local| Annual Eggstravaganza Egg Hunt slated for April 7 at City Hall lawn [8] CRIME WATCH | Redmond Police Blotter [15]
˜
.com
Reporter
A DIVISION OF SOUND PUBLISHING
NEWSLINE: 425.867.0353
redmond
SCHOOLS | Evergreen Junior High students FRIDAY, March 30, 2012 gather donations to help kids in need [3]
Redmond lifesavers honored for heroic efforts
Traffic safety plan features school-zone improvements Proposed joint plan calls for using speed indicator signs rather than ticketing cameras
Samantha Pak spak@redmond-reporter.com
Wheaties may be the breakfast of champions, but Tuesday morning at Seattle’s Washington State Convention Center was the breakfast of heroes as the American Red Cross recognized individuals in King County who have gone above and beyond the duties of the everyday citizen. Stephanie Schoo, regional communications director for Red Cross, said people were honored for a number of different things, but their actions all personified the Red Cross’s mission: neighbors helping neighbors when they need it most. “Some are pretty dramatic and literally life saving and some are working day in, day out to help make our community a safer, stronger place,” she said about the acts and individuals who were honored at the 16th Annual Heroes Breakfast. “They’re doing it selflessly. They’re not doing it for themselves. They’re doing it to help other people.” Among those honored at the event — which was also a fundraiser for the Red Cross — were Redmond Fire Department (RFD) assistant fire marshal Todd Short and Redmond businessman John Atzbach and his wife Cary Atzbach. They received the Medical Rescue and Water Rescue awards respectively.
BILL CHRISTIANSON bchristianson@redmond-reporter.com
OFF-DUTY CALL
Short, who lives in Kenmore, was at the Great Harvest Bread Company in Redmond when a man on a cell phone entered the bakery demanding the address. Short said the other man was aggressive and something about the situation didn’t “settle well” with him. So Short looked out to the parking lot and saw the man on the phone and a woman standing outside of a car with an open driver-side door. Inside was a man slumped over the steering wheel. Short rushed outside and immediately began assisting the unconscious man, who was Don Trombly of Issaquah. The woman was his [ more HEROES page 6 ]
SPORTS | Redmond High School girls’ golf team aims to continue tradition of success [11]
READY TO ROCK
Derek White is among four musical acts who have advanced to the finals MORE PHOTOS ONLINE for the sixth annual Classic Rockathon competition at the Old Fire House Teen www.redmond-reporter.com Center (OFH). The battle of the bands will be April 13 at the OFH, located at 16510 N.E. 79th St. in Redmond, at 8 p.m. Seven artists competed in the semifinals last Friday and Saturday, performing songs by Devo, Black Flag, Beatles, Black Sabbath, Jimmy Hendrix, ZZ Top and more in the styles of ska, lounge, metal, punk, and acoustic in addition to straight rock. Judges narrowed it down to four artists for the finals: The Hebephrenics, Derek White, Box and Ryot. Admission to the finals is $8 or $7 with a can of food for Hopelink. In honor of Friday the 13th, the event will have an all-black theme. Those dressed in black will save $1 on admission at the door. Photo courtesy of Scott Sherman
A proposed plan calls for the use of technology — not ticketing cameras — to help improve safety in city school zones. The joint plan by the Redmond Police and Public Works departments recommends installing 16 beacons with digitally programmed radar speed indicator signs in school zones throughout the city. The beacon will alert drivers of the school zone speed limit and the sign underneath will flash real-time speeds of oncoming drivers. The signs, known as speed radar feedback signs, will flash a “slow down” message if drivers are going too fast. “We like radar feedback signs because they provide that critical clarity of what is the speed limit right now and what is my speed right now,” said City of Redmond public works program administrator Jeff Palmer. The speed radar feedback signs are part of an estimated $1 million comprehensive traffic safety plan, which was presented by Palmer and police leaders at Tuesday’s City Council public safety committee meeting. Redmond Police Chief Ron Gibson said that the speed radar feedback signs have proven to be much more effective than the controversial traffic-enforcement speed cameras currently in place. “The results we found working with traffic engineers and traffic operations is that the speed feedback signs actually have better reductions in speeds in school zones,” Gibson said. “We are going to recommend that we go that route.” The city’s contract with camera vendor American Traffic Solutions (ATS) for its two school-zone ticketing cameras near Einstein Elementary School will end on or near June 22 — ending a year a half pilot program using the criticized trafficenforcement cameras. [ more TRAFFIC SAFETY page 5 ]