Redmond Pool Reopens This Week With Some Restrictions For COVID

City of Redmond Pool

Construction of the Redmond Pool is complete, and the facility reopens this week for public use with some restrictions. The City's operational partner, WAVE Aquatics, is offering a modified program that includes reservation-only public lap swim, recreational and competitive swim team use, modified-format swim lessons, and more.  Lap swim prices are exceptionally high...$10.00

• Redmond Limited Lap Swim schedule May 3rd - May 9th

  • M-F 9:30 - 10:30 am​ Lap Swim

  • M-F 11:55 am - 12:55 pm​ Lap Swim

  • M,W,F 1:00 - 2:00 pm Senior Swim

  • M-F 8:30 - 9:30 pm​ Lap Swim​​​

​

• Redmond Weekly Lap Swim schedule May 10th - June 20th

  • M-F 6:15 - 7:15 am​ Lap Swim

  • M-F 7:20 - 8:20 am Lap Swim

  • M,W,F 7:20 - 8:20 am Shallow Aerobics

  • M-F 8:25 - 9:25 am Lap Swim

  • M-F 9:30 - 10:30 am Lap Swim

  • M-F 11:55 am - 12:55 pm Lap Swim

  • M,W,F 1:00 - 2:00 pm Senior Swim

  • M,W,F 8:30 - 9:30 pm Lap Swim

  • Sat 1:15 - 2:30 pm Lap Swim (75 minutes)

  • Sun 11:45 am - 1:00 pm Lap Swim (75 minutes)

  • Sun 1:15 - 2:30 pm Lap Swim (75 minutes)

​

• Maximum two swimmers per lane

  • 25-yd lap pool or 14-yd shallow end

  • Lap swimming/water exercise only

  • One swimmer per reservation

  • No spectators, except for an under-18 participant accompanied by one parent/guardian

• Reservations are required through the Customer Portal​; be sure to select the correct location!

  • Space is limited

  • Reservations for the upcoming week open on Fridays at 12:00 pm​

  • Account creation, waiver agreement & payment required to secure a spot

• Updated admission fees as of September 25th:

  • Lap Swim: $10

  • Lap Swim—Shallow end only: $7.50

  • Senior Swim / Shallow Aerobics: $5

​

• 6 ft. social distancing in effect at all times

• Face masks required at all times when not in the pool

• Participants must arrive 15 minutes early for mandatory check in

  • Failure to arrive early and complete the pre-session screening and safety briefing will result in denial of entry

  • Self-report temperature checks

  • Respond to screening questions

  • Pre-session safety briefing

• Locker room use extremely limited​

  • Arrive ready to swim​

  • Deck changing is not allowed—please wear your swimsuit to the pool!

  • Set your bag in the designated area on deck

  • Bring your own towel

  • Shower at home

• One-way facility entry and exit​

Source:  redmond.gov, 5/6/2021

L.W. School District Buys 25 Acres For Future Schools

Lake Washington School District 
Learning Areas

With 16,000 housing units planned for development in the next 10 years the District is scrambling for any buildable land they can find.  Luck has it, Cadman Gravel was willing to sell the District 25.46 acres.  The land is in S.E. Redmond, east of SR 520 and south of Union Hill.  Federal Express is directly to the West; Costco is just northwest. 

Elementary and secondary schools can be accommodated on the parcel.  One of the finest amenities, in my opinion, is it's proximity to nature preserves, trails and parks. It abuts the riparian habitat of Evans Creek while keeping within the Urban Growth Boundary.  Thousands of housing units may be built south of the property; students can walk to school.  The land is adjacent to a dynamic commercial district.  The regional amenities of light rail, Marymoor Park and trails are not far-off.  

The purchase price is $40,000,000.  Funding sources are:  the Rose Hill property sale ($18,000,000,) April 2016 bond project balance ($20,000.000,) and the Capital Levy. The bond and levy received construction assistance funds.  

Superintendent Barbara Posthumous spent plenty of time talking about the growth within our region, 
pressuring the District.  Some of the news is alarming:   King County is the fourth largest county in the country by population growth; LWSD is the fastest growing District in King county.  LWSD enrollment has grown by 31% (7,337 students) since 2008 and is expecting continued growth of 11% for the next ten years, bringing in an additional 3,450 students. The majority of the district’s schools are at or over capacity, and continued population growth will only exacerbate this.

Totem Lake is projected to have 3,600 new housing units within ten years; with downtown Kirkland and Rose Hill 1900 new units.  The City of Redmond city center and Marymoor Village are projected to have 3200 new units.  Sammamish projects 1274 units in the next ten years.  Redmond has the largest growth of any city in the District.

Twenty-nine of 41 schools are at or over capacity at this time.  LWSD is the second largest District in the State.  

Ongoing business growth on the Eastside is rapid:  Google plans to add up to 1 million square feet of office space in Kirkland. Amazon is bringing 300-600 engineers to Redmond.  A major Facebook business unit is moving onto Willows Road; the large Proctor housing development will service them.

--Reported by Bob Yoder, 4/22/2021

I want to thank Barbara Posthumous, Associate Superintendent of Business and Support for her excellent presentation on the land purchase.  Ms. Posthumous is also the C.F.O. of the District.  Barbara gave her presentation during the District Business Meeting of April 19th.  

UPDATED OPINION: 5/16/2021::Safety Aside: LIME e-Scooters Could Be The Answer To Light Rail Access.

Note:  The scooter can go uphill (actually to the top into Ed. Hill neighborhoods)
and it fits on this particular sidewalk.

                      
As part of the Redmond Transportation Master Plan, bicycle and e-scooter "sharing" support the City’s vision to improve travel choices and mobility. The scooters will give Redmond travelers micromobility options as the average trip in Redmond is 2.2 miles, which is about a 15-minute bike or scooter ride."  (C.O.R.); vitally important when light rail arrives in 2024. 

BELIEVE IT OR NOT on February 24th 2020 reporter Kristina Moy of the Post Intelligencer wrote:  "2019 was a banner year for Lime Redmond. And thanks to its riders, Lime Redmond hit several milestones. Last year, 17,000 unique riders (or the equivalent of 1/4 of the population of Redmond) rode a scooter in Redmond in less than 6 months of operation and 30.9% of riders reported their last scooter trip replaced a car trip. This means that Redmond scooter riders took 21,057 miles of car travel of Redmond roads in 2019."  Ecstasy, lousy reporting or propaganda?  I don't trust Lime.

On February 24, 2020, Ms. Moy reported Lime Redmond expects to surpass its 2019 milestones with the addition of Group Ride which will allow riders to unlock up to five scooters on the same host account and Lime Pass, a discounted subscription pass.  Have you seen Group Ride?

Well, apparently Lime, and Redmond commuters had a very good year in 2019 though I don't recall seeing more than a dozen riders then; and around four this year.  Most all riders were in their 20's or under; just like today.  It appears scooters aren't used at all for commuting, rather mostly for recreation. Why do we see these Limes scattered around the City and in our neighborhoods? Is the City trying to condition us?  Educate us?  

Light rail won't arrive for more than three years.  The city planner seems too far ahead of himself. In my opinion, he's justifying his job.

SAFETY:  You can't talk about Limes without thinking of safety. The following are serious concerns:

1)  Helmets "shall be worn."   97% don't.  When the City gets serious about Limes I suggest they beef up their bicycle police force to warn or enforce the $30 fine.  

2) My wife and I saw a mother scootering down 164th with her 3-year old hanging onto the stem. No comment.

3)  Allowing scooters to share sidewalks with pedestrians makes walking uncomfortable and dangerous. 

4) Maintenance:  If you ever biked the Sammamish River Trail you'd know the value a bell has for safety.  I noticed on a downtown walk a few didn't work; it makes you wonder what else needs fixing and maintaining.    

Urban micromobilty with scooters will be vital when light rail comes to Redmond.  It's good the City is being proactive in preparing for that "big moment."   Currently, Lime ridership is terribly weak, even with this good weather. Next year should be more of the same, though post-pandemic behaviors must be considered. Now is not the time to collect data from pilot programs. ndemic commuting behaviors 

Traffic congestion and parking isn't so severe that Limes are needed for mitigation.  Light rail won't be here until 2024.  We have ample time to stop this experiment and study other cities' programs launching LIME  in 2023.  

-- Bob Yoder, opinion

    Photo, Bob

   4/20/2021

Temperature Checks Required To Enter Schools

Lake Washington School District
Learning Areas

COVID precautions at schools: Daily Digital Attestation process for middle school/high school students, as follows:

We are excited to welcome back our in-person, grades 6-12 students on Monday, April 19! 

All Lake Washington School District (LWSD) students and staff must complete a health check each time they enter the building for the day to attest that they have no symptoms of COVID-19 or close contacts with people who have tested positive for COVID-19. 

Attestation and/or screening of all persons is an important step to keep anyone that has symptoms of COVID-19 out of district buildings. This process is required by The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) as well as the Department of Labor and Industries (L&I). 

For middle school and high school students, a new digital attestation process, called “Wellness Screening,” is available from use of a smart phone with an application. Elementary students will continue to complete paper attestation forms. 

Once it has been verified that the student has completed the wellness screener, the student’s temperature will be taken. If their temperature is under 100.4 degrees, the person can enter the building. Even if a student is going to be absent, we are encouraging students to complete their digital attestation to help us keep track of COVID symptoms. 

 -- LWSD "Connection" excerpts and edits 4/17/2021, King County Phase 3

COVID Precautions At Medical Waiting Rooms

COVID dental sign

I've been to two dentists this pandemic and find it's Standard Of Practice the patient wait for their appointment in their car (rather than the lobby.)  Texting facilitates the process. This sign was found on Katie Ostzler, DMD property in Redmond.  

Dental cleaning procedures vary in response to COVID. In one office, a dental hygienist cleaned only by scraping; no brushing.  The dentist would then peek into my mouth for about a 5 second inspection.  I left this dentist. 

I found a much better dentist. Once a day potential virus is removed with an aerosol of sorts. The hygenist spent over 50 minutes cleaning my teeth, inspecting my gums, xraying, etc.  The dentist inspected my neck and tongue for cancer and of  course my teeth. 

-- Bob Yoder, King County Phase 3, 4/17/2021

$600 Million Emergency Supplemental COVID Budget For King County!

King County Executive Dow Constantine 

Coming up at King County Council, April 19-23

 Next week is packed with action at council, including committee action on the next emergency COVID budget ($600M), a proposal to ban the use of facial recognition software countywide, and the Strategic Climate Action Plan, while full council will take up sending the renewal of the Best Starts for Kids levy to voters.

Here’s what’s coming up at King County Council:

• The $600 million emergency supplemental COVID budget is the seventh supplemental since the pandemic began, and will spend money across a variety of services, including vaccination efforts, community supports, public health response, economic recovery and more. This represents the largest appropriation by far and is likely to warrant a robust discussion at the Budget and Fiscal Management Committee. Once approved by committee, the measure will go to full council by May 11. The committee meets at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 20.
  
  
• Full council is set to vote on legislation to renew the Best Starts for Kids levy for another six years. The new proposal would set a first-year levy rate of $0.19 per $1,000 of assessed property value with annual growth capped at 3%. If approved, the proposal will appear on the August 3 primary ballot. Council meets at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, April 20.
  
  

2021 Redmond Saturday Market Opens May 1st!

2021 Redmond Saturday Market opens May 1st!

The 2021 Redmond Saturday Market season is upon us!  The Market opens May 1st and runs through the last Saturday of October, 9 am to 2 pm.  We have moved to our new permanent home at the parking lot of Overlake Christian Church on Willows Road.  Masks are required of course. 

See you there!

Redmond Saturday Market
www.redmondsaturdaymarket.org
Health, Strength, Kindness. Eyes Up!

LWSD Opens K-12 Schools For Indoor Learning on April 19th

  Pathway Forward

Starting in February, we (LWSD) will begin bringing our youngest learners back into classrooms (as of April 5, 2021):

• Thursday, February 18: Kindergarten & First Grade Students 
• Thursday, March 18 and Friday, March 19: Grade 2-3 Students 
• Monday, March 29 and Tuesday, March 30: Grade 4-5 Students
• Monday, April 19: Grades K-12 (4 days/week)

For updates visit the "Pathway Forward" hyperlink.

Source: "Pathway Forward"  Photo,Yoder

4/15/2021

City Council Aims To Improve Their Culture

City of Redmond Mayor and Council 
(l-r) Varisha Kahn, Jessica Forsythe, President Tanika Padhye, David Carson, Mayor Angela Birney, Vanessa Kritzer, Vice President Jaralee Anderson, Steve Fields

Video: Scroll to 1:04:35 hours to watch council and a facilitator review their retreat 

It was decided council needs to strive for a better culture.

Stay with the video for some very interesting discussion

Scroll at the beginning to find planning commissioners talking

by Bob Yoder, 4/14/2021

A Walk Down Memory Lane

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

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

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

-- Bob Yoder, 4/13/2021

Photo and Video, Yoder

2021 Redmond Historical Society Annual Membership Meeting

Three Mayors of the City of Redmond speak, including Mayor Angela Birney!

... and there's more!

(scroll left for the whole show)

Mayor Birney Presses to Create "Deputy Director" Positions

During Council's business meeting last night a "non-union non represented  pay plan" amendment sparked significant deliberations.

Reclassifying staff members to create three executive positions was at stake: 

1) Council voted 6-0 to hire a "diversity, equity and inclusion program manager."  LWSD has a Director working under Assoc. Superintendent Matt Cunningham doing similar work.     

2) I think the vote was 4-2 against "hiring" a Deputy Executive Department Director.  COO Malisa Files argued she needed all the help she could get.   

3) The vote for a Deputy Director of Technology and Information Services was tied. Mayor Birney broke the tie to approve the position. CM Carson voiced a strong need for the position.

Mayor Birney said she wanted to complete the organizational chart so every Director would have a Deputy.  Her reasons:  succession, "span of control," and it's not part of the budget. 

-- reported by Yoder, 4/7/2021

From Snake Oil to Vaccines: Pharmacy History in Washington State - Webinar

 

Virtual Saturday Speaker Series From Snake Oil to Vaccines: Pharmacy History in Washington State Saturday, April 10th at 10:30 AM

Travel through time with pharmacist John Oftebro (President of the Redmond Historical Society) as he describes the history of pharmacy—the art or practice of preparing and dispensing medicinal drugs—from prehistoric to modern times. Learn what Pacific Northwest Native American tribes used for remedies, and follow the course of pharmacy as a science through settlement, discoveries, practice changes, and the storefront pharmacies in Washington State. Find out what was really in that snake oil—and how our state led the way for pharmacists to vaccinate across the United States.

Redmond Downtown Park In Full Bloom

Plum trees spill out beauty while a distant blue crane reminds us of what's to come

I assumed these were Cherry trees and to confirm used the Google application.  Plum trees were suggested.   Photo, Bob Yoder, 4/2/2021

"Prunus mume is an East Asian and Southeast Asian tree species with common names of Chinese and Japanese plum trees. The flower, is a long beloved subject in the traditional painting and poetry of East Asia and Vietnam."

-- Wikipedia