Redmond Senator Andy Hill's Op-Ed on the state budget

As Washington’s K-12 and university students begin this new academic year they are no longer captive to a public-education system struggling to meet basic needs and receiving a declining share of the state budget. Instead, the recent legislative session made education funding a priority for the first time in years and put us on course to finally honor this state’s primary constitutional commitment to students and schools.

 

However, when this year’s session convened there was no guarantee any of that would transpire.

In past sessions, lawmakers repeatedly short-changed education by adopting unsustainable budgets. This year a projected $900 million budget deficit, coupled with the state Supreme Court’s decision mandating new education dollars, convinced many that nothing more could be done to grow early learning, restore K-12 funding or stop double-digit increases in college tuition.

 

But a new bipartisan makeup in the state Senate offered a unique chance to escape bad habits of the past -- short-changing education, skyrocketing tuition, accounting gimmicks and unsustainable budgets -- and try a new way to achieve better results   Read More >>

Water Tenders and onlookers spot about 35 salmon on Bear Creek this weekend

I thought you might be interested to see these photos of some hard working Water Tender volunteers at the booth set up on the Tolt Pipeline at the end of 148th St off of Mink Road close to Bear Creek on this weekend. 

One photo shows the very informative kiosk that was erected by Water Tenders some years ago.  That's Gary Smith in the background on the left, peering into Bear Creek with some local residents.  Free waterproof colorful fish ID cards were handed out to anyone who wanted one, along with paper frame polaroid 'glasses' to help see the salmon.

 61 people on Sat the 28^th and 85 turned out on the 29^th.    It was guessed 5-10 kings and 20-30 sockeye came through on Sunday ...  The Watertenders will be back next weekend. 

Reported and Photographs By John Reinke

Lake Washington School District SAT Reading and Writing score increase

State scores decrease in all areas

 

Redmond, Wash. – Lake Washington School District (LWSD) students scored on average five points higher on the SAT reading test and six points higher on the SAT writing test from the previous year, contrary to state and national trends. State average scores fell in both reading and writing while national scores were flat in both reading and writing. LWSD average scores in math were five points lower than in 2012, when scores took a nine point leap over the previous year. Washington state scores also dipped in math, by seven points over 2012 scores, while the national average stayed the same. LWSD students continue to score well above state and national averages on all three tests.

 

Read More >>

The Downtown Park public forum was time well spent

OPINION:   The City of Redmond held an Open Forum last night for the public and staff to hear presentations from five Downtown Park consultant candidates.  I and my wife listened to the first three consultants and Q&A which lasted two hours.  About a third of the audience appeared to be filled with staff and consultants.  Extra seats had to be brought into City Hall. 

All presentations were professional and helpful but the last consultant called "Land Morphology" appeared to be the most engaging and enthusiastic about Redmond and dug the deepest for "who we are."  They seemed to have a good grasp of  the surrounding downtown parks, Heron Rookery, our aquifer, and the rich cultures within Redmond.  They handed out small models of the park showing two sheltered structures comparing this idea to the Chihuly Museum by the Space Needle.  Having a well lit, warm place to gather seems important in our climate.  Art and Culture is destined to be a big part of the Downtown Park...and probably rain gardens.  History was brought up a lot, too and Land Morphology once included an archeological dig in one of their parks.  You never know what could turn up during the development of the park considering the Indian artifacts found around Lower Bear Creek.

All three consultants had to deal with questions about dogs and pets.  I don't think any of them recommended a dog running area.  Public process and wonkish diagrams were emphasized by the last two consultants -- I'm sure much to the happiness of the attending staff.  Though public process can be boring at times it tries to capture the broader public and design the framework for launching the park.  We got to critique each consultant with "scorecards." 

I wish now I had stayed to listen to the last two consultants, but two hours was plenty for me and you can go to www.redmond.gov to watch all five presentations.   If you attended, the Mayor put on a good show with food before-hand and some fascinating art-musician-dancers performing during breaks for the cameras and audience. 

Bob Yoder   

It's Salmon SEEson once again! - Spot the spawners!

It’s Salmon SEEson once again!

Spot the spawners in the Lake Washington/Cedar/Sammamish Watershed this fall!

Visit www.kingcounty.gov/salmon  and click on Salmon SEEson to learn more!

Fall is here, and salmon are returning to streams and rivers around Puget Sound. Watch for these natural wonders at the listed locations around the watershed as they make their seasonal journey!

See salmon on these days at these spots:

Best viewing July through September (free tours/talks twice a day)

Chittenden Locks in Seattle (Ballard)

For more info: 206-783-7059 or search web for “Chittenden Locks”

Sponsored by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

September and October – call for details

Locations along the Sammamish River Trail in Redmond

For more info: 425-556-2822 or pholte@redmond.gov

Sponsored by the City of Redmond

September 28 and 29, October 5 and 6 (1-4) and October 2 and 9 (3-6)

On Bear Creek in Woodinville, on the Tolt Pipeline trail

For more info: gandksmith@hotmail.com or 425-885-1250

Sponsored by Water Tenders   Read More >>

City Council Food Bank Drive this weekend

The Redmond City Council will be collecting food and monetary donations for HopeLink between 10-4 PM at QFC in Bella Bottega this weekend, September 28-29.  Greet them at the doors!

Superintendent Pierce gives State of the District address to Redmond City Council

Superintendent Traci Pierce gave a thorough presentation on the three levy/bond measures planned for the ballot this February 2014 in her address to Redmond City Council last night.  She appeared to struggle with several of the questions Councilmembers asked often promising to get back with the information. 

For instance, when Councilmember Stilin asked if the District Administration worked with municipalities on public works projects she wasn't sure.  Stilin and Councilman Margeson specifically mentioned the widespread citizen feedback about the traffic congestion at Redmond Middle School. 

Hank Margeson asked what percentage does the bond, developer impact fees and state pay towards new schools.  Pierce wasn't sure how the state matching fund worked and gave an example that a developer on Redmond Ridge paid impact fees that covered the cost of land for a school.  She didn't give any percentages or solid numbers.  Margeson concluded that to a degree "growth pays for growth should get you started" in building new schools. 

Mayor Marchione asked how many portables will be added as a result of the 2010 bond defeat since two elementary schools were scheduled to be completed by this time.  Pierce didn't know the short term implications for portables even assuming the 2014 bond passes.  Mayor Marchione said the parents should know the consequences of bond failures and Pierce said she would get back to him.

Councilmembers Flynn and Allen asked about plans to build a walkable school for the booming downtown urban neighborhood.  Pierce said they have no immediate plans for this and are instead focusing on Choice schools like STEM-West and International-East.  The bond would fund an elementary school just north of Einstein and another for Redmond Ridge.  Additions are propossed for Lake Washington and Eastlake High. 

The District Levy committee is planning a resolution to ask council for support of the measures and it is expected to be delivered sometime next week or two.   Total cost of all three measures for the average home in Redmond of $450,000 assessed value is $365/year or $30/month. 

Reported By Bob Yoder 

Lake Washington's Signature Programs combine academic rigor, real world STEM

LWSD partners with EvergreenHealth

 

Redmond, Wash. – High school students often complain they don’t see any connection between what they are learning now in school and what they will do after high school. New Signature Programs in Lake Washington School District are designed to make that connection. These thematic, interdisciplinary three-period instructional blocks combine rigorous academics and “real world” application of learning in areas like global health and sustainability. These courses engage students in problem-based learning and industry-based projects. Community partnerships connect students to the “real world.” Students also will earn academic credit in specified areas required for graduation. For example, Juanita High School’s Global Health Signature Program will provide credit toward graduation in English, Anatomy & Physiology and Biotechnology. The teachers of these three subjects are working together to create opportunities for deeper learning. For example, during a unit on influenza, students will read “The Great Influenza,” by John M. Barry, for English. They will get a historical perspective and learn about some of the early scientific research on the disease. They will learn about the immune system and lymphatic system for anatomy & physiology. Biotechnology will cover ELISA testing as a technique for diagnosing patient exposure to different strains of influenza. Students will learn how recombinant DNA technology and protein purification are used to protect against novel strains of the disease. In addition, a partnership with EvergreenHealth will give students an opportunity to work closely with healthcare professionals to job shadow providers across the organization and receive professional advice and insight into the health care industry. The students have already collaborated with EvergreenHealth to create an original logo for the partnership, which is featured on lab coats donated by the health system for each of the student participants. Read More >>

10/18/13: PhD Chemist Claims Watson Asphalt Co. Emissions Are Creating a Public Health Issue

David Morton addressed the City Council and Mayor about a potential public health issue in SE Redmond attributed to emissions from Watson Asphalt on 1922 NE Union Hill Road..  Mr. Morton is a PhD chemist with 15 years experience working in labs where he tested water and soil samples.

Morton's home is seven blocks East of the Watson Asphalt plant and every year he smells "stench" from the plant.  He claims waste petroleum is boiled off to make asphalt tar releasing invisible "VOC's" into the air.  He said these VOC emissions circulate a mile and a half from the plant to the Millinium Office Park,  Perrigo Park, Bear Creek School, and Friendly Village.  

Morton said the EPA states asphalt fumes are known toxins but the only regulation currently done locally is particle size of the emissions.  He asked the Mayor if the city could improve their air standards.  He ran off a long list of carcinogens that could be associated with the VOC fumes. 

Peter Shroeder, the Owner and Operator of Watson Asphalt addressed the Council stating the company has been in business in Redmond since 1964, has a 100 employees, and "saved the City $700,000 in the past four years by being a local company."  He explained the manufacturing process and concluded that air emissions are regulated, permitted, and inspected by the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. 

Mayor Marchione said staff would look into the claims made by Morton and get back to him in the next two weeks. 

Reported By Bob Yoder

Youth Cyber-Safety and the Risks of Social Media - What Every Family Needs to Know

 

Upcoming parent presentations scheduled at four elementary schools

 

Redmond, Wash. – With more affordable smart phones and the growth of social media like Facebook and Twitter, everyone is getting connected. Yes, it is exciting but how do you protect your children when they participate? Not just from predators but from bad decisions that can impact their lives for years to come? How do you even talk to them about it, let alone understand it?  Read More >>

NAMI Current Events

September Forum

 

Join us on Tuesday, 17^th September from 7 to 9pm at Evergreen Hospital for an Educational Forum on Borderline Personality Disorder.

 

The speaker, Elizabeth LoTempio, PsyD, specializes in working with adults and adolescents diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and/or struggling with problems including emotion dysregulation, self-harm, suicidality, eating disorders, anxiety, and mood disorders. She has extensive training and experience using evidence-based treatments, including dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). She completed a pre-doctoral fellowship at Yale University School of Medicine in the Yale-New Haven Hospital Intensive Outpatient DBT program treating individuals with borderline personality disorder and chronic suicidality and self-harm. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship in adolescent and adult DBT at the Dialectical Behavior Therapy Center of Seattle (DBTCS). She is currently a staff psychologist at DBTCS and provides individual therapy, skills groups, and multifamily skills groups for adults and adolescents.

 

September 8-14 is National Suicide Prevention Week   Read More >>

7th Annual Sammamish Arts Fair

7th Sammamish Arts Fair 

Sat Oct 12th & Sun Oct 13th 10:00 am - 5:00 pm 

At the Sammamish City Hall and Library - FREE

 

The Sammamish Arts Fair is an annual Arts Fair, which is now in its seventh year. It has grown in reputation to be one of the most anticipated arts events on the Eastside, and it will feature some of the best jury selected local artists in our area, 17 of which live in Sammamish. When Forbes recently ranked Sammamish as the number one friendliest town in America they made mention of our annual arts fair.  Read More >>

Thirty-two LWSD students named National Merit Semifinalists

Students now complete for 8,000 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $35 million

 

Redmond, Wash. – As announced by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), 32 Lake Washington School District (LWSD) high school seniors qualified as semifinalists in the 59th annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

A total of 16,000 academically talented high school seniors nationwide have qualified. About 15,000 are expected to advance to the Finalist level, and in February they will be notified of this designation. These students will have the opportunity to continue in the competition for some 8,000 National Merit Scholarships, worth more than $35 million, that will be offered next spring.

Students qualified for these awards by completing the 2012 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, which represents less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest scoring entrants in each state.

Redmond High School had the highest number of recipients in the district, with 17 students named as semifinalists.  Read More for the listing of students >>

Kinnan W. Williams is running against Rebecca Hirt for EvergreenHealth Commissioner

Kinnan W. Williams is running against Rebecca Hirt for EvergreenHealth Commissioner

"Although I will [would] be new to the Board I am not inexperienced. I represent special purpose districts including the King Fire District 34 which serves the greater Redmond area outside of the City limits. I was also a Commissioner with the Northshore Utility District for 14 years and now serve as its general counsel. Finally, I have served on the Hospitals Charitable Foundation Board for several years and am now Vice Chair of the foundation. The only real downside to getting elected will be that I won’t be able to serve as Chair of the Foundation Board next year. I truly enjoy my work on the Board, especially on the EFAC committee which essentially distributes micro grants to various groups in the hospital to enhance education and patient care. This year we gave out grants from helping develop cooking skills classes for patients with special dietary needs to research on how to better serve new ethic populations in our communities. In the past we have provided special sexual training for nurses, so that victims of sexual assault on the Eastside don’t have to be transported down to Harborview during an already traumatic time and specialized equipment for the Emergency Room to prevent bed sores which is major problem for elderly patients.  It should be noted that the funds for this entire program ($50,000) came from hospital employee donations. By the way it was my proposal a few years ago to increase the distribution levels from a maximum of $2,500 per project to $5,000 per project and from an aggregate of $25,000 to $50,000. I am proud of the Board for increasing these amounts and more proud of the employees for continuing to fund these projects.

 

We should really be proud of the hospital it is doing a fine job, but the community is changing and we need to be dynamic which is why I am running."

 

By Kinnan W. Williams 

Lake Washington Institute of Technology Recognized as a Top Military Friendly School

Kirkland, Wash.: Lake Washington Institute of Technology (LWIT) is one of Washington’s community and technical colleges named as one of the nation’s top military friendly schools.

The 2014 Military Friendly Schools list released this week honors the top 20 percent of colleges, universities, and trade schools in the country that do the most to embrace America’s military service members, veterans, and spouses as students and ensure their success on campus.

The list was compiled through research and data-driven analysis of surveys from more than 10,000 schools nationwide approved for VA funding. The national accounting firm of Ernst & Young LLP independently audited the results, which were based on upon established weightings and methodology. LWIT was among only 1,868 schools nationwide to make the list.

For a complete list of schools in Washington and across the nation, visit www.militaryfriendlyschools.com/mfslist.aspx<http://www.militaryfriendlyschools.com/mfslist.aspx>

OPINION: Yes on 522 - labeling genetically engineered foods

Yes on 522

By Elizabeth Larter 

This November, Washington will decide whether to label genetically engineered foods in the grocery store by voting on initiative 522.

A Yes vote on initiative 522 is the only way we can know what we feed our families.

Companies label ingredients, nutrition facts, the country of origin, whether fish was farm raised or wild caught, whether vanilla extract is pure or artificial, and now even whether meat was tenderized mechanically. We should also know whether or not our food has been genetically engineered.  

 Opponents of labeling are funded by five  out-of-state corporations. Their average contributions to the No side are over $400,000. This contrasts greatly with the Yes on I-522’s numbers.  Yes on Initiative 522 is funded by over 6,000 individual donors with an average donation of $25. The people of Washington support I-522 and Big Ag and Big Food are trying to keep you from knowing what’s in your food.

As the election nears, the opposition, with their deep, corporate pockets, will put up  misleading ads trying to keep shoppers  in the dark about their foods. Our opposition will claim that farmers don’t support Yes on 522. That’s a lie. Hundreds of farmers support Yes on 522. Our opposition will claim that this will cost you at the grocery store. Also not true. Food manufacturers are constantly updating their packaging and don’t increase costs. This just adds a couple of words to the front of the package. It won’t increase cost. Lastly, our opposition will claim that this bill is confusing and arbitrary. False. This bill was written to conform to common labeling laws. Initiative 522 would label foods in the grocery store, just like we already label these foods with nutritional content and ingredients. Yes on 522 is supported by farmers, ranchers, small businesses, moms and dads, and Washingtonians across the state. You can read our full list of endorsements at yes on522.com/endorsements/.

Come November, you’ll have a choice. To vote for more transparency in your groceries or to oppose more information. We hope that you’ll join us and support labeling genetically engineered foods. It’s our right to know what’s in the groceries we are buying and feeding our families. Vote Yes on 522 this November!

What does the Lake Washington PTSA Council do?

By Jane Dulski, President LW-PTSA Council

Welcome, everyone, to the new school year. We know you have all been very busy preparing for the start of school, so we hope you take a moment to congratulate yourselves on all your hard work so far.

  

Many ask us, "What does Council do anyway?" or "Why do we have a Council?" There are over 900 local units in the state of Washington and having a Council allows for better customer service from the WA State PTA. Our Council has 41 school PTA/PTSAs (or local units in PTA lingo), over 400 elected officers, and over 15,000 members!  We are the second largest council and we

make up over 10% of the membership of the entire state!

  

The Lake Washington PTSA Council is here to help develop and mentor leaders in the local units in our school district. We have district-wide advocacy leaders who keep us informed about the issues and help all local units advocate on a state and national level. Our strong Special Needs Group brings resources to parents. We work closely with the Emergency Preparedness program in the district. Our Council partners with the school district to provide Parent Education programs.  With your participation in the annual Basket Auction, Council is able to offer 17 or more post-secondary scholarships each year for students and teachers.  Read More >>

Take the Plunge - Join Water Tenders!

Water Tenders Celebrate 25 Years with Anniversary Barbecue

 

It’s time to celebrate!

Water Tenders has been working hard the past 25 years to maintain and protect Bear Creek, it’s headwaters, creeks, streams, and wetlands that make up the Bear Creek Basin. It’s time to celebrate, acknowledge, and reconnect with the Water Tenders volunteers and members, past and present, who have helped make this accomplishment possible.

We are hosting a 25th Anniversary Barbecue, open to the public, at Mary Cash Farm, on Sunday, September 15 at 3:30 PM. We will be grilling hamburgers and veggie burgers and of course, we will have a 25th Anniversary cake for dessert. We will also provide the paper and plasticware for meals.

Participants are asked to bring an appetizer or salad and their own drinks (alcohol is not allowed in King County Parks).

We will have a variety of posters, booklets, flyers, and newsletters on display to illustrate our rich history.

Mary Cash Farm is located at the intersection of Woodinville-Duvall Road and 182nd Avenue NE. Overflow parking will be available  across the street in the upper parking lot of the Cottage lake Presbyterian Church and Preschool located at 18350 NE Woodinville-Duvall Place.

Please RSVP to jan-guy@hotmail.com if you think you will attend so we can get a headcount for burgers. We hope to see you there!

EvergreenHealth Commissioners refinance bonds, Save taxpayers $9 million

Kirkland, Wash. – Property taxpayers in King County Public Hospital District No. 2 – EvergreenHealth – will see their tax obligation drop by more than $9 million over the next 10 years, thanks to the decision by the EvergreenHealth Board of Commissioners to refinance tax-supported bonds issued in 2004.

“We can realize this reduction by taking advantage of historically low interest rates,” explained Al DeYoung, chairman of the EvergreenHealth Board of Commissioners. “By refinancing the 2004 Unlimited Tax General Obligation bonds now, we have more than halved the interest rate we were paying – from nearly 5 percent to less than 2 percent,” DeYoung said.

EvergreenHealth refinanced $59.5 million, from an original bond amount of more than $112.7 million. The new bonds, to which Moody’s Investor Service gave an Aa2 rating – the best rating for any hospital in the Puget Sound area – will mature in December 2023. The bond closing was May 14, 2013.

The 2004 bonds were primarily used to build the Silver Tower on the EvergreenHealth Medical Center campus in Kirkland. The nine-story Silver Tower houses EvergreenHealth’s Emergency Department, trauma services, the core part of the Halvorson Cancer Center and patient rooms.

“As part of our commitment to financial stewardship, we are able to reduce the total debt service that makes the Silver Tower possible from $89.7 million to $80.4 million with the same maturity date for the bonds,” said Chrissy Yamada, chief financial officer of EvergreenHealth.

“We are deeply gratified that the people of the district have supported our mission to provide them breakthrough care in facilities that we are constantly improving through bond issues such as this, as well as through private philanthropy,” added Bob Malte, CEO of EvergreenHealth.

The district includes the incorporated cities of Kirkland, Redmond, Woodinville, Kenmore and Duvall, portions of Bothell, Bellevue, Clyde Hill, Sammamish, Lake Forest Park and the town of Yarrow Point, as well as adjacent unincorporated areas.

Redmond can have two retail outlet stores for marijuana sales

According to the newest rules from Initiative 502 pot law the Washington Liquor Control Board has assigned retail outlet limits in cities throughout the state.  Redmond and Kirkland can each have two marijuana retail stores.  Issaquah and Sammamish can each have one store.  Federal Way, Kent and Renton can each have three stores.  Bellevue could have up to four stores. 

For the complete list of Washington State outlets visit this Washington State Liquor Control Board page. 

Reported By Bob Yoder

City Planning and Development Director Rob Odle and Capstone update Council on Overlake Village Development

Public process for the park is robust.  Sites are selected for off-site tree mitigation

When Capstone purchased the Overlake Group Health site this Spring to build their mixed-use urban village it didn't take them long to get to the drawing boards.  In last night's Council session Capstone's Mike Hubbard said the hotel and conference center would move to the Northwest corner and it was decided they would design, own, and maintain the park.  After the spine road and parcel access roads are built, residential units (near 152nd) owned by Avalon will be constructed in May/June of next year.  All other construction will come afterwards. 

1400 multi-family residential units, 1.2 million square feet of commercial (office and retail) an 180,000 sq. ft. hotel/conference center, 2.7 acre public park and 10 acres of off site forest canopy are slated to be constructed eventually in this transit friendly mixed-use village.  The Group Health Hospital has already been demolished; possibly the second largest demolition in the State after the Kingdome, according to Hubbard. 

The public process for development of the park will be robust.  The Parks Commission and Design Review Board will hold special meetings on the park.  A Public Hearing is scheduled for October 15.  The first of two Community Meetings will be held mid-November.  Councilmember Allen asked that Council have input before the project goes to a formal "Type II" Review.  So there will be plenty of public comment time up front before formal review. 

Off Site Tree mitigation of all the trees that will be chopped down at the site drew the most interest and discussion from Council.  After consulting with Sustainable Redmond, staff narrowed down the potential sites for 81% of the trees from 14 to 7 and then 6.  They based their site selection on visibility, closeness to trails, habitat value, connection points between critical areas, and proximity to Overlake.  Perrigo Park, Perrigo Heights Open Space, Cascade View Park, the 2.5 acres behind Swedish Medical offices, and wetlands near the Marymoor Storage Center were finalists.  Councilmember John Stilin asked if citizens living near parks and open space gave any input, besides Sustainable Redmond members   View Point Open Space Corridor was the closest available location to Overlake for the remaining 2 acres of mitigation...but the slopes are steep.  The small tree "specimens" will be planted this Fall. 

Reported by Bob Yoder

Council approves $78,000 for habitat restoration of streams and forests

The purpose of the agreement is to contract with the Washington State Department of Ecology
Conservation Corps (WCC) to maintain stream and habitat restoration sites around the City.

Maintenance is a follow-up activity that is crucial to the success of restoration and  Read More >>

Letter: Bragging about a 20-30% failure rate in the math MSP test is not impressive

"Lake Washington District students score above state in standardized tests"

  Anonymous said...

We are supposed to be pleased that collectively the students in the Lake Washington School District did better than students from across the state on the MSP, the state's standardized test. Let's remember that these MSP scores represent the number of students who passed the tests - and it also represents the number of students who failed. For 4th grade math, the district's 81.5 percent is certainly better than the state's 62.5 percent, but when we translate this into how each individual student fared on the 4th grade math exam, the numbers aren't so impressive.

For every 5 fourth graders in the Lake Washington School District, 1 student is failing math. For every 10 seventh graders, 3 are failing math. As a parent and volunteer in the district, I can tell you that when students fail the 4th grade math MSP, they are very far behind. When 7th graders fail the math MSP, they are far more likely to drop out. In 2011, when my child was a 5th grader at Horace Mann Elementary, there were a number of students who had failed the 4th grade MSP math test given the previous school year. Horace Mann had no formal plan for addressing failing students, so we inquired if supplemental funds were available from the district to target students with failing MSP scores. We were told that there was no money available "due to budget cuts." Eventually, an ad-hoc group of parents ended up tutoring the failing students to try to get them up to speed. This is no way to provide educational assistance to students who need help the most.  Read More >>

LWSD PTSA announces first meeting of the school year

from the LWSD PTSA...

I hope everyone was able to enjoy the fantastic weather this summer! Our first meeting of the year is the customary overview of the Special Education Department at LWSD. For those in a position to do so, please post this information..
Thank you.

MEETING AGENDA:

Paul Vine, Director of Special Education, will give an overview of the LWSD Special Education Department, including an introduction of the administrative team that supports all the schools.

Date: September 24, 2013 (Tuesday)
Time: 7 – 8:00 p.m. Presentation
8:00 – 8:30 p.m. Questions & Answers

Where: Board Room @ LWSD Resource Center
16250 NE 74th St
Redmond, WA 98052 (at Redmond Town Center)

Some facts and news on Redmond's water resources

UPDATED:  Redmond is known for it's green forest and stream buffers, trails and multi-faceted parks.  Of course it takes water and lots of it to keep our fair city green.   Jon Spangler, a resident of Redmond and 22 year city employee who manages the Department of Resources is expert on all things water in Redmond.   During his presentation to Council on "Water Resources Strategic Plan" some noteworthy facts and stories surfaced, as follows:  

Redmond's wells suck out 800 million gallons from the ground per year to supply 35-40% of Redmond's drinking water.  It rains 11 billion gallons of water/year in Redmond.  (The Mayor couldn't believe it but Jon proved his number on 42 inches/year of rain on 16 square miles.)  So even with rapid development a lot of rain should enter into the ground.  Jon said keeping the base flows in streams is important so they don't dry up in the summer.  The city's stormwater system is impressive with 220 miles of stormwater pipes, 100 major ponds and over 50 miles of small streams.  All of the treated stormwater eventually drains into ponds or Bear, Evans and Kelsey Creek and the Sammamish River. 

Our well water keeps the price of water low though the infrastructure costs are relatively high.  Cascade Water Alliance would supply Redmond with water piped in from the White River but demand for this water is falling and it's likely the Tolt River and our wells will provide for us adequately for quite some time. 

Jon said, some of our ground water is contaminated with hazardous waste from surface infiltration but Mr. Spangler said, "though it's at very low levels and it's not a risk to anybody's health but it's something we want to keep an eye on so it doesn't become a problem."  The city is working with select industries and commercial interests to mitigate the contamination.

Councilmember Hank Meyers asked about the ALL WOOD Recycling fire and the tons of water dumped on the fire which is an infiltration site for our groundwater.  The water ran into the creek and into the groundwater.  Spangler estimated 1900 fish were killed in Evans Creek from the fire foam that was used.  Spangler said, "I don't believe there's an imminent threat to the groundwater but we plan to do some indicator sampling over the next 6 months."  Aquifer monitoring wells are not in the immediate infiltration site of the fire. 

Reported By Bob Yoder