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ARTS | New theater company, Downtown Theatre Project, readies first production – ‘The Best Christmas Pageant Ever’ [9]
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Gingerbread houses come to Bellevue
Two Bellevue police officers disciplined for rowdy behavior
20 creations on display to benefit KIDSQuest Museum
Third officer exonerated in incident at Seahawks game
BY ANNE LAUGHLIN SPECIAL TO THE BELLEVUE REPORTER
Working well into the night in a catering warehouse tucked away in Bellevue’s Bel-Red neighborhood, a team of four pastry professionals put the final touches on a gingerbread house. But not just any gingerbread house. It, and 19 others, are vying for honors in the annual KIDSQuest Museum Gingerbread Lane, which is part of Bellevue’s Magic Season. The competing houses will be on display through Dec. 16 in the Bellevue Hilton lobby. Winners will be announced on Dec. 8. The houses will be auctioned off to the highest sweet-tooth bidders. Jill Borgida, an instructor for Wilton Industries, worked side by side with Kelli Morse of Kelli’s Cake Creations, Gian Edmondson and Becky Bihary, consultants who have worked with Kelli. All are local pastry experts with steady hands, plenty of patience and an eye for the whimsical. The house, sponsored by Republic Services, embraces a theme of the Wizard of Oz situated in the Pacific Northwest with multiple references to a “green” holiday. Jill Borgida is the wife of Republic Services’ general manager, Jeff Borgida. “When we brainstormed we kept the KIDSQuest audience in mind,” said Jill. “We thought kids and parents would enjoy our interpretation of the Land of Oz here in the Northwest. And a green theme wouldn’t be complete without a reference to environmental stewardship.” The entry is a traditional Northwest Tudor home equipped with stained-glass windows made of melted Lifesaver candies lit by the warm glow of a battery-powered candle stands surrounded by evergreen trees created from ice cream cones with frosting and an “Emerald City” skyline in the background. Wizard of Oz characters crafted in fondant demonstrate the team’s
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SEE GINGERBREAD, 10
SEE POLICE, 8
OFFICERS APOLOGIZE
Jill Borgida (left) and Gian Edmondson work to place the chimney on top. The battery powered candle that glows inside is accessed by way of a removable chimney. ANNE LAUGHLIN, Republic Services careful attention to detail and the lengths to which they will go to create the Northwest flavor. Dorothy wears a red scarf and goulashes with a latte in hand. A blue Republic Services’ curbside recycling cart also crafted of fondant awaits pick-up beside the Yellow
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Brick Road, laden with gumdrop “recyclables.” “We’ve done our best to make everything look as realistic as possible,” added Becky as she rolled fondant rainbows for an um-
Two Bellevue Police Department officers were disciplined and one was exonerated after an off-duty incident that occurred in September during a Seattle Seahawks game. Corporal Dion Robertson, a 22-year veteran, was demoted to officer and lost his supervisory responsibilities on the Bomb Squad which results in a significant annual loss in pay. Officer Andy Hanke, a seven-year veteran, was given 30 days suspension from duty without pay and was removed from Disciplined the Bomb police officers Squad, also apologize for resulting in their actions. a significant Page 8 loss in annual wages. Both officers were found to have violated policies on Deportment (a manner of personal conduct/behavior), Courtesy and Code of Ethics. Officer Hanke also violated Obedience to Laws Policy. A female detective was exonerated and cleared of all allegations. “I am convinced that these officers have learned a very hard lesson and their actions in the future will always meet the high standards of behavior that the Bellevue community rightfully demands of their police,” said Police Chief Linda Pillo. “The discipline given to these officers is firm yet fair. After the media’s description of the events, some citizens demanded I
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