REPORTER
Mercer Island
Home sale prices jump
Celebrating the class of 2012
Litzow Town Hall meeting by phone State Sen. Steve Litzow of Mercer Island will hold a ‘telephone town-hall’ meeting for residents of the 41st District at 7 p.m., Wednesday, June 13. The one-hour forum format will be question-driven. Constituents will have opportunity to discuss issues and actions taken during the 2012 legislative session. Residents will receive a call inviting them to join as the meeting begins and may simply stay on the line to participate; they also have the option to call in toll-free by dialing 1-877-229-8493 and entering the code 110085. To learn more, or if you have questions, call (425) 453-3076.
Mercer Island Farmers Market bag giveaway Sunday This Sunday during the Mercer Island Farmers Market, visitors can earn a free Mercer Island Farmers Market reusable shopping bag. Shoppers just need to purchase items from three vendors to receive the bag. The farmers market is held every Sunday from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at Mercerdale Park. This Sunday’s music will feature Swamp Soul and the Cajun/Sydeco style.
[more-online www.MI-Reporter.com
Matt Brashears/Special to the Reporter
Bustling with family and friends after the MIHS graduation ceremony, Shawn Sprinkle (back to camera at bottom) poses for a photograph flanked by his father, Roger Sprinkle, left, and his brother, Darren Sprinkle, right. His mother, Eileen Concannon, snaps the photo.
351 MIHS graduates head to the future 2,200 friends and family attend 55th MIHS commencement By Mary L. Grady
editor@mi-reporter.com
Commencement exercises for the Mercer Island High School Class of 2012 were held last Thursday evening at the Washington State Convention Center in downtown Seattle. More than 2,000 parents, relatives and friends attended, bearing cameras, flowers and good wishes, and perhaps a good measure of relief. The rain let up as Islanders set out for Seattle on Thursday evening during rush hour traffic. Many found themselves following the yellow school buses full of graduates as they entered the freeway off of West Mercer Way and snaked their way through the backups on I-90. Those behind could all trail along in the HOV lane secure in the knowledge that they would not be late if the bus was, too.
Held on the fourth floor of the convention center adjacent to the glass-covered skybridge high above Pike Street, the huge event space was full. The Mercer Island High School orchestra performed themes from “Star Wars” and “The Lord of the Rings.” The graduates were attended by Mercer Island High School teaching staff and administrators clad in their own caps, gowns and hoods. 351 names were listed on the commencement ceremony program. The four class valedictorians are: Ashley Bobman, Samyukta Lanka, Andrea Lin and Elizabeth Orem. The two salutatorians are Annelise Giseburt and Anna Partridge — all young women. As the graduates crossed the dais to receive their diploma (just the ceremonial folder, with the real one yet to come), exuberance reigned despite the solemnity implied by the occasion. Graduates
were well-behaved despite family members in the audience who hooted wildly as their student’s name was announced. But graduates refused to be held back by such restrictions, expressing themselves the only way they could. Many feet could be spotted sporting a wide selection of footwear that would make any shoe courtier proud. Young men wore a selection of tennis shoes, size 14 couture leather slip-ons, Topsiders and, of course, the graduation standard, flipflops. One young man strode to receive his degree in bare feet. Young women were also fashion conscious, many tottering on three-inch heels — while others wisely wore flats. Physics teacher Aaron Nobel was selected by the class to be the faculty speaker. He had long waited for the chance to be selected, he told the graduates. He began by telling the audience that he had just completed a sheepshearing class at Washington State University. He wanted to show what he had learned but realized the poor sheep would be frightened by the people. Without sheep and shears,
The four class valedictorians and two salutatorians are all young women.
Grads | Page 2
Prices | Page 3
REPORTER
The Mercer Island Guild will be holding a charity yard sale, June 15-16, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 2903 74th Ave. S.E. Proceeds will benefit research at Seattle Children’s Hospital. The sale this weekend will include a wide variety of donated items, such as furniture and clothing.
By Reporter Staff
The number of single family homes for sale on Mercer Island fell by one-quarter in May, down 32 homes from the same month a year ago. But the news is good. The number of homes sold during the month increased while the number of homes pending final sale held steady. The number of closed sales for May were up by over one-quarter from a year ago to 34. The median price for final sales for the month was up by nearly 20 percent. In May of 2011, the median price for closed home sales was $718,000; for this past month, the median price was $855,000.
Mercer Island
Mercer Island Guild charity yard sale
Median price for single family homes sold in May jumps by 19 percent
One year $39, two years just $59
MI | THIS WEEK
Wednesday, June 13, 2012 | 75¢
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