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TRANSPORTATION | Bellevue City Council approves game plan to handle permitting process for light rail project [16]
Health | Thousands of walkers join Komen 3 Day to provide help, hope to those battling FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2012 breast cancer [5]
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Love and marriage | Carl and Josephine Carulli met as children – and have been married 75 years [11]
Rowdy off-duty Bellevue police cause a scene in Seattle over litter Bellevue officers under investigation after confrontation with Seattle Police officer BY NAT LEVY Bellevue Reporter
large immigrant population is one of the most important responsibilities of the city and its offices. “The government needs to do whatever we can to encourage those principles,” he said. “There’s no bigger responsibility than to vote.” Roughly one in every three Bellevue residents was born outside of the United States, and the city prides itself on being a cultural hub with events like Aki Matsuri and others throughout the year. Applicants for naturalization go through a rigorous process that includes oral exams in English, U.S. History and Civics. Lee, who was born in China, and guest speaker Jose Garcia-Pabon, an assistant professor at Washington State University and also a naturalized citizen, emphasized that natural born citizens and naturalized ones have a voice in their communities. “This could be the beginning of a great journey as a U.S. citizen,” Garcia-Pabon said.
Bellevue Police Chief Linda Pillo has initiated an internal investigation into allegations that three off duty Bellevue officers berated and mocked a Seattle police officer after being asked to pick up litter. Sunday afternoon, before the Seattle Seahawks game at CenturyLink Stadium, a group walked by a female Seattle police officer and threw litter on the ground. She asked them to pick up the litter and they turned and confronted her. According to Seattle Police, the group identified themselves as “This is a rare Bellevue Police of- anomaly in our ficers. The officers department and it were not cited for is disappointing.” littering, or for Bellevue Police Chief their response to Linda Pillo the Seattle officer’s request to pick up the trash. Pillo, in a prepared statement released Tuesday, said she has ordered the department’s Office of Professional Standards to investigate. “I personally called the Seattle officer involved to offer my sincere apology on behalf of the department, and made it clear that if there was any unacceptable behavior by our officers, in no way does this reflect who we are as an organization,” the chief said in the statement. “This is a rare anomaly in our department and it is disappointing.” Det. Mark Jamieson of Seattle Police said the department is satisfied with Bellevue’s response to open an investigation. “The incident happened, we contacted Bellevue, and we said ‘we think you should be aware’ and we trust that Bellevue will handle it,” he said.
Josh Suman: 425-453-5045; jsuman@bellevuereporter.com
Nat Levy: 425-453-4290; nlevy@bellevuereporter.com
Qian Xu (center in purple) stands and recites the Oath of Allegiance at the city of Bellevue’s naturalization ceremony on Monday, Sept. 17. Xu, who came to the United States without any family members to swim competitively, was one of 46 Bellevue residents who officially gained citizenship status and were recognized at the ceremony. JOSH SUMAN, Bellevue Reporter
46 become citizens in Bellevue ceremony BY JOSH SUMAN Bellevue Reporter
For the past 13 years, people have been asking Theodora Letz when she will be going home. After yesterday’s ceremony at Bellevue City Hall to welcome 46 new naturalized citizens to the city and nation, she now has an answer. “There’s no going back,” Letz said after she and 45 others, including her husband Paul Blinzer, took part in the second annual ceremony to welcome new naturalized citizens.
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The couple originally emigrated from Germany to Canada, before Paul’s work brought them to Bellevue, where they have remained for more than a decade. Theodora found that while the community was always welcoming of their family regardless of citizenship status, she felt it would be a fulfilling and important step to take. “I was registering friends to vote, but I couldn’t vote myself,” she said. Bellevue Mayor Conrad Lee, himself a naturalized citizen, offered his own congratulations to the group and said encouraging civic responsibility among Bellevue’s