REPORTER
Mercer Island
Wednesday, Wednesday, March April20, 3, 2013 | 75¢
Serving the Mercer Island community since 1947
Island Metro bus routes facing elimination
Egg hunts
Mercer Island Chamber lunch Thursday, April 4 The Mercer Island Chamber of Commerce will host its monthly luncheon on Thursday, April 4, at noon at the Mercer Island Community and Event Center. This month’s speaker will be Earl Bell, author of the book “Winning in Baseball.” He is also a business consultant and Little League coach. The lunch is $15 for members and $20 for nonmembers.
Metro Transit’s temporary funding expires soon; 65 routes could be deleted By Reporter Staff
Yom Hashoah events This weekend, in honor of Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, on April 8, several events are being held. On Sunday, April 7, a memorial for Holocaust survivors and their families will be held from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the SJCC Holocaust Memorial on East Mercer Way. Public lectures will be held from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. at UW’s Krane Hall. To learn more, visit www.wsherc.org.
Spring recycling event is April 13 The City of Mercer Island will host the annual spring recycling event on Saturday, April 13, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Mercer Island Boat Launch. To see a list of items that will or will not be accepted, visit the city’s website at www.mercergov. org.
Leap for Green fair Mercer Island’s annual Earth Day Family Fair is set for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., April 13, at the Mercer Island Community and Event Center, 8236 S.E. 24th St. The theme is “There’s no place like home.” Enjoy music, entertainment, education and food. A birding and nature walk will take place at 11 a.m. The event, sponsored by the city and IslandVision, is free.
Conner Webster/Contributed Photo
Hundreds of kids from Mercer Island and beyond scramble to grab eggs during the Lil’ Ones Egg Hunt at Mercerdale Park on Saturday, March 30. See more photos on page 18.
1,600 iPads for MISD students next year By Megan Managan
mmanagan@mi-reporter.com
For some Mercer Island students, this spring just got a lot more high tech. By the fall, all students in eighth grade through high school will have an iPad, courtesy of the Mercer Island School District. The new program, called 1:1 iPad Program, debuts this spring and will be in full effect by the beginning of the next school year. The district has been working toward this point for the last two years, after running a pilot program with students that found the devices help students and teachers. Each iPad comes with a list of available applications, already paid for by the district. Students can pick and choose
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needs of students.” Jennifer Wright, the executive directory of learning and technology services for the district, said this program is different than others because it’s truly one to one. “The biggest difference is it’s from the list as to which suit their truly 1:1,” she said. “The other needs. laptop carts and desktops, that’s “We have been piloting iPads over the last two years, and we not your computer to have. This have found that they meet the is truly a personal device they can use 24/7. That’s the biggest needs of students difference.” and teachers with The funding for the application availnew program comes ability, portability from the district’s and engagement,” technology levy. All said a letter to famitold, the program lies from the district. will spend around “No tool is going $700,000 of the levy Jennifer Wright, to be perfect, but MISD funds, but Wright the iPad currently said just half has meets our needs and been spent since only there is a growing community of some students will get iPads this schools that are already implespring. The total order is for menting 1:1’s so we can learn from and with their staff. As 1,600 devices. High school students in 10th emerging technology becomes and 11th grade will receive their available, we will select the tool
“This is truly a personal device they can use 24/7.”
which most effectively meets the
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Sixty-five Metro Transit bus routes are at risk of being canceled, and service reduced on another 86 routes, if state lawmakers allow temporary two-year funding for the agency to expire without authorizing a permanent and sustainable source of revenue. Mercer Island bus routes including the 201, 203, 205EX, 211EX, 213 and 216 are on the list of routes to be eliminated, while the 204 could be reduced or revised. That message – showing cuts to up to 17 percent of Metro’s service that will cascade through the agency’s 217-route system – were included in Metro’s 2012 Service Guidelines Report, sent Monday to
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Jeffrey Costello www.costello-costello.com Chase Costello 206.595.5709 jeffreycostello@cbbain.com
206.999.4420 chasecostello@cbbain.com