Calendar............10Classifieds........11Community..........6 Editorial................4Police...................5Sports..................8

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Sports in review

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January 1, 2014

Locally owned

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1

By Ari Cetron

After serving one term each, John James and John Curley said goodbye to the Sammamish City Council Dec. 10. Each opted not to run for re-election.

Mayor Tom Odell, who was elected at the same time as the other two men, presented each of them with a plaque recognizing their service to the city.

“To me, this has gone by far too quickly,” Odell said.

He praised both councilmen,

noting they have some-times voted on opposite sides of issues, but that disagree-ments have always been respectful.

“We haven’t always been on the same page, which I

think is healthy,” Odell said.Curley spoke of how serving

in government changed his per-ception of it, at least as far as the city goes. He went in expecting apathy and inefficiency, he said, but instead found a well-managed cadre of skilled professionals.

He noted one complaint he has often had about council meet-ings, which, he said, can chase off some potential candidates: Meetings can run too long and involve too much discussion.

Curley said he hopes council meetings can be run more effi-ciently in the future, so that peo-

ple who are more repre-sentative of Sammamish residents – “people in their 40s who work for a living” – can run for election.

Curley echoed

Odell’s theme of learning to work together. When Curley was first

elected, he beat Councilman Tom Vance. Two years later, Vance won election to the council for a different seat. Curley said Vance had become one of his best friends on the council, even though they are on opposite ends of the political spectrum.

“You can disagree adamantly and still respect the guy, because he works so hard for the city,” Curley said.

James, who had entertained

Pair of Sammamish City Councilmen bid farewell

John JamesJohn Curley

See COUNCIL, Page 3

By Ari Cetron

Sammamish is a quiet town, and most residents like it that way, but some stories from 2013 still reverberate. Possibly the big-gest story of the year, and the one which put Sammamish on a national stage, was the incredible run of the Eastlake Little League baseball team.

Eastlake Little League shines on national stage

Only one team from Washington – the 1982 Kirkland

all-stars – has ever won the Little League World Series, but the youngsters from Eastlake nearly matched the accomplishment over the summer.

Eastlake lost its first game at the state tournament in July, but rallied to win eight consecutive elimination games. That qualified the program for the Northwest Regional tourney for the first time.

The team was far from done. It walloped Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, 13-1 in the regional title game, becoming the 10th team from Washington to advance to the

World Series in Pennsylvania.Eastlake’s run made it the

darling of Washington; residents across the Evergreen State tuned in to watch the middle-school students battle their way through the competition in Pennsylvania.

Eastlake nearly reached the

U.S. championship game, but settled for third in the country after a heartbreaking, 14-13 loss to Westport, Conn.

Ace is no longer the place

Topping the city’s business

news, Ace Hardware closed in August. The store closed after owner Tom Koch was unable to sign a lease with Regency Centers, the property owner. Koch had been looking to find

Sammamish in Review: A look back at 2013

File photoEastlake’s boys and girls Little League teams won state shampionships. The boys team went on to the Little League World Series and finished third in the nation.

File photoAce Hardware closed after more than a year of different attempts to keep the business in the city. See REVIEW, Page 2

2 l January 1, 2014 SAMMAMISH REVIEW

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someone else to take over the store, and Regency was unwilling to give him a new lease without a new owner shored up.

As the clock wound down, Koch then tried to find a loca-tion to build a new store, but was unable to find one that worked for his business and conformed to the city’s zoning and environ-mental regulations.

Some individuals pressured the City Council to rewrite large parts of the environmental codes to allow the store to relocate. The council, however, noted it was a bad precedent, and there would be no guarantee, after the store was built, that it would remain a hardware store.

The location Ace called home is now a Trader Joe’s.

City stays with EFR

After more than a year of brinksmanship and high-stakes negotiations, Sammamish decided not to form its own fire department. The city has been a member of Eastside Fire & Rescue since its founding in 1999. The consortium merges the fire service of Sammamish, Issaquah, North Bend and King County Fire Districts 10 and 38.

Sammamish has long complained about the way EFR is funded. With funding based entirely on assessed property values, Sammamish notes that its expen-sive homes and low call volumes lead to the city subsidizing fire service for the other partners.

Sammamish officials sought to change that funding model to be based 75 percent on value and 25 percent on calls for service. The city was rebuffed in its efforts and hired a consultant to study if it was viable to create its own fire department.

The study indicated Sammamish could, and after some one-time start up costs, it could be cheaper than stay-ing with EFR. The city seemed poised to leave.

But an 11th-hour change of heart from the other part-ners kept the group together. Sammamish got an 85-15 fund-ing split, and a handful of clari-fications to the agreement that underpins the agency.

While the lawyers still need to review the fine print, it seems the agency will survive, at least for another seven years – the length of the new agreement.

Water wars

An ongoing dispute between the city of Issaquah and the water district that covers most of Sammamish flared up into high-tech trickery. Issaquah has been planning to take over the portion of the Sammamish Plateau Water & Sewer District that sits inside that city, causing some bad blood between the entities.

That was compounded when Issaquah decided to start using a filtration system near the Issaquah highlands, which is also about 600 feet away from one of the water district’s pumps.

The district said the system is unsafe and could cause con-

taminants to enter the water being pumped. Issaquah

countered by claiming the system is safe, and will be monitored by

the state Department of Ecology to ensure it remains

safe.Both sides presented argu-

ments from dueling engineers to prove their points, and accused the other side of deliberate misin-formation.

This came to a head when an Issaquah city staff member pur-chased Internet sites similar to those used by the water district, and then had those route users to the city’s site – a practice known as cybersquatting.

Issaquah quickly shut down the fake sites after the practice came to light.

Issaquah and the water district are still in talks about the pos-sible takeover.

Sammamish is looking at a similar takeover itself. In September, the Sammamish City Council authorized the city to begin talks about a “friendly take-over” with both of the water dis-tricts that serve Sammamish.

Community Center progresses

Construction on the Community Center is on track to start later this year, but deci-sions made in 2013 have paved the way.

City voters approved a $30 million community center ($5 million to be paid by the YMCA) with a laundry list of amenities in

a 2012 advisory vote. However, as the design team started work on the project, it became appar-ent that something would have to give – either the budget or the planned amenities.

At a City Council meeting in September, project designers estimated the cost for the cen-ter promised in the 2012 vote would be closer to $34 million. In November, that number was refined and the center is now expected to cost $34.5 million.

Council members John Curley and Ramiro Valderrama each opposed the center with the high-er budget. Both focused on the dollar amounts promised, rather than on the amenities promised.

The rest of the council, how-ever, went the other way. They noted the city has a healthy account balance and projects a budget surplus at the end of next

year, so it can cover the overrun without a tax increase. The coun-cil approved the center with its new budget in November. If all goes as planned, it could open in the fall of 2015.

Tent City comes to town

A group of visitors no one expected caused quite a stir in October. Tent City IV, a travel-ing group of homeless people, set up camp behind Mary, Queen of Peace Catholic Church.

The group has been stay-ing on church grounds around the Eastside for years, but it had never before come to Sammamish.

The city believed the relative dearth of public transportation options, and lack of spacious

ReviewContinued from Page 1

File photoTent City IV, a traveling encampment of homeless people, came to Sammamish for the first time in October.

See REVIEW, Page 3

SAMMAMISH REVIEW January 1, 2014 l 3

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the thought of running for a Seattle Port Commission seat earlier this year, took some time to recap his four years. He noted the idea

of installing a municipal swimming pool he and his children could use was one of the things that launched him into politics about seven years ago.

Now, at the end of his term, that pool is in the cusp of being built, he said, although it still won’t likely

be open for another two years.

“It seems like I’ve done this for someone else’s kids rather than my own. That’s part of giving back,” James said.

Dec. 10 was the council’s last scheduled meeting of 2013. Both men’s terms

run through the end of the year, so in the event of an emergency meeting, they would still sit on the coun-cil.

Two new council mem-bers, Robert Keller and Kathleen Huckabay, will be sworn in at the first meet-ing in 2014.

CouncilContinued from Page 1

locations, meant Tent City would skip the plateau. But when plans to locate in a different city fell through, Mary, Queen of Peace stepped in to offer a hand.

The group moved to Sammamish with a 60-day permit, which the City Council later extended to 90 days. Some in the com-munity welcomed Tent City openly and have been delivering food and other needed goods to help resi-dents.

Others have been opposed to the group, fear-ing an increase in crime. To date, there have been a few reported incidents involving Tent City resi-dents. The group is set to move to a new location toward the end of this month.

Fresh faces in government

John and John – not the ones from They Might Be Giants – announced they would be leaving the Sammamish City Council. Councilmen John Curley and John James each announced they would retire from the council after each serving a single term.

Even two open seats, however, did not draw many people interested in serving on the City Council. Former Planning Commission Chairman Robert Keller ran to fill one of the seats, and was unop-posed.

The other seat was contested. Former City Councilwoman Kathleen Huckabay ran to return to council after retiring

four years ago. She was challenged by political newcomer Larry Wright. Huckabay won about two-thirds of the vote and will be returning to the council. Councilmen Don Gerend and Tom Odell both stood for re-election this year, and neither drew an oppo-nent.

On the Lake Washington School Board, Sammamish resident Doug Eglington retired after more than 20 years of service. Mark Stuart, of Redmond, was the only person who ran to fill the seat.

Things got a little more interesting on the Issaquah School Board. Board mem-ber Chad Magendanz resigned his seat to serve in the Legislature.

A field of applicants to fill the seat for the remain-der of the term was win-nowed down to two final-ists – Alison Meryweather and Lisa Callan. The school board vote to choose a replacement was split at first, before siding with Meryweather.

But Callan took her case directly to the boss – school district voters – and won the post in the November election.

New parks popular

Two new parks facilities were both wildly popular after they opened this year. Sammamish Landing Park provides the only pub-lic beach access to Lake Sammamish within the city limits. It opened this year and was far more popular than even the most opti-mistic estimates.

Its popularity came with a downside; there is little convenient parking near-by. Many park-goers had been parking on a nearby

street in Redmond, but that city repaved the road with a bike lane, remov-ing all parking spots. In December, the Sammamish City Council voted to allow staff to begin the design process for a parking lot across the street from the park.

Even if the lot opens, however, it will only serve to replace the spots lost to Redmond’s project, and officials are not sure how to provide more parking at the site. The city also will start designing an access ramp mandated by federal law. A proposed bathroom, however, was put on hold

after the council balked at its price tag.

The city also enjoyed the first year for its com-munity garden. The garden that had been planned for Beaver Lake Park fell through after permitting became problematic. A new location in the lower Sammamish Commons, however, proved to be the right spot.

Dozens of gardeners applied for the roughly 45 spots in raised planter beds. Residents grew a cor-nucopia of foods and flow-ers in their planters, and in September, the city held a harvest festival to celebrate

ReviewContinued from Page 2

the first year of its opera-tion.

Critical areas remain

In a series of meetings which likely bored most residents, the city reviewed its Environmentally Critical Areas Ordinance. The ordinance governs

how development takes place, or in some cases doesn’t take place, in a host of areas, such as steep slopes, wildlife corridors and near streams and wet-lands.

The discussions largely centered around the need

File photoSammamish Landing had its official opening in the summer, and far exceeded expectations for popularity.

See REVIEW, Page 11

Share your views

OPINIONReview editorialA new year brings new goals

Letters Sammamish Review wel-

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Letters should be typed and no more than 350 words. Include your phone number (for verification purposes only).

Deadline for letters is noon Friday prior to the next issue. Address letters to:Sammamish Review LettersBox 1328, Issaquah, WA 98027fax: 391-1541email: samrev@isspress.com

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Citizens can make a difference by contacting their elected repre-sentatives.

FederalPresident Barack Obama

(D), The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20500; 202-456-1414; president@whitehouse.gov

U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D), 511 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C., 20510; 202-224-3441; http://cantwell.sen-ate.gov/; 915 Second Ave., Suite 512, Seattle, WA 98174; 206-220-6400

U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D), 173 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510; 202-224-2621; http://murray.senate.gov/; Jackson Federal Building, Room 2988, 915 Second Ave., Seattle, WA 98174; 206-553-5545

U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert (R-8th District), 1730 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515; 202-225-7761; 22605 SE 56th St., Ste. 130, Issaquah, WA 98029; 425-677-7414; www.house.gov/reichert

State — Governor Gov. Jay Inslee (D), Office of

the Governor, P.O. Box 40002, Olympia, WA 98504-0002; 360-902-4111; www.governor.wa.gov

State — 45th DistrictSen. Andy Hill (R), andy.hill@

leg.wa.gov Rep. Roger Goodman (D),

roger.goodman@leg.wa.gov Rep. Larry Springer (D), larry.

Springer@leg.wa.gov

State 41st DistrictSen. Steve Litzow (R), steve.lit-

zow@leg.wa.govRep. Marcie Maxwell (D), marcie.

maxwell@leg.wa.govRep. Judy Clibborn (D), judy.clib-

born@leg.wa.gov

Toll-free Legislative Hotline: 800-562-6000.

CountyKing County Executive Dow

Constantine, King County Chinook Building

401 Fifth Ave., Suite 800, Seattle, WA 98104; 206-296-4040; or kcexec@kingcounty.gov

King County Councilwoman Kathy Lambert, District 3. King County Courthouse, 516 Third Ave., Room 1200, Seattle, WA 98104; 206-296-1003; 800-325-6165; kathy.lam-bert@kingcounty.gov

STAFFDeborah Berto ........... PublisherJoe Heslet.......General managerAri Cetron.. .....................EditorNeil Pierson..................ReporterGreg Farrar... .......PhotographerDeanna Jess.............Advertising

4

There are dozens of issues Sammamish could tackle this year. Here are a few select ones we’d like to see accomplished in 2013.

Cable franchise review – Sammamish is set to renew its cable franchise agree-ment early this year. Gone are the days when the cable franchise meant simply which company will provide premium television to an area. Those cables now carry Internet and telephone conversa-tions at the very least. Citizens consume media in countless new ways and are just as likely to wirelessly stream a show and binge-watch on a rainy weekend after-noon as they are to carve out 30 minutes during prime time. The City Council needs to pay attention to evolving media habits and be sure the franchise agree-ment reflects what’s best for citizens now. It might also consider opening up the franchise to allow more competition.

Marijuana ordinance – The city has plans to develop a marijuana ordinance by the end of the year. It needs to follow through with a set of final regulations and stop this limbo of “temporary” moratoria that have been in place for years.

Klahanie – Klahanie residents will vote in February about whether or not to join Issaquah. If they don’t, Sammamish leaders need to follow through on all the talk from the past year and find a way to annex the area.

Town Center – The council made a couple of changes to the Town Center regulations. It should resist the urge for wholesale change without an in-depth study (which frankly, the city doesn’t have the time for right now, owing to a state-mandated Comprehensive Plan review). Any eventual changes should keep goals realistic; Sammamish doesn’t have the daytime population to support much retail, particularly when the city is bookended by Redmond Town Center and the Issaquah highlands.

School partnerships – Issaquah schools used a windfall of state cash to bring in counselors from Swedish. Lake Washington schools partner with regional powerhouses like Microsoft for tech help.

Both school districts seem to be, on a smaller scale, adopting the Sammamish model of contracting for services. They should look for opportunities to continue to do so. It allows them to provide needed services without adding to payroll dollars.

Arts opportunities – Last year the city’s arts commission sponsored reading of plays and a discussion with Chinese artists moderated by an expert univer-sity professor. The year before, it was All Sammamish Reads and an author discus-sion. The commission should continue these innovative programs that find ways to expand cultural opportunities on the plateau.

Transportation — Keep the toll off the Interstate 90 bridge and maintain funding for Metro bus routes to Issaquah, even if it means a higher gas tax.

February elections – The trio of school district levies in the Issaquah School District, and a pair of levies and a bond in the Lake Washington School District, are all up for a vote. The only good thing about the dismal turnout of voters in the November election is the easy assurance of getting enough voters to validate the school levy election. Let’s hope Sammamish voters get back on track and return their ballots in higher numbers in 2014.

State park priorities —Washington State Parks put out a call for proposals to enhance Lake Sammamish State Park and received three responses. They need to try again, seeking proposals for specific projects in the 2007 master plan that are waiting to be implemented. One should be for the RV, tent and yurt site, a sure boost in economic growth for both the park and city.

Future leaders — Sammamish is over-due to have its own leadership program. Start with a series of Citizen 101 classes for citizens to learn about their govern-ment, water issues, police department, school funding and volunteer opportuni-ties. Informed citizens are tomorrow’s leaders — and Sammamish can never have too many leaders. Elections for the Legislature will be in November, let’s see some candidates from the plateau.

Poll of the weekWhat should the City Council’s New Year’s resolution be?

A) Keep the Community Center on track.B) Find a way to annex Klahanie.C) Play nice with Issaquah (and others).D) Nothing less than domination of the Universe.

To vote, visit www.SammamishReview.com.

SAMMAMISH REVIEW January 1, 2014 l 5

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Vehicle prowlA Stanwood man report-

ed someone had broken into his car when it was parked at a home on the 2500 block of 231st Avenue Northeast between 7:30 and 8 a.m. Dec. 18. He said that they took a lockbox with methadone inside it.

Missing contractorA man on the 22500

block of Northeast 12th place called Dec. 19 to report his wife had hired a contractor to build a shed on their property in July.

They’ve paid him $30,000 but have not seen him since late September. The work is only about 20 percent done and they can not contact the contractor. He said others are having the same problem.

They also found some-one, whose signature is similar to the contractor, charged about $12,000 worth of goods at Home Depot on the wife’s credit card.

BurglaryA homeowner on the

3600 block of East Lake Sammamish Parkway Southeast reported some-

POlice Blotter

one had kicked in the door to the home between 3:02 and 4:10 p.m. Dec. 18. The homeowner had not yet determined if anything was taken.

DUIAt 3:29 a.m. Dec. 15, a

police officer saw a car he believed to be going above the posted speed limit near the intersection of Southeast 35th Street and 228th Avenue Southeast.

When he pulled the vehicle over, he noticed the odor of intoxicants coming from the driver. He blew a .104 on the portable breath test – above the legal limit of .08.

He later refused to give a breath sample back at the station.

Warrant arrestA police officer arrested

a woman at her home on the 1100 block of 228th Avenue Southeast at about 6:40 p.m. Dec. 20. She had

an outstanding warrant from Bellevue for driving with a suspended license.

Missing packagesA woman called to

report some packages had gone missing from her front porch on the 19700 block of Southeast 24th Way between 3 and 3:40 p.m. Dec. 20. A UPS driver had dropped the packages off and the woman’s hus-band, who was home, saw them.

He was unable to retrieve the packages for a while, and by the time he could, they were missing. Inside were board games and a shirt worth $160.

More missing packages

A woman on the 2900 block of 218th Avenue Southeast had some pack-ages delivered at about 3:20 p.m. Dec. 20. She was working and unable to

retrieve them. When she went to do so at about 4 p.m., they were gone. The packages contained dog food, beauty supplies and other goods worth about $110.

Old bulletsA man came to the

Sammamish police sta-tion at 12:50 p.m. Dec. 16 to turn in some old, live ammunition he got when his father died.

Shifting stuffA homeowner on the

21400 block of Southeast

33rd Place is having his home remodeled. Sometime between Dec. 14 and 16, someone came to the home and moved around some containers of chemicals used for the hot tub, and removed the cover for the garage door key-pad. It does not appear the home was entered.

BurglaryA woman called to

report that her home on the 2600 block of 212th Avenue Southeast had been burglarized between 6:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Dec. 17. The intruder seems to

have kicked open the back door. The homeowner said someone took camera equipment, jewelry, musi-cal instruments and other items worth at least $980.

Missing itemsA woman on the 100

block of 217th Avenue Northeast called Dec. 16 to report she was missing paperwork and her Kindle. She last saw the paperwork in April and could not say when she last saw the Kindle.

See BLOTTER, Page 11

COMMUNITY 6 l January 1, 2014 SAMMAMISH REVIEW

By Neil Pierson

Kyle Roth doesn’t consider himself to be an avid cyclist, but this summer he’ll be covering roughly twice the distance of a Tour de France rider.

The 21-year-old Roth, a 2010 Skyline High School graduate and senior at the University of Washington, is embarking upon a 4,000-mile ride in June to raise money and awareness for dis-abled people.

Roth is one of four Pi Kappa Phi fraternity brothers at UW – and one of about 75 nationwide – who plan to ride from Long Beach, Calif., to Washington D.C. on a 64-day Journey of Hope.

The group will average 60-75 miles per day, and along the way, they plan to meet with people with disabilities and spread a pos-itive message. From Long Beach, they’ll go to Las Vegas, turn south toward Dallas, then finish up with a ride north through Georgia and the Carolinas before arriving in the nation’s capital.

The event is the brainchild of Push America, a non-profit orga-nization under the ownership of Pi Kappa Phi and its 177 chapters across the nation.

The fraternity started the non-profit in 1977 with “the purpose

of instilling lifelong service in its members and enhancing the

quality of life for people with dis-abilities,” the Push America web-

site states.For Roth, it also presents a

more personal obstacle.“I looked at it as sort of a chal-

lenge, sort of to test myself,” he said. “Also, getting to see the country and getting to see a ton of people along the way is going to be a great experience.

“And I’m hoping to sort of get out of it the ability to dive right into things, not be hesitant, when trying to decide whether to do something big.”

The trip will be an unprec-edented challenge. The past two summers, Roth said, he’s par-ticipated in a miniature Journey of Hope, riding with fraternity brothers from Portland to Seattle.

“No training – I just sort of hopped into it,” he said of the experience. “It was pretty dif-ficult. I probably should’ve done

How to donateTax-deductible dona-

tions for Kyle Roth, a 2010 Skyline High School gradu-ate, and his philanthropy, Push America, can be made online at http://sup-port.pushamerica.org/goto/JOHKyleRoth

Photo by Neil PiersonSkyline High School graduate Kyle Roth, pictured with his Raleigh bike, will be pedaling across the country this summer in order to raise money for people with disablities.

Skyline alum taking cross-country ride for charity

6

By Neil Pierson After a 35-year career

as a horse trainer, Anne C. Christensen is now immersed in an activity that’s worlds away.

Christensen, a Northwest native who moved to Sammamish two years ago, began writing full-time six years ago as A.C. Christensen. She’s published three autobiographical fiction books since then – two of them rooted in her personal experi-ences with horse culture.

In “Patrick the Naughty Pony,” the first of what Christensen hopes will be a 12-part series called “Over the Rails Pony Tales,” she writes about her adventurous childhood on Mercer Island.

Her parents bought her a circus pony, an animal that wasn’t naturally meant for rid-ing or showing, but through determination and repetition, she developed a new friend. And that helped Christensen make her own friends through a local saddle club.

“It was kind of a fun way to

grow up,” she explained. “There was a dozen other kids who had ponies, so we rode all over the island, we swam in Lake Washington with them, we had pony parties … It’s kind of the life lessons we learned through that (which) I used in some of the stories.”

The second book in the series, “Annie and Alley,” skips ahead to a time when Patrick – who has transformed into an equestrian champion – is traded for an ex-racehorse, Alley.

Christensen’s tale draws upon her own past, when she transi-tioned to a quality show trainer in Kirkland. Historically, former racehorses were either eutha-nized or shipped overseas as meat.

“Some of us took them over, retrained them, gave them a new job to be a riding horse,” she said.

Following a successful compet-itive riding career, Christensen became a trainer. She taught three students who qualified for the national Pony Finals, and molded three U.S. Equestrian Federation Horse of the Year

award winners.But her business, she said, was

always about more than winning, a theme that has filtered into her writing career.

“I thought there should be a place for kids that was a safe place to learn, where snobbish-ness wasn’t an issue, where win-ning a blue ribbon … wasn’t the only goal,” she said. “The main goal was personal improvement

and to learn while you’re hav-ing fun.”

Christensen’s third book, “Motorbikes and Murder,” strays away from light-hearted subjects like ponies, although it contains the familiar theme of friendship.

It also draws upon past personal tragedy – “I don’t want to go into too much detail, but it was pretty much a crisis,” she said – that caused her to seek a sup-port group.

The book follows Mackenzie, a woman who chooses to run away from her pain. However, she keeps finding and escap-ing trouble through “some odd characters that you wouldn’t think would come to her aid,” Christensen said.

Through her own hardships, Christensen became interest-

ed in crime victims’ rights, and she combined that

with her love of murder mysteries to write about

the aftermath of being a victim.

“There’s a pin-nacle point where

(Mackenzie) real-izes that you

don’t walk through life

by your-self, and

that you have to

become engaged

and help people when they need help,

or be a friend,” she said.For Christensen, the pro-

cess of telling a story is fun and generally easy, but she has dif-ficulty editing because “it’s not once or twice, it’s a dozen times or more.”

Feedback from readers of

Christensen writes equine tales from personal experiences

See HORSE, Page 7

See RIDE, Page 7

Anne C. Christensen

SAMMAMISH REVIEW January 1, 2014 l 7

Donald W. Benson

Donald Benson, 78, of Sammamish, died Christmas morning.

Born and raised in South Dakota, Don moved to Washington in 1964, settling in Sammamish in 1988. He joined Associated Grocers in 1967, becom-ing president in 1986, a position held until his retirement in 2000.

Above all, Don valued his faith and his fam-ily. He is survived and loved deeply by Janet, his wife of 32 years; daughters Laurie (Dusty) Henry, of Sequim, Lynn (Shawn) Fedina, of Sedro Woolley, and Lana (Mike) Johnson, of Arlington; son Mark, of

Boise, Idaho; 10 grand-chil-dren; and four great-grand-chil-dren.

A memorial ser-vice will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 4, at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in Issaquah. In lieu of flow-ers, memorials may be made to his beloved church, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran; Trinity Lutheran College in Everett; Mercy Corps or a charity of your choice.

Online guestbook: www.flintofts.com.

Donald W. Benson

Obituary

some training. And that’s what I’m doing now for this big trip, but other than that, that’s the only real big bike riding I’ve done.”

Philanthropic efforts are a big part of Pi Kappa Phi’s mission, Roth said. He began to understand that as a fresh-man, when he was part of a frater-nity trip to an Easter Seals camp. There, the group built a shed, a fence and play equipment for camp-ers, and interacted with them through various activities like a haunted house.

“It was really fun,” Roth said. “That was my first sort of experience with the philanthropy, and I’ve just been trying to go to every single event we’ve put on

ever since, because you get so much out of them.”

A math and phys-ics major at UW, Roth is searching for ways to meet his fundraising goal of $5,500. As of last week, he was more than 25 per-cent there, but had only received support from friends, family and PKP alumni.

Since its inception, the Journey of Hope has raised

more than $15 million, and it’s aim-ing for $500,000 more in 2014.

Roth hopes

potential donors can understand the importance of the cause.

“We’re going cross-country and spreading a message that people need to see the person before they see a dis-ability,” Roth said. “A lot of people sort of get uncomfortable when dealing with people with disabilities.”

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wheel motor&Ice and snow – take it slow on the road

Washington State Dept. of Transportation offers these important reminders for winter driving:Protect yourself and your passengers. Allow extra time to reach your destination during inclement weather. It takes only one unprepared or careless driver to slow or stop traffic. Do not be that driver who shuts down the road. • Drive for conditions – slower speeds, slower acceleration. • Use your headlights. • Do not use cruise control.• Four-wheel and all-wheel vehicles do not stop or steer better on ice. • Leave extra room between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you. And remember, the larger the vehicle, the longer the stopping distance. • Slow down when approaching intersections, off ramps, bridges, or shady spots. • If you find yourself behind a snowplow, stay behind it until it is safe to pass. Remember that a snowplow driver has a limited field of vision. Stay back (15 car lengths) until you’re sure it is safe to pass or until the plow pulls off the road. • Slow down and be extra cautious near the chain-up and removal areas. There are often people out of their vehicles. Stay tuned to weather and road conditions. Often mountain pass roads must be closed, usually to remove blocking vehicles. WSDOT also closes the road for:Avalanche Control – often scheduled at night when traffic volumes are low, but in an emergency, it’s not always possible. Road Clearing — if there is heavy snow in a short amount of time, road crews may close the pass to clear ice and snow from the travel lanes.

“Patrick” and “Annie” has been positive, she said, and their repeated interest in her main characters has led Christensen to pursue

a series.As for “Motorbikes and

Murder,” she’s found her audience to be unusually diverse.

“I kind of wrote it for women, honestly, but I’m finding I have a readership of about 50-50 (men and women), so that was a little bit of a surprise,” she said.

HorseContinued from Page 6

RideContinued from Page 6

“People need to see the person before they see a

disability.”– Kyle Roth, Bike rider –

ContributedSophia Czechowski, Holly Keyser and Lauren Hall, of Girl Scout Troop 42442 serve dinner to Tent City IV residents Dec. 6. The troop raised more than $1,400 over the course of a few weeks to benefit Tent City resi-dents.

Girl scouts help Tent City IV

By Neil Pierson

There may have been a few disappointments in 2013 for prep sports teams on the plateau, but the year wasn’t without a large number of impressive achieve-ments.

Sure, the Skyline High School football and girls soccer teams came up short in their quests for a third straight state champion-ship.

The football team won the KingCo Crown Division title before losing its state playoff opener to Federal Way, while the soccer team also won a confer-ence title before falling to rival Issaquah in the state quarterfi-nals.

Although only one local high-school team – the Eastlake boys golf squad – managed to hoist a first-place trophy at the state championships, there were sev-eral groups and individuals who could claim high levels of success during the past year.

Swimming: Kim keeps collecting the hardware

Edward Kim, who kept swim-ming his way into Washington’s high-school record books.

At February’s 4A state meet in Federal Way, Kim added to his collection of championship medals. The Eastlake High junior won the 50-yard freestyle in 20.11 seconds – the second-fastest time in meet history – and was first in the 100 butterfly, giving him six individual titles in his prep

career.The

Harvard-bound Kim, who already held sev-eral school records, broke Eastlake’s top mark in the 500 freestyle in December.

Diving: Spartans star Levy takes home top hon-ors

Max Levy had finished second at the 4A state meet as a sophomore and as a junior. He wasn’t about to let his senior year end the same way.

The Skyline High star won the 1-meter diving champion-ship in February, compiling 463.50 points to obliterate the competition. Runner-up Eric Klassen of Redmond was more than 50 points back.

Softball: Eastlake girls climb ladder to regionals

The Eastlake Little League baseball team may have received more accolades, but the Eastlake softball all-stars also made plenty of noise.

Under the direction of man-

ager Steve Pollis, the Eastlake girls stormed through its district and state brackets, picking up the state championship with an 8-0 record. They punched their ticket to the Western Regional tourna-ment courtesy of a 9-8 victory over Mill Creek/South Everett on July 11.

At regionals in San Bernardino, Calif., the team fin-ished pool play with a 3-1 record, beating teams from Alaska, Montana and Idaho. Eastlake bowed out in the semifinals with a 4-1 loss to Granada Hills, Calif.

Golf: Wang, Weiss guide Wolves to state title

After finishing second in 2011 and 2012 at the 4A state golf cham-pionships, the

Eastlake Wolves knew 2013 might be their best chance to reach the mountaintop.

At May’s state event near Vancouver, Eastlake got a pair of medal-win-ning perfor-mances from Li Wang and

Spencer Weiss, and scored 97 points to finish in first place.

Wang, a three-time state runner-up, is now competing at

Yale University, and Weiss, who is committed to Washington, will try to lead the Wolves to a repeat title this spring.

Wrestling: EC’s Iwicki captures 120-pound title

Sammamish resident Matt Iwicki stole the show when pla-teau wrestlers converged on the

Tacoma Dome for the Mat Classic XXV state champion-ships in February.

Iwicki, a sophomore at Eastside Catholic School, won the Class 3A

state title at 120 pounds, a year after finishing third at 113. It was Eastside Catholic’s first individual wrestling crown in 27 years.

At state, Iwicki was barely challenged. He beat Hazen’s Zack Moore with a 16-0 techni-cal fall, advanced to the quar-terfinals with an injury-default win, pinned Prairie’s Wil Treadwell, and blanked fellow finalist Kiegan Schauer of Mount Spokane, 5-0.

Volleyball: Skyline claims second trophy in three seasons

It wasn’t the start the Skyline Spartans envisioned at November’s Class 4A state volley-ball tournament.

Emerald Ridge, featuring a blistering offensive attack, swarmed Skyline 3-0 and pushed the Spartans to the brink of elimi-nation.

Needing to win consecutive games to reach the trophy round, the Spartans did it against Mead (3-0) and Rogers of Puyallup (3-1). Skyline then capped a 20-5 season with a straight-set win over Bothell, earning the seventh-place trophy.

Coach Callie Wesson’s pro-gram solidified its status as a perennial 4A powerhouse, advancing to state for a third straight year. The Spartans were sixth in 2011.

Football: New coach Bartel sparks Wolves’ return to prominence

After a difficult 2012 season in which head coach Gene Dales resigned for personal reasons, the Eastlake High football program was hungry to prove itself.

Under first-year coach Don Bartel – a former Skyline defen-sive coordinator – the Wolves ran roughshod over most opponents en route to a 7-2 regular-season record.

In the playoffs, the Wolves got big performances from their top players – quarterback Blue Thomas, and running backs Troy and Drew Lewis – to blow out Roosevelt and Kentwood.

They edged Union to reach the state quarterfinals for the second time in three seasons, but lost to eventual runner-up Camas.

Swimming: Skyline girls return to the podium

Three straight state titles between 2009 and 2011 have made expectations mighty high for the Skyline girls swim team,

sports 8 l January 1, 2014 SAMMAMISH REVIEW

Mat Taylor plans to stay at SkylineSkyline High School football coach Mat Taylor withdrew his

name from consideration for the Central Washington University head coaching position.

Taylor, who announced his decision Dec. 22, told The Seattle Times he first realized he wasn’t ready to leave his teaching and coaching job at Skyline while driving home from the end of his three-day interview at CWU.

Dec. 20 could have been Taylor’s last day of work at Skyline if he took the job, but snow had canceled school. As he drove home, instead of to work, Taylor said the implications started to dawn on him.

After discussing it with his wife and sleeping on his decision, he let CWU know his decision. Taylor said he had no idea if the college was interested in hiring him.

“It was an unbelievable process. I just, when I got home, I felt like, I’m a teacher,” Taylor said. “When it comes down to it, that was a part of me I wasn’t ready to let go of yet.”

Taylor’s six-year record at Skyline is 72-9, including state titles in 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2012. He served as an assistant coach for nine seasons before taking over for Steve Gervais in 2008.

CWU announced three other finalists for its coaching vacancy last month. They are John Graham, defensive coordinator at Eastern Washington; Chris Tormey, a former head coach at Idaho and Nevada; and Ian Shoemaker, co-offensive coordinator at St. Cloud State in Minnesota.

The school was expecting to make a hiring decision prior to Jan. 1.

File photoEastlake’s Ed Kim won more state titles in 2013, bringing his high school career total to six.

2013 in sports: Lots to rejoice about at Eastlake, Skyline

File photoSkyline’s Max Levy won a state title in diving.

Matt Iwicki

See REVIEW, Page 9

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SAMMAMISH REVIEW January 1, 2014 l 9

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and the squad again met many lofty goals in 2013.

The Spartans finished fourth at November’s state championships in Federal Way, winning five individ-ual medals and two relay medals.

Seniors Erin Taylor, Stephanie Munoz and Yui Umezawa piled up most of the points. Taylor finished second in diving, while Umezawa was eighth in the 100-yard backstroke. Munoz won medals in the 200 freestyle and 100 but-terfly.

Swimming: Ivan Graham becomes a prodigy in the pool

Sammamish resident

Ivan Graham set multiple records during the last youth swimming season.

Competing in the 11-12 boys division, Graham broke the Pacific Northwest Swimming record in the 200-yard breaststroke March 27, finishing in 2 minutes, 15.94 seconds. His time of 1:02.01 in the 100 breaststroke five days earlier was among the top-20 times of the year nation-ally for his age group.

In January, Graham won seven races at a meet in California, and broke a 26-year-old Pacific Northwest record in the 100 individual medley at 57.87 seconds.

Girls basketball: Skyline advances to state quarterfinals

While the season ended in disappointment

with losses to Mead and Inglemoor, the Skyline Spartans girls basketball team turned a lot of heads in their march to the 4A Elite Eight.

The Spartans (20-7 over-all, 13-2 conference) had a balanced lineup, as guards Rachel Shim and Lacey Nicholson aligned with Colorado-bound post Haley Smith – the KingCo Player of the Year – to form a dan-gerous scoring trio.

Soccer: Local girls share in Eastside FC’s success

It had been 17 years since a girls team from Washington had won the U.S. Youth Soccer National

Championships, but the Eastside FC under-14 squad ended that streak on July 27 in Overland Park, Kan.

Sammamish residents Molly Monroe, Cameron Tingey and Alexa Kirton were part of the squad, which defeated YMS Xplosion of Pennsylvania in the title match, 2-1.

Two weeks earlier, Eastside FC’s U-18 team capped its postseason run with a second-place finish at the National Presidents Cup tournament in Auburndale, Fla.

Several Skyline play-ers were part of the team, including goalkeeper Emily Baril and defender Emma Elder.

ContributedThe Eastlake boys golf team won the team state championship last spring.

ReviewContinued from Page 8

BOYS BASKETBALLKINGCO 4A CONFERENCEStandingsCrown DivisionTeam League OverallGarfield 5-0 8-0Issaquah 3-1 4-3Ballard 3-2 6-2Roosevelt 2-3 5-3 Skyline 1-3 3-3Newport 0-4 1-4Crest DivisionTeam League OverallBothell 3-2 5-3Inglemoor 2-1 4-3Eastlake 2-2 5-4Redmond 1-2 1-3 Woodinville 1-3 4-4Friday, Dec. 27Eastlake 78, Sunny Hills (Calif.) 68Sunny Hills 20 15 21 12 -68Eastlake 18 24 25 11 -78Eastlake: Mason Pierzchalski 9,

Jordan Lester 8, Jeffrey Feinglas 4, Davis Woerner 25, Ben Davidson 2, Eric Uhlar 2, Mick Vorhof 17, Jake Davidson 10, Aaron Burnham 0, Josh Colbert 0, Brandon Naluai 0.

Skyline 72, Clover Park 60Clover Park 7 18 10 25 -60Skyline 14 16 20 22 -72Clover Park: White 7, Morris 5,

Coronado 4, Tamblin 4, Winston 26, Martin 2, Obee 10.

Skyline: Collin Crisp 6, Drew Stender 4, Matt Smith 3, Blake Gregory 2, Dae’von Bovan 17, Jonah Eastern 17, Robert Biegaj 12, Blake O’Brien 11, Nick Brodeur 0, Ryan Sakamoto 0, Logan Wanamaker 0.

Saturday, Dec. 28Eastlake 69, Archbishop

O’Leary (B.C) 51AO 15 13 14 9 -51Eastlake 23 6 16 24 -69Eastlake: Mason Pierzchalski 8, Ben

Davidson 4, Jake Davidson 2, Jeffrey Feinglas 2, Brandon Naluai 2, Davis Woerner 16, Mick Vorhof 13, Jordan Lester 12, Eric Uhlar 10.

METRO 3A LEAGUEStandingsMountain DivisionTeam League OverallO’Dea 5-0 5-0E. Catholic 4-1 7-1Seattle Prep 3-2 5-4Lakeside 3-2 4-4Blanchet 0-6 3-6Sound DivisionTeam League OverallRainier Beach 4-0 6-0Bainbridge 2-1 5-2West Seattle 0-3 3-4Chief Sealth 0-4 z1-4Valley DivisionTeam League OverallFranklin 4-0 7-1Cleveland 2-2 3-5Nathan Hale 1-3 2-5Ingraham 0-4 1-7Thursday, Dec. 26Eastside Catholic 82, Bishop

Manogue (Nev.) 49BM 11 11 15 12 -49EC 15 25 22 20 -82EC: Ian Christie 9, Matisse Thybulle 9,

Max Hudgins 7, Morgan Clark 3, Austin Moss 2, Sava Trifunovic 2, Zach Wallin 2, Mandrell Worthy 18, Nathan Christie 17, Alex Vilarino 13, Austin Haner 0, Iain

McLaughlin 0.Friday, Dec. 27Eastside Catholic 90, St.

Bonaventure (Calif.) 41SB 13 11 9 8 -41EC 24 24 27 15 -90EC: Matisse Thybulle 7, Max Hudgins

6, Nathan Christie 3, Austin Moss 2, Sava Trifunovic 2, Mandrell Worthy 19, Morgan Clark 15, Alex Vilarino 13, Zach Wallin 12, Ian Christie 11, Austin Haner 0.

Saturday, Dec. 28Eastside Catholic 71, Valencia (Calif.) 69Valencia 12 13 20 24 -69EC 20 16 13 22 -71EC: Nathan Christie 8, Ian Christie

5, Alex Vilarino 5, Mandrell Worthy 27, Matisse Thybulle 16, Max Hudgins 10, Morgan Clark 0, Austin Moss 0, Zach Wallin 0.

GIRLS BASKETBALLKINGCO 4A CONFERENCEStandingsCrown DivisionTeam League OverallIssaquah 4-0 5-2 Newport 4-0 6-1Garfield 3-2 5-3Skyline 1-3 5-3Ballard 1-4 4-5Roosevelt0-5 1-8Crest DivisionTeam League OverallEastlake 4-0 7-1Woodinville 3-1 5-3Bothell 2-3 5-3 Inglemoor 1-2 4-3Redmond 0-3 0-7Friday, Dec. 27Eastlake 54, Colony (Alaska) 36Colony 5 6 8 17 -36Eastlake 15 15 12 12 -54Eastlake: Rachel Lorentson 7, Elise

Morrison 7, Ellie Woerner 7, Haleigh Boe 6, Derese Litzey-Adams 6, Marijke Vanderschaaf 5, Maggie Douglas 16, Melanie Hwang 0, Santana Martenson 0, Lauren Mittenthal 0, Elizabeth Tracy 0.

Skyline 71, George Washington (Calif.) 33Skyline 23 20 18 10 -71GW 11 9 6 7 -33Skyline: Alex Daugherty 7, Bryn

deVita 7, Taylor McKerlich 6, Maddie Adamson 5, Kailey Kassuba 5, Cassidy Daugherty 4, Gina Grossi 3, Alicia Shim 3, Stella Mazzaferro 2, Shelby Kassuba 16, Promise Taylor 13, Nicole Cox 0.

Saturday, Dec. 28Eastlake 50, Tamalpais (Calif.) 24Eastlake 14 17 13 6 -50Tamalpais 7 8 2 7 -24Eastlake: Ellie Woerner 9, Rachel

Lorentson 7, Maggie Douglas 5, Melanie Hwang 4, Elise Morrison 4, Derese Litzey-Adams 2, Santana Martenson 2, Marijke Vanderschaaf 17, Haleigh Boe 0.

Skyline 42, Pleasant Grove (Utah) 26Skyline 12 11 13 6 -42PG 4 9 6 7 -26Skyline: Bryn deVita 7, Kailey

Kassuba 6, Alex Daugherty 5, Taylor McKerlich 5, Promise Taylor 4, Cassidy Daugherty 3, Nicole Cox 2, Shelby Kassuba 10, Maddie Adamson 0, Gina Grossi 0, Alicia Shim 0.

Scoreboard

Calendar 10 l January 1, 2014 SAMMAMISH REVIEW

Considering going for Eagle Scout this year? The city is host-ing a meeting to con-

nect potential Eagle Scouts with groups from around the area to brainstorm possible Eagle Scout projects at 4 p.m. Jan. 9 at City Hall. Groups who have ideas for possible scout projects should contact Dawn Sanders at dsanders@sammamish.us.

Walking in Balance, a presentation by foot expert Eric Sach, will focus on how to walk

with better balance and better care for your feet from 7-8 p.m. Jan. 13 at the Sammamish Library.

The Sammamish Book Club will dis-cuss ‘Rouse Louse’ by

Louise Erdlich from 7-9 p.m. Jan. 15 at the Sammamish Library.

The art exhib-it ‘Crossing Boundaries’ opens Jan. 22 at City Hall.

The exhibit will be available for viewing during regular business hours through April 25.

The World of Miro, a preview of the Seattle Art Museum’s Joan Miro exhibit in February, is set for 7-8:30 p.m. Jan. 22 at the Sammamish Library.

Life Stories, a free cross-generational event, will pair teens with adults over 55 to

share life stories and experiences in a variety of ways. The event is sponsored by the Sammamish Arts Commission and is set for 1-3 p.m. Jan. 25 at the Sammamish Teen Center. For more information, visit http://www.ci.sammamish.wa.us/events/Default.aspx?ID=3122.

Introduction to Snowshoeing, a pre-sentation designed to techniques and safety

for the winter sport, is from 7-8 p.m. Jan. 29 at the Sammamish Library.

The mother-daughter book club, for girls 10-13 and their mothers, will discuss “Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library” by Chris Grabenstein from 1-2 p.m. Jan. 12 at the Sammamish Library.

The great escapeEvents

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The Sammamish Heritage Society meets from 7:30-9 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month at the Pine Lake Community Club, 21333 S.E. 20th St. in Sammamish.

Sammamish Plateau Amateur Radio Club meets at 7 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month at Fire Station 83. The club is open to amateur radio operators and those inter-ested in the hobby.

Rotaract, a community ser-vice for young adults ages 18-30 sponsored by the Sammamish Rotary, meets twice a month. Email scott.brewer@sam-mamishrotary.org.

The La Leche League is com-mitted to helping mothers breast-feed their babies. They plan to meet on the second Wednesday of each month from 10 a.m. to noon at the Sammamish EX3 Teen Center, 825 228th Ave. N.E. Visit www.lllusa.org/web/SammamishWA.

The Sammamish Citizen Corps, a volunteer group affiliated with the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security, meets the first Wednesday of each month at Fire Station 82. Visit www.sam-mamishcitizencorps.com.

The Social Justice Book Group meets at 10 a.m. the third Monday of each month in Sammamish. Email hineswa@live.com.

A support group for caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s is where caregivers gain emotional support, learn and share their experiences 6:30-8 p.m. the second Thursday of each month at Faith United Methodist Church.

The Rotary Club of Sammamish meets every Thursday at 7:15 a.m. at the Bellewood, 3710 Providence Point Drive S.E. Visit www.sam-mamishrotary.org.

The Sammamish Fit Club, a club looking to improve the health of the community, meets from 7:30-8 p.m. Wednesdays. Call Trish at 206-605-0679 or email whyweight@comcast.net.

Moms Club of the Sammamish Plateau has activities including weekly, age specific playgroups and monthly meetings, coffee mornings, mom’s nights out, craft club and local area out-ings. Visit www.momsclubsam-mamish.org.

Purrfect Pals cat shelter is seeking volunteers to care for and play with cats. Volunteers must be 18 or older. Shifts are two hours, once per week. Visit www.purrfectpals.org.

Providence Marianwood seeks volunteers to work with the senior citizens who live there. They are particularly looking for people to assist with group activities, work in the gift nook or make new friends. Call 391-2897.

Visit residents in nursing homes. Friend to Friend match-es volunteers with residents in Sammamish nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Volunteers are asked to visit res-idents a couple times a month for a year. Orientation will be provided. Background check required. Call 1-888-383-7818.

Evergreen Healthcare is seeking volunteers to help

serve patients throughout King County. Volunteers, who will be assigned to help people in their own neighborhoods, provide companionship, run errands, do light household work, or give a break to primary caregivers. Volunteers will be supported by hospital staff. Call 899-1040 or visit www.evergreenhealthcare.org/hospice.

The King County Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program needs certified long-term care ombudsman volunteers. After completing a four-day training program, visit with residents, take and resolve complaints and advocate for residents. Volunteers are asked to donate four hours a week and attend selected monthly meet-ings. Contact Cheryl Kakalia at 206-694-6827.

Eastside Bluebills is a Boeing retiree volunteer orga-nization that strives to provide

opportunities for retirees to help others in need and to assist char-itable and nonprofit organiza-tions. 10 a.m. to noon, the third Wednesday of the month at the Bellevue Regional Library. Call 235-3847.

LINKS, Looking Into the Needs of Kids in Schools, plac-es community volunteers in the schools of the Lake Washington School District. Opportunities include tutoring, classroom assis-tance and lunch buddy. Email links@lwsd.org or visit www.linksvolunteer.org.

Eastside Baby Corner needs volunteers to sort incoming donations of clothing and toys and prepare items for distribu-tion. Visit www.babycorner.org.

Volunteers are needed to visit homebound patrons with the King County Library System’s Traveling Library Center program. Volunteers

must be at least 18 years old and have reliable transportation. Call Susan LaFantasie at 369-3235.

Sammamish Citizen Corps Council needs volunteers to help support the Community Emergency Response Team and other groups. Email info@sam-mamishcitizencorps.org, visit www.sammamishcitizencorps.org or attend the meeting from 7-8 p.m. first Wednesday of every month at Fire Station 82.

Volunteer drivers are needed for the Senior Services Volunteer Transportation Program. Flexible hours, mile-age, parking reimbursement and supplemental liability insurance are offered. Call 206-448-5740.

Guide Dogs for the Blind Eager Eye Guide Pups Club needs volunteers to raise pup-pies for use as guide dogs for the blind. Email sjbonsib@aol.com.

Volunteer Chore Services links volunteers with seniors or individuals who are disabled and are living on a limited income. Call 425-284-2240.

volunteer opportunities

join the club

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SAMMAMISH REVIEW January 1, 2014 l 11

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Stolen car

A woman called to report her car was stolen from the Safeway parking lot between 4:40 and 5:05 p.m. Dec. 20. Police could find no broken glass near where she had parked.

FraudA Sammamish couple

called to report someone from New Jersey had cashed in the airline miles they earned through their credit card and converted

them into gift cards. The credit card company, which noticed the activity, credited them the miles back and issued new cards.

Turned inA man on the 1200

block of 240th Way Southeast was able to determine that the cell phone he bought on eBay had been stolen from someone in Racine, Wisc. Police took the phone and mailed it to a police detec-tive there who is working on the case.

Items in the Police Blotter come from Sammamish Police reports.

BlotterContinued from Page 5

to protect the environ-ment being balanced with an individual’s right to develop their property. In the end, neither of those sides can really claim a clean “victory,” said most council members, as they approved the new set of regulations in July. Most said they found some parts they agreed with, and other

parts they didn’t much like.With the process com-

plete, the city will now move on to an even larger task, reviewing its Comprehensive Plan. The Planning Commission has already begun its review of the document, which underlies most land-use regulations in the city, along with a host of other programs and rules. That document will be under review during 2014, and isn’t expected to be fin-ished until 2015.

ReviewContinued from Page 3

Police conducted a sweep of Skyline High School the night of Dec. 18 using specially trained dogs after a bomb threat was found on a wall in a boy’s restroom that day.

Police discovered no bomb or any other suspi-cious items

“The threat indicated that the school should evacuate or a bomb would go off on Friday,” an email from Principal Lisa Hechtman read. “Since the threat was discovered, we have been working closely with local law enforcement to ensure the safety of stu-dents and staff.

“Together we have been investigating the threat and trying to determine its source. This has included looking for unusual behav-iors and objects in general, monitoring students’ com-ing and going from class

and passing periods, and reviewing camera footage.”

Because the threat was made for Friday, school officials in conjunc-tion with law enforce-ment made the decision to allow after-school activi-ties to proceed as usual, Hechtman wrote in the email.

“We would not have allowed these activities unless we felt certain that students and staff were safe,” she wrote.

“The police are follow-ing leads and will continue to investigate the source of the threat,” Hechtman wrote in an email to fami-lies the next day, Dec. 19. “In any situation where there is even a possibility of danger for students or staff, we will always take every precaution necessary

Bomb threat at Skyline turns up no programs

See THREAT, Page 12

Boy Scouts to recycle Christmas Trees

Sammamish Boy Scout troops will be recycling Christmas trees Saturday, Jan. 4. This will be the 29th year of recycling trees for Sammamish residents. Last year more than 200 scouts participat-ed, and organizers estimate 3,500 Christmas trees were recycled.

Trees will be picked up curb-side starting at 9 a.m. The sug-gested donation is $15-$30 per tree. Donations may be attached on the tree inside a plastic sand-wich bag.

The Scout Tree Drive is the primary fundraiser for six troops on the Sammamish Plateau. All donations fund scouting pro-grams in Sammamish. Donations from residents are a crucial part of the Boy Scouts ability to fund a quality program for Sammamish youth.

Visit http://www.ScoutTreeDrive.org for more infor-mation, email reminders, and contact links.

Beaver Lake teacher honored as ‘Hero in the Classroom’

Beaver Lake Middle School teacher Heather Ireland was honored Dec. 18 by the Seattle Seahawks and financial services firm Symetra as a Symetra Hero in the Classroom.

The educational program hon-ors K-12 teachers throughout the Puget Sound region. Ireland is one of 16 selections during the 2013 NFL season.

She was recognized last week in front of students and peers during a surprise presentation at Beaver Lake. She received a $1,000 donation for classroom books and supplies, and was given a Seahawks jersey and tick-ets to a home game.

She’ll be acknowledged at CenturyLink Field in Seattle dur-ing the Dec. 29 game against the St. Louis Rams.

Ireland is in her third year at Beaver Lake. She serves as the school’s math department co-chair; coaches cross country, track and basketball; and is an adviser for the BLOCK club, which delivers humanitarian aid to students in Africa.

“She is a positive staff mem-ber, who always puts the needs of others before her own,” Beaver Lake Principal Stacy Cho said in a news release.

Life Enrichment Options seeks executive director

Life Enrichment Options is seeking an executive director to helm the formerly all-volunteer organization.

The group’s board of direc-tors decided it was time to add the position in an effort to create greater organizational structure and increase Life Enrichment Options’ ability to serve.

The community-based non-profit advocates for and assists individuals with developmental disabilities in achieving their life vision and goals through sup-portive housing, recreation and

employment opportunities and community education.

Learn more about the position at www.lifeenrichmentoptions.org/executivedirector.html, or contact Nancy Whitaker, Life Enrichment Options’ board president at nancy.whitaker@lifeenrichment-options.org.

Humane Society offers winter tips to keep pets safe, healthy

With snow and freezing tem-peratures here, it’s time to pre-pare pets for the winter weather. Seattle Humane Society offers these tips to keep pets safe when the temperature dips:Keep pets indoors

Pets can get frostbite, too. Never leave pets outside in freez-ing temperatures for an extended period of time. On freezing cold days, keep their walks and snow-romps short. Never let dogs off the leash on snow or ice. Dogs can lose their scent and become easily lost. Always make sure pets are microchipped and wear ID tags.

Dress appropriately

A dog’s coat provides some insulation against the cold, but short-haired dogs need a coat or sweater for additional warmth while outside.

Increase food supply

Dogs have to work harder

to stay warm when exercising outside. Increasing their food supply, particularly protein, will keep them in tip-top shape.

Beware of seasonal poisons

Coolant and antifreeze can spill in the garage or on the street and are lethal to dogs and cats. A dog’s paws, legs and stomach should be wiped off when coming in out of the rain, sleet, snow or ice. Make sure to use dog boo-ties to prevent pets from getting chemicals and street salt on the pads of their feet, which can lead to burns and poisoning if they lick their feet.

Offer warm sleeping spots

Pets belong inside with the rest of the family. Providing a warm place to sleep, off of the floor and away from drafts, will keep dogs and cats feeling com-fortable during the cold months.

Save a life by tapping the car hood

Outdoor cats will climb under the hoods of cars for warmth, so be safe and bang loudly on the car’s hood before starting the engine to give any sleeping cats a chance to vacate.

If you suspect that an animal is being neglected or abused,

contact the local animal control agency. For a list of agencies, go to at seattlehumane.org.

High schools offering optional seventh-period classes

For the first time, high-school students in the Issaquah School District will have the ability to sign up for a seventh-period course.

The courses will be avail-able for the start of the second semester on Jan. 27. The district intends the classes to be addition-al learning opportunities for stu-dents. They are optional, extend beyond the regular school day, and do not increase graduation requirements.

Skyline High School will have 12 options available for seventh period, including subjects like algebra, courtroom law, film anal-ysis, food science, robotics and theatre production.

To register for classes at Skyline, go online to shs.issaquah.wednet.edu and click on the Academics tab on the left side of the page.

The registration deadline for both schools is 11:59 p.m. Jan. 15. The number of students who select a particular course, instruc-tor and facility will ultimately determine which courses are offered during seventh period.

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until the threat is dispelled.“We have comprehen-

sive evacuation and safety plans in place. Although we have received the all-

clear from the police, today we will continue to operate with heightened vigilance,” she added. “We will have additional police on cam-pus and administrators and support staff will be a continual presence at bus lanes, in hallways, and in common areas.”

ThreatContinued from Page 11