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TRANSPORTATION | First forum on putting tolls on I-90 draws small, but concerned crowd [23]
Sports | Sammamish High School football team to sport custom uniforms that honor one FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2013 of the school’s lost heroes [15]
Business | Bravern residential towers sell after years of interest by prospective buyers [10]
Firefighters’ union endorsement heats up council race Union says Wallace reneged on public safety, candidate says criticism partisan attack BY BRANDON MACZ BELLEVUE REPORTER
Candidates for this year's Bellevue City Council election have tackled many issues in their campaigns and public forums.
Public safety has been one of the more contentious topics to arise, and has put incumbent Kevin Wallace on the defensive after losing his endorsement from the local firefighters union. Kevin Wallace Wallace had been endorsed by the Bellevue Firefighters Local IAFF 1604 in his first bid
for City Council in 2009, but union vice president Keith Allen said Wallace and other council members allowing budget cuts to the department last year caused the union to side with Wallace's PosiSteve Kasner tion 4 opponent, Steve Kasner. "Kevin has done the exact opposite of
everything that he Reporter told us he would endorsements work toward dofor Bellevue ing," said Allen. "In City Council fact, we are in far worse shape than we Page 6 were when Kevin took office." Bellevue Fire Chief Michael Eisner said SEE ENDORSEMENT, 5
State sets rules on where to sell marijuana
Different plants will bloom at different times of the year and change the character of the wall as the seasons progress. DANIEL NASH, Bellevue Reporter
Library’s new garage becomes a living wall Plants cascade down three sides of new facility BY DANIEL NASH BELLEVUE REPORTER
The Bellevue Library's three-level parking garage opened in June, and the August installation of "living walls" ensures it will be a greener sight for neighbors and passersby. Project: Fluidity, designed by Canadian firm Green Over Grey, is a two-story mural decorating three sides of the garage and con-
sists of more than 80 species of plants. Forming a semi-abstract wave, the vegetation grows straight out of the structure's north, west and east walls from a hydroponic irrigation system; the largest of the walls is on the garage's east side. Different plants will bloom at different times of the year and change the character of the wall as the seasons progress. "My goal was to propel the eye of the observer across the canvas and bring it on a return trip to the focal points," chief designer Mike Weinmaster wrote in Fluidity's design files. "Nature never PASSPORT PHOTOS •
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fails to impress us and these walls are an ode to her perfection." Managing Librarian Rebecca Tuck said discussions about the living walls began almost as soon as discussions about the garage itself. "I think this sort of natural landscaping is really attractive to us in the Pacific Northwest, and features like greenery help soften the look of gray concrete," Tuck said. "We have an architecturally award-winning library … now we have a pleasing garage, too." Daniel Nash: 425-453-4290; dnash@issaquahreporter.com
The Washington State Liquor Control Board has adopted regulations and controls for how a private recreational marijuana market will be implemented in the state under voter-approved Initiative 502. "There's only one change, and that will be done by emergency rule making," said board spokesman Mikhail Carpenter of a 1,000-foot distance rule separating stores from exclusion zones. "We had it on there as most common path of travel. We've changed it to 'straight line' to align with federal guidelines." A 30-day application period for licenses to grow, process and sell marijuana will start Nov. 18, just two days after the rules take effect. King County has been approved for 61 retail outlets out of the 334 to be allowed statewide; Bellevue qualifies for four stores. The liquor control board will host seven educational seminars across the state regarding I-502 and the newly-adopted rules. Two sessions will be held 9:30 a.m. to noon and 1:30-4 p.m. Monday, Oct. 21, at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle. To register, go to https://wslcbseattle.eventbrite.com.