More kokanee return as community works to restore species
December 4, 2012
Homeowner funds $175,000 culvert project
Lake Sammamish kokanee salmon swim Nov. 27 in the restored stretch of Ebright Creek at Wally Pereyra’s property in the 100 block of East Lake Sammamish Parkway Southeast. By Greg Farrar
Lake Sammamish kokanee salmon — a landlocked cousin of sockeye and a species noted for distinctive red coloration — dwindled in recent decades, since before Wally Pereyra moved into a house along Ebright Creek in 1973.
State awards more than $3.5 million for local bridge projects
November 29, 2012
NEW — 10 a.m. Nov. 29, 2012
The state Department of Transportation awarded more than $3.5 million to Issaquah and King County to replace aging bridges, officials announced Wednesday.
The projects — a plan to replace the Northwest Dogwood Street bridge in downtown Issaquah and a plan to redo a bridge across 15 Mile Creek at the base of Tiger Mountain — received a portion of $130 million in federal funds to repair or replace aging bridges.
Replacing the Northwest Dogwood Street bridge across Issaquah Creek is a long-held goal among city officials, but a lack of funding prevented the project from proceeding in the past. The city project is in line to receive $2,254,400 in federal funds.
Reconstruction is meant to help reduce flooding by creating more capacity for the creek beneath the replacement bridge. The project could also add safer access for pedestrians — a change from the narrow bridge in place now.
Soggy conditions could cause street flooding
November 20, 2012
Expect a soggy Thanksgiving and a side of rain on the day before the holiday, as a series of systems batters Western Washington.
The weather comes as rain-soaked Pacific systems barrel across the region in quick succession. National Weather Service meteorologists in Seattle said strong fronts should affect Western Washington, and increase the risk of flooding on streets.
Filos on Issaquah Creek offers primo pizza, pasta
November 20, 2012
About 30 years ago, Leif Moi helped open a Jay Berry’s restaurant on Northwest Gilman Boulevard, offering dining along Issaquah Creek.
After a lengthy hiatus from the business, Moi has returned to Issaquah with his second Filos restaurant — his first in Redmond and his second, Filos on Issaquah Creek, located along the same bend in the waterway as the long-departed Jay Berry’s.
Ongoing rainfall to dampen holiday, but worst is done
November 20, 2012
NEW — 6 a.m. Nov. 20, 2012
Expect continued rainfall through Thanksgiving, but not like the blustery, soggy conditions Monday.
Severe rainfall from a series of storms derailed the afternoon commute and raised flooding concerns on local waterways as more than 2 inches of rain soaked the Issaquah area. The storm caused power outages in Issaquah and Sammamish, and prompted Sammamish city officials to close Beaver Lake Preserve and Pine Lake Park due to high wind.
King County road crews spent Monday afternoon removing leaves and debris from storm drains and responding to problems. The state Department of Transportation warned motorists to prepare for waterlogged Thanksgiving travel and snow on the mountain passes.
National Weather Service meteorologists in Seattle forecast rain for Issaquah into next week, although not as bad as the Monday deluge.
The precipitation raises the prospect of localized flooding on city streets.
Meteorologists forecast blustery, soggy Thanksgiving
November 19, 2012
NEW — 6 a.m. Nov. 19, 2012
Expect a soggy Thanksgiving and a side of rain in the days before the holiday, as series of systems batters Western Washington.
The weather comes as rain-soaked Pacific systems barrel across the region in quick succession. National Weather Service meteorologists in Seattle said the strongest fronts should affect Western Washington through Monday night.
Residents should expect 2 to 5 inches of additional rain to fall in the mountains below the snow level. The influx of moisture increases the landslide risk on slopes.
Then, wet and windy weather should continue through the week, with lulls possible on Tuesday and Thursday, Thanksgiving. Snow is forecast to fall in the mountains, and motorists should prepare for snow in the mountain passes, including Snoqualmie Pass.
Issaquah Salmon Hatchery spawns chinook, coho
November 6, 2012
FISH docent Grace Reamer holds a handful of chinook salmon eggs for students at the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery on Oct. 30. By Greg Farrar
Issaquah Salmon Hatchery workers and volunteers sloshed around in 40-degree water Oct. 30, as the annual effort to spawn coho salmon started again.
Teams from the state Department of Fish and Wildlife and Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery plan to collect 1.2 million coho eggs. The process to spawn coho started about a month after hatchery workers and volunteers started spawning chinook. In the resulting effort, teams collected 2.2 million eggs.
FISH Executive Director Jane Kuechle and John Kugen, hatchery foreman, said the partnership between the nonprofit organization and the state agency is essential for the survival of Issaquah Creek salmon — and the hatchery.
The hatchery, a fixture in downtown Issaquah for 75 years, spawns and raises coho and chinook.
State fisheries experts expected a more robust chinook salmon return but a smaller coho salmon return to Puget Sound streams in 2012.
“It comes and goes,” Kugen said. “The best one that we had that I can remember was 2001, when we had 18,000 coho and then a couple years ago we had 13,000. Coho come back in bigger numbers because they’re released as bigger smolts. They’re about 7 or 8 inches long, so there’s less predation on them than chinook.”
Maria Cantwell discusses jobs at Issaquah campaign stop
November 2, 2012
NEW — 12:30 p.m. Nov. 2, 2012
U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell focused on the economy and education during a campaign stop at Issaquah’s Gilman Village early Friday, and urged voters to return ballots by the Tuesday deadline.
Maria Cantwell
Cantwell’s 26-city “Jobs for Washington” bus tour across the state stopped at the Issaquah Coffee Co. In remarks to a group of sign-toting supporters and local dignitaries, she emphasized efforts to aid small businesses since the economy collapsed in 2008.
“In my opinion, a lot of money went to Wall Street and the five big banks, and Main Street got the short end of the stick,” she said. “Well, we worked hard to try to correct that by passing a new bill to help support community banks who would lend to small business. In fact, that program helped banks from Issaquah to Bellingham increase their lending to small businesses by as much as 24 percent.”
Off the Press
October 23, 2012
Some lonely eateries deserve another look
David Hayes
Press reporter
For the hungry lunchtime crowd, Issaquah offers a smorgasbord of eating options to satisfy a craving for just about every cuisine.
To help satiate this hunger, The Issaquah Press staff writes semi-regular restaurant reviews to update diners of the newest arrivals or other options that may have been missed.
Lately, by the absence of fellow diners, we’ve discovered more than a handful of establishments that fit in the latter category. Sure, anyone can go to the established, popular joints, but there’s a lot of fine dining being missed. Let’s revisit some of these eateries that, for whatever reason, haven’t attracted the lunch crowd they deserve.
All aboard, Issaquah, as downtown trolley starts service
October 16, 2012
Barbara Justice drives Issaquah Valley Trolley Car No. 519 to the Issaquah Train Depot on Oct. 14. By Michael Johnson
The long-envisioned Issaquah Valley Trolley started service Oct. 14, as organizers start limited service after more than a decade of planning.
The public can ride the streetcar from the Issaquah Train Depot, 50 Rainier Blvd. N., during limited weekend service from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. into November.
The streetcar runs from the depot to the bridge across the East Fork of Issaquah Creek at Darigold, about a half-mile north.
Though the track extends to Northwest Gilman Boulevard, additional work is necessary to prepare the track to accommodate the trolley. North of Northwest Gilman Boulevard, crews removed the track to create the East Lake Sammamish Trail.
