Benefit Concert: Voices from Standing Rock and The Music Resistance at SoulFood this Wednesday.

American Activist Livestreams will be presenting a benefit concert and speakers, this Wednesday night at SoulFood CoffeeHouse and Fair Trade Emporium, 7-10pm, in support of the Occupy Inauguration concert in Washington DC. 

On the SoulFood Coffeehouse stage, stories from the frontlines of Standing Rock and the valuable lessons of collaborative resistance will be shared. Along with these stories, local musicians (Clint McCune)  will be adding their voices to the night in the understanding that it is through these stories, music and community that we will be able to make an impact. 

With the intention of collective impact, we want to send support to those who are taking the fires of their communities to the inauguration in DC to speak truth to those in power.

Interfaith Dinner Dialogue on "Welcoming Refugees, Asylum Seekers & Strangers"

"Fostering Interfaith Relationships on the Eastside" invites you to the eighth in a series of Dinner Dialogues aimed at fostering interfaith relationships, on Sunday, January 29, 5PM to 8PM, hosted by St. George Coptic Orthodox Church, 13216 NE 100th Street in Kirkland (at the corner of 132nd Avenue NE).

Updated: LittleFreeLibrary in neighborhood remnant

Pam's behind the succulents planted on this "LittleFreeLibrary."  Ben Franklin beading booklets and Half-Priced books were inside. The library is on downtown's 170th Ave. NE (Adair Street) in front of this rented cottage, a few houses from a 1920's Craftsman.  Three six-story apartment box buildings surround it.  I'm thinking of proposing of a mini-library to the Kiwanis  for children and their families in an affordable housing neighborhood on Avondale.

Bob Yoder
Photo BY

"We Dig Downtown"

Conversion on Redmond Way.  Kringles bakery and it's four "gateway" cedar trees are jammed into the background.  David Carson and Ps. Robroy Ranger of Redmond AG frequent this cute little bakery. The sidewalks are a disaster.  I almost got run over today.

Oh, do WE dig downtown!  (King 5)

Bob Yoder
Photo by

Construction of downtown mixed-use box building

This is a 1 minute clip.

Will the trees in the background one day be leveled?  I think so.  In the least, they won't be visible from 166th.

Messy Redmond Way conversion spills over to side streets

I think this mess is on 168th.  Anderson Park is to the right.  A real estate appraiser Mr. Pope has an office nearby in a 90+ year-old Craftsman house; said Sleep Train was once a Chevron station.

Bob Yoder
photo by 

Iconic Frankies on it's death bed

Pam in front of iconic Frankies restaurant on 166th and Redmond Way last month.  This place is the heart-throb of our city...right up there with REI.  It rests on a strip mall which will be removed to build the "Anderson Park Hotel."  The hotel will create a "cave effect" on 166th once two 6-story apartment box buildings are built across the street.

Bob Yoder
photo by

Kindergarten Registration begins February 2

Register at your neighborhood school

Redmond, Wash. – If you live in Lake Washington School District (LWSD) and your child will be five years old on or before August 31, 2017, it is time to register them for Kindergarten. Registration takes place at your neighborhood school.

Registration details

"Redmond Way/Cleveland Street Two-Way Conversion" Public Notice

Total taxpayer cost:  $5,715,224

Purpose:  To install water, sewer, stormwater and transportation infrastructure to service the new downtown mixed- use box buildings and hotels. 

Expected Completion:  4th Quarter 2017.

Visit www.Redmond.gov/Downtown for more information.

As of January 6th, Redmond Radio 1650 AM for continuous construction and community advisories is not broadcasting

Updated: The Redmond Rotary Picnic Area -- believe it or not

Greg Woods standing in front of the Redmond Rotary Picnic Area

I put some "Fitbit" steps in yesterday walking off Education Hill to the downtown and then along the Sammamish River Trail.  I ran into Greg Woods (in the picture.) Greg's a "tree collector" and talked on and on about all the fruit and nut trees he's planted on his lot. He pollinates them with Mason Bees. Greg lives in a mobile home on a one acre plot near Redmond Ridge. He's a retired sheet rock worker and inherited the land. He lives next to million dollar homes; a 1-acre lot recently sold for $450,000.

Interesting, but my reason for this story is the patch of grass you see on the knoll across from Bear Creek.  Luke McRedmond Park is adjacent to us.   If you enlarge the photo you'll see a sign that says "Redmond Rotary Picnic Area."  Noisy West Lake Sammamish Blvd. runs behind it.

Have you ever seen anyone picnicking here?  The only way to get to it is from the north on a very long, wet, rutty trail.  If you can believe it, the trail head is near apartments close to Bella Bottega a couple miles away!

Yet, the grass is always cut; there's no evidence of use.  How on earth does the Rotary Club cut the grass?  Well, they don't.  I went to a the Rotary meeting at noon today.  A respected member said the city takes care of it.  A picnic area that no one can get to.   Huh?

The Parks Dept. should install native shrubs to enhance the riparian or develop the trail, not throw tax dollars on something nobody uses.

Bob Yoder
photo by

UPDATED 2/2: City to reach out to Faith-based groups

On December 7th, the new Deputy Parks Directer Rachel VanWinkle,addressed the Planning Commission on specifics of the proposed community/recreation center.  Commissioner Phillip Miller wanted to know why the 25-year old Senior Center had $1.5 M in observed deficiencies, indicating he thought the number was high.

Of interest, Ms. VanWinckle said the city will be reaching out to "all the faith-based groups" and other groups to build awareness, seek their needs/wants and gain acceptance of the proposed community/recreation center.

Some of Redmond's faith-based groups are:  Hindu Temple (there are 3 Temples within 5 miles of my house.)  Washington Cathedral, Buddhist Temple, Redmond United Methodist, Redmond Assembly of God, Timberlake, Revive, Armenian Apostolic, First Baptist, Egyptian Coptic, Faith Lutheran,  Mormon Stake, Redmond Presbyterian, Muslim Assoc. of Puget Sound (MAPS,) Meadowbrook Baptist, St. Jude Parish, Evangelical Chinese, Overlake Christian, United Pentecostal, Episcopal Church  Holy Cross Redmond.

The city will have their work cut out for them.  Focusing on the Hindu Temples would be a good start.

Bob Yoder

A Year-end Salute And History Of Blog Development

With the year-end upon us, I want to thank a few of my friends for helping me start my blog:

Paul Dillon - 11 years ago blogs were "new" and facebook wasn't even in the picture.  Paul told me about them and their many different uses, when we were watching our daughters play soccer at 60 acres.  He was using the first version of the I-Phone. Wow! Was that ever cool!


Korby Parnell, City planning commissioner advised me to write a blog to daylight the pollution of Evans Creek by All Wood Recycling.  He appreciated the value of linking.  At the time he had his own blog.

Doug Pratt - Doug came up with the name "Redmond Neighborhood Blog" when we were watching our daughters play Select basketball.

Inslee's Budget Proposal Seeks $300M for Mental Health

Governor Inslee's budget proposal calls for $300 million in the next two years to improve mental health capacity and add staffing. The plan also seeks to move people hospitalized on civil commitments out of the state's two psychiatric hospitals and into beds at facilities in the community. Western State Hospital — an 800-bed facility in Lakewood — has been plagued with problems, including staffing and bed shortages and is currently under scrutiny by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services over concerns involving patient safety.

The budget also moves to implement recommendations from outside consultants, including adding three mobile crisis teams and two new community crisis walk-in centers where people suffering a mental health crisis can stay for up to 23 hours.

Write or call your State representatives and Committee Chairs and ask them to support Inslee's proposal!  Be personal.  Thank you!

***Timm Ormsby, Chair, House Appropriations Committee

http://leg.wa.gov/House/Committees/APP/Pages/MembersStaff.aspx 
Eileen Cody, Chair, House Healthcare and Wellness Committee
http://leg.wa.gov/House/Committees/HCW/Pages/MembersStaff.aspx 
Frank Chop, Chair, House Rules Committee
http://leg.wa.gov/House/Committees/RUL/Pages/MembersStaff.aspx
Randi Becker (R) Chair, Senate Health Care Committee
http://leg.wa.gov/Senate/Committees/HLTH/Pages/MembersStaff.aspx  

EvergreenHealth Announces Open Enrollment for Alzheimer Research Study

Alzheimer’s impacts more than 3 million Americans and their families each year; its impact still looms largely over many local families.

EvergreenHealth Medical Center

Kirkland, Wash. – EvergreenHealth today announced the health system is accepting patient enrollment for a national clinical research study on Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Through the study, researchers track the progress of enrolled patients for 12 months to determine if PET scans can effectively assist in identifying the causes and symptoms of these diseases, and help facilitate better treatment decisions. There are no invasive procedures involved, and after an initial PET scan, study participants continue to receive their normal course of care from their existing providers. The nationwide study is led by the Alzheimer’s Association and managed by the American College of Radiology (ACR) and the American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN).

“As a health system we continually strive to be at the forefront of innovation and research. We are honored to offer our first Alzheimer’s disease research study, which alongside specialists and physicians across the country, will help provide important insights into ways we can improve treatments for those suffering from cognitive impairment and dementia,” said EvergreenHealth CEO Bob Malte. “We encourage all who are eligible to consider participating, as our clinical research is another way to advance our purpose of enriching the health and well-being of those we serve.”

New Redmond blog "About Us" page

Bob, Lexie and Pam Yoder

Hello!  I'm Bob Yoder, the Editor and Scribbler of Redmond Neighborhood Blog.  I've lived 38 years in Redmond and started blogging about 10 years ago.  When I first moved here from the mid-west to sell medical supplies, Redmond was a rural one-stoplight town. We loved visiting the downtown feed store to play with the chicks; golf the downtown course; drive through the horse farms, line up at for ice cream and milk at Thenos and generally just enjoy a peaceful lifestyle away from the big city. 

In the early 2000's, things started to change -- developers moved into our Education Hill neighborhood leveling evergreens. The City of Redmond's, less-then-perfect public notice of an environmentally sensitive project provoked me to start my blog to "get the word out." I've been writing it ever since under the well known premise that governments fostering  "transparency and citizen participation" are good governments.  

Since local print media doesn't cover all the community news and opinion. I do a lot of general-interest reporting.  Our rapid pace of growth, the environment, student education, mental health and City of Redmond elections are popular topics. You'll see more posts on the city council elections, Redmond's creeks and riparian habitat, fine schools and soon advocacy for mental health.  

One of my favorite activities is watching the City Council and Mayor on RC-TV.  Yes,I'm a government wonk. My interest in the city extends into governance reporting of our school district and local public hospital district. I now advocate much more, than from my earlier days of "open government" activism.  

Investigation, analysis and input of the school district's old organizational chart and leadership roles furthers their accountability and transparency.  And, after a very prolonged investigation involving blog leverage, EvergreenHeath hospital reshuffled their personnel, began day-lighting their government and re-focused their attention on customer service; revamping pages on their website.

So now you know something about "About Us" and the year ahead!

Cheers, 

Bob Yoder

Disclaimer:  I'm a Seattle Times News Partner, but by far nowhere close to a journalist. Errors. omissions and miss-representations occur on a regular basis; and my posts aren't always sourced. 

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