Former Issaquah Mayor Herb Herrington dies
April 24, 2012
Herb Herrington
Former Mayor Herb Herrington, a genteel Texan and the chief executive as Issaquah started a long metamorphosis from a one-stoplight town to a commercial hub, died April 13.
Herrington, 83, served as mayor from 1974-81, before the Eastside population boom reshaped Issaquah from a former coal-mining and logging settlement into a center for high-tech and service industries. Later city leaders credited Herrington for creating a City Hall culture more responsive to citizens’ concerns.
“One of the things I learned from him is that you can disagree without being disagreeable,” former Mayor Rowan Hinds said.
Compassion also defined Herrington’s legacy. In 1977, the then-mayor spearheaded Community Enterprises of Issaquah, a predecessor to AtWork! — a nonprofit organization dedicated to skills training and job placement for disabled people.
Sculptor of downtown art piece dies
April 17, 2012
Richard Beyer, creator of downtown Issaquah’s most recognizable sculpture, died April 9 — almost 11 years after a unveiling a life-size piece depicting late City Clerk Linda Ruehle across from City Hall.
Beyer, also known for creating the whimsical “Waiting for the Interurban” sculpture in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood, died at age 86 in New York City. The sculptor suffered a stroke March 27 and never regained consciousness.
Bystanders sometimes outfit the Ruehle sculpture and the Fremont piece in clothing and accessories meant to reflect the season or holidays. (The downtown sculpture donned a Salmon Days Festival T-shirt, a golf cap and a bouquet of flowers after the 2001 debut.)
Sculptor Richard Beyer, creator of downtown Issaquah art, dies
April 13, 2012
Zander Aguirre, then 4, sits down next to the sculpture depicting late City Clerk Linda Ruehle in 2009. File
NEW — 8 a.m. April 13, 2012
Richard Beyer, creator of downtown Issaquah’s most recognizable sculpture, died Monday — almost 11 years after a unveiling a life-size piece depicting late City Clerk Linda Ruehle across from City Hall.
Beyer, also known for creating the whimsical “Waiting for the Interurban” sculpture in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood, died at age 86 in New York City. The sculptor suffered a stroke March 27 and never regained consciousness.
Scholarship fund named for former city clerk
July 27, 2010
Legendary City Clerk Linda Ruehle — already immortalized with a statue near City Hall — has been honored again.
Ruehle, the Issaquah city clerk for 27 years, died in 2005. During her tenure as a city employee, she earned admiration for her skill and her voluminous knowledge of city ordinances.
To honor Ruehle, the King County Municipal Clerks Association recently agreed in a 25-0 decision to name a scholarship fund after her. The city announced the fund July 21.
Details will be defined in the months ahead, but the Linda Ruehle Washington Municipal Clerks Association Fall Academy Scholarship Fund will consist of two scholarships per year.
Before she retired in June 2001, Ruehle served as a leader of the association.
Not long after she retired, the city honored her with the cast-aluminum bench across East Sunset Way from City Hall. The bench — supported by aluminum facsimiles of ordinance books — features a life-sized representation of the former city clerk.
Scholarship fund named for former City Clerk Linda Ruehle
July 27, 2010
NEW — 10 a.m. July 27, 2010
Legendary City Clerk Linda Ruehle — already immortalized with a statue near City Hall — has been honored again.
Ruehle, the Issaquah city clerk for 27 years, died in 2005. During her tenure as a city employee, Ruehle earned admiration for her skill and her voluminous knowledge of city ordinances.
To honor Ruehle, the King County Municipal Clerks Association recently agreed in 25-0 decision to name a scholarship fund after her. The city announced the fund July 21.
Details will be defined in the months ahead, but the Linda Ruehle Washington Municipal Clerks Association Fall Academy Scholarship Fund will consist of two scholarships per year.
Before she retired in June 2001, Ruehle served as a leader in the Washington Municipal Clerks Association.
Not long after she retired, the city honored her with the cast aluminum bench across East Sunset Way from City Hall. The bench — supported by aluminum facsimiles of ordinance books — features a life-sized representation of the former city clerk.
Leon Kos will retire from city after 33 years
April 27, 2010
City administrator leaves behind a bigger, stronger Issaquah
Leon Kos
The past three decades can be attributed to — or blamed on — legendary City Clerk Linda Ruehle.
Issaquah needed a new city administrator in early 1977. Leon Kos, a recent Seattle transplant from California, applied for the job.
Take a closer look at Issaquah’s public art
February 23, 2010
Public art is a big part of Issaquah today. In fact, there’s an entire city policy dedicated to it.
While it may be an addition to the city’s beauty — depending on your tastes — you may have driven by more than one of the pieces and wondered, “What is that?” Well, here are some answers to some pieces you may have wondered about.
Have others that we didn’t list? Send them to editor@isspress.com.
