Donors ‘GiveBIG’ to Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery
June 5, 2012
The Seattle Foundation’s GiveBIG campaign generated $7.43 million in online contributions for nonprofit organizations May 2, including more than $2,000 for Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery.
During the 24-hour online event, people made donations to more than 1,100 area nonprofit organizations. The Seattle Foundation “stretched” the gifts by matching a share of every contribution from a pool of funds provided by corporate sponsors, individual contributors and the foundation.
FISH garnered $2,270 from 25 donors to benefit conservation and education programs at the hatchery.
Gifts started coming in at midnight and, overall, donors made more than 37,800 individual online gifts. GiveBIG attracted donations from all 50 states and 23 foreign countries.
Other local organizations participated in the fundraiser, and the Issaquah History Museums received more than $1,000 in donations.
FISH hosts Lake Sammamish kokanee salmon lecture
May 15, 2012
Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery is hosting U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service biologists and a state Department of Fish and Wildlife manager to discuss the Lake Sammamish kokanee salmon recovery program May 23.
The event starts at 6 p.m. at the Watershed Science Center at the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery, 125 W. Sunset Way. The lecture is free and open to the public.
The event includes U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service biologists Jeff Chan and Roger Tabor, plus state Department of Fish & Wildlife Region 4 Hatchery Manager Doug Hatfield.
Participants can learn about the Lake Sammamish kokanee and the status of the population from the federal biologists. Hatfield plans to cover the details of the innovative effort going on at the hatchery to preserve the species.
FISH, a nonprofit organization, is dedicated to the preservation of the historic hatchery through educational programs in school classrooms and at the hatchery.
Catching a legacy as Issaquah Salmon Hatchery turns 75
April 24, 2012
Vicki Hahn (above, left), FISH master docent, uses hatchery sculptures Gillda and Finley to explain how salmon spawn for Lika Clark, 9, her brother Peter Ginter, 13, and their mother Jessica Ginter. By Greg Farrar
The humble buildings along a downtown street and the simple bridge across Issaquah Creek do not call out for attention, but the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery is iconic nonetheless — so iconic, the hatchery and the salmon raised in manmade ponds serve as symbols for Issaquah and the region.
State funds replacement for problem-plagued hatchery dam
April 24, 2012
Local residents (right) on a hike April 22 with FISH docent Grace Reamer visit the 1930s-era Issaquah Creek dam. By Greg Farrar
The “damn dam” — a concrete gauntlet for migrating fish upstream from the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery — is due for replacement next year, after state legislators scraped together funding for the $4 million project.
Plans call for crews to demolish the aging dam and add boulder weirs in Issaquah Creek.
The project, a long-held priority for local and state leaders and environmentalists, could start as soon as next spring. The $4 million appropriation in a lean budget surprised hatchery supporters.
120 years of Issaquah
April 24, 2012
Click on the image to view the full-size timeline.
1892
- Issaquah is founded as Gilman. The city is named for railroad baron Daniel Hunt Gilman.
1893
- The postmaster called for mail sent to Gilman to be addressed to Olney, Wash., to avoid confusion between Gilman and Gilmer, another city in the state.
1895
- Townsfolk start calling the frontier town Issaquah, or “the sound of water birds” in the language of the American Indians native to the region.
1899
- State lawmakers approve official name change from Gilman to Issaquah.
‘GiveBIG’ to local nonprofit organizations May 2
April 24, 2012
The Seattle Foundation is staging a day of charitable giving in King County — and people can donate to numerous Issaquah-based organizations and groups serving local residents.
The foundation’s GiveBIG fundraising is a daylong event May 2.
GiveBIG invites people to make donations to almost 1,000 nonprofit organizations, including the Issaquah Schools Foundation, Village Theatre, Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery, Habitat for Humanity of East King County, Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust, YWCA of Seattle-King-Snohomish and the Together Center.
Each donation made to the more than 1,300 nonprofit organizations profiled on The Seattle Foundation’s website between midnight and midnight receives a pro-rated portion of the matching funds, or “stretch,” pool. The amount of the “stretch” depends on the size of the stretch pool and how much is raised in total donations on GiveBIG day
Find a complete list of participating organizations and donation information at The Seattle Foundation’s website, www.seattlefoundation.org.
Issaquah Hobby and Volunteer Expo returns for 14th year
April 24, 2012
Shirley Slaughter, of Issaquah, a member of Issaquah Quilters, sits in front of a quilt by Linda Smith, while meeting visitors during the 2009 Hobby and Volunteer Expo at Pickering Barn. By Greg Farrar
The annual Issaquah Hobby and Volunteer Expo, sponsored by the Issaquah Parks & Recreation Department, is set for April 28 at Pickering Barn and features nonprofit clubs, community service organizations and similar groups.
Any such organization serving Issaquah is invited to put up a table, said Cathy Jones, city recreation coordinator.
Participating clubs or organizations can seek to recruit new members, volunteers or both.
Jones described the event as especially aimed at newcomers to the Issaquah area, newly retired persons or teens looking for new ways to gain community service hours.
Issaquah Farmers Market returns for 22nd season April 21
April 17, 2012
The Issaquah Farmers Market at Pickering Farm attracts large crowds of visitors and patrons on a warm August Saturday in 2011. By Greg Farrar
The historic Pickering Farm emerges from a seasonal slumber soon as the popular Issaquah Farmers Market returns.
The market debuts for the season April 21. The return is a sign springtime is inching closer to summertime.
The farmers market runs every Saturday, rain or shine, from April to October. The market features seasonal produce, crafts, food vendors, and demonstrations or entertainment each week.
FISH invites public to catch Issaquah Salmon Hatchery’s 75th anniversary
April 17, 2012
The iconic Issaquah Salmon Hatchery opened along Issaquah Creek 75 years ago and, in the decades since, developed into a symbol for the community and a lifeline for fish species.
The anniversary celebration is due to start April 22, Earth Day, as the nonprofit organization Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery hosts a public open house. The daylong celebration launches a series of events to mark the milestone.
“The hatchery brought back the salmon to Issaquah,” FISH Executive Director Jane Kuechle said.
FISH needs volunteers to prep hatchery before celebration
April 10, 2012
Before the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery celebrates 75 years, Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery needs help preparing the hatchery grounds for a public celebration.
The nonprofit group is hosting a work party April 14 to spruce up the hatchery. The event starts at 9 a.m. and runs for the rest of the day. Participants can volunteer for the entire stretch or for a few hours.
Organizers asked for volunteers to report to the Steve Bell Theater at the hatchery, 125 W. Sunset Way.
