Editorial
May 21, 2013
Fall council elections look to be ho-hum
Isn’t it wonderful how happy everyone is with the future of the city of Issaquah?
We assume that’s the case, since incumbent City Council members up for re-election this fall have all gone unchallenged, giving Stacy Goodman, Tola Marts and Eileen Barber another four-year term. Even Mary Lou Pauly gets a free ride into office with no challenger for the council’s only open seat.
Editorial
May 14, 2013
Sign code revisions can build on success
The city sign code is as important to our feelings about Issaquah as the trees that line the streets. Signs are important to commerce, and help lead the way, but for the most part are visually pleasing, adding to the ambiance of the town.
That said, we’re glad to see the city of Issaquah taking the time to listen to business owners about possible revisions to the sign code ordinance.
Editorial
May 7, 2013
Kokanee Work Group progress is heartening
A few years ago, the news about the kokanee salmon was pretty uniformly discouraging. Now, thanks largely to the efforts of the Kokanee Work Group, the fish species seems like it might be taking a step back from the brink.
Old-timers will tell you about the days when the streams running into Lake Sammamish were so thick with fish returning to spawn, you could practically walk across the water on their backs.
As years went by, the salmon suffered. Exploding development, particularly in the late 20th century, degraded streams and likely exacerbated a series of infamous algae blooms in the lake.
Editorial
April 30, 2013
Candidates wanted, filing dates near
There is still time left to consider filing for a local elected office — the ultimate volunteer job.
This election season, Issaquah has four open seats within city government, which include positions currently held by Eileen Barber, Stacy Goodman, Tola Marts and Joe Forkner. The mayor’s seat is also in need of candidates, although two have expressed their intent to file.
Two seats with the Issaquah School Board are also open, those currently held by Marnie Maraldo and Alison Meryweather. Fire District 10 needs a commissioner, as does the Sammamish Plateau Water & Sewer District.
Editorial
April 23, 2013
Bag ban is making a cleaner Issaquah
Issaquah’s bag ban will be two months old next week. Grocery store clerks say shoppers are getting used to the ban, while others are still grumbling.
For those volunteering to pick up litter in Issaquah last Saturday, it is obvious that better habits for recycling and disposal are needed, and could go a long way to creating a cleaner city. Plastic bags are only part of the problem, but they are prevalent on blackberry bushes along Issaquah Creek and in drainage ditches.
Editorial
April 16, 2013
Honor the Earth with participation
Issaquah is a city that prides itself on being environmentally friendly. Beyond the great schools and prime location, people move to this city for the tall green trees and deep blue lakes.
With Earth Day next week, there are plenty of opportunities to honor the Earth.
Editorial
April 9, 2013
County should buy south Squak parcel
The clear-cut logging of 95 acres on the steep south slope of Squak Mountain should not be permitted, even after the property owner resubmitted a plan, reduced from the original plan to log 195 acres of the 216-acre parcel.
On the other hand, if the county allows logging there, the new owner of the property that was formerly the Highlands Camping Club has the right to proceed within county guidelines.
The solution is clear. King County needs to tap into its reserve account for the purchase of sensitive areas and buy the property.
Editorial
April 2, 2013
Knives on planes policy is nonsensical
It’s been almost a dozen years since 9/11. Memories of that day have faded, but not if you are an airline traveler in a long security line at the airport, questioning whether the added security actually protects passengers from terrorists.
After all this time, we’ve learned to accept the new norm in airport security. After turning over pocketknives and having the short file on nail clippers removed for all these years, the Transportation Security Administration’s new policy allows small knives back onto planes. We agree with flight attendants: Little knives can be big security risks.
Editorial
March 26, 2013
Decisions without input are against public values
The Issaquah School District’s plan for handling school boundary changes represents the height of arrogance from the administration, and a dodge by the School Board.
Under the policy re-affirmed by the School Board two weeks ago, boundary changes are entirely in the province of the district administration. Since the School Board isn’t part of the process, any committees studying potential changes aren’t subject to open meetings laws.
Editorial
March 19, 2013
Spring cleanup needs everyone
What can create community pride better than a spring cleanup? The city of Issaquah is overdue for one.
Issaquah used to have a spring cleanup, but it was last held about 20 years ago. It was memorable. Little League teams showed up with litterbags in hand before they headed to the park with bats and balls. Girl Scouts repainted the Sunset Way bridge over Issaquah Creek. Downtown merchants planted their flower boxes.
