Issaquah/Sammamish Reporter, June 05, 2015

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Opinion

Reporter ISSAQUAH | SAMMAMISH

Awards of merit Page 4

Blotter

WWW.ISSAQUAHREPORTER.COM

FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 2015

TACKLING TRANSPORTATION

Police reports from Issaquah and Sammamish Page 5

One charged in Pullman homicide Erik C. Luden accused in slaying of father Virgil ‘Cliff ’ Luden of Sammamish

Schools

BY MEGAN CAMPBELL ISSAQUAH/SAMMAMISH REPORTER

Student art enters Kateri Brow collection Page 8

Sports

Photo by Megan Campbell, Issaquah/Sammamish Reporter

Tesla STEM High School junior Suraj Buddhavarapu walks across 228th Avenue, one of the main roads he and his classmates analyzed in their transportation plan for Sammamish in 2035. Story on Page 6.

A 24-year-old Pullman man is facing first-degree murder charges in Whitman County for the death of his father, a Sammamish business owner of more than ERIK LUDEN 20 years. Erik C. Luden had called 911 claiming his father came at him with a knife. SEE MURDER, 2

Community protests teacher transfer More time BY DANIEL NASH ISSAQUAH/SAMMAMISH REPORTER

Eagles track earns 4A state title in Tacoma Page 9

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Wednesday night at the Issaquah School District administration building on Northwest Holly Street, members of the community connected to Maple Hills Elementary in Renton spoke out during public input to the school board to protest the involuntary transfer of two instructors. Adora Callas, a special education instructor, and fifth-grade teacher Mary Shimchick have each been employed with Maple Hills Elementary for more than 13 years. Both were recently notified that they would begin the 2015-2016 school year at different campuses. Callas was assigned to Issaquah High School

and Shimchick was assigned to Discovery Elementary School in Sammamish. “If you had (told) me two weeks ago that I would be in this position, I would not have believed it,” Shimchick said to the board during the public input session. “But here I am.” A spokesperson for the district told the Reporter federal privacy laws preclude the Issaquah School District from discussing personnel matters publicly. When approached by the Reporter, Callas and Shimchick declined to comment further on the matter, though Shimchick noted she was not aware of a reason for the transfer. “I heard from others that it was said (the transfer) was not about my teaching skills, there-

fore I can only assume it is false judgment of my character based on hearsay and lies,” Shimchick said at the board meeting. “I have nothing in my personnel file that I am aware of and yet I am a target.” Following news of the transfer, dozens of letters were submitted to the school board asking them to reconsider. One of those letters came from Martin Friedman, the associate director of YWCA Works’ Passage Point, a housing program for parents coming out of the corrections system. Friedman’s letter, read to the board by Passage Point Community Coordinator Don Burnett, praised Callas’s work with of

needed for comp. plan BY MEGAN CAMPBELL ISSAQUAH/SAMMAMISH REPORTER

Despite the seven hours the Sammamish City Council put in at its Monday special study session, the city of Sammamish will likely not complete its comprehensive plan update by the state deadline. “We are not going to meet the June 30 deadline,” Director of Community Development Jeff Thomas said. “The thorough (city council) review is taking longer than we budgeted.” All cities must update their com-

SEE TRANSFER, 7

SEE PLAN, 2

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