Squak Mountain timber plan concerns conservationists, neighbors
February 8, 2013
NEW — 12:05 p.m. Feb. 8, 2013
High on Squak Mountain, pink plastic strips tied to trees mark 216 acres of forest as a timber harvest area.
Since a timber company purchased the forest and started the process to permit logging on the site, conservationists and nearby residents mobilized to fight the proposal to clear cut the land. The logging opponents said cutting trees on the land could lead to more flooding downhill, damage sensitive fish and wildlife habitat, and add a timber harvest site near conservation lands.
The proposal from Eatonville-based Erickson Logging to harvest timber on 216 acres on the mountainside above Renton-Issaquah Road Southeast galvanized residents on Squak Mountain and near May Creek, a destination for runoff from the mountain.
Mirrormont, nature-loving neighborhood, thrives at 50
January 29, 2013
Linda Shepherd (in blue sweater at end of table), Mirrormont Pea Patch director; Paul Baer (in white striped shirt), community association president; and other pea patch users and caretakers, enjoy a potluck dinner Jan. 25 at the home of Gerard and Loretta Jancoski. By Greg Farrar
Located just 10 minutes from downtown Issaquah, nestled at the base of Tiger Mountain, sits a neighborhood unlike any other in this community.
State OKs King County rules for creek, lake
January 29, 2013
The state Department of Ecology approved King County rules for development near shorelines, including Issaquah Creek and Lake Sammamish, county and state officials announced Jan. 17.
The plan, or shoreline master program, is designed to guide construction and development on almost 2,000 miles of marine, stream and lake shorelines countywide.
Fred Butler enters race for Issaquah mayor
January 22, 2013
Fred Butler, a City Council stalwart for 13 years and a voice in important debates about the future of Issaquah, entered the race for mayor Jan. 17.
Fred Butler
The contest could hinge on the vision for the decades ahead, as city leaders seek to position Issaquah for redevelopment and attract more jobs to the community.
Butler, 72, served on the council at major junctures in recent history, as members debated the defunct Southeast Bypass road link, how to preserve forested Park Pointe on Tiger Mountain and, late last year, a 30-year redevelopment blueprint called the Central Issaquah Plan.
“We are in the process of evolving from a small town to a small city, moving from suburban to urban,” he said in a Jan 17 interview. “Because I’ve been involved in a lot of the planning and the development of the urban villages and the Central Issaquah Plan, I believe I’m in a pretty good position to help implement the direction that we are going in.”
Issaquah School Board seeks applicants for vacancy
January 22, 2013
A seat on the Issaquah School Board is up for grabs.
Board member Chad Magendanz left the position when he resigned Jan. 9 in order to start his new job in the state Legislature.
The remaining four board members have 90 days to appoint a new representative from Issaquah’s fourth district, from the Issaquah Highlands through the downtown corridor south to Tiger Mountain and Mirrormont.
All voting-aged residents of that area are invited to apply for the position by 4 p.m. Feb. 14. The new member would need to serve the remainder of Magendanz’s term, through November 2013.
Fred Butler launches campaign for Issaquah mayor
January 17, 2013
NEW — 6 p.m. Jan. 17, 2013
Fred Butler, a City Council stalwart for 13 years and a voice in important debates about the future of Issaquah, entered the race for mayor Thursday.
Fred Butler
The contest could hinge on the vision for the decades ahead, as city leaders seek to position Issaquah for redevelopment and attract more jobs to the community.
Butler, 72, served on the council at major junctures in recent history, as members debated the defunct Southeast Bypass road link, how to preserve forested Park Pointe on Tiger Mountain, and late last year, a 30-year redevelopment blueprint called the Central Issaquah Plan.
State approves plan for Issaquah Creek, Lake Sammamish
January 17, 2013
NEW — 10 a.m. Jan. 17, 2013
The state Department of Ecology approved King County rules for development near shorelines, including Issaquah Creek and Lake Sammamish, county and state officials announced Thursday.
The plan, or shoreline master program, is designed to guide construction and development on almost 2,000 miles of marine, stream and lake shorelines countywide. The rules combine local plans for future development and preservation, plus recent development ordinances and related permitting requirements.
The county Shoreline Master Program includes stretches of Issaquah Creek — from the headwaters on Tiger Mountain to the Issaquah city limits — and the mouth of the creek in Lake Sammamish State Park.
Funding fire service per call could cost Issaquah
January 15, 2013
Issaquah could contribute more to Eastside Fire & Rescue if the regional agency changes to a funding model based on the amount of calls each member produces.
Meanwhile, Sammamish could trim fire service costs by $156,000 and $314,000 per year if EFR partners — Issaquah, North Bend, Sammamish, and fire districts 10 and 38 — agree on changing the funding model.
For Issaquah and North Bend, the change could substantially increase the amount the partners pay to EFR in the name of maintaining the agency’s current incarnation beyond 2014.
A committee of elected officials and staff members from each partner met last month to discuss the implications of using call load as a factor in determining how much to charge.
Eastside Fire & Rescue extends deadline for volunteer firefighters
January 8, 2013
Eastside Fire & Rescue needs volunteer firefighters to serve communities in rural King County, including Lake Joy, Maple Hills, Preston, Tiger Mountain and Wilderness Rim.
The agency needs men and women to assist in delivering emergency firefighting and medical services. Officials extended the application deadline to 5 p.m. Jan. 23.
The minimum age to apply to serve as a volunteer firefighter is 18. Applicants must have good driving records and must live within five miles of the closest response station.
Eastside Fire & Rescue extends application deadline for volunteer firefighters
January 4, 2013
NEW — 6 a.m. Jan. 4, 2013
Eastside Fire & Rescue needs volunteer firefighters to serve rural communities in rural King County, including Lake Joy, Maple Hills, Preston, Tiger Mountain and Wilderness Rim.
The agency needs energetic, community-minded men and women to assist in delivering emergency firefighting and medical services. Officials extended the application deadline to 5 p.m. Jan. 23.
EFR provides emergency services to about 119,000 residents spread across 190 square miles, from Issaquah to North Bend and from Carnation to Maple Valley.
Firefighters work from 15 stations — including 10 staffed by volunteer firefighters and emergency medical responders. Volunteers carry pagers and respond if emergencies occur in their neighborhoods.
