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COMMUNITY | Eastside Cultural Navigator Program helps guide immigrants, refugees [6] CRIME WATCH | Redmond Police Blotter [11]
FRIDAY, May 11, 2012
A DIVISION OF SOUND PUBLISHING
SPORTS | After 0-7 start to season, the Mustang baseball clinched a third straight state berth [14]
ARTS | Conductor celebrates 20 years with Eastside Symphony [8]
City Council denies bike park appeal
LEFT: Cher Cha and wife Kazoua Yang help prepare spring tulips from their business ES Garden at the opening day of the Redmond Saturday market.
Opponents plan to take issue to King County Superior Court Samantha Pak spak@redmond-reporter.com
The Redmond City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to uphold a hearing examiner’s decision to approve the city’s site entitlement plan for the proposed Redmond Bike Park to be built within Hartman Park on Education Hill. The vote followed an appeal hearing during which Education Hill residents Steve Gasser and Harold Zeitz addressed the Council to have the hearing examiner’s decision, which was made last December, overturned. Redmond City Attorney James Haney also spoke, representing the city during the proceedings. Both Gasser and Zeitz live near the proposed park location and said they are not against the idea of formalizing the 2.5-acre site at Hartman Park, where neighborhood kids have been building dirt ramps and jumps for the past two decades, into an official bike park. They are concerned however, about the city’s plans for expansion — among other things. “We were all told the size of the park would not change,” Zeitz said, referring to the residents of Education Hill. He said the proposed plans have the bike park at about eight times its current size. Zeitz, along with fellow Education Hill resident Robert Katz, represented an appellant group of 32 Education Hill residents during the hearing. Zeitz was the only one permitted to speak according to city code, but about 100 [ more APPEAL page 3 ]
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BELOW: Chloe the dairy goat waits eagerly to be petted. She belongs to a farm in Duvall where the Heart of Dreams Alpacas business is located. Raechel Dawson, For the Reporter
Redmond’s blooming market Redmond Saturday Market kicks off 37th season with music, animals, arts and food RAECHEL DAWSON For the Reporter
I
t was a typical Northwest morning: clouds, cool breezes and coffee. And yet, when produce vendors and early risers were suddenly jerked awake by the loud beat of a drum, it was a signal that this was not a normal day. It was the kickoff of the 37th annual Redmond Saturday Market, which runs every Saturday through October at the corner of Leary Way Northeast and Bear Creek Parkway. The Redmond High School band wel-
comed the crowd and Redmond Mayor John Marchione cut the ribbon to signal the commencement. And one thing was certain: Those who were there could not ignore the aroma of Italian pizza, tamales, jelly-filled pies and other tantalizing goodies.
“They have really good food,” exclaimed Mary Schloredt, a Woodinville resident. “The tamales are to die for,” added Schloredt’s husband, Mark. “And then there’s a man that sells $8 meatball sandwiches. Then we just discovered this lady down here that sells these little mushroom beef pea pies, (and) there are muffins with all this jam ...” The Schloredts know good food. Mark Schloredt explains that Mary, besides being a “five star” cook herself, had a mother who was in the food business for 35 years. They say she was even a chef on TV. Veraci Pizza, a wood-fired pizza business since 2004, is one of 18 new vendors at the market this season. Owner Marshall Jett said they are “excited to be here” and have wanted to be a part of the market for a long time. [ more MARKET page 7 ]
Keeping hope alive: More than 60 people attend vigil for missing boy Matt Phelps mphelps@kirklandreporter.com
Music filled Heritage Park in Kirkland Sunday night as the sun drifted behind the Seattle skyline in the distance. More than 60 people were on hand for “A Night for Sky” to pray for the safe return
of now 3-year-old Sky Metalwala and lend support to the boy’s father Solomon Metalwala. But the calm scene, on the six-month anniversary of his disappearance, was in stark contrast to the anxiety that his father and family has faced. “We need to keep the story alive,” said Jesse Mayor, a friend of Solomon who is
the administrator of the Find Sky Facebook page. “I know that this event is going to keep it in front of people. Everyone has a reach and we need to get everyone to see Sky’s face.” The event was organized by City Church of Kirkland and Belltown, in Seattle, of which Solomon is a devout member.
The cause has been relatively quiet since the last candle-light vigil, which took place in downtown Bellevue on Feb. 18, other than a few media interviews. That vigil also had around 60 people attend but was organized by the group Search and Seek. [ more VIGIL page 5 ]