Evergreen Hospital and the City are prepared for a likely H1N1 (Swine) flu outbreak

Did you read the front page of the SEATTLE TIMES today (9/5) about the Swine Flu outbreak at WSU?  Will the Swine flu spread to all of our Washington schools?   I am now ever so grateful  the City of Redmond has developed an excellent working relationship with Evergreen Hospital for emergency disaster preparedness.  To quote today's (9/5) TIMES:

 "Swine flu rages at WSU - 2,000 sickened in Pullman. - Martin County officials said similar outbreaks may follow elsewhere in Washington as students once again begin congregating indoors".   

A week ago the City sat down with Dr. Warren Appleton of Evergreen Hospital to establish a working relationship should an H1N1 (Swine) flu pandemic begin.   Dr. Warren Appleton is the Director of Emergency Disaster Preparedness at Evergreen Hospital and a past Redmond city councilmember who knows our city well.    We are very fortunate to have such a solid relationship.  Warren is pictured in an ER room here with Evergreen's  ER Manager.  

It was suggested at the meeting citizens and providers visit the Evergreen Hospital H1N1 website for current information about what to do when a H1N1 flu pandemic occurs. "Remaining calm" counts the most. My Redmond Blog will TWEET and FaceBook time sensitive updates and news should Redmond experience an outbreak.  Evergreen and Redmond city websites (and their press releases.) will be this blog's sole source of pandemic information on the flu - to avoid confusion and keep our community on the ''same page". 

LETTER - "KirklandViews" publisher writes of Kirkland Council's woes.

LETTER:  Rob Butcher of Kirkland, posted this comment under my Kirkland "sister city" story of 9/3.  .

Bob,

Excellent article. I know that as a citizen of Kirkland, I look to Redmond as our close neighbor from which Kirkland can learn a great deal. Kirkland's neighborhood vs. businesses mentality is what most needs to be remedied in Kirkland. Redmond, as I see it, has a bit more harmony. Our City Council reflects the tensions in our community (1) and it is to the detriment of the region when one city is functioning at such a level. I am certain Redmond is not perfect either, but I do look at Redmond for inspiration and for lessons we can apply in Kirkland. And much of my Redmond information comes from the Redmond Neighborhood Blog.

Thanks for your hard work.

Cheers,
Rob Butcher, Publisher
http://www.kirklandviews.com/
September 3, 2009 8:24 AM

1. Bitter Infighting at the Kirkland City Council; 4-3 vote to investigate sitting council member  B.Y.

Is Kirkland the "sister city" to Redmond?

If you were to name a local "sister city" to Redmond, most would probably choose between Bellevue  and Kirkland.   I would like to know your choice.  I'll  explain why my pick is Kirkland.

The benchmark decision for me was Rosemarie Ive's last City Council meeting of December, 2007.  Kirkland Mayor James L. Lauinger was one of many giving tribute to Rosemarie.  Mayor Lauinger presented a stirring tribute and impressive honorary plaque to Mayor Ives.  This act of kindness triggered an emotional response from Rosemarie saying, she had oftened considered Kirkland  "Redmond's sister city".

I can barely scratch the surface guessing all the reasons why Rosemarie would coin Kirkland our local "sister city".  Perhaps, Rosemarie would comment to this post.  Allow me to list a few reasons, similarities, connections and "intersections' between our cities; and some differences.

 I've found many of the connections between Redmond and Kirkland  attributed to politicians.   For example: 

1) Doreen Marchione was a Redmond councilmember and Mayor of Redmond prior to Rosemarie Ives.  Doreen now lives in Kirkland and is running for a Kirkland Council seat.
2) Mary-Alyce Burleigh lived in Redmond for ~ 30 years before moving to Kirkland to become a respected, long-standing, influential Kirkland councilmember with terms as Mayor.
3) Warren Appleton, MD was a Redmond Councilmember during Rosemarie's term  and is now the Director of Emergency Preparedness and member of two Boards of Kirkland's Evergreen Healthcare.

A) Lake Washington High School provides an intersection for Kirkland and Redmond students.
B) A county annexation by Redmond is planned bordering Kirkland and Redmond on 132nd St. (I think)

Culture:  Little league Baseball and Softball park facilities are extensive and well maintained in both cities. Kirkland won the Little League World Series in 1982.  Redmond is the "Bicycle Capital of the NW" and has extensive trail systems.  Kirkland is a classy Lake Washington waterfront restaurant and boating community.  Both cities value art:  Kirkland boasts a variety of galleries; Redmond has an outdoor art collection of over 100 pieces.  Rob Butcher publishes the popular KirklandViews for profit blog.  I'm asking the community to fund the Redmond Neighborhood Blog as a nonprofit.  

Comparable *demographics:

• Residential population of Redmond is 49,427 : Kirkland is 47,325 
• Population density:  3,065 (R) : 4,365 (K)
• Median income:  $76,155 (R) : $69,711 (K)
• Median home value:  626,000 (R) : 675,000 (K)
• Median age:  37 (R) : 40 (K)
• Singles:  43% (R) : 50% (K)
• Families with kids:  22% (R) : 17% (K)
• LWSD ratio of pupils:students:  24:1 (R) : 19:1 (K)  $4350 expenditure/student for R/K.
• College BA degree:  36% (R) : 33% (K)
• Bellevue is twice the distance of Kirkland from Redmond.  Kirkland is 3.1 miles away.   

Employment differences are significant:  Redmond is "on the Edge" of Microsoft.   Google is "on the Edge" of Kirkland.  The largest employer in Redmond is Microsoft. (41,000 in Puget Sound).  Redmond population doubles during the work week.  Evergreen Healthcare  is Kirkland's largest employer with 3,229 employees.

Governments are dissimilar:   Redmond has a "strong mayor" who is an elected representative and the Administrator of city staff and operations.  Mayor John Marchione is the city CEO.   Kirkland has a "council form" where the Mayor is an elected councilmember but a business manager is hired to run the city and carry out Council policies.  Redmond has a super-sized City Hall.  In comparison, Kirkland's Hall is a donut hole. 

Do you have any opinions or points of fact you want express in a Letter?  Please comment here.  If you think Bellevue or Woodinville is a more appropriate sister city please say why, and I'll post your comments as a Letter.

* Yahoo Real Estate, Neighborhoods

City Council approves the Shoreline Master Plan Update after 10 years of study.

UPDATED, 9/15:  The Shoreline Master Program consists of policies and standards that regulate land uses and development located approximately 200 feet within Bear Creek, Evans Creek, Lake Sammamish, and the Sammamish River, and includes some of these waterbodies’ associated wetlands and floodplains.   An update to the old Master Plan has been in the works for over 10 years.   At tonight's meeting, Council reviewed final edits by the State Department of Ecology and approved the D.O.E. edits.  The Update was approved on 9/15, 5-1 with Mr. Cole dissenting.  Kim Allen was absent.  

The Principal Planner Cathy Beam received rave reviews by the Council for her long and hard work completing the Shoreline Master Plan Update.   Mr. Carson spoke highly of the significant public involvment generated by this Update.   Councilmember Allen, a Hearing Examiner in Kitsap County, thought Redmond's Update was one of the best she's seen.  Most of my personal field work and input was directed towards preserving and maintaining the high intensity Evans Creek industrial riparian buffer. It is at best only 50 feet.

Some of the changes made by Washington State Department of Ecology can be found within the following paragraphs:  

• “In any High Intensity/Multi-Use location within a buffer where the land is actively being used as part of a legitimate business operation, such land including either structures or active operational areas, established prior January 1, 2008  may continue to operate. New structures, pavement, and other improvements are permitted within this area so long as incremental environemtal benefits is provided and no net loss of shoreline ecological functions is demonstrate

• The Washington Department of Ecology added this paragraph:   “Use the City’s established permit tracking program to periodically evaluate the effectiveness of the Shoreline Master Program update for achieving no net loss of shoreline ecological functions with respect to shoreline permitting and exemptions. Prepare an evaluation report every seven years when the SMP is required to be updated under RCW 90.58.080(4).”

View the entire list of changes made by the Washington State Department of Ecology here.
 
Redmond Shorelines are dynamic and changing.   Bear Creek is being relocated right now to make way for SR520.  The city plans to relocate Evans Creek north and away from the Industrial District within the near future. (5-10 years).   Evans Creek is salmon bearing.  With this in mind, the city and citizens will have to be attentive to incremental land use on the Evans buffer.

Orange Blossom Society Grand Opening September 19 & 20 - an arts, enrichment center, social hub and play space - near Anderson Park.

NEW INDOOR PLAY SPACE AND ENRICHMENT CENTER FOR FAMILIES TO OPEN IN DOWNTOWN REDMOND

REDMOND, WA. Orange Blossom Society, an arts enrichment center, social hub and open play space, is located in a cozy craftsman house in downtown Redmond, half a block from Anderson Park. With something for everyone – art, movement, music and language for kids, plus spa treatments, yoga and fitness for adults – Orange Blossom Society is a place where kids can blossom while their parents recharge and reconnect. Orange Blossom Society is open weekdays and Saturdays, with ample parking, a café and retail boutique on-site and outdoor space for recreation.

The pubic is invited to Orange Blossom Society's Grand Opening set for September 19 and 20, 1-5pm . Orange Blossom Society is located in a cozy, craftsman-style house at 16715 N.E. 79th St., within a half mile of Anderson Park and Redmond Town Center.

"My ambition is to create an intimate space that is welcoming to families and good for community building," Sepsaid Sharman Ghio, founder of Orange Blossom Society. "I selected enrichment activities that children will love; classes that will pique their interest and encourage discovery. And, parents will feel less guilty about doing a little something for themselves at the same time, knowing their kids are under the same roof having a fun time."

Orange Blossom Society has three floors of rooms where instructors will be able to give ample individual attention in small classes of eight to 10 students. The rotating gear in the indoor play space will delight with educational and classic, wooden toys. There is a café on site, serving healthy snacks, coffee and pastries (and eventually salads and sandwiches), as well as a retail boutique with fun accessories and handmade items. Outside, the facility has a yard, which Ghio plans to use for gardening and composting lessons, parking, a picnic area and sports court for athletic fun.

Orange Blossom Society will be open Tuesdays through Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Classes will be held in eight-week sessions and the fall session begins Sept. 22. visit http://www.orangeblossomsociety.com/ or call 425-883-2400.

What do "signal markers", "sharrows" and "bike boxes" have in common?

SHARROWS:
Any bicyclist (and driver) will immediately relate to the meaning of the photo and diagram on the right. The two large arrow heads with a bicycle you see in these pictures is called a "sharrow". They indicated where cyclists will share the road with vehicles. Redmond Communications Dept. announced on August 20 that sharrows "will replace the separate bike lane in the future" and both Redmond and Kirkland are now piloting sharrows and bicycle signal sensors on select streets.

Redmond bicyclists will find sharrows and signal sensors on 150th Avenue NE from NE 40th to NE 51st Streets.

SIGNAL SENSORS: New road markings help cyclists know where to stop so the signal can sense them. A bicycle symbol marking is painted on the road and when the cyclist stops on it, the signal is activated. Thanks to our "Redmond PED BIKE Advisory Committee," this 2 minute YOUTUBE on triggering traffic signals is available: Traffic Loop Detection for Bicycles. Questions? CONTACT: city planner jpfundt@redmond.gov .


BIKE BOXES: search this blog for "bike box" - and now you know the rest of the story....

LETTER - District defends Einstein and Redmond Elementary Schools.

LETTER - submitted under "comments", by Kathryn Reith, 8/29

Einstein and Redmond Elementary Schools are both very good elementary schools that serve diverse families and students well. Unfortunately, the federal No Child Left Behind Act has created a system that is confusing and arbitrary.

If a school does not make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), that does not at all mean they are "failing." According to federal law, if a school has 30 students in any one of eight subgroups, and a lower percentage of that subgroup does not meet the standard in either math or reading, then the entire school is labeled as not making AYP. The rest of the school can be succeeding spectacularly and the school is still branded with this label.

This year, 60 percent of schools in the state of Washington did not make AYP, including schools that made the Newsweek list of top high schools in the country. I encourage parents to look much more closely into the data for the total results of a school and to look carefully at their student's results before coming to any conclusions about what AYP means for their school.

There is a more complete Q&A on this subject posted on the school web sites for both Einstein and Redmond Elementary in addition to the link that Bob provided.

Kathryn Reith
Communications Director
Lake Washington School District
kreith@lwsd.org
August 29, 2009 2:36 PM

LETTERS - Einstein and Redmond Elementary School parents struggle with an option to transfer their students.

LETTERS - Redmond El. parent

"You may be interested to know that both Redmond Elementary and Einstein Elementary did not make "Adequate Yearly Progress" under the No Child Left Behind Act for the second year in a row.

Parents at those schools are being offered the option of sending their kids to schools that are not failing. Redmond students were offered the choice of Norman Rockwell or Horace Mann. Einstein students are rumored to have been offered the choice of Norman Rockwell or Wilder. See the Lake Washington School District press release: http://lwsd.org/News/News-and-Announcements/Pages/LWSD-Students-Perform-Well-on-2009-WASL.aspx

The recent principal at Redmond El retired and the district has replaced her with a principal with a reputation of successfully improving schools. Parents at Redmond El are in a position of trying to decide if they should jump off a failing ship or stick it out and keep trying to improve the school."
-- from a Redmond Elementary School parent

Submitted by email: Parent's name has been withheld by request.

LETTERS - Bear sow & cub sighting on Tolt pipeline trail.

LETTERS

Update: I bike the Tolt pipeline trail and I believe any Redmond mountain biker or hiker would want to know about this bear sighting, even if it might be a rumor.

"My husband encountered a mother and cub about half way up the Tolt pipeline trail in the Redmond watershed yesterday around 6pm.

He was biking, and came to an immediate halt when he saw the bears on the trail. Mother stood up on hind legs and growled before running off with baby following."

--anonymously reported today, 8/28, as a comment under my *2008 Hartman Bear Sighting Story. (note comments)

LETTERS - Councilmember Allen urges use of Facebook and Twitter during emergencies.

Social Media urged for notifications during city emergencies.

Hi Bob,

Thanks for bringing this issue forward on your blog. One of the most precious commodities during any emergency is information and it has always been one of my top priorities to keep it coming. My husband and I rode through the Northridge California earthquake near the epicenter with a four year old so and 2 dogs so I have a few "lessons learned" that I have brought forward from that experience. Over the past several years, Redmond has expanded its options to keep in touch with the public during an emergency, including acquiring our own AM radio frequency, expanding use of our website and developing a network to get information out to local businesses where folks are likely to head during an emergency(like Victor's and QFC).

Your suggestion about the use of social networking, like Facebook and Twitter, is an excellent one-especially when the emergency does not involve a power outage. I'm going to urge that we should add that to Redmond's emergency notification "toolbox".

Kim Allen
Redmond Public Health Committee
Redmond City Councilmember
August 28, 2009 8:03 AM

LETTERS: Long time stores are being forced out of Redmond

LETTERS - Email submitted by Gail of Education Hill, 8/27

Hi Bob,

Thanks for the blog, great info for everyone!! I found out some disturbing info regarding stores leaving Redmond.

Kits Camera West and Las Margaritas are being forced out of Redmond. I walked into Kits this am to do some printing and there packing up. Reef Management tells them out. I don't know if there doing exactly what happened at the other end of town. With a new face lift and new stores coming in like TRADER JOES etc. You know we now have NO camera store in Redmond it's like when the Hallmark was forced out because rent was so high. I also heard RITE AID might go away also. Change is good for Redmond but I have seen a lot in 26 yrs living here and I don't like to see the stores that we shop at forced out. Then does the major want us to shop in Kirkland, Bellevue etc.

I am unhappy right now. Thanks for listening! love the blog!!!

--Gail of Education Hill

Redmond is being proactive and in-the-ready for the H1N1 (Swine) Flu.

Mayor John Marchione and Councilmember Kim Allen (on right) breakfast with key Fire and Police personnel in the kitchen of Fire Station #12 on 148th Avenue.

UPDATED: I took this photo during the August 20 Public Safety Committee Meeting. This is the second meeting they've held outside of City Hall. The Council Safety Committee is composed of David Carson (Chair), Kim Allen, and Pat Vache'.

Councilmember Kimberly Allen had requested discussion of two timely items: School Resource Officers (SRO), and Redmond's emergency preparedness for a pandemic swine flu outbreak. Kim was "spot on". One day after the meeting the frightful news of likely widespread Swine Flu outbreaks hit our Nation! Note: Sebelius: Closing schools wouldn't ward off virus - Boston.com   Read More >>