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H1N1 vaccine available here,King County pharmacies

Pharmacies in King County —including the pharmacy at theNorthwest Gilman Boulevard QFC —have received 15,000 doses of H1N1,or swine flu, vaccine, the local healthdepartment announced last week.

Many of the 44 participatingpharmacies will take appointmentsby phone; some will hold walk-upclinics without appointment in thecoming week.

Go towww.kingcounty.gov/health/H1N1and follow the link “Learn moreinformation about H1N1 vaccineavailability at pharmacies” to seethe list of participating pharmacies.

With limited national vaccine

supplies, Public Health – Seattle &King County officials had to delay aplan to make the vaccine widelyavailable through community ven-ues. As more vaccine becomesavailable, additional vaccinationsites, including community clinics,will become available.

People eligible to receive vaccinethrough pharmacies include preg-nant women, children, health careand emergency workers, and peo-ple with chronic conditions andweakened immune systems.

The amount of vaccine at pharma-cies will be limited, with each phar-macy receiving a few hundred doseseach. The vaccine will be resuppliedto pharmacies as more becomesavailable in the coming weeks.

Many pharmacies are unable to

vaccinate babies and young chil-dren because the staff is notlicensed or trained to do so.Residents who want to vaccinatechildren should check with phar-macies and with health careproviders because the vaccine iscontinuing to arrive.

People should bring their healthinsurance information to a phar-macy; they may need to submit areceipt to their insurance compa-nies for reimbursement.

With the latest deliveries, KingCounty has received about 142,000doses of vaccine. A new allocationof about 71,000 doses is beingordered for delivery to the county.Most of the vaccine is being madeavailable through health careproviders.

By Chantelle LusebrinkIssaquah Press reporter

Issaquah School District offi-cials have hosted two high schoolmathematics meetings and there’sone more where you can voiceyour opinion.

District officials met at IssaquahHigh School Oct. 27, Liberty HighSchool Nov. 3 and will meet atSkyline High School Nov. 16.

The meetings are part of a year-long process to ensure the rightmaterials are chosen for the nexthigh school math curriculum, asCollege Prep Mathematics nolonger meets many of the newstate requirements.

The process started more thana year ago, and in May, HighSchool Math Adoption Committeemembers unanimously voted toadopt Key Curriculum Press’Discovering Mathematics.

However, after communityinput and a lack of clarity fromstate officials about their mathcurriculum recommendation,Superintendent Steve Rasmussenin June decided to put the adop-tion on hold for another year.

Since the beginning of theschool year, district officials havebeen gathering input from thecommunity about the directiondistrict officials should takeregarding algebra and geometrycurricula. They’ve also asked formore information from stateorganizations.

Nearly 20 parents came to themeeting held at Issaquah HighSchool Oct. 27.

The process “gives us theopportunity to let you hear aboutthe rigorous process we wentthrough to recommend a curricu-lum,” said Patrick Murphy, direc-tor of secondary education. “Italso gives us the opportunity totalk about math in general. Whathomework is like, what studentslearn in school, tutoring and ifparents are struggling.

“Depending on the informationwe gather, that will depend onwhat we do next,” he added. “Butwe’re going to consider all thedata we receive during this year-long plan.”

“My grandson is a freshman atPCFC [Pacific Cascade FreshmanCampus]. I’m curious to see howthey are teaching math versus

when I learned math,” meetingattendee John Pintar said. “I wantto give him every advantage I can.If I understand the way they areteaching math then I can hopeful-ly help.”

At the meeting, district officialsand members of the mathematicsselection committee providedinsight about why they recom-mended Discovering Mathematics.

Specifically, teachers and dis-trict officials said DiscoveringMathematics aligned the mostwith the state’s new math stan-dards, and had a blend ofexploratory and teacher-drivenlearning, and example formulasand drills for students. It also hada robust outline for teachers tofollow, ensuring equal experi-ences among classes and highschools in the district, teacherAngie Kruzich said.

Parents rotated to four differentclass sessions during the meetingwhere information was presentedabout the process and parentscould work with the materialswith teachers.

Parents who attended the meet-ing had plenty of questions andcomments, including why thestate endorsed Holt Mathematicsand not Discovering Mathematicsand how the curricula differ.

“I think they could have done abetter job for the adoption of newcurriculum,” parent Ali Heidari,who is an engineer, wrote in an e-mail. “In my opinion, 14 membersis not enough to decide about thedistrict math from elementary tohigh school levels.

“How come parents were notinvolved or communicated beforefinal decision?” he added. “I thinkthey should put the meeting min-utes and adoption process forreview by parents. I think this willbe great opportunity for the con-cerned parents with kids in ele-

mentary and middle school toreview and feedback.”

In the weeks leading up to themeetings, another community-driven question came up.

Leslie Nielsen, the district’smath curriculum specialist, wrotea book for Key Curriculum Pressin 1997 called “Is DemocracyFair?”

The book runs through themathematics behind voting andappointments and was writtenwhile she was living in Denmark,Nielsen said.

It isn’t unusual to have districtemployees write for various pub-lishers, said Sara Niegowski, thedistrict’s communications director.

In fact, many of the district’sadvanced teachers, curriculumspecialists and administrativeofficials have written excerpts orbooks for various publishinghouses, as do many employeeswith other districts, Niegowskiadded.

However, the district’s curricu-lum adoption process specificallyensures that conflicts between itsadoption committee and publish-ers are addressed early.

Each person on the curriculumadoption committee must discloseany conflicts of interest to thecommittee in its first meetings.Committee members must alsodisclose whether they stand togain financially from a curriculumadoption, whether they may gainfuture employment by selecting acurriculum or have bias for a par-ticular publisher.

Nielsen did each of these, as didother committee members.

Because Nielsen’s book withKey Curriculum Press has nothingto do with the district’s highschool math adoption, there wasno conflict of interest.

However, Nielsen would havehad to excuse herself if the com-mittee decided to debate aboutCollege Prep Mathematics pub-lished by Prentice Hall, fromwhich she still collects royalties.

Committee members decidedthe College Prep Mathematics cur-riculum didn’t align with statestandards early on, Niegowskisaid.

Chantelle Lusebrink: 392-6434, ext. 241,or [email protected]. Comment atwww.issaquahpress.com.

GET INVOLVED�7-9 p.m. Nov. 16 at SkylineHigh School, 1122 228th Ave. S.E.�Go towww.issaquah.wednet.edu/aca-demics. Click on “InstructionalMaterials Adoption” and then“High school math adoption.”

Math conversations gatherdata and reveal questions

By Warren KagariseIssaquah Press reporter

Election Day is done, but thesymbols remain: campaign signsplanted by candidates and volun-teers near busy intersections,along bustling streets and in frontlawns from the IssaquahHighlands to Squak Mountain.

Candidates realize residents tol-erate the signs during campaignseason, but after Election Day, theplacards become visual pollution.

A few candidates mobilized vol-unteers to yank signs from theground before midnight ElectionDay. City Council candidate NathanPerea started uprooting his signsElection Day afternoon.Councilman-elect Tola Marts left avictory party and gathered hissigns in the election night chill.

Perea said he empathized withresidents tired of the signs. Thecompact campaign ads sprouteden masse during the summer.

“I appreciate the clutter beinggone as soon as possible,” he said.

Perea blanketed Issaquah withdistinctive green-and-orange signsemblazoned with a pine tree logo.In the end, however, Perea said thesigns had little effect. Marts wonthe Position 7 council contest by alandslide.

Marnie Maraldo, a successfulschool board candidate, said sheunderstood why the signs mustcome down soon after Election Day.

“I do sympathize with the publicwho has had to look at them sinceApril or May,” she said.

Maraldo bested Wright Noel inthe race for the school boardDirector District No. 2 seat.

The candidates’ cleanup effortmeans less work for city CodeCompliance Officer MicheleForkner, who keeps a careful

watch on campaign signs in themonths before Election Day.Forkner did not receive any com-plaints from residents about thesigns. Just after the election, shesaid she hoped candidates and vol-unteers had cleaned up after them-selves.

Besides City Council candidates,contenders for county executive andassessor posts, and evenSammamish City Council hopefuls,planted signs around Issaquah.Hotspots included the clutteredintersections at either end ofNorthwest Gilman Boulevard: FrontStreet North and state Route 900.

Forkner said volunteers or resi-dents usually pluck signs for out-of-town candidates after the elec-tion wraps.

Although candidates woulddoubtless relish the opportunity toturn the Northwest GilmanBoulevard median into a thicket ofcampaign signs, city code prohibitssigns there.

The state Department ofTransportation also prohibits signson state-owned rights of way.

City rules call for campaign signsto be removed within a week of theelection. Forkner begins roundingup rogue signs after the deadlinepasses.

“I do not touch those signs untilthe eighth day,” she said.

Forkner seldom fines candidateswhose signs linger too long afterElection Day. Instead, she gathersleftover signs, and collects woodenstakes for future candidates andpeople who need the poles forsigns to announce garage sales andother events. The signs themselveshead to the landfill.

“Signs don’t talk back; they justlay there or stick in the ground,”Forkner said.

The medium is expensive. Perea

dropped $1,095 on campaignsigns; Marts spent $683. Maraldo— who planted signs across theschool district, from Newcastle toSammamish — paid $1,774 forsigns.

Marts and campaign volunteerssprinkled 200 signs aroundIssaquah.

“I wound up putting out the rightnumber of signs,” Marts said.

After the signs were deployed,candidates found ways to augmentthe placards to deliver more infor-mation to voters.

City Council President MaureenMcCarry affixed sheets touting herendorsements to her campaignsigns as she worked to defeat chal-lenger Joan Probala in the Position5 contest. McCarry won the race bya wide margin.

Marts said where candidatesplaced signs — and how manysigns candidates placed in proxim-ity to opponents’ signs — was themost antagonistic act in the other-wise cordial campaign.

“The sign wars were moreaggressive than the forum warswere,” Marts said.

Triumphant candidates said left-over signs would be stowed ingarages until the next election.Maraldo and Marts looked toward2013, when candidates elected lastweek will face voters again.

Maraldo said the designer of herblue-and-white campaign signssaid a simple sticker could beadded to change the message fromelect to re-elect.

Marts said reusing his signs —adorned with a mountain back-drop and a salmon silhouette —would be a money-saver when heruns for a second term.

“I plan on using those signs formy re-election campaign in fouryears,” he said.

BY GREG FARRAR

Several campaign signs remained uncollected the evening of Nov. 6 on West Sunset Way, and were still thereNov. 9.

Sign, sign, everywhere a sign:Post-election cleanup begins

mayor of Chefchaouen, MohamedSefiani, was featured in the festivalparade last month.

Chefchaouen also sent the BlueDoor to commemorate its relation-ship with Issaquah. The archeddoorway rests on City Hallgrounds.

The last official contact betweenIssaquah and Sunndal came inSeptember, when then-SunndalMayor Tove-Lise Torve replied to aletter from Issaquah Mayor AvaFrisinger. Torve told Frisinger thesister cities committee establishedby Sunndal a decade agoremained, and invited Probala tovisit the city. Frisinger said the tripwould be “kind of like catching upwith a family member you haven’t

seen in a long time.”Frisinger had earlier sent a letter

to her counterpart in Sunndal, buta response was held up after Torvewas elected to the national parlia-ment and by summer vacation —no small matter in a place wherewinter can mean near-uninterrupt-ed darkness.

Probala plans to meet with newSunndal Mayor Stale Refstie andother officials during the trip.

“I think we have a lot in common,and I think these talks might deter-mine where we go from here,” saidIssaquah Councilman Fred Butler,who serves alongside Probala onthe Sister Cities Commission.

Hinds recalled a saying from hisdays as mayor to describe theimportance of the sister city rela-tionship.

“If you and I always think thesame, then one of us is superfluous— and it’s not me,” he said. “Weneed those differences.”

SunndalFROM PAGE A1

The Issaquah Press Wednesday, November 11, 2009 • A3

�

The Pacific Education Instituteawarded four Issaquah teachersProject Learning Tree OutstandingEnvironment and SustainabilityEducator Awards at the Dec. 7school board meeting.

The teachers were recognizedfor their work in environmentalstudies, and their dedication andcommitment to providing studentswith outdoor learning classroomsand service learning opportunities.

Sunny Hills Elementary Schoolteacher Jane Ulrich and EndeavourElementary School teachers LeslieSmith, Diane Parham and GabrielleHerring were recognized for theirlong history of working with envi-ronment and sustainability educa-tion, creating engaging hands-onenvironmental stewardship oppor-

COMMUNITY� �

The Issaquah Press

�Section

B WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2010


EEverybody knew the odds— the cast, the producers,the director, the composerand, especially, the writerand lyricist. Bookies and

bloggers predicted a sweep. Thefeel-good “Billy Eliot” seemedpoised for glory, not “Next to Nor-mal” — a musical built aroundelectro-shock therapy, raw emo-tions and even rawer nerves.

Everybody knew the odds at theTony Awards last June — but no-body envisioned the upset to come,especially not the writer and lyri-cist, Issaquah native Brian Yorkey.

Nobody expected the odds to beso miscalculated, yet Yorkey andcomposer Tom Kitt toppled “BillyEliot” to win the Tony for BestOriginal Score. The other nomi-nees included songwriting titansSir Elton John and Dolly Parton.

Yorkey, a Village Theatre alum-nus stunned about the unex-pected win, accepted the awardfrom the presenter, comedian WillFerrell, and mentioned the Is-saquah playhouse during the na-tional broadcast.

“We kind of went into it sort ofexpecting that ‘Billy Eliot’ wouldsweep, and that’s a great show,they deserve it, and just to behere is amazing,” Yorkey recalledin early January. “Then, to add onthe win was kind of unbelievable.It was a little bit out of body. It

didn’t sink in for a few days, Idon’t think — if it has at all.”

Next came the dizzying sequenceof congratulations, interviews andcountless thank-yous from thehumble Yorkey, who recalled, “allthe clichés apply.” “Next to Nor-mal” won another pair of Tonystatuettes, for best orchestrationsand best actress in a musical.

“This is what people always

say, but Tom and I felt so luckyjust to be there,” Yorkey said. “Wefelt so lucky to have our show onBroadway to be nominated forthese Tony Awards.”

The circuitous route from TonyAwards, from the mike onstage atRadio City Music Hall, led Yorkeyback to Issaquah. Less than ayear later, the Issaquah HighSchool graduate has returned todirect the Neil Simon classic,“Lost in Yonkers.” The play opensJan. 20 at Village Theatre.

Yorkey traveled light, and theTony remained in the Big Apple.The brass-and-bronze medallionmounted on a black pedestal isstowed in a box, inside a bag, on

the floor of Yorkey’s office.“Coming back with a Tony really

isn’t all that much different thancoming back before, except that ina way, and I think in a way thatmakes a lot of sense, I think every-one here sort of shared that win,”Yorkey said Jan. 8, before a “Lostin Yonkers” rehearsal. “I startedhere, the show started here, soeveryone felt a part of it, as theyshould, and I think that was excit-ing for me and for everybody.”

‘A very demanding piece’“Next to Normal” germinated

more than a decade ago, as a 10-minute musical at a New YorkCity theater workshop. The pre-cursor — then titled “FeelingElectric” — originated at VillageTheatre in 2002, about seven


Only one day on the job andCourtney Jaren was busymeeting patrons and mak-ing plans at the IssaquahValley Senior Center.

“We’d like to put out an all-callfor volunteers,” she said of herfirst order of business. “We wantpeople in the community to comevolunteer with us, particularly ourschools, Rotary or Eagles groups.

“We want to open ourselves upto new generations and embracethe entire community.”

Jaren, 58, is the new executivedirector for the center. Her firstday was Jan. 12; she succeedsJanice Koriath, who left the posi-tion at the end October.

The senior center is a nonprofit

organization that organizes a vari-ety of senior activities in and outsideIssaquah for adults older than 55. Italso offers education, recreation andhealth and wellness programming.

On Jan. 13, Jaren’s schedule wasalready in full swing with a lunch-eon with senior center patrons anda public meet-and-greet opportu-nity at 2 p.m. But that didn’t stopher from getting in early to minglewith some of the students in themorning SAIL, Stay Active and In-dependent for Life, exercise class.

Jaren said she still has a lot ofpeople to meet and a lot of ideas togather from the community at thesenior center, but she has a goodprogram with which to start.

“I’d like to put out a survey to

New director looks todraw the communityto the senior center

VILLAGE THEATRE PHOTO

Tony Award winner Brian Yorkey (left) directs Suzy Hunt as she portrays Grandma Kurnitz, a main character in ‘Lost in Yonkers’ at Village Theatre.

Brian Yorkey returns to direct ‘Lost in Yonkers’BY GREG FARRAR

Courtney Jaren, new Issaquah Valley Senior Center executive director, standsbefore a twice-weekly exercise class at the center.

See DIRECTOR, Page B3

See YORKEY, Page B3

ON THE WEBwww.windows.ucar.edu/citizen_science/budburst

Education instituteawards four teachersenvironmental honor

TToonnyy AAwwaarrdd wwiinnnneerraaddjjuussttss ttoo nneeww nnoorrmmaall

BY BRYAN BEDDER/GETTY IMAGES

Tom Kitt (left) and Brian Yorkey, winners of Best Original Score Written forthe Theatre for ‘Next to Normal,’ pose in the pressroom at the 63rd AnnualTony Awards at Radio City Music Hall on June 7, 2009, in New York City.

“Coming back with a Tony real-ly isn’t all that much differentthan coming back before,except that in a way, and Ithink in a way that makes alot of sense, I think everyonehere sort of shared that win.”— Brian YorkeyTony Award winner

�For more about Brian Yorkey’sreturn to directing Village Theatre’s‘Lost in Yonkers,’ see Page B6.

tunities for their students, and forextending their classroom walls toinclude the outdoor world.

Each involved their school com-munities in their projects, publishedarticles and shared their successfullessons to support student achieve-ment of state learning standards.

Ulrich developed a MillenniumGarden of native plants and aforested path with viewing stationon the Sunny Hills campus. Usingscientific inquiry and observingtwigs in late winter, Ulrich’s stu-dents provided data for a nationaldata bank. The state superinten-dent’s office will include the lessonon its Environment and Sustain-ability Web site and it is publishedin the Pacific Education Institute’sField Investigation Guide.

Smith, Parham and Herring de-veloped the bioswale outdoorclassroom at Endeavour and re-ceived King County’s Green Schoolsaward for the restoration project.

By taking their teaching out-doors, students get to enjoyhands-on lessons, including froglifecycles and habitat diversity,while their activities provide pro-gram and lesson models for otherstate science teachers.

Since 2003, the Pacific Educa-tion Institute has supported Wash-ington state educators to deliverquality instruction in science,math and social studies, while in-tegrating those lessons into envi-ronmental studies.

District and institute officials haveenjoyed a long relationship andworked closely to support the dis-trict’s mission statement and endgoals for students through powerfulmath and science instruction.

Source: Issaquah School District

There is still time to en-ter the Man-O-Manische-witz Cook-Off, a cookingcompetition won last yearby Issaquah resident EliseLalor.

The contest requireshome cooks to preparing akosher meal, this year us-ing the new Manischewitzall-natural broth, madewith real chicken and beef.Lalor won last year withher Laced Lamb with Figsrecipe. Create your ownwinning kosher dish byJan. 31 for the chance towin the Grand Prize worth$25,000!

Five finalists will win anall-expenses-paid trip toNew York city to competelive March 18 at the JewishCommunity Center of Man-hattan. Contestants will be

judged by an on-site cook-ing panel of food mediaand other culinary experts.

U.S. residents 18 or oldermay submit an original,easy-to-prepare entrée. Allrecipes must be original,kosher, include a new Man-ischewitz Broth product,have no more than a totalof eight ingredients and beprepared and cooked inone hour or less.

Get official contest detailsat www.manischewitz.com,complete the official entryform and submit yourrecipe online. You can alsoenter by mail by sendingyour recipe entry to Manis-chewitz Cook-Off, c/oBHGPR, 546 Valley Road,Upper Montclair, NJ 07043.All entries must be receivedby Jan. 31.

Get inspired by local 2009kosher cooking contest winner

Kiwanis QuiltQuilt maker Marianne Plantinga

poses with quilt winners TheLauves on Jan. 7. When Plantinga

started her quilt years ago, shedidn’t know it’d have such an im-

pact in the community. Afterdonating the 38-by-39-inch quiltto the Kiwanis Club of Providence

Point, however, that’s exactlywhat she did.

The club’s members held a rafflefor the quilt, which earned

$1,000 for Eastside Baby Corner.The winners of the raffle andproud owners of the quilt are

both members of the club. TheLauves said they will rotate the

quilt among their three daughterseach year.

CONTRIBUTED

Q. What is your educational back-ground (What degree(s) do you holdand from where)?

A. Bachelor of science cumlaude in counseling psychology;law degree from University ofMinnesota; LLM from Temple LawSchool; graduate training inFrench and comparative litera-ture, American history and Scan-dinavian studies

Q. What other positions have you held?A. Executive director of a senior

center in Oregon; executive direc-tor of a town council in California;distance learning dean for a lawschool in California; founding di-rector of the Indian Law Programat an Oregon law school; workedin Seattle at Mayor’s Office for Se-nior Citizens, Area Agency on Ag-ing, and as regional representativefor U.S. Senator Warren Magnuson

Q. What goals do you have for 2010?A. To build on the excellent

legacy for which the center isknown — hopefully with the helpof Tommie Troutman, who hasgraciously consented to be mymentor! (Troutman is a former di-rector of the senior center.)

Q. What do you bring to this rolethat is new and innovative?

A. A diverse background intraining and experience, the pa-tience of Job, a willingness to lis-ten actively and help whereneeded, and a strong desire tomake a difference!

Q. What challenges do you see for thesenior center in the year to come?

A. There are always economicchallenges for nonprofit organiza-tions and now these challengesare even more pressing. I amhopeful the center will continue toreceive generous support from thecity. We are sincerely grateful forthe city’s support this year. Wehope King County will provide ad-ditional funding and look forwardto working with the county tomake this happen.

Q. What is something you are lookingforward to experiencing in the city?

A. Hiking along the trails in thethree mountains, listening to the

rush of the creek, attending the-ater performances, going to gal-leries and antique shops, meetingthe people, joining the Episcopalchurch, and in short, just enjoyinglife here.

OBITUARIES�

Brian Paul Nelson

Brian Nel-son died Jan.7, 2010, aftera long andcourageousfight againstpancreaticcancer. Hewas 41.

A memorialservice is at 5p.m. Jan. 24at MountRainier Christian Church, 43801244th Ave. S.E., Enumclaw, witha reception to follow.

He was born April 28, 1968, inSeattle. Brian married ElysiaHartzell on May 31, 1989. Hewas employed by Darigold in Is-saquah for 17 years.

Brian loved spending time withhis family and creating adven-tures for his three preciousdaughters. He enjoyedtraveling, making a major pro-

duction of mowing his lawnand spending time in his elabo-rate garage.

Brian had a strong faith in Je-sus and we are comforted by theknowledge that we will be re-united with him in heaven.

Brian is survived by his wifeElysia and daughters Sabrina,Sophia and Maia, of Enumclaw;mother Linda Reini, of Seattle;father Richard (Fran) Nelson, ofArlington; brothers Jason(Shirline) Nelson, of Seattle, andJeff Nelson, of Redmond;brother-in-law Aaron Hartzell, ofSeattle; and numerous extendedfamily and friends.

Remembrances may be madeto PANCAN, 2141 RosecransAve., Suite 7000, El Segundo, CA90245 or online at www.pan-can.org.

Services will be directed byWeeks’ Enumclaw FuneralHome.

Sign the online guest book atwww.weeksfuneralhomes.com.

Brian Nelson

Ilene SwansonIlene Swan-

son, of Is-saquah, diedat ProvidenceMarianwood,Issaquah, onJan. 15, 2010.She was 83.

A memorialservice is at 11a.m. Jan. 23 atFlintoft’s Is-saquah Fu-neral Home, 540 E. Sunset Way,Issaquah.

A reception will follow.Ilene was born Feb. 19, 1926, in

Issaquah, the daughter of Josephand Irene Malmassari. She wasraised in Issaquah and graduatedfrom Issaquah High School in1944.

Ilene spent 25 years in the

health care industry working as akitchen supervisor. She was em-ployed by The Issaquah Villa Carefor 18 years and then by the Cas-cade Plaza Care Center.

She was preceded in death byher husband Melvin G. Swansonin 2000 and son Robert J. Swan-son in 1997.

Survivors include daughterCarol Benn, of Spanaway; sonJames Swanson, of Issaquah;brother Roy Malmassari, of Is-saquah; five grandchildren; andthree great-grandchildren.

The family suggests remem-brances to Homeward Pet Adop-tion Center, P.O. Box 2293, Wood-inville, WA 98072.

Arrangements are by Flintoft’sFuneral Home and Crematory.

Friends are invited to sharememories and sign the family’sonline guest book atwww.flintofts.com.

Ilene Swanson

Charles Clark BrockmanCharles

(Charlie)Brockman,of Issaquah,died Jan. 9,2010. Hewas 94years old.

Charliewas bornMay 31,1915, inSeattle, thefirst of five children born toCharles and Madeline TaylorBrockman. Charlie was a de-scendent of a Seattle pioneerwho owned a grocery store andvarious real estate interests inthe Denny regrade and LakeCity area, where there is astreet named Brockman Place.

Charlie was raised in Seattle,and graduated from BroadwayHigh School. He worked for theSeattle Post Intelligencer, circu-lation department, his entireworking career. He met his fu-ture wife, Elaine Bertha Cline,while they were both employedthere. They married in 1938,and celebrated their 71st an-niversary in September.

In 1948, they moved fromSeattle to May Valley Road in Is-saquah and built a house on 20acres of land to raise their threechildren. In the 1970s, they soldoff most of their land, savingfive acres on which to retire.

Two children also built homesnext to them and continue tolive on the contiguous property.In the winter months they livedin Yuma, Ariz., where they hada mobile home and many, manyfriends.

As a young man, Charlie en-joyed hunting and fishing, andlater, golfing and working in hisgarden. His favorite pastimewas horse racing, which he en-joyed for more than 70 years.Charlie had an easygoing, ami-able nature and he was belovedby family and lifelong friendsalike.

As part of the “greatest gener-ation” he was raised during theDepression era, a time that re-quired a strong “can-do” workethic, commitment to responsi-bility and efficiency in action, allof which he humbly optimized,and are the qualities for whichhe will be so dearly remem-bered.

Charles is survived by his wifeElaine; daughters Sharon (An-tovich) Brockman, of Issaquah;and Charlene and husband JackFaircloth, of Issaquah; sonCharles Jr., of Seattle; fourgrandchildren — Rocky, Toddand Zachary Antovich, of Cali-fornia, and Jason Faircloth, ofNevada; and eight great-grand-children.

He was preceded in death bythree sisters and one brother.

Per his request, there was noservice.

Charles Brockman

years before theater brass nomi-nated the show for 11 TonyAwards. The musical gestated onoff-Broadway stages and a theateroutside Washington, D.C. Finally,last March, “Next to Normal” be-gan previews on Broadway.

The musical Yorkey and Kittwrote focuses on the Goodmans, asuburban family navigating theemotional minefield lain by Diana,the bipolar disorder-afflicted matri-arch. “Next to Normal” examinesthe fractured family as a therapistsuggests radical treatment for Di-ana: electro-convulsive therapy.

“The challenges were alwaysrooted in how we tell this very dif-ficult and emotional story in thebest way,” Kitt recalled. “How dowe do justice to the struggle thatpeople who suffer from this dis-ease deal with every day, and do itin a musical form? How do we getthe medicine right but allow thepiece to breathe and have an emo-tional content?

“Finding the balance and tonewas probably the hardest thing todo and I don’t think we truly did ituntil we opened on Broadway lastyear.”

Yorkey said he hopes he and Kittnext take something funnier,something lighter to Broadway,where big-budget, screen-to-stageadaptations — like “Shrek” andthe inescapable “Billy Eliot” —dominate.

“‘Next to Normal’ was a reallyamazing experience for us,”Yorkey said. “It’s a very demand-ing piece, both for the people who

create it and the people who see it.We didn’t want to do anything eas-ier necessarily, we still want tochallenge ourselves, but we wantsomething with some romanceand some laughs.”

First, Yorkey and Kitt must de-termine what will engage finickyBroadway audiences. Yorkey en-couraged potential backers togamble on original works because,as he said, “what we learn is thatthere aren’t any sure things.”

On Broadway, seemingly surethings often met inglorious ends.Exhibit A: A much-hyped “Rag-time” revival went dark Jan. 3 af-ter a mere seven weeks.

“‘Next to Normal’ is not a mon-ster hit, but it’s going to make itsmoney back. It’s going to make itsinvestors a little bit of money,which shows rarely do,” Yorkeysaid. “I hope that that being thecase, that says to other producers,if you have a tough-but-compellingoriginal show, it’s worth taking achance on, because it could sur-vive on Broadway.”

The musical thrived as well. Af-ter the opening night performance,a producer pulled Yorkey and Kittaside to read aloud a review byBen Brantley, the feared theatercritic for The New York Times.

Brantley raved. He praised“Next to Normal” as “brave” and“breathtaking.” The musical“never for a minute does it let youescape the anguish at the core oftheir lives,” Brantley wrote.

Yorkey almost burst into tears.

‘Hustle and hustle and hustle’As rehearsals for “Lost in

Yonkers” wore on, Yorkey en-forced what he called the “two‘Frasier’ rule” — or ending re-hearsal in time for the director to

get home to watch dual episodesof the Seattle-centric sitcom.

The return to Issaquah meansother small, welcome comforts.Yorkey estimated he made a half-dozen trips to Target during thefirst three weeks he spent in thecity. He likes to write at Starbucks,and in Issaquah, he enjoys beingable to find a table. The trips toStarbucks hinge on whetherYorkey needs coffee — and he of-ten does — and if he grows tiredof writing at home.

Yorkey splits time between LosAngeles and Morningside Heightsin Manhattan. When he returns toIssaquah, Yorkey lives at TerraceApartments, just down Front Streetfrom Village Theatre. Fins Bistro —“which we sort of treat like the em-ployee cafeteria,” Yorkey said — iswedged between the buildings.

Yorkey, 39, is acquainted withthe showbiz lifestyle. He joinedKIDSTAGE in the years before Vil-lage Theatre matured into a re-gional powerhouse. As a teenager,he acted some, but soon realizedhe might be better suited to off-stage tasks.

“After spending most of ‘God-spell’ sitting on a Dumpster in theback of the set, watching everyoneelse do things, I realized thatmaybe I should see what otherroles there were in theater for me,”Yorkey said. “So, I started stagemanaging and that turned into di-recting, which turned into writing.”

Despite the fairytale Tony Awardnomination and win, the monthsbefore Yorkey donned a tuxedoand accepted the most prestigiousaward in theater on national TVwere less than glamorous.

“A year ago at this time, Tomand I were unemployed and bothof us pretty broke actually, and a

lot of things changed in a year,”Yorkey said. “I think that we’reboth still sort of coming to termswith that.”

Besides a “Next to Normal” fol-low-up with Kitt and the “Lost inYonkers” run, Yorkey works onscreenwriting projects. The com-bined efforts sometimes require arelentless pace, and criticism isnever too distant. Yorkey learnedthe hard way not to read blogposts about works he has written.

“You hustle in this business — inevery business — but definitely inthis business, you hustle and hus-tle and hustle, and you have to begoing 24/7 for a long time,”Yorkey said. “Once things sort oftake a turn, I think it takes sometime to figure out how to step backand relax.”

Not long after Yorkey won, fel-low Tony Award winner WarrenLeight offered advice to the newhonoree about the new hardware.

“I ran into him on Tony week-end and he said to me, ‘Whateveryou do, don’t put it in your office,’”Yorkey recalled. “And I said, ‘Whynot?’ and he said, ‘Because it willbe sitting there staring at you, say-ing you’ll never write anythingthat good again.’”

Warren Kagarise: 392-6434, ext. 234, [email protected]. Comment atwww.issaquahpress.com.

see what they like, what theydon’t and what they wouldlike us to have,” like a yogaclass, she said. “We have ex-tremely enlightened individu-als with great ideas and theyare willing to put the energyinto those ideas.

“So, it isn’t an uphill battleto bring them to fruition, be-cause we are already a thriv-ing community.”

While she may be new tothe job, she’s not new to Is-saquah, she said.

“I married a native,” shesaid of her husband, MathiasJaren. “He brought me hereyears ago. For a girl that grewup in the Philadelphia metroarea, it was a wonderland forme and I didn’t want to leave.”

However, both their ca-reers took them to Californiaand then to Oregon after hav-ing their son, a neurologist,and daughter, a legal re-cruiter, both in their 30s now.

“Even then, I thought,wouldn’t it be a dream to bethe director of the Issaquahsenior center,” she said. “It issuch a thriving community.”

In California and Oregon,she worked in the legal pro-fession as a dean of a dis-tance-learning law schoolprogram and as a seniorservices director.

She left her position with asenior center in Oregon totake the position in Issaquah,because senior services is herpassion and always has been,she said.

“This is a place for them. Alot of times, when people re-tire, they lose their interest inlife and the senior centergives that back to them,” shesaid. “These are our momsand dads, our grandparentsand our aunts and uncles.This is a wonderful place forthem to go to be with eachother and to be with us,where they feel valued.

“Every day, we can make adifference in someone’s life.”

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Mon, Jan 25th, 12:30-2:30Sat, Jan 30th, 9am

22629 SE 29th St.Sammamish, WA 98075

www.slckids.com

Sammamish Learning CenterA unique learning environment that guides children towards the

discovery of their world in a peaceful and nurturing way.

PreschoolAges 3-5

Sunday Worship 8:30 AM & 11:00 AMSunday School for all ages 9:45 AM

• Sunday Schoolfor all ages

• Local & Interna-tional Outreach

LIVING GOD’S LOVE745 Front Street South, Issaquah

Phone: 425-392-4169www.oslcissaquah.org

• Confirmation• Music• Fellowship• Youth Program

Q&A�

With Courtney Jaren

DirectorFROM PAGE B1

YorkeyFROM PAGE B1

CLUBS�This week

Cascade RepublicanWomen’s Club: 11:30 a.m. thirdWednesday, Sammamish PlateauClub, 25625 E. Plateau Drive,

Eastside Camera Club: 7 p.m.third Thursday, St. MadeleineCatholic Church, 4400 130thPlace S.E., Bellevue, 861-7910www.eastsidecameraclub.com

Eastside Chapter of Parents,Families & Friends of Les-bians & Gays (PFLAG): 7-9p.m. third Thursday, First UnitedMethodist Church, 1934 108thAve. N.E., Bellevue, 206-325-7724

Issaquah BusinessBuilders: 7:30 a.m. thirdThursday, IHOP Restaurant,1433 N.W. Sammamish Road,206-852-8240

Issaquah Eagles Aerie andAuxiliary: 7:30 p.m. fourthWednesday, 175 Front St. N.,392-6751

Issaquah Guild of Children’sHospital: 11 a.m. third Thurs-day, Elks Lodge, 765 RainierBlvd. N., 392-6625

Issaquah Ham Radio Sup-port Group: 7 p.m. fourth Mon-day at the Police Station, talk inat 146.56 MHz at 7 p.m., meet-ing at 7:30 p.m.

Issaquah Lions Club: 7 p.m.fourth Tuesday, Coho Room atCity Hall, 130 E. Sunset Way,206-232-1700

Issaquah Valley Grange:7:30 p.m. fourth Monday, Is-saquah Myrtle Mason LodgeHall, 57 W. Sunset Way, 392-3013

La Leche League of theSammamish Plateau: 10 a.m.third Thursday, Issaquah High-lands Fire Station 73, 1280 N.E.Park Drive, 605-0837 or 827-6843

Myrtle Mason Lodge No.108: 7:30 p.m. third Thursday,Lodge Hall, 57 W. Sunset Way,894-4410Weekly

Camp Fire Family Group: 7p.m. every other Tuesday, 313-1600

Greater Issaquah Toast-masters Club No. 5433: 6:45p.m. Thursday, Bellewood Re-tirement Community, 3710Providence Point Drive S.E.,306-2232 [email protected]

Guide Dogs for the Blind: 6p.m. most Sundays, Issaquah Po-lice Station Eagle Room, 644-7421

Issaquah Alps Trail Club:www.issaquahalps.org

Issaquah Community FamilyClub — Camp Fire USA: 6:30p.m. Tuesday, usually at Clark El-ementary School, 500 SecondAve. S.E., 313-1600

Issaquah History Museums:392-3500 or www.issaquahhis-tory.org

Issaquah Networkers: 7:30-8:30 a.m. every other Wednes-day, IHOP restaurant, 1433 N.W.Sammamish Road, www.Is-saquahNetworkers.com

Jewish Juniors Club: 3:30-5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Chabad ofCentral Cascades, 24121 S.E.Black Nugget Road, 427-1654

Kachess Klimber Snowmo-bile Club: www.wssaonline.com

Kiwanis Club of Issaquah:noon Wednesday, Gibson Hall,105 Newport Way S.W., 391-9275

MOMS Club of SammamishPlateau: MOMS helping momsraise their kids in Sammamishand Issaquah on the SammamishPlateau, www.momsclubsam-mamish.org or 836-5015

The Issaquah Press Wednesday, January 20, 2010 • B3

�

City board/commissionvolunteers sought

The city of Issaquah has op-portunities for citizens to serveon various boards and commis-sions to lend critical citizen in-sight and leadership on city plan-ning, governance and projectsfor 2010.

As a community member andbusiness person who has avested interest in citywide plan-ning, project outcomes and pol-icy decisions, the IssaquahChamber of Commerce is askingthat you consider applying forone of these appointed positionson a board/commission: Arts,Civil Service, Development, Hu-man Services, Park Board, Plan-ning Policy, Urban Village Devel-opment and others.

Most boards and commissionsmeet only once per month forabout 10-11 months out of theyear. City residency is encour-aged but not required for most ofthe positions.

Go to www.ci.issaquah.wa.us.Follow the link labeled “Volun-teer for the City: Board andCommission Openings” for acomplete list of openings and foran application packet. Thepacket takes less than five min-

utes to complete and is due inthe City Clerk’s Office by 5 p.m.Jan. 22.

State seeks utstandinghistoric preservation projects

The state Department of Ar-chaeology and Historic Preserva-tion is seeking nominations forthe 20th annual Awards for out-standing achievements in his-toric preservation.

The awards program recog-nizes persons, organizations andprojects that have achieved dis-tinction in the field of historicpreservation. Award recipientswill be recognized at a ceremonyMay 4, during National HistoricPreservation Month.

Nominations can be made inone of the following categories:historic preservation planning,historic property rehabilitationprojects, career achievement,public education, stewardship,special achievement and media.

Nominations must be post-marked or submitted 5 p.m.March 5. Get nomination forms,instructions and other informa-tion about the awards atwww.dahp.wa.gov or contactRussell Holter at 360-586-3533or [email protected].

davidharris

Line

By Emily Fairbrook

O n his 26th birthday, Issaquahresident Bjorn Anderson walkedinto work at the Home Depot andgave his two weeks’ notice. Hewanted to pursue his dream of

making movies. He started his firstscript the same day.

“I figured I was young enough that if Iwas ever going to do it, it would have tobe now,” Anderson said.

He never had any formalized filmtraining, but said he watched movieswith a critical eye for years.

“I could pay money for film school orpay money for actual film and learn as Igo,” Anderson said.

He chose the latter. Five years later, Anderson has re-

leased his second feature-length film,“Eyes in the Dark.” The horror story fol-lows seven college students to a cabinfor the weekend; they find a hiddencave and adventure surrounding it.

The young director pitched the ideafor “Eyes in the Dark” in 2007 to JosephCole and Mike Ash, two friends whoworked on Anderson’s first movie,“Warrior’s End.”

“That’s part of the pre-productionprocess — convincing everyone that it’llbe worth their time and fun,” Andersonsaid.

Auditions were held in April 2008 andfilming began in June. Issaquah resi-dent Maureen Francisco was one of theactors cast. Francisco has dabbled inother forms of media, but this was herfirst film.

“I’ve been in numerous commercialsand I wanted to really stretch myself,”Francisco said. “I’ve always loved story-telling.”

Anderson recruited friends, local ac-tors and even his parents to work on theproject. As with many independent

films, the director funded the projectand everyone involved worked withoutpay.

“We’d love to have money to pay peo-ple and spend money on food and trans-portation, but with an independent film,you always have to make hard choices,”Anderson said. “You don’t always getthe gourmet stuff. Sometimes, for lunch,you get peanut butter and jelly sand-wiches.”

Anderson augments his income byworking as a property manager on theplateau and making videos for clientswith Emerald City Pictures, a produc-tion company he started in 2008. He’sdone weddings, corporate videos and acharity fundraising film.

As a new director, he said he had to“fake it” a lot.

“The first time out, I had no idea whatI was doing,” he said.

Filming for “Eyes in the Dark” wasmostly finished by the end of summer2008, but editing the footage had justbegun. Anderson added a few storylines and refined the plot.

“That’s one of the hardest parts withfilmmaking — letting it go,” he said.

Finally, on Nov 5, 2009, “Eyes in theDark” premiered at the Rendezvous’Jewel Box in Seattle to a sold-out audi-ence.

“I don’t remember a whole lot of it,because I was nervous and working thewhole time. Most of the time whilewatching it I kept putting down thingsthat needed to be improved, notes,” hesaid. “I guess I knew the whole time westill had work to do on it.”

Completing the film was an accom-plishment in itself, but the next step istaking it to a film festival. The produc-tion team entered “Eyes in the Dark”into Seattle’s True Independent FilmFestival and the Seattle InternationalFilm Festival, but won’t know the lineupuntil spring.

Robyn Scaringi, a producer and videoeditor, hopes to see the film picked upby a distributor.

“If I could see that ‘Eyes in theDark’ was something you could rent atBlockbuster or Netflix — that’s myidea of success for the film,” Scaringisaid.

Anderson dreams that one day hiswork will all pay off, or pay for itself,but he doesn’t think he’ll move to Holly-wood.

“I really think there’s a lot of talent uphere in the Seattle area that remainsuntapped,” he said. “As far as location,it’s hard to beat the Washington area.Seattle’s my home, so I can’t really seemyself moving away from here.”

Emily Fairbrook is a student in the University ofWashington Department of Communication NewsLaboratory.

A&EB4 • Wednesday, February 3, 2010

� �

The Issaquah Press

�

F E B R U A R YStephanieReilly’s exhibit,“Thoughts fromthe Divine,”Pogacha, 120N.W. GilmanBlvd., through

March 13, 392-5550

Opening night reception,6-8 p.m., for a celebra-tion of fresh and favoriteworks from local photog-raphers, through Feb. 27,Collective Works gallery,UpFront [art], 48 Front St.

Fridays in the Living Roomwith Greta with special guest Gary Scott,7:45-10 p.m. Bake’s Place, 4135 ProvidencePoint Dr. S.E., $15, 391-3335

Jovino SantosNeto Quarteto,7:45-10 p.m.Bake’s Place,$15

Trainwreck, 8-11p.m. Pogacha, 120N.W. Gilman Blvd., 392-5550

Dan Connolly, 7:30-9:30 p.m. Tuesdays,Zeeks Pizza, 2525 N.E. Park Drive, IssaquahHighlands

O P P O R T U N I T I E S�The Christian Poets Guild is offering a$1,000 grand prize in a poetry contest. Poemsmust be 21 lines or less, and may be on anysubject or in any style. The free contest is opento all ages. Entries must be received by Feb.28 at 7308 Heritage Drive, Mt. Vernon, IN47620 or at www.freecontest.com. Fifty prizestotaling more than $5,000 will be awarded.

�The Issaquah Singers, which has beenentertaining audiences on the Eastside for33 years with four-part harmony, is seekingnew members. Rehearsals are from 7-9 p.m.Thursdays. No auditions are necessary. Learnmore at www.issaquahsingers.com.

ARTSCALENDAR�

3

TO SUBMIT AN ARTS CALENDAR ITEM:Call 392-6434, ext. 237, or [email protected]. Submit A&E story ideas [email protected].

5

6

Go shopping .........

Mow yard ..........Go to Web siteof the week ......

http://cuteoverload.com

Havea rec-

ommenda-tion for Web site

of the week? Send itto [email protected].

Some days, you just need a break from the ugly things in life — your bills, job, mother-in-law, etc.Well, come over here and check out all things cute. You name it, it’s here — puppies,kittens, bunny rabbits, chicks, all types of baby animals and more. You can check out funny and cute photos and videos. Sigh.Now, isn’t that better?

An eye for directingLocal filmmaker looks to ride low-budget horrormovie trend to success with ‘Eyes in the Dark’

Restaurant reviews are a regular fea-ture of The Issaquah Press. Reviewersvisit restaurants unannounced and payin full for their meals.


Put down the chopsticks, or maybe a fork,and ignore the stares from other diners, be-cause the menu at Macky’s Dim Sum pres-ents a hand-eye coordination challenge. Or-der the roasted duck — lacquered skin andmoist meat presented in oh-so-neat rows —and utensils will be rendered useless.

Scoop away the breast nuggets — andthe boneless morsels disappear first —and the more challenging pieces remain.Use fingers or, better yet, both hands.Chuck the chopsticks. Forget the fork.Eat like a Neanderthal.

A few (jealous?) glares from tablematesmake for small discomfort on the way to aworthwhile payoff. The duck requires lit-tle adornment, so skip the cloying plum

sauce. Dip instead into a pot of zippy chilipaste stationed next to the soy sauce. Re-member to stack the bones — neatly, ofcourse — on the side of the plate.

Macky’s offers more civilized options,too.

The menu includes a whole taxonomyof baked, fried and steamed dumplings,familiar Chinese dishes and a couple ofshowstoppers: a Kabocha squash and afresh pineapple stuffed with seafood andother fillings.

Start with a few basketfuls ofdumplings: a delicate, half-moon shaped

variety packed with shrimp; light, almostethereal steamed pork dumplings; andShanghai-style soup dumplings bright-ened with a few drips of vinegar.

The soup dumplings, so named becauseof the broth contained within, require somedexterity to navigate — via chopsticks —from the basket to a porcelain spoon. Drib-ble some vinegar on top and voilà.

Beyond duck and dumplings, therestaurant offers ample small plates, asthe name implies. Opt for the soy-sauce-doused noodles with just enough chew; apan-fried turnip cake — earthy and deli-cate at the same time; a thin, crispyonion cake; and toothsome pot stickers— a takeout staple elevated here by acrisp skin without a whiff of grease. Alsoon the must-try list: bites fashioned fromeggplant, shrimp and black bean sauce,served three to a plate and gone fast.

A deft hand seasons the salt-and-pep-per cod and a vegetarian cousin, salt-and-pepper tofu. The tofu, bean curdwith the consistency of firm cheese, is as

addictive as fried mozzarella sticks froma greasy spoon.

Chinese broccoli doused in oystersauce makes for some satisfying green-ery, a momentary detour from the carbs.

The mango chicken — with amplechunks of mango and a subtle sauce withhints of sweet — arrives in a bowl fash-ioned from noodles woven and thenfried. The edible result resembles somesort of extraterrestrial handicraft.

Macky’s occupies the Gilman Villagespace last filled by Sweet Addition, alongtime soup-and-sandwich institution.Patrons now eat in a space accented bysage-green walls, Chinese artwork and asemi-open kitchen.

Gracious servers keep the teapot re-plenished with enough tea to float a bat-tleship. The affable owner darts fromtable to table, helping diners navigate theexpansive menu.

No word yet on whether the staff con-dones diners digging hands-first into theduck.

Dig into the duck and dumplings at Macky’s Dim SumMacky’s Dim SumIn Gilman Village, 317 N.W. Gilman Blvd.,Suite 43391-7200 for reservations11 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. Monday to Friday9:30 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. Saturday9:30 a.m. – 9 p.m. Sunday

CONTRIBUTED

Something mysterious watches Lacy(Melissa Goad) in a scene from ‘Eyes inthe Dark.’

CONTRIBUTED

Actor Wayne Bastrup (right), playingJosh, also operates the camera in ascene with Telisa Steen, as Steph.

CONTRIBUTED

Reading the script and discussing a scene for ‘Eyes in the Dark’ are (from left) actressMelinda Ausserer, assistant director Robyn Scaringi, actor Jason Robison, director BjornAnderson, actor Wayne Bastrup and actor John Symonds.

wheel motorand

Check the status of your pending Social Security application atwww.socialsecurity.gov, whether you applied for benefits online, in personor on the phone. Also, check the status of retirement, disability, survivors orspouse’s benefits. Click on the “Check the status of your application” link onthe upper, left-hand side of the site. Then enter the Social Security numberand the confirmation number provided during the application process.

Last Week’s Rainfall:(through Monday).05 inches

Total for 2009:31.88 inches

Total last year:(through Aug. 31)35.12 inches

YOU SHOULD KNOW� RAIN GAIN�A&E . . . . . . . . B4

Classifieds . . . C4-5

Community . . . B1

Obituaries . . . . B3

Opinion . . . . . . A4

Police & Fire . . A5

Schools . . . . . . C6

Sports . . . . . C1-3

� �

THE ISSAQUAHPRESSTHE ISSAQUAHPRESSTHE ISSAQUAHPRESS

CollectiveMemoryprojectreturns� See Page B4

LastArtWalk ofthe yearis Friday�See Page B4

Teen born to ride the ponies �Community, Page B1

�

KingCo chasing Eagles for topgirls volleyball team honors

�Sports, Page C1

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HIGHEST LOCAL PRICE *

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Wednesday, September 2, 2009 • Vol. 110, No. 35Locally owned since 1900 • 75 Cents

Fewer chinookexpected to return


At the Issaquah SalmonHatchery, chinook is king.

Friends of the Issaquah SalmonHatchery Executive DirectorGestin Suttle said the return of thefirst chinook is usually cause forcelebration. But the festive moodcould be dampened by a down-sized forecast for the number ofchinook.

Issaquah Salmon Hatcheryworkers and FISH members spot-ted the first chinook of the seasonin Issaquah Creek last week. Butthe good news was tempered witha stark prospect: MuckleshootTribe fisheries officials initiallyforecast 15,000 chinook salmonreturns for the year, but the esti-mate has since been cut to 5,000returns.

Suttle said the number was “verydisappointing to say the least” andalarming. But she said the factorsbehind fewer chinook returns weredifficult to determine. A hot, drysummer and water temperaturesin Lake Washington could bebehind the revised forecast.

Even so, Suttle said rain andcooler water temperatures wouldsoon cause the salmon to beginheading up Issaquah Creek andother bodies of water.

“We will get rain eventuallybecause it’s the Pacific Northwest,”Suttle said.

Scott Foley, a fisheries biologistwith the state Department of Fishand Wildlife, said the return of thechinook depends on factors suchas weather.

Before chinook reach IssaquahCreek and the hatchery, thesalmon return to freshwaterthrough the Hiram M. ChittendenLocks in Ballard. From there, thefish pass through lakes Union andWashington and into theSammamish Slough.

Foley said the SammamishSlough “can be a real bottleneckfor them.” Chinook then enterLake Sammamish and swim upIssaquah Creek to spawning habi-tat.

Hatchery and FISH representa-tives spotted the first fish inIssaquah Creek Aug. 24; theydescribed the chinook as a 25-pound hen.

BY GESTIN SUTTLE

Above, the first chinook of theyear returns from the Pacific Ocean

to Issaquah near the SalmonHatchery fish ladder. At right, a girl

goes face to face with a chinooksalmon at the fish ladder viewing

windows in Seattle at the Hiram M.Chittenden Locks on the Lake

Washington Ship Canal.

By J.B. WoganIssaquah Press reporter

Dire financial times haveEastside Fire & Rescue officialsopenly considering laying off fire-fighters, although they considerthat scenario unlikely.

In one cost-saving option, EFRwould lay off eight people. Inanother, the fire agency wouldtake $263,509 out of its operatingreserve fund.

Those kinds of scenarios are onthe table as Finance Chief DaveGray and his staff look at ways tolimit cost increases for 2010.

“Everybody is pretty well awarethat we have a problem, and it’sunprecedented. I think it’s veryserious,” Gray said.

He said he has received direc-tion from EFR’s finance and oper-ations subcommittee to explore a2010 budget where Issaquah andEFR’s other four partners wouldn’tpay more than they did last yearfor fire protection.

The last official mandate fromthe EFR board of directors was tolimit an overall budget growth to 5percent of what fire protection costin the previous year.

EFRconsiders

layoffsFISH spots first chinook

at Issaquah hatchery

BY GREG FARRARSee CHINOOK, Page A5

The salmon disappeared fromview for most of the following day.Hatchery visitors clamberedacross a bridge over Issaquah

See EFR, Page A3

BY GREG FARRAR

Construction is proceeding quickly on new classroom buildings at Issaquah High School.


It’s been a busy summer of con-struction, but when studentsreturn to school Sept. 2, IssaquahSchool District officials, teachersand construction crews will beready.

“At all of our major projects, wehave contractors that are manag-ing the work well, are focused ongetting the work complete, andthey are planning and workingahead of schedule,” said SteveCrawford, district director of capi-tal projects. “They are working inmultiple areas across the wholeconstruction site.”

Paired with that efficiency, thesummer’s good weather allowedconstruction crews to really pickup the pace at three major sites,the new elementary school (tem-porarily called Elementary 15) andIssaquah and Skyline high schools,said Superintendent SteveRassmussen.

Where students will notice themost change is at Issaquah High,

PROJECT STATUS UPDATE�New elementary school, tem-porarily called Elementary 15:Construction teams leveled thesite, created drainage systems, fin-ished foundation work and someframing. Complete framing of theexterior is expected to be complet-ed by late fall, so crews can beginwork on the inside of the building.�Issaquah High School rebuild:Concrete foundations and steelframes for the three, three-storyclassroom wings are completed.Cement and foundation work iscompleted for the gymnasium,commons and main offices.�Maywood Middle School remodel:Schematic designs and budgetingplans are under way. Planning andengineering is under way for an exten-sion of sewer facilities to the school.�Skyline High School remodel: Newparking lots and entry points werecompleted this year. New classroomwings have been added to the build-

ing and are nearly complete. Seismicretrofitting in older classrooms andhallways was completed this summer.�Briarwood Elementary Schoolrebuild: Planning will begin this year.Construction for the $25.1 millionproject is expected to start in 2011.�Challenger Elementary Schoolremodel: A $2.5 million remodel torelocate the central office, improveventilation systems and separate traf-fic is expected to start summer 2011.�Liberty High School remodel:Planning begins this year for addingnew classroom facilities, science lab-oratories, a performing arts facilityand kitchen equipment. Constructionfor the $15.2 million project isexpected to start late next summer.�Pacific Cascade FreshmanCampus: Planning to convert theschool to a middle school is underway. The building will convert to amiddle school in fall 2010.Freshmen will return to Issaquahand Skyline high schools.

Summer’s good weather gets schoolconstruction projects ahead of schedule

See CONSTRUCTION, Page A3

BY GREG FARRAR

Al Erickson, city parks manager, stands in front of the Issaquah Community Center as young people and their momsgather for lunch on the front steps.


A gargantuan aerial shot ofIssaquah dominates a wall of AlErickson’s city Parks & RecreationDepartment office. The map datesfrom the early part of the decade;land where part of the IssaquahHighlands would eventually rise isnothing but tawny dirt. SprawlingCentral Park was little more thana planner’s sketch.

Now, as Erickson prepares toretire after nearly 35 years as acity parks employee, crews are at

work in the highlands adding arti-ficial turf to a pair of Central Parkfields.

The changes at Central Park arerepresentative of the changes thecity park system — and Issaquahitself — has undergone sinceErickson signed on with the citythree decades ago as a recentWestern Washington Universitygrad. Erickson, 57, retired asparks manager Aug. 31.

Parks & Recreation DirectorAnne McGill said Erickson’s roleas a person who shaped the citypark system cannot be overstated.

“He had a huge influence on ourwhole quality of life in Issaquah,”McGill said.

Erickson, who helped turnTibbetts Valley Park into reality inthe mid-1980s, described the lastmajor project of his tenure as a“monumental milestone.” Theartificial turf on the Central Parkfields will be a first for Issaquah.

Erickson’s colleagues said hismanner and work ethic wereessential to the growth of the

City severance packageentices 35-year employee

See ERICKSON, Page A3

Crawford said. When students left for summer

break, construction crews had juststarted demolition. When theyreturn, they will see the new build-ing taking shape.

Construction crews worked inwhat Crawford described as rollingphases throughout the summer toensure as much was being done aspossible.

For instance, once the founda-tion was poured for the northclassroom wing, workers beganpouring cement for the second anddoing groundwork on the third.While that was occurring, workersbegan erecting steel framing forthe north class wing.

At Skyline, students will returnto another year of construction.However, the new classroom wingsand administration area construc-

tion crews worked on all lastschool year will be ready to housestudents after first winter break,Crawford said.

Now, they are working erectingsteel for the new gymnasium,weight training areas and framingareas in the 200 and 800 class-room wings.

Obviously, the new elementaryschool doesn’t need to be ready forstudents. However, crews did workSaturdays to finish prepping thesite, pouring foundation and fram-ing exterior walls, so they couldseal the building and work insidein the winter months, he said.

“We are doing very well at thistime,” he added. “We’re far aheadof where we were for [Elementary]14 or Grand Ridge was at thispoint in time on the calendar.”

Liberty High School alsoreceived about $550,000 worth ofwork this summer to fix its heatingand cooling systems, which wereoutdated, leaking and inefficient,

Crawford said. District maintenance employees

did similar work at four otherbuildings that were built in the late1980s and early 1990s.

In the days before Sept. 2, con-struction crews sealed off parts ofthe buildings they could to keep con-struction noise from interruptingclasses and were moving classroomfurniture back into the buildings.

It’ll be a push to get everythingfinished and there will always besome things that can’t get done,Crawford said.

For instance, because construc-tion workers had to install retrofit-ted seismic pilings in some of theexisting classroom areas at Skyline,carpet in those areas won’t be rein-stalled. The carpet will be rein-stalled once that work is complete,so it doesn’t get damaged.


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City officials will save nearly$600,000 because seven cityemployees have opted to acceptseverance packages. But the sav-ings from the severance programwill not be enough to remedy a$3.6 million budget shortfall for2010 and a similar decline in cityrevenue for 2010.

Finance Director Jim Blake saidthe city would save about $595,000in 2010 as a result of the severanceprogram. Though city officials havesaid employee layoffs and furloughsare other possible cost-saving meas-ures, Blake and Mayor Ava Frisingersaid last week that it would be toosoon to say whether other positionswould be eliminated.

“Any further staff reductions arestill being discussed and a finaldecision is still a week or twoaway,” Blake wrote in an e-mail.

Frisinger said the employeeswho opted for the severance pack-age — six full-time and one-parttime — were nearing retirement.

“The program probably gavethem a little more incentive to dothat,” the mayor said.

Longtime Parks Manager AlErickson chose the severanceoption. Part of the rationale, hesaid, was to help other cityemployees keep their jobs.

With positions unfilled, dutieswill be redistributed among otherstaffers. In the Parks &Recreation Department, forinstance, Director Anne McGill,Recreation Manager BrianBerntsen and other employeeswill carve up tasks once handledby Erickson. No plans exist forreplacing the employees who tookthe severance — for now.

“We, of course, will always hearfrom departments what their

needs are and whether that’s pos-sible in the context of the budget,”Frisinger said.

Employees who accepted thepackage will receive four months’pay. Longtime employees willreceive an additional month of payfor every 10 years they worked forthe city, for a maximum of sixmonths’ pay.

Frisinger said a severance pack-age would not be offered toemployees again.

Key sources of cash for the city— building permit fees and salestax — have shrunk amid the reces-sion. As a result, officials face a$3.6 million shortfall for 2009, andwill need to cut a similar amountfrom the 2010 budget.

Officials deferred the purchaseof supplies and equipment, sus-pended nonessential staff trainingand held off on filling vacant citypositions. But the measures werenot enough.

Frisinger said city officials needto cut about $7 million overall fromthe ’09 and ’10 budgets. Officials

will tap a rainy day fund in orderto cover the ’09 budget gap.

City Council members adopted a$109.5 million municipal budgetlast December. Council memberswill begin formulating the 2010budget within the next few months.

Frisinger said employee laborgroups are receptive to a proposalto defer employees’ cost-of-livingincreases and eliminate passingsavings from the city’s PublicEmployees’ Retirement System toemployees.

Frisinger said Issaquah is one ofthe last cities in the state to passalong PERS dollars to employees.She said other cities have phasedout the program as a cost-savingmeasure.

Blake said in July that the cost-of-living and PERS reductionswould help the city save about$400,000 combined.

Frisinger hosted a farewellreception Aug. 26 at City Hall forthe employees who chose theseverance package. Over cakeand punch, staffers talked aboutretirement plans. Frisinger saidthe sendoff was festive, until shemade a speech honoring theemployees’ service and tearsstarted to flow.

“I said it was bittersweet,because the people who are leav-ing will be doing the things theywant to do,” she said. But, “that wewould miss them.”

OPTING OUTCity employees who the choseseverance package:�Accountant Amy Beer(part-time employee)�Parks Manager Al Erickson�Administrative AssistantDoretta Levy�Executive AssistantCarolyn Lopez�Administrative AssistantBonnie Morrow�Farmers Market ManagerDave Sao�Accountant Nancy Webby

Seven employees opt for severancepackage as city makes cutbacks

This year, 840 Issaquah studentstook the Scholastic AssessmentExams and scored far better thantheir state and national peers.

The SAT is a curriculum-based,standardized exam and is primari-ly used for admission into collegesand universities by measuring astudent’s readiness for collegiate-

level coursework. In recent years, Washington stu-

dents have led the nation in testscores for the SAT and AmericanCollege Test, another collegeentrance exam.

For the seventh consecutive year,the state’s senior class had thehighest average composite SAT

score in the nation, according tofigures released by the CollegeBoard, the organization that spon-sors the SAT exams, in August

In Washington, Issaquah’s stu-dents have continued to score wellabove the state and national aver-ages. Below are the 2009 scoresfor each group. The composite

score is out of 2,400 points, whilethe individual subject scores areout of a possible 800 points.

Subject Issaquah State NationalReading 563 524 501Math 578 531 515Writing 548 507 493Composite 1,689 1,562 1,509

Issaquah is offering the PracticeSAT for all juniors and sophomoresin class Oct. 14. There is a $13 feeassociated with the PSAT. However,the Parents and TeachersAssociations and the IssaquahSchools Foundation are providingfunding for families who can’tafford it.

ConstructionFROM PAGE A1

Studentsperform

well on SAT

parks department and the citypark system.

“He’s very calm, very focused,”McGill said. “He always looks outfor the greater good of our com-munity and how the most peoplecan use a public facility.”

Though Erickson had plannedto retire within the next fewyears, a severance packageoffered to city employees has-tened his decision.

City officials are working topatch a $3.6 million budget holeand cut costs for 2010. Employeeswho accept the package receivefour months’ pay. Longtimeemployees, such as Erickson, willreceive an additional month ofpay for every 10 years theyworked for the city, for a maxi-mum of six months’ pay.

Erickson, whose grandparentsemigrated from Scandinavia toIssaquah in the early part of the20th century, grew up in Issaquah,graduated from Issaquah HighSchool and returned during col-lege for a summer internship withthe city Park Board.

When the city created a parksdepartment in the early 1970s,staffers pulled double duty main-taining parks and coordinatingrecreation activities. KerryAnderson, the first city Parks &Recreation director, recalled hir-ing Erickson in 1973. Back then,the department had only threefull-time employees. Today, it hasabout 60.

Erickson had just earned aparks and recreation degree fromWWU. Anderson said the nascentdepartment needed staffers whocould juggle multiple tasks.

“We got our feet dirty and ourhands dirty doing that,” Andersonsaid.

In the mid-1980s, city crewsbegan work on Tibbetts ValleyPark. The project was the firstlarge-scale effort undertaken bythe parks department team.Anderson said Erickson was cru-cial to the development of thepark.

“When Al and I look back, oneof the most fun times we had wasbuilding that park,” Andersonsaid.

Anderson retired in 2000 andnow owns a landscaping businessin Spokane. McGill fillsAnderson’s former role.

Today, Tibbetts Valley Park is

34 acres of sports fields, tenniscourts, playground equipmentand picnic tables.

Erickson said Tibbetts ValleyPark was one of the projects ofwhich he was most proud.

Another big project launchedduring his tenure will be complet-ed after he departs. Planners hopeCybil-Madeline Park will becomea flagship of the city parks system.The park along Issaquah Creekwill feature “trails, picnics, openmeadows, that kind of thing,”Erickson said.

Long before he began his parkscareer, his family had put downdeep roots in Issaquah. In addi-tion to his pioneer grandparents,his father, Tauno Erickson, servedas a city councilman. His mother,Camilla Erickson, 91, lives in thecity.

Erickson describes his longparks career as a way to give backto the community. He’s quick topraise the colleagues he’s workedwith over the years.

“I’ve been fortunate to work fortwo wonderful parks directors,”Erickson said.

McGill, in turn, said she wouldmiss his steady leadership.

“We’ve watched him accomplisha lot and he’s always done it withcourage and grace,” she said.

EricksonFROM PAGE A1

In that spirit, the EFR adminis-tration announced in August itwould institute a salary freeze forits eight administrative employ-ees, which could save $20,000next year.

But the salary freeze was moreof a gesture of good faith than asubstantial solution to budgetissues.

In one proposal, Gray said EFRwould cut eight staff positions,saving $790,000 in 2010.

But he said laying people offwould mean lowering the level of

fire protection, and he is opposedto that.

“I don’t recommend that wehave layoffs,” he said. “I’m notmaking a recommendation toreduce the level of service.”

In the other proposal, therewould be no layoffs, but there isalso no guarantee that the costreductions can become a reality.

Gray said that the no-layoffsoption would be dependent onwhether the local firefighters’union would agree to cutting$263,509 from its labor con-tract.

EFR would also dip into itsoperating reserve fund and askfor less funding for replacingequipment in 2010. The three-pronged plan would save$790,527.

Gray said either approach forthe 2010 budget would be a one-year plan. Partner contributionscould not level off indefinitely.

“Pretty much, when we don’tpay the bill, it affects the servicelevel pretty quickly,” he said.

Jack Barry, Sammamish’sdeputy mayor and a member ofthe EFR’s board, said he wasencouraged by Gray’s budgettightening efforts.

“I thinking we’re getting realclose,” Barry said.

He said he was concernedabout using the reserve. He saidhe would feel more comfortablewith that if there was somelong-term plan to guaranteethat the reserve fund couldreturn to its current level lateron.

EFRFROM PAGE A1

“Any further staff reductionsare still being discussed anda final decision is still a weekor two away.”— Jim Blake City finance director

The Issaquah Press Wednesday, September 2, 2009 • A3

�

COMMUNITY� �

The Issaquah Press

�Section

B WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31, 2010

By Laura Geggel

Rally car aficionado Greg Lundwants to put a little zoom in theSnoqualmie Valley. The Issaquahresident plans to buy Weyer-haeuser’s old mill site, locatedabove Borst Lake in Snoqualmie,and build a rally car-drivingcourse that would open this fall.

Not everyone, especially theneighbors, is happy with Lund’sidea, saying that it would be noisyand harm the environment.

But Lund’s plan, though still inits infancy, might someday rev tolife.

Lund, 50, grew up in Issaquahand remembers rally car driving in

the Snoqualmie Valley on the treefarm near the mill when he was inhis 20s. Rally car driving — a sportin which drivers take their vehiclesto challenging, nonpublic areas, likeforestry roads — caught his interest.

Though wildly popular in Eu-rope, there are only two officialrally car courses in the U.S., Lundsaid: one in New Hampshire andthe other in Florida.

He stressed that his coursewould not be used as a racetrack,but rather a place where peoplewould drive at speeds up to 40mph on a difficult surface of loosegravel, wet pavement and more.

“It’s not racing,” Lund said.“You’re only on the course by

yourself. It’s a real learning expe-rience.”

He and three other men haveformed Ultimate Rally and plan totarget car lovers who enjoy drivingoff the beaten path, drivers whowant formal training in off-roaddriving and businesses like Mi-crosoft and Boeing looking for en-tertainment and team-building ex-ercises.

The course could also attract carmanufacturers that need a placewhere people can test new vehi-cles and serve as a location for tel-evision and movie productions,

With Easter less than a weekaway, several community organi-zations will host egg hunts the daybefore the holiday and on Easter.

The annual Easter egg hunt inthe Issaquah Highlands, calledHighlands 4 Haiti, will be atGrand Ridge Elementary School,1739 N.E. Park Drive, on April 3.Proceeds from the event will go toWorld Vision, a nonprofit relieforganization based in FederalWay that’s helping children in theaftermath of the Haiti earthquake.

Wristbands, sold for $5 atBlakely Hall, 2550 N.E. ParkDrive, in the days before theevent, will also be available atthe event gate. The event runsfrom 10 a.m. - noon.

About 1,700 people turned outfor the Sammamish FamilyYMCA Eggstravaganza last year.Organizers expect about 2,000attendees when the event returnsApril 3.

The event will be 10 a.m. – 1p.m. The event will include car-nival games, face painting, inflat-able obstacle courses and a visitfrom the Easter Bunny. Theevent will be at the YMCA, 4221228th Ave. S.E. Call 391-4840for more information.

More than 10,000 Easter eggswill be part of the 19th AnnualGilman Village Easter Festival &

Egg Hunt. The event, 10 a.m. at317 N.W. Gilman Blvd., will alsoinclude music, balloons, facepainting and photos with theEaster Bunny. Call 392-6802 formore information.

Adventure Kids Playcare willhost a grand opening and springcelebration from 10 a.m. – 4p.m. April 3 in the IssaquahCommons, 775 N.W. GilmanBlvd. The event also features acommunity-service component:A raffle benefiting the IssaquahSchools Foundation will be held.

The free event will include abounce house, an egg hunt,crafts, games and face painting.

Attendees can also meet mem-bers of the Eastside Fire & Res-cue team until noon and enjoy avideo game theater. Childrenwho attend the event eat free atChipotle during the opening.

St. Michael and All AngelsEpiscopal Church will host notone, but two Easter egg hunts af-ter church services Easter morn-ing. Parishioners invite membersto enjoy a service and music, fol-lowed by a free egg hunt for chil-dren. The church, at 325 S.E.Darst St., will conduct the familyevents after its 9 and 11 a.m.services April 4.

See more egg hunts in the cal-endar on Page B2.


The last time Tent City 4 settledin the Community Church ofIssaquah parking lot,Stephanie and Dave Hansenlived in a nylon tent and

shared camp duties with other resi-dents, hauling blankets and servingon the leadership team. Like otherresidents of the homeless encamp-ment, the Hansens traveled fromthe grounds of church to church asthe encampment wended acrossthe Eastside.

For the Hansens, however, thetrip to Issaquah proved different.Interactions with church membershelped the Hansens lay the ground-work for a transition back to full-time employment and housing. Bythe time Tent City 4 left Issaquah inNovember 2007, Stephanie Hansenhad joined Community Church andbefriended fellow parishioners.Meanwhile, the church hired Daveto work as a custodian.

“I, personally, had probably beento over 20 churches and neverfound a church that I liked that ac-cepted me for who I was and didn’ttry to change me,” StephanieHansen said. “These guys did that.They knew I was homeless fromthe beginning, because they sawme over at Tent City. Dave, too.And they didn’t judge us. We arewho we are and they accept us.”

The encampment returned to thechurch grounds in January. The ar-rival brought back memories for

the Hansens, who spent threemonths living in the same spot. Thefamily credits Community Churchfor the turnaround.

Nowadays, Dave, Stephanie andher son, Joshua Byle, share a Kentapartment furnished with dona-tions from church members andcoworkers. Stephanie Hansenworks as a tax professional at H&RBlock in Kent. Community Churchmembers helped her receive theschooling she needed to get the job.

Joshua, 14, lived in foster carewhile his mother and stepfathercamped in Tent City 4. AlthoughStephanie Hansen feared the daymight not come, Joshua reunitedwith his family last June.

“There was one point there —because I didn’t see any changes inour situation — I told the court tofind somebody to adopt him be-cause I don’t see my life changing,”she said.

The arrival at Tent City 4The path to Tent City 4 started in

Seattle almost four years ago, whena police officer woke the Hansensbeneath a tree near Bitter Lake,where they had slept for threenights. The officer told them toleave; otherwise, they could be ar-rested.

The couple headed to Ballard,where Dave had friends. A workerat a Ballard food bank providedthem with the number for Tent City3, the Seattle homeless encamp-ment organized bySHARE/WHEEL, the nonprofit be-

hind Tent City 4.But the Seattle camp had no

openings for couples. A camp resi-dent suggested Tent City 4, where,sure enough, space for anothercouple existed. So, the Hansensheaded to Woodinville UnitarianUniversalist Church, where the en-campment had settled for the sum-mer.

They left the camp in September2006 and returned several monthslater, in May 2007. Tent City 4 hadmoved to a Bellevue church. Therelocation to Issaquah happened inAugust 2007.

Dave Hansen said the securityand routine of Tent City 4 appealsto people looking for a fresh start.Rules limit the camp to about 100residents, and strict rules keepcriminals, alcohol and drugs off thepremises.

“You want to keep the place safeand you want the bad out,” DaveHansen said. “Keep the good in andget rid of the bad.”

Both Hansens served on the TentCity 4 executive committee, the res-ident-elected group responsible forday-to-day operations. Camp resi-dents enforce strict rules to keepconflict to a minimum.

“You get to the point where youknow that you’ve got to follow therules or you’re going to be out onthe streets again,” StephanieHansen said. “And you don’t wantthat.”

Ultimate RallyLLC GeneralManager GregLund stands atWeyerhaeuser’sold mill site inSnoqualmie,where he andhis businesspartners wouldlike to build arally car-drivingcourse.

CONTRIBUTED

If he builds it, will they come?

See RACE TRACK, Page B3

Fan plans to convert Weyerhaeuser’s mill site into race track

“There was one point there — because I didn’t see any changes in our situation — I told the court to find somebody to adopt him because I don’t see my life changing.”

— Stephanie Hansen

BY GREG FARRAR

Dave Hansen (left) and his wife Stephanie recount how their 2007 stay in Tent City 4 and help from Community Church of Issaquah led to full-timejobs, housing and being able to regain custody of her son Joshua Byle, 14 (right), from foster care.

Former Tent City 4 residents credit church for successFaith to succeed

Hop to it: Groupshost Easter egg hunts

BY GREG FARRAR

Trevor Jordan dashes to the far end of the field for treasures as a horde ofyoungsters pick up prizes near the starting line at the 2009 Easter egg huntand carnival in the Issaquah Highlands.

See FAITH, Page B3


Big contributions were the or-der of the night as the IssaquahParents Teachers and StudentsAssociation Council celebratedthe volunteers of the IssaquahSchool District.

At the annual Golden AcornAwards, at Skyline High SchoolMarch 16, more than 80 volun-teers and district employeeswere recognized for their effortsto support education.

The awards are a time to cele-brate and recognize all of thehard work the unsung heroes dofor children and the schools thatmake them successful, said coun-cil member and organizer Judy

Babb. Each year, the PTSA councils

from schools in the district select— from among recommenda-tions of teachers, parents andstudents — volunteers who havecontributed significantly to thebetterment of their schools, pro-grams and events.

Volunteers work in classroomsto help raise student achieve-ment, attend field trips, coordi-nate fundraising efforts, lobbyfor education legislation and ad-vocate for children’s health, well-ness and education.

“In a time when monetary re-sources are tight, our volunteer

A night of shining stars

See GOLDEN ACORNS, Page B3

Parents thank dedicated schools volunteers

OBITUARIES�

Giving backBesides camp duties, Dave

worked as a day laborer andStephanie worked as a helper fora church member, ElizabethMaupin. The modest income al-lowed them a few luxuries — theoccasional meal out or a night ata motel.

“We tried not to eat as much ofthe camp food as we could, be-cause we had that extra incomeand it allowed us to leave thingsfor people who really needed it,”Stephanie Hansen said.

The upswing started for theHansens when Maupin hiredStephanie as a caretaker. Maupinhad scheduled surgery, and sheneeded a helper to aid her duringrecovery. Maupin — coordinatorof the Issaquah Sammamish In-terfaith Coalition, a group of localreligious organizations — helpedbring the encampment back to Is-saquah in January.

The experience also broughtthe Hansens closer to Commu-nity Church. Every Sundaymorning, Stephanie Hansendrove Maupin to church and, af-ter a couple weeks, started at-

tending services. Eventually, shejoined the choir and — in May2008 — joined the congregationwhen she was baptized.

Dave Hansen followed in Janu-ary 2009. Joshua will be bap-tized on Easter.

“It kind of sucked moving fromplace to place” as a foster child,he said. “It’s just good to be inone spot now. It’s nice to be backwith my family.”

Maupin credits the Hansensfor taking the difficult step toleave Tent City 4. The family re-mained involved with the en-campment. When Tent City 4 set-tled on Mercer Island, for in-stance, the Hansens dropped offdonations at the camp.

Nowadays, Maupin andStephanie Hansen serve togetheron the board for Response Abil-ity Builders, a Tiger Mountainnonprofit with a focus on teach-ing homeless people to build dis-aster-relief housing.

Maupin said other Tent City 4residents could emulate theHansens’ success with dedication— and no small amount of hardwork.

“Given a chance and support,they can make it, but they alsohave to choose to do their part,”she said.

Warren Kagarise: 392-6434, ext. 234, [email protected]. Comment atwww.issaquahpress.com.

Margaret A. Matthews

Margaret A. Matthews, of Is-saquah, died at Overlake Hospitalin Bellevue on Monday, March 15,2010. She was 92.

At her request, there will be noservices.

Margaret was born Oct. 13,1917, in Hudson, Ohio, to Ernestand Annabele Witt. She spentmost of her life in the Hudsonarea, where she married andraised her family. She owned andoperated a hair salon in HudsonSquare for 25 years.

Margaret moved to Issaquah in

1988 to be near her family. Shewas active in the IssaquahWomen’s Club and an avid gar-dener.

She was preceded in death byher husband Earl and sonRichard.

Survivors include her sister Flo-rence Matthews, of Tiffin, Ohio;daughter-in-law Anita Matthewsand one granddaughter, all fromIssaquah; a grandson, from Sam-mamish; six great-grandchildren;and numerous nieces, nephewsand other family members in Ohio.

Arrangements are by Flintoft’sIssaquah Funeral Home.

BY GREG FARRAR

Dave and Stephanie Hansen and her son Joshua smile at the recovery andthriving of their family since being helped through a period of homeless-ness in their life.

FaithFROM PAGE B1

�Robert Henry Fulton

RobertHenry Fultondied peacefullyMarch 24,2010, afterbattling 16months of var-ious healthchallenges. Hismind was seton returning tothe “urbanwoods” andhis beloved home in Sammamish— a goal he nearly accomplished.He was 75.

A memorial service will be at 11a.m. April 3 at Flintoft’s IssaquahFuneral Home.

Robert, son of the late Rev.Nathan and Nancy Fulton wasborn in Baltimore on Aug. 4,1934. He is survived by brothersCephas Fulton, of Virginia, andJames Fulton, of Avondale, Md. Hewas preceded in death by sistersLauretta Dickey and Clarice Gore,of Baltimore.

He was married to Joan D.Boozer. From this marriage camehis only children — Vaunda D.Fulton, of Kirkland; Quanda R.Evans, of Bellevue; and Robert H.Fulton II, of Bothell. He is alsosurvived by four grandchildren.

Robert graduated from DunbarHigh School in Baltimore in 1951.He attended Howard Universityfor two years and joined theUnited States Air Force in 1953.Attaining the rank of sergeant, he

was honorably discharged in1957. Robert continued his educa-tion at the University of Washing-ton, where he obtained a Bachelorof Arts in engineering and com-puter science; the University ofCalifornia at Berkley, where he ob-tained his Master of Science in en-gineering; and the U.W., where hereceived his doctorate in computerscience.

Robert began his civilian workcareer with General Dynamic inPomona, Calif., and then workedfor General Electric Atomic EnergyDivision in San Jose, Calif. Robertthen took a position with The Boe-ing Co. in Seattle, and retired aftermore than 50 years in various de-partments there.

Robert moved his family toKirkland in 1968. He enjoyedcoaching his children in variousyouth sports programs, designingand building dangerous (but fun)play equipment for the back yard,and performing car maintenance— whether it needed it or not. Inretirement, he enjoyed dancing,listening to jazz, exploring thegreat outdoors and spending anexorbitant amount of time at theBoeing Fitness Center. He also en-joyed socializing with friends,which included his loyal friend ofmore than 40 years — Albert De-Paoli.

Arrangements are by Flintoft’sFuneral Home and Crematory.

Friends are invited to sharememories and sign the family’sonline guest book atwww.flintofts.com.

Robert Fulton

�Kenneth Earl Solders

KennethEarl Solders,known byfriends as Kenand Kenny bythose heworked with,died March 20,2010, in Is-saquah. Hewas 56.

A celebra-tion of life willbe at 6 p.m. April 3 at Maximilienrestaurant, 81 Pike St., Suite A,Seattle.

He was born in Portland, Ore.,on Nov. 18, 1953. Ken graduatedfrom Portland State University in1981 with a Bachelor of Science ineconomics and business adminis-tration.

Ken and Barbara Fetty marriedJuly 19, 1986, and they resided inthe Belmont neighborhood of Port-land until they moved to Issaquahin 1988, when he joined The Pe-terson Co., a specialty food im-porter and distributor. He servedas the vice president of Sales &Marketing. He coined their currentslogan, “Delivering a world ofgood taste.” He was amused that aclient called him “the Dick Clark ofthe Deli business.”

He lived his life passionatelyand he enjoyed driving one of hisfleet of convertibles on the fewsunny warm days the Northwestprovides. Ken savored good foodwith friends and family, and aspirited discussion. Although anenthusiastic traveler, some of hismost treasured times were spentat the beach with his family orplaying golf at his favorite course,the Manzanita Golf Course. He be-lieved in making the most of everyopportunity.

He is survived by his motherNadine, brother Jeffery Soldersand his wife Barbara. Ken is lovedby many nephews and nieces,who all will remember his joy,light heart and fun-loving natureat every family event. His greatestjoy was his 15-year-old daughterKirsten Solders, who was thebrightest light in Ken’s life. He en-joyed supporting his daughter inacademics, playing soccer, golf,the piano, marching in the bandor just plain having fun.

Ken was full of life and love andwe all miss him desperately! Kenwould have wanted all of you toremember to value and protectyour freedom as an American.

Remembrances may be sent toRite Care of Washington, 3227N.E. 125th St., Seattle WA 98125-4516.

Kenneth Solders

resources become even more im-portant,” said Heather Gillette,PTSA Council president and anaward recipient. “This is a greatopportunity to acknowledge ourvolunteer’s efforts and their con-tributions to all of our studentsin the district.”

Gillette, who has served asPTSA council president twice,was awarded with a GoldenAcorn award from Skyline HighSchool and an Outstanding Ser-vice award for her work on thecouncil this year.

But the awards don’t just go tothe hardest-working volunteers;awards also go to the hardest-working employees. This year,four district employees — Bar-bara Walton, principal at GrandRidge Elementary School; KathyConnally, principal at EndeavourElementary School; Alaine Tib-betts, a bus driver in the Briar-wood Elementary School area;and Curtis Betzler, a teacher atBeaver Lake Middle School —earned awards.

Walton received a lifetime hon-orary membership to the PTSAfor her years of dedicated serviceto the district and as the firstprincipal of Grand Ridge. Waltonwill retire from the district at theend of the year. Connally re-ceived an Outstanding Advocateaward for her dedication to herstudents.

Tibbetts received a GoldenAcorn for her dedication to stu-dents who ride her buses to andfrom Briarwood ElementarySchool each day. Betzler receivedthe Outstanding Advocate awardfor his dedication to helping stu-dents help students across theworld through the nonprofit or-ganization he and PTSA parentsformed called Generation Joy.The organization’s major hu-manitarian project is a necessi-ties drive where students collectdonations that are shipped toSouth African children living inorphanages.

“This year’s theme, Celebrat-ing Giving Hearts, was chosenbecause that is what these peo-ple truly do,” Babb said of thewinners. “They aren’t doing thisfor accolades, but this is whatthey truly love to do.”

This year’s winners are:

Elementary schools�Apollo: Chris Boster, BethKoontz and Cliff LeCompte�Briarwood: Lara Chung,Joanne Kilcup, Stephanie Mayo,Kymberli Nelson and Jenna

Thoresen�Cascade Ridge: Jaycee Cooper,Lynette Springborn and TinaYerges�Challenger: Marilou Dacey,Sandi Dong and Shannon Karr.Leslie Miniken received an Hon-orary Lifetime PTA Membership.�Clark: Kristin Bartholet, BetsyBrewer and Sherry Feiler-Weins�Cougar Ridge: ElizabethBrown, Sara Carmichael, TriciaJerue and Becky Schultz. Ste-fanie Beighle received the Out-standing Advocate award.�Discovery: Connie Ellis, JillKelley and Ken Peatross Jr. andJane Cristallo. Tom Thompsonreceived Outstanding Advocatesawards �Endeavour: Miranda Cantine,Becky Lawrence, Chris Leznekand Heather Stambaugh�Grand Ridge: Cyn Baumert,Lida Buckner and Theora Dalu-pan�Issaquah Valley: Tanya Alter,Suzie Kuflik and Kim Nardi�Maple Hills: Marsha Kau-zlarich and Jennifer Wildermuth.Dawn Peschek was given theOutstanding Advocate award.�Newcastle: Edana Peacock andLynne Hepp�Sunny Hills: Brian McRae,Darawan Morrison and MonicaRockwell. Donna Gelinas won theOutstanding Advocate award.�Sunset: Trina Elliot, Lisa Mc-Gowen, Elizabeth Tuohy andConnie Zue

Middle schools�Beaver Lake: Patty Grem-bowski and Alayna Niehaus�Issaquah: Sally Burnette andKim Dreiblatt�Maywood: Kimberly Montagueand Staci Schnell�Pine Lake: Monica De Raspe-Bolles, Ina Ghangurde and StacyHeller

High schools�Issaquah: Lori Van De Mark,Vicki Hahn and Debbie Sexton.Jody Mull received the Outstand-ing Advocate award.�Liberty: Maryann DiPasquale,Holly Hollinger, Vanessa McDon-ald and Betsy Pendleton�Skyline: Teresa Bretl andHeather Gillette

PTSA Council awards�Golden Acorns – Donna Geli-nas, Linda Guard, Jody Mull andConnie Rawson�Outstanding Advocates – Ali-son Meryweather and LeighStokes�Outstanding Service – HeatherGillette and Vicki Hoffman


CONTRIBUTED

Heather Gillette, Issaquah PTSA Council president, speaks March 16 dur-ing the annual districtwide Golden Acorn Awards. Gillette, who has servedas PTSA council president twice, received both a Golden Acorn and anOutstanding Service award.

Golden AcornsFROM PAGE B1

The Issaquah Press Wednesday, March 31, 2010 • B3

�

Lund said. He estimates the business

would have an annual revenue of$3 million and would help bring$2.5 million in tourism dollarsper year to the valley.

“It’s the perfect location, be-cause we’re going to try to do va-cation packages,” Lund said. “Youcould stay at Salish (Lodge & Spa),go skiing, go golfing — maybeeven take a cruise up to Alaska.”

After hearing about Lund’splan, some Snoqualmie residentssaid they are wary of living neara rally car course.

Snoqualmie resident SheriBucy wondered how UltimateRally could be profitable during arecession. She said she worriedthat once started, the companywould have to operate beyond itspromised weekday-only hoursand would start catering toweekend customers.

“I just see and hear a lot ofnoisy weekends in our future,”Bucy wrote in an e-mail, adding,“This valley is a giant bowl andwe can hear everything.”

Mark Stadick, of Snoqualmie,remembered when the Weyer-haeuser mill was in service.

“I have enjoyed the peacesince it shut down,” Stadickwrote in an e-mail.

He noted he often bicycles tothe mill site and enjoys seeingartists painting Mount Si andpeople watching wildlife.

“Who needs greasy, oily cars

around an area like that?” heasked. “Let it recover from themill.”

Lund said he was aware of theconcerns. He said cars on thecourse wouldn’t be any louderthan modern street cars.

As for the environment, hesaid his company would try tominimize the course’s contactwith wildlife. And, they areworking with the Cascade LandConservancy, a nonprofit organi-zation, to calculate how manymore trees they would need toplant to create a sound bufferand help offset the company’scarbon footprint, he said.

The company does not plan tooperate the business on week-ends, he added.

For people concerned withmaintaining the site’s history,Lund said he would preserveWeyerhaeuser’s historic build-ings — using them for the com-pany’s offices and classrooms —and create a museum aboutWeyerhaeuser.

The land is currently part ofunincorporated King County, butLund said he hopes it will be in-corporated into Snoqualmie, sothe city would benefit from hisbusiness.

No public meetings areplanned for the development, be-cause the property is zoned in-dustrial property, somethingwhich bothers Snoqualmie resi-dent David Bach.

“Why are no permits requiredfor a business with potentiallydramatic impacts on nearby resi-dents?” Bach asked in an e-mail.

In the meantime, Lund and hispartners are working on the rallycar business.

“There is no NASCAR,” Lundsaid. “We’re just a bunch of oldguys who want to put on a schooland make income for Sno-qualmie and jobs as well.”

Laura Geggel: 392-6434, ext. 221, [email protected]. Comment atwww.issaquahpress.com.

Race track:Estimatedrevenue of$3 million

FROM PAGE B1

Start the New Year off rightand help homeless andabused animals. Help build agreat sanctuary. The KingCounty shelter is closing andthere is a need for more sanctu-ary and no-kill shelters. Thisgroup is new and needs a lot ofhelp to get up and running. It’sin desperate need of an experi-enced fundraiser for an upcom-ing walk. It also needs help forupcoming charity and fundrais-ing events. For more informa-tion, call 891-5869 or e-mail [email protected].

Hopelink: Help is needed sort-ing food in food banks; providingchild care and homework tutor-ing to children in housing facili-ties; delivering food to home-bound clients; or answeringphones and helping with admin-istrative tasks. Many other volun-teer tasks are available; bi-lin-gual language skills are a plus formany of them. Volunteers overage 16 and volunteers betweenages 12 and 16 with

MORE VOLUNTEEROPPORTUNITIES�

parent/guardian supervisionneed to register to attend amandatory orientation. Registerat www.hope-link.org/takeac-tion/volunteer or call 869-6066.Registration is necessary; spaceis very limited.

King County Library SystemTraveling Library Center:Share your love of reading withsomeone who cannot use the li-brary. Volunteers must be atleast 18 years old, have reliabletransportation to deliver materi-als and can select, deliver andreturn library materials to oneshut-in patron at least once amonth, for one year. Training isprovided and takes about anhour. The time commitment istwo to four hours per month.Call 369-3235 or 1-877-905-2008, toll-free.

Eastside Baby Corner: Helpfill orders each week, includingcar seats, diapers, books, for-mula, baby food and clothing,serving victims of domestic vio-lence and homeless families,health care providers, immigrantassistance groups, faith-based or-ganizations, food banks, schooldistricts, low-income and transi-tional housing agencies, andcommunity centers. Go towww.babycorner.org.

This weekAmerican Rhododendron

Society, Cascade Chapter: 7p.m. second Tuesday, BellevuePresbyterian Church, Bellevue,391-2366.

Cascade Llama 4-H Club:second Wednesday, 391-7988

Eastside Camera Club: 7 p.m.first Thursday, St. MadeleineCatholic Church, 4400 130thPlace S.E., Bellevue, 861-7910www.eastsidecameraclub.com

The Eastside Welcome Club:10 a.m. first Wednesday, 641-8341

Faith and Sharing for thosewith special needs: 2-4 p.m.first Sunday, St. Joseph parishhall, 200 Mountain Park Blvd.S.W., 392-5682

Friends of the Issaquah Li-brary: 7 p.m. second Wednes-day, Issaquah Library, 10 W.Sunset Way, 392-3571

Issaquah Amateur RadioClub: 7 p.m. first Wednesday, Is-saquah Valley Senior Center, 75N.E. Creek Way, 392-7623

Issaquah Business Builders:7:30 a.m. first Thursday, IHOPRestaurant, 1433 N.W. Sam-mamish Road, 206-852-8240

Issaquah Emblem Club: 7p.m. first Wednesday, ElksLodge, 765 Rainier Blvd. N.,392-7024

Issaquah Garden Club: 10a.m. - 1 p.m. second Wednesday,Tibbetts Creek Manor, 750 17thAve. N.W., 603-0711

Issaquah Valley Grange: 7:30p.m. second Monday, IssaquahMyrtle Mason Lodge Hall, 57 W.Sunset Way, 392-3013

Issaquah Women’s Club:9:30 a.m. first Thursday (secondThursday in September), Tib-betts Creek Manor, 750 17thAve. N.W., 369-3090

Pine Lake Garden Club: 9:30a.m. second Wednesday, occa-sional workshops and field trips,836-7810

WeeklyCamp Fire Family Group: 7

p.m. every other Tuesday, 313-1600

Greater Issaquah Toastmas-ters Club No. 5433: 6:45 p.m.Thursday, Bellewood RetirementCommunity, 3710 ProvidencePoint Drive S.E., 306-2232 or [email protected]

Guide Dogs for the Blind: 6p.m. most Sundays, Issaquah Po-lice Station Eagle Room, 644-7421

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