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Wednesday, March25, 20,2013 2013 | 75¢ Wednesday, December

Serving the Mercer Island Community Serving community Since since 1947 1947

MI | THIS WEEK

Landslides bring added risk

2013 Photo of the Year

‘Buy a Key’ This Friday, Dec. 31 is the final day of the city’s ‘Buy a Key’ fundraiser. Money will go toward the purchase of a Yamaha Clavinova piano forthe Community Center. Each key is $100 and donors will get their names honored on a plaque. To take part, visit mercergov.org/SectionIndex. asp?SectionID=42.

City hosts preparedness seminar on risks of earthquakes, landslides

A new year, a new book club

By Celina Kareiva

ckareiva@mi-reporter.com

Library remodel meeting Learn about the latest design plans for Mercer Island Library remodel, how the new temporary library location will work and share your input. The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m., Jan. 7, at the library. For more, go to www.kcls. org.

Community Center Holiday hours The Mercer Island Community and Events Center will remain closed for maintenance through Dec. 27. It will reopen on Dec. 28 through the 31st with limited hours. The fitness room will be open most of those days. It will be closed on New Years Day and for the Martin Luther King Holiday on Jan. 20.

[more-online www.MI-Reporter.com

A community poised on the cusp of change In 2013, Islanders confront a sea change ahead for Island life

of raucous meetings attended by angry and upset Islanders, begins. An investment group led by actor Patrick Dempsey, buys the Island-owned Tully’s coffee chain. He later sells his shares after a dispute with a partner.

Reporter Staff

January On New Years Day 2013, Islanders had no idea what was in store as tolling on SR-520 entered its second year. But in just days, the Washington State Department of Transportation verified what had been brewing for months; that I-90 would also be tolled — and tolled in part to pay to finish SR-520. The agency set up meetings to talk with Island residents. A series

City Manager Rich Conrad announces that he would retire at year’s end after 32 years with the city. Sound Publishing, Inc., the owner of the Mercer Island Reporter and 40 other print and on-line publications in Washington state, buys The Seattle Weekly. The City of Mercer Island receives a grant for $30,000 From

Jeffrey Costello

206.595.5709 jeffreycostello@cbbain.com

Puget Sound Energy after hundreds of Island residents sign up for the PSE’s Green Power program. Mercer Island police say $25,000 worth of goods are stolen from a vehicle as the result of a car prowl. The Mercer Island School District continues to work toward a revised bond issue to rebuild and expand school facilities. Island-based Dollar Development announces it will build a hotel adjacent to the Mercer Apartments in the Town Center. The hotel would be near the site of the old Travelodge that was torn down in January 2008. At year’s end, that plan is on hold.

landslides | Page 2

February An I-90 tolling meeting brings

Year | Page 3

Chase Costello

www.costello-costello.com

Read the full paper online Mercer IslandREPORTER www.mi-reporter.com

Matt Brashears / Special to the Reporter

Equipped with sun hats and treats, Jane McCormmach of Mercer Island and her grandchildren, Ariya Shendure, 5, right, and Daniel Shendure, 4, both of Seattle, eagerly await the start of the 2013 Summer Celebration Grand Parade last July.

At an emergency preparedness seminar Thursday night, Islanders learned about the hazards they could face during “landslide season” and the resulting damage, should an earthquake shake the Island. “We’re definitely in an area with some real geological features based on earthquakes and landslides that happened long ago,” said Don Cole, a building official with the city of Mercer Island who led much of Thursday’s presentation. He points to the Island’s submerged forests, thought to have been caused by earthquake-induced landslides nearly a 1,000 years ago. The Island lies within the Seattle

Green Edition

The SJCC will kick off a book club in the new year. Monthly meetings will begin Jan. 5 at 10:15 a.m. First up: ‘The Invisible Bridge’ a book by by Julie Orringer.

206.999.4420 chasecostello@cbbain.com