Julie Clegg embraces the pets, Bailey and Banjo, that inspired her photography business. Contributed

Speak with Issaquah’s Julie Clegg for even a short amount of time and one or two things become very clear.

She loves her family and her dogs. In fact, her two yellow Labradors — Bailey, age 7, and Banjo, 5 — clearly have center stage in her life.

“The connection is as strong as family,” Clegg said of the relationship between dogs and owners.

A few years ago, Clegg said she couldn’t help but take notice when the dogs of a few of her friends died from canine cancer. According to Clegg, there are two types of living beings that just should never have to suffer through cancer: children and dogs.

A pet photographer since 2007, Clegg is donating 50 percent of the fees from special sessions set up throughout February to the National Canine Cancer Foundation.

On Feb. 11, Clegg will be at the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. There are 10 slots available for what Clegg calls mini photo sessions.

Clegg also has times set aside for special photo shoots in Centralia and West Seattle.

Photography has always been an interest of hers, Clegg said. Eventually, she realized what she loved shooting the most was people and their pets. Thus, “Bailey and Banjo” became the moniker for her photographic enterprise.

Clegg doesn’t have a studio at this point. Instead, she travels to various locations for most of her shoots. There is no typical session, she added.

“Every dog is different,” she said.

If your dog tends to be very active, she suggests taking him or her for a long walk prior to a scheduled shoot so the animal will be somewhat worn out and calmer. But dogs don’t have to be sitting quietly and looking directly at the camera for a successful photo shoot, Clegg said.

“They can be acting up, doing their thing and that can make a great picture,” she added.

Besides setting aside money raised through photo sessions, Clegg has put together a project dubbed “A Dog a Day in 2012.”

Basically, she shoots interesting pets she sees out and about with their owners. While the year is young, Clegg said so far she has been able to meet her photographic goal.

If she happens to come across you and your dog, you can get a copy of the resulting picture for free. Eventually, Clegg hopes to put together a book of her “Dog a Day” photos, possibly to benefit a canine cancer fund in Oregon.

“I’ve met a lot of nice people and some cool dogs,” she said.

Tom Corrigan: 392-6434, ext. 241, or tcorrigan@isspress.com. Comment at www.issaquahpress.com.

With some photos from his several trips to Rwanda on the wall behind him, Pastor Larry Thomas said he has become very attached to that country and its people. By Tom Corrigan

The message is one of reconciliation and forgiveness, symbolized by a photo on the wall of Larry Thomas’ office in Issaquah’s Our Savior Lutheran Church.

The church’s lead pastor, Thomas has been involved with the Seattle-based Rwanda Partners for five years. He serves on the group’s board of directors and was chairman for three years.

That photo on his wall is of two men, Narcisse Ruhangintwari and Pascal Niyomugabo. During the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, Ruhangintwari murdered the other man’s wife and unborn child along with other members of Niyomugabo’s family. After Ruhangintwari was released from prison, Niyomugabo went to visit him. The latter man wanted the other to know he already had been forgiven. According to Thomas, the men are now the best of friends.

Over the course of about 100 days in 1994, the Rwandan massacre saw the murder of roughly 800,000 members of the Tutsi tribe by members of the Hutu peoples.

Thomas has been to Rwanda on four occasions. He has met Ruhangintwari and Niyomugabo and seen their interaction. The two are part of a documentary, “Wounded Healers,” produced by Rwanda Partners. But Thomas said there is nothing like seeing the once worst of enemies together in person.

“It was just a great grace for me,” he said.

Thomas became interested in Rwanda after reading journalist Philip Gourevitch’s book about the Rwandan genocide. He shortly thereafter discovered Rwanda Partners and learned members of the organization made trips to Rwanda.

“‘Next time you go,’ I said, ‘I gotta go,’” Thomas recalled. “And I meant, ‘I gotta go.’ It was a life-changing experience for me.”

He added that he came to care deeply about Rwanda and its people. There is a great paradox, he said, between the unspeakable suffering that took place in that country and people’s capacity for forgiveness and what Thomas referred to several times as their joy.

While he talked about his experiences in Rwanda, Thomas said he did not want any story to be exclusively about him, but to highlight Rwanda Partners. The organization tackles the problems in Rwanda in three ways, group co-founder and Executive Director Greg Stone said.

The first step is job creation in a country with an unemployment rate of 80 percent to 90 percent. Education is a second prong, while trying to heal the spiritual and psychological fallout from the genocide is the third.

Toward its economic ends, Rwanda Partners has several ongoing projects in that country. They work mostly with women, Thomas noted. The group operates a chicken farm as well as a pineapple plantation. Their biggest fundraising mechanism is the production and sale of handmade bags and baskets.

Rwanda Partners has about 3,000 weavers producing the items, Stone said. The goods are sold online, via in-home basket parties and through Costco. The group also has a number of local fundraisers, such as an auction held at the Space Needle.

Regarding education, Rwanda Partners operates numerous schools, Stone said.

Like Thomas, Stone talked a lot about Ruhangintwari and Niyomugabo. The latter is, he said, one of Rwanda Partners’ 10 direct employees in that country. Stone also talked about how Niyomugabo was “stuck” in the horror of the genocide until he decided to forgive and move on. He even remarried.

“It’s a beautiful story,” Stone said.

“I just had never experienced anything like it,” Thomas said.

Tom Corrigan: 392-6434, ext. 241, or tcorrigan@isspress.com. Comment at www.issaquahpress.com.

The Feb. 15 talk will focus on plans to replace the existing dam and fish ladder that lies across Issaquah Creek upstream of the hatchery. The slide presentation will show schematics and diagrams of the proposed replacement for the dam and provide information about the effects the dam has on salmon recovery.

Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery presents this talk as the second in its quarterly educational seminar series focused on the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery, salmon culture and environmental stewardship. The talk is open to the public and will take place in the Watershed Science Center, on the south side of the hatchery grounds along Newport Way. It begins at 6:30 p.m.

The dam was built to funnel Issaquah Creek water through the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery, which opened in 1937. Issaquah Creek water is used in salmon culture at the hatchery so young salmon are imprinted with their home waters and will return to Issaquah Creek to complete their life cycle.

The dam, though state-of-the-art at the time of its design and construction, is out of date and impedes the passage of salmon that are allowed to bypass the hatchery from continuing their journey upstream to spawn.

Of that total, an estimated 80 percent are men, he said. At the same time, however, about 80 percent of the clothing donated for the homeless is for women and children.

“There is a real need for warm men’s clothing,” Rockstad said.

For the third year in a row, Rockstad is helping organize a winter men’s clothing drive benefiting Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission and the Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank.

With the cooperation of four area churches, the drive began Feb. 4 and lasts through Feb. 26. Including Issaquah Christian Church, the congregations involved are:

1. Issaquah Christian Church — 10328 Issaquah-Hobart Road S.E., 392-5848
2. Foothills Baptist Church — 10120 Issaquah-Hobart Road S.E., 392-5925
3. Mountain Creek Fellowship — 165 Front Street N., 391-3416; and 205 Mountain Park Blvd. S.W.
4. Community Church of Issaquah — 205 Mountain Park Blvd. S.W., 392-6447

Leave donations in barrels at each location or the Issaquah Food Bank, Rockstad said. A receipt for tax purposes will be mailed to donors.

All items need to be new or gently used; no torn or damaged goods. Warm clothing items, such as boots, hats/caps, gloves, pants, sweaters, tube-type socks, underwear in size 38-40 (or larger), ponchos, coats and outerwear need to be in larger sizes.

Past drives were very successful, Rockstad said. The same group of churches recently completed an annual food drive for the Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank through their “Serve Issaquah” association.

Issaquah Landscaping’s show garden ‘Rhythm and Roots: A Tribute to Bluegrass’ nears completion at the Tacoma Home & Garden Show. By David Rogers

When the economy took a dip, David Rogers took a hiatus from entering his business in the annual Northwest Flower & Garden Show.

“It was nice to get our name out there, but we needed a break,” Rogers said of Issaquah Landscaping.

After four years off, the creativity bug was causing Rogers to itch regarding making a return to the venue renowned for its show gardens. From 2001 to 2005, Issaquah Landscaping won one gold, two silvers and a bronze medal for its creations.

“We could use another gold,” he said.

Participating businesses are given three and a half days to construct a themed show garden at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle to be ready by opening day of the convention Feb. 8. While Rogers enjoys the challenge, he admits the weekend features a huge distraction.

“I always forget it’s Super Bowl weekend,” he said.

Distractions aside, Rogers’ team this year, working from a design by longtime collaborator Susan Browne, constructed “Rhythm and Roots: A Tribute to Bluegrass.” In addition, the timing is perfect seasonally.

“It’s getting exciting this time of year, this close to spring,” he said. “The garden show gives it a feeling of kicking off the whole season. Plus, it gets my guys out there, excited again after a long winter.”

The idea is to showcase a themed layout utilizing native Pacific Northwest plants. Without trucking in actual bluegrass from the state of Kentucky, Rogers went down a more representational route — designing instruments throughout the garden from banjos to harmonicas. To give the design a backwoods feel, there will be a water feature, a metal garden shed representing a cabin in the woods and a huge metal pergola.

Some of the native plants Rogers said he used that homeowners can also integrate easily into their own gardens include:

• Omorika spruce
• Flowering currant
• Oregon grape (orange flame)
• Rainbow lucothe shrubs
• Deodar cedars (electric blue)

Rogers said he hopes the one element that puts his display over the top is a first for his designs — a live band. The local band Cascade Cutups will play bluegrass music throughout the show, helping transport visitors to another time and place.

While Rogers said he hopes plenty of visitors to the garden show stop by his exhibit, he admits the convention gives him the opportunity to see what others are doing in the business.

“I’m always intrigued by use of water systems,” he said. “Gutters to rain barrels to herb gardens. I love to see the mechanics they use.”

Local participating businesses

“Grunge Garden”

“Grunge Garden” pays homage to Seattle’s music scene of the 1990s, when groups Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Nirvana and Pearl Jam put Seattle on the rock music map again. Shaped to depict a guitar, this garden includes drums (and a drum water feature) and boots from the period. You’ll also see flannel — a wardrobe mainstay for grunge rockers or wannabes.

Adding to the authenticity, the creator reached out for advice from members of the famed Northwest band Everclear. This garden is a memorial to a time that has passed us all by but that we can fondly remember.

• Creator: Adam Gorski, North Bend, 766-8605
• Adam Gorski Landscapes Inc.
• www.adamgorskilandscapes.com

“Here Comes the Sun” Design-a-Garden

The first-ever “Design-A-Garden” process is a collaboration between visitors to the show’s website, Seattle’s Swansons Nursery, veteran garden creator Lloyd Glasscock, of Looking Glass Design, and Show Designer Cyle Eldred. For several months before the show, readers selected the garden theme (The Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun”) and helped select materials, art, furniture and plantings, and other components through online voting.

It includes a large central patio using Montana bronze flagstone and sockeye quartzite flagstone, a backdrop of sheltering trees, celadon containers overflowing with plants and studio art glass pieces interspersed among the garden features.

• Creators: Marenakos Rock Center, Issaquah, 392-3313
• www.marenakos.com

• Looking Glass Design
• Lloyd Glasscock, Stanwood, 422-3336
• www.lookingglass-design.com

• Terra Firma Hardscapes
• John Stout, Everett, 252-5408
• www.terrafirmahardscapes.com

• Swansons Nursery
• Brad Siebe, general manager, Seattle, 206-782-2543
• www.swansonsnursery.com

• Sawdust Supply, Seattle
• 206-622-4321
• www.sawdustsupply.com

David Hayes: 392-6434, ext. 237, or dhayes@isspress.com. Comment at dhayes@isspress.com.

For gardeners, this realization is a real boon. We don’t have to stare out the window at the dripping rain and soggy soil for very long each year. We are always just a blink away from getting out there and rooting around in all that good dirt.

For many plants, our winters are more like a rather uneventful camping trip in the mountains than a hellish experience. In fact, some of them seem to like the discomfort and the inconvenience that winter has to offer. We know the bulbs like it — the narcissus, crocus, hyacinths and tulips. They don’t seem to be bothered by anything, snoozing from summer through most of winter, and then peeking out of the ground as the weather improves. They inch up during good weather, and stay put when it’s cold. Mine are up already with the warm temperatures we’ve had.

Some plants go beyond understanding. Winter heath starts blooming before Christmas, knowing full well that ice and snow are on the way. Sarcococca is blooming now, through rain, snow, ice and wind. Winter sun mahonia is out there in the freezing temperatures, pretending not to notice. Sedums are boldly sticking their heads up out of the ground daring winter to take its best shot. And we know if it does, the sedum will win. Primroses are amazing and almost look out of place with their bright colors in among the grayed earth tones of winter.

Although I appreciate the enthusiasm and bravery of the winter bloomers and growers, I don’t feel I depend on them to get me through the winter anymore. The low sun angles on the deciduous branches create a hopeful look and a very artful one as well. Even the dripping rain and the dramatic gray skies seem exciting. It’s now fun to look outside without feeling obligated to be out there doing something. The pruning of fruit trees and roses is coming soon enough.

For now, I’m going to enjoy this beautiful winter weather and the surprises it brings.

Jane Garrison is a local landscape architect and master gardener who gardens in glacial till on the plateau.

Sierra Hunt

Sierra Hunt

Category of recognition: leadership/citizenship

School: Liberty High School

Grade: 12

Parents: Patty Kubeja/Drew Hunt

Sponsoring teacher: Dan Joslin

Scholastic achievements: 3.8 grade point average; Honor Society (four years); Stephen Decatur Leadership Award; Cadet of the Year in Naval Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps for outstanding dedication; highest possible score on Advanced Placement U.S. History

Activities: NJROTC commanding officer, Patriot Company; inducted International Thespian; sectional leader, wind ensemble; Associated Student Body member

Scholastic interests: AP biology, AP U.S. History and AP Government; Honor Society; Patriot Players, involved in 10 shows; Liberty Wind Ensemble/marching band; NJROTC

Hobbies: acting/singing, hiking, cycling (riding in Seattle to Portland 200-mile race this summer), clarinet, self-taught ukulele player, knitting

Future goals: accepted to Seattle University, Washington State University and the University of Portland; plan to attend University of Washington on a full-ride Army ROTC scholarship; major in nursing

Occupation: obstetrician

Julia Knitter

Julia Knitter

Category of recognition: leadership

School: Issaquah High School

Grade: 12

Parents: Karen and Clifford Knitter

Sponsoring teacher: Tim Baynes

Academic achievements: top 15 percent of class; honor roll

Athletics: KingCo soccer honorable mention, coach’s award, varsity girls soccer captain

Scholastic activities: Senior Class Council representative, Eagle Crew treasurer

Scholastic Interests: history and politics

Hobbies: soccer and reading

Future goals: attending University of Washington or American University

Career: humanitarian aid work

Tiffany Stephens

Tiffany Stephens

Category of recognition: career and technical education

School: Liberty High School

Grade: 11

Parent: Jill Meitzel

Sponsoring teacher: Delores Leber

Scholastic achievements: Honor Society, 2010 to present, 3.89 grade point average, No. 25 of 287 juniors

Activities: VOICE Mentor Program

Hobbies: reading, writing, studying French

Outside school affiliation: Briarwood Elementary School, School-Aged Care

Future goals: Western Washington University, Woodring College of Education

Occupation: teacher, and then eventually an elementary school principal

Shawn Terasaki

Tiffany Stephens

Category of recognition: career/vocational

School: Issaquah High School

Grade: 12

Parents: Wes and Barb Terasaki

Sponsoring teacher: Ellen Jarvinen

Scholastic achievements: National Honor Society Service Award, academic excellence award, named to Jostens National Sampler Yearbook 2011

Athletics: two years of tennis

Scholastic activities: hired to create T-shirts and sold more than 1,200; have more than 800 subscribers on YouTube

Scholastic interests: yearbook editor in chief; advanced art

Hobbies: making videos, making/designing T-shirts, playing guitar and drums

Outside school affiliations: Pacific Northwest Junior State of America director; National Honor Society

Future goals: attend university (undecided), major in architecture, graphic design or film production

Career: undecided

Phil Velozo

Phil Velozo

Category of recognition: pre-vocation

School: Tiger Mountain Community High School

Grade: 12

Parent: Ruth Velezo

Sponsoring teacher: Sheila Thacker

Scholastic achievements: 4.0 grade point average, student store manager, fundraising events coordinator

Athletics: volleyball, rugby

Activities: fixed and repaired vehicles professionally and for personal interest

Scholastic interests: math, finances, business courses

Hobbies: fixing/working on cars

Future goals: Universal Technical Institute, Western Tech, Lake Washington Tech

Career: Automotive Service Excellence certified automotive technician, specializing in Chevrolet

He was born at Swedish/Issaquah weighing 8 pounds and measuring 19 inches.

Grandparents are Wilson and Neida Acuario, of Renton; and Young and Jae Go, of Bellevue.

Courtney Phillips, a member of the Colgate University Class of 2014, has been inducted into the Colgate chapter of Phi Eta Sigma, the national scholastic honorary society that recognizes the outstanding academic achievement of first-year students.

Phillips received the distinction by earning a grade point average of at least 3.5 during the 2010-2011 academic year.

Phillips, a graduate of The Overlake School in Bellevue, is the daughter of Gerald and Robin Phillips, of Sammamish.

UND fall graduates include three Renton students

The following students from Renton graduated Dec. 16 from the University of North Dakota in the fall semester:

Gregory Carras, Master of Science

Justin Flones, Bachelor of Business Administration

Quyen Lee, Master of Science

Local students are named to WWU honor roll

The following students were named to Western Washington University’s honor roll. To qualify, students must complete at least 14 graded credit hours during a quarter and be in the top 10 percent of their class.

Issaquah: Devin Amrine (4.0), Jennifer Button, Jacqueline Cecil, Britta Dybevik (4.0), Holly Groussman (4.0), Alex Jordan, Malorie Kerouac, Megan Lee, Kimberly McGarvey (4.0), Teresa Micheletti, Margaret Rauch, Rebecca Scheurich, Anna Skutley (4.0), Lindsey Vanosdoll (4.0) and Alexandra Winker

Renton: David Hatton (4.0), Claire Perrin and Kasey Sweeney-Easter

Sammamish: Christine Hay (4.0), Amber Lee, Thomas McCollough, Emma Myers, Benjamin Reh, Lindsay Skinner (4.0) and Julia Tingstad

Graduates from WWU include numerous local students

The following local students recently graduated during the fall 2011 quarter at Western Washington University:

Issaquah: Logan Altier, Bachelor of Science, computer science; Michael Helder, Bachelor of Arts, business administration (production/operations management); Angelika Ivaniukovich, Bachelor of Arts, accounting; Erika Klein, Bachelor of Arts Education, social studies (elementary); Laura Matusek, Bachelor of Arts, general studies; and Machenzie Woehlbrandt, Bachelor of Science, manufacturing and supply chain management

Newcastle: Paul Thompson, Bachelor of Arts, planning and environmental policy (DREP emphasis)

Renton: Kathryn Abercombie, Bachelor of Arts, recreation; and David Hatton, Bachelor of Arts, accounting

Sammamish: Joseph Bialek, Bachelor of Science, computer science; Michelle Breen, Bachelor of Arts, recreation; Christine Hay, Bachelor of Science, manufacturing and supply chain management; Tyler Humphrey, Bachelor of Arts, politics/philosophy/economics; Joshua Phelps, Bachelor of Arts, interdisciplinary concepts; and Jaime Wilson, Bachelor of Arts Education, psychology (human development — elementary)

Eastside Baby Corner recently named Kathleen Huckabay as its newest board of directors member.

Huckabay, a Sammamish resident and former councilwoman for the city, is a financial advisor with US Bank.

Eastside Baby Corner helps children by providing basic necessities so that its partners — schools, social service agencies, food banks, hospitals — can help families become stable, safe, housed, fed and employed.