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Ice skater to take dancing abilities to national rink
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City Council to get update on libraries Advocacy coalition offers experts to provide oversight on library design BY TRACEY COMPTON
BY ADAM MCFADDEN
tcompton@rentonreporter.com
amcfadden@rentonreporter.com
With renewed interest in the downtown library renovation, the Renton City Council Monday will receive its first update on library building plans in the city since before the Aug. 7 vote. Information about the downtown Renton and Highlands libraries will be presented in the council’s Committee of the Whole meeting at 6 p.m. Monday. The King County Library System will have representatives at the meeting, including Bill Ptacek, KCLS library director. Ptacek didn’t attend last Monday’s City Council meeting, but in a phone interview Library design open houses he confirmed that KCLS is still retaining WHAT: The open house is hosted and architect Miller Hull facilitated by City of Renton representafor the downtown tives, who will give updates on the library library renovation plans to the public. and the goal now is to WHEN: 6 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 18 rebuild the downtown WHERE: Conference Center 7th floor, library built over the Renton City Hall, 1055 Grady Way S. Cedar River. “I wouldn’t say they are starting from scratch but it is a new environment that they have to build to,” Ptacek said of Miller Hull. The architect is putting together its consultant team, Ptacek said, that will be different but not necessarily bigger. The fodder the architect will use for the design will be based on information from the previous feasibility study, feedback from public forums and site-specific information, according to Ptacek. Mayor Denis Law maintains the relationship with KCLS is firm. “Our main goal is to construct the nicest facility possible over the river while staying within our budget,” Law said via email Tuesday. Preeti Shridhar, the city’s communications director, also added insight into the relationship. “Our relationship with KCLS continues to be really strong, the city is working on opportunities for the public to participate in the future and give updates and give their [ more LIBRARY page 11 ]
FYI
Ashlee Evans, a student at Kentridge High School who ice skates in at Castle Ice Arena in Renton, will compete in the National Solo Dance Championships in Colorado Springs. ADAM MCFADDEN, Renton Reporter partner in this area. It’s not a big dance area, so there aren’t many people doing it around here,” she said. Her favorite move is the camel spin, something she learned long ago, but is always working on because it’s a base spin to build other moves. She’s overcome a nasty fall last summer, when she
tore her hamstring and nearly ripped a tendon. She dealt with pain for about six months. “It was the weirdest freak fall ever,” she said. “There’s no jumping in dance, but your feet are so close together they can get caught easily. Those are the scarier falls.” Evans travels to Colorado
Springs on Monday. She will compete at the Bronze Level in the Solo Pattern competition and the Juvenile Level in the Solo Free Dance competition. To see results or for more information about the competition, go to usfigureskating.org/event_details. asp?id=48369
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It didn’t take ice skater Ashlee Evans long to become one of the country’s best. In her first year trying, Evans qualified for the National Solo Dance Championships Sept. 20-23 in Colorado Springs, Colo. “I’m really, really excited about it,” said the 17-yearold Kentridge senior. “I’m just so happy.” Evans practices as Castle Ice Arena in Renton, where she also works to offset the cost of her skating. She takes classes at Green River Community College through Running Start so she can work 8-10 hours of skating into her week. There are qualifying events through the year and the top six skaters from the Pacific Coast, Eastern and Midwest regions qualify for the national event. Evans placed third in the Pacific Coast region. She’s been skating figure skating, freestyle and ice dance for about 10 years. After competing at the national competition, and going through all of her dance tests, Evans wants to become a skating coach. Another thing Evans is hoping to do is find a dance partner. “It’s really hard to find a