bella served more than $100,000 in free pizzas last week
August 27, 2010
NEW — 10 a.m. Aug. 27, 2010
Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizza doled out more than 8,000 free pies during a customer appreciation campaign last week.
The mini-chain offered free pizzas after garnering recent awards from the National Restaurant Association and the Washington Restaurant Association, plus the Independent Pizzeria of the Year honor from Pizza Today, a trade publication.
Tutta Bella served 8,451 pizzas — worth more than $100,000 — to about 20,000 diners during the weeklong campaign at pizzerias in Issaquah, Columbia City, South Lake Union and Wallingford.
Undercrossing construction alters access to post office
August 27, 2010
NEW — 8 a.m. Aug. 27, 2010
The entry to the Issaquah Post Office from the future Interstate 90 Undercrossing has closed for five weeks as crews build the north-south connector.
The post office can instead be accessed from a new driveway connected to Northwest Gilman Boulevard.
During the closure, crews plan to widen the road and add utilities. Work on lighting and traffic signals should continue as well. Poles for traffic signals could be installed as early as next week.
On the opposite side of the interstate, Southeast 62nd Street from East Lake Sammamish Parkway to the 600 block of 221st Place Southeast remains closed as crews construct a bridge. Plans call for utilities to be installed next week.
