King County Council to delve into $490 million arena proposal
May 22, 2012
King County Council members intend to scrutinize a proposal to build a $490 million sports and entertainment arena in Seattle to determine whether financing for the plan is feasible and if arena-related traffic could harm other businesses in the area.
County Executive Dow Constantine and Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn, joined by investor Chris Hansen, a San Francisco hedge fund manager, on May 16 announced agreements between the county, city and the ArenaCo investment group to govern financing for a proposed arena near Safeco Field.
Construction could start after a professional basketball franchise is secured for the arena. Moreover, the public investment could drop if backers cannot secure a professional hockey team for the facility.
The amount of public support is capped at $120 million if organizers secure only the basketball franchise. The total could rise to $200 million if a hockey team is added to the equation.
Police urge motorists to buckle up, or face $124 fine
May 22, 2012
The start of the summer travel season means the Issaquah Police Department is urging motorists to buckle up — or else — during ongoing Click It or Ticket patrols.
The patrols in Issaquah and elsewhere in Western Washington started May 21 and last through June 3. Violators face a $124 fine for not wearing a seat belt.
The effort launched as public safety officials celebrated the 10th anniversary of Washington’s primary seat belt law. Officials estimate the law requiring motorists to buckle up has saved 1,010 lives in the past decade.
Before state law changed to make seat belt violations a primary offense, law enforcement officers could only cite drivers for violations if the motorist violated the speed limit or broke another law.
“If you just do one community, then you’re reaching a smaller percentage of people,” Issaquah Police Chief Paul Ayers said May 16. “If you do it regionwide on the same day or the same weekend, it’s a consistent message. It really reaches far more people.”
Citizen input is sought for Cougar Mountain subdivision
May 22, 2012
Citizens can comment soon about a subdivision proposed for Cougar Mountain near the Talus urban village.
City Council members plan to hold a public hearing on the Forest Heights development agreement, a proposed pact to add 24 single-family lots to about six acres on a 13.9-acre site. The agreement also outlines nine tracts for native growth protection easements, open space, storm water detention and future development.
The proposed project site is north and east of Talus, south of Northwest James Bush Road and uphill from state Route 900.
The proposal raised concerns among Talus residents about possible impacts on parking in the hillside neighborhood and increased landslide risk.
Citizens can comment on the proposed development agreement at a meeting and public hearing at 7:30 p.m. June 4. The council meets in the Council Chambers at City Hall South, 135 E. Sunset Way.
King County mails voter registration cards to reflect redistricting changes
May 22, 2012
King County Elections is mailing updated voter registration cards to all King County voters.
The elections office started sending the cards May 21. The cards identify a voter’s precinct, and congressional, legislative and King County Council districts. Many districts changed late last year due to post-Census 2010 redistricting.
The recent redistricting affected more than 600,000 of the 1.1 million registered voters in the county.
Officials plan to mail ballots for the Aug. 7 primary election July 18, so mailing the voter registration cards in May allows time for the county to update records before the primary.
Voters can reach the elections office at www.kingcounty.gov/elections. Or call 206-296-VOTE. Visit elections headquarters at 919 S.W. Grady Way, Renton.
East Lake Sammamish Trail closes for upgrades
May 22, 2012
The regional East Lake Sammamish Trail through Issaquah is closed for up to a year as crews remove the existing gravel surface and construct a 12-foot asphalt trail.
King County closed the trail to all users May 14. The closure affects a 2.2-mile stretch from Northwest Gilman Boulevard to Southeast 43rd Way.
The estimated cost to complete the segment is $2.74 million. The county used funding from the King County Open Space and Trails Levy, federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program, and the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program.
Plans also call for crews to add gravel shoulders, concrete sidewalk connections, retaining walls, fencing and signage, plus wetland planting and landscaping.
The extensive work in the narrow corridor required a complete closure. Officials advised trail users to find alternate routes around the closed section.
The upgrade is meant to make the trail accessible to a wider range of users, including bicyclists with narrow tires, those with inline skates and others.
The completed East Lake Sammamish Trail is meant to stretch 44 miles from Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood to Issaquah.
Society of Professional Journalists honors The Issaquah Press
May 22, 2012
The Issaquah Press took home awards for its coverage of the Issaquah gunman at the Northwest Excellence in Journalism Awards held by the Society of Professional Journalists.
The regional chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists announced its 2011 awards in a ceremony May 19.
The annual presentation honors the best in journalism, covering a region that includes Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana.
Reporters Warren Kagarise and Christina Lords and Managing Editor Kathleen R. Merrill earned second place in the spot news reporting category for their coverage of the gunman who prompted Issaquah residents to seek cover after a shootout with police at Clark Elementary School in September.
Christina Lords also nabbed third place in the news photography category for her photo capturing the police response to the Issaquah gunman.
Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive benefits local food bank
May 22, 2012
The shelves at the Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank received some necessary additions after the National Association of Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive.
The event, held May 12 in Issaquah and nationwide, garnered 16,130 pounds of food for the food bank.
In the annual food drive, residents collect and bag nonperishable food items, and then place the bag inside the mailbox for letter carriers to deliver to a local food bank.
The donation comes as the food bank prepares for summer. Demand often increases as children finish school and no longer receive meals on campus.
Celebrate National Trails Day on Tiger Mountain
May 22, 2012
Join the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust and REI on Tiger Mountain to celebrate National Trails Day.
The annual event, scheduled for June 2, is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Potential volunteers can learn more and sign up at www.mtsgreenway.org.
Tiger Mountain is a popular destination for hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders. Its trails bring visitors through the remains of old growth forests left over from Tiger Mountain’s logging past.
Volunteers plan to repair overused trails by resurfacing, brushing, fixing drainage issues and repairing trail structures.
Sponsored by the American Hiking Society, National Trails Day is meant to inspire hikers to visit a favorite trail or try something different.
Volunteers play a key role in keeping state and regional recreation areas open and safe for the public.
The public helps maintain trails and facilities, picks up litter, participates in work parties, provides information to visitors and alerts law enforcement to illegal activities.
In addition, King County Parks hosts more than 100 volunteer trail work events on projects to complement work done by the agency’s full-time backcountry trails crew.
NASCAR driver, attorney general target teens’ texting
May 22, 2012
State Attorney General Rob McKenna and NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne teamed up May 1 to warn teenagers about the dangers of texting and driving.
In order to address the problem, the National Association of Attorneys General — led by McKenna — joined a national coalition to roll out public service announcements featuring Kahne, a Washington native. The coalition also includes the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Ad Council.
The spots marked a nationwide Stop the Texts Day and the start of National Youth Traffic Safety Month. Watch the PSAs at www.stoptextsstopwrecks.org.
Federal officials rank distracted driving as the No. 1 killer of teenagers in the United States. In 2010, more than 3,000 people died and another 416,000 sustained injuries due to texting and other forms of distracted driving.
“While teen drivers often feel invincible, the reality is that texting and driving too often leads to terrible injuries and even death,” McKenna said in a statement. “No text message is worth risking your life or the lives of others. Texting while driving should be at least as socially unacceptable as driving without a seat belt.”
Inquest opens to examine Clark Elementary School shootout
May 22, 2012
King County authorities started to examine the actions of Issaquah police officers involved in a deadly September 2011 shootout at Clark Elementary School as a prosecutor-led inquest opened May 21.
The officers shot and killed Ronald W. Ficker, 51, after the rural Maple Valley man abandoned a rental car at a downtown Issaquah intersection and, brandishing rifles and carrying ammunition, set off in the direction of school campuses.
