Road to recovery ends with beauty school honors
February 2, 2010
Makenna Converse (right) works some hairstyling artistry with a curling iron and hairspray for fellow student Catrina Hull at Evergreen Beauty College in Bellevue. By Greg Farrar
Two years ago, Makenna Converse was 16, living on her own after being asked to leave home because she was expelled from school and addicted to alcohol.
“My parents went through a rough divorce,” the now sober 17-year-old said. “I didn’t know how to handle it, so I started getting myself into trouble. I’d drink and do other things to myself to make it go away.” Read more
Preston resident heads to Haiti
February 2, 2010
The call came a day before the devastating 7.0-magnitude earthquake — Mark Bowers was going to Haiti Jan. 30 for a medical mission. Read more
Burke Archaelology Collections shares a look at C. M. Sheafe’s flat-top maul
February 2, 2010
In planning the exhibit In This Valley, Issaquah History Museums’ staff members aimed to interpret the history of American Indians in the Issaquah area. Unfortunately, they had very few authentic American Indian artifacts in their collection. Museum Director Erica Maniez contacted the Burke Museum in Seattle to inquire about borrowing artifacts for the exhibit.
In a review of archaeological artifacts found in the Issaquah area, Burke Archaeology Collections Manager Laura Phillips located a hand maul. Hand mauls look like large pestles. They were carved from stone, and used like hammers.
As an archaeological artifact, the maul was not impressive. It had a large chunk chipped from the bottom, and remnants of very old glue on the surface. In one area, there were remnants of inked paper, suggesting that a collector had created a homemade label for the maul. Read more
College News
February 2, 2010
Joel Abrahams named to Hofstra University’s dean’s list Read more
Who’s News
February 2, 2010
Kiwanis honors Liberty High School teacher
The Issaquah Kiwanis Club and Liberty High School Key Club presented their Quarterly Service Award to Toni Kraft, president of the LHS Key Club, for her exemplary attitude and service to the community. Read more
Renewing ties with our Nordic neighbors
January 26, 2010
Issaquah visitor Joan Probala returns from Norway with hopes to revive sister-city bond
Longtime Issaquah resident Joan Probala (right) addresses dignitaries during a November trip to Sunndal, Norway, a sister city to Issaquah. Contributed by Joan ProbAla
Longtime Issaquah resident Joan Probala traveled to Sunndal, Norway, in November to discuss the dormant sister-city relationship between Issaquah and the Norwegian town.
Dignitaries from both cities established the relationship in 1991, although the connection has waned in recent years. In the meantime, Issaquah and Chefchaouen, Morocco, started a sister-city relationship in 2005.
Issaquah City Council members hope to revive and strengthen the relationship between the city and Sunndal. Probala, a member of the city Sister Cities Commission, met with Sunndal leaders, sampled reindeer and talked about how to strengthen the bond between Issaquah and the small, quaint city on a fjord.
Wanted: Fun, young professionals who want to get involved
January 26, 2010
Jackk Sercu (left), Sunset Elementary School fourth-grader, and principal Wayne Hamasaki show the rapidly disappearing cupcakes that Jack’s mom, Susan Sercu, made for the Sunset Kids for Haiti bake sale. By Greg Farrar
Beginning Feb. 11, the Kiwanis Club of Issaquah will host a satellite club designed to engage young professionals in the community who want to make a difference.
“Young professionals should participate in this group if they feel they would like to volunteer some of their time to help make Issaquah a better place,” said Craig Tasa, a founding member. “By being part of this club, they will also have the opportunity to meet many other young professionals who share the same passion for our community.
“This may also serve as a great networking opportunity for those professionals who are starting their careers and would like to meet other individuals in the community.”
The mission of Kiwanis is to help community members volunteer their time to change the world, one community and one child at a time.
Kiwanis is kicking off the new club to help young professionals access their club on their terms, according to a press release. Read more
Volunteering made easier with kidServe
January 26, 2010
When University of Washington Project Management students were told they’d have to successfully manage a real project — for their grade — they were ready for the challenge.
Instead of simply finding something to do, a group of five classmates, including an Issaquah mother, decided to form a nonprofit organization, called kidServe Seattle, to better the community.
“I was having a conversation with some friends at a dinner party last spring and a lot of us were thinking that we wish we could find volunteer opportunities without having to call every single organization,” said Bellevue resident Rachael Podolsky. “It would be great if there was a Web site where everything was in one place.”
When Podolsky started classes she brought up her idea again; this time, she quickly found others to help.
“I searched for five hours one night,” said classmate and coordinator Shannon Farrell. “I even tried using different search techniques. I just couldn’t believe there wasn’t anything out there.”
Quickly, the classmates began putting the pieces together to form the nonprofit, a Web site that helps parents with children ages 5-12 find community service projects and volunteer opportunities they can do together in the Puget Sound area.
By visiting kidServe Seattle, families and children can learn about volunteer experiences that are age appropriate and of interest to the child. KidServe Seattle will offer volunteer experiences in five categories: animals, arts, civic, environmental, and health and wellness.
“I was interested in kidServe Seattle because I have two sons in elementary school at Grand Ridge Elementary,” in Issaquah, said classmate and coordinator Tiffanie Wilhite. “I wasn’t able to find opportunities for us to volunteer together.
“As parents, it’s important to teach our children all aspects of life, whether that’s riding a bike, tying their shoes or volunteering,” she added. “And volunteering is a lot like riding a bike — if they learn to do it when they are young, they’ll know how to do it as adults.”
The project’s five coordinators – Podolsky, Wilhite, Farrell, Jay Hinds and Cyndie Tarr – helped create the organization’s structure, Web platform, partnerships and marketing tools to share with the local community. They have applied for nonprofit status and are waiting for the government to approve it.
Though they only began in October, they’re ready to have their first big parent-and-child volunteer activity in Issaquah Jan. 30.
KidServe Seattle coordinators are hoping the Issaquah community will take up their challenge to raise necessity items and food for the Ronald McDonald House pantry.
Coordinators are asking parents to take their children grocery shopping to pick out the items they think will help the Ronald McDonald house, and then drop the items off at Caffe Ladro in the Issaquah Highlands from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
“If people like what we’re doing, we’d like them to help us,” Farrell said.
If parents and children like the activity and the mission of kidServe Seattle, coordinators would appreciate a donation of $15 to help them finish launching their services, which will also help them make the grade.
By March, coordinators hope to have the five, or more, volunteer opportunities for families on the Web site. Month by month, they hope to generate more opportunities targeted at several age-appropriate levels for children and their families.
At first, coordinators will help facilitate volunteer activities by attending themselves, but later, families should be able to contact the organizations to book volunteer times or just show up.
It could be as simple as helping sort cans for the local food bank, as messy as a park cleanup or as difficult as helping out at a local zoo, Farrell said.
At the heart of each volunteer opportunity though, there is a chance to live the organization’s mission, “to promote volunteerism for children and their families through social, civic and environmental charitable experiences in the local community,” and in turn, make the community a better place.
Though their coursework with the university ends in May, Farrell said, several of the team’s members, including Podolsky and Wilhite, are committed to remaining on the project to ensure it keeps running.
Because so many of the coordinators want to see the project grow, they are asking for area organizations with meaningful volunteer opportunities to send them information to book on their calendar.
If you goNecessity and food drive benefiting the Ronald McDonald House pantry411 a.m. – 3 p.m. Jan. 304Caffe Ladro, 10th Ave. N.E.
On the Web4www.kidserveseattle.org
Who’s News
January 26, 2010
Cascade Bank raises $75,000 for United Way Read more
Locals step up to aid Haitians
January 26, 2010
Nine cafeteria tables are covered with baked goods provided by more than 300 Sunset Elementary families for the Sunset Kids for Haiti bake sale. World Vision, American Red Cross and Partners in Health were the charities selected to receive the $4,164 raised. By Greg Farrar
Issaquah community groups, churches and schools are stepping up to help Haiti.
Since Jan. 12, when a 7.0-magnitude earthquake devastated the country, rescue and relief efforts have been sent from around the world amid recurring aftershocks, which have registered upward of 5.0 magnitude.
Haitian officials have recorded more than 70,000 deaths. However, they estimate the death toll may rise to nearly 200,000. Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere, according to the Central Intelligence Agency’s World Factbook.
Locally, Issaquah School District schools, like Sunset and Challenger elementary schools and Liberty High School, have raised thousands of dollars to help relief efforts in Haiti.
Challenger is accepting donations for the U.S. Fund for United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund for Haiti. Read more
