Many memorable mayors managed Issaquah

June 30, 2009

mayor-history-20050519cPortraits of Issaquah’s mayors can be found in a display case on the stairwell leading to the second floor of City Hall. The photos tell a great deal about the people and times of the fledgling city.

Some of the city’s early mayors were doctors, including Issaquah’s first mayor, Frank Harrell. During the Great Depression, Stella May Alexander was elected the first woman mayor, campaigning on the Taxpayers’ Ticket.

She was elected to a two-year term, defeating the Progressive ticket candidate, M.H. Clark. Ninety-three percent of the city’s registered voters cast ballots and Alexander won 195-136. She lost in a recall election the following year.

In the last half of the 20th century, mayors such as Bill Flintoft and A.J. Culver had to grapple with the emerging growth of the quiet little burg on Lake Sammamish into a thriving bedroom community to Seattle.

Harrell came to the area as the surgeon of the Seattle Coal and Iron Co. He was elected mayor of Gilman without a dissenting vote in 1892. Seven years later, the town was renamed Issaquah, after the original Indian name Is-qu-ah.

In the pioneer days

Governing of the small mining and timber community was far different a century ago.

During Mayor John McQuade’s term as mayor in 1900, the town enacted an ordinance demanding that every able-bodied man over 21 and under 50 pay a yearly poll tax of $3, or two days’ labor of eight-hour periods or $4 if they could not read.

The following year, electricity was introduced to the small town of about 600 when Issaquah entered into an agreement with Snoqualmie Falls Power Co. to bring power in the form of 30 incandescent lamps powered by electrical current.

The following year, H.R. Corson, was elected mayor. A doctor by trade, he came to town as the mining company director for the Issaquah Coal Co.

Following World War I, the two-year term of mayor was changed to four-year terms with the election of P.J. Smith.

‘Like she had cooties’

No look at the city’s mayors would be complete without mentioning Stella May Alexander, the city’s first woman mayor.mayor-history-20090519d

Mayor from 1932-1934, Alexander was later recalled because of a variety of conflicts with the City Council and the fire chief. A decade removed from passage of the 19th Amendment specifically guaranteeing women in the U.S. the right to vote, Alexander had a strong personality and some men of that era had a hard time working with her, said Erica Maniez, director of the Issaquah History Museums.

“She was referred to as the lady mayor, the woman mayor and the petticoat mayor,” Maniez said.

In one instance, three councilmen refused to serve under a petticoat mayor, she said.

“The men acted like she had cooties,” she said. “They didn’t want to sit at the table with her.”

Some speculated that her assertiveness would have been better tolerated if she had been a man.

The volunteer fire department resigned en masse over a dispute as to whether the fire department would fight fires outside the city limits. Alexander often clashed with Fire Chief Remo Castagno, who said that “no woman is going to run this city.” Castagno later served as mayor shortly after World War II.

Alexander lost a recall election in 1934. She moved to Renton and in 1940 she ran for Secretary of State. She was described as “the famous woman mayor and councilwoman of Issaquah” in her campaign literature, Maniez said.

Growing pains of a city

The opening of the Lake Washington Floating Bridge in 1940 (today’s Interstate 90 bridge over Lake Washington) brought more people to the Eastside. In 1960, work began on Interstate 90, connecting Issaquah with Seattle. A decade later, Issaquah’s population more than quadrupled to 4,300 residents.

Bill Flintoft and Keith Hansen brought Issaquah through its growing pains through the 1960s and early ‘70s, Maniez said.

“They helped guide the city as developers came to the area, and they accommodated that growth by developing codes and ordinances for those changes,” she said.

Tom Flintoft said his father Bill brought a common sense approach to managing growth.

“He realized that Issaquah was changing fast, but he wanted it to grow sensibly,” Tom Flintoft said. “There were those promoting growth and there was a no-growth faction. He sought to find a compromise between the two.”

With the growth, he planned for the infrastructure of water and sewer lines to accommodate the additional people, Tom Flintoft said.

He also insisted on an I-90 exit at East Sunset Way when the state initially balked at the notion.

“If it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t have that exit today,” he said.

From sleepy to thriving

A.J. Culver was mayor of Issaquah for most of the 1980s. Culver said he helped guide Issaquah from being a sleepy little town to a thriving commercial center.

During his term, the city approved development of the Pickering property, as well as the commercial center where Target and Safeway are located.

“It has made the difference between Issaquah being strapped for money and being financially well off,” Culver said. “And it will continue to be as a commercial center for the city. That continued by Rowan Hinds and Ava Frisinger, who is doing a fantastic job today as mayor.”

History of Issaquah mayors

F. W. Harrell —From Apr 27, 1892

Town of Gilman

(incorporated Apr 1892)

Two-year terms until 1918

From Jan. 10, 1893 — P. V. Davis

From Jan. 8, 1895 — John Davis

From Jan. 12, 1897 — John L. Hughes

From Jan. 10, 1899

Resigned Aug. 7, 1899

Henry Hunter

Town of Issaquah

(name changed Feb 1899)

From Sept. 5, 1899 — W. D. “Will” Conner, Filled unexpired term

From Jan. 3, 1900

Resigned April 27, 1900

John McQuade

April 27, 1900 – Jan. 8, 1901

Wm. E. Gibson, MD

Filled unexpired term

Jan. 8, 1901 – Jan. 10, 1905

H.R. Corson, M.D

Re-elected, served two terms

Jan. 10, 1905 – June 4, 1906

(resigned), Frank Day

June 4, 1906 – Jan. 14, 1913

William E. Gibson — Filled unexpired term and elected to three consecutive two-year terms

1913-1915 — P.J. Smith

1915-1917 — John H. Gibson

1917-1918 — C.R. Berry

1918-1921 — P.J. Smith

Two-year terms changed to four-year terms

1921-1924 — William E. Gibson

1924-1925 — V.M. McKibben

1926-1928 — P.J. Smith

1928-1930 — John Fischer

1930-1932 — L.R. Hepler

1932-1934 — Stella May Alexander,

First woman mayor

1934-1937 — Laurence J. Harris

1937-1940 — William Mitchell

1940-1947 — Thomas Gibson

1947-1948 — Albert Jensen

1948-1952 — Remo Castagno

1952-1956 — Alting R. “Buck” Lee

1956-1970 — James William “Bill” Flintoft

1970-1974 — Keith M. Hansen

1974-1981 — Herbert G. Herrington

1982-1989 — A.J. Culver

1990-1997 — Rowan C. Hinds

1998-present — Ava Frisinger

Source: City of Issaquah

By Jim Feehan
Portraits of Issaquah’s mayors can be found in a display case on the stairwell leading to the second floor of City Hall. The photos tell a great deal about the people and times of the fledgling city.
Some of the city’s early mayors were doctors, including Issaquah’s first mayor, Frank Harrell. During the Great Depression, Stella May Alexander was elected the first woman mayor, campaigning on the Taxpayers’ Ticket.
She was elected to a two-year term, defeating the Progressive ticket candidate, M.H. Clark. Ninety-three percent of the city’s registered voters cast ballots and Alexander won 195-136. She lost in a recall election the following year.
In the last half of the 20th century, mayors such as Bill Flintoft and A.J. Culver had to grapple with the emerging growth of the quiet little burg on Lake Sammamish into a thriving bedroom community to Seattle.
Harrell came to the area as the surgeon of the Seattle Coal and Iron Co. He was elected mayor of Gilman without a dissenting vote in 1892. Seven years later, the town was renamed Issaquah, after the original Indian name Is-qu-ah.
In the pioneer days
Governing of the small mining and timber community was far different a century ago.
During Mayor John McQuade’s term as mayor in 1900, the town enacted an ordinance demanding that every able-bodied man over 21 and under 50 pay a yearly poll tax of $3, or two days’ labor of eight-hour periods or $4 if they could not read.
The following year, electricity was introduced to the small town of about 600 when Issaquah entered into an agreement with Snoqualmie Falls Power Co. to bring power in the form of 30 incandescent lamps powered by electrical current.
The following year, H.R. Corson, was elected mayor. A doctor by trade, he came to town as the mining company director for the Issaquah Coal Co.
Following World War I, the two-year term of mayor was changed to four-year terms with the election of P.J. Smith.
‘Like she had cooties’
No look at the city’s mayors would be complete without mentioning Stella May Alexander, the city’s first woman mayor.
Mayor from 1932-1934, Alexander was later recalled because of a variety of conflicts with the City Council and the fire chief. A decade removed from passage of the 19th Amendment specifically guaranteeing women in the U.S. the right to vote, Alexander had a strong personality and some men of that era had a hard time working with her, said Erica Maniez, director of the Issaquah History Museums.
“She was referred to as the lady mayor, the woman mayor and the petticoat mayor,” Maniez said.
In one instance, three councilmen refused to serve under a petticoat mayor, she said.
“The men acted like she had cooties,” she said. “They didn’t want to sit at the table with her.”
Some speculated that her assertiveness would have been better tolerated if she had been a man.
The volunteer fire department resigned en masse over a dispute as to whether the fire department would fight fires outside the city limits. Alexander often clashed with Fire Chief Remo Castagno, who said that “no woman is going to run this city.” Castagno later served as mayor shortly after World War II.
Alexander lost a recall election in 1934. She moved to Renton and in 1940 she ran for Secretary of State. She was described as “the famous woman mayor and councilwoman of Issaquah” in her campaign literature, Maniez said.
Growing pains of a city
The opening of the Lake Washington Floating Bridge in 1940 (today’s Interstate 90 bridge over Lake Washington) brought more people to the Eastside. In 1960, work began on Interstate 90, connecting Issaquah with Seattle. A decade later, Issaquah’s population more than quadrupled to 4,300 residents.
Bill Flintoft and Keith Hansen brought Issaquah through its growing pains through the 1960s and early ‘70s, Maniez said.
“They helped guide the city as developers came to the area, and they accommodated that growth by developing codes and ordinances for those changes,” she said.
Tom Flintoft said his father Bill brought a common sense approach to managing growth.
“He realized that Issaquah was changing fast, but he wanted it to grow sensibly,” Tom Flintoft said. “There were those promoting growth and there was a no-growth faction. He sought to find a compromise between the two.”
With the growth, he planned for the infrastructure of water and sewer lines to accommodate the additional people, Tom Flintoft said.
He also insisted on an I-90 exit at East Sunset Way when the state initially balked at the notion.
“If it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t have that exit today,” he said.
From sleepy to thriving
A.J. Culver was mayor of Issaquah for most of the 1980s. Culver said he helped guide Issaquah from being a sleepy little town to a thriving commercial center.
During his term, the city approved development of the Pickering property, as well as the commercial center where Target and Safeway are located.
“It has made the difference between Issaquah being strapped for money and being financially well off,” Culver said. “And it will continue to be as a commercial center for the city. That continued by Rowan Hinds and Ava Frisinger, who is doing a fantastic job today as mayor.”

Issaquah doc has eye for aiding the sightless 7,000 miles away

June 30, 2009

An elderly Nepalese woman covers her left eye during a free vision-screening test. The screening is part of a traveling clinic that temporarily sets up in remote regions of Asia, Africa and Nepal. Photos By Tracy Prescott, and Daniel and Jodi Karr

An elderly Nepalese woman covers her left eye during a free vision-screening test. The screening is part of a traveling clinic that temporarily sets up in remote regions of Asia, Africa and Nepal. Photos By Tracy Prescott, and Daniel and Jodi Karr

If you could give someone sight, how far would you go to do it?

Joining with the Himalayan Cataract Project, Dr. Janet Barrall, an ophthalmologist for Virginia Mason in Issaquah, traveled nearly 7,000 miles to give the gift of sight to 158 people in need.

“It’s profoundly deep and completely life-changing to give sight,” she said. “It is so necessary to their way of life.”

Today, there are 37 million blind people throughout the world, according to the World Health Organization. Many suffer from cataracts. Read more

Bearup, Detrick

June 30, 2009

Jennifer Bearup and Brad Detrick

Jennifer Bearup and Brad Detrick

Jennifer Bearup, of Selah, Wash., and Brad Detrick, of Redmond, announce their engagement. The couple plans to marry Aug. 29, 2009, at the Washington Cathedral, 12300 Woodinville-Redmond Road, Redmond.

The bride to be, the daughter of John and Susan Bearup, of Selah, is a 2000 graduate of Selah High School. She earned a degree in elementary education at Central Washington University and works as a kindergarten teacher at Satus Elementary School. Read more

Liberty grad follows family legacy to USC film school

June 30, 2009

Alex Bell, a Liberty High School graduate, works on a home movie project from his laptop, a skill that helped get him accepted to the University of Southern California film school. Contributed

Alex Bell, a Liberty High School graduate, works on a home movie project from his laptop, a skill that helped get him accepted to the University of Southern California film school. Contributed

Maybe it’s in the genes.

Alex Bell, 18, of Newcastle, a 2009 Liberty High School graduate, is one of only 20 incoming freshman accepted into the film school at the University of Southern California.

About 1,200 high school students applied to study at the same school that produced George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and Gene Fowler Jr.

Though not as well known as Lucas and Spielberg, Fowler Jr. was a prolific editor and director of film and television. His efforts won him a Golden Globe, four Emmys and an Oscar. He studied film editing at 20th Century Fox as a student at USC. Read more

Ith, Feder

June 30, 2009

Ith, Feder
Madeline Ith and Alan Feder were married Oct. 25, 2008, on the beach in Maui.
Madeline, the daughter of Sophal and Narin Ith, of Vancouver, Wash., is a 2000 graduate of Evergreen High School.
Her bridal attendants were Marlana Ith, Amelia Chheang, Carisa McCathern, Serena Creagan, Ashley Lund and Brooke Velazquez.
Madeline earned her degree from the Edward R. Murrow School of Communications at Washington State University in 2004 and is employed at Optimedia as a communications planner.
Alan, the son of Barry and Kristi Feder, of Issaquah, is a 1999 graduate of Issaquah High School.
His groomsmen were Devin Bacon, John Winters, Brian Shannon, Justin Dadural, Rob Managan and Zack Smith.
Alan earned his degree from the Edward R. Murrow School of Communications at Washington State University in 2003 and is employed at Expedia as an advertising operations specialist.
The couple honeymooned in Hawaii. They are making their first home together in Kirkland.
Madeline Ith and Alan Feder

Madeline Ith and Alan Feder

Madeline Ith and Alan Feder were married Oct. 25, 2008, on the beach in Maui.

Madeline, the daughter of Sophal and Narin Ith, of Vancouver, Wash., is a 2000 graduate of Evergreen High School.

Her bridal attendants were Marlana Ith, Amelia Chheang, Carisa McCathern, Serena Creagan, Ashley Lund and Brooke Velazquez. Read more

Grand Ridge Grows a Garden

June 30, 2009

garden-GrandR-20090609bGrand Ridge Elementary School students and employees celebrated the opening and dedication of their new Grizzly Patch, a garden where students will learn the fundamentals of how to grow their own food and learn about farming and the

environment. Students, teachers and parents were given garden tours by the school’s

garden volunteers during the day. Organizations like the Issaquah Schools Foundation,

the school’s PTSA and Port Blakely provided funding for the garden. Contributed

Eagle project is community garden

June 30, 2009

Boy Scouts install the first of three raised garden boxes at the Rose House. Those whose faces you can see are (from left to right) Ed Belleba, Troop 571 Scoutmaster; Zak Vdolek, Eagle Scout and assistant Scoutmaster; Scout Zach Molina; Eagle Scout candidate Nathan McKorkle; Scout Jimmy Boyle; Scout Toby Brown; and Scout Jordan Rabold.By Janine McKorkle

Boy Scouts install the first of three raised garden boxes at the Rose House. Those whose faces you can see are (from left to right) Ed Belleba, Troop 571 Scoutmaster; Zak Vdolek, Eagle Scout and assistant Scoutmaster; Scout Zach Molina; Eagle Scout candidate Nathan McKorkle; Scout Jimmy Boyle; Scout Toby Brown; and Scout Jordan Rabold.By Janine McKorkle

Completing an Eagle Scout project is a huge challenge all Boy Scouts must complete before attaining an Eagle rank.

The project must benefit the community, but the main objective is to demonstrate leadership of others. Fourteen-year-old Nathan McKorkle, of Sammamish Troop 571, had a perfect idea for his project — lead a team to build an accessible raised garden for the residents of Rose House in Issaquah.

“I had a lot of great help. I led mostly younger Boy Scouts, but there was some older ones and some adults, too,” he said. “Even some of the residents’ family helped, too. I had a lot of volunteers and everybody did a really good job.” Read more

Fancy fenders fill Front Street

June 23, 2009

Thousands attend weekend car show

fenders-cars-frontst-200906‘Got Wood,’ said the car with the canoe on top. Not only were many of the cars at the event classics, but some had personal touches as well.

Special olympians

June 23, 2009

specialolympic-sport-200906

Eight members of the Issaquah Eagles Special Olympics team excelled and received medals May 29-31 at the 2009 Summer Games for track and field, held at Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force Base. Will Birdsey (second from left) receives an award and Wil Searing (right) receives one of three gold medals during one of the ceremonies. Other local participants were Sean Benson, Erick Gomez, Devin Christensen, Corey Lord, Lad Smith and Dan Sinnema. The Eagles’ medal count was seven gold, eight silver and two bronze. By Rhona Lord

Student filmmakers host their own Oscars night

June 23, 2009

And the 2009 winners are…
4 Stephen Spielberg Award – Cody Hatfield
4 Best Male Actor – Austin Talbot
4 Best Female Actor – McCall Kistler
4 Best Picture – Radio Flyers
4 Best overall movie – Radio Flyers: Babysitting Predicament
4 Best Plot – Radio Flyers
4 Best use of sound effects – Twinkie Family
4 Best Action scene – Radio Flyers
4 Best montage – Bomb.com
4 Funniest Moment – Twinkie Family
4 Most Successful Group – Radio Flyers
4 Best parent actor – Janet Patto
Seventh-grader Jaden Mongauzy acknowledges the crowd as teammates Michael Butler, left, and Tanner Laine accept the award for best use of sound effects at the BLMS Oscars night. By Christopher Huber

Seventh-grader Jaden Mongauzy acknowledges the crowd as teammates Michael Butler, left, and Tanner Laine accept the award for best use of sound effects at the BLMS Oscars night. By Christopher Huber

For his age, Beaver Lake Middle School eighth-grader Cody Hatfield is good at making movies. He and his friends often make videos for fun and post them on YouTube.

But Hatfield also has a knack for acting, directing and editing movies in teacher David Clymer’s Advanced Video class.

He won the Steven Spielberg Award June 10 at the second annual BLMS Oscars night.

“I thought it was pretty cool,” Hatfield said. “Everyone told me that they thought I should win it.”

The award went to Hatfield because as a director and editor, he demonstrated skills that went above and beyond what Clymer taught in class. The Steven Spielberg Award was one of 13 categories highlighted at the event in the school library. About 25 students gathered with friends and family members to view the year’s best productions from all four production groups.

“I was pleased with it. It really represented just the overall breadth and creativity they put into all their productions this year,” Clymer said after the event. “It’s really fun to see what comes out of the favorite ones. It’s not always what you think it’s going to be.” Read more

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