december 5_ip

Author shares signature flavors in ‘Dishing Up Washington’

Schools’ basketball teams prepare to face off on hardwood 4Sports,

4A&E,

Page B4

Page B8

www.issaquahpress.com

THE ISSAQUAHPRESS

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Locally owned since 1900 • 75 Cents

s

More kokanee return as community works to restore species

BAND OF BROTHERS

Homeowner funds $175,000 culvert project

By Warren Kagarise wkagarise@isspress.com

PHOTOS BY GREG FARRAR

Sharing a delirious hug at the Tacoma Dome (from left), Skyline High School seniors Chase Premone, Tristan Miller, Austin Bui and Peyton Pelluer celebrate as the Spartans win the state 4A football championship Dec. 1 against Bellarmine Prep, 49-24. At right, Skyline students cheer at the game. (See story, Page B4.)

SLIDESHOW See more photos from Skyline High School’s championship football game at www.issaquahpress.com.

Offer ideas for future of Lake Sammamish State Park

By Warren Kagarise wkagarise@isspress.com Lake Sammamish State Park, a 512-acre urban oasis surrounded by Issaquah and a destination long overdue for a makeover, is in the spotlight again as city and state officials seek residents’ ideas for the park’s future.

Issaquah and the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission leaders scheduled

a Dec. 10 open house about the state park. The event is meant to restart the conversation about options for the park, including a stalled plan approved in 2007 and meant to guide upgrades to aging facilities and the expansion of recreation opportunities.

Options to revive the plan could include a partnership between the state parks agency, See PARK, Page A7

s

Lake Sammamish kokanee salmon — a landlocked cousin of sockeye and a species noted for distinctive red coloration — dwindled in recent decades, since before Wally Pereyra moved into a house along Ebright Creek in 1973.

The streams snaking from Lake Sammamish once ran red as mature kokanee fought the current in a primeval effort to spawn upstream, but the number of kokanee dwindled to fewer than 1,000 in recent years.

The freshwater salmon species once formed the foundation of a robust ecosystem and a recreational fishery. Snoqualmie Indians once fished for the plentiful

salmon as a staple.

Kokanee long captivated Pereyra, so the former fisheries biologist joined the effort to restore the species. The most recent restoration project he completed — replacing a culvert spanning Ebright Creek — represents Pereyra’s passion.

Unable to secure public dollars for the project because the culvert does not sit along a public road, Pereyra decided to pay about $175,000 out of pocket to complete the project.

“Finally, I just said, ‘OK, I’m going to do it,’” he recalled Nov. 27.

Pereyra received a hand from government agencies to receive permits for the project, and throughout the summer, crews removed the culvert in Ebright Creek and installed a 40,000-pound concrete replacement. The major construction project routed the stream through a pipe around the See KOKANEE, Page A6

GET INVOLVED Lake Sammamish State Park open house 46 p.m. Dec. 10 4Tibbetts Creek Manor 4750 17th Ave. N.W. 4www.parks.wa.gov 4Call the municipal Economic Development Department at 837-3450 to learn more.

PHOTOS BY GREG FARRAR

Above, kokanee salmon swim Nov. 27 in the restored stretch of Ebright Creek at Wally Pereyra’s property in the 100 block of East Lake Sammamish Parkway Southeast. At left, Pereyra, a 39-year resident on Ebright Creek, celebrates a project he funded to replace a narrow culvert on the stream.

Superintendent recommends six-period schedule for Liberty High School

By Lillian O’Rorke ltucker@sammamishreview.com Superintendent Steve Rasmussen recommends Liberty High School switch to a six-period schedule.

During the 1990s, many schools across the nation began using an eight-period block schedule where students take four 90-minute classes each day.

And in the fall of 1995, Liberty became one of those schools.

Seventeen years later, that could change. In order to establish a common, districtwide high school schedule, and to give Liberty students more time to study core subjects, the Issaquah School District is considering changing Liberty’s timetable.

Rasmussen made his recommendation to the Issaquah

School Board during a work study session Nov. 28. The main reason, he said, is because the current block schedule gives Liberty students 127 hours per class each year, where Issaquah High School has 161 hours and Skyline High School has 165.

“What I am saying is: I don’t See SCHEDULE, Page A7

Boundary change shifts 175 students from Grand Ridge to Clark

By Lillian O’Rorke ltucker@sammamishreview.com When the first day of school comes next fall, 175 students who had gone to Grand Ridge Elementary School will say “hello” to Clark Elementary School.

The move was announced Nov. 19 as part of a boundary shift that will help alleviate overcrowding at Grand Ridge. Additionally, all kindergartners will go to Challenger and Endeavour elementary schools.

Located in the continually

expanding Issaquah Highlands, Grand Ridge has the capacity for about 600 students, according to Jake Kuper, CFO for the Issaquah School District. With the use of portable classrooms, the capacity jumps to 800.

This year, the school has 879 full-time students and, without the boundary shift, would have 987 full-time students next year.

The changes bring that attendance number to 730 next year.

Sara Niegowski, executive director of communications, said the district always keeps a close

INSIDE THE PRESS A&E ...............

Classifieds ......

Community ....

Let’s Go!.........

B8 B7 B1 B2

Obituaries ...... B3 Opinion .......... A4 Police & Fire .. B7 Sports ..........B4-5

eye on student populations and officials noticed the need for a boundary shift when enrollment projections were made in October.

Superintendent Steve Rasmussen announced the shift Nov. 19 in an email to Grand Ridge families and held an informational meeting the next night, which about 120 people attended, he said.

“There didn’t seem to be any room for discussion,” parent Elizabeth List said.

She and her family just bought

a house in the Forest Ridge community in large part, she said, because they fell in love with Grand Ridge — its building, its PTSA, the community and the fact that it’s less than a five-minute walk from their front door.

After the boundary shift, she will need to drive her daughter to Clark.

“It just kind of gotten taken from us without us having any choice or say in the matter,” she said. “It’s a hard pill to swallow.”

List is also concerned her daughter will be uprooted in the

QUOTABLE “My dad takes off his oxygen — actually rips it out of his nose — jumps out of the car, leaves his wheelchair behind, and I’m on the beach with a 20-year-old kid.”

— Jerry Kaufman Issaquah photographer (See story on Page B1.)

coming years, as the highlands continues to grow and bussing to Clark is no longer a feasible option.

“Growth is a great thing,” she said. “But if the school district is not on the same page as keeping up with the growth, then you are not going to build the effective community that you want.”

A week later, Rasmussen and his staff presented the shift to the Issaquah School Board durSee BOUNDARY, Page A8

SOCIAL MEDIA Connect with The Issaquah Press on social media at www.twitter.com/issaquahpress and www.facebook.com/issaquahpress.

Scan the QR code to go to www.issaquahpress.com.

A2 • Wednesday, December 5, 2012

The Issaquah Press

Volunteers inspire Merry Christmas Issaquah success

By Warren Kagarise wkagarise@isspress.com The nonprofit organization Issaquah Community Services encounters clients in times of need.

Sometimes, a landlord is threatening eviction, or a utility is about to turn off electricity. In some cases, assistance is needed to fund unexpected medical or repair expenses.

Milicent Savage, Issaquah Community Services president, said the organization’s volunteers fill a critical role. The organization relies on a trained team to assist people in need — especially if the person requesting assistance is embarrassed or reluctant.

“It’s an army of good people,” she said.

Issaquah Community Services is operated by about 25 volunteers.

Throughout the year, volunteers offer aid to Issaquah School District residents in need.

Savage said the organization attracts people interested in giving back to the community.

“They’re good listeners and they want to share,” Savage said. “We’re a good community of volunteers.

You can always call any of the volunteers at any time and they’re willing to give their opinion or help out.”

Issaquah Community Services is the all-volunteer nonprofit organization responsible for dispersing the donations to families living inside Issaquah School District boundaries.

Merry Christmas Issaquah is the organization’s most important fundraiser all year. Organizers set a $75,000 goal for 2012.

The organization offers rent assistance if eviction is imminent, help with utility bills if the provider is threatening shutoff, or emergency

2012 GOAL: $75,000 TO DATE: $15,607 HOW TO HELP Help by making a tax-deductible donation to Issaquah Community Services. The organization is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Send donations to Merry Christmas Issaquah, c/o The Issaquah Press, P.O. Box 1328, Issaquah, WA 98027. The names of donors — but not amounts — are published in The Press unless anonymity is requested.

transportation.

The city provides office space and overhead for Issaquah Community Services, so 100 percent of donations go to people in need.

Merry Christmas Issaquah — spearheaded by The Issaquah Press since 1981 — set a donation record last year, but the $77,362 raised could barely meet demand. The number of donors last year, 231, also set a record.

Issaquah Community Services faced increased demand for aid — so great the organization shut down for more than a week in June after exhausting funds for the month.

The organization reopened to clients in July, but demand remains high, and leaders asked the public to consider donations in order for Issaquah Community Services to

continue providing aid.

The holiday fundraising drive accounts for about 65 percent of Issaquah Community Services’ annual budget.

Recipients said donations from the organization come at a critical time, after other options dry up and disappear.

The fund has received more than $785,000 in donations since starting in 1981.

In 2011, Issaquah Community Services provided more than $88,000 in assistance to local families — in the form of rent and utility assistance, or in some cases for bus fare.

Savage said the essential skill for volunteers is to talk with clients to determine how the organization can help.

“You end up talking to them for a little bit and hearing their story,” she said.

The organization helped hundreds of families throughout the year, including a family searching for rent assistance.

The mother and daughter had numerous job interviews but remained unable to find work. Issaquah Community Service offered rent aid to keep them in their apartment for another month as they searched for jobs.

The next month, Issaquah Community Services volunteers received a call from the daughter asking for housing referrals because they had been evicted. The organization provided phone numbers to help them locate shelters and housing.

The level of follow-up attention is typical for Issaquah Community Services volunteers.

“They care about the people and they follow up later on things,” Savage said. “It’s not always cut and dried.”

City Council committee backs drug take-back program City Council members signaled support Nov. 26 for a burgeoning effort to create a King County prescription drug take-back program.

Council Safety & Services Committee members unanimously recommended the council approve a resolution supporting the program.

In a separate decision Nov. 19, council members sent the proposed resolu-

tion to the committee.

The council is expected to consider the resolution again Dec. 17.

The council sent the legislation to committee less than a week after Mayor Ava Frisinger, a King County Board of Health member, joined a local forum to discuss the proposed county drug take-back program.

Issaquah Drug Free Community Coalition

members organized the Nov. 14 forum to discuss a countywide network of drop-off centers for leftover medications.

The proposal is under consideration by the King County Board of Health.

Some pharmacies and law enforcement agencies, including the Issaquah Police Department, offer drug takeback programs, but ad-

vocates said the available programs do not meet the need.

Issaquah Community Network Executive Director Barbara de Michele applauded the council committee and asked supporters to thank the committee members — councilwomen Eileen Barber and Stacy Goodman, and Councilman Paul Winterstein.

Total: $15,607 2012 Goal: $75,000

Holiday Hours M-F 9:30-6 • Sat. 10-3 • Dec. 23 12-4

Thank You! to this week’s donors:

Town & Country Square 1175 NW Gilman Blvd. Suite B-4, Issaquah

Kiwanis Club of Providence Point Mary J. Austin Patricia & Joe Stegner Don & Susan Bell Richard & Margaret Jacobs Mary Pigott Susan & Bernard Wright Chari Avolio Jo Ann McHolland Violet McCray Paul & Llisa Bialek Elva Nibbelink Bruce & Jacqueline Garden Dick & Helen Scott D & G Stewart Paul & Judy Kenyon Karen & Stephen Ridlon Joyce Johnson Paul & Robin Holland Elise, Andrew, Carolyn & Ned Nelson Marjorie Miller Hank & Jackie Thomas Dwight & Linda Fruge Amy Hammingh Connie Harris John & Dori Robinson Liz & Dan Graham Denise Kraft 3 anonymous

©2012

from 31 donors

(425) 391-9270

50% Off

50% Off

Buy one lunch entree plus 2 beverages at regular price & receive the 2nd lunch entree for 50% off!

Buy one dinner entree plus 2 beverages at regular price & receive the 2nd dinner entree for 50% off!

With coupon • Not valid with any other offer Expires 1/31/13

With coupon • Not valid with any other offer Expires 1/31/12

Lunch!

Valid at both locations.

Dinner!

Valid at both locations.

Thank You for Voting Us “Best of Issaquah”

Send contributions to:

Merry Christmas Issaquah c/o The Issaquah Press PO Box 1328, Issaquah, WA 98027 Name will be published unless anonymity is requested.

MEXICAN RESTAURANT

3076 Iss-Pine Lake Rd E Sammamish (425) 391-5911

240 NW Gilman Blvd.

Issaquah (425) 392-8980

CONTRIBUTED

State Supreme Court Chief Justice Barbara Madsen (left) administers the oath of office to state Sen. Mark Mullet, D-Issaquah, in the Senate chamber Nov. 30.

Mark Mullet joins state Senate

By Warren Kagarise wkagarise@isspress.com Issaquah City Councilman Mark Mullet joined the state Senate on Nov. 30 — 45 days before other freshman lawmakers convene in Olympia for the 2013 legislative session.

In a ceremony on the Senate floor, state Supreme Court Chief Justice Barbara Madsen administered the oath to Mullet as the Democrat’s family members watched.

Mullet joined the Senate after a bruising contest against Snoqualmie Republican Brad Toft to represent the 5th Legislative District — a mishmash between suburban and rural communities stretched between Issaquah and Snoqualmie Pass.

The last senator to represent the district, Maple Valley Republican Cheryl Pflug, resigned from the seat in June to serve on a state board. Sammamish Republican Dino Rossi — senator from the district in the late 1990s and early 2000s — served in the role between Pflug’s resignation and Mullet’s arrival.

Mullet joined the Senate earlier than other freshman lawmakers because Pflug resigned and state law required her successor to fill the remaining weeks in her term.

The next legislative session starts Jan. 14 as lawmakers gather in the Capitol to face another tough budget climate.

Mullet scored a leadership role in the chamber — assistant majority whip, or the lawmaker responsible for tracking legislation and lining up votes on bills.

“It’s a good job for a freshman senator because your responsibility is basically to count votes and figure out what people are thinking on different issues,” he said. “You get a chance to learn a lot about how your colleagues are thinking about things.”

Leaders assigned the novice senator to the Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee, Transportation Committee and, in a nod to Mullet’s former career as a Bank of America currency trader, to the vice chairman spot on the Financial Institutions, Housing & Insurance Committee.

The education post is particularly important as

legislators confront the dilemma of how to fund K-12 schools despite limited resources.

The recent state Supreme Court ruling in McCleary v. State of Washington ordered the Legislature to fully fund basic education by 2018.

Mullet, owner of Zeeks Pizza and Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shop in the Issaquah Highlands, often touted business experience on the campaign trail, and said the knowledge already proved useful in conversations with other senators.

“When they hear that idea from somebody who’s just recently opened businesses, I think they give it more credit than they would from somebody who’s just repeating some line from a lobbyist,” he said.

Mullet plans to serve in the Senate and on the City Council simultaneously through Jan. 8.

The council is poised to tackle major issues in the weeks ahead, including the Central Issaquah Plan growth blueprint, a development agreement between the city and landowner Lakeside Industries, and the 2013 municipal budget.

Once Mullet resigns, council members intend to put out a call for potential successors and conduct interviews before appointing a resident to the seat.

Mullet joined the Issaquah City Council in January 2010 after running unopposed for the seat and, earlier in 2012, spearheaded a controversial plastic bag ban at Issaquah businesses. On the council, he led the Council Utilities, Technology & Environment Committee and served as a local representative on the Eastside Fire & Rescue board.

The experience in local government offered Mullet a lesson in how the state can help Issaquah and other cities succeed.

“You can’t solve the state’s budget problems by shifting state responsibilities to the cities, because at the end of the day, the state government is here to make it a better place to live for the residents of Washington, and you’re not achieving that goal” if cities must bear the burden to provide services, he said.

The Issaquah Press

Wednesday, December 5, 2012 •

A3

Activity buses offer ride home for students staying late

By Lillian O’Rorke ltucker@ sammamishreview.com Monday through Thursday at about 4 p.m., long after class has let out, 10 yellow school buses chug along area roads, helping middle school students with extracurricular activities get home.

“This is a bad time of the day for parents to pick their kids up,” said Don Crook, who drives one of the two late buses at Pine Lake Middle School. “For all the kids that stay after, whether it’s for chess club or track … the activities buses provide them a means to get back to home or at least close to it.”

Extended Day Activity buses, which are better known unofficially as activity buses, operate at all five of the Issaquah School District’s middle schools.

Director of Transportation Jo Porter estimates that about 250 sixth-, seventhand eighth-graders ride the buses. They stay after school, she said, for sports, clubs or just extra study

ON THE WEB Specific activity bus routes can be found online at www.issaquah.wednet. edu. Under the “Family Resources” tab click on “Transportation.” From the transportation menu choose “Find your school and bus route.” Activity bus routes are located at the bottom of the page.

time in the library. And of course, as activities change with the seasons, so do ridership numbers.

“So, if they have a lot of sports going or a lot of other extracurricular activities, then we usually get pretty full buses taking them home,” Crook said.

Unlike regular buses, which drop students off at their door, these 10 buses more closely resemble Metro transportation, offering riders anywhere from two to nine neighborhood stops. Crook explained that

he has an average route with four stops, dropping students at places like the Renaissance Ridge and Wesley Park communities.

The whole loop, he said, takes about 20 minutes.

“They are very quick.

The more stops you make, the more fuel you use. The longer the route, the more driver hours you are paying,” Porter said.

The price tag for the activity buses is $92,000 a year. The district has more than 600 regular routes, Porter said, so if those buses operated door-todoor, then that cost would be much higher.

The district began offering the service more than two decades ago when PTA parents demanded Issaquah provide transportation for those that do after-school activities.

It used to look much different, with activity buses serving high school students, too, and dropping riders at as many as 40 stops along one route. Over the years things changed, like switching to middle schools only, as not enough

BY LILLIAN O’RORKE

Angelique Cilliers, Simona Snapkauskaite and Joe McLendon (from left) climb aboard an extended day activity bus at Pine Lake Middle School. older students used the buses to justify them at high schools.

In the 2009-2010 school year, the activity buses scaled back to their current concise routes as part of cost-cutting measures.

“I understood that it had to be held back, but I advocated for keeping it when the budget ax fell,” Associate Superintendent Ron Thiele said. “I think the user rate speaks for itself.

Raid uncovers 150 marijuana plants

By Warren Kagarise wkagarise@isspress.com Police discovered more than 150 marijuana plants during a raid on a downtown Issaquah home, and later arrested a 52-yearold man involved in the grow operation.

Officers surrounded a home in the 100 block of Northwest Dogwood Street at about 11:30 a.m.

Nov. 20 to serve a search warrant. Police called for occupants to come outside and, after officers realized the home was empty, entered the building and discovered the plants.

Issaquah Police Cmdr.

Scott Behrbaum said charges have not been filed against the man arrested in the incident and the investigation is ongoing.

Behrbaum said the grow operation was connected to a medical marijuana operation based in Seattle.

Under state law, medical marijuana is legal, but the law caps the number of plants per collective garden and a city ordinance limits locations for medical marijuana cultivation.

The state law allows up to 10 qualifying patients to join together and form a collective garden of up

to 45 plants, so long as the marijuana is not visible from public spaces.

In November, Washington voters passed Initiative 502 to legalize recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older. The law is poised to go into effect Dec. 6, but officials said the Washington State Liquor Control Board could take up to a year to establish rules for growing, processing, selling and possessing marijuana.

“Even though there are rules, they are still gray,” Behrbaum said.

In the days after I-502 passed, King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg

dismissed 175 cases involving people 21 and older for possession of 1 ounce or less of marijuana, and King County Sheriff’s Office deputies stopped arresting people caught with 1 ounce or less of marijuana.

Issaquah police officers did not enforce the law retroactively, as the prosecutor’s and sheriff’s offices decided to do.

Initiative 692, passed in 1998, allows people suffering from certain medical conditions to possess a 60day supply of marijuana.

If it wasn’t critical, then people wouldn’t be using it. If it’s well-used, then it is money well-spent.”

Thiele explained that he thinks the buses’ importance lies not only in giving some independence to older children who don’t yet have drivers licenses, but also in allowing them to take advantage of opportunities.

For example, he said, the Issaquah Schools Foundation funds robotics clubs

and open after-school libraries at all five schools.

The PTSA pays for afterschool help sessions where students can stay behind to get extra help on subjects like math or science. Or, he added, students can stay after school to work on a group project.

“It not only benefits clubs and activities,” Thiele said, “but it can benefit the classroom as well.”

John Urquhart takes office as King County sheriff

after a contentious campaign.

Strachan, a former Kent police chief, and Urquhart debated how to lead the sheriff’s office after a series of audits lambasted how the agency operates.

The sheriff oversees a budget of about $150 million and about 1,000 employees, and leads the largest local police organization in the state after the Seattle Police Department.

Urquhart won election to fill the remaining year in former Sheriff Sue Rahr’s unexpired term, and is due to face voters again next year.

John Urquhart assumed office as King County sheriff Nov. 28, months after John Urquhart retiring as the agency’s longtime spokesman.

Urquhart, a former sheriff’s office sergeant, defeated the incumbent sheriff, Steve Strachan, 56 percent to 43 percent, in the Nov. 5 election

The Issaquah Press

s

OPINION

A4 • Wednesday, December 5, 2012

s

E DITORIAL

Athletes’ triumphs create community pride

S

kyline High School’s football and soccer teams just keep bringing home honors to the Issaquah School District. The Issaquah and Liberty high school teams have also added many awards to the virtual district trophy case.

Skyline girls soccer took first in state for the fourth time in five years. And the Dec. 1 state playoff football game gave Skyline the gridiron title again for the fifth time in eight years. Skyline’s 200-medley relay team won the state swim title last month.

Issaquah is a known winner among 4A KingCo teams.

The Eagles came in second, to Skyline, for the state girls soccer championship. This year’s football team reached the playoffs. The school’s wrestlers won the district title in 2011 and sent six wrestlers to state.

Liberty’s Patriots are 3A and most lately have been known for their exceptional girls soccer team. Last year’s team placed second in state and this year’s team came in fourth.

Athletes from all Issaquah schools have gone on to snag scholarships and further educational opportunities, earned with a lot of practice, strain and sweat. It’s not just a credit to the district, but also to the coaches, teachers, certainly the parents, and the friends and fans who support the teams. As the saying goes, “It takes a village….”

With that many champions, there could be a sense of complacency, a la “Oh, boy, just another trophy.” Don’t let it happen! Keep coming out to support all of the teams.

Each year brings a new round of girls and boys who take their youthful love of sports to a new level when they turn out for a freshman squad. Coaches push as muscles grow, but also instill lifelong values, teaching the rewards of hard work, the virtues of teamwork and the thrill of a victory grounded in commitment.

The new players each season deserve a fresh round of encouragement. They deserve fans who appreciate the effort as much as the win. In the end, it’s not just the trophies that matter, but also our community pride, well beyond the school gates.

O FF T HE P RESS

Use common sense to keep all critters safe It’s been an interesting and somewhat sad year regarding local wildlife.

Interesting because of some of the new critters I’ve seen at home. Sad because of several deaths in the area.

My heart continues to ache for the 15-year-old golden retriever that was killed by a cougar in the Riverbend area of North Bend in September. What a horrible way for a beloved pet to die. That dog, left outside and attacked in the middle of the night, deserved more.

Also in September, a bear was shot and killed by a Snoqualmie man. The bear was in the man’s garbage, according to police.

That bear, doing what bears do, forage for food, deserved more.

Last week here in Issaquah, a bear was hit and killed on Front Street South. I’ve said for a long time that people drive far too fast in some places, especially within our cities. It doesn’t seem to me that bears are so fast that one would dart out in front of a car, but maybe that’s what happened.

I can’t help but feel that people play a larger part in animal incidents than they sometimes admit to. When I sent out a note to friends about seeing a coyote in my yard, and a few months later a bobcat, I got back complaints about people’s cats missing in various areas.

Well, maybe this sounds harsh, but my cat of seven years isn’t missing. And that’s because I keep him inside, instead of letting him out unsupervised to be another animal’s lunch.

And the same goes for my German shepherd.

Now, I know people are going to give me grief for my sentiments, but the name of this page is opinion, and everyone is welcome to his or hers.

Kathleen Mine is that Merrill we’ve come Press managing editor a long way in learning about what’s good for pets and children. Kids used to be turned out of the house in the morning with a couple of dollars and an admonishment not to return later than dark. But we’ve learned from many horrible incidents that the world has changed, and you can’t just leave children to themselves anymore.

I think the same can and should be said about pets. Of course, you’re welcome to leave Kitty out in all kinds of weather.

But is that kind? When Kitty becomes lunch or dinner for a wild animal, or it eats a mouse or bird, whose fault is that?

This territory belonged to the bears, coyotes, bobcats, cougars and other animals long before we moved here and placed our houses and yards. So how can we get mad when we see a bear in what was its own yard not long ago?

I recommend people live and let live when it comes to wild animals. And to be responsible when it comes to domesticated ones. They look to us to care for them, for their entire lives. How about we live up to that?

THE ISSAQUAHPRESS PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY SINCE 1900 45 FRONT ST. S. • P.O. BOX 1328 • ISSAQUAH, KING COUNTY, WA 98027

$30 PER YEAR / $55 TWO YEARS / $20 PER YEAR FOR SENIORS ADD $15 OUTSIDE KING COUNTY / $20 OUTSIDE STATE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER FOR THE CITY OF ISSAQUAH

T O T HE E DITOR Liberty schedule change

I graduated from Liberty High School last June and am currently a journalism student at Northwestern University in Illinois. I imagine you have received no shortage of input regarding the schedule change, but my time Five years ago, the Issaquah School District administration at Liberty meant enough to me attempted to switch Liberty to a that I owe it to my alma mater to six-period schedule. Due to comvoice my opinion.

I maintained a 3.99 grade point munity concerns, the administration decided to study the issue. average at Liberty, played tuba The administration commisin the band, played four years sioned a districtwide committee of tennis, served on The Patriot of parents, students, teachers Press staff and took seven Adand administrators to review vanced Placement classes. Most all high school schedules. That importantly, I entered Liberty a districtwide committee refused boy and emerged nearly a man. to recommend that all Issaquah Aside from excellent core class School District high schools be instruction, my Liberty experimoved to a six-period schedule. ence was shaped by elective This year, the administration availability. commissioned a committee of I was able to play in the band Liberty High School parents, because of eight-period schedulteachers, students and adminising flexibility. Liberty’s music trators to recommend a schedule program is one of its strongest for LHS. The LHS committee assets, and it would be a shame recommended a seven-period for lack of student schedule space schedule and specifically rejected to limit participation. the option of moving Liberty to I entered journalism my sopha six-period schedule. In spite omore year and now I dream of of the fact that two committees becoming a broadcast journalcreated by the administration ist. Developing my leadership of parents, students, teachers skills on the school’s newspaper and administrators rejected the staff was an invaluable experiproposal to move LHS to a sixence. Furthermore, my Liberty Nancy and Jeff Julius credentials were enough to period schedule, the administraRenton gain acceptance at one of the tion recommended to the district board that LHS be moved to a nation’s premiere journalism six-period schedule. schools.

It is disappointing that the adI cannot profess to be an expert ministration has so little regard on school district finances, which I am a sophomore at Liberty for the work of community comundoubtedly play a major role in and feel lucky to have been given your decision. mittees that it creates. Fortuthe opportunity of eight periods. nately, the district board has the I am, however, aware of wideIn looking at what has happened spread popular support for a final say. Hopefully, as elected in the decision-making process officials, they will be listening to new schedule with at least seven the voice of those committees and about schedules, I am confused. I periods. My younger sister Adele thought the district was a democ- is a junior, and my sentiment is the Liberty community. racy, not a dictatorship. for her and others who will come Wright Noel The community elects the after.

LHS Schedule Committee Member board and the board hires the I ask you as an older brother superintendent. This means that and a proud Patriot to conthe board and district should sider a schedule that gives the be required to take actions that students as many options as reflect the community’s desires. possible. Liberty changed me We now have two schedule We are proud members of for the better and I only hope the Liberty school community committees that have recomit may do the same for future and parents of three successful mended seven periods, a Libgenerations.

Liberty High School graduates. erty PTSA survey showing that Michael Payant Our children credit much of their 95 percent of students and 87 2012 Liberty graduate success to the eight-period block percent of parents want a sevenschedule, several wonderful or eight-period schedule, and a teachers and the students they petition signed by 615 community attended school with. Liberty is members supporting the schedtruly a great school. ule committee’s recommendation.

For the past five years, we Yet the superintendent still recLetters of 300 words or less have dealt with a superintendent ommended a six-period schedule. should be emailed or mailed by who has disrespected this comI am glad that the decision-maknoon Friday. We will edit for space, munity. Despite overwhelming ing on this is with the board, and potential libel and/or political support from Liberty parents, hope that it follows a democratic relevance. Letters addressing local students, teachers and commumodel and accurately represents news receive priority. Letters must nity members for our current the community when it votes. be signed and have a daytime schedule, he refuses to see past Jessica Mitchell phone number to verify authorship. his own flawed, superficial data.

Liberty High School student It is disheartening that a community has worked hard on this Email: news@isspress.com issue and devoted so much time Mail: P.O. Box 1328, to it — researching high school Issaquah, WA 98027 schedules, analyzing and gathering data, attending commitMy name is Michael Payant.

School board should listen to community

tee and school board meetings, sitting on one of the high school schedule committees — only to find there was never really “a process” at all.

Instead, Steve Rasmussen is recommending we go to the antiquated, limiting six-period day that does not meet the needs of our 21st century students. It is our belief he never intended to consider anything but a sixperiod day. What happened to the thinking outside of the box Rasmussen promised?

In a conversation with Rasmussen, he said change is hard but he could guarantee we would be happy with the “new” Liberty.

What he can’t seem to get is we are extremely happy with the wonderful Liberty we already have! We would never be against change if it truly benefitted our students! A six-period day is not a change for the better.

It is our hope the school board will listen to the overwhelming mandate the Liberty community has given — implement a sevenperiod day as a pilot program with future expansion to all three high schools. If that cannot be done due to budget feasibility, let Liberty keep its current schedule.

Board should vote community’s desires

Process, recommendation should be followed

LETTERS WELCOME

Give students as many options as possible

Advertising: admanager@isspress.com Classifieds: classifieds@isspress.com

Accounting: ip-acct@isspress.com

Advertising Manager Nathan Laursen Ad Representative Cynthia Freese Ad Representative Brett Gronevelt Ad Representative Deanna Jess

Managing Editor Kathleen R. Merrill Reporter Christina Corrales-Toy Reporter David Hayes Reporter Warren Kagarise Sports Reporter John Leggett Reporter Lillian Tucker Photographer Greg Farrar

Circulation: ip-circulation@isspress.com Kelly Bezdzietny

Newsroom: isspress@isspress.com

Publisher Deborah Berto phone: 392-6434 Fax: 392-1695

WWW.ISSAQUAHPRESS.COM Postmaster: Send address changes to The Issaquah Press, P.O. Box 1328, Issaquah, WA 98027

The Issaquah Press

King County matches turnout record in election

By Warren Kagarise wkagarise@isspress.com King County matched the record for voter turnout in a presidential election, and achieved other milestones in the Nov. 6 contest, officials announced late Nov. 27 after certifying the results.

Countywide, voters returned 993,908 ballots for about 84 percent turnout, a similar figure to the record turnout set during the 2008 presidential election, although the elections office received more ballots in 2012.

The county set records for registered voters — 1,170,638 — and for the number of ballots tallied on election night — about 556,000.

Before Election Day, officials forecast 87 percent turnout countywide, enough to beat the record set in 2008. (The county relied on a combination of mail ballots and polling sites in the last presidential election.)

Though voters returned 993,908 ballots for the Nov. 6 contest, elections officials tabulated 978,377 due to ballots returned too late for inclusion or problems with voters’ signatures.

Overall, though, voters improved performance on signature-related issues.

Officials said the effort to educate voters about signature issues resulted in fewer ballots requiring follow up action.

“Voters responded to our messaging this year and returned their ballots early,” Elections Director Sherril Huff said in a statement. “We counted a record high of 556,000 ballots on election night and the number of ballots received too late to process was down 76 percent.”

Turnout in both legislative districts encompassing

Wanted: Local reaction to ‘fiscal cliff’ The “fiscal cliff” is dominating the national conversation, and The Issaquah Press seeks residents concerned about the ongoing negotiations and potential fallout.

White House officials estimate a typical middleclass family of four could see taxes rise by $2,200 if the president and lawmakers cannot reach a deal to avert the crisis.

Email your contact information to editor@isspress. com, or contact the newspaper on Twitter at www. twitter.com/issaquahpress, or on Facebook at www. facebook.com/issaquahpress.

The term “fiscal cliff” refers to more than $500 billion in tax increases and across-the-board spending reductions set to occur unless Obama and Congress can reach a compromise to reduce the national deficit.

If the president and lawmakers cannot reach a compromise on the “fiscal cliff,” experts predict taxes

BY THE NUMBERS King County Elections set records for the number of ballots returned and the number of ballots counted for the initial results on election night.

41,216,246 — ballots issued 41,170,638 — registered voters 4993,908 — ballots returned 4978,377 — ballots counted 44,463 — ballots cast on accessible voting units 44,638 — ballots returned by email 4806 — ballots returned by fax 4208,105 — ballots returned at drop boxes 413,237 — challenged ballots cured 48,900 — ballots remaining challenged 43,068 — returned too late 411,002 — returned as undeliverable Source: King County Elections

Issaquah easily surpassed 80 percent.

In the 5th Legislative District, turnout reached 83 percent and in the neighboring 41st Legislative District, 84 percent of voters returned ballots.

Statewide, turnout reached the figure Secretary of State Sam Reed predicted before the election — 81 percent — based on intense interest in the contests for president, governor and statewide ballot measures.

could rise for most businesses and individuals, and automatic spending cuts could shrink domestic programs and the military.

TB rates reach 30-year low The tuberculosis rate in King County has reached a 30-year low due to local efforts to fight the disease, public health officials announced Oct. 25.

The county still faces a higher risk for cases in the United States, due to the county’s status as a global crossroads.

The latest TB report from Public Health – Seattle & King County details the findings, as well as information about the agency’s efforts to fight the disease.

The countywide TB rate fell to a 30-year low at 5.5 cases per 100,000 people, but the rate in King County remains significantly higher than the rates in Washington (3) and the United States (3.4).

The public health agency’s TB Program identified 106 cases of active TB last year.

Santa’s at Gilman Village Saturday, Dec. 8th, 15th and 22nd 11 am to 3pm Plus Children’s Crafts

Bring your Camera!

(425) 392-6802 www.GilmanVillage.com

SOLVING SIGNATURE ISSUES King County Elections solved signature problems on more than 13,000 ballots.

If Jonathan Doe is registered to vote as such, but signs the ballot as John Doe, the elections office contacts the voter to resolve the signature issue.

Signatures on the ballot and in the registration information must match.

Washington State Patroltrained elections staffers contacted voters to resolve problems on signaturechallenged ballots.

If the postmark on a ballot is illegible, elections workers use the signature date in order to process the ballot.

The elections office beefed up efforts to educate voters about ballot procedures and election deadlines. Ballots must be postmarked by or slipped into a ballot drop box on Election Day. Starting before the August primary, King County Elections joined other elections offices in the region to launch a voter education campaign featuring local celebrities, including Olympic gold medal swimmer Nathan Adrian and mystery author J.A. Jance.

Officials to answer rural residents’ questions Residents in unincorporated areas can meet leaders and discuss plans for upcoming projects at a King County open house soon.

The event is for residents in the Four Creeks/Tiger Mountain Community Service Area — a rural stretch bordered by Issaquah and Interstate 90 on the north and Renton to the west.

The open house offers the public a chance to offer feedback on the community service area program — or dividing unincorporated areas into districts for administrative purposes — and proposed work plans for next year. Participants can discuss community priorities, speak with program staff members, and learn about county programs and services.

Deputy County Executive Fred Jarrett and County Councilman Reagan Dunn plan to attend.

The open house is from

Wednesday, December 5, 2012 • 7-9 p.m. Dec. 11 at Evergreen Community Church, 20112 S.E. 152nd St.

Costco fights Quebec’s language requirement Issaquah-based Costco and other major retailers have challenged the Quebec government in court over the Canadian province’s strict language laws.

The laws require retailers to post signs and serve customers in French, the predominant language in Quebec. The province’s French language office called for retailers to add French phrases or slogans to signs, or face fines and legal action.

The plaintiffs’ suit, filed in October, asked the Quebec Superior Court to assess the French language office’s policy change.

In addition to Costco, other challengers include Best Buy, Gap, Guess, Old Navy and Walmart.

Some companies, notably KFC and Staples, trans-

A5

lated store names in order to operate in Quebec. KFC is Poulet Frit Kentucky and Staples is Bureau en Gros.

Governor urges Congress to pass sales tax bill Gov. Chris Gregoire urged Congress on Nov. 26 — Cyber Monday, the largest online shopping day all year — to require online businesses to collect sales tax.

The governor said Washington businesses face unfair competition from online and mail-order retailers that fail to collect sales taxes.

The proposed Marketplace Fairness Act aims to give states the option to collect sales and use tax revenues from out-of-state sellers.

The measure does not aim to raise additional taxes, but to collect existing taxes that go uncollected.

The measure could generate $558 million in state and local taxes during the 2013-15 biennium, according to the state Department of Revenue.

1 Dozen FREE Mini Cupcakes with a pre-order of 1 dozen or more reg. size cupcakes

1 per customer. Valid with coupon only. Expires 1/8/2013

Holiday Hours: M-Sat. 11-7 Sun. 12-5

94 Front St. N Issaquah, WA 98027 425.369.2225 • www.confetti-cakes.com

A6

• Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Kokanee FROM PAGE A1

construction site.

The old culvert channeled the stream and made fish passage difficult, but the replacement allows the creek to flow uninterrupted.

“It was obvious that it was an impediment to the passage of fish going up the stream,” Pereyra said.

“We were looking at things we could do in the creek, and this was one that we all identified had to get done.”

The project illustrates the partnership between public agencies, community groups and residents to restore the ailing fish species. The long-term goal is to restore the species so kokanee return to many Lake Sammamish creeks to spawn each autumn.

The number of fish counted in Lake Sammamish streams reached more than 1,000 in recent weeks, but kokanee restoration organizers said the species still faces a difficult future and they emphasized the partners’ contributions to the effort.

“I don’t think we could do this without folks from the community being involved,” said David St. John, government relations manager for the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks. “I don’t think it’s sustainable. We need people in our community to really own the work.”

‘I just got hooked on kokanee’ The year Pereyra settled on a bucolic stretch along Ebright Creek not far from Lake Sammamish, no kokanee salmon reached the stream next to the house.

“When I first arrived here, they weren’t here be-

Demand is high at food banks in Issaquah, state Demand is high at food banks across Washington, according to the latest figures from the state Department of Agriculture, and officials urged residents

cause there was a blockage down at the lake,” he said.

Tangled roots created falls at the creek mouth into Lake Sammamish, and fish could not head upstream to spawn and die.

In later years, after landslides made the creek more accessible to the fish, Pereyra watched as kokanee trudged upstream to spawn.

“I just got hooked on kokanee,” he said, pun intended.

Nowadays, kokanee usually return to only a handful of creeks to spawn — Ebright, Laughing Jacobs and Lewis.

The once-abundant species’ decline is perhaps due to construction near creeks, increased predators, disease or changes in water quality, although the exact cause remains a mystery.

The partners in the Lake Sammamish Kokanee Work Group — a group uniting the federal, state and local governments, nonprofit organizations and residents — aim to reverse the decline through a program to collect spawning kokanee from the streams and raise fry at the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery.

The program is funded primarily by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and King County and state Department of Fish and Wildlife contribute to the effort as well.

The effort is meant to last a dozen years — from the launch in 2009 until biologists release the last fry in 2021. Organizers expect the last mature kokanee raised in the program to return to local streams in 2025.

The Issaquah Press

BY GREG FARRAR

Ebright Creek, full of returning and spawning kokanee salmon, flows past Wally Pereyra’s home uphill from Lake Sammamish.

Partners join forces to restore species Darigold joined the kokanee restoration effort by donating water from a well to the Lower Is-

saquah Valley Aquifer for the hatchery to use in the ongoing effort to restore kokanee. The contribution from Darigold should save the hatchery about $50,000 over the program’s anticipated lifespan through 2021.

Experts said the Darigold water is ideal for kokanee due to consistent quality and temperature.

Using the water allows hatchery teams to prevent the fish from imprinting on Issaquah Creek water, and instead allows fry to imprint on Ebright, Laughing Jacobs and Lewis creeks.

Hatchery workers adjust the water temperature to alter the otolith — a tiny bone inside the ear — to later determine if mature fish came from the supplementation program.

Someday, kokanee could even return in abundance to Issaquah Creek.

So far, organizers counted more than 1,000 kokanee in recent months along Ebright, Laughing Jacobs and Lewis creeks.

Pereyra followed Ebright Creek into the forest to see the salmon spawn.

“It’s unbelievable,” he said. “Can you believe how far up they are?”

Biologists also recorded, unusually, hundreds of fish in Pine Lake Creek, a small stream branching from Lake Sammamish.

“We usually don’t have enough fish back there in numbers to really sort of witness much, if any, spawning,” St. John said.

The program is not collecting fish from Pine Lake Creek, in part because the system is smaller and

cannot sustain as many kokanee as Ebright, Laughing Jacobs and Lewis creeks.

“We just have more fish in those creeks, so we feel like it’s less of a risk to take some fish out of the place where we have more,” St. John said.

Come autumn, teams deploy along Ebright, Laughing Jacobs and Lewis creeks to collect 3and 4-year-old fish. Then, Issaquah hatchery employees and Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery members spawn the fish at the hatchery and tend to the eggs as the fry mature.

Ongoing threats, both manmade and natural, illustrate the species’ fragility.

Hazards abound in the creeks and the lake, especially birds and other fish — cutthroat trout and

sculpin snack on salmon fry. In March 2011, a landslide into Ebright Creek entombed the nascent kokanee in the stream.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service officials declined last year to list the species as endangered. The agency determined the Lake Sammamish kokanee population did not meet the definition of a “listable entity” under the “distinct population segment” policy.

St. John said the decision not to list the species as endangered did not interrupt the restoration effort.

“We know what partners we need to make this work, and let’s just go do that,” he said. “All of the people that were there are still there, and we still need to work well with people.”

to donate to local food assistance programs.

The figures from the state agency show one in five Washington residents visited a food bank at least once during the past year. Between June 2011 and June 2012, officials recorded

more than 8.6 million visits to food banks statewide — 500,000 more visits than in the previous year.

The holiday season often focuses attention on the need at the Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank.

Find a list of needs, or

donate to the food bank online, at www.issaquahfoodbank.org.

Coalition Against Domestic Violence “Give the Gift of Peace” campaign. Through Dec. 25, Jacksons will match food sales dollar for dollar up to $75,000 with all the proceeds going to the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

The Issaquah locations are: 41605 N.W. Gilman Blvd., 392-7452 4825 Front St. N., 3912160 Learn more at www.wscadv.org or www.jacksonsfoodstores.com.

Jacksons Food Stores join domestic violence fight Jacksons Food Stores join the Washington State

FOR EXCEPTIONAL ISSAQUAH DENTISTRY • Preventative & General Restorative Dental Care • Implant Dentistry • Cosmetic Dentistry • Pediatric Dentistry • Oral Surgery & Root Canals • Teeth Whitening & Straightening • White Fillings – Porcelain Crowns • Snore Guards for Sleep Apnea Sufferers • Now offering evening hours

on Thursdays until 7pm and some Friday appointments

Professional teeth whitening in 20 min!

99

$

when combined with teeth cleaning

6415 E. Lake Sammamish Pkwy. S, Suite 100 Issaquah, WA 98029 www.lovingdentistry.com Delta Dental - Regence - Cigna - Aetna Premera - Washington Dental Service

Call Today! (425) 392-4222

The Issaquah Press

Park

to adopt the Discover Pass to raise dollars to operate the parks.

FROM PAGE A1

Park is ‘taken for granted’ Lake Sammamish State Park also lacks the deep community support — such as a foundation or friends organization — to help pay for operations and upgrades.

Peter Herzog, a longtime parks planner for the state parks commission, acknowledges the challenges the park faces.

“It’s kind of taken for granted because it’s right there in the middle of everything,” he said.

In 2007, state parks commissioners approved a bold plan to remake and restore the park. The proposal focused on “green” building construction, and outlined plans for a bathhouse and concession facility near Sunset Beach, a lakeshore esplanade, or walkway, improved areas for swimming and other amenities.

Still, due in part to the recession, “the things that we have suggested in the plan have not really garnered any instant takers,” Herzog said.

Many park facilities appear worn and outdated, despite efforts from

rangers and maintenance personnel.

“The condition has been its greatest detriment,” Herzog said. “The quality and condition of the beaches are really not very inviting. There’s a sort of downward spiral, if you think about it. If people aren’t going, then it becomes not inviting for people to go there.”

Though the state parks agency and nonprofit organizations, such as the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust, conducted shoreline and habitat restoration programs in recent years, proposals to add commercial ventures to the park remain stalled.

Herzog said a combination of sources is needed to implement the 2007 plan.

“It’s kind of the all-ofthe-above strategy that’s necessary to make a place like Lake Sammamish really thrive and implement this plan that we came up with,” he said. “In the process, if we have to change the plan in order to achieve that financial reality to get to a place where we can sustain the park financially or even do better than that, then it’s going to take everything to make it go.”

Several weeks before announcing his recommendation, the Liberty Schedule Committee urged the superintendent to consider a seven-period school day.

The committee, put together by the school district, spent two months looking at test scores, gathering input from the community and researching schedule options, before voting unanimously Oct. 30 for a seven-day schedule.

A final report was sent to Rasmussen Nov. 6, and in it the committee stated several reasons for its decision, including that the change would increase Liberty’s student-teacher contact time by 24 hours per class while still allowing enough room for extra opportunities, like electives and support classes for struggling students.

A similar committee was formed last year, but with representatives from all

three comprehensive high schools. Ultimately, the committee said it could not come up with a common schedule recommendation.

“I’m struggling with the idea of not feeling like I wasted a great deal of my time being on the committee,” Wright Noel said at the Nov. 28 school board meeting. The Liberty parent sat on the Liberty Schedule Committee and helped draft its final decision. “We are saying that we value those electives … where we develop our personal awareness of our gifts and strengths, you can’t measure that.”

While a seven-period day would give students the desired minimum of 150 hours of class time, Rasmussen said its price tag of $880,000 is beyond the district’s reach. His six-period recommendation would not call for additional staff and would

city and a nonprofit organization to help the park.

The state parks agency is also open to commercial ventures on parkland as a potential way to generate funds for the facility.

“We’re looking for means other than relying on monies from Olympia to actually get the plan implemented,” city Economic Development Director Keith Niven said.

“That’s going to cause us to potentially partner with some nonprofits and partner with some private entities.”

The open house is also in part meant to attract attention to Lake Sammamish State Park after a series of challenges dented the park’s reputation. In recent years, drownings, a gang shootout and fluctuating attendance due in part to the Discover Pass required for parking changed how the public perceives the park.

Meanwhile, tight state budgets squeezed state parks throughout Washington and led lawmakers

Schedule: Board to decide Dec. 12 FROM PAGE A1

want lower standards for a group of our students.

I don’t want them to be short-changed,” Rasmussen said.

“The reality of the education world is changing,” he added, listing new teacher and principal evaluation models and common core assessments as examples of the new challenges. “If we are moving forward, then we’ve got to consider a change.”

Seeking a long-term solution Issaquah surrounds Lake Sammamish State Park, but most areas inside park boundaries fall in unincorporated King County. Issaquah officials, long eager to increase local tourism, identify the state park as a tourist draw, but note the need for improvements.

The upcoming open house stems from a pact approved in June by the City Council and the state parks agency.

The agreement calls for the city and state parks commission to “explore opportunities to improve community use” of park facilities, seek out funding to improve the park and dedicate staffers to develop recommendations for the park. The pact, or memorandum of understanding, is in effect through June 2013.

The council also listed the state park as a goal for 2013, but did not decide to put any dollars behind the effort.

Earlier attempts to upgrade the state park and use park facilities to generate revenue led to mixed results.

In December 2001, state parks officials completed a 16-month public

give students 160 hours per class per year.

“Is $880,000 — in a $170 million budget — unattainable?” board President Brian Deagle asked.

The superintendent answered that if he did have that money to spend, he would spend it elsewhere.

Rasmussen also included recommendations to provide more electives, which has been a major point of contention. One idea is a pilot program next year that would provide Metro Transit-style bussing for seventh-period electives at all three comprehensive high schools. The extra busses would cost an estimated $150,000 a year.

It is now up to the school board to decide whether to approve Rasmussen’s sixperiod recommendation or leave things the way they are. The board is set to make that vote during its Dec. 12 meeting.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012 • planning process to draft a management plan for Lake Sammamish State Park and nearby state parks. The public and parks staffers identified important natural features and determined appropriate uses for areas in the parks.

The report showed a dramatic deterioration at Lake Sammamish State Park facilities since the state parks agency last made a major capital investment in the mid-1970s.

Officials also noticed a marked decline in attendance during the prior decade.

Community shapes park plan In response to the report, agency commissioners and staffers launched a plan to development park facilities for the 21st century. Officials also focused on ways to generate revenue for the park, especially as state budget cuts hobbled the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission.

The agency considered numerous proposals for the parkland — conference center, indoor water park, office space and sports venues — but public opposition led officials to abandon the proposal.

Department of Ecology seeks input on change The state Department of Ecology is collecting public input on a proposed rule to give local governments, including Issaquah and King County, more flexibility for small construction projects.

The draft rule change to the State Environmental Policy Act aims to allow local governments more leeway to exempt minor construction projects from review under the law, such as small-scale residential housing developments, as well as certain agricultural, commercial office and school buildings.

The proposal also aims to simplify the checklist required under the law.

Residents can email comments to separulemaking@ecy.wa.gov. Or, mail comments to Department of Ecology, P.O. Box 47703,

A7

Though parks staffers later removed nonrecreational facilities from the proposal, residents raised concerns about efforts to commercialize the park.

Opponents cited potential impacts to traffic congestion, and damage to wetlands and wildlife habitat, as reasons to scuttle the plan.

So, in early 2004, a Lake Sammamish State Park Advisory Committee convened to chart a road map for the park. Representatives from the community, municipal and King County governments, and the Snoqualmie Tribe created a set of concepts for the park.

In 2007, state parks commissioners adopted a plan to redevelop and restore Lake Sammamish State Park based on recommendations from the advisory committee.

“That was a long and arduous process to get there,” Herzog said.

“Then, the Great Recession happened. The state parks funding has shifted dramatically now with Discover Pass and our commission has come out and said we need to look at creating the right mix of support for state parks statewide.”

Olympia, WA 98504-7600.

Contact Fran Sant at fran. sant@ecy.wa.gov or 360407-6932 with specific questions about the draft rule change.

The public comment period is open through Dec. 11.

TalkingRain earns international honor Coconut Pineapple Sparkling ICE, a beverage from Preston-based TalkingRain, earned the Best Sparkling Beverage title in a recent international competition.

The award at the InterBev trade show in Las Vegas, recognized the zero-calorie beverage.

The awards attracted more than 170 entries from 15 countries in 30 categories. The annual event recognizes projects for creativity, innovation and best practices.

A8

The Issaquah Press

• Wednesday, December 5, 2012

City launches revamped website

By Warren Kagarise wkagarise@isspress.com Issaquah municipal government entered the 21st century Nov. 28, and ditched a difficultto-navigate city website for a user-friendly portal meant to connect residents to government services.

The city launched the website after a monthslong effort to remake the dowdy image projected by the old website. The updated website is meant to speed users to oft-requested information — Pickering Barn rentals and bill payments, for instance.

The overhaul ranked as a high priority for the City Council, and members authorized up to $125,000 for the website overhaul.

The point person on the project, Communications Manager Autumn Monahan, said the project is likely to come in under the $125,000 budget once the final project cost is tallied.

Staffers chose CivicPlus, a Kansas-based company behind more than 900 local government websites nationwide, as the contractor for the makeover.

The emphasis on the remade website, www. issaquahwa.gov, is to pro-

ON THE WEB See the city of Issaquah’s overhauled municipal website at www.issaquahwa.gov.

vide online customer service, and the focus is less on municipal departments and more on municipal services. The homepage features sun-splashed images from throughout Issaquah.

“We really wanted a warm, inviting feel for our website, so we looked for warm colors,” Monahan said in a Nov. 27 briefing to the Committee-ofthe-Whole Council. “We focused a lot on images — beautiful photos of our community.”

Gone is the text-laden, photo-scarce website of old.

The remade website — unveiled to applause from the council — includes a modular design and homepage links to popular features included throughout the portal.

The search function is tied into Google and residents can file automated citizen action requests for assistance.

The website is also designed for users to easily share content through

social media, or email or print pages. Residents can sign up for emergency alerts about natural disasters or inclement weather.

Developers also created a mobile app for the city.

The app is available for the iPhone, and CivicPlus is creating apps for other mobile operating systems.

Monahan said the city intends to add more video to the website in the coming months. Officials intend to hire a webmaster to manage content, by shifting dollars for a position from the municipal Information Technology Department to the Mayor’s Office.

The makeover received positive feedback from residents in the days after the unveiling, Monahan said in a post-meeting interview, and some already filed automated requests for assistance.

“The idea is to give as much on the site on the homepage as possible without overwhelming the user,” she said at the meeting.

The website launched several weeks after officials unveiled a remade municipal logo developed

by CivicPlus. The salmoncentric logo — developed for about $7,000 — is featured on the website.

THE BEST KIND OF STUFFING Capco Beverage

Capco Beverage

$75 OFF $15 OFF any order of $500 or more before tax

any order of $100 or more before tax

Capco Beverage

$5 OFF any order of $50 or more before tax

Best selection of local liquors on the Eastide

425-313-1817

Over 2000 spirits to choose from One of the largest selections in the state

1175 NW Giman Blvd.

B-18 Issaquah

Next to Sports Authority

FISH ON FILM

CONTRIBUTED

Larry Franks (left) and Stuart Estes were two of the prize winners announced Nov. 17 in the first Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery Photo Contest held as part of the 75th anniversary celebration at the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery. Entrants’ photos were required to be taken on the hatchery grounds in areas of public access, and were judged by local community members and photographers. Other winners included Duke Coonard, Spencer Beck, Nathen Byford and Takuto Tsuijino.

Boundary FROM PAGE A1

ing its Nov. 28 meeting.

“What we have said to parents is, we really try to make sure that there is at least someone, a familiar face from their previous school in their new classroom,” said Executive Director of Elementary Schools Jodi Bongard, outlining ways the district hopes to ease the transition.

She said in January or February there will be an open house at Clark for families to tour the building get to know their new school.

“It helps folks to feel more at ease when they have seen the facility and spoken with staff,” she said.

She is also suggesting parents subscribe now to Clark’s newsletter and is encouraging collaboration between Grand Ridge’s and Clark’s PTSA groups.

The boundary shift

mainly affects highland families closest to Interstate 90, but it also includes a large part of the Black Nugget community, which has historically fed into Issaquah High School. The shift doesn’t make any changes to the middle school or high school boundaries.

Kuper said the shift also comes with added bonuses, like opening up more full-day kindergarten slots and making Grand Ridge an all-walking school.

As per district policy, it is ultimately up to the superintendent to make boundary adjustments. Rasmussen commissioned a Boundary Review Committee in 2008 to help redraw attendance maps for several schools. Made up of representatives from every school, the committee included in its final report that there

ON THE WEB Learn more about the change, and see boundary maps, at www. issaquah.wednet.edu.

Click on ‘Grand Ridge boundary shift’ under ‘What’s Happening’ on the district’s homepage.

could be future isolated pockets of growth that the administration would need to tweak in the coming years.

The Grand Ridge boundary shift will take effect at the start of fall 2013.

Learn more about the change, and see boundary maps, at www.issaquah. wednet.edu. Click on “Grand Ridge boundary shift” under “What’s Happening” on the district’s home page.

A Local, Family-Owned, Choose and Cut Tree Farm that offers:

NOBLE • GRAND • TURKISH • DOUGLAS • RED SHASTA FIRS

OPEN Daily NOV. 17 - Dec. 23 9 am to Dusk

(or when all trees are sold out) All trees are priced. There are many Elves to help with every step of choosing, cutting, and packing up a tree.

Besides a great selection of gifts, the gift shop has a warm fire, free coffee, hot cider and candy canes.

805 SE 12th ST. North Bend, WA Take Exit 32, turn left on 436th, turn left on Cedar Falls Way, turn left on 424th. Follow the Signs.

425-888-1836 www.crowntreefarm.com email: crowntreefarm@hotmail.com

The Issaquah Press

COMMUNITY

Section

s

B

Wednesday December 5, 2012

s

Skyline alumna takes on role in celebrity haunt

By Warren Kagarise wkagarise@isspress.com

PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED

At left, Jerry Kaufman stands at the entrance of the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Above, he takes a photo at the memorial Dec. 1.

REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR USS Arizona Memorial inspires photographer

By Warren Kagarise wkagarise@isspress.com The day etched into history for the brazen attack on Pearl Harbor and the tremendous loss of life — Dec. 7, 1941 — repeats often for Jerry Kaufman.

The photographer and Issaquah resident created a book of images dedicated to the steady release of oil from the USS Arizona shipwreck, or “tears of the Arizona” in Pearl Harbor lore. For years, Kaufman journeyed from Washington to Hawaii to collect images at the memorial for the eventual book, “Renewal at the Place of Black Tears” — photographs shot at the majestic structure.

The multicolored patterns formed by the intermingling of oil and water long intrigued Kaufman and provided inspiration for the book. “Renewal at the Place of Black Tears” also struck a chord among the throngs of visitors at the USS Arizona Memorial.

Kaufman, seated at a table near the memorial to sign books, listens to stories from Pearl Harbor survivors, family members, and tourists from the United States, Japan and other nations.

“In Hawaii, there’s an expression called chicken skin — chicken skin is what we’d typically call goosebumps,” Kaufman said.

“There have been many chicken skin stories that I’ve heard from people. Everybody’s got a story.”

The oil droplets come from about 500,000 gallons of fuel oil trapped inside the deteriorating shipwreck.

“The bubbling oil becomes like a metaphor for many people,” Kaufman said.

The surprise attack on Pearl Harbor

CONTRIBUTED

Jerry Kaufman (left) hands a copy of his book, ‘Renewal at the Place of Black Tears,’ to U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, a World War II veteran.

claimed more than 2,400 American lives and left almost another 1,300 Americans wounded. The offensive on the USS Arizona left 1,177 sailors dead. The shipwreck is the resting place for 1,102 men.

The next day, President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed Congress and, 33 minutes later, lawmakers declared war on Japan.

(The most-repeated line in the president’s speech is often misquoted as “day of infamy,” but Roosevelt actually uttered “a date which will live in infamy.”)

Dec. 7 marks 71 years since the attack and the United States’ entry into World War II. World War II connection Kaufman’s connection to the conflict is a family bond. The photographer’s father served in Europe during World War II. The elder Kaufman survived the war, but carried emotional scars for decades

and seldom talked about combat.

Then, after falling ill, Kaufman’s ailing father wanted to return to France, to the beaches at Normandy and the scene of fierce D-Day fighting.

“We’re there on the beach by ourselves,” Kaufman recalled from the trip to France.

“My dad takes off his oxygen — actually rips it out of his nose — jumps out of the car, leaves his wheelchair behind, and I’m on the beach with a 20-year-old kid.”

The experience brought father and son closer together.

“I realized a couple of things on the beach that day. One of them was that the trajectory of his entire life changed on that beach,” Kaufman said. “The other thing that I learned that day was the power of place and being someplace, particularly where history has happened.”

The return served as a powerful release for the World War II veteran.

“His emotions started bubbling up, and then snippets of stories, stories that I’d tried to pry out of him for 40 years that he’d never given up, he gave up that day,” Kaufman said.

Before “Renewal at the Place of Black Tears” coalesced, however, a reflective journey for the creator occurred.

Kaufman arrived at Pearl Harbor in October 2001, not long after the elder Kaufman’s death and as the nation struggled with grief and shock from the 9/11 attacks.

Long captivated by the oil droplets emerging from the shipwreck, he returned to Pearl Harbor in 2009 to document the scene in earnest.

Organizers invited Kaufman to speak at the memorial’s 50th anniversary celebration in May, and in the remarks he recalled the experience with his father.

See MEMORIAL, Page B3

Reindeer fly in for zoo’s annual festival

By Christina Corrales-Toy newcastle@isspress.com If you saw a deer-shaped figure roaming the night sky in November, don’t be alarmed, said Cougar Mountain Zoo General Curator Robyn Barfoot, it was just Santa’s reindeer getting some flying practice in before their big day.

But now Santa’s reindeer are done practicing and ready to meet with local residents at the Cougar Mountain Zoo’s 24th annual Reindeer Festival.

While the zoo is technically closed during the month of December, the zoo eagerly plays host to the festival that attracts more than 10,000 visitors every year, Barfoot said.

“It provides a really great opportunity for people to do something with their families during the day and kind of get everyone in the feel of the holidays,” she said.

Visitors can meet with 10 of Santa’s reindeer at the festival, but they’ll also get an opportunity to meet the man himself. Santa will be available to chat, pose for photos and write down Christmas wishes for attendees young and old, Barfoot said.

“It’s a great time to get up close and really get a chance to converse with Santa Claus and ask him how the toy making is coming along and what kind of cookies he likes,” she said.

The festival runs daily until

IF YOU GO Issaquah Reindeer Festival 410 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. until Dec. 23 411 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 26-30 4Cougar Mountain Zoo 419525 S.E. 54th St. 4Tickets: $12.50, $11.50 for seniors, $10.50 for children 12 and younger, free for children younger than 2 4Groups of 12 people or more receive a $1 discount.

4www.cougarmountainzoo.org

BY GREG FARRAR

Rogue, who was 5 months old during the 2011 Reindeer Festival at Cougar Mountain Zoo, checks out visitors through a barn window at Santa’s house.

Dec. 23, takes a break for Christmas, and then returns Dec. 26-30.

Santa will be available every day until Dec. 23 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with a short break in between.

“We want to make sure we give Santa a little lunch break in between so that he can go check on his reindeer and say hi to Mrs. Claus and do all the wonderful things that Santa can do,” Barfoot

said.

Kids are encouraged to write letters to Santa and drop them off at his personal mailbox at the festival, or even better, hand them to him in person.

Santa’s elves, all of whom eerily resemble zoo volunteers and staff members, will also provide special story times and may even share the science behind how reindeer are able to fly, Barfoot said.

Pictures with Santa are $15 for the first photo and $10 for additional shots. You can also take your own photos for $5. Visitors can also purchase snacks, including hot chocolate, cookies, cider and kettle corn.

Proceeds from the festival go directly toward supporting the reindeer and educational programs at the zoo.

“This festival is a lot of fun,” Barfoot said. “You’re just immersed in the sounds, the smell, the visual stimulation of all the decorations and the elves running around with their crazy, pointy hats and the smile on their faces.

It just brings forth that happy, warm holiday feeling and I think that’s why people come back.”

For years, actress Dot Jones — feared Coach Shannon Beiste on the musical sitcom “Glee” — felt a supernatural presence, not a menacing ghost, but a spirit that watched over her.

Jones’ tale comes to the screen Dec. 8 in the BIO Channel series “Celebrity Ghost Stories” — a Heather Refvem chronicle of celebrities’ paranormal experiences. Heather Refvem, a Skyline High School and Village Theatre alumna, portrays a young Jones in flashback sequences during the episode.

The episode marks the television debut for Refvem, a stage veteran since starring in local theater productions as a child.

WHAT TO KNOW ‘Celebrity Ghost Stories’ 49 p.m. Dec. 8 4BIO Channel, Channel 275 on Comcast and Channel 221 on Wave Broadband 4Learn more about ‘Celebrity Ghost Stories’ and watch clips at www. biography.com/tv/celebrity-ghost-stories.

4Learn more about Skyline High School alumna Heather Refvem’s acting career at www.heatherrefvem.com.

Refvem started acting at age 9 in the holiday operetta “Babes in Toyland” on the Village Theatre Mainstage.

“It kind of got me hooked,” she said in a recent interview from New York City. “Ever since then, it’s been really the only thing that I ever wanted to do. I moved to New York after college and here I am, five years later.”

In college, she interned Off Broadway at a theater company and landed the role of Anita — girlfriend of Sharks boss Bernardo — in a New York production of “West Side Story.”

(Refvem graduated magna cum laude from the Santa Fe University of Art and Design in New Mexico.)

“It was a great opportunity,” she said. “It was like, ‘Here I’ve been given this opportunity. I guess that means I’m going to move to New York City right after college.’”

The accomplished actress and singer is branching out from stage roles See HAUNT, Page B3

Wanted: Issaquah-area holiday light displays Holiday lights started to twinkle from homes and businesses in the Issaquah area just before Thanksgiving.

Before Christmas arrives, The Issaquah Press seeks spectacular — or just plain cute — light displays from throughout the Issaquah School District to feature in upcoming issues.

Email your contact information and, if possible, a photo of your illuminated light display to editor@ isspress.com, or contact the newspaper on Twitter at www.twitter.com/issaquahpress, or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/issaquahpress.

B2 • Wednesday, December 5, 2012

The Issaquah Press

LET’S

PLAN FOR THE WEEK OF

DEC. 6-12

GO! ONGOING EVENTS

Bartell Drugs and Salvation Army’s Toy ‘n’ Joy drive through Dec. 14, 5700 E. Lake Sammamish Parkway S.E. Learn more at www.bartelldrugs.com.

Small Works Holiday Exhibition, through Dec. 29, artEAST Art Center, 95 Front St. N., 392-3191, www. arteast.org

Toys for Troops seeks donations for Christmas presents for children of service members through Dec. 15 at the Issaquah Police Station, 130 E. Sunset Way, or make financial donations at www. operationbaldeagle.org

Registration now open for the Sammamish Plateau Community Bible Study, a nondenominational program for women and children from 9:45-11:45 a.m.

Wednesdays at Faith United Methodist Church, 1934 108th Ave., Bellevue, juliegusecbs@gmail.com

Donate new, unwrapped toys and gifts to Sleep Country for area foster children through Dec. 16 at 730 N.W. Gilman Blvd.

Grief Share support group, 7-9 p.m. Thursdays through Dec. 13, Issaquah Christian Church, 1038 IssaquahHobart Road, 392-5848

Grand Chanukah celebration

THURSDAY

Thursday Night Dinner at the Elks, 6 p.m., family friendly, public welcome, $10, Lake Sammamish Elks Lodge No. 1843, 765 Rainier Blvd. N., 392-1400 YWCA Home Sweet Homes 2012 ‘Bedtime Stories,’ fundraising opening reception featuring a silent auction, gingerbread house, showcase dinner and live auction, 6-9 p.m. Pickering Barn, 1730 10th Ave. N.W., $100 per person, $125 for ‘fairy godmother’ tickets, $1,000 per ‘sweet dreams’ table for 10, RSVP at ywcaworks.org, call 206-461-4468 or email

DEC. 6 homesweethome@ywcaworks.org

‘Sound of Music,’ 7 p.m.

Dec. 6-8, and 1:30 p.m.

Dec. 1, Issaquah High School Performing Arts Center, 700 Second Ave. S.E., $12 adults/$8 seniors and students, tix2.seatyourself.biz

‘Drop in to learn about eBooks,’ for ages 13 and up, 1 p.m., Issaquah Library, 10 W. Sunset Way, 392-5430

Creative Minds Holiday Event, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Gibson Hall, 105 Newport Way S.W., http://on.fb.me/Ss4GL5

The Balanced Spine Holiday Health Fair, 6 p.m., 1151 N.W. Sammamish Road No. 101, 369-1040, free, www. thebalancedspine.com/events

Painting from the Fire Within, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., $90, artEAST Art Center, 95 Front St. N., 392-3191, www.arteast.org Children or pets photos with Santa, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., The Grange Supply, 145 N.E. Gilman Blvd., 392-6469, free ‘Positive Psychology: The Key to Happiness,’ for adults, 1 p.m., Issaquah

MONDAY Issaquah Book Discussion: ‘Buddha in the Attic,’ by Julie Otsuka, for adults, 6:30 p.m., Issaquah Library, 10 W. Sunset Way, 392-5430 Headache Support Group: 6:30 p.m., second floor conference room Swedish/ Issaquah, 751 N.E. Blakely Drive, 313-5406 Issaquah Valley Grange: 7:30 p.m., Issaquah Myrtle Mason Lodge Hall, 57 W. Sunset Way, 392-3013

Eastridge Church presents ‘It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play,’ 7 p.m., 24205 S.E. Issaquah-Fall City Road, preregister at eastridgetoday. com/wonderful

DEC. 10

Cork and Canvas, 7-9 p.m., Vino Bella, 99 Front St. N., tickets are $45 per person, 391-1424 Social Justice Book Group: 10 a.m. third Monday, Bellewood Retirement Home, 3710 Providence Point Dr. S.E., invasivesout@hotmail. com

FRIDAY

DEC. 7

Creative Minds Holiday Event, featuring local artists displays and refreshments, 3-8 p.m., Gibson Hall, 105 Newport Way S.W., http://on.fb.me/Ss4GL5

‘Collage the Figure,’ 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., $98, artEAST Art Center, 95 Front St. N., 3923191, www.arteast.org

Swedish/Issaquah hosts Have a Happy Birthday introductory tour, recommended for parents in their first trimester, at 5:30 p.m., 751 N.E. Blakely Drive, http://bit.ly/TDs8Gi ‘Condensed Preparation for Childbirth & Newborn Care,’ 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Dec. 7 & 14, Overlake Medical Clinics Issaquah, 1740 N.W. Maple St., $95 per couple

DEC. 8-9

Library, 10 W. Sunset Way, 392-5430

AARP Driver Safety Program, for ages 50 and older, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Swedish/Issaquah, 751 N.E. Blakely Drive, http://bit.ly/VqfXfq

DON’T MISS

Chabad of the Central Cascades and the Highlands Council present the annual grand Chanukah Celebration and giant can-menorah building at 4 p.m. Dec. 9, with a 5 p.m. menorah lighting, at Blakely Hall, 2550 N.E. Park Drive. Bring canned goods to help construct the menorah. There will be arts, crafts, music and dancing. There is a suggest $5 donation per person. Go to www. chabadissaquah.com or call 427-1654.

SATURDAY/SUNDAY Saturday

Send items for Let’s Go! to newsclerk@isspress.com by noon Friday.

Second Saturday Film Series presents ‘Cyrano de Bergerac,’ 7 p.m., Historic Train Depot, 150 First Ave. N.E., free, donations accepted James Howard, 7:30-11:30 p.m., Vino Bella, 99 Front St. N., 391-1424

Sunday Lake Sammamish Elks annual free holiday turkey dinner for Issaquah seniors, 2 p.m., 765 Rainier Blvd. N., 392-1400 Christmas Music by the Rocoempo Trio, 2:303:30 p.m., Christian Science Reading

The Core, 7:30-11:30 p.m., Vino Bella, 99 Front St. N., 391-1424

WHAT THE ICONS MEAN

Room, 415 Rainier Blvd. N., 3928140, free, donations and nonperishable food items to the Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank accepted

OUTDOORS

Eastridge Church presents ‘It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play’ 5 p.m., 24205 S.E. Issaquah-Fall City Road, preregister at eastridgetoday. com/wonderful

MUSIC

FAMILYFRIENDLY

PERFORMANCE

EDUCATION

ARTS

CAR SHOW

LIBRARY

VOLUNTEER

Sammamish Symphony Orchestra Holiday Pops, featuring the Beaver Lake Middle School Choir, 7:30 p.m., $16 adults/$12 seniors and students/ children 10 and younger free, Eastlake Performing Arts Center, Eastlake High School, 400 228th Ave. N.E., Sammamish, 206-517-7777, www.sammamishsymphony.org

FREE

TUESDAY

DEC. 11

WEDNESDAY

DEC. 12

Cougar Mountain Academy open house, 9:30 a.m., 5410 194th Ave S.E., reservations recommended at 641-2800, www. cougarmountainacademy.org

Society, Cascade Chapter: 7 p.m., Bellevue Presbyterian Church, Bellevue, 391-2366

Senior center day trip: Ladies’ Lunch & Shopping at University Village, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., $8 for members/$10 for nonmembers

228th Ave. N.E. http://dev. lllusa.org/web/sammamish. wa.html

Senior center day trip: Argosy Dickens Carolers Cruise, 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., $54 for members/$56 for nonmembers Live online Q&A ‘A Spiritual Diet You Can Stick To,’ 11 a.m., Christian Science Reading Room, 415 Rainier Blvd. N., 392-8140 American Rhododendron

‘Subtle Energy: Chakras & Reiki,’ for adults, 7 p.m., Issaquah Library, 10 W. Sunset Way, 392-5430 Cascade Mountain Men: 8 p.m., Issaquah Sportsman’s Club, 600 S.E. Evans St., www.cascademountainmen. com Daughters of the American Revolution, Cascade Chapter: 10:30 a.m., Bellevue Red Lion Inn, 11211 Main St., 454-1350

BEST OF ISSAQUAH 15 CONSECUTIVE YEARS! 1996-2011

Town & Country Square 1175 NW Gilman Blvd.

Suite B-4, Issaquah (425) 391-9270

Friends of the Issaquah Library: 7 p.m., djstein@operamail.com Issaquah Garden Club: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tibbetts Creek Manor, 750 17th Ave. N.W., info@issaquahgardenclub.org Le Leche League of Sammamish: 10 a.m. to noon, Sammamish Boys & Girls Club Teen Center, 825

Sammamish Heritage Society: Pine Lake Community Center, regular meeting, 260-9804, www.iinet.com/shs Jewish Juniors Club: 3:305:30 p.m., Chabad of Central Cascades, 24121 S.E. Black Nugget Road, 427-1654 Kiwanis Club of Issaquah: noon, Gibson Hall, 105 Newport Way S.W., 8917561

The Issaquah Press

O BITUARIES Cathleen (Cathy) Anson Cathleen (Cathy) Anson was born July 23, 1951, in Renton, the second of three daughters Cathleen Anson born to Jack Day and Mayme Lou Evans.

She passed away peacefully at her Montana home of brain/lung cancer on Nov. 22, 2012, with her husband Tim and son Brian by her side.

Cathy grew up in Sammamish (Pine Lake) until she married Robert Nickell in 1969.

She attended schools in Ferndale and Issaquah.

She graduated from Issaquah High School in 1969.

She then attended business college and upon graduation was hired at the state park in Issaquah. From there, she went on to work for the Southcenter Bon Marche.

She worked in the warehouse for 24 years with people who became lifelong friends.

Upon retirement, she moved to Roundup, Mont., where she married her longtime companion

Linda Warne Linda Warne, age 69, of Enumclaw, was ushered into the presence of her Savior, Linda Warne Jesus Christ, on Sunday, Nov. 18, 2012.

Linda was born Oct. 26, 1943 in Seattle, to Ralph and Gladys Schenke. She graduated from Ingraham High School in 1961. On Sept. 1, 1962, Linda married Gary Warne in Seattle.

Gary and Linda built a home in Issaquah in 1967 after living in both Seattle and St. Paul, Minn. During this time, they were actively involved in Trinity Evangelical Church near Issaquah, where Linda came to know and put her trust in Jesus.

In 1991, Gary and Linda moved to Enumclaw. She was involved in several local churches, serving in a number of capacities, including deaconess, Sunday school coordinator, missions chair, teacher and church secretary.

Linda was a talented and gifted homemaker

Haunt FROM PAGE B1

into on-camera productions, including a recent batch of student films and the “Celebrity Ghost Stories” role.

The episode of “Celebrity Ghost Hunters” also features supernatural tales from soap starlet Victoria

Tim Anson. She called their home on 30 acres her “Heaven on Earth.”

She was a devoted mother, grandmother, daughter, sister and friend who blessed us with love and sincere appreciation.

We all enjoyed her wit; she made each of us laugh even in troubled times.

She was preceded in death by her father and first husband Bob Nickell.

She is survived by her loving caregiver and husband Tim Anson; son Brian Nickell; stepsons Jeff and Randy Anson; grandsons Cody Nickell (the joy of her life) and Alex McCuskey; mother Mayme Lou Bischoff; stepfather Edwin Bischoff; sisters Connie Faast (Mike) and Christina McDonald (Steve); uncle Bob Tanska; aunt Virvae Dieringer; stepmother Polly Evans; many nephews and nieces; and special friends Karen Nickell, and Gregg and Brenda Knapp.

Cathy loved animals.

Any remembrances to any animal shelter in her name would be greatly appreciated.

A celebration of her life will be held on Saturday, Dec. 15, 2012, at 1 p.m. at the Hilton Inn, 1800 Gilman Blvd., Issaquah, WA. 98027. and artist. She used her skills to bless those around her. Whether cooking, sewing, gardening, or hospitality, Linda poured herself into the task.

Linda found the secret to living a contented and fulfilled life, by walking in trust and dependence upon her Savior, finding Him truly sufficient for each situation and circumstance. This was especially evident in her courageous yearlong battle with acute myeloid leukemia.

Survivors include her husband of 50 years Gary, of Enumclaw; daughter Leeanne Needham and husband Paul, of Buckley; daughter Laura Sutherland and husband Nate, of Edgewood; mother Gladys Schenke, of Buckley; sister Sheryl Schenke, of Buckley; and six grandchildren.

Linda’s son Michael, in 1971, and her father Ralph, in 1998, preceded her in death.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center; Good Samaritan Foundation — CTU; Torchbearers International; or a blood donation at a local blood bank.

To sign an online guestbook, visit weeksfuneralhomes.com.

Rowell, comedian Carlos Mencia and “The Exorcist” star Linda Blair. The series features personal accounts meant to chill and, in the case of Jones and Refvem, surprise.

“It’s all told in firstperson narrative by the celebrities who feel they have had encounters of another kind,” Refvem said. “We, the actors, we re-enact the story. So, for example, Dot Jones tells a

Rotary club honors students of the month The Rotary Club of Issaquah recently honored the following seniors as students of the month for October:

Jessica Basi 4School: Liberty High School 4Category of recognition: science Jessica Basi 4Parents: Sarbjlt and Gurjlt Basi 4Scholastic achievements: National AP scholar, 5 on Advanced Placement biology, AP U.S. history, AP language and composition 4Activities: more than 400 hours of volunteer service, National Honor Society member 4Scholastic interest: biology, psychology 4Hobbies: reading, volunteering 4Outside school affiliations: Puget Sound Blood Center volunteer, Watershed Report leadership team 4Education goals: fouryear university, then graduate school to earn an M.D. 4Occupation/career: physician

Adam Florsheim 4School: Issaquah High School 4Category of recognition: math 4Parents: Adina and Alan Florsheim Adam Florsheim 4Scholastic achievements: 12th

Memorial FROM PAGE B1

“Telling the personal part of that story was very powerful,” he said. “It was the first time I’d ever done that in public, where I told my dad’s story, which actually linked to Pearl Harbor. Here we are at Pearl Harbor, where World War II began for Americans, and he was in Normandy where, essentially, it started to end.”

Other veterans’ family members appreciated the story and sought out Kaufman to share personal stories about the conflict.

story about her father who died when she was about 10 years old. She always felt a presence.”

Refvem plans to mark the television debut milestone at home.

“I have a couple of friends coming over,” she said. “I live in a small apartment, so I’ve had to limit it to a few people. I’ve definitely spread the word to everybody with a television.”

in class rank; AP scholar; KingCo student athlete 4Athletic honors: three-time all-state goalie; captain of Issaquah High School swim team; competitor at Junior Olympics 4Activities: National Honor Society, Senior Service Award 4Scholastic interest: math, computer science and physics 4Hobbies: water polo, fantasy football 4Outside school affiliations: coach Newport Water Polo, play for PNW Shores 4Education goals: attend MIT (hopefully) and study mechanical engineering 4Occupation/career: Be an engineer behind the newest and safest sports equipment, i.e., football helmets that protect from concussions.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012 •

P ETS OF THE W EEK Meet Sydney! She is a 4-yearold Viszla mix with a stunning red coat and a Sydney happy-golucky attitude. Viszlas are known to be great sporting dogs and extremely loyal companions. If you’re looking for an enthusiastic hiking partner, Sydney may be the dog for you!

obtain engineering degree 4Occupation/career: aerospace or mechanical engineering

Nikita Sirohi

4School: Liberty High School 4Category of recognition: math 4Parents: Aaron Shaw, Jeri Bernstein Michael Shaw 4Scholastic achievements: National Merit Scholar, National Honor Society, 800 math SAT 4Athletic honors: cross country captain, lettered in wrestling every year 4Scholastic interest: The Beat editor, Patriot Press, violinist in orchestra (four years) 4Hobbies: varsity cross country and wrestling 4Education goals: attend four-year college (MIT or University of Washington) to

“Telling that personal story got a reaction out of me and out of others that I didn’t expect,” he said.

Kaufman also met U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, the chamber’s longestserving member. Inouye witnessed the Pearl Harbor attack, served as a medical volunteer in the aftermath and, during World War II, enlisted in the Army.

Inouye served in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team — considered the

most decorated infantry regiment in the Army’s history — and lost his right arm during combat in Italy.

“I’ve had the opportunity to interact, literally, with people from all over the world,” Kaufman said. “There were some expected things in terms of people with a specific Pearl Harbor connection — whether they’d be military people and family members. As I’m finding out, that’s been four gen-

New parents group starting in the highlands The Program for Early Parent Support presents Baby Peppers — a group for parents of 5- to 12-month-old babies — starting Jan. 14 at Bright Horizons in the Issaquah Highlands.

The group offers parents a place to meet (with their babies), and share and learn in sessions facilitated by a trained volunteer.

Issaquah Baby Peppers will meet from noon

Meet Basmati! He’s a 3-monthold Giant Flemish who munches away on Basmati timothy hay and fresh veggies to grow up big and strong. This breed can grow to be as large as 22 pounds! Basmati is playful and very interested in people.

Are you ready for a giant, cuddly bunny?

Interested in adopting these or other animals? Call the Humane Society for Seattle/King County at 641-0080, go to www.seattlehumane.org or email humane@seattlehumane.org. All animals are spayed/neutered, microchipped and vaccinated, with 30 days of pet health insurance and a certificate for a vet examination.

4School: Issaquah High School 4Category of recognition: science 4Parents: Gayatri and Ashwani Nikita Sirohi Sirohi 4Scholastic achievements: 2340 SAT, 35 ACT, AP Scholar with distinction, National Merit semifinalist 4Athletic honors: lettered in cross country (varsity and junior varsity) 4Activities: coached teams to finish in the top 10 for a math competition 4Scholastic interest: math, science, English and Spanish 4Hobbies: running, dressmaking, reading, writing, playing “Bloons Tower Defense” 4Outside school affilia-

Michael Shaw

B3

to 1:30 p.m. Mondays starting Jan. 14 at Bright Horizons, 930 N.E. High St., Suite 102. The program fee for the 11-week facilitated session is $155.

Scholarships are available.

Register and learn more at www.peps.org/programs/ infants/baby-peppers.

Space is also available for new Issaquah families in PEPS Newborn Groups, which are neighborhoodbased groups for new moms and dads that help parents connect, grow, and share information and resources.

tions: National Honor Society and coaching teams for math competitions 4Education goals: fouryear college 4Occupation/career: undecided

Alex Tamasan 4School: Tiger Mountain Community High School 4Category of recognition: math/ science 4Scholastic Alex Tamasan achievements: only student with highest level of math at Tiger Mountain Community High School 4Athletic honors: two goals and three assists in high school soccer 4Scholastic interest: art, history, philosophy 4Education goals: Bellevue Community College, maybe the UW or Washington State University 4Occupation/career: something in art

WHAT TO KNOW ‘Renewal at the Place of Black Tears’ is available on Jerry Kaufman’s photography website, www.imagesofrenewal.com, and at the USS Arizona Memorial gift shop in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

erations of people that I’ve been interacting with.”

PEPS Newborn Groups start when babies are up to 4 months old and are facilitated by trained volunteers. Groups are forming for families with babies born between September and November.

Families are encouraged to sign up for a Newborn Group while women are pregnant. Newborn daytime and evening group meetings take place over 12 weeks, rotating between group member’s homes.

Sign up for a group or find out more at www.peps. org or call 206-547-8570.

The Issaquah Press

s

SPORTS

Page B4

Wednesday December 5, 2012

s

Max Browne a finalist for player of the year

By Lillian O’Rorke ltucker@ sammamishreview.com

BY GREG FARRAR

Mat Taylor (right), Skyline High School football coach, delivers the state 4A football championship trophy to his team gathered on the Tacoma Dome football field Dec. 1 after a 49-24 victory over the Bellarmine Prep Lions capped an undefeated 14-0 season.

SPARTAN SUPREMACY

BY GREG FARRAR

Cedric Cooper, Skyline High School senior running back, eludes a Bellarmine Prep tackler on a 5-yard carry in the fourth quarter.

BY GREG FARRAR

Cedric Cooper lands on his feet after leap to Skyline Skyline High School caps off perfect season as

Matt Sinatro, Skyline High School senior wide receiver, stretches the football over the goal line on a 23-yard pass play from quarterback Max Browne, giving the Spartans the lead 90 seconds into the game.

state champs with 49-24 win over Bellarmine Prep

By Lillian O’Rorke ltucker@ sammamishreview.com Jubilant only begins to describe Skyline High School and its fans Dec. 1 at the Tacoma Dome, where the Spartans grabbed their fifth state title in eight years. Skyline beat Bellarmine Prep, 49-24, to win the 4A football state championship.

“This is the most special … I’ve grown up with all these guys,”

said Max Browne, who completed 21 of 28 passing attempts for 384 yards and four touchdowns. “Nic Sblendorio has been my best friend, Andrew Giese, Matt Sinatro, Peyton Pelluer — all those guys. This is what we dreamed of when we were 5 years old. We worked. We worked hard and it’s awesome to sit here and know that we got the state title our senior year and are going out See SPARTANS, Page B5

By Sandy Ringer Seattle Times staff reporter Difficult circumstances led Cedric Cooper to Skyline High School for his senior year. But he’s made an easy transition, helping the top-ranked Spartans return to the Class 4A state football finals.

It’s been an unexpected ride for Cooper, a running back and cornerback who played at 2A Foster High School in Tukwila the past two years. He had mixed

emotions last summer when family issues forced him and his mom to move in with a friend in Sammamish.

“I wanted to stay at Foster because I had my friends there, but I’m open to a lot of new things,” said Cooper, who has moved a lot. He played freshman football in South Carolina.

He’s enjoying Skyline’s success. Foster was 10-10 See COOPER, Page B5

Liberty boys fall to rivals from Renton, 50-44 New Patriots coach hopes to bring ‘spark’ to program

By Christina Corrales-Toy newcastle@isspress.com Only 3 miles, or less than 10 minutes, separate Liberty and Hazen high schools.

So it was a short drive for the Patriot boys basketball team, which traveled to Hazen to take on the Highlanders Dec. 1.

It may have been a nonleague game, but it had all the intensity of a playoff match, as the Renton rivals battled it out.

Liberty won the rivalry game last year, but this year, Hazen held off a second-half surge by the Patriots to win, 50-44.

Liberty’s first-year coach Omar Parker said he was pleased with his team’s determination, espe-

cially in the second half, despite the loss.

“You know this is their kind of battle on the hill, the kingof-the-hill game, and so I think it brought something out of our guys to really compete, and I was proud of them,” Parker said.

Hazen got off to a quick start, outscoring the Patriots 14-8 after the first quarter. The deficit widened before halftime, with the Highlanders leading Liberty, 28-20.

But the Patriots refused to go down easily, putting together an inspired second half in which Liberty actually outscored Hazen 24-22.

With just less than two minutes to go in the fourth quarter, Liberty tied the game at 44. But the Patriots were never quite able to capture the lead and in the waning See PATRIOTS,

Skyline High School quarterback Max Browne is one of six finalists for the 2013 U.S. Army Player of the Year Award, given to the nation’s most outstanding senior in high school football participating in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

The selection process began this fall, as players were evaluated by the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Selection Committee and by coaches from across the country.

“These players possess leadership, dedication and strengths similar to Army Strong soldiers. Being named a finalist for this award only underscores their talents,” John Myers, director of marketing for the Army, said in a statement. “These players are outstanding athletes. We congratulate them on their nomination and are proud to have them wear the Army colors.”

The player of the year will be recognized during an awards dinner Jan. 4 in San Antonio, where he will be presented with the Ken Hall Trophy.

The announcement also featured a statement about each finalist, including: “Max Browne has proven throughout his high school career that he can put up big numbers. He has a strong arm, but his greatest strength might be his intelligence.

“Browne almost always makes the right decision whether it’s finding the open receiver down the field or dropping it off to a player coming out of the backfield. Browne seems to have an advanced understanding of the quarterback position.”

Eagles are tall, tested on the hardcourt

By John Leggett ip-sports@isspress.com If there is one thing even the casual observer notices right away about the Issaquah High School boys’ basketball squad, when its players come jogging out onto the hardwood for warmups, it is the fact that it looks like a basketball team.

B ASKETBALL P REVIEW

BY CHRISTINA CORRALES-TOY

Liberty High School’s Robbie Thomas is fouled by a Hazen High School defender as he goes for the basket in the fourth quarter of the Dec. 1 nonleague game.

Page B5 Hazen defeated Liberty, 50-44.

In basketball, as in other sports, sometimes the intimidation-throughimagination factor is worth its weight in gold, but with the Eagles you don’t have to peruse a roster to easily surmise you could be outrebounded by these guys — it is clearly visible and obvious the Eagles possess See EAGLES, Page B5

The Issaquah Press

S COREBOARD Prep football WIAA 4A State Championship Dec. 1 At The Tacoma Dome Skyline 49, Bellarmine Prep 24 Bell. Prep 0 0 0 0—0 Skyline 0 0 0 0—0 Skyline—Matt Sinatro 23-pass from Max Browne (Sean McDonald kick) Bell. Prep—Matt Philichi 24-yard FG Skyline—Trevor Barney 34-pass from M. Browne (S. McDonald kick) Skyline—Cedric Cooper 3-run (pass failed).

Skyline—Safety Skyline—T. Barney 36-pass from M. Browne (S. McDonald kick) Bell. Prep—Calvin Chandler 22-pass from Sefo Liufau (M. Philichi kick) Skyline—S. McDonald 49-yard FG Skyline—S. McDonald 35-yard FG Bell. Prep—Garrett McKay 6-pass from S. Liufau (M. Philichi kick) Skyline—M. Sinatro 55-pass from M. Browne (S. McDonald kick) Skyline—C. Cooper 1-run (S. McDonald kick) Bell. Prep—Drew Griffin 24-pass from S. Liufau (M. Philichi kick)

KingCo 4A All-Conference Selections CROWN DIVISION ONLY Offensive Player Of The Year Max Browne, Skyline, Quarterback.

Co-Defensive Players Of The Year Blake Young, Skyline and Mitchell Shepherd, Roosevelt Lineman Of The Year Marquel Stoudamire, Roosevelt Coach Of The Year Mike Miller - Newport High FIRST TEAM OFFENSE Quarterback Max Browne, Skyline, senior Running Backs Jack Gellatly, Issaquah, junior Wide Receivers Trevor Barney, Skyline, senior; Nic Sblendorio, Skyline, senior Offensive linemen Kurt Holmes, center, Skyline, senior; Reggie Long Jr., guard, Skyline, junior; Eric Wagner, tackle, Skyline, senior Kickers & Punters Sean McDonald, kicker/punter, Skyline, senior SECOND TEAM OFFENSE Running Backs Cedric Cooper, Skyline, senior Wide Receivers Andrew Giese, Skyline, senior; Matt Sinatro, Skyline, senior Tight End Peter Stromgren, Skyline, senior Offensive linemen Jacob Peterson, Issaquah, guard, junior; Shay Dingfelder, Issaquah, tackle, junior Kicker Alex Shane, Issaquah, senior Specialist: Chase Premone, Skyline, senior FIRST TEAM DEFENSE Defensive linemen

Patriots FROM PAGE B4

seconds of the game, the Highlanders pulled away.

Still, Parker said he was proud of the team’s play, in particular Matthew Campbell, who led Liberty scorers with 15 points.

UP NEXT The Patriots will host Juanita High School at 8 p.m. Dec. 7.

“I think that Matt Campbell did a great job on the boards,” Parker said.

“I thought our guys just played super hard.”

In Parker’s first year at the helm, he said he hopes to implement a sort of “revival” of the Liberty basketball program. It starts by instituting a strong relationship between the youth and high school programs, creating a continuity and camaraderie between the teams, Parker said.

“I think Liberty, in some ways, was a bunch of flammable material that needed a little spark and I feel that we’re building it up,” he said.

Parker has a very experienced team to work with this year, with nine of his team’s 14 players being seniors.

“The difference between a sophomore and junior in high school and a senior is a pretty big leap, and this group of seniors has shown great leadership,” he said.

Look for seniors Robbie Thomas, Timothy Phan, Tynan Gilmore, Dalton O’Brien and Matthew Campbell to play key leadership roles for this year’s team, Parker said.

“I’m looking to them for leadership,” he said. “You know, I’m looking for those guys to lead us through adversity and take us through the woods at times when it looks a little dark.”

Sean McAlhaney, Skyline, senior; Jacob Peterson, Issaquah, junior Inside linebackers Brandon Crandall, Skyline, senior; Tyler Sheehan, Issaquah, senior; Blake Young, Skyline, senior Outside linebackers Peyton Pelluer, Skyline, senior Cornerbacks Trevor Barney, Skyline, senior; Cedric Cooper, Skyline, senior Safeties Jack Gellatly, Issaquah, junior; Nic Sblendorio, Skyline, senior KingCo 3A All-Conference Selections Liberty High School Players Only FIRST TEAM OFFENSE None were selected SECOND TEAM OFFENSE Wide Receivers—Tynan Gilmore, senior; Scott Dean, senior FIRST TEAM DEFENSE Linebackers—Scott Dean, senior SECOND TEAM DEFENSE Defensive Tackles—Max Hill, senior; Safety— Tynan Gilmore, senior HONORABLE MENTION Russell Boston, Nate Jarvis, Di Wang, Sam Dodt

Boys basketball NON-LEAGUE Dec. 1 game Issaquah 78, Marysville-Pilchuck 46 Marysville-Pil. 15 14 5 12—46 Issaquah 18 19 22 19—78 Marysville-Pil.—James Couis 11, Austin Lobaugh 11, Connor Martinis 6, Kyle Garton 5, Michael Painter 4, T.J. Rice 3.

Issaquah—Jake Henke 19, Ty Gibson 14, Brian Watson 12, Grant Blair 10, Cory Nevin 10, Lucas Schiltz 4, David VanHalm 4, Ryan Sexton 3, Gage Lenheim 2.

Spartans: Finish season 14-0 FROM PAGE B4

the right way.”

Within Skyline’s first drive of the night, Browne became the state record holder in career passing.

By the time Browne had thrown his last pass as a high school quarterback, he had broken Brian Lindgren’s (DeSales) 14-yearold record of 12,575 passing yards. Browne now holds the record at 12,951.

“That is the type of record you can’t win unless you play a lot of games and you can’t play a lot of games unless you’ve got a great team. I’ve got to credit my line and my receivers for getting that record. That’s a huge accomplishment for them,” Browne said. “My four years here at Skyline has been more than I ever expected, to suit up for 56 games at Skyline, 14 all

Wednesday, December 5, 2012 •

B5

four years.”

The Spartan defense also shined in the championship game, consistently shutting down the Bellarmine Prep Lions’ drives and forcing punts. While the Lions had possession of the ball for more than two-thirds of the first quarter, Skyline had possession of the scoreboard, leading 14-3.

“We knew they were going to try to establish a line of scrimmage and our kids really owned the line of scrimmage. That was one of our strengths and we really shut them down that way,” Skyline Coach Mat Taylor said. “I feel awesome. This is the very best. It continues to get better every year.”

Sinatro scored the first touchdown of the night on a 23-yard pass from Browne. The senior scored again late in the third quarter after Browne shook off a defender to fire the ball at Sinatro for a 55-yard touchdown.

Earlier in the third, Sinatro intercepted Bellarmine Prep’s ball for a 48-yard return.

“They prepare us week in and week out for games like this,” Sinatro said.

“He (the Lions’ quarter-

back) threw that a little low, and then Jack Valencia made a great hit on the receiver he was targeting and luckily I came up with the interception.”

Trevor Barney racked up two touchdowns as well, including one where he slipped undetected between two of his teammates to make a 34-yard touchdown. Barney led the team in receiving with 182 yards. He also notched eight tackles.

“I’m dead tired. I gave it my all out there, but I couldn’t be happier than I am right now,” he said.

“It’s also 95 percent of the team’s last game. So it’s the last game, and we won it, and we killed them.”

Cedric Cooper rushed for 60 yards and scored two touchdowns. Senior kicker Sean McDonald also shined, making two field goals at 49 and 35 yards each.

As the Spartans left the field that night, a sea of Skyline fans dressed in white convulsed behind the sideline gates, waiting to congratulate the team on its perfect season of 14-0.

“It’s a great atmosphere.

It’s a packed house.

Everyone is screaming and hollering for you. You

the opportunity to just get out there and prove myself,” he said.

It didn’t take long.

Cooper (5 feet 10, 165 pounds) went to the Spartans’ team camp in July and made a quick impression.

“We threw a screen pass to him and he made some pretty ridiculous moves, and we’re like, ‘Holy smokes!’” Skyline coach Mat Taylor said.

“He’s a very smart kid,” Skyline quarterback Max Browne said. “He picked up our offense real fast.

We’ve been able to run

the ball this year, and he’s been huge for us. He’s a special player.”

Cooper missed Skyline’s opening game while working out a glitch with his transcript. He’s been a fixture in the lineup since, earning first-team AllKingCo honors on defense and second-team honors on offense.

Cooper has a teamleading 775 rushing yards, plus 23 receptions for 369 yards. He put on a clinic in a quarterfinal victory against Roosevelt with 195 rushing yards and four touchdowns.

“He’s got vision and has ability to make cutbacks and balance like nobody I’ve ever coached,” Taylor said. “He’s very, very special in that regard.

“He’s as good as anyone we’ve ever had.”

Cooper said a state title would be more than special.

“That would be worldchanging right there,” he said.

the adversity can be telling,” Griffith said.

The Eagles look good on paper — bringing the ball up the floor will be 6-foot, 2-inch junior point guard Brian Watson, a gifted distributor and one of the top 10 leaders in assists during the 2011-12 season.

The other tandem of junior starters are 6-foot, 4-inch shooter Cory Nevin and 6-foot, 6-inch rebounding ace Jake Henke, who with a little polish should be the team’s leading rebounder this season.

Also contributing valuable minutes during the optimistic 2012-13 season will be great bench

strength in sophomore guard Ty Gibson and the lanky 6-foot, 4-inch Ryan Sexton, who Griffith said has a very high release on his jumper and will be reliable as far as coming off screens well and executing charted plays.

Griffith said the talent in the KingCo 4A conference is the best he has ever seen and the competition from Garfield, Bothell, Ballard, Skyline and Roosevelt will include high-caliber Division One talent.

SPARTAN FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS 2012 (4A) Skyline 49 Bellarmine Prep 24 2011 (4A) Skyline 38 Skyview 7 2009 (4A) Skyline 45 Ferris 21 2007 (3A) Skyline 42 O’Dea 35 2005 (4A) Skyline 35 Woodinville 21 2000 (3A) Skyline 42 Lakes 30

just have to do your part for your team and help them out. And at the end of the day, it’s just a lot of fun,” Sblendorio said. “We deserve to celebrate after a great season. We are going to have a very fun time tonight, so it should be exciting.”

Girls basketball NON-LEAGUE Nov. 29 game Issaquah 62, Edmonds-Woodway 55 Issaquah 19 18 5 20—62 Edmonds-W. 18 12 11 14—55 Issaquah—Quincey Gibson 22, Mandie Hill 14, Aimee Brakken 11, Jozie Crisafulli 6, Lauren Longo 6, Mackenzie Wieburg 3, Katrina Clements, Hope Dahlquist.

Edmonds-Woodway—Sidney Eck 28, Natalie Casper 18, Moni Jackson 4, Kate Wooley 3, Claire Fyfe 2.

Nov. 27 game Issaquah 63, Juanita 56 Juanita—Breanna Carter 19, Jaisa Nunn 14, Mikayla Jones 9, Shannon Brink 5, Emily Wright 5, Kenzie Waltar 4, Mary Carter, Jade Finau, Tayler Lloyd.

Issaquah—Mandie Hill 26, Aimee Brakken 16, Quincey Gibson 8, Mackenzie Wieburg 5, Katrina Clements 2, Hope Dahlquist 2, Lauren Longo 2, Paige Montague 2, Sara Beatty, Jozie Crisafulli, Sarah Hiegel.

Eagles: ‘Another year better’

Cooper FROM PAGE B4

in his two seasons.

“The winning, man, it’s crazy,” Cooper said. “I’m just not used to it.”

Cooper averaged more than 100 yards rushing per game at Foster last year before a late-season knee injury. He knew the competition would be much greater at Skyline.

“I was a little nervous, but I’m a football player, so I was just excited for

UP NEXT The Eagles will play in Garfield High School’s gymnasium Dec. 7 with an 8 p.m. tip-off.

Griffith, whose squad sees the return of a trio of juniors and a sophomore to a starting lineup that FROM PAGE B4 has truly familiarized itself with his basketball great overall team height. philosophies.

Coach Jason Griffith “One thing about the guided the Eagle hoopsters league we are in — there to the promised land as are no nights off. You have a crescendo to the 14-10, to be mentally prepared 2011-12 outing and is head- night-in and night-out, ing into his third campaign and if you aren’t … well, as the man at the helm for the Issaquah program.

“OK … We were one and done, because we Phyllis Bookbinder has been counseling played a tough Mount adults, teens and children for over 19 years.

Rainier squad right off If you have conflict, depression, hurtful the bat,” said Griffith, memories, or struggle with parenting I can allowing himself a smile, help you resolve your concerns and create “but at least we made it. a happier life.

“I really feel like we are going be another 425-394-3894 year better, another Licensed Mental Health Counselor year wiser and vastly www.phyllisbookbinder.net Office in downtown Issaquah improved,” predicted

Sandy Ringer: 206-718-1512 or sringer@seattletimes.com.

Comment at www.issaquahpress. com.

Do You Wish You Were Happier?

We won’t treat you like a number We’ll greet you like family!

Issaquah Community Services provides emergency aid when the going gets tough.

Please help.

When it comes to your skin, rely on an expert.

Schedule your appointment online at www.MillerFamilyDerm.com

450 NW Gilman Blvd., Suite 301 Issaquah, WA 98027 425-654-3961 www.MillerFamilyDerm.com

Merry Christmas Issaquah 2012 FUND DRIVE Donations benefit ICS, a 501c3 non-profit

M A I L TO :

Merry Christmas Issaquah c/o The Issaquah Press, PO Box 1328 Issaquah WA 98027

The Issaquah Press

SCHOOLS

Page B6

s

Skyline fights back against cyberbullying

By Lillian O’Rorke ltucker@ sammamishreview.com Walking into Skyline High School last week, the message “Pause Before You Post” was painted in giant letters across the school’s front windows.

Inside, streamers and posters hung above the commons. Signs like “Just Be Nice” were hard to miss.

The week of Nov. 26 through Dec. 1 marked Skyline’s campaign against cyberbullying, and “Pause Before You Post” creator, senior Macey Knecht, said she hopes the stand against online harassment and cruelty will last long after her encouraging posters are taken down.

“People just keep bashing each other on the Internet,” Knecht said.

Stories hung on a nearby pole in the commons include the tale of how one girl repeatedly received emails from her classmates questioning why she even continues to live.

“I’m not saying that I’m perfect. I’ve never been nice all the time. I’m a contributor to this as much as anyone else,” Knecht said. “But, the difference between me and anyone else here is that I’m trying to make a difference about it.”

Knecht said she first thought about launching an anti-cyberbullying campaign earlier this year, when she was a victim of cyber harassment. An anonymous Twitter account called SHS Bullshit was frequently slandering students and staff members at the school, including tweeting that Knecht was planning a school shooting on the first day of school this year. The possible threat was immediately reported to the school and

Macey Knecht asked fellow students at Skyline to make a pledge to not be a cyberbully.

BY LILLIAN O’RORKE

police. Knecht was facing some serious questions before finally being vindicated. The Twitter account was eventually deleted and whoever was behind it was never found.

Then, on Sept. 19, a threat was made on an online bulletin board that someone was going to launch a Columbine-style attack on Skyline students.

Eventually, an ex-student was named as a suspect.

That’s when Knecht realized cyberbullying wasn’t just going to go away.

“There is just no stopping it until you stop being negative, and you just start being positive. And whether you do that in person or on the Internet, that much more is going to make a difference,” she said.

So, Knecht is challenging her peers to just be nice and think critically about what they put on the Internet.

“She is a real communicator. Macey has the ability to come up to you, grab your attention and kind of draw you into whatever her project is,” said B.J. Sherman, a Skyline teacher. The anti-cyberbullying campaign is Knecht’s project in Sherman’s DECA class. “She is an influencer.

She has a very, very powerful personality. She is able to move mountains.”

Knecht kicked off the week by forming human tunnels to greet students as they entered the school.

On Tuesday, she hung up all of the stories her peers sent to her about their own incidences and feelings about cyber harassment.

The following day, she hung up giant sheets of paper where people could pledge to stop cyberbullying. On Thursday, she arranged for health instructors to give presentations about the topic to their classes. Wrapping up the week, senior TV production student Colton Kline made a twominute video on the subject, which will be shown on the school’s SPTV. “I thought it was a cool idea, considering that I know there is a lot of cyberbullying that goes on around here,” Kline said, adding that a friend of his in Arizona killed himself last year because of bullying — online and off.

“I’ve noticed people talking about it and saying that it shouldn’t be happening.”

The biggest part of Knecht’s campaign is online.

“That thing about cyberbullying is that there isn’t much that you can do in person, other than raise awareness about it,” she said. “You have to go through the Internet to

stop the problem.”

With the help of a few classmates, she created the Twitter account called SHS Nice Tweets (@NiceTweets101). It tweets encouraging messages about Skyline students throughout the day. Three days after it was opened on Nov. 25, it already had more than 400 followers. The Twitterverse reacted with tweets like, “If you are having a bad day just read @NiceTweets101 and you’ll be smiling like a monkey with a banana,”

by Jonah Eastern, and, “Thanks for the giant smile on my face, @NiceTweets101. Keep doing your thing,” by Eric Shim.

“I’ve noticed it. All this nice stuff has started to come through Twitter,” Skyline student Elliot Roberts said. “It’s like you look at your Twitter page and it’s everyone just giving everyone compliments, everyone being nice.”

Knecht said she hopes the momentum of kindness won’t stop, and to keep it going, she plans to bring it up again later in the school year.

“Cyberbullying is actually something that happens a lot and goes unnoticed and nothing is done about it,” Roberts said. “The fact that she is doing something about it is great.”

Students get started early regarding politics The 2012 elections seemed to have sparked a political interest in the students at Issaquah High School.

You would think that the presidential election is not a topic that most teenagers typically discuss, due to a lack of being able to participate in the voting.

Yet a number of students at Issaquah High understand that they should be educated enough in the world of politics so that the next time the elections come around, they will be able to make the right decision.

To encourage that, Issaquah held a mock election, where underage students were able to get a feel for what voting is like in the real world. The closer Issaquah High students get to a legal voting age, the more involved and interested they seem to be in such topics.

Most seniors who were

eligible were more than willing to vote and developed Olga a certain Alentyeva interest in knowing Issaquah High School who the options were for being the United States’ president. Nearly all students have found that their social studies classes have encouraged their participation in the political field.

As we get older and mature, we realize that we

Hall Monitor

have a lot more responsibilities — not just grades or staying out of trouble, but the attention we owe to our government. We are the voices of our generation, and our future votes matter.

If action is not taken now, society could see a downturn in the near future.

Thankfully, Issaquah High School consists of a great student body filled with future voters, as well as future leaders, who are willing to step up and take action. These young adults have proved they have the opinions and the drive to make changes.

Wednesday December 5, 2012

Local musicians honored Dozens of local students are among the state’s top performers that have been chosen to participate in one of the Washington Music Educators Association’s 2013 All-State Honor or one of the National Association for Music Education’s All-Northwest performing groups.

The group of school musicians from throughout the state and region will rehearse and perform in concert under the direction of world-renowned conductors. The All-State high school honor groups and the All-Northwest groups will meet in Portland, Ore., Feb. 14-17.

Junior All-State groups, grades five through eight, will meet in Vancouver, Wash., on Feb. 16.

This year’s group includes students from all five of the district’s middle schools and all three of the district’s traditional high schools.

Beaver Lake Middle School: Chloe Blume, alto voice; Tommy DuBeau, baritone voice; Emi Estalilla, soprano voice; Sara Isaacson, alto voice; Gemma Morris, soprano voice; Natalie Stender, alto voice; Spencer Young, baritone voice; Brandon Lin, violin; Beverly Shih, viola; Stuart Harper, trumpet; Emily Angell, soprano voice; Tara Davenport, soprano voice; Emma Fritton, soprano voice; Brooklyn Lee, alto voice; Claire Thomason, alto voice; Grace Wu, alto voice; Kaitlin Biscocho, alto voice; Irelin Hainsworth, soprano voice; Juliana Hrncirik, soprano voice; Kimi Locke, alto voice; Danielle Miller, alto voice; Rhiannon Rooney, soprano voice; and Rachel Young, soprano voice Issaquah Middle School: Jaren Minnoch, string bass Maywood Middle School: Josh Kutzke, baritone voice; Astrid Quintanilla, alto voice; Zach Robinson-Blair, baritone voice; Camryn Settles, alto voice; Will Wick, cello; Jillian Polsin, percussion; Ally David, alto

voice; Hannah Edmonds, soprano voice; Halle Abel, alto voice; Alec Beerman, soprano voice; Parker Coleman, alto voice; Elise Ferencz, soprano voice; Bailee Hawkins, soprano voice; Davan Hwang, alto voice; Logan Johnson, alto voice; and Heaven Manning, alto voice Pacific Cascade Middle School: Sam Foster, soprano voice; Sophia Valvis, soprano voice; Joshua VanOrman, baritone voice; Morgan Lowney, French horn; Ko Emily, trombone; Lauren Martinez, trumpet; Nick Larsen, alto voice; and Lilly Liu, alto voice Pine Lake Middle School Ethan Howard, baritone voice; Carolina Delgado, viola; Alicia Seidel, cello; Kelsey Zhong, viola; Alaka Rao, soprano voice; Jane Li, soprano voice; Carys McCloskey, alto voice; and Naomi O’Neil, alto voice Issaquah High School: Edward Park, soprano clarinet; Jacob Zollers, trombone; Jack Wheeler, bass 1; Jessica Mitchell, viola; and Carter Ray, violin Liberty High School: Madeline Houlihan, alto 2; Isaac Berglind, cello; Cassie Cox, soprano; Sarah Edmonds, alto 1; Paige Balut, flute; Amanda Haselden, alto 2; Steven Koon, bass 2; Eric Spradling, bass 2; Allison Wood, alto 1; Jenny Wood, soprano 2; and Robin Gertley, string bass Skyline High School Emily Licholai, flute; Niyathi Chakrapani, alto 2; Courtney Cohen, alto 1; Emma Kurtenbach, soprano 2; Josie Larsen, soprano 1; Andrea Yi, violin; Hannah Rosenbaum, alto 1; Quinton Cook, string bass; Mattias Tung, French horn; Jenna Bellavia, soprano 2; Wesley Gibson, bass 1; Isabella Hanreiter, soprano 2; Marie Hansen, soprano 2; Elyse Holsinger, soprano 2; Elyse Kaczmarek, alto 2; Andrew Millett, tenor 1; Rio Sano, tenor 2; Jake Sullivan, tenor 1; Sona Uradnik, alto 2; and Mikenna Whatley, soprano 1

Library fundraiser lures bargain shoppers

auction. All proceeds from the three-day event will be used to buy high-interest library materials to attract reluctant readers.

The sale starts at noon, Dec. 7 at Tiger Mountain Community High School and will last till 6 p.m. It opens up again from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 8 and from noon to 5 p.m. Dec. 9.

Learn more at www. tmch.issaquah.wednet. edu.

Tiger Mountain Community High School hosts a rummage sale and silent auction to benefit its school library Dec. 7-9.

Bargain shoppers can find clothes, toys, household tools and camping gear. Visitors will also get the chance to bid on local services, like a trip to a day spa, during the silent

Real Estate Services O’Brien, Barton, Joe & Hopkins, Attorneys at Law

Eastside Law Firm Offers Real Estate Transaction Services

Michael S. Essig Attorney at Law

• Licensed real estate broker and lawyer • Over 20 years experience in residential and commercial real estate • Member of Northwest MLS • Commissioned real estate services for buyers and sellers Market and list homes in MLS and newspaper Hold open houses Draft and negotiate contracts • “For Sale by Owner” services • Entity formation - LLCs and LLPs for investors

O’Brien Law Group x 175 NE Gilman Blvd, Issaquah x 425.391.7427 www.obrienlawfirm.net

Looking for a Dentist?

Choose the best!

Voted Your Favorite Dentists Best of Issaquah 2007 - 2012!

BARRY FEDER, DDS, PS MARK GERMACK, DDS Extended Hours 425.392.7541 450 NW Gilman Blvd.

Medical Center of Issaquah www.doctorfeder.com S TATE

OF THE

A RT C OSMETIC D ENTISTRY • T EETH W HITENING • I NVISALIGN

December 15th at 7 p.m.

Join KOMO 4’s Steve Pool and Molly Shen to celebrate the inspiring lives of Seattle Children’s Hospital patients. Enjoy seasonal entertainment and heartwarming stories.

Donations will benefit uncompensated care at Seattle Children’s. Call in and pledge your support!

Issaquah Community Services provides emergency aid when the going gets tough.

Please help.

Merry Christmas Issaquah 2012 FUND DRIVE

Donations benefit ICS, a 501c3 non-profit Thank you to our sponsors:

M A I L TO :

Merry Christmas Issaquah Ad space provided by:

s

c/o The Issaquah Press, PO Box 1328 Issaquah WA 98027

The Issaquah Press

P OLICE & F IRE Lost and found A woman in the 4600 block of West Lake Sammamish Parkway Southeast reported her purse stolen at 11:47 a.m. Nov. 16. She later discovered she had misplaced the purse inside her home.

Lights out Light poles were vandalized in Sammamish’s Lower Commons Park from Nov. 16-19. The estimated loss is $850.

Naughty, not nice Packages were stolen from the front of homes in the 4700 block of 225th Avenue Southeast before 2:30 p.m. Nov. 16. Some packages contained books, boots and a trophy.

Swiped Cash and other items were stolen from a vehicle parked in the 6100 block of East Lake Sammamish Parkway Southeast before 3:44 p.m. Nov. 16.

Unpackaged A box was stolen from in front of a home in the 4500 block of 192nd Avenue Southeast before 3:55 p.m.

Nov. 16. The estimated loss is $45.

Purse snatched A window was broken on a vehicle parked in the 5700 block of East Lake Sammamish Parkway Southeast before 7:59 p.m.

Nov. 16. A purse was stolen from the vehicle.

Bear killed A bear was struck and killed by a vehicle in the 1200 block of Front Street South before 9:43 p.m.

Nov. 16. Police contacted animal control officers to remove the carcass.

Pizza party Pizza was thrown at a garage and front door on a home in the 2000 block of 211th Place Southeast before 12:30 a.m. Nov. 17.

ON THE MAP See the Issaquah Police Department’s reported activity from the previous 72 hours at a crime map created by the city at www. ci.issaquah.wa.us/crimemap. Addresses contained in the map have been rounded to the nearest hundred block. The address displayed reflects the location where the officer responded to the incident — not necessarily where the incident occurred.

EASTSIDE FIRE & RESCUE REPORTS FOR NOV. 23-28 4An engine was required at 9:33 p.m.

Nov. 23 to extinguish a natural vegetation fire in the 1200 block of 218th Avenue Northeast.

4Ten engines were dispatched at 4:22 p.m.

Nov. 25 to a report of smoke in the 24400 block of Southeast 32nd Street, only to discover it was actually steam or gas.

4Four engines were dispatched at 4:53 p.m.

Nov. 27 to the scene of a motor vehicle accident with injuries in the 100 block of Southeast May Valley Road.

4One engine was required at 8:21 p.m.

Nov. 27 to extinguish a building fire in the 5900 block of 119th Avenue Southeast.

4An engine was sent at 8:05 p.m. Nov. 28 to assist a resident locked out of his or her home in the 3600 block of 228th Avenue Southeast.

4Four engines were dispatched at 8:23 p.m.

Nov. 28 to the scene of a motor vehicle accident in the 4100 Block of East Lake Sammamish Parkway Southeast. There were no injuries.

Arrest Police arrested a 22-year-old Fall City man for domestic violence, malicious mischief and interfering with a 911 call in the 100 block of Southeast Clark Street at 1:45 a.m.

Nov. 17.

reported to police Nov. 19 that her credit card information had been used to make fraudulent charges in July and September. The estimated loss is about 150 euros, or about $195.

Assault

Time for a change

Police arrested a 25-year-old Issaquah man for assault in the 2100 block of Shy Bear Way Northwest at 11:18 p.m.

Nov. 17.

A box of diapers was stolen from the porch of a home in the 1400 block of 26th Avenue Northeast before 2:47 p.m. Nov. 19.

Hung up Police arrested a 23-year-old Seattle man for stealing a cellphone in the 6300 block of East Lake Sammamish Parkway Southeast at 12:18 a.m.

Nov. 18.

Out in the cold A window was broken on a vehicle parked in the 18400 block of Northwest Montreux Drive before 7:59 a.m. Nov. 18. Coats were stolen from the vehicle.

Location unknown A GPS unit and CDs were stolen from a vehicle parked in the 18100 block of Northwest Montreux Drive before 8:54 a.m. Nov. 18.

Euro crisis A Sammamish woman

PTSA gives Newcastle Elementary $26,000 Newcastle Elementary School received $26,000 in donations from its PTSA Nov. 7.

The money was accepted as two separate gifts from the school’s PTSA during the Nov. 7 Issaquah School Board meeting.

The largest one,

Set sail Adirondack chairs were stolen from a Pine Lake dock in the 2700 block of 222nd Avenue Southeast before Nov. 20.

Sign of the times Police responded to a report of men tearing down a Welcome to Sammamish sign near the corner of Southeast Issaquah-Beaver Lake Road and East Beaver Lake Drive at about 1 a.m. Nov. 25. The caller did not provide a detailed description, and the men, who police discovered about 300 yards from the sign, said they were walking home from a bar in Klahanie. Police did not have enough information to cite them.

The Press publishes names of those charged with felony crimes.

Information comes directly from local police reports.

$16,000, will be used to buy a SmartCart mobile computer lab, which will help teachers temporarily turn their classrooms into computer labs for specific lessons.

The other $10,000 was donated with the intent to purchase new fitness equipment for the physical education program at Newcastle.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012 •

B7

The Issaquah Press

s

A&E

B8 • Wednesday, December 5, 2012

s

Author plates Evergreen State in ‘Dishing Up Washington’

By Warren Kagarise wkagarise@isspress.com Evergreen State cuisine is not all Neah Bay salmon, Seattle coffee, Walla Walla onions and Wenatchee apples.

“Dishing Up Washington” author Jess Thomson said the ingredient-driven cuisine indigenous to the Pacific Northwest is not so easy to pigeonhole.

“In general, what defines the Northwest is a willingness to experiment,” she said in a recent interview. “I think that you can see that in the willingness of chefs to combine traditional technique with the ingredients that we have — that weren’t necessarily used with those traditional techniques.”

Take, for instance, foraging — a

IF YOU GO Jess Thomson signs ‘Dishing Up Washington’ 45-6:30 p.m. Dec. 11 4Costco, 1801 10th Ave. N.W. 4Read the author’s blog, Hogwash, and find recipes from the book at www.jessthomson.wordpress.com.

common foodie pastime in Washington’s chanterelleand fiddlehead-packed forests.

“Using things that are foraged that aren’t used in traditional French food, but using those ingredients in traditional French applications,” she said.

Thomson is due at Costco on Dec. 11 to sign copies of “Dishing Up Washington” and discuss the book, a combination cookbook and travelogue documenting a journey across the Cascades to the Blue Mountains, out to the Olympic Peninsula and

destinations in between.

“Dishing Up Washington” includes recipes from boldface names in the Seattle restaurant scene — culinary icon Tom Douglas is featured and chef Ethan Stowell wrote the foreword — and lesserknown figures from farms and kitchens throughout the state.

Thomson, a Seattle-based author, joined photographer Lara Ferroni for weeks on the road to crisscross Washington, meet chefs and growers, and collect ideas and recipes for the eventual book.

Thomson said “Dishing Up Washington” is meant to introduce readers to the state’s bounty.

“There is so much here that it would be impossible to encapsulate it in a best-of book,” she said.

“I tried to do that at first.

Then I thought, ‘You know what? I want to make a great cookbook that people can use whether they’re looking for a fancy dinner party idea or just a weeknight supper.’”

Ingredients for success Thomson tested the concept by adapting a chocolate cake redolent with fig, fennel and pistachio from a Walla Walla chocolatier.

“How can I take those flavors, which I found really, really interesting, and put them into a form that people can make in their own kitchen in less than half an hour?” she said. “How can I make this approachable to the average cook?”

Inside restaurant kitchens, Thomson watched chefs prepare recipes created for “Dishing Up Washington” or soaked up ideas amid the hubbub.

“Sometimes, I would just walk into the kitchen and watch them make it,” Thomson said. “That sometimes was the best way to go about it. Or, sometimes I decided the best way to go about something was to just be inspired by whatever happened in a restaurant.”

Some indispensible

By Ari Cetron samrev@isspress.com

ingredients posed a challenge. Coffee, a brew synonymous with Seattle, stumped Thomson. So did apples, a billion-dollar industry in Washington.

“I did get very close to finishing the book and realized that there was not a single apple recipe,” Thomson admitted.

In end, she chose a roaster based in Olympia, Batdorf & Bronson Coffee Roasters, in a recipe for espresso brownies and incorporated apples into the book.

Thomson received some gentle reprimands for the lack of recipes incorporating marijuana — a no-longer-forbidden ingredient since voters passed Initiative 502 last month.

“There’s this espresso brownie recipe that’s in it that I’ve been taking everywhere because it’s so easy to make ahead of time and it travels so well. Everybody is like, ‘So, is there pot in these?’” she said.

“OK, I get it, I missed the recipe for that. I get that it’s a key ingredient. I get that it’s going to be legal.”

Innovation defines cuisine “Dishing Up Washington” is the latest entry in a series dedicated to statecentric cuisines. “Dishing Up Oregon” author Ashley Gartland is Thomson’s friend, and Gartland recommended Thomson to the publisher for a possible Evergreen State edition.

JEEP SUBARU

TOYOTA

The Northwest Boychoir is back with its 34th annual presentation of “A Festival of Lessons & Carols” concert series.

Included in the nine regional performances are two Issaquah voices: from Northwest Boychoir, Benjamin Richardson, 14, and from Vocalpoint! Seattle, Nick Borkowski, 16.

The singers are part of the two musical groups that are combining for the 90-member holiday chorus.

Patterned after the Christmas Eve observance at King’s College

HONDA

There Is No Substitute For Quality • Our Warranties Show Everything is Fixed Correctly, Completely And Cleanly!

Computerized Transmission Specialist 16 years Foreign & Domestic in same location!

Automatic & Manual Front, Rear & All Wheel Drive Clutch, Differential & Axle Scheduled Maintenance RV & Fleet A Dealer Alternative Free Road Test And Evaluation FREE LOCAL TOWING WITH MAJOR REPAIRS! Next To Big O Tires Financing 60 NW GILMAN BLVD • SUITE E O.A.C.

BMW

425-313-8956

ROVER

AUDI

VW

ISUZU

SAAB

MERCEDES

INFINITI

FORD

IF YOU GO Sammamish Symphony Holiday Pops Concert 47:30 p.m. Dec. 7 4Meydenbauer Center Theatre, 11100 N.E. Sixth St., Bellevue 42 p.m. Dec. 9 4Eastlake High School, 400 228th Ave. N.E., Sammamish 4Tickets: $12 to $16 4www.sammamishsymphony.org

Lake choir.

Worthington said the students have been working on the songs, an arrangement of some familiar Christmas carols and some likely unfamiliar carols, since the beginning of the school year.

Worthington said the students in her choir are excited and are not intimidated at the thought of performing in a venue like the Meydenbauer Center. The group frequently performs in unfamiliar venues, including Seattle Center and shows in Leavenworth.

“Our goal is to get them singing in front of the public as often as possible,” she said. “I think the audience will be pleasantly surprised at their skill level as singers.”

Northwest Boychoir features local singers in holiday shows

LEXUS

1780 NW Maple St • Issaquah 425-392-6000 • clarktow.com

“The publisher approached me and said, ‘So, what do you think about this series? It can sort of be what you want it to be.’ Some are very restaurant-driven, some have recipes that are more by the authors, but in general, they were very restaurantdriven,” Thomson said. “I said, ‘Well, I imagine that will be a little more skewed to my own recipes, something that would enable me to use the state’s foodways to inspire my kitchen.”

Then, Thomson — author of “Pike Place Market Recipes” and coauthor of “Top Pot Hand-Forged Doughnuts” — reached out to chefs.

“Some chefs are amazingly responsive,” Thomson said. “Tom Douglas, for example, has an amazing recipe developer named Shelley Lance who worked with him on the Dahlia cookbook that just came out. She is incredibly responsive and incredibly talented at developing a recipe that works the first time in the kitchen.”

(Douglas signed copies of “The Dahlia Bakery Cookbook” at the local Costco last month.)

Surprises abounded as Thomson and photographer Ferroni traveled across the state, and Thomson said innovation emerged as the common theme at each destination.

“People here are very excited about finding new things constantly,” she said. “I don’t think people sit on their laurels here.”

NISSAN

We’re here 24/7

DODGE

One of Sammamish’s holiday traditions, the Holiday Pops concert by the Sammamish Symphony, will have a new twist this year.

John Patrick Lowrie, known for work at the Village Theatre and voiceacting in a host of popular video games, will read “’Twas the Night Before Christmas,” to the accompaniment of the symphony.

“We try to make it interesting,” said R. Joseph Scott, conductor of the symphony.

The show will feature a host of popular holiday songs, Scott said, including Christmas and Hanukkah songs.

“It includes all sorts of fun works,” he said.

He said that some will be songs people will recognize, while others may not be familiar as holiday songs, such as the final scene from “Swan Lake,” but may spark an interest in the music.

“It’s a family show,” Scott said. “It’s to come and enjoy the season.”

The symphony also likes to connect with a local school choir, he said, and this year students from Beaver Lake Middle School will be singing along.

“We’re going to be great,” said Tina Worthington, director of the Beaver

ACURA

MITSUBISHI

CHEVROLET

Towing • Emergency Road Service Auto Transport • Cars • Trucks Boats • Planes

Symphony joins choir to create sounds of season

in Cambridge, England, “A Festival of Lessons & Carols” consists of nine holiday readings, each followed by a traditional carol performed by the choir, and another carol sung by the choir and audience.

With concerts in Seattle, Bothell and Lynnwood, performances will run Dec. 7-23. Tickets cost $10 to $25 and can be purchased in advance by calling 206524-3234 or online at www. nwchoirs.org, which also includes individual show times, dates and locations.