Reporter ISSAQUAH | SAMMAMISH
Friday, July 18, 2014
www.issaquahreporter.com
I-90 bridge work means a messy, week-long commute BY BRANDON MACZ BELLEVUE REPORTER
The Washington State Department of Transportation is advising I-90 commuters to change their habits for the next seven days, as work begins today to replace aging bridge expansion joints westbound on the East Channel Bridge. “People need to make a choice because we don’t need people doing what they used to do for a normal commute, because it’s not going to be normal,” said Bart Treece, a
Westbound I-90 will be reduced to one lane across the East Channel Bridge from 9:30 p.m. today through 5 a.m. Friday, July 25. WSDOT spokesman. Starting at 9:30 p.m. tonight, transporta-
tion crews will begin replacing two 92-footlong, 29-ton expansion joints — under 11 inches of concrete — on the East Channel Bridge, which is anticipated to close up to three westbound lanes on I-90, starting at Bellevue Way Southeast. Project engineers estimate more than half of the 85,000 daily commuters on westbound I-90 will need to find an alternate route. The I-90 HOV lane will be open to all traffic between I-405 and the east entrance to the center roadway. The closures are expected to last until 5 a.m. July 25.
Treece said this project will cause regional traffic issues, and motorists should expect backups on I-405, SR-520 and also I-5 in Seattle. Those who can are encouraged to carpool, vanpool, telecommute, seek alternate routes or drive during offpeak travel times. As motorists are being asked to add an hour to their commutes, peak times are also expected to be longer, added Treece. Engineers estimate the best times to travel at are before 6 a.m., between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and after 7 p.m.
A special need for speed
Coming together Issaquah and Sammamish hold joint meeting
Challenge Series Race lets special needs kids be part of soap box derby
BY LINDA BALL ISSAQUAH/SAMMAMISH REPORTER
BY LINDA BALL ISSAQUAH/SAMMAMISH REPORTER
The Challenge Series Race, in its 17th year in Issaquah, brought out a dozen drivers, and 45 riders on a very hot Saturday. Racing in a soap box derby is a rite of passage for many kids, but for children with special needs, it's too risky. According to Leo Finnegan, whose son, Tim, is developmentally disabled, he got the idea to build soap box derby cars for two people, about 33 years ago. Tim Finnegan, who is now 47, has raced every year, but the Issaquah race has become the premiere event. Each heat pairs a developmentally disabled person with one able-bodied teammate, and together they race down the hill on Second Avenue in Issaquah, heads down, to create more aerodynamics. Two cars race in each heat. But it doesn't really matter how fast they go, because every special kid is a winner, receiving a trophy at the end. The race, called "A Special Need for Speed," features eight cars including ones sponsored by the Issaquah Police, Eastside Fire and Rescue and Fred Meyer. "We try to make sure each special kid goes down three times," Finnegan said. The riders hear about the event by word of mouth and some advertising, said Stan Conrad, the chair of this year's event for the Rotary Club of Issaquah. Conrad, a commander with the Issaquah Police, is also on the board of Life Enrichment Options, a nonprofit organization that advocates for people with developmental disabilities. He got involved when the race started in Issaquah because, as a police officer, he was contacted by organizers who needed to know how to
The stops go down and a race is on as the cars speed downhill on gravity only. LINDA BALL Issaquah & Sammamish Reporter.
Riders waved and smiled as they were towed back up the hill. LINDA BALL, Issaquah & Sammamish Reporter. get the street shut down. LEO and Rotary Club of Issaquah are the main sponsors of the event. Sam Clayton, 9, has been racing since he was 2. He likes to race to win, he said, and he likes the trophies. "He has a wall full of certificates because he races in other races, too," said his dad, Robert Clayton. "He also bowls for Special Olympics." The Clayton's live in Federal Way, but they travel to Challenge Races in several locations. "It's absolutely worth traveling for," said Sam's mom, Sandy Clayton. The Claytons like the fact that Sam gets to interface with kids who do not have special needs. Another boy, Quinn Wilbur, 8, has been racing since he was 4-years-old. Quinn has cerebral palsy, and although he holds his head up better
than ever, his mom still made sure his head and neck were supported with a stuffed animal that wrapped around his neck. "One kid was in a wheelchair, so it was very exciting for him," Finnegan said. The volunteers were very attentive to each child's needs, carefully helping them in and out of the cars. Each car has two steering devices so the special child can steer, too, only they're really not steering because only the driver has actual control of the car. The drivers are just regular kids from the community. Pam Saito's daughter, Bridgett, 14, was a driver in her first year. "She's having so much fun, she adores this," Pam said. "Bridgett had expressed interest in working with kids with special needs and she is loving it."
Issaquah Mayor Fred Butler acknowledged that it had been a number of years since they got together, because they’ve been inwardly focused, but, he said, in reality they have a lot in common. “They” were the two city councils – Issaquah and Sammamish – meeting jointly to discuss regional issues. “I really welcome a year of a renewed relationship,” Butler said. Issaquah hosted the gathering, treating everyone to a buffet dinner. The meeting focused largely on transportation, with a transportation package including I-90 corridor improvements as a top priority for Issaquah in its SEE MEETING, 7