Issaquah re-examines Klahanie annexation
January 22, 2013
Last annexation attempt failed in 2005
The question of how a large-scale annexation on the Sammamish Plateau could affect residents in Issaquah, Klahanie and other unincorporated King County neighborhoods is under the microscope again, almost a decade after a citizen panel tackled the issue.
Issaquah leaders commissioned a $100,000 study and created a citizen task force to examine the Klahanie Potential Annexation Area — 10,800 people in about 3,900 households in the namesake neighborhood and adjacent communities.
The potential annexation area under consideration is in unincorporated King County, and bordered by Issaquah to the south, Sammamish to the north and west, and more unincorporated areas to the east.
Issaquah Valley Trolley is back on track, poised to return
August 14, 2012
The historic Issaquah Valley Trolley Car No. 519 undergoes renovation at the Gomaco Trolley Co. facility in Ida Grove, Iowa. Contributed by Gomaco Trolley Co.
Quietly, after a decadeslong coal and timber boom fueled expansion, passenger rail service to Issaquah ceased 90 years ago.
Downtown trolleys will be delayed until at least next spring, backers say
July 20, 2010
Historic trolleys might not clang through downtown Issaquah until next spring, despite plans to relaunch the tourist attraction much earlier.
Trolley backers had hoped to run the historic cars from the Issaquah Train Depot downtown to the Issaquah Chamber of Commerce office by late summer.
Engineers had hoped to advertise the project to potential contractors by May, but August seems more realistic under the updated timeline.
The city oversees about $500,000 in grant money awarded to the project. Barb Justice and other Issaquah Valley Trolley Project volunteers manage the long-running effort to run trolleys in downtown Issaquah.
The group has become accustomed to the delays inherent in restoring 75-year-old trolleys and readying unused railroad tracks for the vehicles.
“Things seem to take 10 times longer than one would hope,” Justice, grants coordinator for the trolley project, said in early July.
City Senior Engineer Rory Cameron said the city last week submitted the application for authority to administer the grant. The city submitted the proposal to the state Department of Transportation, the agency responsible for managing federal transportation dollars in Washington.
City seeks Hall of Fame nominees
April 20, 2010
Nominate outstanding citizens for the Issaquah Hall of Fame, the annual honor bestowed by city leaders on someone who has made a lasting contribution to the community.
Every spring, the mayor and City Council president select the honoree. Mayor Ava Frisinger and Council President John Traeger will evaluate nominees on several criteria, such as civic-mindedness, leadership and service.
Frisinger and Traeger will also evaluate the role a person plays in drawing positive attention to Issaquah and fundraising for the public good. Length of service will be a factor in the decision as well.
Send the name of the nominee and a brief summary of his or her contributions to the community to: The Office of the Mayor, P.O. Box 1307, Issaquah, WA 98027-1307. Or submit the nomination via e-mail to mayor@ci.issaquah.wa.us.
The nominations must be received by May 3. Call 837-3020 or e-mail mayor@ci.issaquah.wa.us to learn more. Evaluators will maintain confidentiality throughout the selection process.
The recipient or recipients will be announced at the 31st Annual Community Awards Luncheon on May 18.
Past honorees include Harriet Fish — the historian who led the drive to name a ferry after Issaquah — environmentalist Ruth Kees and, last year, Issaquah Highlands mastermind Judd Kirk and Issaquah Valley Trolley backer Barb Justice.
In a separate honor, the Issaquah Chamber of Commerce named Frisinger as Citizen of the Year at the 2009 luncheon.
City seeks Issaquah Hall of Fame nominees
April 16, 2010
NEW — 6 a.m. April 16, 2010
Nominate outstanding citizens for the Issaquah Hall of Fame, the annual honor bestowed by city leaders on someone who has made a lasting contribution to the community.
Every spring, the mayor and City Council president select the honoree. Mayor Ava Frisinger and Council President John Traeger will evaluate nominees on several criteria, such as civic-mindedness, leadership and service.
Frisinger and Traeger will also evaluate the role a person plays in drawing positive attention to Issaquah and fundraising for the public good. Length of service will be a factor in the decision as well.
Tracks readied for return of the trolley
March 9, 2010
The first of two trolleys from Aspen, Colo., was delivered to Issaquah Nov. 25, 2002, here being placed into position at the train depot. File
Work on the long-planned effort to bring trolley service to downtown Issaquah will relaunch by late spring, after a yearslong hiatus.
City planners last week announced a proposal to rehabilitate a little more than a half-mile of unused railroad track from the historic Issaquah Train Depot to Northwest Gilman Boulevard. The city administers federal grant dollars awarded to the Issaquah Valley Trolley Project, the group behind the $500,000 venture.
Poker tourney to help the Issaquah Valley Trolley
July 21, 2009
Poker pro Barry Greenstein is known as the Robin Hood of poker, because he donates all of his tournament winnings to charity.
Now’s your chance to be the Robin Hood of Issaquah. The Issaquah Trolley Committee is hosting a Braggin’ Rights Trolley Texas Hold ’Em Poker Tournament July 25 at the depot museum. The beneficiaries are the two trolleys acquired by the city.
Since the Issaquah Depot Museum’s restoration in 1994, city leaders have long sought to also restore the trolley line, linking historic downtown to Gilman Boulevard. Read more
City could pay $2,000 tab for new bike map
May 19, 2009
City officials were set to consider spending $2,000 to make it easier for bicyclists to navigate Issaquah. Getting Around Issaquah Together sought money from the city Lodging Tax Fund to pay for bicycle maps, which would be distributed for free at area businesses. Read more
Community awards go to Judd Kirk, Barbara Justice and Mayor Ava Frisinger
May 19, 2009
NEW — 3:50 p.m. May 19, 2009
The business leader instrumental in spearheading the Issaquah Highlands and the project leader of the Issaquah Valley Trolley Project were both inducted into the Issaquah Hall of Fame today.
In addition, Mayor Ava Frisinger was named Citizen of the Year.
The honors were bestowed during the Greater Issaquah Chamber of Commerce 30th annual community awards banquet held at the Holiday Inn.
Judd Kirk, Port Blakely Communities executive, and Barb Justice, of the trolley project, were named to the 2009 Hall of Fame. Nominees were evaluated on several criteria, including the type of service, leadership and length of service to the community.
Barbara Justice (from left) and Judd Kirk were named to the Issaquah Hall of Fame and Mayor Ava Frisinger was named the Citizen of the Year today. — By Greg Farrar
Community Awards 2009
May 16, 2009
Barbara Justice draws applause as she heads to the podium after being announced as the Hall of Fame recipient. By Greg Farrar
The business leader instrumental in spearheading the Issaquah Highlands and the project leader of the Issaquah Valley Trolley Project were both inducted into the Issaquah Hall of Fame May 19. In addition, Mayor Ava Frisinger was named Citizen of the Year.
The honors were bestowed during the Greater Issaquah Chamber of Commerce 30th annual Community Awards Banquet held at the Holiday Inn.
Judd Kirk, Port Blakely Communities executive, and Barb Justice, of the trolley project, were named to the 2009 Hall of Fame. Nominees were evaluated on several criteria, including the type of service, leadership and length of service to the community.
Kirk was lauded for creating his vision of an urban village — the Issaquah Highlands. The housing development stressed the importance of building green, said Bob Ittes, chairman of the chamber board.
“The Issaquah Highlands has the highest number of homes built green by a developer in Washington,” Ittes said.
Kirk was in New Zealand on a business trip; his daughter Lisa Hysom accepted the award. She said her father considered it an honor to receive the award. Read more
