Imagine Overlake, by Tom Hinman

Imagine Overlake –

Did you know that the Overlake Village Park being discussed at City Hall on January 15th is only the first of three parks to be developed in Overlake over the next 20 years?  More than 9 acres of parkland will eventually be built to provide the level of service needed as that neighborhood grows.  How these three community resources complement each other to create a “place” in Overlake should be considered as the first park planned for Overlake Village.  Read More >>

January is National Blood Donor Month

There are over 56,000 people living in the City of Redmond. One thing we all have in common is that blood is continuously circulating through our bodies, keeping us going every day.

 

There is no shortage of blood. Actually, there is a shortage of blood donors.

 

·         Subtract everyone under the age of 16- they can’t donate.
·         Subtract all the patients in our hospitals and clinics who are receiving blood transfusions, undergoing cancer treatment or recovering from surgery.
·         Subtract a chunk of our ever growing population of jet-setters and globe-trotters because visits to some countries or regions can render a potential donor temporarily ineligible
·         Subtract everyone with cold or flu symptoms
 
You are left with 35% of the population who are eligible to give at any given time. This is our potential. These are the people we reach out to, to say, “you are healthy, and we need you. Will you donate blood?”
 
Of those 35%, only 5% say yes.
 
JANUARY is National Blood Donor Month- a chance to celebrate the 5% of our population who ensure that blood is there for the 100% of us who may need it someday.  To you we say, Thank You!
 

Open House scheduled for Capstone's Overlake Village Park concept.

By Tom Hinman

 

In about a half a month, (January 15th at 6pm), there will be a second Open House in Redmond City Hall on Capstone's Overlake Village Park concept.  The graphics from the December 4th Open House were posted Monday at

http://www.redmond.gov/cms/One.aspx?portalId=169&pageId=67285.  This gives time for the community to review and digest some of the information provided earlier.  Public comments are still desired as design proceeds.

 

Besides recent photos of the site (see in particular views of the park parcel on Capstone pages 8-10) there are City infrastructure/context sketches of Overlake.  Note that nine acres of parks, 11 miles of trails and a community center will eventually be needed to provide the level of service to Overlake prescribed in City planning documents.  (These community amenities will occur in phases -- 3.5 park acres by 2020 inclusive of the 2.6 acre Capstone development and 5.5 acres more by 2030 as the neighborhood grows.)  Some of the newer parkland will be built over the stormwater vault currently being constructed west of 151st at Bel-Red Road as shown in a City concept sketch at the link above.  The Northern Stormwater Vault/Park west of 152nd between 26th and 27th will be built sometime in the future and contribute to the additional 5.5 acres of park space required.  

Nancy Pfaff Wins Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics Teaching

Redmond, Wash. – Elementary teacher Nancy Pfaff was named the Washington recipient of the prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) for mathematics. The PAEMST is the nation's highest honor for teachers of mathematics and science (including computer science).  Read More >>

Public meeting to discuss plans for new Eastside aquatics center

 

• by REPORTER STAFF,  Kirkland Reporter Staff 
• Dec 31, 2013 at 12:54PM

WAVE Aquatics runs the Juanita High School pool.

— image credit: Contributed Art

The public is invited to attend a presentation at the Lake Washington High School auditorium addressing the looming closure of Juanita Pool and the decreasing access to aquatics facilities, in general, on the Eastside at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 7.
Hosted by Wave Aquatics, this meeting is an opportunity for the public to hear the facts about this issue, see the vision of potential solutions that benefit the community, and ask questions or provide feedback.

At this meeting, the public will see an assessment of the current facilities which are increasingly falling short of the demand by the growing Eastside community for programs that provide:
· Water safety instruction
· Swim lessons for youth and adults
· Health and fitness programs
· Physical rehabilitation
· Competitive venues for multiple school districts and swim & dive clubs
· Open/unstructured time for all users  Read More >>

Redmond Home Prices Make Small Gains in November; Sales Decline

By Paul Siemering

Redfin Real Estate Agent

 

Redmond home prices slightly increased in November, but sales volume dropped, according to a recent Redfin analysis. Home prices were up 0.5 percent compared to the same time last year and the median home price was $502,500. Sales were down 13.1 percent with 113 homes sold. However, homes sold 26.5 percent faster than they did in November 2012, spending an average of 25 days on the market.

 

The drop in sales volume is partly due to a lack of inventory in Redmond. In popular neighborhoods such as Education Hill, there are currently only three houses for sale under $600,000.

 

Another cause for decreased sales is that there were fewer buyers shopping in November. There was no significant shortage of buyers because we were still seeing multiple offers on homes. But some buyers chose to pause their home search in November, many of them worn out from the spring and summer housing frenzy. These buyers were unable to get into a home in Redmond because of the lack of inventory and the intense competition during the spring and summer months.

 

If you’re in the market to buy a home in Redmond, do not be discouraged by the competition. Instead, strategize a way to set yourself apart from other buyers. Take advantage of the fact that there are fewer buyers in the market for a home right now, such as those who are reluctant to move during the holidays and those who do not want to move while their children are in school.

 

Another way to edge out the competition is to start looking at homes that are less expensive than the maximum you can afford. If you are in the market for a $500,000 house, start looking at comparable homes in the $450,000 range. That way you can compete against multiple offers on the home by submitting an offer above the list price.

 

For more information, visit Redfin.com

  

 

 

The Inspirational Story of the Civilian Conservation Corps in Washington State: Redmond Historical Society Speaker Series

During the Great Depression, President Roosevelt created the Civilian Conservation Corps to provide jobs for millions of out-of-work men. Thousands of desperate young men from the East Coast came to Washington State to work in the woods alongside local boys to build bridges, roads and park buildings.  Historian Janet Oakley will explore their legacy in her presentation, Tree Army: The Civilian Conservation Corps in Washington State 1933-41, on Saturday, January 11^th at 10:30am at the Old Redmond Schoolhouse Community Center in Redmond.  She is speaking as part of the Redmond Historical Society Saturday Speaker Series.

The Civilian Conservation Corps helped to shape parks, forests and infrastructure from forty eight camps throughout the state with the largest activity occurring at Mount Rainier National Park.  Oakley will address how the CCC was developed nationally, its impact our on state and its impact the men who did the work.  In the process of conducting her research at Western Washington University, Oakley met seven men who had been CCC boys.  According to Oakley, ”From their stories I began to appreciate their legacy here.   Projects were all over the state and all left this impression with the men I spoke to: They fed us, they gave us education, and they gave us hope for our families.”  Read More >>

BMX Bike Park Update

Dear Redmond Bike Park Followers,

As you may remember, both the Site Plan Entitlement and SEPA Decision were appealed in 2011.  The appeal process went through the Hearings Examiner, the Redmond City Council and ended up in King County Superior Court.  Before the court heard the case, the City and the appellants reached a settlement agreement.  The plans and permits that were submitted to the Technical Committee this month address the settlement condition terms.  The final plans are provided on the City website. After January 1, the Planning Department will issue a 21 day public notice and comment period on the project, per the zoning code requirements. 

 

If there are no comments or changes to the plans, the City would plan to begin trail building workshops and construction in May 2014.  Assuming we have sufficient volunteers and lead trail builders, it is possible that construction could be complete in two to three months.

 

If you have additional questions or concerns, please contact me.

Happy Holidays,

Carolyn Hope

Park Planning & Cultural Services Manager

City of Redmond, Parks and Recreation Department

15670 NE 85^th Street, Redmond, WA 98052

425.556.2313, cjhope@redmond.gov

www.redmond.gov/bikepark

King County buys threatened Snoqualmie Valley farmland, plans to return land to farming

 

Nearly 200 acres of rich Snoqualmie Valley farmland that was recently threatened with development is now officially owned by King County and will be returned to farming.

“Saving this fertile land for farming will create more jobs for rural residents, support a more robust local food supply, and ensure an even stronger wall against sprawl,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine, who today announced official acquisition of the 191-acre “Tall Chief” property.
King County purchased the land for $4.54 million, using Conservation Futures Tax funding. Now that the county owns the property it will begin working on returning the land to active farming. 

The Tall Chief property was home to one of the first dairy farms in the Snoqualmie Valley, beginning in the early 1900s up into the 1950s, when a golf course was built on the property. The golf course closed in 2009, and developers recently proposed a housing subdivision for the property.  Read More >>

Letter: Olympic and World Championship rowing medals stolen in Kirkland burglary

Hi Bob,

Do you think you could run something about my cousin's wife's Olympic and World Championship medals being stolen in your blog?

My cousin's Kirkland house was broken into and ransacked.  The police said there is an uptick in home burglaries during the holidays.  The burglars probably knocked on the front door realized no one was home and entered through the back door.  They were very quick, searching for, and taking jewelry and cash.  They left behind all the big items.

Unfortunately they also took my cousin's wife Olympic and World  Championship rowing medals and watches.   My cousin's wife is Betsy McCagg Hills, you may have seen her recently on both KOMO and KIRO.  The thieves took over two dozen medals representing decades of hard work, dedication, tears and joy.    The watches were from the Atlanta, Barcelona and Sydney Olympics.  None of them are very valuable except to her.  She is worried the thieves may discard them once they realize they are not valuable.   She is asking for anyone who may happen to find the box of medals to return them to any police department.  I am trying to get the word out in case anyone happens to hear of any of the medals being seen.

If you could please forward this it would be greatly appreciated.

I hope you have a wonderful, safe and joyous holiday!

Thanks,

Barb Lau 

Fifteen Lake Washington Teachers Achieve National Board Certification

Five teachers renewed their certification

Redmond, Wash. – Fifteen Lake Washington School District teachers achieved National Board Certification®, as announced by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). In addition to the 15 newly certified teachers, five teachers renewed their certification this year, for a total of 20 people completing the process. (Certifications must be renewed every ten years.) According to NBPTS, 246 National Board Certified Teachers (NBCT) earned their certification while at work in the district’s schools.

“The National Board Certification process benefits our students as it helps teachers analyze every area of their teaching practice to ensure maximum academic success,” said Superintendent Traci Pierce. “Lake Washington School District prides itself on the caliber of its teaching staff and we’re grateful to have so many teachers commit and re-commit themselves to excellence.”  Read More >>

Take a journey with Cavalia's "Odysseo" in Marymoor Park

Posted on King County Parks Blog by Frana 

Cavalia’s “Odysseo” comes to Marymoor Park, starting Feb 26

Who’s got horses, acrobats, and the White Big Top tent coming to their park? We do! We do!
Cavalia is back on Feb 26, bringing “Odysseo”, their second production, to Marymoor Park. Just in time for the holidays, get your tickets now, online at www.cavalia.net or at at 1-866-999-8111.
Hosting touring national acts like Cavalia generates revenue for King County Parks and directly supports operations and maintenance of all of our 200 parks, 175 miles of trails, and 26,000 acres of open space.
Psssst, just for you, click here for a sneak peek!

NAMI-Eastside Forum: What happens when I call 911 on a family member?

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I CALL 911 on a Family Member?” 

 

Presenters: Redmond Police Commander Sheri Shovlin

 & Manka Dhingra, JD             

 Date:Tuesday, December 17, 2013 Time: 7-9 pm 

Location:  Red Auditorium/Evergreen Health Hospital, Kirkland, WA PLEASE SEE http:///www.evergreenhealth.com/documents/Visitor_Map.pdf  for exact location.

 

COMMANDER Shari Shovlin of the Redmond Police Department & Manka Dhingra, JD, Prosecuting Attorney for the Mental Health Court will be presenting information on what can happen after you call the police; what are the options?  What is Mental Health Court?  ITA? Diversion Center?

Shari Shovlin has served the community of Redmond for the past 18 years.  She is a trained Crisis Intervention Team officer and has spearheaded the initiative to have all first responders trained in CIT, specifically for dealing with the mentally ill in Redmond.

Manka Dhingra is a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney who is assigned to the King County Mental Health Court (MHC).  She holds a JD from the University of Washington School of Law and Bachelor of Arts degrees in History and Political Science from the University of California at Berkeley. 

Council gives green light for basic design work to rechannelize 166th Avenue

City council agreed to proceed with the general design work to rechannelize 166th Avenue NE from four lanes to three lanes by the end of 2014.  Public comment was reviewed.  Councilmember Margeson asked staff to look at the 100th Street intersection where drivers are getting out of their cars to push the crosswalk button so they can enter 166th.  There was quite a bit of favorable discussion on the idea of an expensive roundabout at the 95th Street intersection.  Traffic at the roundabout would slow to about 20 MPH.  A signal light is another option.  Councilmember Stilin thought some art sculpture would be nice on the roundabout.  Design work for the intersections did not get the green light from Council.  They will look at it at some later date.  The rechannelization will improve the line of sight for cars entering 166th and so improve safety.  Car speeds are expected to slow by 4-5 MPH. 

Reported By Bob Yoder
 

Holiday Safety Alerts, by Redmond Police Officer Dowd

Dear Redmond Community and Friends,

Happy Holidays to all!  I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable holiday season.  I apologize for the length of this update but we had a lot on information to cover due to the holidays.

As you may imagine this is a busy season for all of us.  With the shopping and gift sending comes opportunities for our BAH-HUMBUG group of local criminals to get their “discount” shopping done.  I have listed a few of our holiday tips below.  The best advice is to be aware that these groups are out there.   Protect your gifts and property and make yourself a difficult target!

HOLIDAY TIPS

When leaving your car or home:

• Lock your doors!  It doesn’t matter where you are going or how long you will be there. 
• Secure valuables before you park—thieves may be watching you as you exit your vehicle.  If you purchase items or have valuables in your car, then put them in the trunk. 
• Avoid parking next to trucks, SUVs, or anything that may serve as a shield for thieves.  Read More >>

Broken water pipe leads to injured firefighter

17700 block of NE 90^th ST

  

Just before 3:30 PM yesterday, five firefighters were working on diverting the water leak on the third floor master bedroom of one of the buildings located in “The Heights at Bear Creek” complex. Due to water saturation, the entire plaster board ceiling of the bedroom collapsed onto the crew. When the crew members self-extricated their selves out of the debris, they realized one crew member suffered injuries to his left shoulder and leg. The injured firefighter was evacuated from the structure, then evaluated and treated by Redmond firefighters and paramedics from Redmond’s Medic One. The paramedics transported the injured firefighter to Evergreen Hospital; the firefighter is in stable condition.  Read More >>

Letter: How Green is the Greystone Development?

The Winter, 2013 issue of Redmond Focus spoke with pride on the tree retention plan and replacement trees to be planted as compensation for those lost during construction of the Greystone housing development in North Redmond.  In April, 2013 Sustainable Redmond presented the City Council with findings from a Natural Resources study of Redmond’s tree retention practices which included a statistical analysis of Greystone.  Here are our findings based on the public record:
Read More >>

Evergreen State's Best Cities Ranked: Seattle Takes Backseat to Redmond and Issaquah

Movoto released a ranking of the top cities in Washington based on its 50 most populous cities. According to our data crunching, Redmond is the 5th best city, while Issaquah is the best city in Washington based on the following desirable factors:

 -Amenities

-Cost of living

-Crime

-Education

-Median household income

-Commute time

 Here's the full report: http://www.movoto.com/blog/top-ten/the-10-best-cities-in-washington/

Submitted by Travis Sawrie of Movoto Real Estate Blog

 

"Find My Phone" App finds more than just a phone

Redmond, WA – Redmond Police have cleared multiple vehicle prowl investigations after a citizen successfully used a phone-finding application to locate his stolen property.  The citizen’s phone and wallet were stolen from his vehicle while he was working in Redmond on December 3^rd.  He was able to utilize a phone-tracking application to lead directly to a residence located in North Redmond later that day.  Read More >>

School Teachers Saves Co-Worker with CPR and Defibrillation At Overlake School

 Redmond, WA – A 54-year-old schoolteacher survived a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) today, thanks to the efforts of co-workers at the Overlake School in Redmond.  The 54-year-old music teacher was in class teaching music when he suddenly collapsed and became unconscious.  He survived because of the quick actions of staff at the school.  Read More >>

Lake Washington School District is asking for your feedback

As part of the Lake Washington School District's effort towards  “engageing our communities,” the district has launched a new page on its website called Your Voice that is designed to regularly ask the community for feedback on specific topics. Regular surveys will be posted there, with the results of the surveys shared there as well. Individuals can register with the Your Voice page to be notified when new surveys are launched.  Read More >>

Summary of City Council's mile long (25 item) Consent Agenda

The Redmond City Council's Consent Agenda had a list of items a mile long - some of which I will try to summarize here:

1.  The City accepted a $228,000 grant from King County for design services to relocate 3500 feet of Evan Creek in SE Redmond to open space to create spawning runs for salmon. 

2.  If you went to the Open Forum a few months ago to look at the five consultant finalists for the Downtown Park Master Plan we now know that PFS Studio won the consultant agreement.  They will have up to $500,000 in Master Plan monies to plan the downtown park.  The city touted PFS's "unique approach to recreation programming, a strong history of art and park integration, a far-reaching public involvement plan and a portfolio of well designed and detailed public parks." 

3. Over $6.2 million in construction bids were awarded to two companies to build out the Cleveland Streetscape - where Cleveland Street will be two-way with wide-sidewalks and connections to the downtown park and Central Connector. 

4. A new Human Resource Director was confirmed while at the same time 2% across the board salary increases were dished out to non-union, non-executive employees as well as police, fire and police support and non-bargaining units.  Executives will get merit increases the end of 2014 from the Mayor. 

5.  The city awarded $40,000 to LWSD for their School Resource Officer Program. 

This was Councilmember Pat Vache's last Regular Business Meeting and all councilmembers, the Mayor and past councilmembers Cole and McCormmick thanked him for his public service.  The Mayor presented Vache' with a plaque signed by the staff Directors.  

Reported By Bob Yoder 

Eastside Symphony Holiday Concert this Sunday

Eastside Symphony Holiday Concert    sold out

Sunday, December 8, 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm, Redmond Performing Arts Ctr, Redmond High

Join us for our traditional Holiday concert, with a mix of classical and Christmas music and a visit from Santa. With our reduced Holiday prices of $5 a ticket for general admission, and youth 16 and under free, this concert will sell out quickly so buy your tickets now and reserve your free youth tickets on line at www.eastsidesymphony.org to guarantee you a spot at the concert. 

This will be a great performance for kids to attend as the concert is only one hour, so it’s a perfect concert for families to see together. Again, youth free tickets may be reserved on line and we recommend this to guarantee them a spot.
Gabrieli: Canzon duodecimi toni, arranged for brass ensemble by R. Kevin Paul

Beethoven: Romance No. 2 in F Major, Linda Vogt, violin

Bach: Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, 1st mvt, Linda Vogt and Cecilia Archuleta, violins

Handel: Selections from The Messiah

Tchaikovsky: Selections from The Nutcracker and more Holiday music  Read More >>

Community meeting on Downtown Regional Stormwater Facilities Plan

Redmond, WA - The public is invited to join the City of Redmond staff for a community meeting regarding the Downtown Regional Stormwater Facilities Plan. The meeting will take place Thursday, December 5 from 5-7 pm, at Redmond City Hall in the Bytes Café. Following a brief presentation at 5:30 pm, meeting participants can ask questions and share comments. City staff and project consultants will be available for the remainder of the meeting so participants can view and provide written comments on planned improvements. Light refreshments will be provided.

The community meeting will provide an update regarding the Stormwater conveyance and water quality treatment plan for the 500-acre downtown drainage area, which is funded by developers, stormwater ratepayers, state grants and state subsidized loans. The City has constructed four of the six planned facilities and is now poised to build the stormwater treatment facility on the Redmond Way outfall.  Read More >>

Redmond Parks and Trails Commission asks council to fund aquatics recreation center

A $60 million downtown "aquatics and recreation community center" proposal was brought up for the second time this month in City Council talks.  Last night the Redmond Parks and Trails Commission met with council to inform them they passed a resolution favoring the project.  In response to Councilmembers Margeson and Flynn's request to look for funding partners the Commission Chair appeared confident in this endeavor.  A proposed location for the aquatics center is planned in the vicinity of the Old Redmond School House Community Center.

The Parks and Trails commission plans to come back to Council in January to discuss the aquatics center further and ask to fund the PARCC Plan with $100 million.   This funding would be used for the aquatics center and probably to develop the North Redmond Park and SE Redmond Park.  The commission also wants to beef up mobile apps to help the public engage in parks and provide the city with user data.  The total funding gap in the PARCC Plan was quoted at $225 million. 

Reported by Bob Yoder