KENMORE COMMUNITY CLUB | Local club to possibly get $20,000 makeover [11]
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WANIC | Program helps high school kids find a career by trying it out [5]
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2015
Residents, council question PSE on power outage durations BY AARON KUNKLER akunkler@bothell-reporter.com
T
he atmosphere was tense during the Nov. 23 Kenmore City Council meeting. Around 25 residents took seats in the council chamber, many waiting to voice their concerns to councilmembers
and a representative from Puget Sound Energy (PSE) about widespread power outages after a Nov. 18 windstorm. Long-time Kenmore resident and business owner Russ Johnson was critical of PSE’s response. “I felt a great deal of frustration about the loss of
contact I experienced with my customers,” he said. Johnson owns Royal Journeys, a fishing expedition operation. He said he talked with other business owners around town who are also frustrated with lost revenue. Power outages in the area are fairly common after
large storms when branches and trees fall on power lines and equipment. One area in particular in northwest Kenmore is served by circuit 26, which doesn’t follow a road. In all, there are nine separate circuits that deliver power to Kenmore and most of those lines follow roads. Circuit
26 lines run through back yards and private property, which PSE spokeswoman RaeLynn Asah said makes it difficult to locate and repair damage. City officials expressed frustration at their inability to fix the problem since PSE owns the infrastructure. PSE is responsible for keep-
ing lines clear and placement of damaged lines. “We can’t do anything. If we could, we would,” said Kenmore Mayor David Baker. Another long-time resident, Carl Michelman, addressed the council. “Being here at 18 years, [ more PSE page 3 ]
Most religions celebrate during holiday season BY AARON KUNKLER akunkler@bothell-reporter.com
Kenmore artist turns 100
The American holiday season has traditionally been marked by Christmas, Thanksgiving and New Year’s celebrations, but many other religions and traditions celebrate holidays, festivals and host practices as well. The Northshore area is home to a wide and diverse variety of traditions and faiths, and as the greater Seattle area continues to grow, many more may start to grow.
Marie Martin sits in her Kenmore home with her family. Martin recently turned 100 years old and has been painting since she was seven. Her paintings are hung in various places throughout Kenmore, including the Inglemoor Golf Club. She moved to Kenmore during the 1970s with her husband. For the full story on Martin see page 9. AARON KUNKLER, Kenmore Reporter
Guru Tegh Bahadur For the Sikh tradition, Jes Sing said they celebrate the
life of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth out of ten gurus, and his death on Nov. 24 in New Delhi. Bahadur was a Sikh guru who lived while India was under the rule of a Muslim emperor, Sing said. The emperor wanted the residents to convert and summoned Bahadur to New Delhi where he hoped to convince him to adopt his religion. When Bahadur and his five companions refused, Sing said three were executed and two were sent back to their village as messengers. When Bahadur refused to convert as well, he was beheaded. The Sikh Center of [ more RELIGION page 2 ]
Bothell mayor pre applies for Wayne development permit A development group, with which Bothell mayor Joshua Freed is involved, has begun the pre-application process to allow development of 50 houses on the back nine of Wayne Golf Course, a proposal
which has caused unease in the Bothell community. Many hope to see the back nine preserved as an open space. Jesse Sears, president of OneBothell, a group dedicated to preserving Wayne Golf Course for a variety of reasons, including environmental concerns, said the
pre-application development process is standard practice for developers. “He’s doing everything that a normal developer would do,” he said. Pre-applying for development raises the appraised value of the property, allowing Freed, who is in negotiations with a preservation
group called Forterra, to raise the purchase price. While the company does not yet own the land, the Richards family who currently owns the property is in a binding agreement to sell to it, Sears said. The problem for the community, Sears thinks, is the perception that the F
mayor is acting more in the interest of his development company at the expense of resident’s wishes. “The community feels like he’s trying to maximize his profits against the community,” Sears said. Forterra has been in purchasing negotiations with the company since June,
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when it agreed to sell the back nine to the organization. No potential appraisal price has been made public, but both Sears and recently elected Bothell City Council member and former president of OneBothell, James McNeal, believe Forterra has secured enough funds [ more WAYNE page 8 ]
Now Enrolling for ½ Day Kindergarten Preparatory Program!
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BY AARON KUNKLER akunkler@bothell-reporter.com