Chandler Jones named Arizona Cactus Jam Tournament MVP

Mustang Girls Varsity elevated themselves in the Arizona "Cactus Jam Tournament" during Winter Break.  Players sold program advertising and car washes to raise money for the trip. 

Redmond (3-5) defeated Dorsey (LA) 62-50 to win the Cactus division!

Chandler Jones led the way with 21, Marissa Pratt had 15 and Stacey Kimball added 12. The day before in the 57-49 win over Wireglass (Fl), Jones led the Stangs with 33. Chandler Jones was named tournament MVP. Jones, Marissa Pratt, and Stacey Kimball were named to the all tournament team.

Next up Wed Jan 6th at home -vs- Woodinville. JVs at 5:45PM Varsity at 7:30. See our Issaquah, Newport, Inglemoor, and Garfield game photos here.

photograph of Chandler Jones, courtesy of  Jill Flynn
story from http://www.mustangbasketball.com/

LWSD PTSA Special Needs Group Update: Autism

From the desk of Beth Angelo, Chairperson for the LWSD PTSA Special Needs Group:

Happy New Year!

Parent Support Group-Supporting Positive Behavior:
Tuesday, January 5th   6:30-8pm   Puget Sound Autism Services
5105 200th Street SW, Suite 100 Lynnwood, WA
For information Contact Cynthia Allen-Weissinger cxa0833@yahoo.com
(Thank you Jamie Coonts)

King County Chapter of the Autism Society 
MEETING:  Wednesday, January 6th, 2010
6:30 - 8:30 pm
(last 30 minutes for networking)
Bellevue Regional Library, Meeting Room 1
1111 110th Ave NE, Bellevue 98004

♦ Understanding and Supporting Your Child with Autism - Sara Gardner  (last 30 minutes for networking)

Families  may be interested in a new effort called “We All Belong”.

The goal of "We All Belong" is to call attention to items Governor Gregoire proposed in her budget to reform how Washington supports and cares for people with developmental disabilities.
You can also check out the effort's website at http://www.weallbelong.org/

Check their website  http://www.weallbelong.org/  where you can learn more about the effort and sign up to receive newsletters about the effort's progress.

Take care,
Beth Angelo
Chairperson, LWSD PTSA Special Needs Group
1/3/10

Witnesses sought in Highway 202 bike accident

Witnesses sought in Highway 202 bike accident

The State Patrol is seeking witnesses who saw a red minivan that reportedly forced a bicyclist off the road Saturday on Highway 202 east of Redmond.

Troopers said the bicyclist rode into a ditch to avoid being struck head-on by the erratically driven van. The bicyclist suffered serious injuries and was taken to Overlake Hospital Medical Center in Bellevue.

by Seattle Times staff

"Reflections Art Show" coming soon!

Reflections Art Show 

PTSA sponsored arts recognition and achievement program!

Theme: " Beauty is..."

Reflections Art Show - Friday, January 8, 2010

6:30-8:30PM

LWSD Resource Center

Art is on public display during normal business hours after the show from 1/11-13.  Reflections is sponsored by the Lake Washington PTSA.  Fabulous youth art on display!!!

Students and parents!  Send a photo of your art work for display on the Redmond Blog!  Attach your photo (jpeg) and a message to my email at:  redmondblog@gmail.com. 

posted by Bob Yoder

Top 25 posts of the year

Top 25 posts of the year, by Todd Bishop

Goodbye 2009. Hello 2010. Here's your chance to catch up with the most read posts of the year on TechFlash. Enjoy!!

1.) "Rule No. 1: Hide the iPhone from Ballmer at the Microsoft meeting" (143 comments)

2.) "iPhone app wins top honors at Microsoft sponsored event" (19 comments)

3.) "One force of nature vs. another: Bill Gates tries to stop hurricanes" (76 comments)

4.) "Pioneering Internet 'detox' center looks to cure online addicts" (47 comments)

5.) "Microsoft cancels campus pub" (72 comments)

Bio-swale near "Avondale Villas" (Avondale Crest) is improved.

A unique stormwater treatment facility is located at the NW corner of 104th Street and Avondale Road   It's called a "bio-swale".   It's behind a reddish, metal fence and hard to see, but I've been monitoring it since 2007.  Bio-swales treat stormwater by oxygenation and by filtering silt, chemicals and other contaminants. 

The left photo shows the swale after a downpour in 2007, prior to the Marchione Administration.   It is filled with debris and contaminants.  The inlet pipes are clogged and one is buried.  This bio-swale is in serious need of maintenance. 

The right photo was taken in December, 2009.  It is in immaculate condition.  The swale has been broadened and dug to improve treatment.  Old, contaminated soil is removed.  The inlet pipe at the "elbow" is visible and functional.  Concrete blocks now line the swale walls to prevent erosion.  Surrounding vegetation is clipped and cleared.  Doesn't it look good!?   The city really cares!

This bio-swale is particularly important because it treats stormwater flowing into salmon bearing, Bear Creek.  Stormwater flows through two inlet pipes from several upland developments and Avondale Road.   It exits the swale to Bear Creek through a culvert under Avondale Road.

It is my understanding:  Owners of Avondale Villas (L090117) will use the bio-swale after pre-treatment by "wet-vaults".  Based on an earlier 9-lot short plat review (Avondale Crest), the landowner will not have to pay for bio-swale maintenance, but will have to pay for the wet-vaults and their maintenance.  I'll confirm.
by Bob Yoder
photos & story

cc:  City Planner, Thara Johnson, tmjohnson@redmond.gov

Redmond Rotary Foundation donates $12,500 from popular RED-SPOKE bicycling event.

100 finishers in Spokane, 2009.  Next ride:  7/14-18/2010.  300 miles from Redmond to Spokane

Redmond Rotary Foundation donates $12,500 from popular RED-SPOKE bicycling event to Hope-link.

Hopelink is proud to have been chosen as a recipient of the proceeds from this very popular and successful fundraiser.

Funds will be used to support emergency services and asset building programs aimed at giving individuals and families the tools, knowledge, and support they need to make lasting change in their lives. Thank you Redmond Rotary for this wonderful donation.  by Hopelink News

Photo by RED-SPOKE

Port of Seattle completes rail corridor purchase - BNSF donates the "Redmond Spur".

Port of Seattle completes rail corridor purchase

King County plans to build hiking and biking trails on the line south of Woodinville. BNSF donated the southern portion of the corridor between Woodinville and Renton and the Redmond Spur that goes through the City of Redmond.   by Seattle Times

Microsoft response to Google maneuvers in China | Seattle Times Newspaper

Microsoft response to Google maneuvers in China Seattle Times Newspaper:

To get around Web censorship in China, Google has found a hack -- by redirecting users to its search engine in Hong Kong."  read article

Posted By Sharon Pian Chan: 206-464-2958
Seattle Times

UPDATED, 01/02: Body found in Redmond.

Redmond police investigate "suspicious" death, 01/02

Redmond police are investigating the death of a man who was found face down in ivy on Wednesday near the old Group Health campus on Bellevue-Redmond Road.

The body of the man, who appears to be in his late 40s or early 50s, was found at 10:35 a.m. by a passer-by who called 911. The body was in a planting strip near an unused parking lot in the 15400 block of Bel-Red Road.

The King County Medical Examiner's Office will perform an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death, said Bove. The medical examiner's office will also release the man's identity.

According to Bove, police are investigating the death as suspicious because investigators determined the body had been on the ground for more than 24 hours and there was blood at the scene.

Seattle Times staff.

Breaking news on the body found in Redmond, 12/30

UPDATE on the body found in Redmond, 12/30

PTSA, Pemco, JSF donated $53,743 to LWSD schools in November

November Donations to District schools, reported at the School Board Regular meeting, 12/7

$7132  Christa McAuliffe PTSA donation for grants, supplies, stipend.

$13,880  Ben Franklin PTSA for stipends.

$1006 Juanita School Foundation to Juanita El. for stipend

$1500 Pemco Foundation to Explorer Community School for Golden Apple Funding Award

$15,525 Renaissance School PTSA for outdoor education

$2000 Helen Keller PTSA to support library

Peter Kirk PTSA to purchase basketball hoops

Norman Rockwell PTSA for choir, council and education stipends.

Total  $53,743

Source,  12/7  Regular Meeting packet

Redmond Digital Arts Festival: High Tech Meets High Touch

Redmond Digital Arts Festival: High Tech Meets High Touch

The Redmond Arts Commission welcomes you to the 2nd Digital Arts Festival, beginning with special events in December 2009 and featuring workshops and presentations on January 15 and 16, 2010. Here are some of the free featured ....more

by the Redmond Library Blog

Redmond to get its own "Central Park"

Redmond to get its own "Central Park" 

The city already owns about half of the property, which contains some old office buildings and a strip mall, said Jean Rice, a senior management analyst for the city's parks department.

A foundation is being formed to solicit private donations for the purchase. The total cost is estimated at $16 million to $17 million, she said.

by the Seattle Times

The Google-Microsoft rivalry now extends to Santa Web sites

The Google-Microsoft rivalry now extends to Santa Web sites

We'd be totally into this if we were 6-year-old kids on Christmas Eve. Since the 1950s, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has tracked the whereabouts of Santa Claus as he makes his global journey across the continents.

The system has evolved over the years, and it now includes a pretty fun implementation of Google Earth and Google Maps. When I checked in, Santa was making his way through Africa. Along the way, NORAD has compiled some entertaining videos of Santa as he ....more
.

Best books of 2009 - Holiday gift ideas from the Redmond Library

King County Library System - Books and Reading--Best books of 2009

As the year comes to a close, take a moment to review the King County Library System’s Best Books of 2009. The books on this list can also make great (very) last minute holiday gifts!

by Redmond Library Blog

Redmond's Downtown Central Park is Approved, Opening New Possibilities

The new Downtown Central Park site is behind & just east (left) of the Redmond Shopping Square.  This old mall will be leveled, 161st Street extended and converted to a promenade connecting Redmond Way to Cleveland St.

Redmond's Downtown Central Park is Approved

http://redmond.gov/aboutredmond/pressreleases/pr09149.asp

After Council approved the downtown park last week, retiring six-term Councilmember Nancy McCormick handed Mayor Marchione a donation check for the new Downtown Park Foundation.  (About a year ago, Ms. McCormick donated $30,000 to Hope-link).
 
The approved site is located between Cleveland Street and Redmond Way and bounded to the west by the proposed 161st Street extension and to the east by the historic Stone House property. (I've heard that a "linear park" along the BNSF rail spur connecting to the Downtown Park is on the drawing boards). 

The Park is close to transit service and has many opportunities for pedestrian access. It is a short walk to Redmond Town Center, Slough Park and the Sammamish River Trail.  Additional parking will be provided along Redmond Way and Cleveland Street after they are both returned to two-way streets.  (In about six months).
MORE

Human error cited for flooding on SR 520, adjacent Bear Creek.

REDMOND, Wash. - State Transportation officials got an early morning call today that can strike fear into the heart of any highway project manager; water on the roadway. It's especially worrisome when it's on a major route like SR 520 through Redmond...more

by GARY CHITTIM / KING 5 News
Posted on December 21, 2009 at 5:25 PM

Rare, 1964 photos of flooding along what is now Bear Creek Shopping Center.

"I was at the King County archives last March looking for photos of the Cadman Gravel pit and found these photos of flooding along Bear Creek dated January 2, 1964. For reference, Redmond Way and the railroad tracks run parallel through the photos and cross Bear Creek just south of what is now the Bear Creek Shopping Center. The original photos were sharper -- I'm not a very good photographer so these are slightly out of focus. Let me know if these photos arrive.

--Susan Wilkins, geologist
Education Hill - PTSA volunteer
Redmond, WA.

by Susan Wilkins

* With Ms. Wilkins permission, these photos were shared with the Redmond Historical Society and Steve Hitch, C.O.R. Stormwater Engineer.

Week in Windows: Fewer support calls, more tools for online help

Week in Windows: Fewer support calls, more tools for online help

...The Redmond company has also launched a new site to help lead people through the process of installing, uninstalling and/or upgrading Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP.   Net blogger Mary Jo Foley notes that the site could be particularly helpful and timely for people who get Windows 7 or a new PC -- or both -- as a holiday gift  more...

Camwest's "Perrigo Heights" landscaping incomplete. (Part One)

UPDATED:  This photo shows a gaping hole in the greenbelt behind Camwest's 2-year old, 24 home "Perrigo Heights" development.  The damage occurred when Camwest felled a Landmark Maple into the   understory. According to a city planner, the greenbelt is supposed to be repaired with three evergreen trees.   As of June, 2012 the hole is filled and understory looks complete. 

The City paid Camwest over $300,000 for the greenbelt to buffer Ashford Trail and Hartman Wetlands from the housing project.  The greenbelt extends to the stone wall and a large concrete vault; all of
the significant trees here were removed.  According to Steve Fischer, Principal Planner, the City Permit Center is withholding all three landscape performance bonds.   The project is now fully developed and sold out
. 

For a brief narrative of the homes and greenbelt visit my video clip here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukfLNA1nvKI&feature=player_embedded
(corrections:  slip landslide (not avalanche); about 8 homes built -see CW website)  

Camwest's Perrigo Heights website is here. 

photo and story by Bob Yoder

PTSA donations to LWSD schools for November

November Donations...and a little bit more!

$8050 from Inglewood JH TSA to Inglewood JH  for drug awareness and Think Tank programs.

$4100 from Kirkland JH PTSA to Kirkland JH for stipends for Homework Lunch and Power Hour.

$13,350 from Laura Ingalls Wilder PTSA to Wilder Elementary for teacher stipends, curriculum materials, sound system and instruments to support arts, phys. ed. equipment, field trip support.

$11,071.50 from Lakeview Elementary PTSA to Lakeview Elementary to provide teacher stipends.

$2288 from Albert Einstein PTSA to Einstein Elementary for new directories and a choir stipend.  

$5000 from Heller Keller PTSA to Keller Elementary for special ed. materials, music, phys. ed., counseling, reading specialist and three homework club stipends.

$18,1777 from Emily Dickinson PTSA to Dickinson Elementary to provide teacher stipends for choir, school, technology, Technology club, Explorations in Math club, Outdoor Ed, and ASB.

$5000 from Community School Parent fund to Community School to support outdoor education.

$6322 from Norman Rockwell PTSA to Rockwell Elementary.

TOTAL NOVEMBER DONATIONS ACCEPTED BY THE SCHOOL BOARD IS $73,358.90

"A little bit more"

To read the complete report go to this link and click on the "Packet".  All the School Board handouts used at Regular Meetings are here, too!!