The roundabout at East Lake Sammamish Parkway and Southeast 43rd Way will remain open through the weekend.

City officials had planned to close the roundabout Sunday for paving, but weather has delayed the project.

Officials plan to pave the roundabout from 3 p.m. March 28 to 5 a.m. March 29. The entire roundabout will be shut down for the duration of paving.

If the alternate date falls through, crews will pave the roundabout April 4-5 or April 11-12.

Check the city Web site or 1700-AM radio station for updates. The latest information — as well as detour routes — will also be located on electronic message boards near the roundabout.

Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts will pick up items needed for the Issaquah Food and Clothing Bank during a Saturday food drive.

Scouts delivered door hangers about the most-needed items to residences in Issaquah and across the Puget Sound region March 13. Scouts will return Saturday to pick up donations as part of the Scouting for Food campaign.

Scouts delivered bags through Issaquah, Sammamish, Cougar Mountain, North Bend, Fall City, Snoqualmie and the Renton Highlands.

To meet the increased need for food donations, the Chief Seattle Council teamed up with the Pacific Harbors Council of Boy Scouts of America for the largest food collection ever conducted by the organizations. Combined, the councils represent up to 46,000 Scouts.

The local pantry and other food banks need dry boxed dinners; canned fruit and protein items — such as tuna, chicken, beef stew and peanut butter; prepared cereal; diapers; baby formula; shampoo; and personal hygiene items. Organizers recommend donors give dry, nonperishable items.

Besides the Issaquah pantry, Scouts will deliver to food programs in Bellevue, Mercer Island, Kirkland, Maple Valley, Seattle and elsewhere in King County.

The newest Issaquah School District elementary school will be the home of the otters.

Issaquah School Board members recently approved the mascot for Creekside Elementary School. The board also approved colors for the new school — brown, silver and blue. The colors represent the woods and water of otter habitat.

School officials made their final recommendation to the board after asking the community for submissions; they received more than 60 mascot and color entries.

Officials researched each entry and recommended three to the board: cubs, otters or ravens.

Each animal has ties to the wooded areas around the school, and boasts intelligence and social connections to a larger group of their species. The board picked the mascot Feb. 24. Creekside Elementary will open this fall.

Otters won because, like the students, otters “are very intelligent, know how to enjoy themselves, and stay true to friends and family,” Planning Principal Robin Earl said.

King Conservation District voters elected Renton resident Max Prinsen, a conservation district associate supervisor and president of a wetland-conservation group, to the district board Tuesday.

Prinsen pulled ahead of four other candidates — including former Issaquah wetland biologist Kirk Prindle — to win a three-year term on the five-member board. Prinsen received about 42 percent of the vote; Prindle placed fourth in the race.

The district promotes sustainable use of natural resources, and provides information and voluntary technical-assistance programs to landowners. The all-volunteer governing board includes three members elected by district residents and two members appointed by the state Conservation Commission.

Overall, 4,232 people headed to polling sites at King County libraries to cast ballots in the race. The total outpaced the turnout for the 2009 election, when 2,757 people cast ballots.

“The higher level of activity at the polls this year can be attributed to increased interest in the King CD, including our voluntary conservation and stewardship efforts with private landowners, and enthusiastic campaign efforts by candidates,” board Chairman Bill Knutsen said in a news release.

The district worked with Bellevue elections administrator Election Trust to conduct the location. State conservation commissioners will certify the election results in May. Prinsen will be sworn into office in June.

Irene Crotts

Irene Elizabeth Crotts, of Issaquah, died peacefully Monday, March 1, 2010. She was 86.A celebration of Irene’s life will be at 2 p.m. April 10 at the Issaquah Valley Senior Center, 75 N.E. Creek Way. Guests will be encouraged to share a favorite memory during the celebration.

Her children, other family and dear friends were by her side during her nine-month, spirited battle following surgery in May.

Irene was born Oct. 25, 1923, in Clay Center, Kan., to William Alexander and Sarah Elizabeth Spiers. At age 13, the family moved to Chehalis, where Irene graduated from Chehalis High School in 1941 before moving to Seattle to embark on a career.

She met Delbert Leigh Crotts and they married in 1946, raising their children in Renton, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Portland, Ore. In 1999, Irene moved from Portland to Issaquah, where she readily established an additional network of friends, as she was active in church, bridge, sewing, and time spent with friends and family.

Irene was a devoted and passionate mother with tremendous energy and positive spirit. She had a detailed memory and enjoyed family history, crossword puzzles, Scrabble, Yahtze and bridge. She never missed a family event or occasion and enjoyed traveling later in life to Europe, New Zealand and Hawaii, in addition to local trips to the Oregon Coast, Central Oregon, the San Juans and to the Midwest for a family reunion in 2008.

Irene was greatly valued by her family and friends, and leaves a legacy of love, devotion, fond memories and wonderful stories.

Survivors include her sons Lawrence (Larry), of North Bend, and James (Jim), of Seattle; daughter Susan, of Sacramento, Calif.; six grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

In lieu of flowers, remembrances can be made to the Issaquah Valley Senior Center.

Arrangements are entrusted to Flintoft’s Funeral Home and Crematory.

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

Meanwhile, a federal judge dismissed the Chapter 11 bankruptcy case tied to the developer, Wellington Park Pointe LLC.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Karen Overstreet dismissed the case after attorneys for the developer withdrew a plan to finance and build Park Pointe. Court documents dated March 3 allowed Regal Financial Bank to proceed with the foreclosure.

“The parties wish to avoid incurring additional attorneys fees, in what has been a very expensive matter, and what in all likelihood would be a very expensive trial,” the documents state.

Attorneys for the developer and Regal Financial Bank could not be reached for comment.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding the forested Park Pointe land, city officials said the plan to preserve the 140-acre tract remains unchanged. Under a complex development-rights swap, they want to allow more residences to be built in the Issaquah Highlands in exchange for preservation of the Park Pointe site.

King County records show the bank took control of the property through a $10.8 million trustee deed — far less than what the developer had said the land was worth.

The developer held $29 million in assets — with most of the value associated with the Park Pointe property — but owed about $15 million when the company entered Chapter 11 in November, court documents state. A January appraisal valued the land at $18.9 million.

Since the developer proposed the project in the mid-1990s, opponents said Park Pointe could damage the environment, lead to more vehicles on city roads and spoil views of Tiger Mountain.

Plans for Park Pointe evolved throughout the decade, from a high-density urban village in the mold of the highlands and Talus to low-density residential, the latest zoning for the land. The most recent plan presented by the developer called for up to 344 residences on 67 acres.

City and county officials announced a watershed plan in September 2008 to preserve the land through a transfer of development rights, also known as a TDR. But the process slowed as the developer entered Chapter 11, after it defaulted on a loan from Regal Financial Bank.

Warren Kagarise: 392-6434, ext. 234, or wkagarise@isspress.com. Comment at www.issaquahpress.com.

Talk about Klahanie Park, how the cities will provide animal-control services after June 30 and the future of emergency services dominated the March 9 meeting at Sammamish City Hall.

With county-run animal shelters set to end June 30, members of both city councils said no proposal exists yet to provide the services now handled by King County Animal Care and Control. Although, representatives from both cities said staffers continue to work on a solution.

A solution could result in a regional partnership among several cities, or individual cities could commission animal-control officers. Federal Way officials, for instance, announced a plan to form a city animal-services agency.

The cost of animal services and shelters will be the key factor for Issaquah and Sammamish. Neither city seems likely to take in enough money through animal-licensing fees to pay for a full-fledged animal-services program.

Issaquah, Sammamish and 30 other cities contract with King County for services, like responses to complaints about vicious animals, animal-cruelty investigations and pickups of stray animals. The agency responded to 194 calls in Issaquah and 225 calls in Sammamish throughout 2008, county figures show.

King County Councilwoman Kathy Lambert, whose district includes both cities, urged caution as municipal officials prepare for the transition.

“Be aware that this is a very volatile issue — probably one of the most volatile,” she said at the joint city councils meeting.

County officials acted after several reports showed problems with King County Animal Care and Control leadership, organization and operations.

Reports dating back to June 2006 indicated mismanagement had resulted in animal cruelty. Then, a 2008 report prepared by a consultant said the county organization had too few staffers, too little shelter space, failed to track licensed animals and had a strained relationship with volunteers. Another report delivered in December 2009 said the county used euthanasia drugs in excessive doses.

Lambert and other council members extended the original Jan. 31 deadline to close county-run animal shelters. The decision allowed County Executive Dow Constantine until June 30 to put together a regional animal-services plan.

“We have already extended the date once, and so, we have put in a substantial amount of money that we don’t have at this point, so I don’t think the county will be ready to extend too many more times,” Lambert said.

Sammamish observes fire planning ‘from the sidelines’

Issaquah officials encouraged Sammamish leaders to join a still-nascent plan to change the way local governments provide fire protection and emergency services.

Issaquah City Council members and officials from King County fire districts took the initial step last fall to consider a regional fire authority, and formed a planning group. The group met last month and organized the group.

“This is only a planning committee,” Issaquah Councilwoman Maureen McCarry said. “It’s not to establish a regional fire authority. It’s only to start seeing if it’s viable for any municipality or any fire district.”

Under a regional fire authority, the body would have the ability to tax residents within its boundaries. Contributions from each partner jurisdiction fund Eastside Fire & Rescue.

The arrangement has strained the relationship between Sammamish and emergency-service provider EFR.

Sammamish Mayor Don Gerend said the city had no intent to join the planning committee, but said a city staffer will attend future meetings of the group.

“We’ve been watching it from the sidelines because we had expressed concern about an RFA from the point of view of whether it makes sense for Sammamish taxpayers,” he said.

Participation in the planning committee does not commit Issaquah or the fire districts to joining a regional fire authority. Parties can withdraw from the process at any time. Forming a committee costs nothing to participants.

The planning process has no effect on the way EFR functions, but the formation of a regional fire authority could require adjustments to the inter-local agreement underpinning the agency.

“The fact that Issaquah is participating with the RFA planning committee doesn’t mean that we’ve made a decision,” Issaquah Councilman Fred Butler said.

“It’s an opportunity to look at what it would entail and answer some questions,” he continued.

Besides Issaquah, the group includes fire districts 10 and 38. District 10 includes Klahanie, Preston, Carnation, Tiger Mountain and May Valley; District 38 includes unincorporated King County near North Bend and Snoqualmie. Districts 27 — in Fall City — and 45 — in Duvall — also expressed interest in the regional fire authority.

Warren Kagarise: 392-6434, ext. 234, or wkagarise@isspress.com. Comment at www.issaquahpress.com.

King County Parks Director Kevin Brown offered a proposal to transfer ownership of the park to whichever city annexes Klahanie. Sammamish has proposed a takeover of Klahanie Park in unincorporated King County, but the offer has riled neighborhood residents.

If Issaquah ever annexes Klahanie — and if neighborhood residents vote for the proposal — Issaquah receives the park alongside the neighborhood.

If planners in both cities redraw long-term growth blueprints, Sammamish could annex Klahanie instead and keep the park. Although Klahanie and nearby neighborhoods border Issaquah and Sammamish, only Issaquah can annex the area under existing growth plans.

Issaquah City Council members referred the county proposal to a committee March 15. Services & Safety Committee members will discuss the legislation March 24.

The latest proposal for the park could alleviate concerns among Klahanie residents concerned about the future of the park. King County officials plan to close the park within months if a new operator cannot be found. The cash-strapped county wants to offload dozens of parks and facilities to local governments and organizations in order to end a budget crisis.

The county has plans to transfer ownership of 16 parks by June 2011 through annexations of county land by nearby cities. Agreements under consideration and potential annexations could remove another 13 facilities from the closure list.

The proposal notes how county, Issaquah and Sammamish officials believe Sammamish to be the best caretaker for the park until a city annexes the neighborhood.

Aside from Sammamish, the Klahanie homeowners group also expressed interest in running Klahanie Park. Neighborhood residents asked Issaquah to consider acquiring the park, but city officials cited prohibitive maintenance costs and said Klahanie Park should remain attached to the annexation area.

Members of the Issaquah and Sammamish city councils discussed the county proposal at a March 9 joint meeting.

Officials said the park issue could not be detached from the overarching question about annexation. A vote by Klahanie residents to be annexed into Issaquah faltered in 2005.

“We feel that, in terms of the Klahanie annexation, that it’s really up to Issaquah to let us know what they’re going to do,” Sammamish Deputy Mayor Nancy Whitten said.

Officials noted how neighborhood residents protested last summer after Sammamish officials offered to take on the park. Klahanie residents worried Sammamish could upgrade the facility, change the character of the park and attract more outsiders and traffic to the quiet neighborhood. Residents also raised concerns about ceding the park to Sammamish, where they lack the ability to vote in local elections.

“I would just like to perhaps acknowledge the fact that the city of Sammamish did step forward in an effort to solve a problem and to keep a park open,” Issaquah Councilman Fred Butler said. “You should be commended for that, but it sort of fell into the category of ‘no good deed goes unpunished.’”

Although officials from both cities expressed support for the county proposal, Sammamish council members questioned whether the city could recoup money spent to upgrade the park if Issaquah annexes Klahanie and receives the facility.

But council members said the annexation issue must be addressed in concert with the Klahanie Park discussion.

“We’d love to have Klahanie if they wanted us,” Whitten said. “But if they don’t want us, we don’t want to force ourselves on them. We don’t want to do something that they regard as hostile to the best interests to their community.”

Warren Kagarise: 392-6434, ext. 234, or wkagarise@isspress.com. Comment at www.issaquahpress.com.

Troy Colyer, of Liberty High School, gets a pat at third base from coach Steve Darnell after he smashes a three-RBI home run during a 2009 baseball game against West Seattle. By Greg Farrar

The Liberty High School baseball team is gearing up for another big season with 12 returning seniors, including powerhouse pitcher John McLeod.

Liberty went 20-5 overall and 16-2 in 3A KingCo Conference action last season. The Patriots won the 3A KingCo regular season title. In the postseason, the Patriots lost to Bellevue in the KingCo tournament, and defeated West Seattle in a playoff before falling to Timberline in the state regionals.

The 2010 season marks head coach Steve Darnell’s second year at the helm, and he said the Patriots are ready to go.

“I think they’re just pretty hungry and humble from last year,” he said about his returning players. “I know it’s hardened them for what we’re about to start.”

He also said the team is looking to improve upon last year’s season, which was quite successful.

“We would definitely like to represent KingCo at state,” Darnell said.

Meanwhile in the 4A KingCo Conference, Issaquah has a strong pitching staff and Skyline has another competitive team as both hope to challenge for the Crest Division title.

McLeod leads Patriots

McLeod will be perhaps the most dangerous man on the Liberty squad this year, and he has already signed with Wake Forest to play at the college level.

“He’s a great leader,” Darnell said.

Last year, McLeod was 8-1 overall with 56 innings pitched and 57 strikeouts. He pitched 43 of his innings and racked up 46 of his strikeouts in league play. His overall ERA was 2.10 and his ERA in league play was 1.63.

Last year, he was named first-team all-league by unanimous selection for his work on the mound.

Darnell said shortstop Troy Colyer will be a threat as well. Colyer is one of the returning seniors, and he was named first-team all-league last year. He will bat third in the Patriots’ lineup.

Other impact players on the team include centerfielder Troy Askins, third baseman Nick Hart, pitcher Dan Eck and catcher Cameron Talley. All four are seniors. Askins and Hart were named second-team all-league last year.

However, this year the team must do without shortstop Erick Peterson, a 2009 graduate who now plays for the University of Washington.

Liberty’s toughest competition could come from Mount Si and Bellevue, although no team can be overlooked.

Mount Si figures to be competitive with the return of such players as pitcher Frank Tassara and outfielder Rossco Castagno. Last season, Tassara finished with a 2.10 ERA and held batters to just a .132 batting average. Castagno hit .509 with 29 hits, 15 RBIs and had a league-leading 16 stolen bases.

Liberty, which had its March 12 season-opener at Skyline postponed because of rain, begins league play March 17 at Juanita.

Pitching key for Eagles

Issaquah had a rare off season in 2009, going 14-12. However, the Eagles figure to be one of the tougher 4A KingCo squads this spring, because of an experienced pitching staff.

The Eagles will see the return of five experienced pitchers, including all-league Shane Yarnell and Spencer Rogers. Yarnell was 4-3 with 38 strikeouts in 37.2 innings last spring. He should be one of the league’s best pitchers again.

Rogers, perhaps better known for his prowess as a hitter and defensive skills as a center fielder, was one of the Eagles’ top hurlers last season, too. He had a 2-1 record with one save.

Ethan Kalin, Mike Paulson and Matt Houser also return on the mound for Issaquah.

“It’s nice to have all that experience,” Issaquah coach Rob Reese said.

Rogers, who has signed a national letter of intent with the University of Washington, is one of the best all-around players in the league. He has earned all-state honors the past two seasons. As a junior, Rogers hit .410, belted three home runs and led the team in RBIs with 15. Just who joins Rogers in the outfield is still a mystery; the other returning starters graduated.

In the infield, Marcus Gaan returns at third base, and Paulson and Yarnell will be at first base. Gaan was one of Issaquah’s top hitters last season, batting .415. Shortstop Grant Gellatly, who missed last spring because of an injury, is also back.

“Having him back is huge. He’s a great athlete and an outstanding player,” Reese said. “Not having him last year really hurt.”

Issaquah has lost one player for the season — second baseman Gavin Shumaker — because of an injury. Adam Dondoyano will replace Shumaker.

Devin O’Donnell returns as catcher for the Eagles.

“I think we have a chance to be pretty good, but the whole league is tough,” Reese said.

Skyline works on fundamentals

The Skyline Spartans are gearing up for life without ace pitcher Adrian Sampson and workhorse pitcher Jared Lemke, who graduated last spring and now plays for Central Washington University.

Sampson, a senior, was 7-1 last season and earned all-league honors. However, he missed the entire summer American Legion season because of an injury. His status for this spring is unknown.

Skyline went 15-8 overall in 2009 (11-5 league) and coach Chris Tamminen said he hopes his few returning starters will step up big this season to give hard-hitting Redmond a run for its money.

“I’m thinking our pitching is still going to be strong,” he said.

Key returning players include outfielder Sean Penberthy, and pitchers Connor Lawhead and Peyton Harrod.

Tamminen added a slew of senior newcomers to the roster in 2010, including pitchers Jayce Nelson, Jim Carnes and Ryan Weideman. The Spartans will look to infielders Jake Opitz and Aaron Caditz, and outfielders Anthony DeMatteo and Michael Smith, for leadership and quick thinking in the field.

The key to success this season: focus on the fundamentals, Tamminen said.

“We have to make sure we have good team chemistry and do all the little things right,” he said.

Christopher Huber: 392-6434, ext. 242, or chuber@isspress.com. Bob Taylor: ext. 236, or bobtaylor@isspress.com. Tim Pfarr: ext. 239, or newcas@isspress.com. Comment at www.issaquahpress.com.

Nick Co, 15, and the dive master take a moment to double check insulated gloves, hood and wet suit between dives. By Judy Co

Cold waters greeted Boy Scouts from Troop No. 609.

Submerging up to 60 feet underwater, 20 of the 39 troop members completed their final dive off Alki Beach for their Professional Association of Diver Instructors certification for scuba diving and their Boy Scout merit badge.

“I’ve been scuba diving before in Maui and it was one of the most fun experiences of my life,” said Scout Sean Fite, 14, who goes to Eastside Catholic High School. “This opportunity came up and I thought I should take it to get my full certification.”

“It was cold,” said Scout Will Dodeward, 15, who goes to Mount Si High School. “I know 46 degrees doesn’t sound cold, but it’s cold.”

These boys seem to be the first ones in the nation to complete the required courses and training for the new Boy Scout merit badge added this year by the national offices, said parent volunteer Judy Co. The troop is the first to place an order for the merit badge, but there is no national database to confirm it for sure, she added.

Troop 609 is one of the largest troops in the area, with members ranging in age from 11-18 and attending schools in Issaquah, North Bend, Sammamish and Renton.

Beneath the water’s surface — once the shock of the cold water wore off — the boys saw a world full of marine diversity.

“We saw rat fish, artist crab, red rock crabs, sea slugs and feather coral,” Sean said.

The boys said they also found other interesting things, like toilets, water bottles and plates from Salty’s Restaurant, which weren’t altogether great for the environment, but provided new shelter for marine life.

Before the boys could enter the frigid water of Puget Sound, they spent weeks training in a pool, learning about regulators, dive gauges and safety with Seattle Scuba Schools.

“We had to practice removing our masks and clearing and putting them back on under water,” Sean said. “That was the scary part. You kind of panicked, but it’s good to know.”

The boys didn’t just take the classes to claim bragging rights, Scout Master David Marsh said. Seven of the boys are in the process of training for an upcoming diving adventure to Florida.

In August, the boys and five parent volunteers are headed to The Florida National High Adventure Sea Base.

Sea Base — as it’s commonly referred to by the boys — is a High Adventure camp that offers unique educational aquatic programs, according to its Web site. The Boy Scouts’ High Adventure camps are often longer in duration and allow boys in-depth learning opportunities about a single subject, like aquatic environments or mountainous regions.

“Scuba diving is a really cool experience and it is a great skill to have,” said Scout Andrew Marsh, 15, a freshman at the Pacific Cascade Freshman Campus.

Sea Base is owned and operated by the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America. It is based in the Florida Keys, with many smaller base destinations the boys will travel to by ship, like Islamorada, Summerland Key Marsh Harbour, Great Abaco Island and the Bahamas.

There, the boys will find crystal-clear waters to explore marine life in the offshore coral reefs.

“I really want to see octopus and tropical fish,” said Scout Nick Co, a Pacific Cascade student. “Something more eye pleasing.”

During the adventure, the boys will put their new scuba skills to use and learn to sail the 57-foot schooner they will live on.

During the trip, they’ll complete 15 dives, including three night dives.

The boys will learn about corals and reef ecosystems, as well as reef conservation and methods being used to help preserve them, Marsh said.

They will also have the opportunity to earn additional Professional Association of Diver Instructors certifications.

“This is something he is really interested in doing,” said Will’s mother, Angela Dodeward. “It is a great learning experience.”

But more than that, their Scout master hopes it’s a new skill, like many Boy Scouting skills, that the boys will take with them throughout their lives.

“Anything active these guys are involved in that gets them outside and away from the screen is a good thing,” Marsh said. “We really try to encourage them to push themselves and try new things, like hiking, climbing mountains and scuba diving. These are all things they can do for a lifetime and Boy Scouts encourages that.”

Chantelle Lusebrink: 392-6434, ext. 241, or clusebrink@isspress.com. Comment at www.issaquahpress.com.