José Enciso, drive-in proprietor, receives top community honor
May 19, 2011
José Enciso, owner of the Triple XXX Rootbeer Drive-in, smiles as audience members applaud as he is inducted into the Issaquah Hall of Fame during the annual Issaquah Community Awards. By Greg Farrar
NEW — 12:30 p.m. May 19, 2011
José Enciso Sr., longtime Triple XXX Rootbeer Drive-in proprietor, received dual awards Tuesday, including the community’s highest honor.
The city inducted Enciso into the Issaquah Hall of Fame during the 32nd annual Community Awards Luncheon. The man serving behemoth burgers and enormous root beer floats along Northeast Gilman Boulevard also received the Business Person of the Year honor.
City seeks Issaquah Hall of Fame nominees
April 19, 2011
Nominate outstanding citizens to join community leaders past and present in the Issaquah Hall of Fame.
The mayor and the City Council president recognize at least one person each year for his or her lasting contribution to the community.
Mayor Ava Frisinger and Council President John Traeger evaluate nominees based on things such as civic-mindedness, leadership and length of service. Past honorees all played a role in attracting positive attention to Issaquah and fundraising for the public good.
Send the name of a nominee and a brief summary of his or her contributions to the community to: Office of the Mayor, P.O. Box 1307, Issaquah, WA 98027-1307. Or email the nomination to mayor@ci.issaquah.wa.us.
The nominations must be received by May 2. Evaluators maintain confidentiality throughout the selection process.
The recipient or recipients is to be announced May 17 at the annual Community Awards Luncheon.
Greenway pioneer receives top environmental honor
July 13, 2010
Mountains to Sound Greenway pioneer Ted Thomsen — “the unsung hero” behind the 101-mile greenbelt — received the highest environmental honor in Issaquah in a City Hall ceremony last week.
The late Thomsen received the Ruth Kees Award for a Sustainable Community — the prize named for the late environmentalist, a tireless advocate for open space preservation. The city selected Thomsen for the yearslong effort to establish a billboard-free greenbelt from Seattle to Central Washington along Interstate 90.
Cynthia Welti, Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust executive director, nominated Thomsen for the honor.
“He was essential to bringing the greenway vision to fruition,” she recalled in the nomination. “Ted is the unsung hero of the launch of this tremendous coalition effort.”
City leaders ignore protests, honor retired administrator Leon Kos
June 29, 2010
Former City Administrator Leon Kos shunned the spotlight during the week before he retired April 30. The longest-serving city administrator in the state repeatedly insisted against a farewell party.
Mayor Ava Frisinger and the City Council ignored the protests.
The city inducted Kos into the Issaquah Hall of Fame last month, but he had departed for a trip to the Midwest after he retired, and missed the ceremony.
City leaders managed to lure Kos back to City Hall on June 21 to recognize his contributions to Issaquah and the region.
“This year’s Hall of Fame recipient’s contributions to our community can’t be summed up quickly, because they took place over the course of 33 years,” Frisinger said at the June 21 council meeting.
City leaders ignore protests, honor retired administrator
June 28, 2010
NEW — 6 a.m. June 28, 2010
Former City Administrator Leon Kos shunned the spotlight during the week before he retired April 30. The longest-serving city administrator in the state repeatedly insisted against a farewell party.
Mayor Ava Frisinger and the City Council ignored the protests.
The city inducted Kos into the Issaquah Hall of Fame last month, but he had departed for a trip to the Midwest after he retired, and missed the ceremony.
City leaders managed to lure Kos back to City Hall last week to recognize his contributions to Issaquah and the region.
Retired City Administrator Leon Kos inducted into Issaquah Hall of Fame
May 18, 2010
NEW — 1:55 p.m. May 18, 2010
Community leaders honored the man at helm of the city administration through more than three decades and four mayors with the top city award Tuesday.
The city inducted retired City Administrator Leon Kos into the Issaquah Hall of Fame during the 31st Annual Community Awards Luncheon.
Besides Kos, the city and civic organizations honored more than a dozen people in 15 categories for community and volunteer efforts.
Press Editorial
May 11, 2010
Issaquah marked by achievers, volunteers
A Pulitzer Prize, Tony Award nominations, environmental awards, Tree City USA, scholars, top athletes, best Retirement City…. are there still awards Issaquah and its citizens have yet to receive? The recognitions come from near and far, locally and nationally — and they just keep coming. Read more
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.
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
