Reporter ISSAQUAH | SAMMAMISH
Friday, March 7, 2013
www.issaquahreporter.com
Klahanie residents want action New comprehensive plan required BY LINDA BALL ISSAQUAH-SAMMAMISH REPORTER
Eastside Catholic student and wrestler Hamisi Kondo performs a jump rope routine on a trip to Africa, where he was greeted as something of a national hero. COURTESY PHOTO.
JOURNEY OF A LIFETIME Hamisi Kondo took a difficult road to Sammamish
BY JOSH SUMAN BELLEVUE REPORTER
Inside the mat room at Eastside Catholic School, Hamisi Kondo is ready to attack. His compact frame seizes with anticipation as the referee prepares him and his opponent for the match, his eyes never breaking the gaze of the youngster opposite him. The shrill of the whistle has barely ceased to echo when Hamisi takes control, out-grappling and then overpowering his opponent, taking him to the mat and securing a first round pin. As the room explodes with cheers from parents and teammates, Hamisi shakes hands with a forlorn and defeated opponent, barely cracking a smile. On the other side of the room, a woman claps her hands and grins heartily. Amy Canady is thinking not only of the win, but a journey of a lifetime that made it possible.
Finding Hamisi There may not be a place in the world that offers a more stark
contrast to Sammamish than Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The largest city in the East African country, with nearly 4.5 million residents, bears little resemblance to the sprawling suburbs and neatly kept storefronts on the Plateau. But for Hamisi Kondo, after an arduous journey marked by perseverance, both are home. Amy and Dennis Canady have lived on the Eastside for many years, and been involved in competitive jump rope for decades longer. A former Miss Washington runner-up in her youth, Amy was also a World Champion jump roper before becoming a coach in the late 1980s, also serving as a board member for the national and international governing bodies for the sport. She took over Hot Dog USA, the same Kirkland-based team she was an original member of, in 1992 and has remained dedicated to its presence. Not only did the Canadys’ expertise make them the area’s jump rope ambassadors, it made them the first choice of a college
graduate named Mike Fry looking to take the sport to places it had never been. Fry, an Ohio native and competitive jump roper since age 11, had won gold medals at the World Championships by the time he finished his Bachelor’s. But he also knew to find a future in the sport, he had to find a niche. “I felt like I could either let my interest die out, or do something with it,” Fry said. “I’ve known I wanted to do something to pay it forward.” With a Fellowship he was awarded in 2009, Fry set out to find a country where he could bring competitive jump rope as an outlet and opportunity, where there may otherwise be few. An older sister who had taught in Africa got the ball rolling and led Fry to Tanzania. The mission was simple: give kids a chance to find their talent and provide a means for expressing it. He traveled throughout east Africa, spending time in centers for street children and hearing their stories. For nine months
he journeyed to places where resources can be scarce, interacting through a sport he sees as simply an opportunity, even with some of his own doubts. “What have I gotten myself into,” Fry said he wondered weeks after arriving. “It was so far out of my comfort zone, but it ended up being amazing.” Before leaving the United States Fry sent out around 100 emails to schools, youth centers and other organizations, hoping to gauge interest and make inroads to those in need. One of the responses led him to the Dogodogo Centre in Dar es Salaam and a boy named Hamisi.
Into Africa Even with little idea of the spectrum of the operation or the continent set as its stage, the Canadys agreed to take a trip to Tanzania to join Fry in hosting a two-day championship and accompanying camp in competitive
SEE AFRICA, 13
Rob Young of Klahanie believes his community is at a critical crossroads. The vote to annex to Issaquah failed. He said it’s time for Issaquah to give up the right to the potential annexation area and let residents consider Sammamish. If this can happen in short order, an annexation vote to Sammamish could be on a November ballot, Young said, with annexation in January of 2015 if the vote is “yes.” Young supported the annexation to Issaquah, but at this point Issaquah has had two shots at it, and he wants to be part of a city so he and his neighbors can get better services. The King County Growth Management Planning Council (GMPC) met Wednesday Feb. 26 and while Klahanie wasn’t on the agenda, both Kamuron Gurol, director of community development for Sammamish, and Paul Winterstein, president of the Issaquah City Council, showed up and testified about the PAA. Senior Policy Analyst Karen Wolf of the planning council said Winterstein testified that Issaquah hasn’t had time to analyze the election results and sort things out. Gurol was asked by the Sammamish City Council to offer comments from that city stating its interest in annexing SEE KLAHANIE, 9