Reporter ISSAQUAH | SAMMAMISH
Friday, August 17, 2012
www.issaquahreporter.com
Woman Drowns
Humble Start
No foul play in Plateau incident BY CELESTE GRACEY CGRACEY@ISSAQUAHREPORTER.COM
Issaquah’s congressional candidate brings love for community, government to campaign
BY CELESTE GRACEY CGRACEY@ISSAQUAHREPORTER.COM
W
ith little political experience, even less money and no name recognition, Issaquah’s Karen Porterfield does have at least one thing nailed down – her passion for effective government. A management consultant whose worked for years winning government grants for low-income housing projects, she is taking on Congressman Dave Reichert in the 8th District this year.
She believes that her perspective as an instructor of Public Administration would offer Congress something unique. Her past – two parents dedicated to volunteerism and helping pass school levies – is also a distinctive note in her song. Her parents were so involved in the community, she remembers learning math after they asked her to sort stacks of political mailers into zip codes. In addition to volunteering with kids programs, her mother helped found a food bank in Seattle. “They were supportive in the community,” she said at her Talus home. “They just took us along with them.” She held onto their optimistic spirit for change, but applied it to government. After helping Congressman Jim McDermott with campaign fundraising, he gave her name to a Rotary friend at the Salvation Army. He was looking for someone to raise federal money for housing projects. Her eight-month contract turned into 13 years of national housing projects. After a two-year stint at United Way, she felt a desire to make a deeper impact. She loved the idea of teaching others to help their communities. She’s now at Seattle University.
Eighth District congressional candidate Karen Porterfield, an Issaquah resident, grew up in a Ballard home that cherished community involvement. Now challenging Rep. Dave Reichert in the general election, she’s bringing that same optimism toward change to her campaign. CELESTE GRACEY, Issaquah & Sammamish Reporter Her interest in running for office didn’t start until two years ago, when Dave Reichert won his reelection campaign. She recalls picking up a newspaper and asking herself, “Why does he keep winning?” Democrats have run expensive campaigns against the incumbent in the past. The district boundaries changed this year and now skip across the Cascade Mountain range. Most saw it as an attempt to strengthen the district for Republicans, but she saw it as an opportunity. Democrats and Republicans have equal supporters, making independent voters the key to winning office. So she began to ask Democrats whether
she should challenge Reichert. When she got a positive response, she took a step forward. When the response was negative – often that she wasn’t wealthy enough, that she would get too frustrated, or that she was crazy to consider it – she let it empower her. If government is going to change, voters have to change who gets sent back, Porterfield said. It shouldn’t matter that you’re an incumbent or personally wealthy. “I just firmly believe that people want to be successful,” she said. “Our goal is to give them the tools.” Issaquah & Sammamish Reporter staff writer Celeste Gracey can be reached at 425391-0363, ext. 5052.
Police don’t believe there was any foul play in the drowning of Barbara Mitchell, a long-time Valley Medical Center executive. Mitchell’s son found her body in a pond along Pine-Lake Road Aug. 8, several hours after she had left for a walk. The 66-year-old had setup a picnic with food and a towel by the shore, said King County Sheriff ’s Sgt. Cindi West. The King County Medical Examiner’s Office determined she drowned, but didn’t find any other major health problems that could Barbara Mitchell have lead to the drowning. Sometime after 10 a.m., Mitchell left her husband a note that she was going on walk near the Rainbow Lake area. She was known to take long walks by herself, so he didn’t suspect anything was wrong until he got a message from her doctor saying she had missed an appointment that afternoon. The son found her about the same time police arrived on the corner of SE 44th St. and PineLake Road. Mitchell was known for her vivacious spirit and love for her family and career. Working at Valley Medical since 1999, she was the president of human resources. “She was smart, insightful, compassionate and a friend, and will be missed by so many on both a professional and personal level,” said Rich Roodman, CEO, Valley Medical Center She is survived by her husband Robb; son, Jordan Miller; daughter-in-law, Mistilyn Miller; grandson, Zayden; and granddaughter, Adel. A Celebration of Life will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 29, in the Healing Garden at Valley Medical Center.