REPORTER
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Serving the Mercer Island Community Serving community Since since 1947 1947
Plastic bag ban is on the menu
Running with resolve
Special needs party at St. Monica A ‘Fun Beyond Limits’ party will be hosted by St. Monica Parish and Mercer Island families from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26. The free event will feature a costume contest, games, food and crafts. All ages are welcome and guests should RSVP to Erica Cohen Moore at (206) 382-4852 or ericac@seattlearch.org.
Council agrees regulating plastic bags is both symbolic and necessary By Mary L. Grady
Rich Conrad at Historical Society
editor@mi-reporter.com
All-Island Band Night is Oct. 18
Contributed Photo
Islander Alida Scalzo powers through the Twilight XC Invitational in Marysville, Wash., on Oct. 5.
Young Islander band musicians will join the Mercer Island High School marching band at halftime on the field at Islander stadium during the football game against Liberty High School on Oct. 18. The game starts at 7 p.m. Parking around the stadium will be limited.
Voters hear from 8 vying for city office
WSDOT tolling meeting is Oct. 21
The annual voters forum, held at Islander Middle School last Tuesday, brought together candidates for the Mercer Island School District Board of Directors and the City Council. Held in the Islander Middle School library, 150 attended. Dave Myerson and Adair Dingle, both running unopposed for their seats, are fairly fresh from their recent vote to place a second, greatly reduced and revised bond proposal to renovate and expand schools. The $98.8 million bond issue is about half of the first bond proposal that was soundly defeated by voters last spring. Myerson said that he feels the
Plan ahead to attend a public meeting regarding I-90 tolling hosted by WSDOT on Oct. 21 at 4:30 p.m. at the Mercer Island High School Performing Arts Center. WSDOT officials are looking for input and comments.
The shelves are bare The Mercer Island Youth and Family Services food bank is low on food. The bank serves Islanders who are in need. To help, contact Cheryl Manriquez at (206) 275-7869.
By Mary L. Grady
editor@mi-reporter.com
new bond proposal is the correct way to upgrade schools and reduce overcrowding in Island schools. The new proposal is a “reasonable response” to the needs of the school district after the first bond was defeated, he said. Dingle, running for her third term, said that in considering whether or not to run for another term on the board, she was motivated by two factors. The first was the clear message that voters sent when they defeated the first bond issues and next, that expectations for student performance was so much higher. She said that she, too, is confident that the new proposal is the right one and urged all to support it.
Jeffrey Costello
206.595.5709 jeffreycostello@cbbain.com
The public process around the costs and designs brought real results, she said. Dingle noted that those with doubts can educate themselves and consider taking a more active role in the School Board’s deliberations on any topic. “There are many ways that people can be more involved in the process,” she said. People can watch meetings live, or online, as the School Board now meets in the City Council chambers, where the meetings are on television. There are newsletters and updates on the school district website, she said. Myerson also told Islanders that the cost to educate a student in Mercer Island is approximately $12,000 per student — significantly less than some neighboring school districts, where the average cost per student is as high as $16,000 or $17,000. The cost is less here because the buildings are already paid for, he said. All candidates were asked how
BAGS | PAGE 9
VOTERS | PAGE 2
Chase Costello
www.costello-costello.com
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The city manager of Mercer Island will be the guest speaker at the Historical Society meeting, at 1 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 21. The meeting will be held at the Mercer Island Community and Event Center.
It was inevitable that the Mercer Island City Council would set about to ban one-use plastic bags. It is part of the sustainability effort now embraced by the council as it hopes to meet its climate protection measure that it set out for itself more than five years ago. In May of 2007, the City Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1389, which “commits the city to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through city operations and through community education.” The work program included in the resolution calls for calculating the citywide “carbon footprint,” which is a measure of the impact that
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206.999.4420 chasecostello@cbbain.com