Reporter ISSAQUAH | SAMMAMISH
www.issaquahreporter.com
Friday, September 5, 2014
SCHOOL’S BACK!
Issaquah Council OKs pursuit of Lake Samm. Park
Apollo and Issaquah Valley open remodeled elementary schools
BY DANIEL NASH ISSAQUAH & SAMMAMISH REPORTER
BY DANIEL NASH ISSAQUAH/SAMMAMISH REPORTER
Incoming Apollo Elementary first-grader Aryanna Salinas was shy as she approached her new teacher, Kelly Gapinski. But she really wanted to know how to find some of the items on her scavenger hunt list. The list was introduced as a fun way to orient students to their new surroundings before they start the school year. In Salinas’ and Gapinski’s case, that includes an entirely new classroom: one of eight built during the remodeling of Apollo Elementary School in the East Renton Highlands. School board president Marnie Maraldo cut the ribbon on Apollo Tuesday afternoon, surrounded by a crowd of students and families eager to see inside the building. Earlier that day, Mayor Fred Butler had performed the same honors for Issaquah Valley Elementary on Northwest Holly Street. SEE SCHOOLS, 7
Incoming first-grader Aryanna Salinas asks her teacher, Kelly Gapinski, how to find items on her classroom scavenger hunt list. DANIEL NASH, Issaquah/Sammamish Reporter
Sheriff investigates child porn case BY BRANDON MACZ REPORTER NEWSPAPERS
The King County Sheriff ’s Office is investigating a 43-year-old Issaquah man, who had resided at the clothingoptional Fraternity Snoqualmie Family Nudist Park, for possession of child pornography. The investigation started in late July after the Fraternity Snoqualmie president and another resident notified detectives they had found sexually explicit images and videos of minors on the man’s computer through the park’s open wireless network, according to
an affidavit for search warrant. “As soon as it was brought to our attention, the sheriff ’s office was contacted, they came up the same day and they started their investigation,” said Fraternity Snoqualmie spokeswoman Dawnzella Gearhart. “… I can say that I am fortunate I didn’t need to see any of the photos.” The nudist park has operated on about 40 acres of land on Tiger Mountain since 1945, and has nine permanent residential structures and a number of stalls for RVs. About five acres of the property is developed. “Anything you will see at a regular
campground, you will see at ours; We just don’t wear clothes,” Gearhart said. The man under investigation by the sheriff ’s office had leased space for his RV at the nudist park for several months before explicit images were allegedly found on his computer through the shared wireless network, and he was promptly evicted once the authorities were notified, Gearhart said. To lease a lot, a person must be a “member of good standing” or belong to an affiliate association. Anyone enSEE NUDIST, 3
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Issaquah Mayor Fred Butler will declare city officials’ interest in annexing Lake Sammamish State Park. The city council on Tuesday voted to pass a bill that would allow the mayor to submit a notice of intent to the Washington state Boundary Review Board of King County. The bill also affirmed the boundaries of potential annexation, affirmed the expected zoning of the five parcels that make up the park should it be annexed and affirmed that, by moving forward with annexation, the park lands would assume their share of the city’s debt. The Washington State Parks agency sent a letter to the city in March requesting officials consider annexation, in part to expedite permitting of projects on park grounds. The city was also heavily involved in development of the park’s 2007 concept plan. “We look around the park now and see that we’re this tiny little island of King County right in the middle of Issaquah and we see our main partnership base is coming from the city and the organizations that are home here,” said Peter Herzog, State Parks’ assistant director of park development. “So we would like to formalize that relationship with the city in a way that really acknowledges the partnership we’ve had all along now (for 12 years) ... we’re practically on a first name basis with most of your staff so, really, this is a formalizing of that partnership.” The motion passed 6-1, with councilmember Joshua Schaer casting the sole dissenting vote. At issue was whether the zoning for two parcels would SEE STATE PARK, 3
Sammamish hosts Klahanie open house BY DANIEL NASH ISSAQUAH/SAMMAMISH REPORTER
Faith Church will host an open house for Klahanie-area residents on Wednesday, regarding potential annexaRegarding potential tion to Sammamish. annexation of Klahanie The open house will be into Sammamish held from 5:30-7 p.m. Sept. 10. 5:30-7 p.m. Sept. 10 Members of the Sammamish City Council, city Faith Church department heads and other 3924 Issaquah-Pine staff will be on hand to presLake Rd. S.E. ent information and answer questions. Klahanie is currently in the official Potential Annexation Area of the city of Issaquah. Voters in Klahanie decided against annexation into Issaquah in the Feb. 11 special
Open House
SEE KLAHANIE, 2