Through annexations and influxes of new residents to Talus and the Issaquah Highlands, Issaquah grew by 139 percent since 2000. Between April 2000 and April 2009, the city swelled to nearly 27,000 residents. The population explosion made the city the fifth fastest growing in Washington.

Issaquah added 15,678 residents due to annexations and growth in the hillside urban villages. State figures show the April 2009 population at 26,890.

Figures released Monday by the state Office of Financial Management showed Issaquah trailing four smaller cities on the list of fastest-growing cities. Snoqualmie — the fastest growing — ballooned by 8,099 residents to 9,730 people.

Issaquah is the 38th largest city in the state; the city ranked 61st in 2000. Seattle, with 602,000 residents, remains Washington’s largest city.

Issaquah added 6,210 residents through annexations alone since April 2000. Providence Point and South Cove were annexed during the period.

City spokeswoman Autumn Monahan said many residents of annexed areas thought of themselves as Issaquah residents before they lived inside the city limits.

Monahan credited city officials and planners with directing new development toward designated areas.

“As a community, we knew growth was coming and through the urban villages we could it in a smart way,” she said.

City development commissioners raised questions Wednesday night about a pair of high-profile projects — a medical building along Interstate 90 and Eastside Fire & Rescue Station 72.

Before developers can begin work on the proposed medical building, designers must soften the “fortresslike” facade and ensure easy access to the site, city development commissioners said.

The planned Issaquah Medical Building would be a 43,000-square-foot, three-level structure with a two-level parking garage. Plans call for the building to be constructed on about two acres at the former Zetec Inc., property — a wedge of land between westbound I-90 and Pickering Trail. The planned I-90 Undercrossing will be built just east of the site.

City Senior Planner Christopher Wright told commissioners the undercrossing would improve access to the Issaquah Medical Building property. Commissioners told representatives of property owner 224th Ave. LLC, construction of the oft-delayed undercrossing would be critical. The undercrossing will link Northwest Gilman Boulevard to Southeast 56th Street.

“Are we going to end up having a building that doesn’t have access?” Commissioner Carl Swedberg asked.

Developers plan to link the site to the surrounding street grid.

“I can assure you, I can’t get financing and I can’t get tenants unless I’ve got a road in to the building,” said Bob Power, a representative of the property owner. “We’re building that road ourselves from the northern end of our property to the southern end of our property.”

Plans call for a building height of 64 feet — 24 feet higher than the allowed 40 feet for the site. Developers will be exempted from the height limit by constructing a building with setbacks and creating additional open space on the property.

Other concerns with the Issaquah Medical Building related to aesthetics. Commissioners asked designers to punctuate the expansive parking structure with landscaping.

Commissioner Melvin Morgan praised the design, but raised issues about the entryway to the building. He said that although people would enter the building through the parking structure, the main entrance should be easier to locate.

“I think it’s a very attractive building,” Morgan said. “The one thing that I think — I would agree with staff — that might need more addressing is the entryway and some enhancement there. Since most of the site is made up of a parking garage that I think could end up looking somewhat fortresslike from the street level, that main entrance there — even though a lot of people are going to enter from inside the building — I still think it needs to be enhanced more to look even more inviting and more prominent.”

Commissioners also reviewed plans for Station 72, a planned EFR facility set to be built at 1575 N.W. Maple St., on the undeveloped northeast corner of the Issaquah Transit Center site.

Plans call for the station to be built with 6,900 square feet of office and living space, and another 4,500 square feet for equipment and support space, including fire truck bays.

The planned station would replace the outdated EFR facility at 1770 Maple St.

City officials budgeted up to $8 million to build the fire station. Project Manager Brad Liljequist told commissioners the station would include features kind to the project budget and the environment.

“Our hope is, this is a municipal facility and we want to be proud of it,” he said.

In November, voters overwhelmingly approved a $4.5 million bond to build Station 72. On Dec. 1, the City Council authorized $235,000 to continue design work for the planned station.

Officials could release additional design money and approve a finance agreement related to Station 72 when the City Council meets July 20. Before design work can proceed, City Council members must authorize spending up to $1.1 million.

EFR Deputy Chief of Planning Wes Collins said officials first identified a need for a fire station in the northwestern part of the city in 1986.

Collins said he received a hopeful sign when he stopped for Chinese food before the Development Commission meeting. The message inside his fortune cookie read, “You will reach a goal for which you have been striving.”

From the Heritage Day Parade to Providence Point’s annual barbecue, you can stay busy in Issaquah all day long.

But remember, when it comes to private events, you need a city permit to use or possess fireworks, since they are banned within city limits. Issaquah’s fireworks ban includes things like sparklers, cones, fountains and roman candles. Anyone caught in possession of or caught using fireworks will be cited. The city passed the ban in 1993.

But Issaquah isn’t the only local city to do so. Sammamish, Redmond, Bellevue and Renton all ban fireworks as well. However, fireworks are not banned in unincorporated King County, which includes areas south of downtown Issaquah on Issaquah-Hobart Road Southeast, areas in the Renton Highlands near Liberty High School, or the neighborhood of Klahanie.

For those residents, fireworks can be discharged from 9 a.m. – midnight July 4. Other nearby cities that allow fireworks July 4 are Mercer Island, Newcastle, North Bend and Snoqualmie.

If you’re not planning to head out of town, you might want to try one of six great events in town:

Issaquah’s Down Home Fourth of July Celebration and Heritage Festival (Historic downtown Issaquah along Front Street)

Kids, pets and pie rule at Issaquah’s Down Home Fourth of July Celebration and Heritage Festival. Travel along the streets of historic downtown Issaquah and you’re sure to get an eyeful of patriotic pride.

“It’s truly a community-based celebration,” said Robin Kelley, director for the Greater Issaquah Chamber of Commerce Festivals Office. “We live in this incredible place. We want to make sure we are all out there celebrating it and this wonderful nation we live in.”

Kick off your day at the Kids, Pets ‘n’ Pride Parade, which starts at Rainier Avenue and Northwest Dogwood Street at 11 a.m. and ends at about 1 p.m. Then, wander up and down Front Street, where you’ll find a plethora of hands-on activities, like an old-fashioned butter churning station, games, pony rides and live entertainment. The day ends at 2 p.m.

The celebration is presented by the city, the Issaquah Arts Commission, Issaquah History Museums and chamber of commerce. The following roads will be closed for the parade from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.:

Front Street North from Northwest Gilman Boulevard to East Sunset Way

East Sunset Way from Front Street to Second Avenue Southeast

Front Street South from East Sunset Way to Newport Way Southwest

Providence Point (4130 Providence Point Drive S.E.)

Providence Point residents, their family and guests will celebrate the 25th anniversary of their community and the Fourth of July with one celebration extravaganza.

The party starts with an old-fashioned barbecue, with hot dogs and potato salad, at noon. Music by Jim McKay and Friends and games, like tennis, horseshoes and a putting contest, will run until 5 p.m.

Residents who moved to the community between 1984 and 1986 and have lived there since can attend for free. All other residents and their guests are $5 until July 1. After July 1, the price for tickets is $7 each.

Issaquah Christian Church (10328 Issaquah-Hobart Road S.E.)

Purchase your fireworks here and know your money is going to a good cause.

You can purchase fireworks from 9 a.m. – 11 p.m. every day until July 4. Church members sell fireworks on the property each year. The proceeds support several missions throughout the year, including one group in Mexico that is building homes.

“I think what is important is that it is a positive thing that takes place with our missions. One happens to be a group of 30 teens and adults, who are in Mexico now building homes, that will come home this weekend,” said Jim Rockstad, a parishioner and organizer of the church’s stand and Freedom Day Celebration. “By buying fireworks, if you’re going to be celebrating on the Fourth in this wonderful America we’re in, buy at Issaquah Community Church, because it’s cheaper — there is no sales tax, because it is going to missions.”

The church’s Freedom Day Celebration is from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. July 4 with free hot dogs and a classic car show, including a 1934 Ford three-window coupe with a 355-cubic-inch V-8. There will also be plenty of food and live music.

Issaquah Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1100 Sixth Ave. S.E.)

The church is hosting its 50th anniversary Fourth of July Celebration beginning at 8 a.m.

State Attorney General Rob McKenna and Mayor Ava Frisinger will attend a flag-raising ceremony. The two women who began the ceremony 50 years ago will raise the flag. There will be hot chocolate and cinnamon rolls, as well as a quartet ensemble that will perform “You’re a Grand Old Flag” and “The Star Spangled Banner.”

Each family that attends is asked to bring one dozen of their favorite cinnamon rolls.

Farmers Market (Pickering Barn 1730 10th Ave N.W.)

Beginning at 9 a.m., the Issaquah Farmers Market at Pickering Barn will kick off the Fourth of July with music, local goods and entertainment. A cherry-seed spitting contest will begin at 11 a.m. and berry sundaes are available while supplies last.

Fourth on the Plateau (Sammamish Commons, 801 228th Ave. S.E.)

While the city of Issaquah doesn’t sponsor a fireworks display, there is one you can attend at the Sammamish Commons in Sammamish. The city’s Fourth on the Plateau begins at 6 p.m. with activities for children, food, and live music by Shelley and the Curves and Experimental Reality. Stay to enjoy the fireworks when the sun goes down.

Some of the city’s early mayors were doctors, including Issaquah’s first mayor, Frank Harrell. During the Great Depression, Stella May Alexander was elected the first woman mayor, campaigning on the Taxpayers’ Ticket.

She was elected to a two-year term, defeating the Progressive ticket candidate, M.H. Clark. Ninety-three percent of the city’s registered voters cast ballots and Alexander won 195-136. She lost in a recall election the following year.

In the last half of the 20th century, mayors such as Bill Flintoft and A.J. Culver had to grapple with the emerging growth of the quiet little burg on Lake Sammamish into a thriving bedroom community to Seattle.

Harrell came to the area as the surgeon of the Seattle Coal and Iron Co. He was elected mayor of Gilman without a dissenting vote in 1892. Seven years later, the town was renamed Issaquah, after the original Indian name Is-qu-ah.

In the pioneer days

Governing of the small mining and timber community was far different a century ago.

During Mayor John McQuade’s term as mayor in 1900, the town enacted an ordinance demanding that every able-bodied man over 21 and under 50 pay a yearly poll tax of $3, or two days’ labor of eight-hour periods or $4 if they could not read.

The following year, electricity was introduced to the small town of about 600 when Issaquah entered into an agreement with Snoqualmie Falls Power Co. to bring power in the form of 30 incandescent lamps powered by electrical current.

The following year, H.R. Corson, was elected mayor. A doctor by trade, he came to town as the mining company director for the Issaquah Coal Co.

Following World War I, the two-year term of mayor was changed to four-year terms with the election of P.J. Smith.

‘Like she had cooties’

No look at the city’s mayors would be complete without mentioning Stella May Alexander, the city’s first woman mayor.

Mayor from 1932-1934, Alexander was later recalled because of a variety of conflicts with the City Council and the fire chief. A decade removed from passage of the 19th Amendment specifically guaranteeing women in the U.S. the right to vote, Alexander had a strong personality and some men of that era had a hard time working with her, said Erica Maniez, director of the Issaquah History Museums.

“She was referred to as the lady mayor, the woman mayor and the petticoat mayor,” Maniez said.

In one instance, three councilmen refused to serve under a petticoat mayor, she said.

“The men acted like she had cooties,” she said. “They didn’t want to sit at the table with her.”

Some speculated that her assertiveness would have been better tolerated if she had been a man.

The volunteer fire department resigned en masse over a dispute as to whether the fire department would fight fires outside the city limits. Alexander often clashed with Fire Chief Remo Castagno, who said that “no woman is going to run this city.” Castagno later served as mayor shortly after World War II.

Alexander lost a recall election in 1934. She moved to Renton and in 1940 she ran for Secretary of State. She was described as “the famous woman mayor and councilwoman of Issaquah” in her campaign literature, Maniez said.

Growing pains of a city

The opening of the Lake Washington Floating Bridge in 1940 (today’s Interstate 90 bridge over Lake Washington) brought more people to the Eastside. In 1960, work began on Interstate 90, connecting Issaquah with Seattle. A decade later, Issaquah’s population more than quadrupled to 4,300 residents.

Bill Flintoft and Keith Hansen brought Issaquah through its growing pains through the 1960s and early ‘70s, Maniez said.

“They helped guide the city as developers came to the area, and they accommodated that growth by developing codes and ordinances for those changes,” she said.

Tom Flintoft said his father Bill brought a common sense approach to managing growth.

“He realized that Issaquah was changing fast, but he wanted it to grow sensibly,” Tom Flintoft said. “There were those promoting growth and there was a no-growth faction. He sought to find a compromise between the two.”

With the growth, he planned for the infrastructure of water and sewer lines to accommodate the additional people, Tom Flintoft said.

He also insisted on an I-90 exit at East Sunset Way when the state initially balked at the notion.

“If it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t have that exit today,” he said.

From sleepy to thriving

A.J. Culver was mayor of Issaquah for most of the 1980s. Culver said he helped guide Issaquah from being a sleepy little town to a thriving commercial center.

During his term, the city approved development of the Pickering property, as well as the commercial center where Target and Safeway are located.

“It has made the difference between Issaquah being strapped for money and being financially well off,” Culver said. “And it will continue to be as a commercial center for the city. That continued by Rowan Hinds and Ava Frisinger, who is doing a fantastic job today as mayor.”

History of Issaquah mayors

F. W. Harrell —From Apr 27, 1892

Town of Gilman

(incorporated Apr 1892)

Two-year terms until 1918

From Jan. 10, 1893 — P. V. Davis

From Jan. 8, 1895 — John Davis

From Jan. 12, 1897 — John L. Hughes

From Jan. 10, 1899

Resigned Aug. 7, 1899

Henry Hunter

Town of Issaquah

(name changed Feb 1899)

From Sept. 5, 1899 — W. D. “Will” Conner, Filled unexpired term

From Jan. 3, 1900

Resigned April 27, 1900

John McQuade

April 27, 1900 – Jan. 8, 1901

Wm. E. Gibson, MD

Filled unexpired term

Jan. 8, 1901 – Jan. 10, 1905

H.R. Corson, M.D

Re-elected, served two terms

Jan. 10, 1905 – June 4, 1906

(resigned), Frank Day

June 4, 1906 – Jan. 14, 1913

William E. Gibson — Filled unexpired term and elected to three consecutive two-year terms

1913-1915 — P.J. Smith

1915-1917 — John H. Gibson

1917-1918 — C.R. Berry

1918-1921 — P.J. Smith

Two-year terms changed to four-year terms

1921-1924 — William E. Gibson

1924-1925 — V.M. McKibben

1926-1928 — P.J. Smith

1928-1930 — John Fischer

1930-1932 — L.R. Hepler

1932-1934 — Stella May Alexander,

First woman mayor

1934-1937 — Laurence J. Harris

1937-1940 — William Mitchell

1940-1947 — Thomas Gibson

1947-1948 — Albert Jensen

1948-1952 — Remo Castagno

1952-1956 — Alting R. “Buck” Lee

1956-1970 — James William “Bill” Flintoft

1970-1974 — Keith M. Hansen

1974-1981 — Herbert G. Herrington

1982-1989 — A.J. Culver

1990-1997 — Rowan C. Hinds

1998-present — Ava Frisinger

Source: City of Issaquah

Travel times between Issaquah and Seattle could balloon beyond 60 minutes during the shutdown. During the morning commute, all westbound traffic will be funneled to the express lanes — reducing the number of available lanes from five to two. The westbound afternoon commute will be cut from three lanes to two.

Engineers predict the worst traffic will be from 6-11 a.m. and 3-7 p.m. weekdays and 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. on weekends.

DOT officials encouraged commuters to plan ahead for the closure. With the shutdown only a few days away, transportation officials suggested employees and supervisors talk about working alternate schedules or telecommuting to avoid peak travel times. King County Metro and DOT officials also advised for commuters to consider mass transit and car- and vanpools as options.

Though the westbound mainline will be closed for around-the-clock construction until July 20, cyclists and pedestrians will be able to use the bridge. Crews constructed two temporary bridges at each end of the floating bridge. Cyclists will have to dismount and walk across the temporary bridges.

“If we had to close the bike lane, that would only put more people on the roads,” DOT spokesman Jeff Switzer said.

Switzer urged commuters to check a DOT project Web site for frequent updates.

DOT officials initially said the shutdown would last three weeks, but the agency paid about $500,000 to the project contractor as an incentive to finish the $8.5 million project in two weeks. The contractor, General Construction Co., of Poulsbo, completed work on the bridge in May ahead of schedule.

Switzer said lessons learned during the May shutdown allowed DOT officials and the contractor to negotiate a compressed schedule for the July closure.

In May, during the first phase of construction, commute times from Issaquah to Seattle doubled from the usual 30 minutes during peak times.

About 71,000 vehicles cross the bridge each day. Officials warned drivers that congestion would be severe during the shutdown. Expect bad weather and accidents to swell commute times as well.

During the shutdown, crews will install a pair of new expansion joints weighing 65 tons each. Joints — some of the largest in the world — allow the bridge to bend with traffic, weather and the water level in Lake Washington.

When the westbound span is closed to vehicles, four 12-person demolition crews will work 10-hour shifts to remove the existing, cracked joints and install new joints. Crews are already cutting into the concrete roadway to prepare for the project. The westbound span will be reduced to a single lane nightly from 11:30 p.m. until 5 a.m. through July 2.

Other construction preparations will cause daytime lane closures. Crews will close the express lanes from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. through July 2. The northern express lane will also be closed from 3-10 p.m. through July 2 near East Mercer Way.

During the full-fledged shutdown, two temporary bridges will allow cyclists and pedestrians to bypass the construction zones at the eastern and western ends of the roadway.

Cascade Bicycle Club launched the Bridging with Bikes initiative to educate commuters about getting across the bridge by bike. John Mauro, director of commute programs for the organization, said the shutdown presents a chance to get more commuters out of gridlock.

“Cascade’s Bridging with Bikes program is about making the physical connection for people during the construction to avoid major gridlock,” Mauro said. “But it’s also about making a longer-term and healthy lifestyle connection to the bicycle. Programs like Bridging with Bikes help us all stay fit and save money while building a stronger sense of community and having a lasting impact on the region.

“And it starts with a simple decision,” he added. “Begin the morning with a smile on a bike — and beat traffic on the bridge.”

Reach Reporter Warren Kagarise at 392-6434, ext. 234, or wkagarise@isspress.com. Comment on this story at www.issaquahpress.com.

Macchio works to make sure humans and bears stay safe — no small feat in a sprawling neighborhood with nearly 7,000 residents. Bears, after all, are attracted to everything from garbage to backyard bird feeders.

“We’re creating these big buffet tables in our own backyards,” she said.

As part of the effort to protect bears and her neighbors, Macchio leads Neighborhood Wildlife Stewards. The group discusses wildlife sightings in the highlands and works to educate residents about how to share habitats with four-legged neighbors.

State wildlife officials estimate the black bear population in Washington ranges between 25,000 and 30,000 animals. Agents receive hundreds of black bear complaints each year. The calls range from sightings to property damage to livestock attacks. A few calls each year come as a result of confrontations between humans and bears.

Macchio said the best bet is to call wildlife agents about nuisance bears instead of local law enforcement agencies.

Humans moving into black bear habitat complicate the contact between the species. Bears use a keen sense of smell to track down food. Bears are omnivores, and they consume a variety of plants — berries and grasses, for instance — and insects, such as ants and grubs. But they also have a taste for garbage, pet food and the contents of bird feeders. After bears discover food, chances are they will return. The animals have excellent memories.

Problems arise when bears become “food-conditioned” and associate humans with food rewards. As a result, bears can become unafraid of humans. Emboldened bears can be a danger to humans, and these bears could become aggressive as they search for food.

State Wildlife Officer Bruce Richards said bears are active from late spring until early fall. Most reports of human contact with bears come during the summer months, he said.

Issaquah residents have reported several bear sightings during the past few weeks. At about noon June 3, a black bear was spotted on Issaquah-Fall City Road near Endeavour Elementary School. Over Memorial Day weekend, wildlife agents captured and released a black bear found roaming through an Issaquah neighborhood. Lat Sunday a bear was reported in the Four Lakes neighborhood south of Issaquah.

Richards and his colleagues have specialized training and equipment to deal with bears.

Officers respond to bear sightings when the animal poses a threat to public safety. A sighting alone does not constitute a threat, and wildlife agents would not typically respond to reports of a sighting.

Nuisance bears can be trapped by wildlife agents and relocated. But bears with a taste for garbage are likely to seek out other sources. If relocation fails, a nuisance bear may have to be destroyed.

Richards works with Mishka, the first Karelian bear dog in the nation used for wildlife enforcement. Richards and Mishka track nuisance bears. Mishka also assists in “hard releases” — a process to make bears fear humans again. During a hard release, wildlife officers fire rubber bullets and create loud noises to frighten a nuisance bear. Richards estimates the procedure was successful in 80 percent of the black bear hard releases last spring and summer.

Mindful that nuisance bears often return or seek other sources of garbage, Macchio posted signs with bear safety tips at community mailboxes throughout the highlands. Moreover, she said another bear would often move in to fill the vacuum after wildlife agents relocate a nuisance animal.

Macchio checks out the neighborhood for signs of bear activity. On her rounds, she also passes out fliers to residents on streets where bears dumped garbage bins. Her goal is to remind people how bears can become a threat once they lose their fear of humans.

Macchio recently began working with Heather Swift, principal and owner of Cohabitats, a Seattle company that developers and planners use to identify conservation areas and educate residents to prevent conflicts between humans and wildlife.

“Instead of increasing alarm, we want to increase harmony across species,” Swift said.

Reach Reporter Warren Kagarise at 392-6434, ext. 234, or wkagarise@isspress.com. Comment on this story at www.issaquahpress.com.

An elderly Nepalese woman covers her left eye during a free vision-screening test. The screening is part of a traveling clinic that temporarily sets up in remote regions of Asia, Africa and Nepal. Photos By Tracy Prescott, and Daniel and Jodi Karr

If you could give someone sight, how far would you go to do it?

Joining with the Himalayan Cataract Project, Dr. Janet Barrall, an ophthalmologist for Virginia Mason in Issaquah, traveled nearly 7,000 miles to give the gift of sight to 158 people in need.

“It’s profoundly deep and completely life-changing to give sight,” she said. “It is so necessary to their way of life.”

Today, there are 37 million blind people throughout the world, according to the World Health Organization. Many suffer from cataracts.Cataracts cause your eye lens to become cloudy and are caused by exposure to high amounts of ultraviolet light, malnutrition, dehydration and/or can form as part of the aging process, Barrall said.

Vision is necessary for survival in Nepal. That’s why Barrall brought her husband and traveled with mentor, Dr. Daniel Karr, to Nepal from March 13 to April 4 to work with the Himalayan Cataract Project’s founder, Dr. Sanduk Ruit.

“I first heard about Dr. Ruit about 10 years ago, when Dr. Karr went to Nepal and helped with surgeries in Kathmandu,” Barrall said. “That inspired me initially.”

Ruit founded the organization in 1995, after developing a procedure that could be completed in remote regions of the Himalayas for only $20. To reach as many people as possible, Ruit takes teams of doctors, equipment and a mobile surgery room to them.

Since its inception, Ruit and teams of doctors have performed the surgeries throughout the Himalayas, Africa and Asia. In 2007, they were able to perform 12,000 surgeries.

A world away for change

Barrall said it was hard to not recognize the overwhelming poverty and lack of development in the country’s capital city, Kathmandu.

After spending a few days in the capital, Barrall and other volunteers traveled 14 hours to the country’s eastern region of Ramechhap where they would set up their temporary clinic and perform cataract surgery. With few communications systems, the team of doctors and volunteers handed out flyers about their clinic to children and adults along the way, Barrall said.

Arriving at Dorumba, 8,000 feet up in the Himalayas, the team was met by local leaders, who helped them set up a temporary surgery ward in an abandoned 1950s Swiss building that needed to be sterilized and hooked up to a rickety propane generator for power. They also created a vision-screening clinic outside and set up recovery shelters in a courtyard near the building.

No sooner did they begin to unpack their clinic than patients began arriving, Barrall said. A line of at least 500 mothers, children, fathers and the elderly formed near the gates of the old building, stretching through the woods to the roadway.

“Everyone that showed up got examined,” she said. “There was a men’s and women’s line and everyone helped — the police, the kids. I loved it. It was a big community effort.”

After vision screening, those who needed surgery were separated out and prepped. Those who couldn’t be helped at the camp were given free bus tickets to Ruit’s Tilganga Eye Center in Kathmandu, she said.

A test of courage

Though she was supposed to only provide support at the camp, one of Ruit’s other surgeons didn’t show up and Barrall was asked to perform surgery using his technique.

On a single sheet of paper on a very cold morning, Barrall received a crash course in Ruit’s technique.

“He was literally telling me how to do his surgery that morning while drawing it on a piece of paper with a pen,” she said. “I was a little stressed, because these are techniques that we’re not used to using.”

The procedure is far from what is done in clinics today, she said. In fact, it is something similar to a procedure used more than 20 years ago in the U.S.

“My husband gave me a pep talk,” she added. “He said, ‘These people won’t get another chance and every person you do is going to do better because of you.’”

At the end of the day, she said she agreed with her husband: It wasn’t about her fear. It was about helping people see, like the 70-year-old man who walked more than five miles with his blind 90-year-old mother on his back to the camp, or the regal-looking elderly woman who was Barrall’s second patient, she said.

“Most people here have never seen a Westerner,” she said. “Yet, they traveled for who knows how many miles, with no shoes, at 8,000 feet, with complete trust.

“It was so different from here. There was no informed consent. They just trusted that we were doctors and were there to help them.”

One by one, they’d hop on the operating table in front of her, she said. When she was done with one, another was waiting to take his or her place under the dim surgical lights in the abandoned building.

A gift more than sight

At the end of two days, Barrall said she’d operated on 25 different patients.

“They have given me a lot to think about,” she said. “Here, we have trouble getting family to give their elderly a ride to their doctor’s appointments. Whereas there, they carry them for miles.

“Yet, they gave us scarves to thank us,” she added. “They didn’t need to. I feel like I needed to thank them. I feel like I was the one given the gift.”

With increasing numbers of aging people in the world, the World Health Organization estimates that the number of people suffering from blindness could reach 75 million by 2020. It is imperative to help organizations like the Himalayan Cataract Project, Barrall said.

“Think of what $20 will buy you. It’s a few lattes, a pedicure, a decent dinner out or a movie,” she said. “A contribution of only $20 will restore someone’s sight.

“Not only will $20 literally change someone’s life, but the restoration of sight allows them to become self-sufficient again — to farm, gather food, and care for themselves and their family. Once you know that $20 will change someone’s life, how can you not give?”

How to help

Learn more about the Himalayan Cataract Project at www.cureblindness.org/help/donate.

Reach Reporter Chantelle Lusebrink at 392-6434, ext. 241, or clusebrink@isspress.com. Comment on this story at www.issaquahpress.com.

Hundreds of bike enthusiasts ride under an Issaquah overpass June 28 during Children’s Ride 14, a fundraising ride for Seattle Children’s Hospital. The long line of bikes was escorted by Washington State Patrol troopers from Safeco Field to Emerald Downs for an afternoon of horse racing and barbecuing. By Michael Johnson/New Era Photography

Geraldine Boyce

Geraldine Boyce, of Issaquah, died June 23, 2009, in Renton. She was 83.By her request, private services will be held at a later date.

Geraldine was born Nov. 18, 1925, in Doniphan, Neb., to John and Lola Sparks. She was raised in Doniphan.

Geraldine married Lyle Boyce in 1949 in Portland, Maine. They moved to Issaquah in the early 1950s and resided in the Pine Lake area.

Geraldine loved to cook, play bingo and travel. She was a longtime member of the Community Baptist Church and Issaquah Eagles.

Geraldine was preceded in death by her husband Lyle and two sons: Barry and Brad. She is survived by her daughter Michelle (husband Arne) Campbell, of Issaquah; two granddaughters; and four great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorial contributions in Geraldine’s name to the Alzheimer’s Association, 12721 30th Ave. N.E., Suite 101, Seattle, WA 98125, or to dementia research.

Friends are invited to share memories and sign the family’s online guest book at www.flintofts.com.