UPDATED, PART ONE: RHS 25th Anniversary Celebration / John Oftebro

 

Redmond Historical Society 25th Anniversary Celebration in the new Senior & Community Center

President John Oftebro of the Redmond Historical Society (RHS) did a fabulous job producing, directing and emceeing the Redmond Historical Society 25th Anniversary Celebration and Social.  Over 120 attended.  The event was held on Saturday, October 28 at the new Redmond Senior and Community Center.  John's an excellent fund-raiser and superlative jack-of-all trades.  

Laura-Lee Bennett, the Executive V.P. oversaw the event.  RHS Co-founder Miguel Llanos flew up from Los Angeles and gave a 30-minute interactive slide show.  John Couch, Redmond's Park & Rec. Director of 30 years dressed-up as Mayor Bill Brown. Chris "Hurricane" Himes, Redmond's first Strong Mayor gave a charming, short speech. Former Mayor Rosemary Ives was on Block Island attending to her family.  

Board member Deborah Oftebro assembled lead-members to work the coffee cake and cookie table: Judy Lang, Jo Ann Potter, Deb Akerstrom and a Morelli?  My wife Pam and I got to sit with good friends, John Reinke, Gary Smith and Terry Lavender. John Reinke gave the entire audience a holler as he sang along.  

Photo and story by Yoder

9/29/2024

Bear Creek: An Oral History of a Changing Landscape / by Gary Smith

 Produced and Directed by Gary Smith in concert with the Redmond Historical Society

Gary Smith is Redmond's foremost "human and natural history volunteer."

Click on Gary's name to read articles on what he's accomplished and is doing now.

Opinion by B. Yoder

3/5/2023

Indian Kokanee Salmon Event October 12th

culture.snoqualmietribeweb.com

"Spawning Grounds" film

www.bit.ly/SpawningGroundsFilm

 "Trout Unlimited" President recommends this film.

Produced by eight salmon-related agencies

Hello -

I wanted to send a quick reminder about the Release the Kokanee event coming up next week, October 12^th at 5:00 pm at the Lake Sammamish Boat Launch. We are excited to celebrate the work of this group, connect, and ceremonially release some of the kokanee we are working so hard to save. We hope you will join us at this KWG sponsored event.

Sharing: Please share the event with your staff, partners, supporters and friends!  Feel free to use the attached flyer or share a post from the Lake Sammamish UWRP social media (Facebook, Instagram) or the Snoqualmie Tribe Ancestral Lands Movement (Facebook, Instagram). Event info web address: www.bit.ly/KokaneeRelease.

 

Please let me know if you have any questions or would like additional information.

 

Best,

Alix

 

 

Alix Lee-Tigner (she/her)

Lake Sammamish Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership Coordinator

(406) 868-1902

alix.lee-tigner@tu.org

Trout Unlimited is "a rapidly growing community struggling to save its native Little Red Fish."

--  Posted with edits by Redmond resident and Trout Unlimited member Gary Smith.

Commissioner Gary Smith Given High Honors By Mayor Birney

Gary Smith teaching child about trees

July is "Parks and Recreation" month.  During "Special Orders of the Day"  Mayor Birney honored  four citizens for their contributions to the City Parks & Rec.  One of them is a friend of mine, Gary Smith.

Allow me to paraphrase the Mayor's recognition of Gary.

• Parks and Trails Commission (2018 - present) Chair
• Advanced Sustainably pushing forward the East Redmond Corridor.
• ADA stakeholder working to improve access to all users of Parks and Trails
• Green Redmond Forest Volunteer for many years leading and working numerous forest restoration projects. Gary is the Forest Steward at Westside and Idlewood Parks. 
• Gives valuable input on the "Tree Canopy Strategic Plan." 
• Significant contribution to the pond restoration at Smith Woods Park (and project manager of the program honoring the owner who gifted the land.)
• Advocate for fish and fish habitat in and around the City. 

The Mayor praised Gary noting "this only scratches the surface" of his contributions to the City.   A list of posts on Gary's contributions and activities are HERE. 

Gary spoke to the Council and audience after the Mayor's recognition.  He thanked the Parks and Trails commission saying "the commission was his platform for multiplying efforts I might have given."

Gary gave thanks to the "Green Redmond" program kindly saying it was "started by Mayor Rosemarie Ives fifteen years ago."

Gary Smith is a public speaker extraordinaire - intelligent, whitty, powerful voice, emotionally controlled, with great presence.  His likable personality, deep passion for  Redmond's environment and ecology, and long-time commitment to the community makes him very special.  Thank you, Gary.  

-- Bob Yoder, 7/7/2022

Redmond Celebrates Land Donation, Develops Smith Woods Park

 Don and Elaine Smith always had the idea of turning their 10 acres of diverse natural land into a public park and wanted to keep it natural for the enjoyment of others in the community. Don died in 2009 at age 94, Elaine now lives in Emerald Heights. She turned 97 on New Years Day, 2022.

(Click on pictures to enlarge)

 Forest Steward LeAnne Ludwig, Rosemarie Ives and
Gary Smith, Chair Parks and Trails Commission and Project manager.
Gary made it all happen.
Donors Don and Elaine Smith's memorial bench.
Photo credit / Kerry Smith

 

Rosemarie Ives with John Couch, Parks and Recreation Director of ~ 30 years
Photo Credit / Kerry Smith

 r-l, Leanne Ludwig,Smith Woods Forest Steward, John Couch,
Rosemarie Ives, Jon Ives,Gary Smith, Gary's daughter Kim with dogs, Gary's granddaughter Sabrina. Celebrating the new memorial Ginkgo tree. Photo credit / Kerry Smith

The memorial Bench is in honor of Donald A. Smith and Elaine E. Smith and their family
who shaped the land. Bench donors: Linda & "Kip" Hussey, Mayor Rosemarie Ives (1992-2007,)
Pat and Kathy Curry.
Photo credit / Kerry Smith

LAND DESCRIPTION:  "The 5-acre western half is heavily vegetated on a gently sloping floodplain with multiple wetlands and a seasonal stream (and pond which is the headwaters of Monticello Creek).  The 5-acre eastern half of the property has large expanses of grass and beautiful mature trees, including Sequoia, Cedar, Douglas Fir, and Ginkgo. There’s a north-south trail on each half of the property."

 -- Gary Smith.

The event was held on 2/21/2022 

Kerry Smith photographed.

Smith Woods Park is a few blocks east of Clara Barton school. 177th Ct NE &, NE 122nd St, 

Posted and edited by Yoder 3/3/2022

"Bear Creek: An Oral History of a Changing Landscape," Produced by Gary Smith

GARY SMITH

Gary Smith has been on the WRIA 8 Salmon Recovery Council as a community organization representative for 15 years.  With the help of many partners, he set about compiling an oral history of Bear Creek and its salmon.  This project tapped seven people in the community, from creekside property owners in the Basin like Terry Lavender to representatives of local governments:  John Marchione, Ray Heller and Roger Dane (all now retired).  He also interviewed non-profit organization representatives like Tom Murdoch of Adopt-A-Stream and past presidents of WaterTenders.

You can learn of Bear Creek from those stewards as they tell their individual stories in audio and video interviews. Gary has also provided a narrative story of the cooperation between citizens, non-profit organizations, and local governments to mitigate the impacts of urbanization and to preserve the best of the natural world remaining in the creek basin. To view the full five-minute video.  To learn more about the projects. 

Source:  WIRIA 8 Newsletter 

Reported by Bob Yoder, 2/25/2022

Forest Steward Gary Smith Leads Work Party At Smith Woods Park

Green Redmond organized a work party at Smith Woods Park today to mulch a trail from it's eastside towards the park's western wetland.  Gary Smith, a long-time Forest Steward & Chair of the Parks and Trails Commission managed the project.  Sharon from City Parks worked hard and kept a close eye on the pitchforks, iron rakes and awesome ergonomic wheelbarrows.  About twenty-five neighborhood volunteers literally "pitched" in, laying 15 yards of mulch to build the trail.  Mulching six inches deep was necessary. We completed the project in only 2.5 hours.

The trail is an east-west connector with a destination to a donated park bench honoring the Smith family.  A ceremony to dedicate the bench is planned for next month. 

Forest Steward Gary Smith is in the foreground catching his breath.  The trail heads west from here towards the wetland and future honorary bench.  Double click to enlarge.

Gary is standing left side of the mulch pile, Sharon is second from the right. So sorry the photo is blurred. Click pic to enlarge.

Internet

 Gary's been the Forest Steward at Idlewood Park for years. Here he's educating a child on restoration.  Learn more about Gary HERE (scroll)

Bob Yoder, Photos and Report, 1/15/2022

VIDEO UPDATE: Bear Creek and the Stewards Who Saved a Salmon Stream

"Bear Creek and the Stewards Who Saved A Salmon Stream, 1980 - 2020,"

Redmond Historical Society.

Redmond Historical Society: "Bear Creek a small stream east of Seattle – some Redmond residents don’t even know it runs through town ending at the Sammamish River between Marymoor Park and Redmond Town Center -- but Bear Creek is notable for its historically strong runs of wild salmon. In the past half-century those runs have declined, especially that of the threatened Puget Sound Chinook. That trend is sadly common in Northwest waterways, but in this case the decline has been slowed by local efforts to support the fish."

GARY SMITH, a standout Redmond volunteer, Parks Commission Chair, Water Tender Board member and WRIA 8 appointee compiled a research project and supporting materials interviewing the following stewards of Bear Creek, most of them Water Tenders:

Interview with Shirley Doolittle-Egerdahl  -- Water Tender President & Board member with long family history of life at  Paradise Lake, the headwaters of Bear Creek.  

Interview with Terry Lavender, *Founder of Water Tenders and Board Chair. Terry describes her long experience on Bear Creek working with citizen groups and county officials to preserve and rehabilitate property on and around the creek.

Interview with Mayor John Marchione.

Interview with Dick Schaetzel, past President of Water Tenders (1991.)  Very active. Dick's home is 30 feet from Bear Creek. 

Interview with Tom Murdock, Executive Director of "Adopt A Stream."  

Ray Heller, King County Basin Steward for Bear Creek, 91-93

Written Q&A with Roger Dane C.O.R. Public Works.

Many thanks to the Redmond Historical Society for initiating and publishing "Bear Creek and the Stewards Who Saved a Salmon Stream," 1980 - 2020  (7/13/2021)

-- Bob Yoder, 1/7/2022

UPDATED OPINION, 11/7/2021: What Will Redmond Look Like In 2050?

Is it too late to make the massive 22-acre downtown Nelson "Village" palpable and resident friendly or will our elected officials cave to this developer?

In 2007, Redmond hired consultant Guy Michaelson from Berger Partnership of Seattle to give a vision  and suggestions for the development of Downtown Redmond.  Below, are two points he made, salient to Redmond 2050:

Guy emphasized the importance of "promenades" for connecting a hierarchy of streets. Promenades are not boulevards but important avenues with canopy and wider (20')sidewalks.  The Parks Director and Mayor Ives talked with excitement about street-side cafes, book stores, spilling over onto wider sidewalk promenades. (Thank you COVID for the later.)

Guy suggested improving the "green ring" along the Sammamish River by softening the eastern slope of the river with a more gradual grade to "get out of the ditch". He suggested building a bike/running trail on the west side to allow for more passive activities on the eastern slope. He thought Luke McRedmond Park had great potential. [He failed to point out King County has jurisdiction over the river corridor.]

Mayor Birney and Council, please zone for greater use of promenades, wider sidewalks and bike lanes, specifically in the Nelson Master Plan and SE Redmond Neighborhood (where new schools are planned.)  Thank you.  B. Yoder

READ MORE for the abridged Berger report and my opinion:

City Consults With Berger Partnership On Downtown Parks

Heron Rookery adjacent Leary Way

I was one of the few public attending the "Downtown Parks Open House" meeting on April 24 at the Old Redmond School House. (It was posted on the city website).

The mayor, councilmembers Vache, McCormick, and Jim Robinson (Parks Chair) were in attendance along with Sue Stewart, Park Board Chair and Gary D. Smith of the Trails Commission.

Parks Director, Craig Larson introduced a well-paid consultant, Guy Michaelson, from Berger Partnership in Seattle. (206-325-6877) to address the audience. Mr. Larsen showed a map depicting 6 downtown projects underway. Most of them were residential.

Guy spent most of the night evaluating our downtown parks, topography, and making suggestions for improvement and park development.

I posted the above photo of a Great Blue Heron rookery because the consultant informed us the 3-acre heron rookery (behind the Workshop Tavern) is 'sterile' and without nesting activity. If fact, Guy recommended planting new trees to improve the defunct rookery woodlands.

To be frank, I was quite shocked to learn of our rookery loss since the Great Blue Heron is by law our state protected "species of local importance". How could the city let this go? I think (and hope) we have one other rookery behind Safeway along Bear Creek. If we don't have another productive rookery then we have a problem of not protecting the most important species in our city. The Critical Area Ordinance applies here.

Besides the above rookery announcement, I found Guy's observation of the unique character of our "wooded hillsides" surrounding the city interesting. He thought they were an under appreciated city asset.

Guy emphasized the importance of "promenades" for connecting a hierarchy of streets. Promenades are not boulevards but important avenues with canopy and wider (20')sidewalks. Craig and Rosemarie both talked with excitement about street-side cafes, book stores, spilling over onto wider sidewalk promenades.

Guy suggested improving the "green ring" along the Sammamish River by softening the eastern slope of the river with a more gradual grade to "get out of the ditch". He suggested building a bike/running trail on the west side to allow for more passive activities on the eastern slope. He thought Luke McRedmond Park has greater potential.

He spent a lot of time talking about where he envisioned the heart of our downtown. He identifies our "heart" at the confluence of the sterile heron rookery, Bear Creek Parkway, and the Burlington Northern corridor; and the Haida House as the "spirit" of our downtown. Gary Smith (trails commissioner) disagreed, suggesting artist Dudley Carter's Haida House -- adjacent to the Leary bridge and Sammamish River -- is the "heart" of our downtown. The park will be used for storage of  materials  the King Council Sewer project. 

Guy felt our skateboard park has much potential to provide more to the community. I concur. Known as "Edge Park" , he suggesting a railing (to lean on) circling around the skateboard ramp-park. Pam and I drove by the Woodland H.S. today and we saw their "skateboard park". It's awesome and packed with a variety of activity stations and places to rest. Totally different from our modest park.

Guy's only complaint about Redmond is we don't have a "major destination". What do you think??

Well, I guess the Downtown Park is the answer.

Nov. 9 2007

UPDATED: Dog Parks In Redmond

As Redmond grows so does our need for dog parks.  The downtown park (?) and Marymoor park can't do it all. 🐕,  Off leash "Pop Up Dog Parks" are a solution many cities are employing.  Below, is an orange City of Kirkland pop up.  Kirkland has three of them and all has gone so well that one will be permanent. You can't see it in this picture but there's also a smaller park for the little guys.  

Temporary pop up in a Kirkland park / B. Yoder

Potential dog park area near Soul Food / B. Yoder

During "Redmond Lights" Gary Smith, Parks Commission Chair, pointed out this green patch of land.  He thought it had potential for a dog park. For orientation, the land is west of Discover Yoga; it's the structure you're looking at. And it's behind Soul Food.  There may not be enough acreage for large and small dogs, but small dogs could romp. Unfortunately, the owner is Mr. Nelson.  His attorney said the land won't be used for a dog park area.

Smith Woods Park in northern Redmond is a 10 acre, mostly grassy place.  It might be a perfect location for those that don't want to drive all the way to Marymoor Park and to serve Redmondites in general. Can you think of other locations?  

--Bob Yoder, 8/28/2021

A Walk Down Memory Lane

Several years ago I walked down "memory lane," (77960-7990 170th Ave. NE) coined Adair Street by the Redmond Historical Society. Ms. Adair was a land doner. I took this video of  three cottages circa 1930's and a 97 year-old craftsman home (owned by real estate appraiser Alan Pope. Mr. Pope is a native of Redmond; he graduated from Lake Washington High.)  The homes were demolished last month to build eighteen, 3BR "Penny Lane" townhomes.  The development is only a five minute walk to Anderson Park.  Sad to see these vintage homes go but the site is perfect for the city's needs of density and family housing equity.  

 18 "family" luxury townhomes, "Penny Lane 2 & 3" under construction

An extensive "cultural resource assessment" was conducted to assess: environmental, archaeological, ethnographic, and historical culture. -- Special thanks to Gary Smith for finding and sharing the assessment.

-- Bob Yoder, 4/13/2021

Photo and Video, Yoder

Our Tour Of The Keller Farm Mitigation Bank

Victor Woodward, Credit Habitat Bank LLC

The Keller Farm Wetland Mitigation Bank is directly east of Avondale Road, south of 180th Street in Redmond. It was completely flooded during the early February storm. The Keller's live nearby, and are protective of the land. The City of Redmond owns the Bank; it's approximately 75 acres of land located along Bear Creek. Find an excellent picture and description of the Bank here. Three Watertenders: Gary Smith, Dick Schaible, myself and a Redmond Parks Commissioner were toured by Victor Woodward, the Bank manager.

The Bank is devised to ensure that wetland and tree loss resulting from select developments  are compensated for by installation of native shrubs, trees and large woody debris on the Bank.  Compensation is calculated in the form of "credits" up to $100,000 or more.

Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT,) Sound Transit, large pipeline projects and various small residential developments are planned for Bank mitigation "servicing." Other project works will be forthcoming during a 12-year lease.

Victor Woodward, the manager, operator and sponsor of the Bank gave a fascinating 2.5 hour tour of the Bank on February 17th.  He's an impressive man, towering and outdoorsey.  We walked the whole perimeter, stumbling on the soaked clods of the 125 year-old has been dairy farm. Several farm ditches will be restored and maintained for aquatic and hydrology purposes. After the city permit for grading is approved Victor will level the land and kill off  various grasses and other invasives (with Roundup.) He was especially disturbed by the stubborn presence of Poison Hemlock.

We spent a lot of time hiking along Bear Creek.  Coyotes were seen in the distance, Canada Geese flew overhead, we walked by a Swan carcass; trees chewed by Beaver were everywhere. Victor chortled that his design plans for the creek area might be altered by Beavers, though they are welcome. Their feeding activity (at times dropping trees into the creek) provides excellent stream habitat and shelter for the salmon.

Towards the end of the tour we hiked along a wide ditch south of  the "Friendly Village" housing park. Ditch restoration and maintenance is required there for flood control. Victor's Habitat Bank LLC is fully insured and bonded. We lamented about the low populations of Chinook and coho this year. 

*The Bank's "service area" is far reaching. It includes all the streams that drain into the northern portion of Lake Washington, extending to development projects in south Everett, Lynnwood, Redmond, Woodinville, Kirkland, Bellevue, Sammamish and Issaquah.  This large service area will do much towards meeting Redmond's goal of a 40% tree canopy by 2050. It appears Willows are the tree of choice. 

Forterra oversees the City and Habitat Bank performance activities. Indian tribes have interest since the Bank accounts for 5% of the water entering into Bear Creek upstream. The water coming off the site is important for keeping Bear Creek cool especially in the summer.  This is critical for the salmon coming up the Sammamish River from Lake Washington and spawning in the many tributaries such as Bear and Evans Creeks.

After going through a 5-year permitting process, the Keller Wetland Mitigation Bank was approved for operation by the Army Corps of Engineers in late December, 2019 and was one of Mayor Marchione's last acts before retiring.

-- Bob Yoder
    2/21

Above, is my story of the tour.  Click READ MORE for Victor's additions and how to contact him. 

Redmond Tree Canopy

Evans Creek Trail / Bob Yoder

Tree Canopy in Redmond is very important to our government officials and it's residents. In fact, every year for the past many years our Council and mayor have had multiple Study Sessions on our trees.  

Why is tree canopy so important?  Redmond’s character and main attraction for many community members is its trees, wooded areas, and urban forests. The benefits of trees and urban forests include reduced stormwater runoff, improved water and air quality, attractive communities, increased property values, greenhouse gas reduction, habitat for native wildlife,and improved quality of life, including finding serenity while hiking through Redmond's many wooded trails. 

Currently there are 4,062 acres of tree canopy within Redmond. I'm not sure if this includes our street trees and the Redmond Preserve. (Comments?) Overall, tree canopy coverage is declining at a rate of 12 to 13 acres per year as vacant and underutilized parcels continue to develop or redevelop. During the 2019 Redmond Lights festival I ran into Gary Smith, a parks and trails commissioner. He said a large development in North Redmond involved removing a significant number of trees; he thinks and hopes the trees will be replaced in the Keller Farm Mitigation Bank. 

The City of Redmond is currently at 38.1% tree canopy (as of 2017); the City is working hard to see this grow and has adopted a goal of 40% tree canopy by 2050.  The 2050 goal represents a 200-acre increase in canopy from where we are today. The City currently restores and plants approximately two acres of trees and shrubs annually and is planting four acres of trees in 2019 . Green Redmond recruits citizen volunteers to plant many of these trees.

John Reinke, a Redmond photojournalist, has taken many pictures of birds and wildlife in our woodland habitat. I sent him an outstanding article WITH great pictures titled "Super Trees."  It's a must see.  (For more on John's tree experiences "Read More"

Idylwood Park restoration of tree removal areas

Gary Smith teaching restoration at Idylwood Park /
Credit Forterra

In August 2017, two separate large cottonwood tree limb failures occurred at Idylwood Park. The City hired a contractor to remove fourteen hazardous cottonwood trees in October 2018.  Two remaining hazardous trees have been pruned or are currently being evaluated.

Restoration Plantings: Restoration of the Idylwood Park tree removal areas will occur February – March 2019. A community volunteer replanting event will tentatively take place on Saturday, February 9. Volunteers and City staff will plant trees, shrubs, groundcovers...

Source:  Council business meeting, 1/15 memo

Bob Yoder

New Members Join the Redmond Kiwanis Club

			Six new members recently joined the Redmond Kiwanis Club.  The new members are shown in the photo above from left to right: Bob Yoder, Roy Captain, Mark Stuart, Gary Schimek, and Don Horton.   New member Tommy Smith is missing from the photograph. Kiwanis is a global organization dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time.  The Redmond Kiwanis Club serves the Redmond community with an emphasis on youth-oriented projects.  The Club meets weekly at the Family Pancake House in Redmond.  Meetings start at 7:00 a.m. and end at 8:00 a.m.  If you would like to attend a Club meeting and learn more about Kiwanis, contact President Pat Vache' (425- 883-2314)' ### The Kiwanis Club in Redmond improves the lives of youth and families of Redmond and the surrounding communities through increasing hours of service, dollars of support, and positive role models for the youth and future leaders of the community.