New Park Position Approved - Non Union Salaries

As you know, Redmond has many parks and more are in the making.  In the formative stages are the expensive Downtown Park, the controversial Redmond Bike Park and the creative-art focused *Linear Connector Park following the Burlington Northern corridor and the "String of Pearls Parks" of rural SE Redmond.  Any others you can think of?

City Council voted to create a new Park position titled "Parks Planning and Cultural Arts Program Manager" to help carry the load.  The Administration is reclassified a non union Senior Parks Planner to the new position.  It will pay $108,972 at the top tier. HR Director Kerry Seivers wrote: "The duties of the Senior Parks Planner position will be absorbed by the new manager position as well as other Parks positions.  There will not be any additional positions created."   

Last time I checked, Carolyn Hope (Linked-In) was a Senior Parks Planner managing these massive parks projects. She works very hard and is very bright.   Ms. Hope is worth every penny we pay her and perhaps she will be promoted to this new position. 

Council is also glancing at the non union city employees salaries already approved.  Non union city workers are awarded performance incentives and their benefits package average about 30% of their salary. 

City Clerk:  $105,024
Administrative Assist:  $53,616
Communications and Marketing Administrator:  $104,364 

UPDATED: Jeri Rowe-Curtis to fill new City of Redmond "Communications and Marketing" position

City Selects New Communications and Marketing Administrator

Jeri Rowe-Curtis

UPDATED:  Redmond, WA – The City of Redmond has announced the selection of Ms. Jeri Rowe-Curtis to fill the new position of Communications and Marketing Administrator effective June 1st.

Rowe-Curtis comes to the City with a wealth of communications and marketing expertise working with federal, state, regional and local governments, with news and media outlets and with public-private and philanthropic partners to achieve change. She brings a response driven track record of collaboration to affect change. She joins the City of Redmond after a 14-year career with the federal government as the *Director of Public Affairs for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs  "Puget Sound Health Care System" where she managed high profile news, web, social media and crisis communications programs, shaped internal, external and congressional affairs, and strategic partnership development.

Prior to joining the federal government, Rowe-Curtis managed external affairs programs for the University Of Washington School Of Medicine, for the Sisters of Providence Health Care Corporation, and served as a legislative staff member for the King County Executive, for the Assistant Majority Leader of the Washington State Senate and for the Seattle City Council.

Rowe-Curtis, a 22-year former Redmond resident, has received numerous professional awards
Read More >>

June 16 Explosion near Rose Hill - Power outages - Terrible traffic around town

Mike Siegle/Seatle Times

Katie's Facebook photo taken from 200 feet above ground level

 ROLLING NEWS:

Emily's photo sent by Facebook

Scroll down for more photos

See more news and photos at:
Redmond Neighborhood Blog Facebook page  OR Email us at:  redmondblog@gmail.com

ROLLING NEWS:

All power is restored.  PSE, Allison Stanford, ~ 3:46 PM, 6/16

PSE Report:  Mineral oil is used as a coolant and conductor for the substation.  It appears the cause for the  black smoke.  The mineral oil is non-toxic.  A substation fire/explosion has never occurred in the history of Puget Sound Energy.  They've been supplying energy to the region since 1886.
  -- Allison Stanford, PSE spokesperson.  Reported by B. Yoder  4:33PM

Duvall Police, Kirkland Police, and Redmond Police Explorers assisted Redmond Police with initial response and traffic. Kirkland Fire, Redmond Public Works, Redmond Planning, and the Washington Department of Ecology also responded, assuring there was no further damage.
  -- City of Redmond

KING 5:  Redmond Sub-Station Fire Knocks Out Power to 1000's
http://www.king5.com/home/Redmond-WA-substation-fire-knocks-out-power-124022269.html

READ MORE >>

With Facebook’s likes, Bing hopes to become more relevant

With Facebook’s likes, Bing hopes to become more relevant:

"Microsoft’s Bing hopes to use the power of Facebook’s “likes” to help the search engine gain some ground on Google.

Microsoft has launched new features with Facebook that “make it easy to see what people’s Facebook friends like across the Web, incorporate the collective IQ of the Web into their decision-making and conduct conversational searches.”" Read More >>

By Greg Lamm
Tech Flash, 5/16

Graffiti art in "Edge Skate Park"

A few slides show a chipped "Free Wall" with about an inch of graffiti paint!  The wall has been painted over so many times that you can find layers of paint dating back 15 years.  The walls you see have been painted more than once in the last month.  

Graffiti art has been painted on the “Free Walls” of Redmond’s downtown Edge Skate Park from the day it was dedicated, over 15 years ago.  Anyone is free to paint graffiti on the walls.  These walls are special not only for their art, but for mitigating unwanted graffiti tags from migrating into the skate arena itself.

The skate board and BMX community and neighborhoods have great pride in Edge Park. Skaters say the creative graffiti art usually lasts on the Free Walls for 2-4 weeks before it has to be painted over again.  An unidentified community of passionate graffiti artists re-paint the walls.  According to Ken Wong of the Teen Center, the graffiti artists aren't managed by the City.

Redmond's one-of-a kind Edge Skate Park is located a stone's throw from the downtown Fire station and Metro Bus Park & Ride on 8420 161st Ave. NE.  The Free Walls facing the Park & Ride usually have the best graffiti art. Their tags are probably painted over more often owing to their visibility to commuters.  The paint thickness shows it.

Redmond Parks Operations Manager, Dave Tuchek, says the Park was conceptualized in the mid-1995's by Nick Lovell of the Redmond Police Department.  It was built during the Rosemarie Ives Administration. Dave says, periodically - less than 5-6 times/year - obscenities or graffiti are tagged in the concrete skating arena by outsiders.   Dave says, if the tags aren't removed within about 24 hours it gets worse and spreads.  He takes pictures of the tags for the police report.  Police and Fire have presence too; their refueling station is next door.  

By Bob Yoder
Seattle Times Communities Partner
Photos by Yoder (35 photos)

The Seattle Times graffiti story (4/26) is here 

Seattle Times announces more local news partners

Seattle Times announces more local news partners

The Seattle Times is expanding its partnerships with local news Web sites with the addition of eight more sites today. That brings the total number of partner Web sites to 19. (See the complete list, along with their latest headlines.) complete story.

--Seattle Times staff, 1/20

The Redmond Neighborhood Blog and Kirkland Views are two new Eastside web sites partnering with the Seattle Times.  I'm excited my readers and their contributions and comments will have wider exposure!   Bob Yoder

Eastside residents invited to join virtual town hall with Rep. Ross Hunter on December 15

Washington State House of Representatives
Rep. Ross Hunter – 48th Legislative District

December 11, 2009

Online or on the phone - Eastside residents invited to join virtual town hall with Rep. Ross Hunter

Rep. Hunter will take questions about state budget, education reform, SR 520 and more on December 15

OLYMPIA – At 6:30 p.m. on December 15, households across the 48th Legislative District will receive a phone call from state Rep. Ross Hunter (D-Medina). Those who pick up will be invited to participate in a one-hour telephone town hall during which they can learn about the upcoming legislative session and share their thoughts and questions with Hunter.

Hunter will also be live blogging the town hall and residents have the option of logging on and following along virtually.

To participate by phone: Only those with land lines will receive a phone call on December 15, so those wanting to participate via cell phone can call toll-free 877-229-8493. Participants will be prompted to enter an ID code which is 15390. The number will be available about ten minutes before the town hall begins.

To participate online: Click through from Hunter’s website at www.housedemocrats.wa.gov/members/hunter  or on Twitter by following @rosshunter or searching #huntertownhall.
# # #
Contact: Rep. Ross Hunter: (425) 453-3064 or hunter.ross@leg.wa.gov

Passionate comments from my FaceBook friends on Sen. Lieberman's role in health care.

Joe Lieberman must go.   What do you think?

Sen. Lieberman has indicated he plans to join with Republicans to filibuster any health care bill that contains a public option. Alone, the Republicans don't have the votes for a filibuster. So by joining with them, Lieberman would be tipping the balance of power in order to sink health care reform. - Facebook

Hank:  For those of us who believe in choice, Joe is more than just a traitor.

Dan:  I don't get it. He doesn't agree with you, so.... HE'S A TRAITOR! Was there some espionage going on? Did he aid the Taliban? How is he a traitor? How about a little tolerance here.

Kim:  Time to use our majority to change the numbers needed to filibuster. If not this,then what? If not now, then when? Real health care reform cannot wait any longer.

Dan:  Arguments in favor of ANY legislation that will increase spending are moot in light of the fact that we have a deficit. If you really want to push for some legislation that spends more money, first cut an equalent amount from the budget. Anyone can spend when they have control of the printing presses, it takes a little more intellectual honesty to prioritize and make the hard decisions when operating WITHIN budget limits.

Bob Yoder:  Dan, I'm sorry but you are sounding a little like an accountant. Bean counters aren't going to solve this generational health care problem. It's simply too big of a problem for both parties to deny. Tax dollars will be spent by the Right or the Left to either patch it or fix it. I'd favor a healing transfusion over a slow bleed anyday.

Dan:   Bob, I will assume that you are willing to increase the budget deficit in order to fund additional spending on heath care. That's very generous of you to pass along the cost + interest to the following generations of citizens. Why not just pay as we go along? Then we will feel the immediate impact of our financial obligations without pushing them off onto our children. BTW the only way to avoid sounding like an accountant when discussing buget issues is to ignor the facts and just focus on the emotions.

Dave:  Joe Libermann is a traitor because he agreed to become part of the Democratic caucus after his failed campaigning for John McCain. In turn for his allegience to the party, the Democrats awarded him with a committee chairmanship and other perks reserved only for Democrats which is of course the majority party.

Now when the Democrats need him most the sides with the stonewalling Republicans and doesn't even leave open the possibility of compromise. If that's not a traitor, I don't know what is.

Could it be that his decision is influenced by the fact that he has taken more money than most politicians from the health insurance industry, many of which are headquartered in Connecticut? Nah, that couldn't be it!

Dan:  Well then, take away his chairmanship. Maybe the Democrats can sell it to another senator in exchange for his/her vote.

Readers:  (Feel free to chime in.)

Last names have been withheld for the privacy of the participants. 

NOTICE, 12/19/2010:   RNB has a new Privacy Policy, effective 12/19/2010. (see "About Us). This is the only old post I will update with this announcement.  The new Privacy Policy is implied on all other posts in RNB published after 12/19/2010.  by Bob Yoder 

SUMMERTIME BREAK !!

An overdue Summertime Break from this Blog and the Heat....

"Sun Screen" commencement address, narrated in English.


Rated "totally cool" on FaceBook by a distiguished Redmond councilmember.
.
Thanks to my nephew, Tucker Dearth, for posting this on FaceBook.

Become a "FACEBOOK FAN".