Chamber luncheon to feature transportation guest speakers
June 11, 2013
The Issaquah Chamber of Commerce will host a pair of speakers to discuss the state’s transportation infrastructure.
During the June 13 membership luncheon, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., 41st District Rep. Judy Clibborn and Washington Roundtable Vice President Neil Strege will give an update on the Legislature’s contentious debate regarding transportation.
With a large package still not agreed upon by the House and Senate, many feel that the state will jeopardize economic recovery and public safety without decisive action.
Local winery wins gold
June 4, 2013
Twin Cedars Winery, of Issaquah, received Gold Awards at the 2013 Seattle Wine Awards for its 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2010 Merlot in the $20+ categories.
The Seattle Wine Awards, judged by top local and national wine professionals, represents the highest recognition a winery can earn in the state of Washington, according to a press release from the winery.
Twin Cedars Winery produces handcrafted red wines from grapes grown in Washington’s premier vineyard regions, including Red Mountain and Rattlesnake Hills. Their limited-release wines include cabernet, merlot, syrah and orange muscat.
In their fifth year, winemaker/owners Rod and Dona Ahrens produce and sell their wines from their tasting room located on Tiger Mountain, as well as in a few select Issaquah locations. Learn more at www.twincedarswinery.com.
Issaquah grad develops ‘out of this world’ tech
June 4, 2013
Elyse Edwards
A team of students at the Johns Hopkins University’s Whiting School of Engineering has designed for NASA a new stethoscope that delivers accurate heart- and body-sounds to medics who are trying to assess astronauts’ health on long missions in noisy spacecraft.
Space is serene, because no air means no sound. However, inside the average spacecraft, with its whirring fans, humming computers and buzzing instruments, is about as raucous as a party filled with laughing, talking people.
“Imagine trying to get a clear stethoscope signal in an environment like that, where the ambient noise contaminates the faint heart signal. That is the problem we set out to solve,” said Elyse Edwards, a 21-year-old senior from Issaquah, who teamed up on the project with fellow seniors Noah Dennis, from New York City, and Shin Shin Cheng, from Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia.
The students worked under the guidance of James West, a Johns Hopkins research professor in electrical and computer engineering and co-inventor of the electret microphone used in telephones and in almost 90 percent of the more than 2 billion microphones produced today.
Together, they developed a stethoscope that uses electronic and mechanical strategies to help the device’s internal microphone pick up sounds that are clear and discernible — even in noisy spacecraft, and even when the device is not placed perfectly correctly on the astronaut’s body.
“Considering that during long space missions, there is a pretty good chance an actual doctor won’t be on board, we thought it was important that the stethoscope did its job well, even when an amateur was the one using it,” Dennis said.
The project was developed during a two-semester mechanical engineering senior design course offered by the university’s Whiting School of Engineering. Teams of three or four undergraduates are each given a small budget to design and build a prototype requested by a sponsoring business or organization.
This year’s results were unveiled recently at a showcase conducted shortly before the students were scheduled to graduate.
The device also includes many other performance-enhancing improvements, including low power consumption, rechargeable batteries, mechanical exclusion of ambient noise and a suction cup, so that it sticks firmly onto the patient’s chest, Cheng said.
Though developed for NASA’s use in outer space, the improved stethoscope could also be put to use here on Earth in combat situations, where ambient noise is abundant, and in developing countries, where medical care conditions are a bit more primitive.
West also plans to use the device to record infants’ heart and lung sounds in developing countries as part of a project that will attempt to develop a stethoscope that knows how to identify the typical wheezing and crackling breath sounds associated with common diseases. That would allow on-site medics to help make preliminary automated diagnoses.
Edwards is the daughter of Jayne Ash and Larry Edwards, and a graduate of Issaquah High School.
Lisa DeNike is a writer for the Whiting School of Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
Answering the call
May 28, 2013
New St. Michael’s rector happily tackles job
The Rev. Katherine Sedwick, along with the congregation of St. Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church, recently celebrated her beginning as rector.
Sedwick said it is exciting to be a part of a congregation poised to take the next step forward, to do what they are going to do and to figure out how they are going to do it well as a community. She said membership in the church numbers about 200 and “they had such a strong, healthy time under the former rector.”
Contributed
The Rev. Katherine Sedwick and four ‘angels’ bless the water in the baptismal font recently at the celebration of her new ministry as rector of St. Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church.
In an Episcopal church, a new pastor is called by the vestry. Vestry Senior Warden Tina Butt, Ed.D., a former assistant superintendent of the Issaquah School District, said after they had interviewed the top three applicants for the position, “Katherine was unanimous. She is warm, caring and wise. She is much loved by parishes where she has been. She is a good administrator. She has a clear vision for where our church can be going, and she has a real love for the Northwest and wants to help us get more involved in the Issaquah community.”
PetHub owner receives people’s choice award
May 28, 2013
Tom Arnold, owner and founder of PetHub Inc. in Issaquah, was honored twice at the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce Eastside Business Awards.
PetHub Inc. received an award in the Eastside Startup Business of the Year category as well as the People’s Choice Award for Eastside Innovative Product of the Year, according to a press release from PetHub Inc.
Businesses on the Eastside that uphold a strong commitment to quality, community and innovation were recognized at the 24th Annual Bellevue Chamber of Commerce Eastside Business Awards luncheon on May 6, according to the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce website. During the luncheon, people were invited to send a text message with the ID of a company to win the People’s Choice Award, which PetHub Inc. secured.
Liberty teachers honored for their hard work
May 28, 2013
Liberty High School teachers Debbie Sutton and Sarah Duran were selected as Liberty’s Outstanding Educators for the 2012-13 school year, according to a press release from the school.
The teachers were selected and recognized as teachers or educators who have gone above and beyond the normal expectations of their job to enhance the education of Liberty students.
The teachers were nominated by Liberty High School students.
Who’s News
May 28, 2013
Eagles musicians win
Issaquah High School won several awards at the Washington State Solo and Ensemble Contest April 26-27.
Hi Tones won first place in the women’s large ensemble category. Led by Savannah Young, other first-place singers are Maddy Bennett, Alita Campbell, Samantha Cook, Annika Dybevik, Caroline Hamblin, Melina Jones, Tali Magidson, Mackenzie Minehan, Elizabeth Moore, Julianne Nienhuis, Areesa Somani, Maryn Spangler, Rache Strand, Makenna Thomas and Ashley Young.
Singers concert features classic tunes by name
May 28, 2013
What’s in a name? Issaquah Singers will present a concert at 2 p.m. June 1 featuring songs with a person’s name in the title.
Songs the choir will sing include “Hernando’s Hideaway,” “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” “When You and I were Young,” “Maggie Blues,” “Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho” and “Goodnight, Irene.”
Issaquah Alps Trails Club announces scholarship winners
May 28, 2013
The Issaquah Alps Trails Club has announced the winners of its annual Bill Longwell Memorial Scholarship.
First place for $1,000 has been awarded to Joseph Domek, of Issaquah High School. Domek has a grade point average of 3.91, and is active in Issaquah-Sammamish Young Life, Relay for Life and Running Start classes. He plays football, wrestles, runs track and is college bound to Pacific Lutheran University.
Second place for $500 has been awarded to Jennifer Duff, also of Issaquah High School. Duff has a 3.93 grade point average, is treasurer of the Internet Service Club, is active in the Multicultural Club and Honor Society, and runs track. She plans to attend Pepperdine University next year.
Eastside Baby Corner provides free diapers
May 28, 2013
Since diapers are not covered by any government aid programs, many families in King County are forced to choose between buying diapers and buying food or paying bills, according to a press release from Side by Side Northwest.
When it costs $100 a month on average to diaper a baby, struggling parents with children in daycare often can’t afford to go to work or school, which adds additional stress to low-income families.
Eastside Baby Corner, a diaper bank, has teamed up with Westside Baby to address the issue of diaper need by providing 2 million diapers to children in need in King County over the next two years through Side by Side Northwest. The two-year pilot program was created by the two agencies working together to increase support for all children living in King County, as well as to increase the impact both organizations make in the community.
