Coca-Cola offers $175,000 to refresh parks
August 23, 2011
Lake Sammamish or Squak Mountain state parks could receive up to $100,000 for upgrades — if either comes out on top in a nationwide contest from Coca-Cola.
The soda giant is offering $175,000 in grants to parks across the United States. In order to receive a prize, parks must receive the most votes from online fans. Supporters can cast unlimited votes until the voting period ends Sept. 6.
Participants can also earn extra points for chosen parks by using Facebook tools and uploading photos as part of the contest.
On the WebCoca-Cola ‘America’s Favorite Park’ contest Cast votes for “America’s Favorite Park” — and earn extra points for chosen parks — at the Coca-Cola Live Positively website, www.livepositively.com/#/ americasparks/vote. |
In addition to the $100,000 prize, the top recipient claims the title “America’s Favorite Park” for the coming months. Coca-Cola is also offering a $50,000 grant to the park in the No. 2 spot and $25,000 to the No. 3 park.
The grants can be used to restore, rebuild or enhance recreation areas in parks to encourage people to play and be active. The effort is part of Coca-Cola’s Live Positively community initiative.
Both state parks in the Issaquah area cut services in recent years amid state budget shortfalls. Officials considered shutting down Squak Mountain State Park through 2013 as a cost-cutting measure, but decided in the end to keep the park open to the public.
In the contest so far, Lake Sammamish and Squak Mountain received a handful of votes and lag far behind the top contenders.
Coca-Cola launched the contest last year. The soda giant joined the National Park Foundation, America’s State Parks, and the National Recreation and Park Association for the ongoing campaign.
People across the United States cast more than 5.7 million votes during the 2010 campaign. Bear Head Lake State Park in Ely, Minn., received the initial $100,000 prize after garnering more than 1.6 million votes in the contest.
Issaquah nurse inspires patients, military service members
August 23, 2011
Joelle Machia
Joelle Machia has two passions: cancer research and supporting the U.S. armed forces.
Standing 6 feet, 1 inch, Machia (pronounced may-she) is charismatic, caring and in charge, especially when she talks about preventing cancer or sending packages overseas to her adopted Marines or soldiers.
The longtime Issaquah resident knew as a teenager that nursing was her calling.
Her parents emigrated from France and raised their brood of four — Machia the oldest — in New Jersey, speaking French all the while. Machia didn’t speak English until age 6, but her bilingualism soon blossomed.
By age 14, she began volunteering as a candy striper at a local hospital.
“I loved it,” she said, “I knew right away I wanted to be a nurse.”
After high school, she moved south of Philadelphia to earn her degree in nursing and behavioral sciences.
King County considers creating treatment court for veterans
August 23, 2011
King County leaders could create a treatment court to offer military veterans treatment and support services for mental illnesses — a concern as service members return from Afghanistan and Iraq suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries.
Under a proposal developed by County Executive Dow Constantine, County Councilman Bob Ferguson and King County District Court, a Veterans Treatment Court could debut as a yearlong pilot project to offer special court services to former service members.
The proposal calls for using resources from the existing Mental Health Court to create the pilot project. If a Veterans Treatment Court pilot is carved from Mental Health Court, the cost to the county could be nothing.
The county courthouse in Issaquah, as a site for Mental Health Court, could also host Veterans Treatment Court. If the County Council approves the proposal, a Veterans Treatment Court pilot could start as soon as January.
Press Editorial
August 23, 2011
Compromise legislation worked; more needed
Last week, government worked, and it was an amazing thing to behold.
King County Council members worked together to create bipartisan, compromise legislation to impose a $20 car tab fee to keep Metro bus service at its current level of service.
This is the way our elected leaders are supposed to work.
We in this state and region have become accustomed to holding a referendum on just about everything, sending every little tax to the voters. Fear of voters blaming state legislators and County Council members keeps them from making the tough decisions.
Minor 2.8 earthquake rattles Tiger Mountain neighborhood
August 23, 2011
The ground beneath Tiger Mountain rumbled early Aug. 18, as a minor earthquake rattled the Mirrormont neighborhood.
Seismologists recorded a magnitude-2.8 earthquake just before 1 a.m. about a mile beneath the surface.
Such small earthquakes occur often. Washington experiences more than 1,000 tremors each year, although most temblors do not cause damage or even receive much notice from residents.
“Whenever there’s an earthquake it slightly raises the odds that we’ll see more earthquakes,” said John Vidale, Pacific Northwest Seismic Network director and a University of Washington seismologist. “We’re not exactly sure if that’s because earthquakes are a sign of things going on or if that’s because the earthquakes trigger other earthquakes.”
The initial report from the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, based at the UW, pegged the Mirrormont temblor as magnitude 2.3 and deeper in the earth. The magnitude is a measure of earthquake size calculated from ground motion.
Education opportunities grow in student gardens
August 23, 2011
Sunny Hills Elementary School first-grader Digant Dash (left) plants flower bulbs in the school’s first-grade garden with fourth-graders Derek Chao and Spencer Bernsten. By Jane Ulrich
Inch by inch, row by row, students are planting lettuce, herbs and broccoli in their school gardens.
This fall, teachers are transforming gardens into outdoor classrooms as students pick up trowels and learn about drip irrigation systems.
Dozens of schools incorporate gardening into their curriculum or have gardening clubs, including Apollo, Cascade Ridge, Challenger, Clark, Creekside, Discovery, Endeavour, Grand Ridge, Issaquah Valley, Maple Hills and Sunny Hills elementary schools; Issaquah and Pine Lake middle schools; and Liberty and Tiger Mountain Community high schools.
“I think the outdoors is just a natural place that kids want to be,” Sunny Hills fourth-grade teacher Jane Ulrich said.
Schools’ foreign language classes face challenges
August 23, 2011
On almost an annual basis, Tammy Haldeman has had to teach two levels of Japanese language students during the same class period at Skyline High School.
Last school year, she had to pick between teaching a split class of 44 students or make two separate periods out of it. She kept the group together and taught two levels of Japanese, she said, because one class would not be large enough to warrant creating another class period.
She is able to make do, and it ends up working out all right, she said, but the students in those classes lose out on the closer attention they might otherwise receive in a typical language class with one level.
“You’re more like a facilitator of their learning with that,” Haldeman said. “You have to have highly motivated kids in those classes.”
Haldeman’s situation isn’t unique. Teachers and school administrators have to use the resources available. But due to nonexistent class-size-reduction funding and teacher shortages in some languages, foreign language programs in the Issaquah School District are facing similar challenges to arts and other elective programs.
Past bond ushers in school renovation projects
August 23, 2011
In February 2006, Issaquah School District voters approved a $241.8 million bond issue to fund new construction and renovations around the district.
Maywood Middle School is being expanded and modernized. sky-pix aerial photography
The schools are following the plan laid out to voters with one exception, according to information on the district website.
In early 2007, the district acted to redirect construction dollars originally earmarked to fund construction of a new middle school, the district’s fifth. Because of changed enrollment and other factors, officials decided, rather than build a new school, they would convert the Pacific Cascade Freshman Campus into a full-blown middle school beginning in fall 2010. As a result, the Issaquah and Skyline high school campuses were revamped to include space for new freshmen.
Funded by that 2006 bond issue, here are some of the projects still under way in the district.
“The biggies are all down on the south end this year,” said Sara Niegowski, district executive director of communications.
• Planners slated Maywood Middle School in Renton for a modernization and expansion project. According to the latest construction update from the district this month, Maywood’s old administration/commons area and counseling offices are gone, with construction of replacement facilities under way. Demolition of the parking lots and sidewalks are nearing completion with rebuilding scheduled to have already started. Grading of new parking areas has begun.
Julius Boehm Pool is closed for maintenance until Aug. 29
August 23, 2011
Find another spot for a summertime dip as the Julius Boehm Pool closes for maintenance.
The aging pool is due to remain closed until Aug. 29.
Swimmers and other pool users should check the municipal website, www.ci.issaquah.wa.us, for the most up-to-date closure and schedule information. Follow the link for “Departments” and “Parks & Recreation” for pool information.
The pool also closes Sept. 4-5 for Labor Day.
King County built the pool in 1972 under the Forward Thrust program — a series of bonds passed in 1968 and 1970 to fund parks, recreation facilities, roads and other infrastructure. The county transferred the pool to the city in 1994.
Prepare for Squak Mountain water shutdowns
August 23, 2011
Some Squak Mountain residents should prepare for water shutdowns soon as crews continue work on water mains.
The project affects about 15 residences along Greenwood Boulevard Southwest and Idylwood Drive Southwest. The shutdown along Idylwood Drive Southwest could occur from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 24, and the cut along Greenwood Boulevard Southwest could occur from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 29.
The city planned similar shutdowns along Ridgewood Place Southwest and Ridgewood Circle Southwest for about 20 homes Aug. 23.
Call the municipal Public Works Engineering Department at 837-3400 to learn more about the shutdowns and the water main project.
