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SPORTS | Bear Creek’s Magee and Lee shine at track-and-field invitational [12] CRIME ALERT | Redmond Police Blotter [3]
COMMUNITY | Young women flock to Girls Unlimited event. [14]
FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2015
A DIVISION OF SOUND PUBLISHING
Senate education bill could increase Redmond property taxes TJ MARTINELL tmartinell@kirklandreporter.com
Property owners in the Lake Washington School District (LWSD) may see the amount they pay in property taxes increase under proposed legislation in-
tended to shift funding for basic education costs away from local levies and back to state property taxes. Under Republicanbacked Senate Bill 6109, the state would lower local school district levy taxes by capping them at $1.25 per
$1,000 of assessed value, while increasing the state’s common school levy from $1.98 per $1,000 to $3.60 per $1,000 of assessed value, a $1.62 increase. The current levy rate for LWSD is $1.45 per $1,000 of assessed value, accord-
ing to LWSD Spokesperson Kathryn Reith. The median sales price for a home in Redmond this year is $487,500, according to trulia.com. Meanwhile, the Democrats have introduced Senate Bill 6102, which
would pay for local levy reductions with a yearly 7 percent state tax on capital gains of $250,000 for single taxpayers or $500,000 for couples. The proposal would raise an estimated $1.2 billion in the next two years.
Washington State Treasurer Jim McIntire stepped forward with another option to fund schools through a state income tax, although many are against the idea, including Gov. Jay Inslee. [ more BILL page 6 ]
O’Connell runs Boston Marathon in honor of bombing victim
Redmond High School students gather at Las Viñales on their recent trip to Cuba. Front row, left to right: Connor Lui, Carson Lui, Daria Liborski, Risa Shutz, Madison McDaniel and Meryl Aebi. Middle row, left to right: Paige Lui and Artem Ouliankine. Back row, left to right: Claire Lynch, Aedan Lynch, Jason Mitchell, Logan Warriner, Ethan McGhee, Emma Patterson, Olivia Lang, Erich Schleck, Andy Burnstein, Olivia Leader, Mackenzie Ray, Claire Wasson, Natalie Boesen and Faylynn Busby. Far back row, left to right: Alex Okun and Henry Thomas. Courtesy photo
Eye-opening experience in Cuba Redmond High students, teachers and parents interact with Havana locals on educational trip ANDY NYSTROM anystrom@redmond-reporter.com
Relations between the United States and Cuba have generated top news stories recently, with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo visiting the Communist island nation on a trade mission, President Barack Obama removing Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism and lawmakers pushing to
end the 54-year-old trade embargo. Earlier this month, a group of 24 Redmond High School (RHS) students, four teachers and six parents traveled to Cuba, as well, and interacted with the citizens of Havana and visited schools, arts and music centers, the only English bookstore/salon in Cuba and agricultural/organic farms. The travelers — who paid for the trip themselves — flew out of Seattle on April 3, stayed one night in Miami and spent April 5-12 in a Havana hotel. They arranged the trip through student-travel organization Explorica, which obtained Visas and registered the trip with the United States government. The group’s activities had to be approved and two tour guides were on
hand, one from Cuba and one from the United States, the latter which took notes and made sure the group stuck to its plan. It was a once-in-a-lifetime, eyeopening experience, said junior Olivia Lang, who was impressed with the culture and how open and caring the people are. “At first, when I heard about the trip, I thought, ‘This is so cool,’ since everyone’s always told me I’m never going to go to Cuba, because it was this locked off (nation). There was an embargo, a ‘wall’ up,” Lang said. “I got to see that they have so much life and soul in them, and their political situation with the Communist government [ more CUBA page 7 ]
Redmond’s Rosemary O’Connell stands near the finish line of Monday’s Boston Marathon. Courtesy of Brianna May ANDY NYSTROM anystrom@redmond-reporter.com
A day after Rosemary O’Connell completed her first Boston Marathon, she was sore and walking slow. The longtime Redmond resident was also elated to have finished the 26.2mile race on Monday and proud to be part of team MR8 that ran in honor of Martin Richard, the 8-year-old who was killed in the 2013 marathon bombings. At press time, the 77-member team had raised $756,000 for the MR8 Charitable Foundation, which promotes education, athletics and
community. O’Connell, 55, has raised $5,860 herself. “It was very emotional crossing the finish line, thinking of Martin and all the victims and their families,” O’Connell said. “The crowd was very supportive of the MR8 Team and I thought of all the people who supported me to get me through.” Added Brianna May, O’Connell’s 24-year-old daughter: “I am so proud of her efforts preparing for and racing this marathon. She ran with so much heart, as did all the Boston finishers.” [ more BOSTON page 6 ]