Opinion: Vote No on LWSD Bond, By Paige Norman

Lake Washington School District Levy and Bond vote – OPINION 

I have posted four detailed blog entries regarding the upcoming LWSD Levy and Bond issues for vote on February 11th, 2014.  They can be found here.

 This chart gives just a few examples of how poorly the district has managed and planned for student capacity and growth over the last few years.  8 Elementary schools are “Over permanent capacity” and all but one school (Mann Elementary) has portables to house over-population of students.  Read More >> 

New developments in Redmond move to Mann Elementary

Temporary change to prevent overcrowding at Rockwell, Einstein

Redmond, Wash. – At its January 27 meeting, the Lake Washington School District Board of Directors approved a temporary boundary change that assigns new housing developments currently within the attendance boundaries of Rockwell and Einstein Elementary Schools to Mann Elementary School. All three schools are located in Redmond, Wash.  Read More >>

Speaker to cover Eastside Aviation History: Air Defense, Airports, and Wishful Thinking

The Seattle area’s “Eastside” is known more for suburbs and traffic jams than airports and air defense, but not too long ago some of those neighborhoods had more planes than homes. Some even had NIKE missiles. Small air parks operated in Bellevue and in Kirkland’s Juanita area as well as in Issaquah and Kent. In the early 1970s, Redmond even contemplated building a commercial airport where today’s Watershed Park lies.

 “If you find Eastside traffic challenging during the daily commute, consider what it could have been like if SeaTac Airport had been built here,” notes Sherry Grindeland, editor of the SnoValley Star newspaper in Snoqualmie and a former Seattle Times and Bellevue American reporter.  She will examine that aviation history on Saturday, February 8^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.   Read More >>

Setting Seller's Expectations

By Sinead Fennell

Redfin Real Estate Agent

It is much easier to sell a home than it is to buy one in Redmond, thanks to low inventory that has caused some heated bidding wars. But that doesn’t mean sellers have an advantage all of the time. Sellers’ expectations can determine if a house sells at all.   Read More >>

Puget Sound Energy to hold open house for their Energize Eastside Project

Redmond, WA - Puget Sound Energy (PSE) will hold the first open house for the Energize Eastside Project on Wednesday, January 29, from 6-8 pm at the Old Redmond Schoolhouse Community Center (ORSCC) at 16600 NE 80th St Redmond, WA 98052. At the event, attendees can learn more about why the project is needed and community involvement opportunities, and will have an opportunity to speak with PSE project staff.

PSE’s Energize Eastside project proposes to build new, higher capacity electric transmission lines on the Eastside to upgrade the existing transmission system and provide more dependable, long-term power. The project would build about 18 miles of new transmission lines between Renton and Redmond. PSE has narrowed the potential route options to 16 segments, and the next step is for communities to provide input on which segments best serve community needs.  Read More >>

Redmond High senior named semifinalist in Intel Science Talent Search competition

Cameron Akker, a senior from Redmond High School, has been selected as a national semifinalist in the 2014 Intel Science Talent Search (Intel STS) Competition. The Intel STS Competition, which began in 1942, is the nation's oldest and most prestigious science competition for high school seniors. Alumni of Intel STS have made extraordinary contributions to science and several of them have won Nobel Prizes.

Cameron’s research was entitled, “Graphene Oxide and Reduced Graphene Oxide Coated Nafion Membranes For Enhanced Performance In Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells.” It involved the development of a procedure to coat emerging, carbon-based catalysts such as graphene oxide on the membrane inside hydrogen fuel cells to optimize fuel cell efficiencies.

Cameron is one of just two students from Washington state to be recognized as a semifinalist this year. Redmond High School will also receive an award of $1,000 in recognition of its excellence in science education. Read more about the Intel STS Competition.

$850,000 Rechannelization project of 166th Avenue moves forward

Redmond City Council approved $80,600 in supplemental spending with David Evans and Associates for final design and construction services for 166th Rechannelization.  Total estimated project costs are $850,000 with completion expected by year-end.

Background:  In August 2013, David Evans and Associates was selected to provide analysis and conceptual design of the 166th Avenue NE Rechannelization project.  In a Decemeber 10, 2013 Council study session Council directed staff to move forward with the final design and construction of the baseline project.  The baseline project consists primarily of restriping the corridor to a 3-lane roadway, minor intersection modifications at NE 85th Street, and adding pedestrian beacons at NE 91st Street and NE 95th Street. 

Environmentalist Of The Year Award Goes to Local Man

Tim McGruder’s Track Record Shows Hands-on Work and Behind-the-Scenes Influence

KIRKLAND — Tim McGruder will be honored this Thursday evening as the Eastside Audubon Society’s 2013 Environmentalist of the Year for his many years of activism on issues ranging from local land use to global population growth.

A residential remodeling contractor who resides in Redmond, Mr. McGruder has been directly responsible for many of the most visible improvements enjoyed by the public on the Audubon BirdLoop interpretive trail at Marymoor Park in Redmond.

Through a combination of hands-on work and advocacy during nearly 30 years, he has exemplified the Audubon chapter’s commitment to enhancing bird and wildlife habitat and taking action in support of conservation.   Read More >>

An Educational Forum on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Child Abuse and Neglect

Thomas Carter, M.D.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014  7 PM - 9 PM

Evergreen Hospital, Suite Tan 100,

12303 NE 130th Lane,

Kirkland, WA  98034

 

Dr. Thomas Carter is a psychiatrist who works with children, adolescents, and adults.  He moved here recently from Minnesota and was a former Board member here at NAMI.  He trained at the Karl Menninger School of Psychiatry and did a fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry.  Dr. Carter also was in the United States Army Flight Surgeon Training Program.

 

Dr. Thomas Carter will focus on various aspects of PTSD in childhood and families including cause, recognition and response.  He will discuss myths and facts, risk factors and developmental perspective.  Also covered will be symptoms in infants, toddlers, and preschoolers and the impact on child suicides.

 

Nominations sought for King County's "Earth Heroes at School" awards program

Honoring outstanding efforts to educate youth, protect environment; program nominations are due March 10 for the 2014 awards 

King County wants to honor the very best students, teachers, staff, school volunteers, programs and even entire schools that contribute to student environmental education and environmental protection, through the County’s Earth Heroes at School awards program.
Nominations for the 2014 Earth Heroes at School are due March 10, and winners will be honored at an event this spring. Earth Heroes can be nominated by colleagues, classmates and the public. Self-nominations are also encouraged.  Read More >>

Brandi Carlile Headlines 2014 "Invest in Youth" Annual Breakfast

Youth Eastside Services Annual Breakfast • March 12, 2014
Bellevue, Wash. (January 7, 2014)—You should have taken a long break instead of a long drop from a high place. Ten years I never spoke your name and now it feels good to say it, "You’re my friend again."


With these lyrics, internationally-acclaimed and Seattle-based singer/songwriter Brandi Carlile came to accept and understand a high school friend’s suicide. As the song goes, it took 10 years before she could be at peace and once again enjoy the memories they shared.
Carlile will headline the Youth Eastside Services Invest in Youth Breakfast on Wednesday, March 12, at 7:30-8:45 am at The Hyatt in Bellevue. Her keynote remarks will resonate with the audience and Eastside community, where in the most recent Healthy Youth Survey, one in four Eastside teens reported feeling depressed, and more than one in six high school seniors said they had seriously considered suicide in the previous year. In many of the schools where YES has counselors, these statistics have been revealed in an increased number of suicides in the past two years.  Read More >>

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