Legislators approve $30 fee for state recreation lands
April 21, 2011
NEW — 6:45 p.m. April 21, 2011
Outdoors enthusiasts could start paying $30 to park at state trailheads and use state parks starting in July.
In a party-line vote Thursday, the state House of Representatives passed legislation to create a Discover Pass for state parks and open spaces, including Lake Sammamish State Park and Tiger Mountain State Forest near Issaquah.
The state Senate passed the measure in a bipartisan vote Wednesday.
The legislation now heads to the governor. Gov. Chris Gregoire also proposed a user fee for state parks in a proposed budget released in December.
Users could use the annual Discover Pass to park at trailheads and other state-managed lands. For users uninterested in the annual parking pass, the legislation proposes a $10 day-use fee for using the lands. Otherwise, violators could face a ticket.
The proposal attracted broad support from outdoor recreation groups, including the Washington Trails Association.
Issaquah girls, 11 and 12, could face cyberstalking charge
April 21, 2011
NEW — 2:35 p.m. April 21, 2011
Facebook posts could land a pair of Issaquah girls in court, the Issaquah Police Department announced Thursday afternoon.
The police department responded to a report of harassment March 18 from the mother of another 12-year-old girl. The mother said someone had accessed her daughter’s Facebook page and posted sexually explicit photos and messages.
Investigators recommended cyberstalking and second-degree computer trespass charges against the girls, and referred the case to King County Juvenile Court.
Cmdr. Stan Conrad said the agency could not release additional information about the investigation.
Ian Goodhew, deputy chief of staff for King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg, said the office is due to make a decision on charges for the girls within the next week. The suspects have not been arrested or booked.
Issaquah softball rolls to second consecutive win
April 21, 2011
NEW — 12:15 p.m. April 21, 2011
The Issaquah High School softball team erupted for four runs in the bottom of the second inning Tuesday as the Eagles defeated visiting Inglemoor 6-4 in a 4A KingCo Conference contest.
Heather Benjamin led Issaquah with three hits. The victory was the second in a row for Issaquah.
The Eagles also defeated host Bothell 7-3 Monday. Issaquah scored four times in the top of the fifth inning to break open the contest. Benjamin again led the Eagles with two hits and four runs batted in. Winning pitcher Brielle Bray struck out six batters.
In other action, Skyline lost to visiting Woodinville 13-2. The day before, Skyline whipped Roosevelt 13-7. Anya Kamber went 6-for-6 for Skyline and drove in two runs. Lindsey Nicholson had two hits and drove in a run. Megan Burns was the winning pitcher for Skyline.
In the 3A/2A KingCo Conference, Liberty walloped visiting Mercer Island 14-2 April 19. Taylor Wiek had three hits to lead Liberty. Marissa Jeffers contributed two hits and three runs batted in, and Jenn Rucker had two hits and two RBIs for the Patriots. Liberty scored 11 times in the bottom of the second inning.
Issaquah legislator backs hiring preference for veterans
April 21, 2011
Ted Wicorek (from right), J.W. Johnson, Booker Stallworth, Mike Gregoire, Gov. Chris Gregoire, Jim Robinson, Marjorie James, Rep. Jay Rodne, Sen. Jeff Baxter, David Black Jr. and Tom Hinman at the Wednesday signing ceremony. Contributed
NEW — 10:30 a.m. April 21, 2011
Gov. Chris Gregoire signed a bill Wednesday to allow employers to give military veterans a leg up in job searches.
State Rep. Jay Rodne, sponsor of the legislation and a 5th Legislative District lawmaker, hailed the measure to establish employment preferences for veterans, widows or widowers of veterans, and spouses of certain veterans. (The district includes Issaquah and East King County.)
County reminds homeowners to pay property taxes soon
April 21, 2011
NEW — 10 a.m. April 21, 2011
King County reminded property owners recently to pay or postmark first-half property taxes by May 2.
The deadline applies in 2011 because the usual deadline, April 30, falls on a Saturday. The remaining taxes must be paid or postmarked by Oct. 31. If a property owner misses the May 2 deadline, the county adds interest charges and penalties to the tax bill.
Most Issaquah homeowners should pay about 29 cents more per $1,000 in assessed value on the property tax bills starting to arrive in mailboxes across King County. Inside Issaquah city limits, homeowners pay, on average, $11.13 in property taxes per $1,000 in assessed value. The total amounted to $10.84 last year.
Issaquah and county residents started to receive property tax bills in the mail Feb. 14.
Issaquah City Hall drop box opens for special election
April 21, 2011
NEW — 8 a.m. April 21, 2011
King County Elections has rolled out ballot drop boxes before the upcoming special election, including a drop box at Issaquah City Hall.
The box at City Hall, 130 E. Sunset Way, opened April 7 and is due to remain open 24 hours a day until 8 p.m. April 26, Election Day.
The election does not include Issaquah or Issaquah School District voters, but residents in the nearby Snoqualmie Valley School District face a ballot measure.
The boxes — set up at locations across King County — allow voters to return ballots in person rather than by mail.
The elections office relied on historical use, population densities, planned future growth, proximity to transit services, access and safety data to determine the locations.
The elections office said voters used the drop boxes during the August primary and November general elections last year, as well as a February special election.
Earth Day offers opportunity to ‘detox’ homes
April 21, 2011
NEW — 8 a.m. April 21, 2011
King County’s EcoConsumer program is taking the cleansing trend one step further with the Earth Day Detox.
The six-step regimen is intended to help residents detoxify homes in ways to protect health and the environment.
King County EcoConsumer Tom Watson, alongside nonprofit groups and government agencies, is encouraging residents to review the detox steps through Friday, Earth Day.
“Each day we’ll give you another step to help make your home a safer place, whether it be evaluating the contents of your medicine cabinet or sorting through the chemicals gathering dust in your garage,” Watson said. “The program will also give advice on how to properly dispose of toxic products and suggest greener and safer alternatives.”
State bans bath salts used as meth substitutes
April 21, 2011
NEW — 8 a.m. April 21, 2011
State health officials filed emergency rules to curb the rising use of bath salts used as substitutes for cocaine and methamphetamine.
The state Board of Pharmacy acted after the Washington Poison Center reported a growing number of calls about people who had ingested the bath salts. Half of the calls came from hospital emergency rooms.
The center said the number of calls related to bath salt ingestion has increased threefold — to 39 calls — from last year.
Sold as “bath salts,” products featuring colorful names, such as Ivory Wave, Red Dove and Zoom, contain stimulants called substituted cathinones. The stimulants affect behavior and judgment. Moreover, the bath salts have a high potential for abuse and can be dangerous to human health.
Users typically inhale the bath salts in a manner similar to snorting cocaine. The board has also posted a Q&A about the products.
Guest Column
April 20, 2011
Innovative, ambitious ‘green’ programs earn their keep in Issaquah
Just a few years ago, many people considered sustainability a fad. The prediction was that cities passionate about recycling and green living would abandon sustainability when hard-pressed to stretch city dollars and services.
That didn’t happen. In fact, communities like Issaquah stand tall on Earth Day because of innovative and ambitious sustainability programs that are actually reducing costs. Here’s how:
Waste reduction for Issaquah businesses: The city of Issaquah and Waste Management are partners in innovative outreach to boost commercial recycling. As a result, Issaquah has sent less and less garbage to the landfill every year since 2005.
The city’s new food packaging ordinance is a prime example of an aggressive effort that’s paying off. It requires restaurants and food service-related businesses to compost and to use “to-go” packaging that is either recyclable or compostable. Since October, 90 local businesses have signed up for food waste collection, diverting 600 tons of food waste from the landfill. That’s roughly 60 Waste Management trucks full of food waste.
City celebrates Arbor Day at Ruth Kees Grove planting
April 20, 2011
Volunteers gather along Issaquah Creek on April 16 to observe Arbor Day. By Margaret Macleod
NEW — 4 p.m. April 20, 2011
Issaquah leaders gathered on a less-than-springlike day April 16 to observe Arbor Day and plant a grove to honor Ruth Kees and the community’s other top environmentalists.
Like the top environmental honor in the city, the grove is named for the late Kees. The bespectacled environmentalist fought for decades to protect Issaquah Creek, Tiger Mountain and the Lower Issaquah Valley Aquifer from development-related threats.
