Reporter ISSAQUAH | SAMMAMISH
Friday, March 15, 2013
www.issaquahreporter.com
Down to two
Interior designer Kassi Clark stands in a Sammamish bathroom that she recently remodeled. Clark is one of two local designers recognized at the recent Northwest Design Awards for her exceptional work. Below, is the living room of a Magnolia home for which Kassi Clark won first place.
KEVIN ENDEJAN, Issaquah & Sammamish Reporter
Callan, Meryweather finalists for School Board position BY LINDA BALL LBALL@ISSAQUAHREPORTER.COM
ing in their home instead of buying a new home, that there’s more demand for updating their current homes,” she said. “People are relearning to love their current home.” Make no mistake, not just anyone can step into the world of interior design and find success. On top of balancing relationships with a
Two women, both active with Issaquah schools, are finalists for an open seat on the Issaquah School Board. Lisa Callan and Alison Meryweather will undergo a second round of interviews by school board members March 20 to fill the seat vacated by Chad Magendanz, who resigned when he was elected to the state House of Representatives. Callan and Meryweather were interviewed by the board March 6, along with Margo Campbell, Justin Park and Justin Rolfe. Meryweather, a 25-year resident of Issaquah who is a selfdescribed “education policy wonk,” said the schools need to challenge the students, look at more than raw numbers and look at each school individually to see where its strengths are. She said the district is doing a good job of maximizing its investments. Passing the next levy and enhancing the experience of all students were on her list of priorities. Callan, who has a secondgrader in the district, said a great school needs community support, a safe environment and the ability to recognize current educational trends. The achievement gap between students was a hot topic. Callan said it’s necessary to pinpoint what is needed in the community to take care of hunger and housing. She added that the achievement gap hasn’t been closed because it’s a social issue. “We’re good at education, but social structures are out of our control,” Callan said.
SEE DESIGNERS, 6
SEE BOARD, 8
TOP DESIGNERS
Pair of Sammamish women named best among hundreds of others in the Northwest BY KEVIN ENDEJAN KENDEJAN@ISSAQUAHREPORTER.COM
W
“I love the opportunity to design to different extremes.”
hether it’s as small as a bathroom renovation or a complete reconstruction of a basement, Sammamish resident Kassi Clark says she always has one goal — to make a room sparkle.
“I’m just intrigued by all different styles of design and I love the opportunity to design to the different extremes,” she said. Clark was one of two Sammamish residents to be recognized as a top Northwest interior designer last week during the Northwest Design Awards in Seattle. She claimed first place for Best Individual Room - Traditional, beating out hundreds of other entries from Washington, Oregon and British Columbia. The trophy was gratifying for Clark, who just five years ago decided to end her 18-year career as a marketing consultant for a wireless company and follow her dream. “It was time to pursue my passion,” she said. Her new career has progressed quickly as she’s developed a clientele on the Plateau and
– Kassi Clark beyond. The living room project she won her award for was done in the Magnolia neighborhood in Seattle and she’s currently working on a project in Lynden. Clark believes her personal style and experience from the corporate world have largely helped her gain a name, but one other factor — the economy — has also impacted her new industry. “I’m finding that because people are stay-