newcastle news may 2011

LLiibbeerrttyy’’ssHHaammiillttoonn NNooeell iiss

aa ttrriippllee--tthhrreeaattaatthhlleettee

Page 22

HHoommee && GGaarrddeennGGrrooww yyoouurr oowwnn

eeddiibblleess iinnccoonnttaaiinneerrss0

HHaavvee yyoouu sseeeenn hhiimm??New photos of bankrobber are released.

Page 8

CCoommmmuunniittyy ccaalleennddaarrPage 16

OOnnccee uuppoonn aa ttiimmee......McKnight students readpicture books topreschoolers.

Page 20

Contact us: [email protected]

392-6434, ext. 239

May 6, 2011

VOL. 9, NO. 5

50¢

A man was shot in the leg atabout 2 a.m. April 23 after ask-ing a group of people makingnoise in the parking lot to bequiet, according to the KingCounty Sheriff’s Office.

The man initially called tothe group from his balcony atCastle Creek Apartments, 7000132nd Place S.E., City ManagerRob Wyman wrote in an email

to the City Council. An argu-ment and a fight followed, lead-ing to one member of the groupto pull out a gun and fire sever-al shots, hitting the residentonce.

The resident — who is in his40s — suffered only minorinjuries and was transported toOverlake Hospital MedicalCenter in Bellevue.

Two Newcastle Police officerswere on duty at the time, andone heard the shots. One offi-cer responded to the apartmentcomplex, and the other fol-lowed a group of cars speedingaway from the scene, Wymanwrote. The officer stopped thevehicles and — with the helpof witnesses — arrested thealleged shooter, a Seattle man

in his late 20s.The alleged shooter did not

allow the officer to search hiscar, so the officer impoundedthe vehicle, Wyman wrote. Afterobtaining a search warrant,police searched the car andfound the gun allegedly used,which Police Chief MelindaIrvine said was a .40-calibersemiautomatic pistol.

Man shot at Castle Creek Apartments

By Tim Pfarr

Earth Day effortsDylan Lidstrand, 4, tries out an antique water pump at Earth Day. Volunteersfrom the Newcastle Historical Society brought a slew of antique equipment tothe celebration for demonstrations. View a slideshow of the event atwww.newcastle-news.com.

BByy TTiimm PPffaarrrr

Newcastle cops don’t sit around eating doughnuts,and Police Chief Melinda Irvine and officer SteveKajihiro can attest to that.

This spring, Irvine and Kajihiro teamed up withThe Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team inTraining to get in peak physical condition while rais-ing money for cancer research.

Irvine — whocompleted two iron-man triathlons and ahalf-ironmantriathlon in the lastthree years — is men-toring athletes aspir-ing to compete inhalf-ironmantriathlons this year.She is aiming to raise$4,000 this year toadd to the more than$10,000 she raisedtraining for the half-ironman triathlon.

As of NewcastleNews’ deadline May3, Irvine had raised$1,500.

Kajihiro — whocompeted in theSeattle Half Marathonin November 2010 andthe HonoluluMarathon inDecember 2010 — istraining to compete inthe San Diego Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon and the SeattleRock ‘N’ Roll Half Marathon, both in June.

The San Diego marathon will benefit TheLeukemia & Lymphoma Society, and the Seattlemarathon will benefit the American Cancer Society.

His goal is to raise $3,000 for cancer research. As ofNewcastle News’ deadline, he had raised $1,870.

YYoouu sshhoouulldd kknnooww

Find information aboutthe City Council on thecity’s webpage,www.ci.newcastle.wa.us,by clicking “City Hall”and “City Council.”

Newcastle cops hitthe ground runningfor cancer research

See MMAARRAATTHHOONN, Page 2

Contributed

Newcastle Police officer SteveKajihiro prepares to take offrunning in the Seattle HalfMarathon in November 2010.

SSoonnnnyy PPuutttteerr rreettiirreessCity councilman calls itquits after 17 years.

Page 3

PPoolliiccee BBllootttteerrPage 6

although there can be a lot ofdiscomfort, it’s all worth it.

“It’s a great feeling, becauseevery practice they do what theycall mission moments. Usuallysomebody talks about how theyhave been affected by cancer,”she said. “Every time, we get areminder of the importance ofwhat we’re doing to raise themoney.”

Gilley said his colleagues’efforts are touching.

“I think that it is cool thatmy friends and co-workers helpto bring awareness to look for acure for the many horrible dis-eases that many of our lovedones suffer from,” he said. “Iappreciate their dedication.”

Kajihiro the marathon manKajihiro — who took the

nickname “Danger” from hisfriends — said he began distancerunning for the first time inAugust 2010. He ran his first twoendurance events in honor of afriend who was born with spinabifida — in which vertebrae arenot fully formed — and hasbeen forced to use a wheelchairhis entire life.

“The reality is, my gift ofwalking can be taken away fromme at any second,” Kajihirowrote on his fundraising web-site. “My life can end in a sec-ond or I could get diagnosedwith cancer, so why not live lifeto the fullest, have fun, behappy and use the gifts thatwere given to us to help oth-ers?”

Kajihiro said he learned aboutTeam in Training from Irvine,and he was impressed with whathe heard about the program andwhat he found when he beganlooking into it himself.

“After doing thosemarathons, I thought, ‘If I’m

going to do these, I might aswell do it for a good cause,’”Kajihiro said.

To prepare for the upcomingevents, Kajihiro goes on runswith others from Team inTraining three nights per week.On Tuesdays, they run nearGreen Lake in Seattle; onThursdays, they run in MillCreek; and on Saturdays, theyrun at various locations inSeattle. With each workout, theyincrease the distance slightly.Heading into May, the group isup to 18-mile runs.

Kajihiro’s training has alsohad an element of recovery —he suffered a tendon injury inhis right foot after 16 miles inthe Honolulu Marathon, and helimped the final 10 miles tocross the finish line. Althoughhis foot caused him pain earlyin his training, it has fullyhealed.

However, Kajihiro said train-ing and fundraising with Teamin Training has been a fantasticexperience, and that he isalready considering doing itagain in the future.

For those who want tobecome distance runners, hesaid both mental and physicalpreparation is important.

“You need to believe in your-self and never give up,” he said.“Have confidence in yourself.”

PAGE 2 Newcastle News MAY 6, 2011

Membership • News & Updates • Upcoming Events206.719.8122 • www.newcastlecc.com

All are welcome, members & non-members

Newcastle Chamber of Commerce

JOIN US!

May 11, 2011 • 11:00 - 12:15Tapatio Mexican Grill • Luncheon Cost: $20

Networking,Cross-Promotion,

Advertising

S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4

1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1

2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8

2 9 3 0 3 1

M A Y

Mary Trimarco WA State Department of

Commerce Business Services

Topics: Services supporting businesses, helping companies to

expand & financial assistance.

GUEST SPEAKER

If you’re interested in growing your business & supporting Newcastle join the Chamber!

• Quality custom cabinetry designed to fit your needs• Wide variety of door styles, wood types and stain colors• Easy to install• High quality “American Style” built in the Northwest

Locally Owned & Operated

for over 25 Years

425.235.8366 or 800.499.83667211 132nd Pl. SE • Newcastle, WA

www.acorncabinets.comMon-Fri 7:30am-4pm & Saturday 10am-2pm

Architect: by John Kappler

Kitchens

Bathrooms

Bookcases

Desks

Entertainment Centers

Team in Training captainsand coaches named Kajihiro oneof the four most inspirationalathletes of the year.

Irvine the ironwomanIrvine said her inspiration in

2008 came from fellowNewcastle Police offer JerryGilley’s 27-year-old daughter,Holly, who was battlingleukemia at the time. Her cancerwent into remission, butmonths after the event, Holly’scancer returned. She died thatfall.

Irvine said she also hasnumerous friends and colleagueswho have battled cancer.

“Sadly, I think everybody canreach out and touch several peo-ple” who have battled cancer,she said. “There are so manypeople around you when youstart counting.”

She said mentoring this yearwas a great way to continuefundraising.

“Ever since I did it (in 2008), Iwanted to come back and men-tor and give back to Team inTraining,” she said. “I knew howmuch my mentors helped me.”

Her practices this spring aresix days per week, with hour-and-a-half training on week-nights and three-to-five-hourtraining on Saturdays. Trainingis different every day, withswimming, biking, running andcombinations of the three.

Irvine said there are manyaches and pains involved withsuch intense training, and

MMaarraatthhoonnFrom Page 1

GGeett iinnvvoollvveedd

To contribute to the officers’fundraising, go to: ❑ PPoolliiccee CChhiieeff MMeelliinnddaa IIrrvviinneehttp://pages.teamintraining.org/wa/nbhtri11/mirvine❑ OOffffiicceerr SStteevvee KKaajjiihhiirroowww.rundangerrun.com

Contributed

Newcastle Police Chief Melinda Irvine runs in the Baker Lake 50K runin Baker Lake in October 2010.

Call 425.392.6434 to advertise in Newcastle News

MAY 6, 2011 Newcastle News PAGE 3

822 N. 10th place, Suite A Located at The Landing in Renton

425.276.5752 www.eyesonthelanding.comfollow us on

Most insurances accepted Use you flex account

Dedicated to keeping an on your vision

Eye Exams • Contact Lenses • Safety Frames Children’s Frames • Designer Eyewear


Parks Commission ChairAndrew Shelton announced inApril that he will run for CityCouncil this November inPosition 4 — the positionCouncilman Sonny Putter occu-pies.

However, just before Sheltonannounced his intention to run,Putter announced he wouldretire at the end of the year,ending his 17-year stay on thecouncil.

Shelton joins Deputy MayorSteve Buri and CouncilwomanLisa Jensen on the Novemberballot. Buri and Jensenannounced in March theirintentions to seek re-election inpositions 3 and 1, respectively.City Council positions are notdivided geographically in thecity.

Councilwoman CarolSimpson, who sits in Position 2,filed paperwork April 2 with thestate Public DisclosureCommission, a precursor to run-ning for election.

The deadline to file for elec-tion is June 10.

AAnnddrreeww SShheellttoonnShelton

has lived inNewcastlesince 2003;he grew up inKirkland. Heis a humanresource advi-sor forGrahamGroup, a gen-eral contract-ing agency.

Shelton has a bachelor’sdegree in history from Western

Washington University, a mas-ter’s in labor relations andhuman resources from MichiganState University, and an mas-ter’s of business administrationfrom the University ofMaryland.

He has served on the ParksCommission since its inceptionin 2004; he has served as thecommission’s chairman for thelast three years. Prior to servingas chairman, he served as vicechairman for two years.

He said he is running forCity Council to bring a newvoice to the city and makeNewcastle a better place to liveand do business. He said hewould support the parks andtrails systems, as well as pre-serving the city’s environmen-tal sanctuaries.

“It’s an opportunity to makean impact on the city that I careso much about,” Shelton said.“It’s a logical extension to thetime that I’ve spent on the ParksCommission.”

He said he would bring theperspective of a resident who isan employee rather than a con-sultant or retiree, as many onthe council fall in the latter cate-gories.

Shelton said budgetary issuesare the largest ones facing thecity. He said he would supportmeasures to attract businesses toNewcastle, as those would bringincreased services to residentsand more sales tax dollars to thecity.

In addition to his work onthe Parks Commission, Sheltonvolunteers in work parties in thecity with organizations such asNewcastle Trails. He was a mem-ber of the Seattle Society ofHuman Resource Management

in 2009.David Edwards, a friend and

Newcastle resident, will serve asShelton’s campaign manager.

Shelton lives in LakeWashington Crest with his wifeWendy. His hobbies includeplaying golf, hiking, playingsports and gardening.

He has not yet scheduled acampaign kickoff party.

Shelton ran for City CouncilPosition 2 against Simpson in2007, but he was defeated.

SSoonnnnyy PPuutttteerr’’ss rreettiirreemmeennttPutter was

elected to thecouncil in1994, and hewas re-electedin 1995,1999, 2003and 2007. Healso served asmayor from2000-2001.

Putter saidhe decidednot to run for re-election basedon the direction the council istaking the city.

“We’ve got a less collegial,more corrosive atmosphere onthe City Council,” he said.“Going forward, I didn’t think Icould make a difference.”

He cited specific concernswith the stance the council hastaken with respect to the city’sdowntown area, as it directedthe Planning Commission toexplore changes to developmentcodes without altering the com-prehensive plan or the commu-nity business center plan, whichdetail the long-term vision forthe city.

Putter announced the news inan email, acknowledging theprogress the city has made sinceits 1994 incorporation.

“Newcastle is now ‘on the

map,’” he wrote. “We havebecome a highly desirable placeto live, all the while maintainingthe green canopy of parks andopen spaces that characterizesour community.

“Newcastle residents feel asense of place, a sense ofbelonging to a real communityof neighbors. Now, when we tellpeople that we live inNewcastle, they often respond,‘Oh, you live in Newcastle,’with eyebrows raised in admira-tion.”

Regionally, Putter is one ofthe city’s two representatives inthe Eastside TransportationPartnership, of which he is vicechairman. He was also elected toserve as chair of the SuburbanCities Association’s Public IssuesCommittee in 2011.

Putter is Newcastle’s represen-tative on the Eastside CorridorTolling Study Executive AdvisoryGroup, and he was a member ofthe I-405 Corridor ProgramExecutive Committee.

In addition, he serves as amember of the Puget SoundRegional Council’s ExecutiveBoard and on the MetropolitanKing County Regional PolicyCommittee. He previouslyserved as a member of theMetropolitan King CountyRegional Water QualityCommittee, the Regional TransitCommittee and the KingCounty Jail AdvisoryCommittee.

From 2002-2004, Putter wasco-chair of the Suburban CitiesIntercity Cooperation PolicyBoard and a member of theorganization’s executive com-mittee, according to theNewcastle city website. In 2005,he was elected vice chairman ofthe Suburban CitiesAssociation’s Public IssuesCommittee.

Parks chair to run for City CouncilCouncilman Sonny Putter to retire

AAnnddrreeww SShheellttoonn

SSoonnnnyy PPuutttteerr

Renton firm DeltaExcavating Inc. will buildNewcastle’s sidewalks on116th Avenue Southeast fromSoutheast 84th Street toSoutheast 88th Street.

The City Council unani-mously voted to award thecontract to the firm, whichpresented the cheapest bid tothe city for the project.

The firm will complete thework for $173,400. The city’scontract engineer estimatedthe cost of the project to be$310,000. Construction willstart later this spring or thissummer, interim Public WorksDirector Steve Roberge said.The project will take less thantwo months to complete.

The City Council reviewedthree design concepts for theproject in August 2010, and itchose an option that calls forconcrete sidewalks, curbs, gut-ters, driveway ramps and pedes-trian ramps compliant with theAmericans with Disabilities Act.

The design also calls forenhancements to storm waterdrainage, minor landscapeimprovements, retainingwalls and a 12- to 15-foot dri-ving lane. It will not have abike lane, but the wide dri-ving lanes — one to four feetwider than most — will givesome room to bikers.

The council also consid-ered cheaper and more expen-sive design options.

Sidewalks are also to bebuilt on 116th AvenueSoutheast from Southeast80th Street to Southeast 84thStreet. The council has not yetapproved the sidewalk designfor that stretch of road.

City awardscontracts tobuild 116thsidewalks

If you’ve been thinking about taking on a bigger leader-ship role in Newcastle, it’s time to take the next step.Filing for candidates is June 6-10.

Newcastle City Council, school districts and the CoalCreek Utility District will hold elections this fall.

Many candidates are already filling out the neededpaperwork with the state. Others have announced theirintentions.

City Council incumbents Lisa Jensen, Carol Simpsonand Steve Buri will seek re-election. Sonny Putter will optout after serving 17 years; Parks Commission Chair

Andrew Shelton has said hewill seek Putter’s seat.

Council candidates mustbe registered voters at thetime of filing and have oneyear of Newcastle residency.Those qualifications are thelaw, but candidates shouldalso bring the willingness todevote hours every week tonumerous meetings andstudy of the issues. Anelected official’s most impor-tant attribute is the abilityto listen and communicate.

The issues sure to be hottopics in City Council races this year include future citybudgets, future development in the city limits and mitiga-tion of seasonal flooding on Lake Boren. Park develop-ment and funding is sure to come up, and the relocationof City Hall will likely get rehashed.

Both Issaquah and Renton school districts will haveboard member seats open this year. However, the directordistricts that encompass Newcastle will not be open until2013.

The only CCUD commissioner up for re-election is PamMartin. The commission meets twice monthly.

Elected office is the ultimate volunteer job. While somepositions come with pay, the pay is nominal — far lessthan minimum wage.

Candidates will represent their constituency at the tablefor important decisions, but also at regional and statemeetings. It’s not a job for the faint of heart — althoughsome say it gets easier after the campaign!

The City Council election two years ago was a turningpoint for the city. Candidates were forthcoming abouttheir differing visions for the city’s future. It will be inter-esting to see if the new direction the voters chose in 2009will be upheld come Election Day 2011.

Council candidates must be

registered voters at the time

of f iling and have one year

of Newcastle residency.

Those qualif ications are the

law, but candidates should

also bring the willingness to

devote hours every week to

numerous meetings and

study of the issues.

WWaanntteedd:: vviissiioonn aanndd lleeaaddeerrsshhiippI am surprised at the lack of reporting on the

City Council’s efforts to dismantle Newcastle’sdowntown plan.

The current downtown plan calls for a pedes-trian-friendly, multistory, mixed-use town centeralong the lines of what Mercer Island and manyother cities are doing. But the council is pushingchanges to the downtown zoning code thatwould invite single-story, strip-mall uses, likethose along Sunset Boulevard.

If the council adopts these changes, you will soonsee a Walgreens with a drive-through on the fruitstand corner. Other similar uses will likely follow.

The council says these uses are needed toincrease city revenues. But this defies commonsense. Fiscal analyses prepared when the down-town zoning code was first adopted showed thatmultistory, mixed-use development would pro-vide significantly greater revenues than single-story, strip-mall development.

Construction sales tax revenues would increasedue to greater expenditures on construction mate-rials. Property tax revenues would increase due tothe much higher assessed value of multistorybuildings.

In addition, with specialty restaurants andshops on the ground floor and office or residen-tial uses above, there would be more downtownworkers and residents to patronize businesses.Therefore, sales tax revenues would increase overthe long term as well.

As the economy improves, commercial develop-ment is starting again in cities around us. Withvision and leadership on the part of the council,Newcastle could attract high-quality developers tocreate a vibrant, financially sustainable downtown.

Our current downtown plan and zoning codewon the Governor’s Smart Growth Award. It isstill the smart way to grow.

I ask all of you who have pride in our city tospeak out at a council meeting, or write or emailyour councilmembers. Ask them to stop openingthe door to Walgreens and other strip-mall uses.We deserve better.

Jean GarberNewcastle

Newcastle newsPPuubblliisshheedd ssiinnccee 11999999 bbyy

ISSAQUAH PRESS, INC.P.O. Box 1328

Issaquah, WA 98027Phone: 392-6434 ❑ Fax: 391-1541

MAIL SUBSCRIPTION

$25 per year

Call 392-6434, ext. 220

Editorial

WWrriittee uussNewcastle News welcomes signed letters to the editor.

They should be 350 words or less. The News may edit forlength, clarity and potential libel. Letters about local topics are

preferred. Send them by the 20th of the month to:

Newcastle News

P.O. Box 1328 ❑ Issaquah, WA 98027Fax: 391-1541 ❑ Email: [email protected]

VVeetteerraann NNeewwccaassttllee ccoouunncciillmmaannttoo rreettiirree iinn DDeecceemmbbeerr

I am writing to announce that after 17 years ofcommunity service, I will not be running for re-election to the Newcastle City Council.

I am proud of how far our community hascome. When we struggled to incorporate the cityof Newcastle, the then-Chair of the King CountyCouncil echoed Gertrude Stein’s opinion ofOakland, saying “There is no there there.”

Since incorporation in 1994, we encouragedthe location of the prominent Golf Club atNewcastle on the site of an old landfill. We pro-vided incentives for the location of a full-serviceYMCA — now overflowing with active users —and an 11,000-square-foot King County library,now under construction.

We encouraged the funding and constructionof two new elementary schools in the city. Weleveraged Newcastle’s small capital resources overthis period to construct major street, bicycle andpedestrian improvements, like the $55 millionCoal Creek Parkway project and the $4 millionNewcastle Transit Center.

All these amenities have attracted a highlydiverse population of new residents and the con-struction of a large number of new, high-valuedhomes. Since incorporation, our population hasgrown by almost 50 percent to its current 10,300residents.

Newcastle is now “on the map.” It has becomea highly desirable place to live, all the whilemaintaining the green canopy of parks and openspaces that characterize our community.Newcastle residents feel a sense of place, a senseof belonging to a real community of neighbors.Now, when we tell people that we live inNewcastle, they often respond “Oh, you live inNewcastle,” with eyebrows raised in admiration.

I hope the future leaders of our communitywill safeguard this legacy and sustain our commu-nity’s vision into the future.

Sonny PutterNewcastle City Council

Letters to the editorOpinionPAGE 4 MAY 6, 2011

Get ready for startof campaign season

Deborah Berto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Publisher

Kathleen R. Merrill . . . . . . . . . . . . Managing editor

Tim Pfarr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reporter

David Hayes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page design

Rental fees are now standardized for theLake Boren Park picnic shelter and theCity Hall community room. Are you nowmore likely to rent these spaces for anevent?A. Yes. I’ve rented before, and this willdefinitely make it easier!B. Yes. I never rented, but now that pay-ment is simpler, I’m more likely to rent.C. No. I’ve rented before, but this does-n’t make much difference to me.D. No. I’ve never rented before, and I’mindifferent to the change.Vote at www.newcastle-news.com.

Poll questionTThhee cciittyy iiss aalllloowwiinngg rreessiiddeennttss ttoo bbuuiillddsshheeddss aanndd ootthheerr ssttrruuccttuurreess aass cclloossee aassffiivvee ffeeeett ttoo tthheeiirr rreeaarr pprrooppeerrttyy lliinneess..IIss tthhaatt ttoooo cclloossee??

I think this is a fair ruling regarding only theback property line since houses are rarely everlocated that deep on their lot. I would not wantto see this rule extended to side property linesthat are shared with neighbors. That could have anegative impact on the value of a neighbor’sproperty.

— Jeff Skocelas, Newcastle

Rapid Response

See RREESSPPOONNSSEE, Page 5


Dog Walking • Pet/House Sitting Visits & Overnight Care

(425)[email protected] • www.donnaspetcare.com

Professional Pet & Home Care

ONNA’S PET CARE DONNA’S PET CARE & HOUSE SITTING& HOUSE SITTING

Member

Licensed & Bonded

The sooner Huntington steps in, the faster grades step up.

$100 offa diagnostic evaluation

Celebrating

33 Yearsof Excellence in Education

Why Do Smart Kids Fail?Your child may need help with reading, math or study skills.Our specially trained teachers and personal attention can give your child the boost he or she needs to do well this school year. If your child is unmotivated, lacks confidence, or has weak basic skills, our certified teachers and individualized programs help children overcome frustration and failure and get them on the path to success in school.

Individual Testing And Tutoring In Reading, Study Skills, Writing, Phonics, Spelling,

Math And PSAT/SAT/ACT Prep.

Your child can learn.(425) 643-8098

1915 140th Ave NE, D3A, Bellevue(Evergreen Shopping Center)

(425) 391-03831460 NW Gilman Blvd, Issaquah

(QFC Shopping Center)

• Weak Basic Skills• Frustration With School• Lack Of Confidence• No Motivation

Proud to be voted 2008, 2009 & 2010 Best of Issaquah

SWEDISH ISSAQUAH CAMPUS • SWEDISH GREENLAKE CLINICEDMONDS VASECTOMY CLINIC

No-Needle No-Scalpel No-Pain

Happy Mother’s Day

TThhee cchhaammbbeerr ooff ccoomm--mmeerrccee iinnvviitteess ssppeeaakkeerrss ttooiittss mmoonntthhllyy lluunncchheeoonnss..WWhhoo wwoouulldd yyoouu lliikkee ttoohheeaarr ssppeeaakk??

A business etiquette profes-sional such as Arden Clise, ofClise Etiquette, or other localsuccessful entrepreneurs, such asNewcastle resident CarrieMiddlemiss, of Bella CupcakeCouture.

— Trina Sooy, Newcastle

TThhee NNeewwccaassttllee 55KK ——wwhhiicchh bbeeggaann iinn 22000099 ——ccoouulldd bbeeccoommee ppaarrtt ooffNNeewwccaassttllee DDaayyss tthhiiss yyeeaarr..GGoooodd iiddeeaa??

This would be great. It’s a fan-tastic event, and adding it toNewcastle Days would help raiseawareness and ensure future suc-cess for the race.

— Troy Hopwood, Newcastle

I think it’s a great idea tocombine the Newcastle 5K withNewcastle Days. Possibly use itas the catapult to the week or asa nice completion to the week.

— Jana Miller, Newcastle

RReessppoonnsseeFrom Page 4


Valley Medical Center —which has a clinic at 7203 129thAve. S.E. in Newcastle — signeda letter of intent in January toform a strategic alliance withUW Medicine. The alliancewould likely make UW Medicineresources readily available toValley Medical Center patients.

UW Medicine operatesHarborview Medical Center, theUW Medical Center, and numer-ous other hospitals and clinicsacross Western Washington. It isalso an affiliate of the SeattleCancer Care Alliance.

The two organizations areworking out the details of thealliance this spring, and thealliance could take effect as soonas July, Valley Medical Centerspokeswoman Kim Blakely said.

Dr. Jamie Park, director ofNewcastle Primary Care andValley Medical Center’s clinicnetwork, said the alliance wouldmake more specialists and spe-cialized procedures — such asopen-heart surgery — more read-ily available to Valley MedicalCenter patients.

“UW is pretty clearly the bestfit for us,” Park said. “They havethings that we need, and we havesome things that they need.”

When it comes to schedulingappointments, the processwould be much easier, andrecords could be relayed elec-tronically.

“If we have this affiliationwith the University ofWashington, it will just be a mat-ter of picking up the phone orgetting on a computer to sched-ule an appointment,” she said.

Without the alliance, Park

said it can be a weeklong processto get an appointment with UWMedicine.

“I don’t think people realizehow big it is for the quality ofcare,” he said. “Increasing theaccess is really great.”

UW Medicine would benefitfrom having a larger patient base,and although Park said he does-n’t foresee its specialists workingat the Newcastle clinic, specialistscould spend time working at theValley Medical Center’s Rentonhospital. That could allowNewcastle patients to trade tripsto Seattle for trips to Renton.

Valley Medical Center CEORich Roodman offered praise forthe planned alliance.

“Valley Medical Center bringscommunity focus, a personalizedand contemporary patient envi-ronment, and a history of greatclinical outcomes and technicalinnovation,” he said in a newsrelease. “Combining these fea-tures with the excellence of UWMedicine’s clinical, teaching andresearch programs would certain-ly be a benefit to the residents ofsoutheast King County.”

Newcastle ValleyMedical Center couldoffer more services

CCoorrrreeccttiioonnss❑ The headline with Jeff

Kluth’s letter to the editorin the April 1 edition ofNewcastle News was print-ed incorrectly. The head-line should have read,“Thank you to those whovoted against expensivenew City Hall.”

❑ Deputy Mayor SteveBuri’s volunteer experiencewas incorrectly stated in theApril 1 edition of NewcastleNews. Buri is a formermember of the HazelwoodElementary School PTSAand the Washington StateDepartment ofTransportation PropertyTask Force in Newcastle.

Back issues of your

hometown newspaper – now online!

A Newcastle dentist chargedwith child molestation will facetrial in King County SuperiorCourt beginning July 25.

If Gil Furman, who wascharged in January with onecount of second-degree childmolestation and two counts ofthird-degree child molestation,is convicted on all counts, hewill face a sentence betweenabout four and a half years and10 years in prison, according tothe King County Prosecutor’sOffice.

Furman allegedly molested ateenage girl for two and a half

years beginning when the girlwas 13 and ending when shewas 15, according to chargingdocuments.

Furman — who is marriedwith children — was 35 whenthe alleged molestation began.

Furman was arrested andarraigned Jan. 25, and hepleaded not guilty. He wasgiven conditional release anda no-contact order with thegirl and minors. The no-con-tact order was modifiedMarch 31 to allow him to bein the presence of a minor ifthe minor knows of the

charges against him and anadult is present.

The girl reported the situa-tion to a school adviser inNovember, according to charg-ing documents.

The alleged molestationoccurred weekly, and Furmanallegedly pushed the girl to awall and kissed and gropedher, sometimes under herclothes but over her under-wear.

She said that happenedmore than 50 times, usuallywith others nearby but out ofsight.

Molestation suspect faces July trial

Newcastle News MAY 6, 2011

CCaarr tthheefftt

A man reported that hisSubaru Impreza was stolen fromthe Coal Creek YMCA, 13750Newcastle Golf Club Road,between 5:10 and 6:10 p.m.March 23. He reported that hehad locked his vehicle and lefthis keys in an unlocked locker.When he returned, his keys andhis car were gone.

TTeeeenn cclliimmbbss bbrriiddggee

Police responded to the cornerof Coal Creek Parkway andSoutheast May Valley Road,where a teenage boy was walkingnear the edge of the May CreekBridge just before 1 p.m. March25. Passing motorists called 911because they thought the boywas going to jump. The boy wasupbeat and told police he hadbeen suspended from HazenHigh School that day. He said hewas not allowed to call for a ridefrom school and was told to walkhome. He said he was bored, sohe walked along the edge of thebridge on his way home.

PPoossssiibbllee hhoommee bbrreeaakk--iinn??

A woman reported that herhome in the 7900 block of 122ndPlace Southeast may have beenbroken into at 12:30 p.m. April 2.She said she was in her yard atthe time, and a motion detectorin her house was tripped. Thewoman said she believed some-body with information about hersecurity system was stalking her.Police found no signs of forcedentry to her home.

991111 hhaanngg uupp

Police responded to a home inthe 7200 block of 121st PlaceSoutheast at 11:20 a.m. April 3after somebody at the homedialed 911 and hung up. The dis-patcher said a man and womancould be heard arguing on the

phone before the caller hung up.Police said a car was leaving thedriveway as they arrived at thehouse. Nobody was at the houseafter the car left.

PPaarrkk ppoottttyy ppaarrttyy

Police responded to LakeBoren Park, 13000 S.E. 84th Way,at 2 a.m. April 4 after receivingreports of men yelling and beingloud in the park. Police arrivedand found four men near thepark’s restrooms. Police warnedthe men that the park wasclosed, and the men left.

EEsspprreessssoo ssttaanndd bbrreeaakk--iinn

Police responded to the 6400block of Lake WashingtonBoulevard at 6:15 a.m. April 7after somebody had thrown aflagpole through the side win-dow of the nearby espressostand during the night. Thestand’s clerk reported that thestand appeared to have beenentered, but nothing was taken.

LLoocckkeerr bbrreeaakk--iinn

A teenage boy reported thathis locker at the Coal CreekYMCA, 13750 Newcastle GolfClub Road, was broken intobetween 4 and 5:40 p.m. April 7.He said his belongings had beenlocked up, and he returned tofind them missing. He reportedthe stolen items to be an iPhoneworth $400, a wallet worth $50,$30 in cash, his driver’s licenseworth $15 and a credit card.

DDrriivviinngg wwiitthh ssuussppeennddeeddlliicceennssee

A woman reported that sheheard a crash outside while in herhome in the 11400 block ofSoutheast 72nd Street at 10:40a.m. March 27. She looked outsideand found that a man driving a1995 Ford F150 had crashed intoher parked car. The woman calledpolice to report the incident.Police found that the man’s dri-ver’s license had been suspended,

and they arrested him.

TTrraaiilleerr tthheefftt

A man reported that his 1999Morgan utility trailer was stolenfrom the 11200 block ofSoutheast 76th Street between 8a.m. and 11:30 p.m. April 8. Thetrailer, worth $700, was unlocked.

JJoobb ssiittee bbuurrggllaarryy

A construction supervisorreported that a worksite in the12900 block of Newcastle Waywas burglarized between 3 p.m.April 18 and 6:45 a.m. April 19.He reported that somebody hadcut a hole in the chain linkfence on the south side of theworksite and smashed the lockto a Conex storage box inside,causing $50 in damage. Hereported the burglar or burglarsstole a chainsaw worth $500, achop saw worth $1,000 andnumerous batches of copperwire. The supervisor said itwould have taken a strong per-son multiple trips to steal all ofthe items. Police found foot-prints in the mud near the box.

JJoobb ssiittee ttrreessppaassss

A construction supervisorreported that somebody tres-passed on a construction site inthe 7600 block of 129th AvenueSoutheast between 5 p.m. April21 and 8 a.m. April 22. The tres-passer entered a house on thesite and opened the upstairswindows. Nothing else appearedto be disturbed. The trespasseralso left a set of keys on a pieceof equipment outside.

CCaarr bbrreeaakk--iinnss

❑ A man reported that his1996 Toyota 4Runner was brokeninto at the Red Town Trailhead,15500 Newcastle Golf Club Road,between 6:15 and 8 a.m. April13. He reported that the frontpassenger-side window was bro-ken, causing $300 in damage. Hereported the stolen items to be a

backpack worth $75, a hoodedsweatshirt worth $50, a jacketworth $150, a pair of jeans worth$150, miscellaneous gym clothesworth $50 and a pair of Nikeshoes worth $100.

❑ A man reported that his1992 Honda Prelude was brokeninto in the 13400 block ofNewcastle Golf Club Roadbetween 9 a.m. and noon April16, and that subwoofers worth$225 had been stolen.

❑ A woman reported that her1989 Honda CRX was brokeninto at the Cougar MountainTrailhead, 10200 Renton-Issaquah Road, between 12:30and 2:30 p.m. April 18. Shereported that the passenger-sidewindow was broken, causing$400 in damage. She reportedthe stolen items to be a digitalcamera worth $100, $900 incash, five credit cards, her andher friend’s driver’s licenses, ajacket worth $40, a purse worth$200 and a wallet worth $100.

❑ A man reported that his2007 Jeep Wrangler was brokeninto in the 7600 block of 111thPlace Southeast between 11p.m. March 23 and 8:30 a.m.March 24. He reported that thepassenger-side window hadbeen broken overnight, andthat the stolen items were aniPod worth $250, the vehicleregistration and manual worth$50, sunglasses worth $200 andprescription sunglasses worth$300.

❑ A woman reported thather 2010 Chevrolet Malibu wasbroken into between 10 p.m.April 6 and 7:30 a.m. April 7while it was parked at NewportCrossing Apartments, 7311Coal Creek Parkway S.E. Thefront driver’s-side window hadbeen smashed, but did not col-lapse. The back driver’s-sidewindow was shattered. Bothdoorframes were bent, seeming-ly from prying. The ownerreported the only missing itemto be her car’s registration,worth $25, although she esti-mated the damage to her car tobe about $1,000.

Police Blotter

10% Off Parts & Labor

Your Best Alternative to the Dealer

• Since 1979 • www.germanauto.com• Free Shuttle • Located in Factoria• Call 425-644-7770 for your appointment• For offers text: GermanAuto to 90210

Must present this coupon at time of service. Expires 6/30/11.

Cut this out & Save!

FREE NEXT DAY DELIVERY!

Eagle Equipment We bring the equipment to you425.255.8000 • www.eerental.com

• aerators • pressure washers • thatchers • compactors

100% mobile company

SSttoolleenn pphhoonnee

A woman reported that hercellphone worth $150 was stolenfrom her home in the 11400block of Southeast 87th Place onApril 18. She reported that peo-ple from several companies hadbeen helping her move that day.

HHoommee bbuurrggllaarriieess

❑ A woman reported that herhome in the 12500 block ofSoutheast 74th Street was bur-glarized between 7 a.m. and12:15 p.m. March 24. The backdoor had been kicked in, and herbedroom and office had beenransacked. She reported thestolen items to be $100 worth of$2 bills, a bedspread worth $95, abox of 50 insulin needles worth$50, $300 in coins, an electricblanket worth $170, 10 bottles ofprescription drugs worth $300, a45-caliber Ruger revolver worth$200 and an old 50-caliber blackpowder rifle worth $200. Policerecovered fingerprints and a bentscrewdriver used to pry open alock in one of the rooms.

❑ A man reported that hishome in the 13400 block ofSoutheast 84th Court was bur-glarized between April 11 and15. The back door had been leftunlocked, and there were nosigns of forced entry. He report-ed the stolen items to be a Blu-ray player worth $265, a desktopcomputer worth $1,100, a 37-inch flat screen TV worth $830,a five-piece surround-soundstereo system worth $1,200, twooutdoor speakers together worth$400 and a stereo receiver worth$500. Police collected four cardsof finger prints from the home.

AAbbaannddoonneedd ccaarrss

❑ A man reported at 9:30 a.m.March 25 that a 2003 Toyota 4-Runner had been parked in the7000 block of 125th AvenueSoutheast since September 2010.

❑ A woman reported at 10p.m. March 25 that a 1995 GeoPrizm had been parked in the8400 block of 128th AvenueSoutheast for three days.

VVaannddaalliissmm

❑ Police responded to CoalCreek Apartments, 6830 CoalCreek Parkway S.E., at 1 p.m.March 30. Somebody had alleged-ly thrown a rock at a double-paned, sliding glass door. Theman who called police said hebelieved the vandalism mighthave been the result of a domesticdispute, although there were nowitnesses.

❑ A man reported that his1991 Nissan pickup truck wasvandalized while it was parkedin the 7800 block of 155thAvenue Southeast between 7and 10 p.m. April 16. He report-ed that the hood was dented, awindshield wiper was brokenand the driver’s-side mirror wascracked. He estimated the dam-age to be about $500.


Dr. Rod NordbergOrthodontist for Children & Adults

FREE Initial ExamNewport HIlls Professional Center5613 AVE SE Suite 3, Bellevue23 years at this location

425.641.3451www.gloriousgrins.com [email protected]


The city’s revenue in the firstquarter of this year is better thanit was last year, which is indica-tive of a slow economic recovery,at least in the area of develop-ment and sales tax revenue, cityFinance Director Christine Olsonsaid.

The city has collected $1.45million in revenue so far thisyear, which accounts for 24 per-cent of the $5.95 million bud-geted in the general fund for theyear. The city has spent $1.44million so far, which accountsfor 23 percent of the $6.38 mil-lion budgeted in the generalfund for the year.

Olson said $6.38 million islikely higher than what the citywill pay out of the general fundfor the year, as other city fundswill reimburse some expenses.

Sales tax collections for theyear are at 19 percent of whatwas budgeted for the year, whichis about 4 percent below what istypically collected in the firstquarter. By the end of the year,that could amount to a $31,000shortfall in sales tax revenue.

Olson said expenses from thecity’s contract with the KingCounty Sheriff’s Office could behigher than expected for 2010.When the city’s officers are sickor on vacation, the city mustpay to have an additional officerfill in temporarily, and the exactcost of that can often be hard to

predict. The city will pay for the2010 overtime this year.

Olson said she expected theadditional cost to be about$20,000, but the cost of that in2010 turned out to be $51,000.

However, she said the citybudget is in fairly good shape atthe end of the first quarter.

“I believe we’re dong fine. I’mcautiously optimistic,” Olsonsaid. “There’s nothing to triggerany concerns right now.”

Some items could offset rev-enue shortfalls, such as thepolice contract for 2011, whichmay come in under budget. Thecity is also saving about $10,000per month by leaving the publicworks director position unfilled.

City Manager Rob Wyman saidhe is interviewing candidates. Hesaid the position will be filled inas little as three weeks if he hiressomeone from the current pool ofcandidates, but it could take asmuch as three months to fill theposition if he doesn’t.

This winter’s weather was amixed blessing, because the citydidn’t use all of the money itbudgeted for snow removal,although there is a large bill topay from December’s landslideon Newcastle Golf Club Road.

The permanent fix to the hill-side will likely cost between$400,000 and $650,000, but thecity could receive money fromthe Federal HighwayAdministration to pay for therepair, Wyman said.

City revenue onthe rise, but stillbelow normal


Excited for the completionof the Newcastle Library at theend of the year? You may con-sider joining the group Friendsof the Newcastle Library, whichwill raise funds and volunteerto support the new facility.

King County Library Systemofficials will hold a meeting at9 a.m. May 21 at the NewportWay Library, 14250 S.E.Newport Way in Bellevue, forthose interested in joining thegroup. The meeting will be in

the library’s meeting room.“Library friends groups really

play a vital and dynamic role,not just in King County oracross the state, but across thecountry,” KCLS spokeswomanJulie Brand said. “It’s hard toimagine libraries functioningwithout them.”

Each Friends of the Librarygroup is autonomous, raisingfunds for and spreading aware-ness of a given library in itsown ways. Some groups holdbook sales and attend streetfairs and parades.

The library system has 37Friends of the Library groupsacross the county, and togetherthey raised nearly $400,000 in2010, Brand said.

The Newcastle Library willbe KCLS’ 47th library, and theFriends of the NewcastleLibrary will be the system’s38th friends group. More than100 people already expressedinterest in joining Friends ofthe Newcastle Library, Brandsaid.

“That’s definitely a recordresponse,” she said.

Become a friend of the Newcastle Library


Happy Mother’s DayMay 8th, 2011

Factoria Herbal SpaHol i s t i c Med i c i n e & Acupunc t u re Cen t e r

Acupressure • Acupuncture

Shiatsu • Tuine • Foot Reflexology

Herbal Facial • Detox Foot Spa $35

4038 Factoria Blvd. SE Suite B1Bellevue,WA 98006

425.746.0630

Magic Hands Herbal Health Spa10631 NE 8th St. Bellevue,WA 98004

425.747.2249

N

Mon-Fri 10-6 Sat 10-46931 Coal Creek Pkwy. S.E. Newcastle

425.603.9030

Your Trusted Hometown Jeweler

Appraisals Free Layaway

WatchBatteries

Custom Jewelry & Watch RepairEstablished 1969

Newcastle JJewelers MFG

Free Jewelry

Cleaning

We make itWe fix it

We guarantee it

Most Repairs Done on SiteIn 1 - 3 Working Days

We have a large selection of thoughtful Mother’s Day Gifts

The King County Sheriff’sOffice released new photosMarch 29 of the man whorobbed KeyBank, 6917 CoalCreek Parkway S.E., on March 18.

After robbing the bank, theman fled on foot across theparking lot to Safeway, 6911Coal Creek Parkway S.E., wherehe entered the store throughthe south entrance. He took offhis jacket, cap and glasses inthe store and left through thenorth entrance.

Surveillance cameras atSafeway recorded the photos.

The man robbed KeyBank atabout 12:20 p.m. that day. Hewalked inside and delivered ahandwritten note to the tellerexplaining that he was robbingthe bank, sheriff’s officespokesman Sgt. John Urquhartsaid. The teller did not see a

weapon, but he gave the manmoney from the till and trippedthe bank’s alarm.

The man was white, about 6feet tall and thin. He wore ablack cap, black jacket, light-colored blue jeans and black-

rimmed glasses. Police searchedthe area but did not find theman, Urquhart said.

If you recognize this man,call the sheriff’s office at 206-296-3311 at any time of day, orcall 911.

New photos released of Newcastle bank robber

The man whorobbed theNewcastleKeyBank wascaught on cam-era insideSafeway, 6911Coal CreekParkway S.E.,just after therobbery.

Contributed

King County Executive DowConstantine has proposedchanges to King County MetroTransit bus routes as part of aplan to offer more and fastertransit service on the Eastside.

The proposal includes changesto Route 240, which runs fromthe Renton Transit Center toClyde Hill, serving Newcastle.

Under the proposal, Route240 would be shortened, endingat the Bellevue Transit Center —at the corner of 108th AvenueNortheast and Northeast SixthStreet — instead of Clyde Hill,reducing wait times, accordingto Metro Transit’s website. Itwould also stop along 112thAvenue Northeast in Bellevueinstead of 108th AvenueNortheast, better serving offices,homes, hotels and the KingCounty courthouse in the area,according to the site.

The revised Route 246 wouldserve Clyde Hill.

Constantine presented the pro-posal to the King County Councilat a public hearing April 12.

In the proposal announcedApril 8, Constantine called foradditional Eastside transit ser-vice through the launch ofRapidRide buses betweenBellevue and Redmond.

“RapidRide will allow you tojust show up to catch a busbetween Bellevue and Redmondevery 10 or 15 minutes, withouthaving to check a schedule,” hesaid in a statement. “We heardfrom Eastside residents, busi-nesses and public agencies, andthis proposal reflects their wish-es to consolidate resources andmake Metro an easier alternativeto driving a car.”

The plan aims to revise 24King County Metro Transit busroutes at the same timeRapidRide B Line service launch-es between Bellevue andRedmond via Overlake andCrossroads. If the council adoptsthe service changes, the updatedroutes should take effect Oct. 1.

Some Eastside routes could beeliminated under the proposal,though none of the affectedroutes serve Newcastle.

The existing RapidRide line —serving a route from Tukwila toFederal Way — has proven to bepopular among riders. In the ini-tial four months, ridership is up25 percent from the less-fre-quent route RapidRide replaced.

Through the partnershipbetween Metro Transit and theFirst Hill Transportation Group —a consortium of the Harborview,Swedish and Virginia Masonmedical centers — the proposalcalls for trips to be added toroutes serving suburban cities.

Route 211 runs between FirstHill and the Eastgate Park & Ride.The proposal aims to extend theroute to the Issaquah Highlands.

Implementation of theTransit Now partnership shouldadd about 7,500 annual hours. Ifadopted, the agreement calls forMetro Transit to be responsiblefor two-thirds of the cost andthe partners to cover theremaining one-third.

Overall, Constantine said theproposed transit service changesshould improve Eastside connec-tions to take advantage of recentservice additions made by MetroTransit and Sound Transit to theall-day routes between East KingCounty and Seattle.

Proposed Eastside transit changesinclude Newcastle bus routes


Eugene Balogh, O.D.425.641.2500

6973 Coal Creek Parkway SE Accepting most insurance’s including VSP Regence & Aetna

Schedule your Eye Exam Today Services including:

• Diabetic Eye Exams • Custom Computer Glasses• The Latest in Contact Lenses

• Treatment of eye infections and disease including dry eyes and allergies• Now offering GUNNAR OPTICS computer lenses

• Evening and Saturday appointments available

Proud to meet the eyecare needs of Newcastle!

Do baby teeth really matter? YES – they matter a lot!

425-228-KIDS (5437)451 Duvall Ave NE, Ste. 140

Just minutes from Lake Boren Park

Keith E. McDonald, DMD

Visit us online: www.akidsplacedentistry.com

Decayed or decaying baby teeth can potentially represent active infection in the mouth. Anytime there is infection in the body or mouth, it requires immediate attention by a physician or dentist, respectively. Long term,if baby teeth are left to rot,fall out, or get extracted, there is greater potential for permanent teeth to grow in and shift requiring future orthodontic care.

BByy LLaauurraa GGeeggggeell

In the past, high school stu-dents have needed to fulfill spe-cific class requirements beforetaking higher-level courses.

Starting this fall, IssaquahSchool District administratorsare changing those prerequisitesto learning recommendations.

“We’re trying to increaseaccess for students,” ExecutiveDirector of Secondary EducationPatrick Murphy said. “We usedto say, ‘You must have at least aB-minus to take this class.’ Butwhat if I have a C-plus?”

Changing the prerequisites tolearning recommendations hasbeen a year and a half in themaking. Throughout the year,Murphy meets with the princi-pals from Liberty, Issaquah,Tiger Mountain Community andSkyline high schools. The groupbrainstorms ways it can increaseaccess for students.

The access talks serve as anumbrella for several subjects,including how the district couldincrease student access to quali-ty teachers, better activities andchallenging courses.

This is not the first time thedistrict has changed prerequi-sites to learning recommenda-tions. Middle school studentstraditionally had to take a sixth-grade math placement test. Ifstudents performed poorly onthe placement test, or if theymissed the mark by a few points,they would be placed in the reg-ular class.

The district changed that pol-icy a few years ago, making theplacement test more of a yard-stick to show where the studentstood academically. If studentsdid not perform well on the test,but had good math results from

the Stanford Achievement Test,standardized testing and mathclass, they could make a deci-sion with their parents aboutwhether they should be in theregular or the advanced mathclass.

Theoretically, every studentcould have registered for theadvanced math class, but thatdid not happen.

“I was the principal (atMaywood Middle School) at thetime when we did it, and I cantell you I was nervous,” Murphysaid.

One year after the policyswitch, both the regular and theadvanced math class had almostexactly the same number of stu-dents as before the change.Communication was key,Murphy said.

“We said very clearly in ourletter, ‘You need to live withthat decision.’ This isn’t, ‘Hey, Iwant to try this out for awhile,’” Murphy said.

Communication between stu-dents and parents is also impor-tant. Both should make a deci-sion about what is best for a stu-dent’s academic level, Murphysaid.

After the middle school mathchange went well, the districtmade a similar policy change forninth-grade math placement inthe 2010-11 school year.

The new learning recommen-dations do not change gradua-tion requirements, Murphy said.Students will still need to takefour credits of English and threecredits of math, for example.

The ninth-grade physical sci-ence class is no longer required.Eighth-grade students can take aphysical science challenge testonline to see if they are preparedto enroll in biology.

Issaquah changesclass requirements torecommendations

55KK iiss lliikkeellyy ttoo jjooiinnNNeewwccaassttllee DDaayyss lliinneeuupp

The Newcastle 5K, in itsthird year this year, will likelyjoin the Newcastle Days lineupthis summer, according toNewcastle Days committee offi-cials.

The race, which typicallytakes place in late August, willbe held the morning of Sept. 10as part of the festivities in LakeBoren Park.

The race typically begins andends in Lake Boren Park. It fol-lows a 3.1-mile path, circles thepark and follows city trails tothe south.

Valley Medical Center hasagain committed to sponsoringNewcastle Days with $10,000.

YYMMCCAA sseeeekkss ssttuuddeennttssffoorr iinntteerrnnaattiioonnaall ttrriipp

The YMCA of Greater Seattlewill send about 40 teenagersfrom Western Washingtonoverseas this summer to learnabout life and customs in othercultures as well as completecommunity service.

The trips are offered throughthe Global Teens Program andthis year students will travel toJapan, South Korea, Colombiaor Senegal for two weeks.

Students will meet twice a

month leading up to the trip tolearn more about the countrythey will visit, and the studentswill share their experiencesabroad at the annual YMCAGrowing Global ConnectionsCelebration on Oct. 13.

Call or email David Kelly-Hedrick at 206-382-5343 [email protected], orMonica Quill Kusakabe at 206-382-4362 or [email protected] for more information.

LLiibbeerrttyy HHiigghh SScchhoooollPPTTSSAA ttoo hhoosstt eelleeccttrroonniiccssrreeccyycclliinngg ddrriivvee MMaayy 77

The Liberty High SchoolPTSA will host an electronicsrecycling drive from 9 a.m. to 3p.m. May 7 at BriarwoodMarket Place, at the corner of164th Street Southeast andSoutheast 128th Street.

It will take place in the backparking lot behind Doofers Bar& Grill.

Accepted items includeworking and broken electron-ics, appliances, bicycles, motor-cycles, cars, trucks, batteries, fit-ness equipment, medical equip-ment, lawnmowers and barbe-cues. Be sure lawnmowers andbarbecues are empty of gasolineand propane.

PTSA volunteers will collect

the items, and Issaquah non-profit 1 Green Planet will haulaway the collections. Donatingis free, but the Liberty PTSAappreciates monetary donationsas well.

CCoosstt ooff rreennttiinngg ppiiccnniiccsshheelltteerrss,, ccoommmmuunniittyyrroooomm nnooww ssiimmpplleerr

Fees for renting the LakeBoren Park picnic shelter andthe City Hall community roomrecently became standardized,making the process of rentingthe spaces simpler.

Previously, rental fees variedbased on how long the spacewas rented, the size of thegroup using the space and theday of the week.

Now, renting the picnic shel-ter for a half-day will cost resi-dents $60 and nonresidents$120 every day. A full-dayrental will cost $120 or $240,respectively. Renting the com-munity room will now cost $30per hour for residents with a$150 deposit and $60 per hourfor nonresidents with a $300deposit.

Community groups andnonprofit organizations mayrent the community roomwithout an hourly fee, but theymust pay a $150 deposit.

BByy WWaarrrreenn KKaaggaarriissee

Strengthening a residencethrough a home earthquakeretrofit is as simple as ABC:anchor, brace and connect.

Most homes built in the past30 years or so do not need aretrofit to hold steady in earth-quakes, but older homes mayneed some foundation tune-ups.If the foundation is not securedto the rest of the structure,major damage can result fromthe ground shaking.

The earthquake in Japan —plus major temblors in NewZealand, Chile and Haiti in thepast year — has renewed thefocus on seismic safety athome.

“When the earth starts shak-ing sideways, the foundationmoves with the earth,” SoundSeismic co-owner Leif Jacksonsaid. “This big, massive object isnot going to immediately movewith the foundation. It’s goingto kind of lag behind, and it’sgoing to lag behind when thatfoundation oscillates back in theopposite direction. So, the houseand the foundation get out ofsynch, and it can get jolted offof the foundation.”

Though most homeownerscan take some small steps toreduce earthquake risks, olderhomes make for the likeliestcandidates for a seismic retrofit,due to the adoption of modernbuilding codes from the mid-1970s onward.

Jackson and brother Erikstarted the Seattle-based compa-ny in 1999, before the 2001Nisqually earthquake remindedpeople about the risk in theregion. Sound Seismic conductsretrofits throughout WesternWashington each year, includ-ing a handful in Issaquah.

In a seismic retrofit, contrac-tors brace the cripple wall, ashort stud wall extending fromthe top of the foundationupward to support the floor.Because the cripple wall is con-structed to support weight fromabove, the side-to-side move-ment in earthquakes can causethe wall to topple. SoundSeismic and other retrofit con-tractors brace the cripple wall.

Now, back to the ABCs. Contractors attach the floor

of a house to the braced cripplewall, use plywood to brace thecripple wall and then bolt, orconnect, the braced cripple wallto the foundation.

“Certainly, homes built in the’50s or earlier, they won’t haveplywood, they won’t haveanchor bolts, they won’t haveanything, so they are absolutely

BByy CChhrriissttiinnaa SSaallwwiittzz

The grow-your-own-food rev-olution is in full swing forsmall space gardeners. Blendthat with the desire for prettycontainer designs and you havea remarkable variety of combi-nations at your fingertips.

Apartments, condominiums,balconies or small-scale patiosare all viable locations for grow-ing many edibles in containers.As long as you can find a smallspot of sun for the bulk of theday, you can grow quite a har-vest. Choosing plants that arenutritious, delicious and beauti-ful is the very best way to maxi-mize your limited space,whether it’s in a window boxor several large containers.

A number of edibles that arehighly ornamental also createhorticultural drama. By addingsome of your favorite ornamen-tal annuals or perennials toyour container designs, you canhave the best of all worlds inone square-footage-challengedgarden.

If you decide you want togrow tomatoes in containersthis season, try under plantingyour tomato with trailing mil-lion bells or calibrichoa andsweet potato vine. The onlylimit to what you can grow withedibles is your imagination.

Alternatively, you might trya blueberry bush with some

trailing annuals, such as neme-sia or verbena. Add in someherbs like lemon thyme andchamomile for added foliageinterest and texture.

Strawberries make great con-

tainer plants, too. Try a hang-ing basket or a half wall planterand add some lobelia for apowerful combination!

HoME & GARDENPAGE 10 MAY 6, 2011

Contributed

Herbs like lemon thyme and chamomile add interesting foliage interest and texture.

Contributed

Heuchera and nemesia cranberry blend nicely with the silvery foliageof a climbing pea plant.

You can grow edibles andornamentals in containers

See EEDDIIBBLLEESS, Page 11 See RREETTRROOFFIITT, Page 11

A seismic retrofitcan help protecthomes duringearthquakes

SSeeiissmmiicc ssaaffeettyy ttiippss

Inside a home, many injuriesfrom earthquakes result from peo-ple running around as the groundshakes. They fall down, run intofurniture, step on broken glass ortake hits from falling objects. Inand near older buildings especial-ly, a much higher likelihood ofbroken windows, falling bricksand other dangerous debris exists.

The local American Red Crosschapter offers simple tips for resi-dents to prepare for earthquakes:❑ Bolt and brace water heatersand gas appliances to wall studs.Bolt bookcases, china cabinetsand other tall pieces of furnitureto wall studs. Brace overheadlight fixtures.❑ Hang heavy items, such as pic-tures and mirrors, away frombeds, couches and anywhere peo-ple sleep or sit.❑ Install strong latches or bolts oncabinets. Place large or heavy itemsin cabinets closest to the floor.❑ Learn how to shut off the gasvalves in your home, and keep awrench handy for use.❑ Learn about your area’s seismicbuilding standards and land-usecodes before you start construction.


Artichoke or rhubarb can bedramatic and bountiful in acontainer. Add some ornamen-tal grasses for textural contrastwith those big leaves, somefancy geraniums and some edi-ble flowers, such as violas ornasturtium, for a long-lastingdisplay that’s yummy, too!

Climbing peas can be aunique centerpiece in a con-tainer when you grow them upsome twisted will branches. Atthe base, heuchera and nemesiacranberry, play nicely with thesilvery pea foliage.

Before you plant your con-tainer edibles and ornamentals,here are the top five questionsyou should ask yourself:

1. What do I like to eat? 2. How much care will my

containers need weekly? 3. How much light do I have

for ripening and good pollination?4. How many containers do I

need/want? 5. How much should I plant

for a good harvest? Your skilled nursery person

can help you design a containerwith the best fruit, herb andvegetable selections that areappropriate for your setting,maintenance and appetite.

Email Christina Salwitz at [email protected]. Comment atwww.newcastle-news.com.

Contributed

Strawberries make great container plants, and they are particularly pretty when hanging.

EEddiibblleessFrom Page 10

candidates for a retrofit,”Jackson said.

DDiissaasstteerr sseerrvveess aass ssttaarrkk rreemmiinnddeerrThe scenes of destruction

from Japan — and the inherentseismic risk in the PacificNorthwest — caused calls toSound Seismic to increase ten-fold since the March 11 disaster.

The most common questionfrom potential customers is aboutcost. The price tag varies basedon the home, although the pro-ject is less expensive to conductin crawlspaces (about to $4,000to $6,000) and unfinished base-ments (about to $5,000 to$8,000) than finished basements(about $8,000 to $15,000).

In Newcastle and unincorpo-rated King County, earthquakeretrofits require building permits.

Chimneys also merit specialattention during a seismic retro-fit. Many chimneys failed in the2001 Nisqually earthquake,though numerous collapses lefta mess rather than destruction.

“Most of them, fortunately,fell away from houses and land-ed in the yards instead of onand going through the roof,”Jackson said.

Homebuilders in the PacificNorthwest also use materialsdesigned to ride out tremors.

“Our wood-framed houses areprobably the No. 1 best-perform-ing structure in earthquakes,”

Jackson said. “The wood has alot of give. It will bend before itbreaks, and all those nails andall that wood fiber just gives itsome flexibility. What thatmeans is, your house is probablynot going to come down in aheap.”

The seismic risk in East KingCounty is real. Newcastle restsnear the Seattle Fault, a shallowseismic zone stretched along theinterstate from Puget Sound andeast through lakes Washingtonand Sammamish.

Many seismic-retrofit prac-tices and techniques come fromearthquake-prone California.

“Everything we do — all ofthe methods that we use, andthe science and engineering —we borrowed from buildingcodes and requirements inCalifornia, because they’ve beenkind enough to be guinea pigsfor us,” Jackson said. “They’vedone the work and they’ve hadit tested, and they’ve figured outhow to improve it and had thattested. We just get to reap all ofthe rewards.”

WWhhaatt ttoo kknnooww

Newcastle homeowners interestedin a seismic retrofit can call the cityCommunity Development depart-ment at 649-4444. Homeowners inunincorporated King County cancall the Department ofDevelopment and EnvironmentalServices at 206-296-6600.

RReettrrooffiittFrom Page 10


This month, Jensen Roofing is supporting

a USO Happy Hour at The Golf Club at Newcastle in the Wooly Toad Lounge

We would like to buy a Happy Hour glass of beer or wine for those who have served their country in military service.

Monday, May 23rd 4 - 6 PM in the Wooly Toad.

Please RSVP to [email protected] more informationplease call John Jensen at 206-241-5774

For non-vets

come thank a vet in

person!

BByy HHeeaatthheerr BBrraaddlleeyy

Do you have a problem? Do you findit difficult to grow the plants you lovebecause of hungry beasts that ravageyour roses down to stubs?

Perhaps the endless rainy wintershave left an unexpected pond in yourbackyard where you wanted a cactus. Ormaybe it is your neighbor’s small forestof evergreen conifers casting deep, dryshade on your side of the fence.

Let’s take a look at a few solutions forsome of our area’s most common gar-dening challenges.

DDeeeerrThere are a lot of hungry deer in

Newcastle. They will eat practically anyplant, or at least try it once. And if youplant any of their favorites, such as hostas,roses or tulips, you might as well put out aneon “All You Can Eat Buffet” sign.

And, for heaven’s sake, please stopfeeding your deer emerald arborvitaes.Try Degroot’s spire arborvitae or Pacificwax myrtle instead. Although there areno truly deer proof plants, several haveproven to be consistently left alone.Other deer-resistant plants include:

❑ Boxwood❑ Leucothoe❑ Juniper❑ Mahonia❑ Sedum❑ Pieris japonica❑ Japanese holly ❑ Viburnum❑ Sambucus❑ Many ornamental grasses❑ Strong tasting herbs, such as laven-

der, rosemary and thyme

WWaassccaallllyy wwaabbbbiittssFencing may be the only way to keep

that tenacious Peter Rabbit away fromyour garden patch, but planting unpalat-able plants may be easier. Hungry bun-nies tend to dislike prickly, rough andfuzzy textured leaves. They also tend todislike the same strong herbs that deerwon’t eat. All of the following rabbit-resistant plants are also deer resistant:

❑ Astilbe❑ Iris❑ Lamb’s ears❑ Peony❑ Salvia❑ Veronica❑ Achillea (yarrow)❑ Perovskia (Russian sage)❑ Euphorbia❑ Yucca

DDrryy sshhaaddee uunnddeerr eevveerrggrreeeenn ttrreeeessThis is typically the toughest spot in

the garden. It is difficult to establishplants under conifers, as the soil is dry,there is not enough sunlight and accu-mulating needles create very acidic con-ditions. If the area in question is on thenorth side of these trees, decorativemulch and garden gnomes might beyour best option.

Planting on the southwest side, how-ever, has the advantage of more sunlightand rain. Preparing the soil by addingcompost will also help. Watering duringthe first growing season is a must.

That said, the following plants standthe best chance for success in deep, dryshade:

❑ Epimedium❑ Sarcoccocca❑ Taxus (yew)❑ Helleborus❑ Geranium macrorhizzum❑ Asarum (wild ginger)

BByy MMoollllyy LLaavveellllee

Be bold! Be brave! Be bountiful! Fruits, vegetables and herbs don’t

have to be relegated to a rectangular bedin the backyard. Consider integratingthese beautiful plants that grace us withfood into your traditional landscape.Expand your edible palette with the fol-lowing plants that exhibit great orna-mental appeal.

TTrreeeessApple, pear, plum, cherry or the more

exotic persimmon, quince and fig. Dwarfforms are available as well as graftedcombinations. Apple, pear and fig lendthemselves to espalier (trained horizon-tally) to grow against a fence, side of thehouse or a garage. Sweet bay (laurusnobilis) evergreen is a perfect accent as asmall topiary tree and also as a shrubform for hedging.

HHeeddggiinngg aanndd bboorrddeerrssGrow your own fresh, sweet blueber-

ries (vaccinium) as an informal hedge.They are available in highbush (5-6 feettall), semidwarf (3-4 feet tall) and alsodwarf, which only grow to 18 inches tall.Blueberries produce abundantly in ourclimate.

EEvveerrggrreeeenn hhuucckklleebbeerrrryy ((vvaacccciinnuumm oovvaattuumm))

A delightful native with small, glossygreen leaves, delicate creamy-pink flow-ers followed by small, sweet-tart bluishblackberries. Much overlooked as anornamental that thrives in partial sun.

RRoosseemmaarryy ((rroossmmaarriinnuuss))❑ Arp — hardy to 0 degrees, growing

to 3 feet tall❑ Tuscan blue — hardy to 10 degrees,

growing to 5 feet tall❑ Goldust — hardy to 10 degrees,

growing to 18 inches tall with soft gold-

en-green variegation

BBoolldd aacccceenntt oorr aarrcchhiitteeccttuurraall pprreesseennccee❑ Artichoke (cynara) displays stun-

ning, deeply cut, silver-gray leaves in alarge bold clump, as well as delicious edi-ble buds.

❑ Elderberry (sambucas) “black lace”has intense purple-black, finely-cutfoliage and soft-pink frothy flowers fol-lowed by purple-red fruit. Let it growinto a small multitrunk tree or prune fora large striking shrub.

❑ Rhubarb (rheum) has large, majes-tic, tropical-looking leaves with brightcrimson stalks — fun to mix into aperennial shrub border.

Bronze fennel (foeniculum v. purpureum)A favorite ornamental herb with sweet

anise-tasting fronds and stronger fla-vored seeds is a perennial growing to 6feet. Airy, ferny foliage emerges a brightcopper then deepens to rich bronze insummer.

VViinniinngg oorr vveerrttiiccaall ffoorrmmss❑ Perennials — train up posts, arbors,

stairway railings, trellis or fencing❑ Grapes (vitus) — purple-leaved vari-

ety is gorgeous❑ Hardy kiwi (actinidia) — male and

female needed❑ Hops (humulis) — The golden vari-

ety is stunning with glowing leaves andflowers like paper lanterns. Vigorous.

❑ Annuals — excellent to grow uptee-pees, trellis or any unsightly object

❑ Peas — sugar-snap, Oregon pod orEnglish shelling

❑ Beans — blue-lake, Kentucky orscarlet wonder with bright red flowers

❑ Nasturtiums — Charming lily pad-like leaves are studded with jewel-tonededible flowers.

Easy solutions to the mostcommon garden problems

As pretty as they are tasty

See TTAASSTTYY, Page 13See SSOOLLUUTTIIOONNSS, Page 13


425.881.7920 www.mmcomfortsystems.com

Is your homeready for summer?

Heating • A/C • Air Quality

How efficient is your home?

Pres

easo

n

Disco

unts

How comfortable is your home?

How healthy is your home?

High efficiency furnace, heat pump, tankless hot water, air duct sealing for lower utility bills.

Air conditioning, multiple temperature zones, endless hot water for year round comfort.

Air filtration, air purification (capture allergens and kill bacteria / viruses), duct cleaning and sealing for indoor air quality.

For a limited time pre-season discounts

are available onAC/Heat Pumps

We service all brands

Authorized Dealer:

• Hanging Baskets• Flowering Trees• Fruit Trees• Shade Trees• Ground Covers• Shrubs• Bedding Plants• Hedging Material• J & P - Roses

ALPINE NURSERYDirections: Coal Creek Pkwy S., left on NE 4th St., to 160th Ave. turn right, continue to 144th St, turn left.

425-255-1598 • 16023 S.E. 144th • Renton

- OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK -

Licenses: MLO-108835 MB-98904

1400 112th Ave SE #210 Bellevue, WA 98059

Main: 425-204-1313Fax: 425-204-1414

[email protected]

Mortgage Originator of the Year

GGrroouunndd ccoovveerrss,, rroocckkeerriieess aanndd ttuucckk--iinnssTuck in fragrant herbs to

nooks and crannies. The follow-ing are particularly well suited:

❑ Roman chamomile (anthe-mus nobilis)

❑ Thyme (thymus) — lemon,silver, Doone Valley. Elfin andwooly thyme are excellent mat-like growers for gaps betweenpaving.

❑ Oregano (oreganum vul-gare) — Golden with a milderflavor or Greek, the classicMediterranean aromatic

❑ Yerba buena/savory(sature-ja) — This lovely herb thrives inshady, moist spots.

Consider also these mixersand minglers with presence.

❑ Parsley — so fresh andferny

❑ Chives — to create smallgrassy clumps with cute-as-a-button, puffy, purple flowersthat are also edible

❑ Bloody dock/sorrel — Thisis a gruesome name for a spec-tacular, edible perennial withseersucker leaves and wine-col-ored veining. It will accept partsun and moist soil.

Molly Lavelle is a certified nursery professionaland designer at Newcastle Fruit and Produce.Comment at www.newcastle-news.com.

TTaassttyyFrom Page 12

❑ Dicentra formosa (Westernbleeding heart)

❑ Acuba japonica❑ Buxus sempervirens❑ Gaultheria shallon (salal)

WWeett wwiinntteerr ssooiillThis is a problem with several

newer homes in our area. Astopsoils are scraped away tolevel building sites, compactedclay may be left behind, whichholds too much water in winterand not enough water in sum-mer.

This area requires a plant thatwill tolerate both extremes.

Standing water spells certaindeath for many plants. Thereare, however, a few beauties thatdo not seem to mind at all.Those with * will even toleratesome standing water.

❑ Betula nigra (river birch) *❑ Betula jaquemontii (white-

barked Himalayan birch) *❑ Pinus contorta var. contor-

ta❑ Japanese barberry❑ Pacific wax myrtle❑ Vine maple❑ Ninebark❑ Acorus “ogon” *Western sword fern❑ Lobelia cardinalis (cardinal

flower) *❑ Redtwig and redosier dog-

wood *

SSoolluuttiioonnssFrom Page 12

NNeewwccaassttllee mmaann hheellppss wwiinnddeebbaattee cchhaammppiioonnsshhiipp

Newcastle man SamuelPizelo helped lead BellevueCollege to a national champi-onship in the Novice NationalParliamentary DebateAssociation competition inGresham, Ore., in March.

The team — now in its sec-ond year — also earned superi-or marks in speaking.

Pizelo, the team’s president,thanked the Bellevue Collegefaculty for its support, as itslast-minute, out-of-pocketdonations funded the team’s

trip. The donations came injust 24 hours before the compe-tition.

NNeewwccaassttllee nnaammeedd TTrreeeeCCiittyy UUSSAA CCoommmmuunniittyy

The Arbor Day Foundationin April recognized Newcastleas a Tree City USA Communityfor its commitment to urbanforestry. This marks the fourthconsecutive year the city hasreceived the distinction.

To earn the distinction, thecity is required to have a treeboard or department, a tree-care ordinance, a comprehen-

sive community forestry pro-gram, and have an Arbor Dayobservance and related procla-mation.

“We commend Newcastle’scity staff, elected officials, vol-unteers and residents for pro-viding vital care in its urbanforest,” Arbor Day FoundationChief Executive and FounderJohn Rosenow said in a newsrelease. “Trees provide numer-ous environmental, economicaland health benefits to millionsof people each day, and weapplaud communities thatmake planting and caring fortrees a top priority.”


After almost 15 years of rock‘n’ roll, Grammy-nominatedSeattle musician Chris Ballewdecided to turn down the gainon his amplifier. In 2009, ThePresidents of the United Statesof America front man formedthe children’s band CasparBabypants, playing shows forparents and toddlers acrossWestern Washington.

The group will make a stop inBellevue May 7 for a 10:30 a.m.performance at AldersgateUnited Methodist Church.

The band’s songs — writtenby Ballew — are folkie andtouch on topics such as cen-tipedes, elephants and frogs.Although the tunes are directedat children younger than 6 or 7,adults might find themselvesjust as entertained.

“Caspar Babypants isn’t musicfor just kids,” Pearl Jam guitaristStone Gossard is quoted saying

on Caspar Babypants’ website.“It’s fantastically hooky, cool,authentic pop. Chris Ballew is amaster and has proven it in twobands now.”

Newcastle News caught upwith Ballew over the phone inMarch.

HHooww ddiidd yyoouu eenndd uupp ggooiinngg ffrroomm rroocckk‘‘nn’’ rroollll ttoo cchhiillddrreenn’’ss mmuussiicc??

The rock ‘n’ roll band,although I love it dearly, is notmy true voice. And I knew thatthe whole time. So I searchedand searched the entire timeand looked in the backgroundfor a sound and a feeling and aplace musically in the worldthat is really who I am. It’s beena long 15- or 20-year search thatwas over when I found this sim-ple, innocent kind of acoustic,folkie style.

There is a bit of history goingback to 2000. I made an albumof traditional kids songs in thesame style for PEPS, Program for

Early Parents Support. They’rean organization that I usedwhen my kids were little.

Doing that record, I noticedthat I was really relaxed. All ofthe [rock ‘n’ roll] music was a bigstruggle, and it was hard, andthere were moments when I likedit, and it was mostly kind ofannoying. And I did this recordfor PEPS and I was completelyrelaxed during the whole thing.

HHooww ddiidd yyoouu kknnooww tthhaatt cchhiillddrreenn’’ssmmuussiicc wwaass yyoouurr vvooiiccee??

My wife is an artist. Her art-work kind of embodies what Iwanted to do with music. It’s

simple, it’s funny, it’s well-craft-ed, it has folk roots and tradi-tions in it. It transcends age.

So I looked at her art, ‘Oh mygod, I want to make music thatsounds like her art looks.’ Andthat sort of was the last step in along, sort of meandering path.She illustrates children’s books,and that’s kind of what also ledme to think, ‘Well, maybe this isfor children.’

What I love about this musicis that it doesn’t go out thereand just advertise me as a cleversongwriter. It goes out there andactually makes families relax,and then makes them sing

together, makes a car ride better,and in some cases it makes kidswho are doing well do better.

There are a few cases of severe-ly autistic children who haveresponded miraculously to mymusic, and they come out of theirshells. So I feel like there is a pur-pose to the music that transcendsme. And that is also something Iwas looking for. With the rockband, I definitely lost track ofthat, and felt like I couldn’t tellwhere the song ended and theadvertisement for the band began.

II hheeaarrdd yyoouu ttooookk tthhee nnaammee CCaassppaarrBBaabbyyppaannttss iinn tthhee eeaarrllyy 11999900ss,, bbeeffoorreeTThhee PPrreessiiddeennttss ooff tthhee UUnniitteedd SSttaatteess ooffAAmmeerriiccaa ttooookk ooffff..

I took the name, but it wasn’tto do kids music. It was becauseI got tired of my first name andchanged it to Caspar and found


Certified Residential SpecialistsChoose a CRS Certified Residential Specialist when you buy or sell a home. Some CRS Realtors in King County areshown here. Call 1-800-540-3257 for Certified Residential Specialists serving other areas or counties in the state. Formore information on the CRS designation or for the names of CRS out of state, call 1-888-462-8841.The Council of Residential Specialists of Realtors National Marketing Institute is an affiliate of the NationalAssociation of Realtors.

Kathy LeeColdwell Banker Bain

Greater Eastside(206) 465-7062

Debbie KinsonWindermere


Laurie AshbaughColdwell Banker Bain


Cindy HammanRE/MAX Integrity

Greater Eastside & Seattle(425) 442-4942

Barbara AndersenJohn L Scott

Greater Eastside (425) 392-1211

Gretchen AllenBetter Homes & Garden

Real Estate/ExecutiveGreater Eastside & Sammamish

(206) 427-5553

Steve HonnenColdwell Banker Bain

Greater Eastside & Sammamish(206) 819-6166

“Fewer than 4% of the Realtors in the nation have their CRS designation but they account for 24% of all the transactions.

Do the math. Maybe it’s time to call CRS!”

–Jerry Rippeteau, Associate Broker, CRSCRS Washington State Chapter

Also try us at the CRS web sitewww.crs.com

CRS Agents: Increase your visibility by participating in the special CRS page.Contact Jill at (425) 392-6434 ext. 229 or [email protected]

Bev ParsonsColdwell Banker Bain

Greater Eastside & Seattle(206) 972-0649

home servicesWashington State Construction

Contractor law requires that alladvertisers for construction related

services include the contractorregistration number.

Presidential performer brings toddler rock to the massesOOnn tthhee wweebb

Read the full interview atwww.newcastle-news.com.

IIff yyoouu ggoo❑ May 24❑ Aldersgate United MethodistChurch, 14230 S.E. Newport Way,Bellevue❑ Set starts at 10:30 a.m.

By Tim Pfarr

Chris Ballew, The Presidents of the United States of America leadsinger, rocks out with Caspar Babypants in Sammamish in March.

See RROOCCKKEERR, Page 15


a pair of baby’s pants that Iwore as a winter hat in Boston,and so I got called CasparBabypants.

But I was not playing kidsmusic at all. I was playing inbars, getting drunk and makingtrouble as Caspar Babypants. Itturns out I couldn’t tell whatthe true calling of CasparBabypants was until muchlater.

WWhhaatt mmaaddee yyoouu cchhoooossee CCaassppaarr ffoorryyoouurr ffiirrsstt nnaammee??

I’m kind of white and pasty,and I just thought of Casperthe friendly ghost, but I want-ed to spell it a little differently.I’m white and friendly.

DDoo yyoouu ppllaayy wwiitthh TThhee PPrreessiiddeennttss oofftthhee UUnniitteedd SSttaatteess ooff AAmmeerriiccaa aannyy--mmoorree??

We will never break up. Wedid that once, and now weknow that’s pointless. We’rejust taking a break. We’velearned the difference betweena break and a break-up.

We’re going to play theShowbox every year onPresident’s Day weekend everyyear until we’re in wheelchairs.That’ll just happen. That willnever not happen.

Never say never and all that,but I really cannot imagineanother Presidents’ album. I justfeel like we have enough songs.I mean, how many more wayscan you sing about a bug? I’vepretty much covered every bug Ican find. When you add up allthe bug songs with ThePresidents and Caspar, I’m sur-prised I have any more bugs left.

DDoo yyoouu eevveerr ggeett ffaannss ooff TThheePPrreessiiddeennttss ooff tthhee UUnniitteedd SSttaatteess ooffAAmmeerriiccaa ttuurrnniinngg tthheeiirr yyoouunngg cchhiillddrreennoonnttoo CCaassppaarr BBaabbyyppaannttss??

Absolutely. I get parentscoming up to me after Casparshows saying, ‘Your record wasthe first record I ever bought,and now I’m here with my 2-month-old, and we’re justkeeping it going.’ I love it. Youcan listen to Caspar Babypantsuntil you’re 6 or 7 and thenswitch right to The Presidents.There might be a gap between6 and 10 that I’m not covering.

WWhhaatt iiss tthhee bbeesstt ppaarrtt ooff wwrriittiinngg aannddppeerrffoorrmmiinngg CCaassppaarr BBaabbyyppaannttss??

There are a couple. My toptwo favorite parts are, No. 1,writing and recording songs bymyself like a sculptor or apainter in the studio. It’s fantas-tic. I went to art school, and Ithought I was going to be anartist, and I like applying thatkind of aesthetic to the creationof a song.

Then, I like to collaboratewith Fred [Northup] and Ron[Hippe] on performance ver-sion and get it out in front ofthe actual kids and feel how itchanges and morphs and howit connects to the audience.

The second thing I love ishow the kids are like littledrunk adults. They’re so ran-dom and weird. They’ll justwalk up and start touchingmy guitar or turning thepages of my songbook, ortalking to me in the middle ofa song. Or asking me to play asong that has a title that isn’tany of our songs, and thenwe’ll make up an entire song,and I’ll say, ‘Is that the songyou wanted?’ And they’ll say,‘No.’ They just are free. Beingaround that freedom, it’srelaxing.

RRoocckkeerrFrom Page 14BByy RRaacchheell SSoolloommoonn

Like a lot of students, Joel Stedman worked hisway through college, waiting tables and bartendingto pay for school. He loved being around people, andhe loved the atmosphere of restaurants and pubs.

But when he graduated from Western WashingtonUniversity in 2007 with a degree in economics,Stedman didn’t want to go straight to a cubicle job,as many of his peers did. Instead, he began workingat The Parlor, a billiards bar in Bellevue.

“I fell in love with it,” Stedman said. “It mademe want to do it on my own.”

A few years later, Stedman did exactly that. The2003 alumnus of Liberty High School bought asports bar in Seattle’s Magnolia neighborhood inDecember. The Magnolia Village pub, a cozy jointspecializing in microbrews and burgers, sits in theheart of Magnolia Village, which Stedman saidreminds him of Issaquah’s Gilman Village.

“On a busy day when everyone is out andabout, we’re right there,” said Stedman, who’snow 26 and lives in Eastgate.

After working at The Parlor, Stedman was incharge of food and beverages for a cluster of retire-ment homes on the Eastside. It gave him a foun-dation to understand how to handle a staff.

When he decided he wanted to own his ownbar, Stedman said he looked at 30 or 40 differentplaces. He knew exactly what square footage andwhich neighborhoods he wanted, and eventuallylanded in Magnolia.

“We realized it has a lot of potential and roomfor growth,” he said.

As a sports bar, the pub’s sheer number of TVscan’t be matched: 28 in all, including giantscreens mounted on walls and personal-sized tele-visions for most of the tables, guaranteeing thatwhen almost any game is on — from football tobasketball to hockey — the customer will be ableto watch it. Stedman said he plans to open anEastside location in a couple of years.

Stedman, who said he’s pinched every pennysince graduating from high school, bought thepub with his dad, Larry, the vice president of agroup of retirement homes. It’s a true familyeffort: Stedman’s two younger brothers, both ofwhom also graduated from Liberty, work there.And one of his good friends from high school,Justin Sauvageau, is a bartender there. Sauvageau

double-majored in finance and accounting atSeattle University, so he’s also on hand to helpStedman with the books.

“I like being able to work with someone Iknow,” Sauvageau said.

Stedman and Sauvageau said the whole staffalready knows a lot of customers’ names. AnneHerkenrath is one of the regulars. She lives inMagnolia and said she stops by for a beer andsome grub every week.

“It’s easygoing, sort of relaxed but fun at thesame time,” Herkenrath said. “I love coming inand seeing tables crowded with kids and families.”

And it can get crowded. The pub was packed forthe Super Bowl, with football fans standing shoul-der-to-shoulder. Forbes.com crowned it one of thebest bars in the country to watch the big game —the only place in Seattle to claim the honor.

But it can be nonstop work when trying to geta business off the ground. Stedman said he clocksmore than 100 hours per week, often in 10- or 12-hour shifts. But he said it’s worth it, and he stillcan’t believe his good fortune: that his college jobhas become his career.

“I wake up every day and I think, ‘I really can’tbelieve this is what I do,’” he said. “I feel reallyprivileged to be in this position.”

Rachel Solomon is a student in the University of WashingtonDepartment of Communication News Laboratory. Comment atwww.newcastle-news.com.

New pub is a family affair for Liberty grad

By Greg Farrar

Liberty High School alumnus Joel Stedman (right)opened Magnolia Village Pub in Seattle in December.Shannon Brock (left) is one of the pub’s 15 servers.

COMMUNITYPAGE 16 MAY 6, 2011

of Commerce lunch meetingis from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.May 11 at Tapatio’s, 6920 CoalCreek Parkway S.E. Cost is $20.Mary Trimarco, from theWashington State Departmentof Commerce, will be the guestspeaker. RSVP by [email protected].

PPuubblliicc mmeeeettiinnggss

All city public meetingsare at City Hall, 13020Newcastle Way. Call 649-4363.City Hall will be closed May 30in observance of Memorial Day.

❑ Parks Commission — 6-8p.m. May 11

❑ City Council — 7-10 p.m.May 17

❑ Planning Commission — 6-8 p.m. May 18

The Newcastle Trailsboard will hold its Maymeeting at 7 p.m. May 9 at theRegency Newcastle, 7454Newcastle Golf Club Road.

YYoouutthh

The following eventstake place at the Coal CreekFamily YMCA, 13750Newcastle Golf Club Road. Call282-1500 or go to www.seattleymca.org/Locations/CoalCreek/Pages/Home.aspx.

❑ “Fun With Food: PersonalNachos,” for ages 3-10, 10:30-

The Golf Club at Newcastlewill host a happy hour for veter-ans from 4-6 p.m. May 23.

Veterans can come enjoy a freedrink courtesy of The NewcastleChamber of Commerce, The GolfClub at Newcastle and variousindividual supporters. However,all are welcome to attend. Therewill be several short speeches at5:30 p.m.

The event precedes the USOGolf Tournament and DinnerMay 24.

This is the third year The GolfClub at Newcastle will host thehappy hour and golf tourna-ment. RSVP by emailing cham-ber of commerce board memberJohn Jensen at [email protected]

I N T H E S P O T L I G H T

Contributed

Vietnam veteran Mike Laws (left) sits with Jackie Foskett, of HealingHypnotherapy, his wife Mary Laws and Blaine Kinniebrew (from left)at the 2009 USO happy hour event at The Golf Club at Newcastle.

GGoollff CClluubb ttoo hhoossttUUSSOO hhaappppyy hhoouurr

May 2011

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30 31

June 2011

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30

EEvveennttss

Eastside Mothers andMore hosts an American RedCross talk, for moms only,about disaster preparedness isfrom 7-9 p.m. May 10 atEastshore Unitarian Church,Room No. 206, 12700 S.E. 32ndSt., Bellevue. Learn more atwww.eastsidemothersandmore.orgor email [email protected].

The Newcastle WeedWarriors’ next ivy removalproject is from 10 a.m. to 2p.m. May 14 at Cross Town Trail,near Newcastle Cemetery, and aSpring Cleanup of NewcastleCemetery May 21. Download avolunteer form at www.newcastle-weedwarriors.org/projects.html.

Valley Medical CenterOpen House, is from 5:30-7:30p.m. May 12. Light hors d’oeu-vres and beverages will beserved. Admission is free. MayorJohn Dulcich will provide open-ing remarks and give an updateon the library. The medical cen-ter is at 400 S. 43rd St.

Eastside Mothers andMore hosts a discussionabout organ donation withLifeCenter Northwest from7-9 p.m. June 14 at EastshoreUnitarian Church, Room No.206, 12700 S.E. 32nd St.,Bellevue. Learn more atwww.eastsidemothersandmore.orgor email [email protected].

The Newcastle Chamber

5608 119th Ave. SE Newport Hills 425.603.9001

est. 1995

PUB HOURS10:30 a.m. - 2:00 a.m. Daily

KITCHEN HOURS10:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. Daily

Limited menu available until 1:30 a.m.

Now Selling Kegs To Go!

Where True Sports Fans Meet!

Washington’s LotteryPool, Darts, Pull Tabs, Cocktails, Food To Go,

23 TVs and Satellite Sports!

Children welcome until 9 p.m.

After Church Special $3.00 OFF

any $7.99 or higher breakfast priced item

Valid Sundays Only til 2pm. Dine in only.

11:30 a.m. May 22, $10❑ Family dinners, 5:30-7:30

p.m. May 13, $5 per adult, $3per child

❑ “Kids Create 3: HangingRainbow Fish,” for ages 4-10, is3:30-4:15 p.m. May 18, $10

❑ “Itty Bitty Basketball Class,”for ages 3-4, 4:30-5 p.m. and 5-5:30 p.m. Mondays andWednesdays, and 10:10-11 a.m.Tuesdays and Thursdays, June 6-30, $35-$53

❑ “Itty Bitty Basketball Class,”for ages 5-6, 5:30-6 p.m. June 6-29, $35-$53

❑ “Tumbling: Mommy/Daddy& Me,” for ages 1-3, 10:45-11:30a.m., through June 29, $5-$9

❑ Youth basketball classes, forages 10-14, 5:15-6 p.m. and forages 6-9 4:15-5 p.m. Fridays,June 3-24, $23 to $40

❑ “Youth Flag Football Class,”ages 10-14 5:15-6 p.m. and ages6-9 4:15-5 p.m. Fridays throughMay 27, $23 to $40

❑ Happytalk: Spring Campout

at Orkila, May 20-22, $120, callfor details

❑ Tahminawl: Spring Campat Seymour, May 20-22, $100,call for details

❑ Tykes: Spring Campout atOrkila, May 20-22, $120, call fordetails

CClluubbss

The Society of Artists forNewcastle, an art organization,is seeking new members. Call271-5822.

MOMS Club of Rentonmeets for play dates at parks andother locations. New activitiesare planned daily. This nonprof-it, nonreligious organizationprovides daytime support formoms and their families. Call260-3079.

Bridge players are want-ed, evening or daytime. Gamestake place at various homes inthe Hazelwood area. Call 255-0895.

Newcastle HistoricalSociety meets at 4 p.m. the firstThursday at City Hall, 13020S.E. 72nd Place. Call 226-4238.

An international dinner,sponsored by Baha’i Faith ofNewcastle, is at 6:30 p.m. thethird Friday. Call 430-8047.

See CCAALLEENNDDAARR, Page 17


Worship Directory

Messianic

Bahá’í Faith

Christian

Assembly of God

Drinking Liberally, aninformal progressive socialgroup that discusses politics,meets at 7 p.m. the first andthird Thursday at Angelo’sRestaurant, 1830 130th Ave.N.E., Bellevue. Go to www.drink-ingliberally.org.

Eastside Mothers & More,a social network for mothers,meets from 7-9 p.m. the secondTuesday in the North Room atEast Shore Unitarian Church,12700 S.E. 32nd St., Bellevue.Go to www.eastsidemothersand-more.org.

Hill’N Dale Garden Club,meets at 6 p.m. the first MondaySeptember through June at theNewport Way Library, 14250S.E. Newport Way. Call 255-9705.

SSeenniioorrss

Lake Heights FamilyYMCA Seniors Program hasdrop-in time Tuesdays andThursdays from 10 a.m. to 2p.m. at the YMCA, 12635 S.E.56th St. in Newport Hills. Havelunch, socialize and have fun.Call 644-8417.

Coal Creek Family YMCAActive Older AdultProgram, ages 55 and older,Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10a.m. to 1 p.m., 13750 NewcastleGolf Club Road, 282-1500

❑ Open for community ser-

vice projects, intergenerationalprojects, crafts, pinochle games,field trips and fellowship; sacklunches are available for a $3donation.

❑ Refresher bridge class, 10a.m. to noon Thursdays

LLiibbrraarryy eevveennttss

The Newport Way Library,14250 S.E. Newport Way, Bellevue,is closed for expansion. A tempo-rary location in Factoria Mall,4055 Factoria Mall S.E., Bellevue, isopen from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.Monday through Saturday andfrom 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, forhold pickups, returns and a smallbrowsing collection for checkout.Go to the library blog —http://blogs.kcls.org/newportway —for updated information regardingprograms, classes and events.

HHeeaalltthh

Angel Care Breast CancerFoundation-trained survivorsoffer free emotional support tothe newly diagnosed, enhancingemotional recovery while goingthrough treatments. Go towww.angelcarefoundation.org.

VVoolluunntteeeerrss

The Coal Creek FamilyYMCA Seniors Programneeds volunteers for intergenera-tional opportunities, includingrocking and comforting infants,teaching children to play bridgeand reading to kindergartners.

Call 282-1506.Newcastle Weed

Warriors: Volunteers assist cityworkers in removing noxiousand invasive weeds fromNewcastle parks, trails and openspaces. Youth groups, communi-ty groups and individuals areinvited to participate in month-ly environmental stewardshipprojects. Learn more atwww.NewcastleWeedWarriors.org.

Newcastle Trails - TrailAdvocates and Builders forNewcastle: The group has builtand maintained miles of trailsfor the public throughout thecity, and has regular meetingsand work parties. Call 453-9292,ext. 110. Learn more at

www.newcastletrails.org.King County Library

System’s Words on Wheelsprogram needs volunteers toselect and deliver library materi-als to homebound patrons.Training is provided. A one-yearcommitment is required.Volunteers must be at least 18,have their own transportationand be able to pass aWashington State Patrol back-ground check. Call 369-3235.

Dependency CASA (CourtAppointed SpecialAdvocate): Community volun-teers advocate for the best inter-ests of abused and neglectedchildren in King County. Call269-3201.

DAWN (Domestic AbusedWomen’s Network): Providesservices to survivors of domesticviolence in King County. Call795-1441.

Grace Children’s Charity:Provides essential school sup-plies for impoverished children.Call 430-0300.

PPllaacceess ttoo ggoo

Cougar Mountain RegionalWildland Park, on LakemontBoulevard Southeast, is a 3,000-acre park with more than 30miles of trails and the site of the1880s coalmines. Go towww.metrokc.gov/parks.

CCaalleennddaarrFrom Page 16


425-442-5956Visit our website: www.GerkenFinancialCoaching.com

Feeling overwhelmed by debt? We can help you• Take control of your finances• Eliminate debt• Plan for the future

Call today Call today for a FREE for a FREE 30 minute 30 minute

consultation!consultation!

Effective Coaching...Affecting ChangeBARRY FEDER, DDS, PSMARK GERMACK, DDS

STATE OF THE ART COSMETIC DENTISTRY • TEETH WHITENING • INVISALIGN

450 NW Gilman Blvd. • Medical Center of Issaquahwww.doctorfeder.com

Extended Hours 425.392.7541

Looking for a Dentist?

Voted Your Favorite Dentists

Best of Issaquah 2007, 2008, 2009 & 2010!

Choose the best!

BByy PPaatt DDeettmmeerr

I’ve written here about myhusband, The Sainted One. Itold you what a great catch hewas, and how he was anointed“Sainted” because I do not carrythat moniker and can be a holyhandful.

He loved the column. Othersdid, too. Our hairdresser said shewanted to frame the cartoon.Someone recognized him as wewaited for our Valentine’s Daytable at The Calcutta Grill andsuggested that since he wasordained, he could renew theirvows. And Dana Sullivan, car-toonist extraordinaire, said (andI quote verbatim): “I think any-time we can poke fun at Fred,we’ll have a better column.”

Hmm. And here I thought I’dbeen turning out pretty decentcolumns for years without pok-ing fun at Fred.

But I get it. If votes werecounted tomorrow, The SaintedOne would win Mr. NewcastleCongeniality and I most likelywould not. But let me tell you

something: He is not perfect.Witness:

❑ He cooks, but does notbake.

❑ If askedto do anythingon the homerepair frontthat requiresmuch morethan hanginga picture, I willbe able to findhim by follow-ing a trail ofblood.

❑ He doesn't know how toproperly fill a dishwasher, butthen I don't know a man whodoes.

❑ He insists upon openingfood boxes on the wrong end,and if you look in our pantry,you'll find that most of ourboxed foods are wearing mask-ing tape diapers.

❑ He loses his cellphone ear-piece constantly. When he can’tfind one, he buys another. Thenhe finds the one he’s lost. Theother day I came home and he

was charging all of them. Everyoutlet on the second floor wasin use, and lights were surgingand dimming all over Newcastle.

❑ He can’t understand why Iinsist that we do a quarterlygarage cleaning. “It’s a garage!”he says, and he takes great gleein pointing out piles of detritusin other Newcastle garages thatmake it look like the owners aretrying out for a “Hoarders”episode. “Look! Look!” he’ll cry.“And you complain about us?”

❑ He loves baseball. I like thefaster game of basketball. Whenwe go to a baseball game, I takea book.

❑ Periodically he falls in lovewith a piece of clothing, and I'mconvinced that if that piece ofclothing could animate itself, itmight replace me. Ten years ago,it was a sweatshirt that becametattered with use. I did anInternet search to find an exactreplacement, which we named“Son of Sweatshirt.” Now he’sinto a series of sweatpants thathe refers to as “Old Man Pants.”I learned long ago not to consignthese to the garbage can. I thinkit might be grounds for divorce.

So do you see what I have toput up with? Sainted, yes. Butperfect? Well ... almost.

You can reach Pat Detmer — lucky PatDetmer — at [email protected].

PPaatt DDeettmmeerr

Laughing all the way

Sainted, but not perfect

IIssssaaqquuaahh RRoottaarryy CClluubbhhoonnoorrss LLiibbeerrttyy ssttuuddeennttss

The Rotary Club of Issaquahrecently honored the followingseniors as its students of themonth for March.

FFoorrrreesstt HHuurrlleeyy

❑ School:Liberty HighSchool

❑Category ofrecognition:physical edu-cation

❑ Parent:JenneneHurley

❑Sponsoringteacher: Emily Corley

❑ Achievements: lacrosseteam captain (two years); varsi-ty athletic letters (track, foot-ball)

❑ Activities: FCA president,Link Crew, Associated StudentBody Spirit director

❑ Interests: history, aviation❑ Hobbies: lacrosse, pole

vault, snowboarding, football❑ Future goals: undecided

about educational goals; becomea pilot

JJeessssiiccaa WWaarrrreenn

❑ School: Liberty HighSchool

❑ Category of recognition:pre-vocational

❑ Parents: Phyllis and RobertWarren

❑ Sponsoring teachers: NancyMontgomery, Pamela Juretic,

Debbie Sutton and Andy Fickert❑ Achievements: 3.714 grade

point average; first place ProStart Restaurant ManagementCompetition

❑ Activities: three years ofculinary arts;Culinary ArtsManagementTeam (2009);volunteer forcateringevents

❑ Hobbies:reading,movies, col-lectingrecords

❑ Outsideschool affiliations: Wilton’s cakeclasses

❑ Future goals: Renton Techfor baking/candy making; pro-fessional baker

NNeewwccaassttllee ssttuuddeennttssnnaammeedd ttoo UUWW ddeeaann’’ss lliisstt

These students from theNewcastle area have beennamed to the dean’s list at theUniversity of Washington forthe winter quarter:

Dylan Bussone, Lauren Colyer,Bernard Ellouk, JaroslavaGurthova, Diana Hu, VictoriaHupf, Dylane Jacobs, Rebecca Lau,Mary Lebeau, Kendrick Lentini,Jessica Li, Jiaqi Liang, Meng-ChingLiang, Paul Nichols, BrandonNudelman, Laura Pattison, JeremyPowers, Anisha Prasad, RebeccaQueitzsch, Joshua Smithrud,Alyssa Spencer, Teodora Stoica,Emily Strom, Dennis Tat, NathanTat, Diem To, Sam Trautman,Nichole Tyler, SolomonWaldbaum and James Wang.

To qualify, students must

JJeessssiiccaa WWaarrrreenn

FFoorrrreesstt HHuurrlleeyy

have completed at least 12 grad-ed credits and have a gradepoint average of at least 3.5.

RRoottaarryy CClluubb ooff RReennttoonnhhoonnoorrss HHaazzeenn ssttuuddeenntt

MichelleWnek, asenior atHazen HighSchool, wasrecently hon-ored as theRotary Clubof Renton’sstudent of themonth.

Whilemaintaining a3.6 grade point average, Wnekhas been involved in NationalHonor Society, Key Club (vicepresident), orchestra, drama,Hazen Happenings (public rela-tions office) and Ignite.

Wnek also participates in crosscountry and basketball and is thecaptain of the track and fieldteam. She has received varsity let-ters, a sportsmanship award andTop Newcomer Award for basket-ball, and a scholar athlete award.

In addition, she received firstplace in the school’s science fair.

Wnek works part time at OshKosh B’gosh and volunteers withNewcastle Weed Warriors, CrossCountry Running Club and SaintMatthews Community Program.

Wnet plans to attend theUniversity of Washington to studypolitics and international studies.She is interested in becoming anambassador or diplomat.

MMiicchheellllee WWnneekk


206.949.1696www.marciemaxwell.com

Experience

Service

Results

REALTOR, CRS, Associate Broker & [email protected]

REALTOR, CRS, ABR & [email protected]

BByy TTiimm PPffaarrrrFor Sydney Dalry, the

American Society for thePrevention of Cruelty toAnimals commercials were toomuch to handle. The sad facesof the cats and dogs made theApollo Elementary Schoolfourth-grader want to make adifference.

“I saw the animals, and Iwanted to help them,” shesaid. “Some animals just don’tquite make it.”

She wanted to volunteer atthe Seattle Humane Society,but was told she was tooyoung. Her next idea was tocollect donations instead ofgifts for her 10th birthday inFebruary. Her mother, AndreaDalry, suggested she do a com-munity outreach projectinstead, because it would allowher to reach beyond herfriends.

Sydney collected cat and dogfood, toys, towels, brushes andleashes during the first threeweeks in February, using aFacebook page to spread the

word.In all, Andrea Dalry estimat-

ed Sydney collected about $500worth of pet supplies. Sydneyalso held a work party with herfriends to create catnip toysout of baby booties.

Sydney said she loved seeingthe smiles on the faces of thosewho donated and knowing shemade a difference.

“It felt really good inside,”she said. “Just the way I felt, Iwant to do it again and again,and encourage others to do it,too.”

Sydney delivered the sup-plies to the Seattle HumaneSociety March 28, and she wasgiven a certificate of apprecia-tion in return.

“It’s just so rewarding to seeher so kind-hearted towardsthe animals,” Andrea Dalrysaid. “Seeing her so motivated,it’s just very rewarding.”

Next year, Sydney hopes tohold another donation drive,possibly using a donation bar-rel to help with her collec-tions.

Local 10-year-old donates $500in pet supplies to humane society

Contributed

Sydney Dalry, 10, collected and donated about $500 worth of petsupplies and donated them to the Seattle Humane Society.

BByy LLaauurraa GGeeggggeell

Budding actress SavannahFreese openly shares her experi-ences of living with Asperger’ssyndrome and depression.

Like a star accepting anaward, the 19-year-old is quickto thank her greatest supporters— her family and friends — andshe pours accolades on LibertyHigh School’s drama program,the conduit of her success.

“I don’t know if I would havelived if it hadn’t been fordrama,” Freese said.

As a child, she felt introvertedand shy. Making friends was dif-ficult, especially when her fami-ly moved from Buckley in ruralKing County to Texas and thento Issaquah as a young girl.

She felt disconnected atMaywood Middle School, andspent most of her time staringinto space. Depressed, she visitedthe school counselor almost daily.

“It was helpful a little bitbecause I was able to get every-thing out,” Freese said.

In eighth grade, she receivedthe Asperger’s diagnosis. Suddenly,her life made more sense.

Reading social situationscould be hard for her, and shethen knew it was not her fault.Asperger’s can make social inter-action awkward and difficult.

Public school did not workwell for her, so Freese’s familyenrolled her in online classes forher freshman year, a grade sheended up repeating at Libertywhen the Web didn’t engageher, either.

“I was very apprehensive atfirst,” Freese said. “I didn’t wantto go back to public school.”

In spite of her reluctance,Liberty was where she found herlifeline.

Drama queenFreese had enjoyed drama

classes since her years in Texas,and decided to take it at Libertywith teacher Katherine Klekas.Though still quiet, Freese foundherself pushed out of her bub-ble, talking with other dramastudents and playing intriguingcharacters.

“I liked it because it’s achance to pretend to be some-thing I’m not,” she said. “At thetime, it was an escape for me.Not only do you forget yourproblems, but you problem-solve through theirs” — thecharacter onstage.

Still, it was not easy sailingfrom the get go. During onerehearsal, Freese had not memo-rized her lines, and Klekas lether know that negligence wasnot acceptable. Although embar-rassed at first, Freese learned notto take the criticism personally.

“She wasn’t trying to get me

upset,” shesaid. “She justwanted me tolearn mylines.”

Freeseembraced herroles andbegan makingfriends withher fellowactors. Sheand thePatriotPlayers formed dozens of per-sonal jokes, the kind that take asimmering relationship into aroaring boil of laughter andfriendship.

One time, she and anothergirl were playing old men, andcould barely contain themselveswhen they rehearsed their “oldmen walking fast” routine,Freese said.

After rehearsal, actors wouldsing “All You Need is Love,” orthey would fall into a heap theycalled the “cuddle puddle.”

Freese learned how to handleher Asperger’s better, though shestill struggled as a teenager.Sometimes, she is quick toanger, but now she knows howto keep herself from flying offthe handle by giving people fairwarning, saying, “OK, I amabout to snap. I need you toback off.”

Her friends, aware of her diag-nosis, help her when they can.

She “goes through periods thatbecause of her Asperger’s she getsreally down about stuff, so I tryto stay as a source of support,”Liberty junior Fiona Kine said.

Klekas said it’s in the natureof most drama students toaccept others.

“It’s like kind of a part of theiridentity to accept people regard-less of their identity,” she said.“They stick together pretty welland treat each other pretty well.”

Freese agreed with herteacher’s assessment.

“People in drama are just sodarn friendly,” she said.

Growing onstage Even though Freese had made

strides against her depression,she still suffers from it. There aremornings she did not want toget out of bed, and once shemisses one class, she is loath togo to school.

“I hate the feeling of walkingin late,” she said. “I’d rathermiss class.”

Again, drama provided herthe support she needed, said hermother, Cynthia Freese.

“I’ll never forget the day mydaughter wouldn’t get out ofbed and Ms. Klekas called andsaid, ‘We need her,’” she said.

Cynthia Freese put herdaughter on the phone, and

within minutes, the teenagerwas preparing for school.

Savannah Freese said shewent because, “I knew she wasdepending on me and I knewshe trusted me and I just can’tsay no to that.”

Just as athletes have to keepup their grades to play on teamsports, actors have to maintaincertain grade point averages toaudition for drama. Often,Savannah Freese would bring upher grades just enough to audi-tion, and then let them slip.

She is focused, her mothersaid, and once she starts a pro-ject she wants to finish it. ButLiberty’s block schedule of eightclasses was too overwhelming.This year, Savannah Freese isdoing Running Start at BellevueCollege, and excelling in herthree classes per quarter.

Since starting drama, she hasworked on goal setting. Onceshe graduates, she wants to writeand travel to Japan so she canpractice her Japanese.

Landing the leadFreese is incredibly creative,

according to her friend, Libertysenior Kelsey Canaga.

“We like writing plays anddoing role-playing on pieces ofwriting back and forth,” Canagasaid. “We make characters andstories and it’s so awesomebecause we get to stretch ourimagination.”

Freese stretched her ownimagination, and came awaywith the prize.

She wanted to play the leadin the musical “Drood.” AsEdwin Drood, she would play awoman who plays a man —essentially a play within a play.

Though she describes herselfas a tomboy, Freese began wear-ing high heels and skirts, andworked even harder in hersinging lessons so she couldland the role.

After auditioning, “I stillremember very clearly receivingthe cast list,” she said.

She lay on the couch, iPhonein hand, and uploaded the web-site with the cast list. She startedat the bottom of the page, andslowly scrolled to the top, look-ing for her name.

She screamed when she sawher name at the top. She wasplaying Edwin Drood. Grabbingher phone, Freese called Canagaand Kine, and soon all of themwere screaming.

“We were like, ‘Yes! If there isone thing in the world to hap-pen, that is the thing,’” Canagasaid.

In the four years of theirfriendship, Canaga said she haswatched Freese emerge from hershell. Before, Freese could barelytalk to anybody. Then, shewould only talk with herfriends.

“This year, we got a new castmember and she started talkingto him and just being herself,”Canaga said. “When she gets tobe herself, that is an amazingthing.”

Theater helps performerconnect to audience, life

SSaavvaannnnaahhFFrreeeessee

SCHOOLSPAGE 20 MAY 6, 2011


Reading aloud takes a lot of practice,and students in Zer Vue’s reading class atMcKnight Middle School are getting a lotof it.

About 40 of her students split into pairsand read aloud to classes at nearby HillcrestEarly Childhood Center.

It went so well that Hillcrest officialsasked the students to return each month.

“The first reading went better thanexpected for most students,” said Vue,whose students are two or more yearsbehind in their reading abilities. “Theywere nervous about reading to others, andthen after the initial experience, they feltrelieved and excited to do it again.”

Each student read a children’s book to aclass of between five and 12 preschoolers,concluding each story by asking theyounger students basic reading-comprehen-sion questions.

The preschoolers and the middle schoolstudents both enjoy the now-monthlyactivity.

“It boosts my confidence to read to littlekids,” McKnight eighth-grader Kathy Tonsaid. “Maybe when I’m older and I’m giv-

ing a presentation I’ll feel a little bit morecomfortable because I had this experience.”

Ton read “A Good Day,” by Kevin Henkes,when she visited Teresa Rishel’s preschoolclass April 14. After reading each page, shetook time to show the pictures to thepreschoolers, who sat around her in a circle.

The students choose their own books toread, selecting from books from locallibraries or books Vue or the classroomparaprofessional bring into class.

Ton said the library was helpful when itcame to picking a good book to read aloud.

“I went through a bunch of books andlooked at which ones are colorful withgood pictures and have words that theycan see too,” she said.

Eighth-grader Kiet To joined Ton inRishel’s class April 14. He read “How DoDinosaurs Say I Love You?” by Jane Yolen.

He said the key in picking a book wasfinding one that young children find inter-esting and can understand.

“I looked through the book, and lookedthrough the detail and kind of imaginethat I’m a kid,” To said. “What do I wantto hear?”

Vue said the short monthly field trips toHillcrest have been a year in the making.She wanted to start the program during the2009-2010 school year, but she was new tothe school and didn’t have the know-howto make it a reality.

However, after networking and coordi-nating with McKnight Principal MaryMerritt, the program came together. It isnow going wonderfully, Vue said.

As they continue their monthly visits,students may add small activities to theseries of questions they ask after reading.

“I wanted to reintroduce kids to the loveof books,” Vue said about her students. “Itreassures them that they can build confi-dence. We do as much as we can to buildfluency and confidence.”

By Tim Pfarr

A group of preschoolers sit and listen to McKnight Middle School eighth-grader Kiet To read ‘How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You?’ April 14 atHillcrest Early Childhood Center.

HHaazzeellwwoooodd EElleemmeennttaarryySScchhooooll sseeeekkss vvoolluunntteeeerrssffoorr bbiiccyyccllee ssaaffeettyy ccoouurrsseess

Hazelwood Elementary Schoolis seeking volunteers to assist inbicycle safety courses thismonth.

Thanks to a grant from thecounty, the school received 30bicycles and helmets for most ofthe month, as well as a basiccurriculum that teaches studentsto ride safe and smart.

The school’s fourth- and fifth-graders will use the bikes duringphysical education from 1:30-3:10 p.m. on select days throughMay 20. The school is seekingtwo to four volunteers to helpstudents learn to ride and fixhelmets, and understand thecurriculum.

HHaazzeellwwoooodd rraaiisseess $$55,,550000ffoorr ccaanncceerr rreesseeaarrcchh

Students at HazelwoodElementary School raided theirpiggy banks to raise more than$5,500 for the Leukemia andLymphoma Society during theschool’s Pennies for Patientscampaign from March 8-28.

The Hazelwood StudentCouncil sponsored the cam-paign, and the students’ effortsallowed the school to blow pastits $2,500 goal.

Lynn Maybee’s fourth-gradeclass alone raised more than$800, and the students wererewarded with a pasta dinner.

VVFFWW hhoonnoorrssHHaazzeellwwoooodd tteeaacchheerrss

Hazelwood ElementarySchool teachers Lisa Molandand Lynn Maybee recentlyreceived the Hazelwood chap-ter of the Veterans of ForeignWars Teacher of the Yearawards.

The organization presentedthe teachers with the awards at aspecial ceremony.

LLiibbeerrttyy HHiigghh SScchhoooollsseenniioorr wwiinnss NNaattiioonnaallMMeerriitt sscchhoollaarrsshhiipp

TheNationalMeritScholarshipFoundation inApril namedLiberty HighSchool JayChakravartyas the recipi-ent of aNationalMerit Boeing scholarship.

The company awards scholar-ships to children of employees.

Chakravarty, who was alsonamed Liberty High School’smale athlete of the year, willlikely pursue a law degree in col-lege.

JJaayy CChhaakkrraavvaarrttyy

Bringing to life the once upon a time

By Tim Pfarr

Kathy Ton, a McKnight Middle School eight-grader, reads Kevin Henkes’ book ‘A Good Day.’

McKnight studentsread picture booksto rapt preschoolers



Roll out the red carpet, hitthe spotlights and flash the cam-eras, because students atNewcastle Elementary Schoolhave footage in the can.

Five years ago, the schoollaunched its Video ProductionClub. It has since become one ofthe most popular groups oncampus. More than 50 studentsapplied for the 25 spots in theclub this year to learn the basicsof filmmaking, from storyboard-ing to completion.

The projects help the studentswork better in teams, learn howto tells stories in creative ways,acquire new skills and identifytheir own strengths within themedium, said MJ Keller, fourth-grade teacher and club leader.

The club is offered to fourth-and fifth-graders twice a year,with meetings every Thursdaymorning before school for 10-12weeks. By the end of a given ses-sion, students complete a filmbetween five and 20 minuteslong, and they use their finalmeeting to roll out a red carpet— literally — and screen theirwork for parents.

This spring’s session includes16 students, who split intogroups of four to six to createtheir own film projects underthe guidance of a teacher.

Past projects include fairy talenews, twisted fairy tales,Newcastle ABCs and musicvideos. This time around, stu-dents are recreating picturebooks on camera, with groupstaking on “I Can Be Anything,”by Jerry Spinelli; “Knuffle BunnyToo,” by Mo Williams; and“Alexander and the Terrible,Horrible, No Good, Very BadDay,” by Judith Viorst.

For each of the roughly 20scenes that make up each pro-ject, the students in each groupdivide the duties of acting, film-ing, directing and props. Aftermapping out on paper whateach scene will look like, thestudents take to the cameras,filming several scenes aroundthe school during a given hour-long meeting.

“Some will flourish duringthis part, and some will flourishduring the computer side ofthings,” Keller said.

While filming each scene, thedirector calls “quiet on the set”

and then “action.” In accor-dance with typical filming tech-nique, the students wait five sec-onds after starting the camera tobegin acting, which helps inpostproduction.

Among those who love theprocess of filming are fifth-grad-er Dylan Strode and fourth-grad-er Lili Galluzzo.

For Strode, in the club for hissecond year, the most fun is inusing the equipment and goingon camera.

“At home, I don’t get to,because we don’t have thisstuff,” he said. “I like acting.Filming and acting is way easierthat it seems.”

Galluzzo said she loves work-ing the camera, as well as thebloopers of acting.

“I like acting out the stuffbecause of how funny the stuffcan be,” she said. “Sometimesyou start laughing, and you justcan’t stop.”

Others enjoy the creative out-let of building props. Fourth-grader Jana Merca brings herscrap-booking skills to the club.

“I get to make really funprops,” she said.

Her creations — such as tophats and snowballs — have beenused in numerous scenes in hergroup’s recreation of “I Can BeAnything.”

It usually requires a few takesto get the dialogue down andthe scene just right. Then, it’soff to the editing station — thecomputer at the front of theclassroom.

Students use the programVegas Movie Studio to stringtheir projects together and addthe finishing touches.

“It’s the first time we’ve triedpicture books,” Keller said. “It’sinteresting to try to bring some-body else’s words to life.”

She said this spring’s projectshave required nearly 100 props,compared to just a handful usedwhen making music videos inthe past.

Keller, along with fellowteachers Kelly Goddard, MarielHanna and Mary Simonsen, leadthe club, offering help andadvice when the students needit, but staying out of the way asmuch as possible.

“My first year, I had neverfilmed or edited anything,”Goddard said with a laugh. Sheis now in her fifth year leading

Photos by Tim Pfarr

Gabriel Waldbaum, Jessica Robblee and Jana Merca (from left) recreate a scene from Jerry Spinelli’s picture‘I Can Be Anything.’ Fourth-grade teacher MJ Keller, right, gave the group tips between takes.

Film productionclass turning out thenext generation ofdirecting dreamers

the club. “I’ve learned a lotabout technology.”

She said the students areincredibly quick to learn theediting software, often leavingthe teachers in the dust.

Keller said sometimes stu-dents even end up instructingthe teachers on how to edit.

“When it comes to the edit-ing, they outpace us,” she said.

The day of the red carpet pre-mier, parents and school staffmembers come to Keller’s roomto view the finished product forthe first time, and then thevideos are screened at lunch forthe entire school.

“The rest of the school loveswatching them,” Keller said. “Ithink this is especially true forthe third-graders, because thatcould be them next year.”

She said the videos typicallyturn out better than expected,although bloopers often proveto be the biggest hits.

“Sometimes, they are onlyfunny to the kids,” Keller said.“Others hit the funny bone ofthe adults, too.”

Above left, Dylan Strode (center) takes charge as a videographer andHolly Rice (right) directs a scene while recreating Mo Williams’ book‘Knuffle Bunny Too.’ Above right, Jessica Robblee and Jana Merca hadto climb on a table to get the shot they wanted for the scene.

SPORTSPAGE 22 MAY 6, 2011


For as long as he can remember,Liberty High School wrestler HamiltonNoel has learned from the best. Hisfather, Wright Noel, was a state champi-onship high school wrestler and anNCAA First-Team All-American wrestlerat Brigham Young University.

With the lessons learned from hisfather — and his own strength anddetermination — Hamilton Noel tooksecond place in his weight class at thestate wrestling championships for thepast two years.

Building on the foundation ofwrestling, Hamilton — now a highschool junior — has become a dangerousfootball player and a dominating track-and-field athlete.

“It’s a competitive-natured sport, andif you bring that to other sports, ithelps,” Hamilton said about wrestling.

He said that applies both mentally andphysically, and the physical core strengthgained in wrestling provides a solid phys-ical foundation for other sports.

His supreme drive has earned himwidespread respect at Liberty.

“He’s very highly respected by players,teachers and coaches,” Liberty football coachSteve Valach said. “You’d have to stretch along way to find somebody who would havesomething bad to say about Hamilton.”

A record that speaks for itselfHamilton Noel first began wrestling

with his brothers at home before joininghis middle school wrestling team. He wason the track-and-field team throughoutmiddle school, and joined the football

team in eighth grade, thanks to encour-agement from his friends.

When he started high school, he wentstraight to the varsity wrestling squad, tak-ing to the 135-pound weight class. He fin-ished the season with a 25-9 record,advancing to the Mat Classic state tourna-ment in the Tacoma Dome. He won hisfirst match in the tournament 14-1, but helost his second match in triple overtimeand his third by just four points, whichended his championship run.

With just one more win, he would

have placed in the top eight in the state.By his sophomore year, Hamilton had

moved to the 145-pound weight class,improving his record to 30-5 and againadvancing to the state tournament, andfalling just six points short of a champi-onship. He further improved his recordto 33-2 his junior year, advancing to thechampionship match again but failing towin by four points.

Hamilton also competed in this year’sNational High School CoachesAssociation High School Wrestling

Nationals Championship in Virginiafrom March 29 to April 3. Noel wrestledin five matches, boasting a 3-2 recordagainst the county’s strongest. He fell justshort of placing.

Early in his high school career,Hamilton worked his way through thefootball program, advancing to the varsi-ty team his junior year, getting consider-


Hazen High School’s baseball was redhot through April, going 7-2 during themonth to finish its season with a 13-3overall record and a 12-2 conferencerecord.

The team was awaiting results fromLindbergh High School’s final two gamesMay 4, which was after Newcastle News’deadline, to find out if it would becrowned Seamount Champions for theyear.

Hazen’s boys soccer team — nowunder the direction of coach KenMatthews, the school’s girls soccer coach— went 2-3-1 in April, bringing its over-all record to 5-6-1 and its conferencerecord to 5-4-1. The Highlanders arethird in the Seamount League behindKennedy Catholic and Highline highschools.

Meanwhile, numerous athletes on thetrack and field team set new schoolrecords.

On the baseball diamond, Hazenoutscored its opponents 95-26 in April.Thanks to that strong performance, theHighlanders clinched the Seamount 3ANo. 1 seed heading into the postseason,

which begins May 6 with a seedinground. Hazen will likely play EnumclawHigh School in a battle for the top spotheading into the district tournament.

Although Lindbergh is still in con-tention for the Seamount League title, itwill compete in the 2A playoffs.

A diverse group of athletes led theHighlanders through each game, base-ball coach Gary Jacobs said.

“From one day to the next, we have adifferent group of guys that step up,” hesaid. “We have a big, strong, fast teamthat’s capable of scoring a lot of runs ina lot of different ways.”

Senior team captains Jeffrey Beckman(catcher, shortstop and pitcher) andTravis Johnson (third base and short-stop) have been impact players, as havejunior Zach Kolterman (first basemanand pitcher) and junior Jimmy Schmidt(pitcher and outfielder).

On the soccer field, Hazen tiedKennedy Catholic at 0 and snatchedgames from Highline, 2-0, and RentonHigh School, 3-1, at the beginning of themonth. At the end of the month, theteam dropped three straight games,


Liberty High School’s track and fieldteam set several new school records inApril, overshadowing what was a mostlygloomy month for other spring sports.

Liberty’s baseball team went 4-8 inApril, bringing its conference record to3-8 and its overall record to 6-10.

The softball team went 4-5 in April,bringing its conference record to 5-6 andits overall record to 6-6. The boys soccerteam went 2-5-1 for the month, bringingits conference record to 3-7-2 and itsoverall record to 4-8-2.

In track and field, junior Josh Gordonled the way, setting three personalrecords in the long jump, beginningwith a 22-foot, 7-inch jump April 8 atthe Arcadia Invitational just outsidePasadena, Calif. He followed up the per-formance with a 22-foot, 8.5-inch jumpApril at the Eason Invitational atSnohomish High School, and a mon-strous 23-foot, 7.5-inch jump at theViking Relays April 23 at Curtis HighSchool in University Place.

The latter was the longest jumprecorded by a 3A athlete in the state thisyear.

Senior Madison Birdsall followedGordon’s lead, setting school records inthe 400-meter April 21 and 28 withtimes of 58.7 seconds and 58.3 seconds,respectively. The latter set a state 3Arecord for the year.

Meanwhile, junior Hamilton Noel seta school and state 3A record for the yearwith a 13-foot, 6-inch pole vault.

Sophomore Rachel Shaw became thesecond Liberty runner to ever break 12minutes in the 3,200-meter, recording atime of 11 minutes, 53.96 seconds.

Liberty track and field also competedin the Issaquah School District meetMay 5, after Newcastle News’ deadline.The team will next compete in theKingCo 3A championship meet at 3 p.m.May 11 at Juanita High School inKirkland.

Liberty’s softball team was in fifthplace in the 3A KingCo conference as ofthe News’ May 3 deadline. Liberty’s soc-cer team was in sixth place and the base-ball team was in seventh place.

The soccer team started off April witha bang, whipping past Lake WashingtonHigh School with a 4-0 victory. However,

Liberty High School junior is a triple-threat athlete

By Sebastian Moraga

Hamilton Noel, Liberty High School junior (above), has the top position on Enumclaw’s JoshMusick early in their 152-pound state 3A championship match Feb. 19 at the TacomaDome. At right, Noel leaves the starting blocks for a relay race April 14.

Hazen sports blaze through springon the back of loaded baseball team

See NNOOEELL, Page 23

Liberty High School track and fieldathletes set records throughout April

See HHAAZZEENN, Page 24 See LLIIBBEERRTTYY, Page 24


Newport Hills Swim and Tennis Club

CALL ABOUT OUR BANQUET ROOM!BOOK YOUR GRADUATION PARTY TODAY!

5464 119th Ave. S.E. Bellevue • 425-746-9510For information on dates and times, www.nhstc.com • [email protected]

(This is the last session for non-members)

Registration begins May 16th

Session running May 23 - June 9

Sign up forSWIM CLASSES

Spring is in the air, flowers everywhere!Do you know how to get your

home ready to sell?

CHERYL COUPENSCHERYL COUPENS206.718.1334206.718.1334

Call me for a Home Value ReportCall me for a Home Value Report

Find out at Find out at www.CherylCoupens.comwww.CherylCoupens.com

“To succeed in life, you need three things: a“To succeed in life, you need three things: awishbone, a backbone and a funny bone.”wishbone, a backbone and a funny bone.”

– Reba McEntire– Reba McEntire

landscaping equipment • dirt equipment • excavators • paint sprayers

Bellevue10920 Northup Way425.822.4001

Renton4101 NE Sunset Blvd.

425.227.8155

North Bend352 North Bend Way

425.888.1111

SALES - SERVICE - DELIVERYYou’ll find what you need!

www.rr-rentals.com

able playing time as a fullback,outside linebacker and safety.

“It’s a great team sport. I reallylike the coaches,” he said aboutLiberty’s football program.“Games are obviously super fun.”

In his junior season, Noel had69 carries for 616 yards — anaverage of 8.9 yards per carry.His longest run was 77 yards,and he recorded six touch-downs. Defensively, he rackedup 44 tackles — the second-moston the team — and a team-lead-ing four interceptions.

Valach said Hamilton is aquiet leader, although one withtremendous heart.

“The best thing aboutHamilton is he leads by exam-ple,” Valach said. “He’s not onlytough and determined, he’s real-ly talented. He’s a guy that letshis plays speak for him.”

Hamilton took his freshmanyear off from track and field,and when he joined the teamhis sophomore year, he finishedninth in state in the pole vaultwith a 12-foot 6-inch leap. Healso ran in the 100-meter and200-meter sprints.

This year, he dropped theindividual sprints to join theteam’s 4x400 relay team withJoshua Gordon, Hiron Redmonand Devin Bennett. The teamruns the event in 3 minutes,32.5 seconds — the third-fastesttime in the state.

“He’s like a cannonball. He’sjust solid,” Liberty track-and-field coach Mike Smith said.“Hamilton, not even trainingwith the runners, blasts one ofthe fastest 400s on the team.”

Smith said the team also hadto buy new, stronger poles toaccommodate Hamilton’s ever-increasing strength.

“He’s just gotten so strongthat we didn’t have anythingthat he could use,” he said.

AA ffaammiillyy aaffffaaiirrWright and Hamilton Noel

are not the only ones in thefamily who know how to wres-tle. Hamilton’s brothers —Wright Jr., 19, and Romney, 14— also began wrestling infor-mally at home before joiningteams in middle school.

“It started as young boys justrolling around on the carpet,”said Wright Noel, an assistantcoach for the Liberty wrestlingteam. “With three young boys,there’s a lot of rolling around onthe carpet.”

As the boys grew older,Wright began joining in on thewrestling, which he said nowtakes place whenever somebodywants somebody else to moveout of the way.

Hamilton agreed.“It’s pretty much always a

wrestling match around thehouse,” he said.

However, Wright Noel has an

advantage of 35 pounds andmore than 20 years of experi-ence.

“Hamilton is very gifted. Thesport is natural for him, but I’vebeen doing it a lot longer,”Wright Noel said with a laugh.“I have a lot of tricks.”

When Hamilton reached highschool, he spent two yearswrestling alongside his olderbrother. Wright Jr. qualified forthe state tournament while atLiberty, but he never placed inthe top eight.

At first, Wright Noel saidthere used to be tension betweenthe boys when one would dobetter than the other, but therelationship has since matured.

“Now I think Wright isHamilton’s biggest fan,” WrightNoel said about his sons. “Oneof the reasons Hamilton is asgood as he is is because of hisbrother. He wanted to keep upwith his brother.”

Wright continues to coach onthe Liberty team, but he said hewill always be a father first andcoach second, and he tries tonot bring his coaching dutieshome with him at night.

AA bbiigg sseenniioorr yyeeaarr aahheeaaddOn the football team this fall,

Hamilton may take the role ofthe team’s leading rusher, sincerunning back Chandler Jenkinswill graduate in June.

“Certainly when we talkabout running the football, he’llbe the backfield,” Valach said.

However, Valach saidHamilton will continue to be akey defensive and special teamsplayer as well. Defensively, hewill continue to drop back as asafety on coverage plays andcreep up as a linebacker on four-linebacker formations.

“He’s the kind of guy whenyou think, ‘If we have 11Hamilton Noels out there, who’sgoing to beat us?’” Valach said.“Wrestlers are so dog garn toughthat they can do pretty muchanything.”

On the mat, Hamilton said hehopes to win a state champi-onship, and Liberty wrestlingcoach Manny Brown will bethere to help get there.

“He’s determined. He loves thesport,” Brown said. “He’s just anathlete no matter what he does,and he wants to be the best at it.”

Brown said he will need toseek tough competition forHamilton next year.

“Every time I’ve got to sched-ule something, I’ve got to thinkkind of in 3-D,” he said. “I cantake the team here, but I’ve gotto send Hamilton there.”

He said he hopes to giveHamilton enough competitionnext year that he has at leastone loss during the season.

“Not that I want him to lose,

but I want him to be able tochallenge himself,” Brown said.“It really helps mentally. You’renot going to win every match,not going to win every point. Itpreps you mentally to knowhow far your body can go.”

He said Hamilton Noel will bethe team captain next year, ashe was in the 2010-2011 season.

“He’s just a natural athlete,”Brown said. “You don’t run intothose every day.”

NNooeellFrom Page 22

falling to Foster High School, 1-0; Highline, 1-0; and KennedyCatholic, 4-0.

The team finished its seasonagainst Highline on May 5, alsoafter the News’ deadline. With awin, the team would advance tothe playoffs. Get results fromthe game at www.newcastle-news.com.

Matthews took over as coachApril 7 after former coach RichGouk resigned. Matthews saidthe team has been playing well,but many shots haven’t fallen.

“If we ever get that ball in thenet, we’re going to start scor-ing,” he said.

He said many shots on goalhave bounced off the goal post.

“We’re very capable of doingit,” Matthews said about scoring.“When we lost to Highline, weoutshot them 10-1.”

The team was further at a disad-vantage for the final three gamesof the month when both of itsgoalkeepers were out with schedul-ing conflicts. Senior defender AlexBailey and sophomore defenderEddie Timm volunteered to stepinto the goal box.

Senior midfielder JonathanBettencourt leads the team inscoring with four goals, andsophomore forward SamuelBunnell and junior defenderFrankie Johnson lead the teamwith three assists each. Bunnellalso has three goals.

Although many shots haven’tfallen, Matthews said Bunnelland fellow midfielder JordanLewison, a junior, have beenhard at work.

“They’re working their tailsoff to get that ball in the net,”he said

Matthews said he hopes to bethe team’s permanent coach.

In track and field, LloydByram set a new school record inthe 3,200-meter with a time of10 minutes, 18.64 seconds at theEason Invitational at SnohomishHigh School on April 16.

Junior Sarah Schoville also seta school record in the 100-meter, 33-inch hurdles, record-ing a time of 16.50 seconds.

Keith Beasley, Travis Lily,Daniel Huie and DanielKarpman also set a school recordin the distance medley, whichcombines the 400-, 800-, 1,200-and 1,600-meter events. Thegroup recorded a time of11:19.88, beating the previousrecord by nearly 11 minutes.

Get updates about all ofHazen’s spring sports playoffs atwww.newcastle-news.com.


HHaazzeennFrom Page 22

after a 1-0 loss to Juanita HighSchool and a 1-1 tie withInterlake High School, the teamdropped four straight games.The team finished the monthwith a 1-0 win over Juanita.

The Patriots took on MercerIsland High School May 3, alsoafter the News’ deadline.

Head coach Darren Tremblaysaid the loss against Juanita earlyin the month was a head-scratch-er. It marked the Rebels’ first con-

ference win of the season.“It was a tough loss,” he

said. “I really thought weplayed well enough to win thegame. We just couldn’t put theball in the net.”

The Patriots outshot therebels 10-2 in the contest, andthe Rebels’ goal came from apenalty shot with 15 minutesleft in the game.

Senior forward AaronPotoshnik leads the team withfive goals for the year, followedby senior midfielder BlakeKessler, senior midfielderDanny Dapper and senior mid-fielder Riley Mackey. Kesslerleads the team with five assists.

Liberty’s soccer team wraps upits season with a match againstInterlake on the road May 6.

Get updates about all ofLiberty’s spring sports playoffsat www.newcastle-news.com.

LLiibbeerrttyyFrom Page 22

newcastle news may 2011

Documents

police chief melinda

tothe group

officer stevekajihiro

cancer research

newcastle police officerswere

san diego marathon

police chief melindairvine

american cancer society