Mercer Island Reporter, February 19, 2014

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REPORTER

Mercer Island www.mi-reporter.com

Wednesday, March19, 20,2014 2013 | 75¢ Wednesday, February

Serving the Mercer Island Community Serving community Since since 1947 1947

School measures pass

A community with a big heart

City Council decision on Coval project is Tuesday Feb. 24 During its regular meeting next Tuesday, the Mercer Island City Council is scheduled to make a final decision on whether or not to approve the Coval project’s preliminary plat design that would allow 18 homes to be built on five acres in the 3000 block of 84th Avenue S.E. The Council will base its decision on the Planning Commission’s recommendation. For details and rules regarding the process, contact, shana. crick@mercergov.org or at 206275-7732.

Three-quarters of voters say yes to more taxes to upgrade, expand schools By Joseph Livarchik

jlivarchik@mi-reporter.com

Tune up your French. The Mercer Island Sister City Association will sponsor an informal evening of French conversation for anybody who wants to improve his/her French, from 7-9 p.m., Feb. 25, at the home of Beth Brennen. All levels are welcome. For more information and directions, contact Beth Brennen at 232-7650 or Monica Howell at 232-2983.

Crohns and Colitis Foundation Team Challenge meeting An information meeting on Team Challenge endurance training and races, that benefit The Crohns and Colitis Foundation is set for 7 p.m., Feb. 26, at the Mercer Island Community and Events Center. For more, go to www.ccteamchallenge.org.

Mercer Island Rotary Run is March 23 Are you registered? Go to mercerislandhalf.com.

William Shaw / Staff Photo

Islanders crowd into the gym at the Mercer Island Community and Events Center for the City’s annual ‘Giving from the Heart’ breakfast to benefit Youth and Family Services programs. The event raised $140,000.

Thrift store expansion to be postponed

Lack of volunteers pulls down revenue for YFS By Celina Kareiva

ckareiva@mi-reporter.com

The Mercer Island Thrift Shop remodel has been placed on hold, due to dips in revenue and staff. Though the Thrift Shop had a successful first quarter in 2013 with a 22 percent increase in sales, workforce shortages in the second quarter, led the staff and city to pause the project until it could be reevaluated this June. The remodel is intended to address several features by creating a separate drop-off area for donations, improving traffic flow on S.E. 34th Street and making aesthetic upgrades to the front of the building. Redesign plans will also increase parking capacity for the

Early talks proposed the purchase of bonds to fund the remodel. In August the project price tag was estimated at $1.7 million if a multipurpose room was included in the final design, all but $400,000 of shop and neighboring Mercerdale which would be paid for by bonds. By those same estimates, the Park and expand retail floor space. In November the Thrift Shop con- expanded Thrift Shop is expected ducted a traffic study to estimate to bring in $450,000 in shop revimpacts. Shortly after, council and enue. But the financial budget of staff decided to postpone it until the project was based on 2013’s projected sales growth targets. Baseline further review. growth is “Every city is facing required to fund diminishing revenue... YFS services, It does worry me,” said business said Youth and Family coordinator Services (YFS) Director Suzanne Philen, Cindy Goodwin of the and to pay back project hold. “I think money borwe're trying to figure Cindy Goodwin, YFS rowed for the out how to have more Director expansion projlong-term stability.” ect. Sixty-three percent The Thrift of the store’s proceeds go toward Shop last year expanded its schedYFS, in a public-private partnership with the city and school district, ule to seven days a week and conthat funds the full gamut of pro- verted some production space into grams, from substance abuse and more retail square footage. But the prevention counseling to juvenile Thrift | Page 2 court diversion services.

“We’re trying to figure out how to have more longterm stability.”

Jeffrey Costello

Chase Costello

206.595.5709 jeff@costelloteam.com

www.costello-costello.com

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An evening of French conversation

It was a very good day for the Mercer Island School District when the first results were posted from the Feb. 11 special election. With two important measures on the ballot, Mercer Island voters overwhelmingly approved the $98.8 million bond proposition and the replacement maintenance and operations levy. “The Mercer Island School Board extends its deep appreciation to the entire Mercer Island community for showing such support for the bond and levy,” said Mercer Island School District Superintendent Dr. Gary Plano.

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206.999.4420 chase@costelloteam.com 505 106th Ave NE | Bellevue, WA


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