REPORTER
Mercer Island
400 attend Republican MI caucus
Handling the heat
MI Rotary Run is Sunday, March 25 It is the 40th year for the Mercer Island Rotary Run, the annual event that marks the start of the Puget Sound region’s running season. There is something for everyone. To register for the event that suits you and to find out more, go to www.mercerislandhalf. com. The event supports colon cancer awareness and research.
By Mary L. Grady
editor@mi-reporter.com
MIPC youth auction is March 10 The Mercer Island Presbyterian Church is holding their annual auction to support their youth mission to Mexico. The event is set for Saturday, March 10. For more information and to view the auction catalog, go to www.mipc.org.
Register for the April 17 elections March 19 is the deadline for mail and online voter registrations and transfers for the April 17 special election. Go to www.kingcounty.gov/ elections.aspx for more.
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Patricia Blount/Contributed Photo
Benjamin Zawadzki shows off the potholders made by members of the Pinwheel Region United Synagogue Youth for Darfur refugees to handle hot solar cookers. The cookers take the place of outdoor fires, meaning that girls and women do not have to gather wood, which puts them at risk of attack. See the story on page 10.
School district will buy Stevenson farm Nearly $6 million for farm; Redeemer Church may also sell property By Linda Ball
lball@mi-reporter.com
A huge announcement was made at the special meeting called by the Mercer Island School District’s Board of Directors on March 1. After what sounded like months of negotiation, the board authorized superintendent Gary Plano to sign a contract to purchase the Stevenson property, a 4.89-acre parcel south of Island Crest Park, off of Island Crest Way. Plano will continue negotia-
Go to www.no-mi-school-tear-down.com to learn why you must vote NO on the SCHOOL BOND at this time.
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MI School Board RUBBER STAMPS FLAWED 21ST Century Committee Plan.
tions with Redeemer Lutheran Church of Mercer Island for their property, approximately 2.02 acres, which is adjacent to the Stevenson property. The purchase price for the Stevenson property is $5.95 million. Assuming that the district comes to price and terms with Redeemer Lutheran Church, they will have locked up about seven acres for a new Island Park Elementary School. “This is an incredible achievement,” said board member Brian Emanuels. Relocating Island Park Elementary School will provide for better school placement and improved traffic flow on Island Crest Way, according to a news release from the district. The old Island Park building
will be used as a swing school, enabling some student offloading during construction of the remaining three schools, should the bond for new schools pass. These real estate transactions are contingent on the passing of a bond, Plano said. “The purchase of the land is subject to a vote of the people,” he said. Lewis Stevenson Sr., who owned the property, died March 16, 2011. The property was passed to his four grown children; there has been much speculation about what would happen to the property given the fact that it is rare to find a five-acre parcel basically untouched on the Island. The Stevenson family has an old home on the property, but for many years it was one of the only places on the Island to board horses. Pete Hayes, with Coldwell Banker Bain of Bellevue, represents the Stevenson family.
Caucus | Page 2
REPORTER
The Puget Sound Blood Center will be on Mercer Island between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. (except from 11 a.m. until 11:45 a.m.) on March 18 at Herzl-Ner Tamid at 3700 East Mercer Way. All are welcome. For more information, go to www.psbc.org/programs/ drives_search.htm.
Mercer Island
Lend a pint at the March 18 blood drive
Islanders who came to participate in the Republican caucus at Islander Middle School last Saturday morning were on a mission. They want to send a clear and unified message about who they prefer for president. Organizers estimated that there were 400 or more Islanders who came. For many, it was the first time that they had attended a caucus. Amid the crowd, there was little evidence of individual candidates’ campaigns. A table for candidate Ron Paul was set up outside the room. There was little campaign ephemera to be seen; only a few buttons and T-shirts. Two dozen or so tables were set up using pairs of cafeteria tables in the school’s multipurpose room to
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