By Peter Clark

Zoning questions held off an Issaquah City Council move toward annexing Lake Sammamish State Park.

At the Issaquah council’s Aug. 4 meeting, they deferred action on the next step in the process of annexing the park to their Sept. 8 meeting, citing a desire to study the issue further.

The park would still be owned and operated by the state, but would be considered to be in Issaquah instead of King County for purposes of permit-ting.

The proposal came up in April after the state parks department presented the idea to city officials.

Issaquah’s Long Range Planner, Trish Heinonen, said the idea came from last year’s securing of $5 million for improvements to the 512-acre

state park.“The state parks and the city

started to talk to each other because there was the threat that the state, next year in their budget discussions, might pull the funding for some of the improvements that have been going on.” Heinonen said.

She added that the city’s annexation would streamline the shared goal of city and State Parks officials to encourage more use in the park through development.

“The reason they approached us was partnership,” Heinonen

said. “We’d been partnering with them on the advisory committee and they wanted to partner with us on the permitting.”

The action discussed in the Aug. 4 meeting would authorize Mayor Fred Butler to submit a notice to the Washington State Boundary Review Board for King County, while the council and State Parks works out the terms.

“I’ve reviewed this really closely and really the zoning and the critical areas are my only concern,” Issaquah City Council

Locally owned

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August 27, 2014

11

By Ari Cetron

Sammamish City Manager Ben Yazici received a glowing review from the City Council for his work in the past year.

The review, dated July 1, gives a look at not only what the council thinks of Yazici’s job performance in the past year, but what it expects the city to accomplish in the year ahead.

Under Sammamish’s form of government, the city man-ager is the head of the city’s executive branch. He does not stand for election, but serves at the pleasure of the council. In reviewing his work over the past year, the council determined that he met or exceeded expectations in every area.

The review itself takes place behind closed doors, but the docu-mentation is part of the public record. The document doesn’t give details beyond whether or not Yazici is meeting or exceeding expecta-tions.

“The council has reviewed your performance for the year ending June 30, 2014, and we find your performance, con-sidering the above appraisal outstanding, exceeding expecta-tions,” the review stated.

Yazici did not receive a pay increase this year.

The Klahanie annexation and new community center project dominate the city’s goals for the coming year.

The council expects Yazici to continue to work toward annexing Klananie, calling for a transition committee to keep the effort transparent. It expects him to make necessary staffing and budgetary adjust-ments to make the annexation run smoothly. It also spells out details of managing the annexa-tion, such as preparing a plan

to police the area, and adding Klahanie’s roads to the city’s overall transportation plan.

The review also calls for Yazici to continue to work on building and opening the com-munity center, and keep an eye out for potential cost increases on the project.

Besides overall goals, such as being environmentally con-scious and fiscally responsible, the review is divided into sec-tions which generally mirror city departments.

ParksThe community center may

be the big dog in the parks department, but smaller proj-ects are also mentioned in the review. The council wants Yazici to begin an exploration of what to do with the YMCA-owned property near Pine Lake Middle School, talk to the Issaquah and Lake Washington school districts about adding athletic fields, and look for places for a possible new dog park and a new community garden.

The council expects Yazici to complete projects that it has authorized, such as a pedestrian trail from the Sahalee overlook to Evans Creek Preserve, and begin-ning to develop Big Rock Park.

The council also wants him to look for ways to increase trail connections, find new open space and find more community meeting space. And it wants him to explore ways to allow the teen center to be usable to a larger portion of the community.

Public safetyYazici is supposed to work

with the police chief to find ways to minimize the impact of legalized marijuana on the city, along with illegal drugs. He’s also supposed to continue working with Eastside Fire & Rescue, and look for ways to enhance emer-gency preparedness. The council would also like the city to begin a Police Explorer program, if pos-sible. The program gives teens a

Klahanie, community center figure big into city manager’s year

See YAZICI, Page 3

Ben Yazici

Pride of Skyline

Photo by Greg FarrarLocal schools start the 2014-15 year Sept. 3. Pictured above are Skyline High School Associated Student Body executive board officers: from left, Alec Willig, director of assemblies; Bryce Escobar, vice president; Dana Weatherby, treasurer; Melody Tamminen, director of communications; Tobie Siu, secretary; Hamilton Wasnick, president. Not shown is Alex Mitchell, director of student activities. To read more about local back-to-school activities, see page 6.

Issaquah’s potential state park annexation is given more time for discussion

See PARK, Page 3

“I think it’ll be a better-run park under our

jurisdiction.”– Trish Heinonen,

Long range planner –

2 l August 27, 2014 SAMMAMISH REVIEW

22

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By Ari Cetron

Chris Pribbernow, of Sammamish, finds himself commuting back and forth to Seattle regularly, but he, like other drivers, sometimes finds himself flaunting the law as he does it.

The state installed variable speed signs along Interstate 90 and state Route 520, and when there’s congestion ahead, the signs will drop the speed limit for the road below the standard 60 mph.

When that happens, Pribbernow said he and most of the other drivers just keep zip-ping along the freeway.

“I ignore the speed signs and continue to go with the flow of traffic,” Pribbernow said. “I guess I just don’t take them as seri-ously.”

The state installed the first set of those signs, formally called Active Traffic Management signs, along I-5 in 2010, said Travis Phelps, spokes-man for the Washington Department of Transportation.

The signs work automatically, with a computer checking traffic volumes and generating automatic slowdown messages, Phelps said. He was quick to note that the center is staffed round-the-clock, and human operators can, and do, override the machine.

While the signs have been on mountain passes for years, the state is now trying to use them to manage traffic in more con-gested areas, Phelps said.

And while some people may ignore the warnings, they seem to help reduce car crashes.

Phelps said the idea is to slow traffic down ahead of a slowdown further along the road. That can lead to fewer driv-ers slamming on the breaks and causing crashes as they approach the area.

“We’re trying to get as much informa-tion to the driver as soon as possible,” Phelps said.

Anecdotally, at least some of the driv-ers don’t seem to heed the warnings. Pribbernow, and others interviewed, say they don’t notice cars actually slowing down when the speed signs change.

Drivers often just continue to go with the flow of traffic as long as there’s an open road and then slow down when they must.

“I don’t want to be that guy everyone is passing and honking at,” Pribbernow said.

The Washington State Patrol doesn’t track how many tickets they write to people who violate the speed signs, said Trooper Karim Boukabou, but he noted it is something they can enforce.

While it might be difficult in some cases, where a speed limit might change after a driver has passed a sign, Boukabou said more egregious cases are the sort of thing where he might pull someone over, like observing someone driving 60 mph under a sign that says 40.

“I might have a chat with that person,” Boukabou said.

Variable speed-limit signs: Are they helpful or a hindrance?

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Obituary

chance to find out about the ins and outs of police work while serving the community.

Community development

The council wants Yazici to make sure the city’s Comprehensive Plan stays on track for its completion date, expect-ed next year. It wants an economic development plan in place next year, with guidance from the council. It also wants him to find ways to make the city’s tree retention ordi-nance more effective.

Public worksThe council expects

Yazici to do what is need-

ed to complete stormwa-ter work, including find-ing ways to improve cul-verts under the East Lake Sammamish Parkway. It also wants him to keep the city on top of expect-ed new stormwater regu-lations, and determine how they might impact the planned Town Center project.

AdministrativeThe council wants

Yazici to look into developing a citizens academy. Other cities have similar programs, where residents have the opportunity to find out how the city govern-ment works, and how city programs dovetail with those at the county, state and federal levels.

The council also wants him to develop a strategy to coordinate human services pro-grams across the city.

YaziciContinued from Page 1

President Paul Winterstein said.

As city and State Parks officials work to bring economic development opportunities to the park, Winterstein and other council members worried how the current zoning would affect their efforts, especially considering adja-cent wetland areas.

Because of the zon-ing questions and other council concerns regard-ing what Issaquah resi-dents would get out of an annexation, the council ultimately decided to move the topic to the Sept. 8 work session. Councilman

Tola Marts endorsed the further discussion “in the spirit of measure twice and cut once” and to collect any additional public com-ment.

Should the council adopt the letter of intent in time, Heinonen said she hopes the staff can present the city’s case to the Boundary Review Board during its October meeting and have a recommendation by November. If the board were to give a recommen-dation, the City Council would then need to hold a public hearing before mak-ing a final decision.

“I think it’ll be a better-run park under our juris-diction,” Heinonen said. “We just want to get it done hopefully before the legis-lative session.”

PeaceContinued from Page 1

State Parks offers free days to visitors

Washington State Parks is offering “free days” when visitors are not required to display the Discover Pass to visit a state park. The next free day is Sept. 27, in honor of National Parks Lands Day.

The “free days” are in keeping with legislation

that created the Discover Pass, a $30 annual or $10 one-day permit required on state-managed rec-reation lands managed by Washington State Parks, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Department of Natural Resources.

The free days apply only at state parks.

Sammamish Forum

OPINIONReview editorial

School begins with need for volunteers

Published every Wednesday by

Issaquah Press Inc.All departments can be reached at 392-6434

fax: 392-1695 / email: samrev@isspress.comwww.sammamishreview.com

1085 12th Ave. N.W., Suite D1 / P.O. Box 1328Issaquah, King County, WA 98027

Annual subscription is $35 or $60 for two yearsAdd $15 outside King County / $20 outside state

4 l August 27, 2014 SAMMAMISH REVIEW

Mayor put everyone’s best interests at heart

In the Aug. 20 Sammamish Review, Harry Shedd took issue with Mayor Tom Vance’s comments to the audience at a recent meeting. This letter is on the heels of a letter that is better called an evisceration by Scott Hamilton. I am going to strongly disagree with Mr. Shedd, and certainly Mr. Hamilton. It won’t be the first time. I was at the council meeting in question.

Mr. Shedd and Mr. Hamilton both should note that this was a city council meeting. Good deci-

sions come from good process and meetings open to all. Both Mr. Shedd and Mr. Hamilton expect to express opinions at council meet-ings, and I think they both expect to be heard and respected in expressing those opinions. Others do as well.

The mayor was exercising his authority to control the meeting and make room for the range of people and opinions that they bring, including mine. The hardest decisions the council has to make involve balancing local interest with the greater public interest. I felt that Mayor Vance took con-

trol of the meeting in a direct and respectful way. He got the present-ers to take a breath and reframe their arguments around facts, his-tory, and their circumstances.

Better presentations were made and as a result, I could tell the council became more open to the presenters, their comments and con-cerns. I saw a mayor doing a good job leading an emotionally charged meeting on a difficult issue in a way that was open to all. It’s called lead-ership.

Mark CrossSammamish

Poll of the weekHow are you planning to celebrate the Labor Day week-end?

A) Hang at home and watch some TVB) Finish back-to-school shoppingC) Stop procrastinating on a home-improvement projectD) Brave the traffic and get out of town

To vote, visit www.SammamishReview.com.

STAFFJoe Heslet.......General managerAri Cetron.. .....................EditorNeil Pierson..................ReporterGreg Farrar... .......PhotographerDeanna Jess.............Advertising

4

Citizens can make a difference by contacting their elected representa-tives.

FederalPresident Barack Obama (D), The

White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20500; 202-456-1414; president@white-house.gov

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

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

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

State-GovernorGov. Jay Inslee (D), Office of the

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

CountyKing County Executive Dow

Constantine, King County Chinook

Building401 Fifth Ave., Suite 800, Seattle,

WA 98104; 206-296-4040; or kcex-ec@kingcounty.gov

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

SammamishMayor Tom Vance: tvance@sam-

mamish.usDeputy Mayor Kathleen

Huckabay: khuckabay@sam-mamish.us

Councilman Tom Odell: todell@sammamish.us

Councilman Don Gerend: dger-end@sammamish.us

Councilman Ramiro Valderrama: rvalderrama-aramayo@sammamish.us

Councilwoman Nancy Whitten: nwhitten@sammamish.us

Councilman Bob Keller: bkeller@sammamish.us

Lake Washington School Board

Board President Jackie Pendergrass: jpendergrass@lwsd.org

Nancy Bernard: nbernard@lwsd.org

Siri Bliesner: sbliesner@lwsd.org

Christopher Carlson: ccarlson@lwsd.org

Mark Stuart: Mstuart@lwsd.org

Issaquah School BoardBoard President Marnie Maraldo:

maraldom@issaquah.wednet.eduLisa Callan: callanl@issaquah.

wednet.eduBrian Deagle: deagleb@issaquah.

wednet.eduAnne Moore: moorea@issaquah.

wednet.eduSuzanne Weaver weavers@

issaquah.wednet.edu

4

Next Tuesday, parents across the Issaquah and Lake Washington school districts will walk their children to the school bus or to the school for the start of a new school year.

Ahhhh, finally, a bit of free time for a second cup of coffee!

But wait, your school needs you! The volunteer jobs at school are endless. The playground needs monitors, the library can use assistance, the front office might need your organizational skills, teachers almost never have enough helpers and the nurse’s office is often in need of a mother’s touch to watch over a sick child.

But the best of the volunteer jobs may be work-ing directly with students. Parents, grandparents and other citizens are always welcome to just listen to children read. For a bigger role, ask about becoming a mentor to one student, helping guide them in their social development and their studies — or sometimes just to be there to listen.

If you prefer something more athletic, check into becoming a volunteer to help a coach. The middle schools and high schools have an array of sports teams that need both organizational and skills assistance in support of its coaches.

Volunteers at schools are not expected to take a leadership role. Volunteers do not get involved in dis-cipline or instruction. Their role is one of helper.

Getting involved in school doesn’t necessarily mean more time with children. The PTA at each school is looking for parents to volunteer in everything from teacher recognition to fundraising. Start by joining your PTA, then get involved.

Both the Issaquah and Lake Washington school districts require a background check on every volun-teer, whether or not it is a parent. All volunteers must apply and be approved before they get clearance to begin service. In additional to the typical background information, volunteers must undergo a Washington State Patrol Criminal History check once every two years.

To get started, stop in at a school office to learn more about volunteer opportunities and get an applica-tion. Forms can also be found at the district’s website.

Share your views

Letters Sammamish Review wel-

comes letters to the editor on any subject, although prior-ity will be given to letters that address local issues. We reserve the right to edit letters for length, clarity or inappropriate content.

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

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

Pot disposalPolice made contact Aug.

9 with a male resident on the 22600 block of Northeast Inglewood Hill Road who was reportedly high on marijuana. He admitted to having the drug in his pos-session, but claimed he had a prescription. After search-ing his backpack, he was unable to find the prescrip-tion. The officer confiscated the marijuana and gave the man his contact informa-tion, explaining he would return the drug when the man located his prescrip-tion. After not hearing from the man for 48 hours, the marijuana was destroyed.

Stolen boat partsPolice responded Aug.

13 to a theft report on the 2400 block of East Lake Sammamish Parkway Southeast. A male resident told officers that he’d parked his motorboat in his drive-way overnight. He noticed that morning someone had taken the outdrive and propeller off the boat. The outdrive and propeller were secured to the vessel with six bolts, and only the bolt caps were left behind. The man also noted that several vehicles had been parked in the driveway the previous night, so the boat had been boxed in and no other vehi-cles could’ve approached it. Police noted the boat parts were heavy, so multiple sus-pects were likely involved. They were unable to obtain fingerprints from the boat, and the man was told he should search sites like Craigslist and eBay to see if

the items were being resold.

Drunken youth discovered

At about 12:20 a.m. Aug. 14, a passing motor-ist reported a 15-year-old boy had crashed his bicycle near the corner of Northeast 16th Street and East Lake Sammamish Parkway Northeast. Officers arrived and found the boy to be heavily intoxicated. They determined he was a Tanzanian native who was staying with a host family, although his drunken condi-tion and difficulty speaking English limited their abil-ity to communicate. The boy was transported to a Redmond hospital for detox-ification, and his host family

was eventually reached.

What the fork?Police responded to a case

of suspicious circumstances Aug. 15 on the 3000 block of 241st Avenue Southeast. A female resident found several plastic forks placed in the ground on the corner of her property. The woman believed they were put there by her ex-husband, and claimed she had a restrain-ing order against him. She also told police her front yard had been littered with plastic forks five days earlier, and that the yard had been cleaned thoroughly since then, so the forks there Aug. 15 must be new. Police were unable to find any valid restraining or protection orders involving the woman.

SAMMAMISH REVIEW August 27, 2014 l 5

5

Police Blotter

5

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Never Stop Smiling

By Neil Pierson

Summer weather in the Puget Sound region has been awfully friendly, and most children are taking advantage of the perpetual sunshine with outdoor activities like bike rid-ing, swimming and sports.

But Inglewood Middle School students are also filling their summer schedule with time at their home computers. A few years ago, the Lake Washington School District began imple-menting IXL, an online math program, and the results have been overwhelmingly positive.

Inglewood started using IXL in its math classes during

the 2013-14 school year after principal Tim Patterson and several teachers paid a visit to neighboring Evergreen Middle School in Redmond.

At Evergreen, math scores have risen sharply in recent years. For example, 90.8 per-cent of seventh-graders met state assessment standards in the 2012-13 year, a growth of 8.5 percent in four years. Among eighth-graders, the pas-sage rate was 79.8 percent, a rise of 11.2 percent.

In that same time span, Inglewood has seen its eighth-grade math scores level off to 70.3 passing in 2012-13.

“Our eighth-grade scores

have not grown in the last few years, and so this effort really started with a hard look at, ‘How can we help eighth-graders meet the standard?’” said Patterson, who is entering his eighth year as Inglewood’s principal.

Math teachers told Patterson that eighth grade can be a dif-ficult year for learning math concepts because that’s when algebraic concepts first get introduced.

“That’s a jump-off point that some kids find really challeng-ing,” Patterson said.

The IXL purchase agree-ment allows the school to use the program for a full year,

so school officials wanted to maintain at-home access for students over the summer.

IXL is used in more than 15,000 schools worldwide, its website states, and covers more than 2,500 distinct math topics from pre-kindergarten through high school.

“All questions – even word problems – are algorithmi-cally generated, meaning that every question is unique, and students never see repeats no matter how long they practice,” the IXL website states.

The program is aligned to Washington’s new Common Core Standards. Lessons include multiple-choice,

numerical and word problems. It’s all based on abilities: Sixth-graders can plot graphs or delve into consumer math. Seventh-graders can study the Pythagorean theorem. Eighth-graders can work on statistics and linear functions.

Inglewood students seems to be embracing the concept of summer math homework. From June 18 – the last day of school – through July 29, they had complet-ed about 210,000 problems on the IXL site and Patterson projects they’ll break the 300,000 mark by summer’s end.

By Neil Pierson

Kym Clayton has a child who struggles with social skills and speech delays, and in her quest to find help, she stumbled across an idea from a suburban school in Pennsylvania.

Christian Bucks, a student at Roundtown Elementary School in York, Pa., invented a simple but effective way of helping children who were feeling sad or lonely. His Buddy Bench concept – a bench where kids can sit when they’re in need of a friend – has spread like wildlife in less than a year, reaching schools around the world.

Clayton believed the Buddy Bench might be a useful tool at Sunny Hills Elementary School in Sammamish, where she was serving as PTSA president during the 2013-14 school year.

But simply going to the local hardware store and building a bench wasn’t what she had in mind.

“I think it would be really neat to be full circle, that kids are building this bench for other kids,” she explained.

That’s where Patrick Ford, Alejandro Calderon and Jade Griffiths come in. Ford, a long-time industrial arts teacher at Beaver Lake Middle School, received an email from Clayton asking if he’d be interested in building the bench.

Ford, who also coaches wres-tling, reached out to his team captains at Beaver Lake. Two eighth-graders, Calderon and Griffiths, answered the call and helped Ford build the bench at the school’s woodshop in just a few days. Cooper McBride, an Issaquah High School student, also con-tributed to the project by engraving a “Buddy Bench” sign.

When the bench was pre-sented to Sunny Hills at a June assembly, the Beaver Lake students were in atten-

Back To School 6 l August 27, 2014 SAMMAMISH REVIEW

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Numbers don’t lie: Inglewood Middle School students loving new summer math work

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Schools getting creative to bolster kindness ideals

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Y TEENS LEAD

Photo by Neil PiersonEastlake High School elected its Associated Student Body officers for the 2014-15 school year. Pictured from left: vice president Andy Mohajeri, president Grant Flindt, secretary Aneesha Nanda, public relations manager Connor Finley and treasurer Liam Stewart.

SammamiSh Review

TIMESAVERSWe are your eyes and ears atlocal government meetings.

Leaders of the pack

By Neil Pierson

Maizy Brewer’s 2013 cross-country season was one to behold – she set sophomore class records at three distances for Skyline High School, and fin-ished just outside the top 10 at the state championships.

As much pleasure as Brewer took from her individual perfor-mances, however, leading the Spartans to a 10th-place team finish at the Class 4A state meet was an even bigger accomplish-ment, and she wouldn’t have been so good without her team-mates.

“I just think we had a really close-knit team last year and that was the key,” Brewer said. “It kind of all fell into place, but it was a surprise.”

Brewer is doing her best to make sure 2013 was no fluke. She put in two months of work on the track with Junior

Olympics, and after a 10-day break where she completely stayed away from running, began train-ing with her Skyline team-mates four days a week.

And as high-school tryouts begin this week, Brewer may be expected to be more than just a pace setter for coach Brendan Hyland’s Spartans. Last year’s team leaders, Samantha Krahling and Alex Daugherty, graduated and passed the torch to girls like Brewer.

“I’ve really tried to model myself after them athletically because they’re so talented and they never give up, and they’re so humble, too,” Brewer said of Krahling and Daugherty.

Brewer comes from an athletically-gifted fam-ily: Her father, Chris, is a second-degree black belt in taekwondo, and her entire family has been immersed in the sport for years. Maizy began learning at age 6, and earned her first-degree black belt from True Martial Arts stu-dio in Sammamish.

Brewer said taekwondo has helped her become a better run-ner. She’s built mental strength by learning from her dad, whom

she cred-its for having a great deal

of discipline.“I used to have a lot of doubts

about my abilities,” she said, “and sometimes have a hard time trusting myself with something difficult.”

Brewer got into competitive running on the late side, join-ing the track team at Beaver Lake Middle School because her friends were doing it. She was a sprinter at first.

“I was convinced I would

never run more than one lap around the track,” she said with a chuckle.

Before her freshman year at Skyline, she decided to add cross country to her repertoire because she figured it would help her train for track. Upon meeting Hyland, she told him she preferred speed over endur-ance.

The coach got the last laugh, though. By the end of the sea-

son, Brewer realized she wasn’t a sprinter.

Brewer turned in some solid but unspectacular cross-country times as a ninth-grader, then

took flight as a sopho-more. Her times in the two-mile (12 minutes, 9.99 seconds), three-mile (18:58) and 5,000 meters (18:27.90) all broke the school’s sophomore records. The latter mark, in fact, came at the state meet on the undulat-ing hills of Pasco’s Sun Willows Golf Course, and her 11th place effort there set Skyline’s overall record.

Because of her late start in long distances, she’s still trying to find the same success on the track. As a freshman, she contributed to Skyline’s seventh-place state fin-ish in the 1,600-meter relay. But she didn’t get past the KingCo meet as a sophomore in the 800, 1,600 or 3,200.

“The learning curve is tough,” Brewer admit-ted. “I never anticipated the difference (with cross country) … and it takes a

toll on your body.”Mckenzie Deutsch and Emily

Sullivan are the other returning members of the Spartans’ 2013 state squad, and Brewer said it’s definitely “a reachable goal” to get back there again. As for individual goals, she’s looking to break the 18-minute barrier for the first time and qualify for the Nike Border Clash, a high-school all-star event, for a second straight year.

She has some additional fuel as her younger sister, Clara, will be a freshman at Skyline and plans to run as well.

“I’m excited to spend these last few years of high school with her,” Brewer said.

SPORTS 8 l August 27, 2014 SAMMAMISH REVIEW

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Brewer preparing to add to Skyline runners’ record book

File photoSkyline High School’s lead pack of girls, from left, senior Alex Daugherty, sophomore Callie Juetten, sophomore Maizy Brewer, senior Caitlyn McIlwain and senior Kayla Nancarrow race during a cross country meet Oct. 16, 2013, against Newport and Issaquah.

Concerts in the Park, the annual summer concert series, finishes its run 6:30-8 p.m.

Aug. 28 with Remnanz, a clas-sic rock band, at Pine Lake Park. For details including a complete schedule and parking informa-tion, visit www.sammamish.us/events/ConcertsInthePark.aspx.

The last day of life-guard season is Labor Day, Sept. 1.

A class about blood pres-sure and cholesterol manage-ment is set

for 7-8 p.m. Sept. 3 at the Sammamish Library.

Healing the Whole Body, a class that hopes to enhance the lives of people with

cancer or other chronic illnesses is from 10:30 a.m. to noon Sept. 6 at the Sammamish Library.

Fit by nature, a class to help jumpstart a fit-ness program, is set for 7-8:30 p.m. Sept. 10 at

the Sammamish Library.

MOMS Club of the Sammamish Plateau hosts its annual mem-bership drive and

annual kickoff party from 10 a.m. to noon Sept. 12 at Beaver Lake Park. The group will be meet-ing at the picnic structure near the playground and ball fields. MOMS Club is a support group for stay-at-home moms. For more information on the club, visit www. momsclubsammamish.org.

Volunteer to help restore Ebright Creek Park from 9 a.m. to noon Sept. 13.

For details, visit http://www.sammamish.us/events/Default.aspx?ID=3263.

Cycle the WAVE, an all-female bike ride to help raise awareness

of domestic violence, is set for 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 14. The ride begins and ends at Bellevue College but passes through Sammamish. For details, visit http://thewavefoundation.org/cycle-the-wave.

A free concert by The Chapman Duo, winners of the 2014 Ladies Musical Club’s Frances Walton Competition, is from 7-8:30 p.m. Sept. 14 at Pine Lake Covenant Church.

Birthing from Within, a class about preparation for child-birth is set for 7-8 p.m. Sept. 16 At the Sammamish Library.

The Sammamish

Book Club will discuss ‘Native Son,’ by Richard Wright from 7-9 p.m. Sept. 17 at the Sammamish Library.

The Clay Canvas, an art class for Sammamish resi-dents 55 and older,

explores clay from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 18 and 25. For details and to register, visit http://www.sammamish.us/events/Default.aspx?ID=3225.

MOMS Club of the Sammamish Plateau hosts its monthly meeting from 10 a.m.

to noon Sept. 19 at Pine Lake Covenant Church, 1715 228th Ave. S.E. in Sammamish. This month’s meeting will feature a presentation from professional organizer Lisa Deily, of Creative Clutter Solutions.

Volunteer to help maintain Illahee Trail from 9 a.m. to noon Sept. 20. For

details visit www.sammamish.us/events/Default.aspx?ID=3167.

Sammamish walks will feature a guided walk through Soaring Eagle Park from 10 a.m. to noon Sept. 20, for details and to regis-ter, visit http://www.sammamish.us/events/Default.aspx?ID=3183.

The Mother-Daughter book club, for girls 10-13 and their mothers, will discuss

‘When You Reach Me’ by Rebecca Stead from 1-2 p.m. Sept. 21 at the Sammamish Library.

Kids, Food and Fitness, a class for children 6-10 with an adult, focuses on

childhood nutrition, is sched-uled for 7-8 p.m. Sept. 24 at the Sammamish Library.

Calendar SAMMAMISH REVIEW August 27, 2014 l 9

9

Events

September13

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10

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To submit items for the Community Calendar, email to samrev@isspress.com. Items will be edited and must be received by the Wednesday before publication.

9

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210-Public Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE 14‑1263

Notice of Public Hearings ‑ Proposed Closure of Tiger Mountain

Community High School In accordance with Issaquah School District Policy 6883 – School Clo‑ sures, two hearings have been sched‑ uled for public input on the proposed closure of Tiger Mountain Community High School. Both meetings will be held in the ISD Board Room located at 565 NW Holly Street. The first is Wednesday, September 10 at 5:30 p.‑ m., prior to the regular school board meeting. The second is Wednesday, September 17 at 7:00 p.m. Commu‑ nity members may also provide com‑ ments v ia e‑mai l at t igercom‑ ments@issaquah.wednet.edu. More information on the proposed closure is available on the ISD website at http:‑ //www.issaquah.wednet.edu/school‑ s/TMCHSProposedClosure.aspx

Published in Sammamish Review on 8/27/14, 9/3/14, 9/10/14 and 9/17/14.

134-Help Wanted

Recycle your newspaper.

Sixty-five percent of the student body has partici-pated.

There are nearly 1,200 students enrolled at Inglewood, but because the incoming sixth-grade class didn’t get access to IXL until last week, most of those 210,000 prob-lems were done by 750 students. That averages out to 280 problems per student.

The principal hopes the work will prove valu-able when classes resume Sept. 2. Before IXL, most students did little, if any, math work during the summer, and had forgot-ten a lot of material when they returned to school.

“Our hope is if kids use this, just do 30 minutes of math a week, then they will kind of keep their

math skills up to date and ready to go,” Patterson said. “So we’ll skip the first two weeks of school where we’re doing just solid review of concepts that they learned last year.”

While students are using IXL on a volun-tary basis, there’s some extra incentive, too. The Inglewood PTSA funded several prizes: Each week, two participating students are chosen randomly and

receive $5 gift cards for frozen yogurt. And when school starts up again, three more students will earn $50 Target gift cards as grand prizes.

The Lake Washington Schools Foundation has helped grow IXL usage in recent years. Ten of the district’s 53 schools received grants for the program last year.

One of the most interesting parts of IXL, Patterson said, is it allows teachers to assign students a proficiency level based on their scores.

It’s a more efficient system than simply giv-ing out a 10-problem math assignment, the principal said.

“It allowed for what we call differentiation,” he said. “Kids that needed a little bit more work got a little bit more work; kids that understood the mate-rial, they didn’t have to do as much.”

10 l August 27, 2014 SAMMAMISH REVIEW

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MathContinued from Page 6

“Our hope is if kids do this, just do 30 minutes of math a

week, then they will kind of keep their math skills up to date and ready to

go.”– Tim Patterson

Principal –

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dance and got to share in the joy.

“I thought it was great – they seemed to like it, so that made me happy,” Griffiths said.

The middle-schoolers think the Buddy Bench is an age-appropriate tool.

“Older kids actu-ally might just abuse it,” Calderon said, “but younger kids could really take the opportunity and use it to make more friends and just be nicer to people.”

“In fifth grade, I moved here, and it was kind of hard to make friends at first … so in fifth grade that would’ve helped,” Griffiths added.

Ford noted the bench got immediate use.

“You don’t really want to see it get used, but it’s nice that it’s there and can be used,” he said. “It has already made an impact

just the short time it’s been there.”

INFILTRATING SCHOOLS WITH ‘CULTURE OF KINDNESS’

Ron Thiele became a school administrator in the mid-1990s, right on the heels of a number of high-profile shootings, including the Columbine High School mas-sacre in Colorado.

Thiele joined Issaquah schools as a principal in 2001, and when he took over the superintendent’s post last summer, he immediate-ly laid out his top three pri-orities: Make schools cleaner and more sustainable; improve safety and security; and usher in a “Culture of Kindness” that can positively impact students of all ages.

He compared schools during testing periods to accounting offices during tax season – there’s a need for stress-reducing activities that can make the classroom more conducive for learning.

“School can be kind of a

stressful place. We expect a lot from kids and from our staff,” he said. “… If kids feel cared for at the school, even if we have high expecta-tions for them, I just think you’re more likely to get that desired outcome than if it’s all just regimented and feels hard.”

Within the past year, each of Issaquah’s 25 schools have found ways to implement the Culture of Kindness. Sunny Hills built its Buddy Bench. Issaquah High School held a revamped May Madness event that focused on service projects, com-bating the previous year’s “hotness bracket” that pitted female students against each other. Other schools used “kindness pledges” to foster friendships.

Schools are using some new programs that go hand-in-hand with the focus on kindness.

In the district’s nine middle schools and high schools, students will be able to anonymously report

problems through an online system called Quick TIP. It replaces a similar system, Talk About It, that Issaquah schools implemented mid-way through the 2013-14 year.

Quick TIP will be in place for the start of 2014-15 year, and officials hope it will uti-lized more than its predeces-sor because there’s no user-name requirement, and no way for a student’s identity to be exposed.

“As much as you want to promote a culture of kind-ness and coming to talk to a trusted adult, you still need to have that mechanism in place by which some-body can anonymously say there’s something going on,” Michelle acknowledged.

The district will continue partnering with Swedish Medical Center to provide mental health counselors at its comprehensive high schools, and with Friends of Youth to supply counselors for families with substance-abuse issues.

KindnessContinued from Page 6