Nationally renowned Redmond High School teacher Mike Town on TV this Wednesday night!

LWSD-Redmond High School Environmental Sciences teacher Mike Town (left) will appear on KCTS 9’s - 17th annual Golden Apple Awards, which airs statewide 8PM this Wednesday 2/25. Mr. Town was awarded the prestigious Stanley O. McNaughton Award for his excellence in Washington state education.

Please don't forget to tune in and celebrate our famous teacher's success this Wednesday night at 8PM on KCTS - 9.
The broadcast will include short documentary-style segments of the award winners in action and highlights of the award ceremony held at Seattle’s Intiman Theatre in January, where an array of guest speakers paid tribute to the local award winners and institutions that continually raise the standard of Washington state education. Speakers included Bill Gates Sr., Co-Chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the newly-elected Superintendent of Public Instruction, Randy Dorn, and the Lieutenant Governor of the State, Brad Owen. Maurice “Moss” Bresnahan, President and CEO of KCTS 9, and Stanley W. McNaughton, President and CEO of PEMCO Insurance, also discussed how community partnerships extend the impact of educational programs and support lifelong learning.

Mike Town, Teacher, A.P. Environmental Science, grades 11-12, Redmond High School, Lake Washington School District is known throughout his school district for his passion for environmental science. He personally advocates for all students to have access to rigorous A.P. courses and believes strongly that if a student is introduced to college course material and receives credit, the odds of them attending college will increase dramatically. Because of this, Mike opens his six A.P. courses to all students with great success; 50 percent of the student body is enrolled in his courses, and 90 percent of his students score well enough on exams to earn college credit. Outside the classroom, Mike mentors the Environmental Club, which successfully reduced the school’s carbon footprint by implementing environmental changes at the school, including solar panels, a recycling program and environmentally friendly practices in the cafeteria. Under his guidance—and starting from his “simple idea” to invigorate the student body with pride in their environment and their school”—the students launched the Cool Schools campaign. The campaign challenged teachers to reduce their classroom’s carbon dioxide emissions by 2000 pounds, with a plan to achieve a 46-ton reduction. Ultimately, the electricity bills revealed that over 72 tons of carbon dioxide emissions were prevented. This “green school” concept has been replicated at 17 other district schools and has received the Presidential Environmental Youth Award, first and second prizes in Washington State University’s “Imagine Tomorrow” contest, and entry into the Congressional record. Mike’s teaching philosophy holds that change begins in the classroom. As students become passionate and learn about combating global warming, they bring these lessons home to their families and friends.

SW Leary Stormwater Wetland Facility

As you look South when you drive on Leary you will notice the wetland facility. It will not be finished until over 100 trees and shrubs are installed. Do you see the orange mesh fencing? The Sammamish River (and Trail) is behind it. Steve Hitch, the City Senior Stormwater engineer designed the project.

A Seattle consultant for the Redmond Parks Dept. renamed nearby "Slough House Park" to "Old Town Gateway Park". Many citizens, including Pres. Nancy McCormick prefered "Dudley Carter Park". The small park is near the purple tree next to Sammamish River Trail bridge. (4m)

Updated: Kempin Creek, Part II - the misuse of science in classifying city streams, Part II

2005 Stream Map
City of Redmond Stream Classification Definitions


Updated Opinion, 3/14/09: A couple of weeks ago I gave testimony to the Planning Commission and staff during a Public Hearing. The Hearing was a final step in the public process of approving the revised "Stream Map". The Critical Area Ordinance (CAO) requires cities in Washington map out their "critical areas" (streams, wetlands, flood plains, geological hazards, and aquifer recharge zones).

The Stream map is a city guideline to help developers, landowners, citizens, and "qualified consultants" rank our streams according to their value and function. Value is mostly defined by the presence or absence of fish species. A Class I "Shorelines of the State" streams (Sammamish River, Bear & Evans Creek) have the highest value owing to their size and presence of Federally endangered Chinook and other salmon. Class II streams, like Kempen Creek in NE Redmond provide habitat for "salmonid" ( salmon, steelhead, bull trout) and fish. Class III streams as in Perrigo Creek of Hartman Wetlands, have no fish nor potential for fish. Streams are buffered from land use development according to their classification (and usually size) with Class III getting the least amount of buffer

So what does all this have to do with Kempin Creek - the subject of an earlier post? Kempin Creek is unusual because it crosses county-city jurisdictions. In the county, qualified fish and wildlife biology consultants determined during a land use proposal that Kempin Creek harbored salmonid fish and should have buffers equal in size to Redmond's Class II stream rating. However, during the CAO Stream map revisions, city staff downgraded Kempin Creek to Class III when it flowed downstream from the county into Redmond.

But then something weird happens. Several hundred feet further downstream this Class III segment of Kempin Creek is classified a Class II stream again! Question. How can salmonid fish swim up Kempin Creek from Bear Creek, then swim to where they are not supposed to be (the Class III segment) only to re-enter fish bearing waters of Kempin Creek of King County?!

Below is a chart of Kempin Creek's city classification from it's source in King County downstream to Bear Creek.

Creek- County Class22222- City Class333333333333- Class22222 Class1111Bear Creek
upstream in county (fish-2)...... at Redmond border (no fish-3)- then (fish-2 again) further downstream to Bear Creek class 1111 (fish-1).


Note the Class 3 segment containing no fish, yet salomonid are upstream.! How does the the city's best science explain that!

The map is a guideline and I wouldn't make a big deal of this were it not for the city's misuse of "Best Available Science" (BAS). According to the Critical Area Ordinance, "Best Available Science" (BAS) is to be used during land use projects when classifying streams and other critical areas. City stream classification changes are triggered when a "qualified consultant" is hired by a developer for a project. In this case, the developer was CAMWEST. The BAS for Kempin Creek proved the developer's consultant misclassified the creek. A King County qualified biologist proved salmonid were present upstream in the King County segment. Thus, by best science, salmonid have to be present downstream -- all the way to Bear Creek. But for some bureaucratic reason the city's lesser "Washington Trout" mapping data pre-empted the Best Available Science provided by the county. Most importantly, re-classification of the stream mapping guide is is etched by land-use development triggers, not by cartography. As a result, the city presents an embarrassing, illogical mapping of Kempin Creek and a flagrant disregard for Best Available Science.

Some good news: Wise Planning Commissioners recommended that hydrology surrounding Redmond Creeks near the county be monitored. Another Planning Commissioner (KP) recommended stream temperatures be monitored as a city indicator of water quality and fish health.

Fishing Tip: if you're looking for a good fishing hole might try the city's Class III "no fish" segment of Kempin Creek. Your won't find staff fishing there! But, check with WDFW first to see if Kempin is fishable.

Redmond Code: 20D.140.20.-010 - Redmond's Class III streams connected to tributaries are streams without fish and without any potential to support fish or salmonids. They connect to downstream salmonid-bearing Class II and Class I streams. While these streams don’t contain fish themselves, they can be critical “headwater streams,” providing cold, clean water to the salmon-bearing streams into which they flow, further downstream.
Kempin Creek - the stream with a split personality, Part 1

CC: R. Odle, Planning Director, C. Beam, Environmental planner, PlanningCommission@redmond.gov

UPDATED: Community Dirt Bike Trail and forest gets trashed.

Recent trashing, dumping, and littering in the vicinity of the Dirt Bike Trail

This slide show tells the sad story of recent disrespect for our neighborhood by adults and youth.

Currently the City Parks and Recreation Department does not supervise the Dirt Bike Trail or surrounding water district forest. This slide show tells the sad story of recent (and past) disrespect for our neighborhood by adults and youth.

Redmond Parks & Recreation Department asks users to:

1) respect the neighborhood
2) remove litter and keep area clean of litter
3) limit bike use to marked areas.
4) not remove soil within the root zones of trees and shrubs.

Clearly, citizens are not being held accountable to Parks Department guidelines. I couldn't find any "marked areas" but did find a significant cedar tree painted green marking the site of a "tree house". It's not just our kids who need supervision. A short side trail at the terminus of NE 100th St. accesses a dump site. Adults are dumping plastic jungle gyms, picket fencing, boxes, and paint buckets.... right off of 171st Ave. I don't set policy but if this were my park I would shut it down until the neighboring kids and adults cleaned it up. What would you do?

Even though the kids aren't responsible for adult dumping they are privileged to have this beautiful place to ride their dirt & mountain bikes and play in the forest. The neighborhood needs to take year-round care and ownership of this beautiful forest and bike trails. Youth leaders need to step up and monitor the site year-round...not only during the summer. The Parks and Trails Commissioners could visit this "corner forest" periodically to see how the city could help. Neighborhood work parties once a year would go a long way towards restoring the beauty of this forest.

The above is my comment to Mr. Larsen, Parks Director and the Mayor's Parks & Trails Commissioners.

If you want to send feedback to the city I will copy your comments made at this post to Mr. Larsen, the commissioners and the Mayor.

CC: Redmond Police
Mr. Craig Larsen, Parks & Rec. Director
ParksandTrailsCommissioners@redmond.gov
Mr. Mayor

Woodinville and Redmond cities cooperate on traffic

Mayor John Marchione is living up to one of his goals for Redmond - "becoming a regional leader". Several months ago, Mr. Marchione and his Council met with the City of Sammamish. Mostly, they talked about developing a Park in northern Lake Sammamish from a patchwork of land owed by Redmond in cooperation with the City of Sammamish. Then, on January 27, John Marchione and Council invited the City of Woodinville officials to Redmond city hall to discuss economic development, tourism, transportation alternatives and of greatest interest, the BNSF (Burlington Northern Santa Fe) rail corridor,

Woodinville's Mayor Scott Hagerman and his Council are profiled here (click here to read their biographies.) Woodinville has a "council form" of government where they hire a city manager and their Mayor is appointed by Council. We elect our Mayor directly.

Woodinville Councilmembers Chuck Price, Jeff Glickman, and Hank Stecker had the most to say about transportation. Two transportation corridors reviewed were: 1) The Willows Extension to 522 and 2) The Avondale "Eastside Loop". Mr. Price insisted the 522 interchange flyover project must be complete before Willows Road is extended. McCormick warned traffic could be drawn off of 405 onto a Willows Extension. I hope we can work with Woodinville and the State to build that 522 interchange pronto. Red-Wood Road has bottlenecks and can't carry growing traffic loads much longer. A Roundabout on RED-WOOD Road by Hollywood Hills is planned and may help some.

While we await construction of the 522 interchange (PSRC) I sincerely hope Redmond can cooperate with Woodinville for their tourism needs in the Willows corridor. As Mayor Marchione said, both cities can partner by "showcasing our strengths" and "build together vs. steal together." A Willows Road extension built for compatibility with tourism and convenient to Redmond hotels is a win-win. I often drive my out-or-town guests down the green valley corridor to Woodiville.

Councilman Stecker, brought up the idea of an "Eastside Loop". Avondale would need to be expanded to four lanes from NE116 to Wood-Duval Road. "Backroads" would have to be build-out through Paradise Valley Road to a major Maltby interchange. My two cents: an alternative to Paradise Valley Road is probably necessary. The County needs to work with cities to widen Wood-Duval.

It appeared the the BNSF corridor decisions to remove or keep the rails were made before the meeting started. Woodinville wants the rails, Redmond wants them removed. Mr. Cole threw out a caveat that once the rails are removed they will never come back. He also, said there are still wide discrepancies in cost and usage estimates (see next post). Nancy McCormick referenced an un-named study claiming the best use for the rails was "scrap metal". Glickman stated it costs much less money to reuse the track and lease light-weight cars. Mayor Marchione likened the rails to a knife in the heart of downtown.

I remember as a salesman in Oregon seeing the Portland East-West Connector Street
Car being built decades ago. The roads were torn up forever. Mr. Glickman noted that while it was being built fear of cost over-runs and under-use raged. According to Glickman, it paid for itself in 6 months.

Though Redmond and Woodinville have understandable differences about the BNSF Trailway Corridor both cities emphasised they have many good reasons (including state funding) to work together. Mayor Marchione suggesting developing a "Corridor Vision" story to present to the State - not just focusing on "projects". Stickler talked about a long range state plan to build a business arteriole that parallels 405 from Woodinville, Bothell, to Everett and Snohomish County. Deputy Mayor Vogt and Councilmember Price summed up the meeting looking forward to future talks to coordinate multi-jurisdictional efforts. I am pleased Mr. Marchione is working with our neighboring cities. Do you have any comments?

Sound Transit/PSRC Burlington Northern Santa Fe Feasibility Report, 1/30/09, contributed by Councilmember Richard Cole.

Should rails be pulled out along the BNSF Trail corridor?

Two weeks ago, Woodinville and Redmond City Council's met in Redmond Chambers. The conversation centered on transportation. Several Woodinville councilmembers Glickman and Price were most outspoken in favor of keeping the BNSF rails for a super-light mass transit line. Mayor Marchione likened the rails as "a knife through the heart of our Downtown". My next post will address the joint-city meeting. Please enjoy Shaw Etchever's informative analysis of the BNSF corridor.

Letter to the Editor - no trains along the BNSF Trail
--by Shaw Etchevers
Posted on KirklandViews by Admin on Tuesday, January 20, 2009, 23:10

The joint Puget Sound Regional Council/Sound Transit Study called for by House Bill 3224 (or ST-2) confirmed how little benefit taxpayers would get by spending over $1 Billion dollars on the Eastside corridor to run passenger trains, no matter where the money comes from. And, this does not even include other important hidden costs.

But, not surprisingly, there are already pro-train people projecting 154,000 ‘North-South trips/day on the Eastside’ by 2030, rather than the mere 6,270 trips/day projected for 2020 by the ST-2 between Tukwila and Everett. So, let’s consider the effectiveness of this new number and see how cost-effective the same 1 Billion dollar investment (railroad-only cost, no trail) would be. 154,000 trips/day (yr 2030) = 77,000 people traveling round-trip during the day. Using only buses that carry 75 people seated, we’d need 2,053 bus-trips per day (154,000 / 75). Everybody seated!

If we spread the bus service over only 12 hours/day to move those people, we’d need 171 buses, assuming that the buses can make - on average- ONLY 1 trip per hour. That means that we’d be able to transport 12,825 seated people per hour (171×75). If we get the fancier buses at $1 Million each, the total cost would be $171,000,000 (assuming that we buy them all today and park most of them until 2030!). That is 17% of the estimated rail-only cost on ST-2.

171 buses deployed each hour would theoretically allow individual bus-departures every 21 seconds throughout the Eastside. Thus, if they were to start from, say, 11 key points, they could run every 4 minutes. Or, if 14 key starting points were chosen, they could run every 5 minutes.

WHAT’S OVERLOOKED
Service
The 171 new buses could have many starting and ending points, as well as stops along the way and serve the people who live in the denser/central areas, as well as those farther away. They would run on existing roads and use P&Rs.

Trains envisioned in the ST studies would make stops only every 3 to 5 miles in odd locations requiring transfers to buses. However, this is the type of service provided elsewhere in the world to connect central stations of cities far apart, not in the same urban area. Buses, tramways and subways are used in urban areas, depending on the city size and density. In King County, we don’t need many major train stations, only a good one in Seattle that is well connected.

Buses could also start immediately on the Eastside for a fraction of the $171,000,000 cost estimated for 2020 or 2030, and routes could be modified at will over time to achieve optimal results and eventually mesh up with the Light Rail line that will be built.

Urban Sprawl
The train will service mainly people living near the outer limits of the RR route. Thus, it will actually encourage further growth away from Bellevue and Redmond, rather than motivate people to live near downtown areas. This will make the future regional traffic problem worse, rather than better.

Urban Planning Issues
Any effective, urban, train or light-rail transportation system will eventually REQUIRE a DOUBLE track, greater frequency and many more stops. So, looking into the future, what would the Eastside and Kirkland look like with a double rail bed through the middle of existing residential areas of the city, instead of on some of its existing streets or highways? Where would the trail be?

UNTIL we have just a few attractive ‘dense-living areas’ with a wide range of apartment prices on the Eastside, we will NOT reduce car driving. We will simply waste taxpayers’ money. There are currently too many must-go-to areas, for work, exercise, and doing errands, dispersed around the Eastside, to which one must drive a car to get to them in a timely fashion.

To achieve higher density in and near downtown areas on the Eastside, they must be people friendly, not just business friendly. Downtowns need to be places where people WANT to go to relax, not places where they HAVE to go to shop or do business. They should include many types of amenities, galleries, pedestrian-only streets, and summer and winter parks.

The North-South through traffic challenge cannot be solved by using trains. But, discouraging car-use by people near city centers will help a lot. Over the very long term, new roads and/or tunnels will have to be built. Meanwhile, the loss of a potential ‘linear park & trail’ for the Eastside along the BNSF Corridor would be a tragic loss for a large swath of the heaviest residential area on the Eastside. This linear park and non-motorized transportation corridor could service many cities and neighborhoods, as well as connect innumerable already existing parks, bike trails and even some beaches on Lake Washington. All of this, without people having to get into a car or, if coming from farther away, by simply driving to the closest P&R.

A well-developed, multi-use linear park would be an enormously attractive urban feature for young and old Eastside residents. Its cost? About $60-70 Million dollars (if the RR tracks are removed). Best of all, if the density of the Eastside ever justifies the use of the space for something else, the corridor will still be there. In the interim, one or more generations of people would have enjoyed this public asset.

SHOULDN’T THE $1 BILLION SAVED after buying the 171 buses and building a multi-use Trail/Park ($1.3 Billion, minus $171M in bus cost and $70M in Trail cost) BE BETTER used on Education, low-cost Housing, downtown Transportation, urban improvements, etc.?

Sincerely,
Shawn Etchevers

Mustang Boys Basketball Club website features school spirit at Eastside games

Senior Justin Alexander

Click on this link to find the Redmond Mustang Boys Basketball Club website. It features their slide show of our players and our wonderful and supportive fans (minus 1 bad apple) during the traditional Super Fan* "Black Out Night" at Eastlake.

The Redmond Mustangs Boys Varsity are number #2 in their KingCo 4A Crest Division with a 9-4 record! They lead Issaquah, Skyline, Newport, and Eastlake in their Division! Go 'Stangs!

This page will be updated once the results of last night's Garfield game are officially posted.

minus 1 bad apple

Commissions are the incubator of city Leadership.

OPINION: In a story a few posts down, I focused on three recent problematic issues surrounding two city Commissions. I hope you'll enjoy reading this positive story about the great good that comes out of our Commissions.

When thinking about "what's right" with our commissions it is clear commissions often serve as an "incubator" for the growth and development of new city leaders, councilmembers, and mayors.

For Example:

1. Four sitting councilmembers were once commissioners. Councilmember Hank Margeson was a past Vice Chair with Parks Commission. Councilmembers Richard Cole, Kim Allen, Pat Vache, and Nancy McCormick were once on the Planning Commission. Of special interest, Pat Vache sat on the first Planning Commission established by the City. I nick-name Mr. Vache "The Commissioner".

2. Tom Payne was on the Parks Commission before election to Council. He has since resigned.

3. Suzanne Querry was a Parks Commissioner before Vice-Chairing the Planning Commission. Suzanne is the only citizen I know who has served on two commissions. She is well qualified to be a councilmember should she choose to run.

4. Richard Grubb has been a long-time community activist, councilmember and eloquent speaker. I don't know if he was ever a commissioner. Maybe a reader could fill in the blanks.

5. Mayor Rosemarie Ives informed me she served on the Planning Commission for six years and as councilmember for four years, before being elected Mayor for 16 years.

6. Mayor Doreen Marchione served on Council for two years.

7. Mayor John Marchione served on Council for four years, though not on a commission.

8. Redmond's first woman Mayor Christine Himes opened up a dozen new parks and a citywide trail system so she may have been on a Parks Commission of sorts before becoming Mayor?

Citizen Advisory Committees and the Redmond Historical Society are other ways to volunteer and grow into a commissioner or council seat. Miguel Llanos, V.P. Redmond Historical Society and Newsletter Editor was recently sworn in to the Landmarks and Heritage Commission. Councilman Hank Margeson served on the Education Hill CAC. Planning Commissioner Querry was the Ed. Hill CAC liaison. Martin and Lori Snodgrass once chaired two different commissions as spouses under the Ives Administration. I posted a story on the Snodgrasses in 2007.

The bottom line? "Much good" comes out of our commissions! Personally, I have high hopes for an Arts Commissioner to rise up to a Council position. I believe their time is coming.

What's going wrong with Redmond's Commissions? What's right?

2/6, UPDATED OPINION: Commissioners are mostly Redmond residents who volunteer their time to participate with staff, elected officials and citizens in decision-making and city planning. They are appointed by the Mayor with the blessing of the Council and sworn in. Their terms vary and vacancies are hard to anticipate so it's best to put early word into the Mayor's office. Commissioners are some of my most favorite citizen volunteers. I love them dearly. Read this story about long-time commission Chairs Martin Snodgrass and his spouse, Lori.

But, this 'sermon' is about city problems with the management of Commissions by our one-year old Administration. According to the Parks & Trails commission website Chair Sue Stewart of Parks and Trails has been a commissioner for almost 6 years. Ms. Stewart likes to make oral presentations at council meetings and I could swear remembering her quoting a much longer Parks commission term than 6 years. Peter MacDonald, Vice Chair of Parks and Trails and friend and political ally of the Mayor and according to their website has been a commissioner for about five years. Peter would be an excellent citizen to get to know if you want to be a Parks & Trails Commissioner or Youth Advocate. A Youth Advocate position is open. Council blessing of the non-resident commissioner appointee is soon.

Unfortunately, it's too late to apply for the Parks & Trails vacancy. The Commission went outside their normal selection standards (see comments - non-residents are allowed) and got permission from the Mayor to appoint a citizen not residing in Redmond. The Parks Director justified it by claiming the nominee lived near a trail the city was interested in acquiring. I don't think non-resident commissioners are good policy. Redmond has plenty of tax-paying citizens who would probably love the opportunity to give input on our many splendored parks. I don't believe parks commissioners should enter the commission with a special interest, especially, when they live outside the city.

A serious problem for the Parks & Trail Commission in 2008 has been the loss of the "public record" for the last six months of their regular meetings. The commission is required to tape their regular meetings for the public record. Weeks ago, I asked the Parks Secretary for two meeting tapes. I found NOTHING taped on their digital recorder or analog recorder for the last six meetings. The council Ombudsman-of-the-month's answer was "we all learned from the experience." No public Ombudsman report was given. No commitment to fix the problem was promised. To this day, I haven't received an apology or even acknowledgment from the Parks Director or Parks Commission Chair or the Mayor. Loss of 6 months public record is serious.

I knew I did something good for the city during this discovery, as follows: 1) I actively participated in the governing process by attempting to listen to meeting tapes and catch up on P&T meetings for the Eastern Park Corridor Program and Downtown Park, 2) I spent 3 hours of my personal time trying to help the city trouble-shoot and quantify the lose of public record. 3) I reported the problem through proper channels -- didn't jump to my blog. What resulted? Not one genuine thank you from the city nor promise the recorder would be fixed.

In my five years of active participation and reporting on the city, I've found a dysfunctional governing pattern -- The city's approach to a citizen reporting errors and omissions is to brush them under the carpet rather than give them even hushed appreciation. Such apathy and disregard for constructive citizen participation results in mediocrity and public dis-engagement within our government.

Redmond sponsors 9 Commissions. None are paid. Of the commissions I'm most familiar with, the entire Planning Commission is dedicated and professional, giving much of their time in meetings every week. Presently, they are looking to expeditiously fill one position. They are my favorite commission because I learn the most from them. They conduct Public Hearings, make Land Use decisions, and set land use policy.

The only problem I have with the Planning Commission is staff - NOT the commissioners! Last week staff interfered and discouraged my public testimony, at times. The Principal Planners gave me help when I didn't want it and didn't give me help when I needed it. During the Stream Map Hearing, to prepare, I asked as week in advance for known Stream Maps from three planners and an engineer. We used these maps during a tour with Kathy Lambert. Twenty minutes before the Hearing a Principal Planner told me flatly that they "didn't get them all". I'm guessing the Mayor was taking a stand on "the Rock of public records."

The map they gave me was so large it couldn't be projected on an overhead. Despite this, a second Principal Planner barged onto the podium, unannounced, interrupting my testimony while he was trying to position the large map! He interrupted me just when I was starting to talk about some observations of the lay of the land near our aquifer. For me, his abrupt, unasked for "help" confirmed the city may still have quality issues with our aquifer. My testimony was unscientific and anecdotal and I had rights to be fully heard. The principal planner's subtle interference was uncalled for. Some of these planners are paid over $95,000 for services rendered to taxpayers.

My last beef with staff at the Planning Commission Hearing was their lack of professional courtesy. I wanted to familiarize myself with the overhead projector before the meeting but a second Principal Planner brushed me aside saying they were too busy now and to come back. Three staff proceeded to huddle around the projector, blocking me off, until the Hearing started. Once I got to the podium various staff were all over me in front of the camera - interrupting, correcting me and fixing the projector, adjusting the microphone, putting unwanted maps on the projector, and mostly trying to give me the help I needed before my testimony. This behavior is a sorry example of poor service to a rare citizen with guts and time enough to approach the podium...... It would have been one thing if said staff were interns, associates, or even senior planners. But two highly paid Principal Planners were "helping me". I've seen other citizens fumbling at the start of their talk, also. It would not take much to fix this and so encourage citizen participation.

Not to forget, the Arts Commission is one of my favorites, too. They are looking for two new commissioners and one Youth Advocate. They hold three public meetings on RCTV. The Planning Commission is on RCTV most every Wednesday night at 7PM. The Parks & Trails Commission NEVER conducts their meetings on RCTV. Their website is incomplete and innacurate. What does this tell you? All said and done, I absolutely adore, admire and appreciate the commissions and every hour of volunteer work our commissioners give to our city. I love going to their meetings or listening to them. I think staff should do a better job servicing, acknowledging, recognizing, and empowering our invaluable human resources of caring citizens - espectially sworn volunteers.

Apply and sign-up for a commissioner or youth advocate position here.

Apply and sign-up for the nonprofit Water Tenders Youth Advocate position at the web site.
Water Tenders is a small group of passionate citizens compelled to sustain and protect local Bear Creek Basin habitats in Redmond. My daughter is a youth advocate.

CC: Mayor John Marchione ; Redmond City Council; City Clerk, OMBUDSMAN
RAC@redmond.gov, planningcommission@redmond.gov, parksandtrailscommission@redmond.gov

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Comments are encouraged below or by emailing me at REDMONDBLOG@GMAIL.COM for posting on this page.

"Kempin Creek" - the city stream with a split personality. Part One.

OPINION: Part One: "Kempin Creek" is a salmon-bearing tributary of northern Bear Creek in NE Redmond. The creek first runs through 10 acres of developable county land called "Kempin Property" before entering North Redmond. (NE 128th Street near 176th Ave. NE are crossroads). This is the first of a two parts describing "the split personality" of Kempin Creek's biology as diagnosed by "qualified consultants" using Redmond's land use review process.

The Creek has an interesting land-use story. CAMWEST Development Inc. was pushing buttons really hard to get city approval to annex the 10 acres of Kempin Property. It's zoned one house/acre. CAMWEST wanted to build four houses/acre as close to the Creek as regulations allowed. They felt they would be less encumbered by the critical wetland and streams and road connections if they could build in the city by annexation rather than the county. The county classified Kempin Creek as a salmon species bearing creek requiring 165 foot buffers on each side. CAMWEST'S housing project would be less profitable if they had to build around wider county buffer standards.
It was possible CAMWEST could reduce stream buffer widths by more than half! All CAMWEST had to do was hire an "independent qualified biology consultant" to re-classify Kempin stream from 165 foot buffers to Redmond's 75 foot buffers. Not a problem. CAMWEST's "qualified biologist" claimed no fish inhabited Kempin Creek, thus the developer could build twice as close to the stream now!

At first glance, Kempin Creek looked to me like a fish-bearing (Class II) creek, to me. The King County Basin Steward - a qualified wildlife consultant - affirmed Kempin Creek had fish, proving the developer's project proposal to the city was flawed. The report was biased since the "qualified consultant" was paid by the developer. Some of you may have read my 4/07column about Kempin Creek in the newspaper when land use deficiencies were uncovered in the Kempin Property file, as follows:

• For one, CAMWEST consultant's complete report was no where to be found in the project files. Camwest's consultant faxed and emailed pieces of the report to the city after I reported the missing documents. I made multiple visits to Redmond Planning to extract the stream report. (Not being a developer with 5th amendment rights my right for a public record received second fiddle).
• Secondly: The city had a problem with SEPA, the State Environmental Planning document. The SEPA had determined the impact to the environment was insignificant. The State had been mislead by the developer's biologist's flawed report.
• The city's quandary: Starting all over again to fix a flawed SEPA would take weeks, if not months. The Director of Planning and Development came up with a brilliant solution. While rummaging through the SEPA file he noticed the required newspaper public notices were never published. Presto! the SEPA could be updated with Redmond's more salmon friendly Class II designation simply by advertising the public notice of the amended SEPA.

Many thanks to Mary Maier, County Stream Basin Steward for providing truly INDEPENDENT, qualified stream classification data on Kempin Creek; to help preserve Kempin's salmon habitat now and in future proposed land use. (The riverteen wetlands and poor stream vegetation Camwest reported along the river could supersede stream buffer regulations?)

In conclusion, the City Council never approved annexation of the Kempin Property. I remember Councilmember Richard Cole stating R-1 (one house or less/acre) is important to Redmond's "horse culture", now rare in Redmond. draft

Readers with similar county-city stream classification problems can contact the new Bear Creek - Sammamish - Cedar River Basin Steward for help. Tom Beavers is the new county Basin Steward. Resources are thin but he may be able to help or direct you to the resources you need.

Terrain Map of Kempin Property, Kempin Creek riparian vegetation. (Move the map up to orient 128th Street to the top' look for the ribbon of vegetation following the stream)

Existing and Recommended Zoning Map - map is on last page.

"Kempin Creek" is a name I use to describe it. The stream hasn't been named by the county or city or any other jurisdiction, as of this writing.

cc: Mr. R. Odle, Director of Planning and Development, City Council; The PlanningCommission@redmond.gov ; Cathy Beam, Environmental Principal Planner.

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Ex-Councilman Richard Grubb says council needs more debate

This is a Letter Richard Grubb wrote the Redmond Reporter, 1/21/09

From the front page of the Jan. 7 Redmond Reporter, it appears that the Redmond Reporter is almost as enamored with Redmond's elected politicians as they are with themselves. The six pictured white, middle brow, conventional males and two females seem content and smugly satisfied to march in lockstep.

As former Speaker of the House of Representative Sam Rayburn once remarked, when two people agree on everything, only one of them is doing the thinking. The question in Redmond is which one of the eight is thinking for the other seven?

In the Jan. 7 article, Councilmember Richard Cole claims that *boring meetings are a good problem to have. He may be an expert on that subject , but he is wrong.

Good government comes from a rigorous debate, from a clash of ideas, from opposing philosophies bumping up against one another until there is a synthesis that results in sound policy. Ennui in a community's politics more often than not brings on apathy rather than vigour's enlightening involvement.

The poet William Blake noted that "without contraries in no progression". Dissent from the commonplace wisdom of the day clarifies issues through robust discussion.

Perhaps in the next council election cycle, someone will stand who is willing to spike the Kool-Aid punch bowl that the current crop is drinking from.

As a concluding aside for the record and for the Reporter's readers, it should be noted that the two urban centers are not Mayor Marchione's vision for Redmond. They have been city policy since the mid-1990's. 1-21-09

What's Your Opinion about Redmond's prolific Outdoor Art?

I think the City has 100 pieces of outdoor art. Or, is it 300? We have so much of it the city staff tracks it by GPS.

What do you think about it? Do you drive by the metalic "Split Personality" in awe and admiration OR find it a hazardous driving distraction? Or both?

Should "Art Hill" be rebuilt as a landscaped park with trails featuring a collection of outdoor art "discoveries" or would you rather keep the grassy knoll an open space?

Do you fall in love with your favorite piece, only to find the city had it on loan and it's been taken? The above "Pi in the Sky" was my favorite and it's gone. "Scooter" - another, was taken.

Make your comments heard - loud and clear - to our friendly and hard working Arts Commissioners! These citizens want your input on Monday, January 26, 7PM, City Hall.

Direct any questions & comments to RAC@redmond.gov. And, comment here, too. But see the art in person at City Hall Monday night.

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What is your opinion? Click "Comments" below and/or email redmondblog@gmail.com with your opinion for posting on this page.

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"I can't say as I have been moved at all by anything I have seen to date but no doubt there are those that embrace the exhibits. However, I certainly hope that the city plans a temporary moratorium on any more "outdoor art" expenditures. Considering the financial bind the city/state/country are in I believe there are better uses of the taxpayers money."

-- Carla H. 1/25

On superficial neighbourhood relations, by Keven Harris

Thursday, 22 January 2009
"On superficial neighbourhood relations," by Kevin Harris

- an English perspective

From time to time I argue that 'shallow' informal interactions, such as simple gestures of recognition at neighbourhood level, are more significant in terms of social capital than is generally recognised.

I raised this recently in relation to the CLG guidance on 'meaningful social interaction,' which argues that for social interaction to be 'meaningful' it needs to go beyond a superficial level and to be sustained. My view is that yes it makes a difference if it's sustained, but 'superficial' does not mean trivial. Superficial is good.

Now I'm just catching up with a paper in BMJ last month about happiness and social networks, which got quite a bit of publicity for its finding that happiness is 'contagious'. The researchers looked at 20 years of data from the Framingham heart study in Massachussetts and found that:
People’s happiness depends on the happiness of others with whom they are connected.
This includes close neighbours, but apparently next door neighbours have a much stronger influence than neighbours who live a few doors down in the same neighbourhood.

The researchers observe: the strong influence of neighbours suggests that the spread of happiness might depend more on frequent social contact than deep social connections.
So let's take that as a tentative endorsement. More evidence needed of course.

And behind all this are the challenges of defining (without solidfying) what we're talking about. A few weeks ago I was questioning some of the assumptions about definitions of 'belonging' in the methodologically-creaky Changing UK research, and perhaps there are comparable dangers in assumptions about 'happiness'.

One commentator on the BMJ paper observes:
Happiness research that attempts to find generalisations about happiness... will not challenge inherent assumptions about what makes people happy, what is happiness, and who is happy in society or indeed, as Anthony Storr suggests, who is 'happy alone!'

Posted by Kevin Harris on Thursday, 22 January 2009 at 11:29 AM Permalink

Neighbourhoods an English blog 0n neighborhoods, neighboring, social capital, community engagement, and stuff at the local level." by Kevin Harris, author

« Six per cent would prefer no contact with neighbours Main

It's meaning hits home, The Inaugural Poem.

Tom Flynn, Chair of the Arts Commission, and other citizens, encouraged the Council tonight to approve The City of Redmond's new Ordinance for the Establishment of a Poet Laureate . Mr. Flynn stated the city has supported visual and performing arts well and some deserved attention is needed for the literary arts. In support of literary arts in Redmond and in honor of President Barack Obama and his poet Elizabeth Alexander, please enjoy Praise Song for the Day.

'Praise Song for the Day' - composed for Barack Obama's Inauguration
and read by author Elizabeth Alexander on January 20, 2009

"Each day we go about our business, walking past each other, catching each others’ eyes or not, about to speak or speaking. All about us is noise.

All about us is noise and bramble, thorn and din, each one of our ancestors on our tongues. Someone is stitching up a hem, darning a hole in a uniform, patching a tire, repairing the things in need of repair.

Someone is trying to make music somewhere with a pair of wooden spoons on an oil drum with cello, boom box, harmonica, voice.

A woman and her son wait for the bus.

ALEXANDER: A farmer consider the changing sky; A teacher says, “Take out your pencils. Begin.”

We encounter each other in words, Words spiny or smooth, whispered or declaimed; Words to consider, reconsider.

We cross dirt roads and highways that mark the will of someone and then others who said, “I need to see what’s on the other side; I know there’s something better down the road.”

We need to find a place where we are safe; We walk into that which we cannot yet see.

Say it plain, that many have died for this day. Sing the names of the dead who brought us here, who laid the train tracks, raised the bridges, picked the cotton and the lettuce, built brick by brick the glittering edifices they would then keep clean and work inside of.

Praise song for struggle; praise song for the day. Praise song for every hand-lettered sign; The figuring it out at kitchen tables.

Some live by “Love thy neighbor as thy self.”

Others by first do no harm, or take no more than you need.

What if the mightiest word is love, love beyond marital, filial, national. Love that casts a widening pool of light. Love with no need to preempt grievance.

In today’s sharp sparkle, this winter air, anything can be made, any sentence begun.

On the brink, on the brim, on the cusp -- praise song for walking forward in that light."

Slide show of 2009 Flooding in Washington - beyond words

View 2009 Washington Flood Slide Show (click)

CLICK ON SMALL BLUE LINK ABOVE TO START THE SLIDE SHOW.

(click the "full" button to enlarge the slides)

FROM: Steve Hitch, Redmond Stormwater Engineer

EMAIL (excerpt): Members of the Flood Hazard Management Advisory Committee, 1/17

"As you have watched flooding happening in other communities around Puget Sound, and we here in Redmond have come away relatively unscathed, we are thankful that our situation has not resulted in a major flood here. We are mindful that all it takes is for Redmond to receive a large storm event impacting the Bear Creek Basin followed by a few weeks of heavy rains that raise the lake level. That combination could result in the 100-year flood that fills up Redmond.

... Should the City have posted evacuation routes in the floodplain? Should we do flood drills? Should our emergency center be prepared to use the reverse 911 system to notify our neighbors of potential inundation? Send me your thoughts and I can see how those ideas may be incorporated into the City's short and longer term plans."

--Steve Hitch, P.E. Sr. Stormwater Engineer City of Redmond, Public Works Department Natural Resources Division, Redmond, Washington 425/556-2891 draft

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Or, post your comments at the end of this story or by email to redmondblog@gmail.com.

Many thanks to my next-door neighbor Larry Pawlowski for sending the slide show.

Mustang Basketball - Courtney Martin featured on KING 5 TV!

Bothell game photos

Junior Lindsey Smith....................................................Junior Kailan Kalina.............................Junior Katie Whittaker

We are the Redmond High School Mustangs from Redmond, Washington. We are a member of the Class 4A KingCo Conference. Welcome and please sign our guestbook.

Mustang Flash video:

Courtney Martin is featured here on King 5's High School Gametime!

EASTLAKE GAME - Redmond (6-5) lose 55-44 to rival Eastlake. The Stangs raced out to an early 12-5 lead but the Wolves closed the lead to one at 12-11. The game was close throughout the second and third quarters. Eastlake took the lead for good at 37-33 to end the third and pulled away in the fourth quarter for the win. Courtney Martin led Redmond with 14 points, Alicia Valentine had 13.

See our Scotch Plains-Fanwood, Central Bucks East, Colts Neck, Inglemoor, Woodinville, Skyline and Bothell gamephotos. Photos courtesy of parent, Jerry Smith.

Next up: at home -vs- Lake Washington. Wed Jan 21st. JV game will be at 5:45PM, Varsity tips off at 7:30. The Lake Washington Kang vs. Stang game will be televized on RCTV - 21. A link to the game will be posted here.

Make-Up game @ Garfield will be Sat Jan 31; JVs at noon, Varsity at 3:30PM.

Redmond High School Girls Varsity Basketball Website

Letter ot the Editor - Lakewood Councilman speaks against rising city salary costs.

Reference to January 7, 2009 post on "Rising salary and benefit costs in City Hall".

I appreciate the heads up email from you and your interest and hard work in public employee compensation. I’m a city councilman in Lakewood and have had similar concerns for several years. I wish I could provide you the answer to the unwarranted increases. Unfortunately, most of my efforts to trim compensation increases have not been successful. So I don’t have the solution – except to say that you are doing the right thing by informing the public. Taxpayers can get what they want if they apply enough pressure, so your blog is a good start. But in my opinion, you have to build a high level of public outrage that will result in great numbers of citizens getting involved in some way to have a dampening effect on these large increases.

One thing I can confidently say is, do not rely on bureaucrats nor most elected officials to fix the problem for you. The reasons are pretty obvious. Plus, have they ever fixed the problem or have they contributed to it? Like him or hate him, Tim Eyman has been the only force reducing taxes and spending at the state level. That should tell you something.

Redmond is not alone with this problem. Public sector wages far outstrip private sector wages at every level of government statewide. And the rate of increase year-to-year is higher too. Unions are partially to blame. Governments are about the only segment of the labor market where unionization is increasing – public employee unions. Avoid them like the plague.

But beyond unions, there’s no incentive for government leaders to reduce compensation – nor the general growth of government, for that matter. Bureaucratic leaders’ lives are made easier by granting big increases to their employees. And elected officials win votes by delivering more and more services. Plus, they’re not spending their own money. So again, I think it is going to fall on the people of Redmond to either elect very conservative council members who will get the job done, or else to apply extraordinary pressure on sitting council members to lower employee costs.

And finally, as I said before, this is a state-wide problem. Employees in Redmond look at the salary increases given to employees in Lakewood and say, I want that too. They threaten to unionize or move to higher paying cities. The same with Lakewood employees – they look at your wages/benefits. There are 281 cities/towns in Washington, so multiply all that by 281. It’s a tangled mess. City employees play us off on one another. No one city can take it on alone, even with a conservative council. But if we could all work together to reduce public employee compensation, it can be done. I’m with you. It needs to happen.

Pad Flinnigan
City Councilman
City of Lakewood
Lakewood , WA. website

cc: Redmond City Council & Mayor John Marchione

'National Review Online' explains the loss of print media to blogs

The following excerpt was taken from the "Kirkland Views" blog. 01/05/09.

National Review Online has posted an article by Mark Krikorian, dated December 31, 2008, in which two local Kirkland blogs are mentioned. An argument is made that bloggers are filling the demand for “hyper-local” news once covered by local newspapers. Kirkland Views was mentioned by "National Review".

The discussion centers around how local coverage by small newspapers is diminishing as they struggle to remain profitable. Many small newspapers are relying on wire services for stories and “articles” promoting local businesses rather than covering the local news. The argument is made that the business model of traditional newspapers is difficult to sustain because of enormous costs they incur that online competitors do not share. Among the various perspectives given was one from a reader of Kirkland blogs. The reader says he/she is better informed than ever by reading local blogs and other online media. "Read all about it" at Kirkland Views.

As for the Redmond Neighborhood Blog, ask your friends to search "redmond blog". Forwarding and word-of-mouth is how my blog and others are distributed. Thank you for your readership and support! BOB Y.

Updated: Golden Apple Awards Ceremony for Teacher Mike Town is February 25.

Updated, 1/6 - The School Employees Credit Union of Washington, KCTS 9, and PEMCO Insurance recently announced the winners of the 17th annual Golden Apple Awards for individuals and programs that make a positive difference in Washington state education for grades pre-K through 12.

The Golden Apple Awards are scheduled to be broadcast on Wednesday, February 25 at 8:00 p.m. It’s a one hour program. It will be available online the following day.
This year’s recipient of the Stanley O. McNaughton Golden Apple Award is Mike Town, teacher of AP Environmental Science in grades 11-12 at Redmond High School (RHS).

Mike Town is known throughout the Lake Washington School District for his passion for environmental science. He personally advocates for all students to have access to rigorous AP courses and believes strongly that if a student is introduced to college course material and receives credit, the odds of them attending college will increase dramatically.

Because of this, Town has opened his **six AP courses to all students with great success. According to the Redmond-Reporter.com **fifty percent of the RHS student body enrolls in his courses and 90 percent of these score well enough on the AP exams to earn college credit.

Outside of the classroom, Town mentors the RHS Environmental Club, which successfully reduced the carbon footprint by implementing environmental changes at the school, including solar panels, a recycling program and environmentally friendly practices in the cafeteria.

PEMCO Insurance will award each Golden Apple winner a $1,500 grant to support their classroom, school or educational program. For more information visit http://www.kcts9.org/. --

This article was abbreviated and excerpted from a story at Redmond-Reporter.com, 11/12/08

**Correction: The Redmond Blog estimates a student body population of RHS at ~1500. Mr. Town teaches 5 periods/day. 5 classes x 30 students = 150 students/year or 10% of the student body.

Redmond High School Mustangs Girls Basketball Team

2008-2009 Redmond Mustangs Girls Basketball

#3 Kailan Kalina 5' 7" G 11, #5 Stacey Kimball 5' 3" G 10, #11 Alicia Valentine * 5' 4" G 12, #12 Chandler Jones 5' 9" G 11, #21 Katie Whitaker 5' 8'' F 11, #22 Lindsey Smith 5' 9" F 11, #23 Courtney Martin 5' 11" F 12, # 30 Jordan Ohrt 6' 0" F 10, # 33 Kaitlyn Parrott 5' 7" G 12, #35 Jessica Bushmeyer 5' 5" G 11, #42 Lexie Yoder 5' 9" F 11, # 44 Marissa Pratt 6' 4" C 11

Dennis Edwards , Varsity Coach (blue shirt), Harve Menkens, Assist. Varsity Coach, Jordon Wilde, JV Coach, Archie Archuleta, Team Manager, *Valentine, Captain. (Click player's name for bio; click on team pic to enlarge)

We are the Redmond High School Mustangs from Redmond, Washington. We are a member of the Class 4A KingCo Conference. Welcome and please sign our guestbook.

Mustang Flash: The Redmond Varsity Girls traveled to Orlando, Florida on Winter Break to play in the 300-team "KSA Holiday Tournament". Redmond (3-3) made it to the championship game of the KSA Tourney but lost by 13 points to the #1 team in New Jersey, the Colts Neck, 68-55 Courtney Martin led the Stangs in scoring with 23, Alicia Valentine was named tournament co-MVP. (click the score for stats and schedule).

See our Juanita, Issaquah, Newport, Scotch Plains-Fanwood, Central Bucks East, Colts Neck gamephotos. All photos courtesy of parent, Jerry Smith. Next up: against Inglemoor Sat Jan 3rd at RHS. JV game will be at 5:45PM, Varsity tips off at 7:30. (click pics to enlarge).

Sophomore Jordon launching....................Junior Marissa flying......................................Senior Alicia up and away!

Mayor Marchione writes Letter to Residents about the Storm

Letter to Editor

Office of the Mayor – Communications Office
EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY

CONTACT: Marta Gronlund, Voice: 425-556-2427
SENT: December 30, 2008

Letter to Redmond Residents

I have heard from many of you over the past two weeks, voicing your anger about the road conditions during the prolonged snowstorm. I share your frustration and apologize for the difficulty in navigating around the city.

To make matters worse, garbage and recycling piles up and overflows its containers. My neighbors are upset with me as I explain that cul-de-sacs will be the very last streets plowed. My children voiced their displeasure that our Christmas celebration was postponed four days because family could not make it to our house on Education Hill.

What I can tell you is that City of Redmond employees have been working 24/7 since December 17th to plow and clean our streets. Is it enough? Obviously not. A major limiting factor to our service is that the City owns only three large plows/sanders and one smaller plow/sander for 100 miles of road. This level of equipment is generally sufficient for most years; however, a storm like this occurs about once every 25 years and the equipment level clearly fell short this time. You have my commitment to review the City's response for lessons learned and to implement changes to our snow removal plan quickly.

I have been in touch with Waste Management representatives and they report trucks are out in full force this week. Some of their trucks have extra staff on board to help with any extra trash or hard to service containers. Waste Management asks for your patience as their crews work through the very real logistical complications associated with the sheer volume of material they expect to find at the curb.

On all these issues, I asked staff for a complete debriefing of what happened, what changes need to be made and how we can prevent similar problems in the future. We will provide the City Council with a report at the January 6th City Council meeting. We certainly can’t control the weather, but we can learn and make changes to our response. As soon as I have more information, I will report back to you and the Council on what steps and changes we are taking. This information will also be available on www.redmond.gov.

Thank you for sharing your experiences. Hearing from you has been painful but provides useful information that will help the City better respond to future storm events.

Sincerely,

John Marchione
Mayor
City of Redmond

Happy New Year...and good luck!

Neighbor Matt's Sleigh Ride (luge) ride!

short clip - 11 sec.




Click to see Redmond's #1 Fan!

Snow people and snow art from the 'Hood. Happy Holidays from the Yoder family!