entry into wnpa's feature writer of the year
DESCRIPTION
In October I switched from working for the Renton Reporter to the Issaquah/Sammamish Reporter. This entry has a compilation of stories from both newspapers. However, I am entering the contest as an Issaquah reporter. As you will see, I have submitted some of my strongest news features and one solid profile piece. While I have a plethora of softer stories, these ones were by far the most difficult and made the deepest impact on the community. I hope you appreciate the time I put into reporting them. I push hard to always be enterprising new stories and to always think outside of press releases.TRANSCRIPT
skicrystal.com
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YOUTH & FAMILIES | Issaquah Community Network elects four new board members [2]International opportunity | Eastside Catholic’s Skyler White travels overseas to play for England [Sports 8]REPORTER
FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2011A DIVISION OF SOUND PUBLISHING
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FISH endsyear inthe black
In spite of a drop in legacy funding, Friends of Issaquah Fish Hatchery (FISH) � nished 2010 in the black, thanks mainly to increased memberships, new donations and by reining in expenses.
“We really count 2010 as a successful year consider-ing the number of local non-pro� ts that either had to close or make cuts because of the dire state of the economy,” said Gestin Suttle, FISH executive director.
FISH wrapped up the year with a 27 percent increase in membership revenues. Meanwhile, the year ended with expenses about 5 percent below budget expectations.
While FISH ended the year � nancially healthy, that does not mean there is not a concern for this coming year, leaders said.
“� ere is no doubt that FISH is going to have to weather more budget storms in 2011,” Suttle said. “We are again going to tighten our belts.”
BY CELESTE GRACEY
As the Eastside passes through another week of frigid temperatures, Vincent Flint counts down the days le� until the Bellevue Severe Weather Shelter packs up and moves to Red-mond.
For four Eastside cities, including Issaquah, the move is the chance to provide a shelter for homeless all winter. It’s about saving lives. It’s humane.
For Flint, it’s a disaster.Battling Hepatitis C since April, Flint says
the mile walk from his camp to the shelter at the Crossroads Community Center is almost impossible; a $5 bus ride to Redmond and back too costly.
“I’m not walking a tight rope,” he said. “I’m walking a razor blade.”
Promises of an especially icy winter this year
drove an inter-faith community to urge the cities to keep a shelter open on the East-side all winter.
Although their success was not expected, the group turned the Bellevue shelter, which typically only opens when temperatures drop below 32 degrees, into a nightly operation.
However, the change requires the shelter to
move to Redmond and the group is still raising money to cover the cost of being open extra days. � eir goal is to have enough money to stay open through Feb. 15.
While cities hope the investment will save lives, many still feel it’s not enough.
It’s an improvement to only being open when it’s freezing, but winter doesn’t end in February, said David Johns Bowling of Congregations for the Homeless, which contracts with Bellevue to run the shelter. “When the money runs out, it’s
‘I’m quite honestly shocked someone hasn’t died this winter.’
When help means life– or deathEastside cities working to provide permanent shelter for homeless
Vincent Flint became homeless after a bad shoulder kept him from work. He owned his own business as a � nish carpenter for 36 years. CELESTE GRACEY, Issaquah Reporter
[ more SHELTER page 3 ]
Being a better teacher is music to her earsBY CELESTE GRACEY
When music teacher Alice Badgley is faced with a decision, she always picks the more challenging path.
So when the opportunity to join the National Board Certi� cation program came along last year, it was an easy choice; there isn’t a harder program.
� e Grand Ridge Elementary teacher was among 31 in the Issaquah School District who earned their certi� cation this year, a point administrators tout.
While the completion of the program comes with a
proverbially gold star, and a small pay boost, for Badg-ley it’s about being a better teacher.
“� e year a� er, you can see the di� erence,” she said. “It made me a much more deliberate teacher.”
� e teachers spend about 400 additional hours through the school year preparing a portfolio and studying for a written as-sessment.
For Badgley, this meant a complete review of music history and world music. She also cra� ed new lesson plans for her portfolio and sent in videotapes of her classes.
“It made me look at my teaching as a whole,” she said. “It’s all very high-level stu� .”
In class, the low-key Badgley doesn’t � t the music teacher stereotype of a � amboyant extrovert with one hand on the tambou-rine and the other on a piano.
“She’s quiet, and she’s methodical,” said Don Clausen, a music teacher
counterpart at Sunny Hills Elementary. “I see her as being an academic person.”
A cellist, Badgley has her bachelor’s in performance from the University of Colorado and a masters in teaching at Regis University in Denver.
On a bad day she rarely has to repeat her instruc-tions. Students line choir
Alice Badgley’s focus in college was concert performance with the cello, but she plays several instruments to teach. CELESTE GRACEY, Issaquah Reporter
[ more MUSIC page 4 ]
EastsideWinter Shelter
LEARN MORE
16600 N.E. 80th St., RedmondOpen 8:30 p.m.-7:30 a.m.,Jan. 15-Feb. 15
‘Sleuth’ opens Wednesday
Village � eatre’s murder mystery thriller “Sleuth” by Anthony Sha� er opens Jan. 19 on the Mainstage.
Packed with twists and turns that continually tip the scale in both directions, this Tony Award-winning puzzle promises to keep audiences guessing.
For more information and tickets go to villageth-eatre.org. � e Village � e-atre is located at 303 Front Street North, Issaquah.
[3]FRIDAY, JAnuARY 14, 2011www.issaquah-reporter.com • www.sammamish-reporter.com
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still going to be cold.”The ultimate goal is to find a permanent
location and a nonprofit willing to take on the project, said Emily Leslie, Bellevue Human Services manager.
The shelter first opened three winters ago, after a homeless man died from exposure on Christmas night. The police chief came for-ward to urge the city to open a place during severe weather.
“We did consider it a regional shelter, and we encouraged the other cities to join in sup-port,” Leslie said.
Redmond and Kirkland gave “a little” money, and Issaquah sent the largest number of homeless of any community besides Bellevue.
After temperatures began to drop this November, Redmond began hosting meetings about expanding Bellevue’s pilot program.
Bellevue was willing to participate, if the group could find a new location. The shelter was already cost-ing the community center about $25,000 in revenue loss, in addition to operational costs.
The group only had a few weeks to find the new location. Volunteers searched the East-side, coming up empty handed in Kirkland and Issaquah.
Issaquah has emergency shelter capac-ity, most commonly used when Issaquah Creek floods. City buildings have also been used during a cold snap or power outage to keep people warm, but it’s not meant to be routinely used as a shelter, said Mayor Ava Frisinger.
“The city said that they wouldn’t offer any of their public space to us, but they would try to help us, if we could find private space,” said Elizabeth Maupin, Issaquah/Sammamish Interfaith Coalition coordinator.
After hearing that 11 percent of the clients at the Bellevue shelter are from Issaquah, Frisinger was moved to give $5,000 of city money.
“It seems thoroughly appropriate,” she said.The group plans to approach all of the cities
for money, the second crucial piece to keep-ing the shelter open.
Redmond came forward with an additional $5,000 and Bellevue promised $13,500. A few interfaith groups also held fundraisers.
The group hasn’t yet approached Kirkland.
Someplace warmA finish carpenter, Flint owned his own
business in Bellevue for 36 years. He’s a local, graduating from Interlake High School in 1972.
“I had a good career, I made lots of money,” he said. “I should be someplace warm.”
Four years ago his body was too torn up to work and the housing market began to halt, he lost his job and he was on the streets.
For the first few years he slept in his car in front of the Crossroads Top Foods. Then he began camping.
Flint uses his YMCA membership to keep clean, does laundry at a friend’s home and doesn’t do drugs or drink.
Jobless, he decided to teach himself a new trade, 3D design. He stays warm at the
Crossroads Bellevue Shop-ping Center during the day and, with laptop in hand, doesn’t stand out as anything other than someone taking advantage of free Wi-Fi.
Unlike Seattle, homeless on the Eastside work harder to fit in with a less accepting crowd, Bowling said, al-though no one at the shelter was quite as clean as Flint.
While drugs, alcohol and weapons are banned from the shelter, about 60-80 percent of the clients come in high or drunk, Bowling said. “They don’t want to give up their addictions.”
The shelter doesn’t check IDs or run back-ground checks. There are no case managers and everyone is welcome.
“This shelter is here to save lives,” Bowling said.
In the gym, garbage bags marked with duct tape keep blankets for regulars, who trickle in until about midnight.
Clients pull down tan plastic mats from atop a pile, until the supply runs out. The shelter is equipped for about 50 people.
On a typical cold night, the outside park-ing lot is covered in frost, men gather with cigarettes and other vices, puffing out warm air and smoke.
Inside one sleep area, about 10 snoring men overwhelm any nighttime silence, the air is thick.
Flint is too ill to sleep with the group, and finds a corner in the hall.
Although the shelter offers a separate room for women, only a few ever show up.
“People are more compassionate on women in general,” Bowling said, explaining their absence.
Some women are also known to trade sexual favors to men who put them up for the night, he added somberly.
Eastside sheltersVolunteers in the 2010 One Night Count
found 141 homeless camping out or on the streets on the Eastside, not including those on
buses, couch surfing or in shelters.Other than Tent City 4, there are only
two other known shelters on the Eastside. Sophia’s Way has space to house fewer than 10 women. The Congregations for the Homeless shelter in Bellevue houses 30 men, but has a waiting list of about 25 more, Bowling said.
Unlike the severe weather shelter, these shelters offer a hot meal and case managers working to get people out of homelessness.
Bellevue’s shelter fulfills a more basic need.“It’s about being humane,” said Colleen
Kelly, human services manager for the city of Redmond.
Although it’s a critical service, it’s not suf-ficient, she said. “This is a very bare-bones intervention.”
If the men don’t find a warm place to stay, they typically ride the buses or walk all night to keep warm.
“This is a life saver,” Bowling said. “I’m quite honestly shocked someone hasn’t died this winter.”
Even if the cities pull together and get a permanent shelter open all winter long, there is still a transportation problem.
Buses aren’t cheap to those who have noth-ing, and a recent gubernatorial budget prom-
ises deep cuts into government handouts and food stamps.
Elizabeth Maupin, who also volunteers at the shelter, offered to drive people from the Issaquah Food Bank to the new Redmond shelter once a week, and is organizing volun-teers.
Police officers also offered to give rides, if they have the time.
For Maupin, the goal isn’t just a winter shelter on the Eastside, it’s having one in each city.
“People are more likely to have a good sup-port system if they stay close to the commu-nity they know,” she said.
Not everyone is as optimistic about her vision.
Given the cost, that’s not likely going to happen anytime soon, Kelly said.
While the cities offer a lot of services to the homeless, Bowling suspects lack of political will is likely why there are so few shelters on the Eastside.
“Seattle is a destination for the homeless, and Bellevue doesn’t want to become one,” he said.
Celeste Gracey can be reached at 425-391-0363, ext. 5052.
[ shelter from page 1]
No permanent space found in Issaquah or Kirkland
supportthe shelter
learn more
The eastside shelter’s greatest needs are one-time donations of washable blankets and money for operational support. Contact Colleen Kelly at the City of redmond to make donations, 425-556-2423 or [email protected].
www.TheLesterGroup.com 425.427.9000
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EDUCATION | Issaquah’s gifted student programs could face cuts from state budget crisis [3]Upset city | Issaquah knocks o� � rst-place Skyline in overtime [Sports 10]REPORTER
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2011A DIVISION OF SOUND PUBLISHING
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BY CELESTE GRACEY
An 18-year-old Issaquah High School lacrosse player died in a three-car collision on I-405 Tuesday.
Tyler Lucas, a Chrysalis High School senior, had a successful athletic career and planned to play lacrosse at Dominican University in California next year.
Late Tuesday morning, the teen was driving in the le� -hand lane on I-405 when he quickly moved his Dodge Neon to the middle lane to avoid tra� c that was slowing, according to a Washington State Patrol release.
He lost control of the car and struck the back of a gold Chevy Suburban, before spinning in front of a green Honda, where his car was struck on the driver’s side.
While the incident is still under investigation, speeds too fast for tra� c conditions were a major contributing factor, according to the Patrol.
Lucas was taken to Harborview Medical Center, where he later died.
� e driver of the Suburban was taken to nearby Over-lake for treatment, and the driver of the green Honda only had minor injuries.
All three drivers were wearing seat belts.
Issaquah Reporter Sta� Writer Celeste Gracey can be reached at Celeste Gracey can be reached at 425-391-0363, ext. 5052.
Issaquah teen dies in car crash on I-405
Reigniting his passionBY CELESTE GRACEY
Full of passion, Leonard Whit� eld was on the rise in the glassblowing community in 2006. He could shape anything he imagined, and he was about to open a second studio in Is-saquah.
His ego was his task master, and with it he pushed his limits. � en in an instant, his life fractured like hot glass on cold pavement.
Whit� eld was waiting on an I-5 on-ramp when a police o� cer smashed into the back of his Mazda Miata at 65 mph. � e convertible crumpled against another car.
Whit� eld was rushed to Harbor-view Medical Center; people won-dered if he’d live.
Whit� eld lost quite a bit that day and has had to endure years of painful
recovery. However, there was nothing more un-expected than his losing the love of glassblowing.
“I didn’t like glass, I didn’t know why it was so important,” he said, recalling the a� ermath of the accident.
But this summer, Whit� eld is look-ing forward to celebrating � ve years of ArtByFire in Issaquah with his wife, Renee Pound.
It’s also been � ve years of rediscov-ering a passion he thought he’d lost.
In addition to nerve and bone dam-age to his back, he had three brain bleeds. If learning to walk again wasn’t hard enough, he also had to learn to blow glass all over again.
Modeling the peculiar medium takes years to master. Pieces are mold-
ed as much by gravity as by the jacks used to pinch and coax the glowing hot material.
“� is is the weird-est medium to work with, and it never ends,” Pound said.
Heat must be con-tinually applied and reapplied to keep the glass hot enough, and the piece must be continually spun on the rod to keep it from falling.
It’s half sport, half art, Whit� eld said.
He still walks with a cane – one of his legs never fully recovered – but there are no canes in his studio.
“He’s come a long way, and he’s still getting better everyday,” Pound said.
At � rst he went back to glassblow-
Leonard Whit� eld, owner of Issaquah’s ArtByFire, works with a piece of glass to form the top of a goblet. Spending two years recovering from a serious accident, Whit� eld had to rediscover his love of glassblowing. CELESTE GRACEY, Issquah Reporter
Issasquah glassblower rediscovers his love for the art after horri� c accident
Issaquah Mayor Ava Frisinger plans to give her State of the City address Monday. � e presentation includes a speech and a 10-minute video at the City Council
chambers.It will also be broadcast and available live
on the city’s website or by typing http://pnw.cc/stateofcity.
Mayor to give State of City speech Monday
ArtByFireLEARN
MORE
195 Front Street, Issaquah425-996-886712 p.m.-5 p.m., Sun.11 a.m.-6 p.m., Wed.-Sat.
[ more GLASSBLOWER page 2 ]The driver of this Dodge Neon died when he swerved to avoid tra� c and was struck by another vehicle. Washington State Patrol photo
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2011[2] www.issaquah-reporter.com • www.sammamish-reporter.com
A PREMIER JAZZ AND BLUES SUPPER CLUB
4135 Providence Point Dr. SEIssaquah • (425) 391-3335www.bakesplace.org
follow us on:
At Bake’s Place, we present an eclectic variety of world-class performances that appeal to a broad range of tastes and interests “Fridays in the Living Room,” are relaxed evenings, which feature special musical guests, comedic banter, friends sitting in with the house band, spontaneous fun and, of course, lots and lots of great music. Hosted by a rotation that includes some of the top performing artists in the Northwest, these casual shows are our way of kicking off the weekend. Our Saturday Night Spotlight shows feature a variety of performers and styles of music, from hard-drivin’ blues and old-school funk to singer-songwriter showcases and special appearances from visiting artists such as San Francisco vocalist Jackie Ryan. Saturday nights are always hoppin’ at Bake’s Place! Another weekly offering is our Sunday Breakfast at Bake’s with guitarist Michael Gotz. Every Sunday morning, guests can enjoy our delectable breakfast offerings while listening to the acoustic stylings of Michael Gotz. Gotz is an accomplished guitarist, pianist and composer and plays a tasteful mix of jazz, world, pop and original music on nylon string guitar. Great food and sweet music combine for a uniquely relaxed Sunday morning out. Finally, we are also proud to present our monthly Sunday Dinner Theme Shows, which pair music and menu around a special theme. Think Frank Sinatra, martinis and steaks or Motown and soul food. Each month is a different theme and a chance for our guests to experience something new!
These are just a few of the great events that we present at Bake’s Place. For a full line-up of shows, please be sure and check out our calendar. We hope you will visit us soon. There is something for everyone at Bake’s Place!
CATERING AND SPECIAL EVENTS
Got a special event? Bake’s Place is available for your event. Banquets, meetings, and receptions.
Contact us with your requirements
UP-COMING EVENTS:Friday, February 4, 2011Vicci Martinez mesermizing NW songwriter in intimate acoustic performance
Sunday, Feb 6, 13, 27, 2011Sunday Breakfasts at Bake’s with guitarist Michael Gotz sweet melodies on nylon string guitar
Friday, February 11, 2011Fridays In the Living Room with Greta: Special Guest-Susan Pascal Jazz Vox & vibes
Saturday, February 12, 2011Pearl Django Hot Club at its � nest
Monday, February 14, 2011David Lanz and Friends Valentine’s Day dinner & show
Friday, February 25, 2011Fridays With Greta: Special Guest-Overton BerryTwo NW legends
February 27, 2011The HalyardsAmericana-Roots music
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See website for complete calendar and details of other upcoming shows.
ing because he had a business to sup-port. Gradually, the knowledge came back and he was able to make made simple pieces.
Two years a� er the accident, he was invited to dinner at the friend of a friend’s home where he saw one of his less-inspired pieces adorning a mantel.
� e owner didn’t know it was his work, but bought it just to enjoy. Whit� eld then recalled something he was told as a boy, that unless you create something, you’re not doing anything at all.
Glassblowing suddenly clicked for him again.
“Once you create things, not creat-ing things is impossible,” he said.
� e passion that was once driven by ego and accomplishment was replaced by a desire to show the beauty he sees around himself.
“� at is what art is, to coax people for a moment to see the way you see things,” he said. “It was almost a rebirth.”
A lost artWhit� eld � rst saw glassblowing at
a studio run by a self-taught hippy in Oregon.
A graduate in radiology, Whit� eld worked in the medical � eld. He found the glassblower fascinating to watch. � e hippy, seeing his professional-looking suit, wasn’t as receptive.
Whit� eld visited the studio every day to watch. When one day she began struggling with a piece. He grabbed tools and helped her out, and it opened a door to friendship.
He made a deal to all the shop’s grunt work, and she taught him what she knew.
At the time, glassblowing was a lost art, and most people experimenting with it knew little about it.
“� ey were essentially reinvent-ing the wheel,” he said. “I developed a whole long process of doing it the wrong way.”
He was visiting Seattle to be with a family member who was dying when he visited an event to watch Lino Ta-gliapietra, a master Italian glassblower, at his cra� .
He met Pound, an artist in her own right, through his brother, and a� er selling pieces at festivals, they decided to open a studio and gallery in Ballard.
At the time, Seattle had about 1,500 studios, but only a few were open to the public, he said.
� ey had the studio in Ballard for about 12 years, and it became a part of the community.
“He had a high standard for his cra� ,” said student Steve Cohen. “I don’t know where he’d be if it weren’t for the accident, and I think it’s a shame he didn’t get to � nd out.”
� ey sold the Ballard studio a couple years a� er the accident.
In Issaquah, Whit� eld teaches classes and works one on one with students. � e ArtByFire studio is full of his recent works, as well as Pound’s art sculptures.
“When I re� ected on how persis-tent he is and how important this is to him, I knew he’d overcome any obstacles put in front of him,” said student Paul Benoit.Celeste Gracey can be reached at 425-391-0363, ext. 5052.
Leonard Whit� eld � ashes a bulb of glass that will eventually be turned into the top of a goblet. To keep the material malleable, it has to be constantly reheated. CELESTE GRACEY, Issaquah Reporter
[GLASSBLOWER from page 1]
Passion driven by desire to show beauty he sees
Home help offered Sammamish residents
One-time assistance is being o� ered to Sammamish residents who need help in maintaining their property or home, but are either unable to a� ord or perform necessary repairs due to � nancial, physical or mental health.
Sammamish Cares is a consortium of local community service organizations banded together with the city to aid local homeowners who are unable to maintain their homes and properties. It includes the city of Sammamish, Sammamish Kiwanis, and Sammamish Rotary in partner-ship with Faith in Action and Habitat for Humanity of East King County.
� e projects the group does are those that the hom-eowner would normally handle but is temporarily unable to. � ese include yard maintenance and simple repairs. � e group is unable to help with ongoing maintenance or projects which require skills above the skill level of the volunteers.
More complex repairs might be referred to Habit for Humanity of East King County and their Brush With Kindness program.
Projects for homeowners over the age of 60 will be re-viewed by Faith in Action. Homeowners might be asked to cover some of the costs if they are able to.
� ose who need help should contact the city of Samma-mish volunteer coordinator for referral into the program. � e coordinator will � ll out a short application in person or over the phone.
� e application will then be forwarded to the Samma-mish Cares Operations Committee for review. Projects are reviewed monthly, and in most situations applicants should hear back in a few weeks. � e coordinator can provide the next scheduled review date.
Emergency repairs will be handled on a case by case basis. For other assistance, people should ask for the Sam-mamish Cares Community Brochure for referral to other community organizations that might be better equipped to support them.
� ose interested can contact Dawn Sanders via e-mail at [email protected].
Nominations sought for Ruth Kees award
Nominations are being accepted for the Ruth Kees Award, which honors those who have shown signi� cant e� orts to conserve and protect Issaquah’s environ-mental resources.
A 40-year resident, Kees was a grassroots activist who organized programs for the protection of the Issaquah Valley Aquifer and Tiger Mountain. She brought environmental issues to the forefront of community conscious-ness and inspired citizen activism, leadership and participation.
Winners receive a tree to be planted in a future hon-orary Grove of Trees, their name engraved on a plaque, and a $500 prize.
Nominations can be sub-mitted until Feb. 25 at [email protected], P.O. Box 1307, 1775 12th Ave. N.W., Issaquah, WA 98027, or by fax, 425-837-3409.
REPORTER .com
I S S A Q U A H˜
REPORTER .com
S A M M A M I S H˜
BY CELESTE GRACEY
Brad Solly was watching Ava-tar at � e Landing with his two kids when a man stole his Ford Excursion from the parking garage in broad daylight.
Before the movie � nished, the suspect had taken his GPS and dumped the truck in a nearby Target parking lot, but it was weeks before police found it.
� e Landing is one of 10 car-the� hot spots revealed in a
Renton Reporter investigation, which discovered where the most cars were stolen in 2009 and what attracted the thieves.
Renton has seen a signi� cant increase of car the� s in several high-tra� c areas this year.
� e Excursion, a model no longer produced, belonged to Solly’s late father. When he saw it missing, he thought his brother might be playing a joke.
“Once I realized...it was kind of sad,” said Solly, a former Renton resident who moved to Issaquah. “I thought I was going to get a truck back that was destroyed.”
Most cars aren’t taken for
their parts, but for a ride, said Renton Police Department Detective Bob Onishi. “� ieves aren’t necessarily looking at the intrinsic worth of your car.”
� ey tend to learn how to steal one type of car and then focus on areas more likely to have that model, he said.
“If you’re going to steal one
thing, it’s going to be something you can � nd,” such as Honda Accords and Acuras, Onishi
AFFORDABLE HOUSING | Habitat for Humanity to build 41 townhomes in Renton [5]
REPORTER .com
R E N T O N
REPORTER NEWSLINE 425.255.3484A DIVISION OF SOUND PUBLISHING
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AY JU
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Memories | High school yearbooks preserve generations of childhood memories, valuable historical resource [3]
Cougar Mountain | Check out what one close trail has to o� er for those looking to get out [15]
Notice: July 23-24: Shuttle at Renton Memorial Stadium and Liberty Park only (see inside for details).
REPORTER .com
R E N T O N
BY CELESTE GRACEY
� e IKEA Renton River Days 25th anniversary is coming with major changes to the typical celebra-tion schedule.
Kids Day has been incorporated into the larger weekend of festivities, with free in� atables and cra� s kick-ing o� Friday, July 23, and running through the weekend.
“We decided to let go of Kids Day and create three days of fun for kids,” said event chair Sonja Mejlaender.
Traditionally, Kids Day would kick o� the Renton spirit on a Wednesday; the city would tear down and then set up again for Friday.
“We wanted to be respectful of the
Kids activitiesmove to mainpart of RiverDays weekend
The car-theft Top 10
The Renton Reporter identi� ed the top 10 car-theft hot spots in 2009, by pinpointing each of the 484 thefts for 2009 on a map. MAP RESEARCH/DESIGN BY CELESTE GRACEY, Renton Reporter
Renton Reporter pinpoints most likely locations to get your car or truck stolen – o� ers tips to avoid becoming a victim
INSIDE: IKEA RENTON
RIVER DAYSSPECIAL SECTION
SPECIAL REPORT
2009 - 484 car thefts2010 - January to June, 283 thefts2006 - Highest per capita theft rate,
954 theftsINSIDE/PAGE 6Tips to avoid theftsHow to get a Club
Theft numbers
[ more THEFTS page 6 ] [ more RIVER DAYS page 6 ]
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206.949.1696www.marciemaxwell.com
Lisa LamRealtor, CRS,ABR & ASP
Marcie MaxwellAssociate Broker, Realtor & CRS
www.rentonreporter.com[6] July 16, 2010
said.Where vehicles are stolen is a matter of
ease.� ieves have higher odds � nding speci� c
models at apartment complexes and park-ing lots, than in neighborhoods with single-family houses.
How far they have to walk to � nd the right car is a deterrent, he said. “� ese guys aren’t real ambitious.”
� e average car thief is a jobless drug user looking for a ride or something to trade for drugs, Onishi said. “It’s something they can steal and drive around to commit other crimes.”
Security footage from Target showed a young man park Solly’s Excursion and wait for friends to pick him up, Solly said.
� ieves o� en move cars to give them-selves time to remove stereos or rummage through compartments, Onishi explained.
Occasionally, cars are also stolen to be used as getaway vehicles for burglaries, he said.
Common mistakesMary Ryan, a Renton landlord, was load-
ing her Ford Sport Trak with paint cans when it was snatched from her downtown house.
“It was just a nightmare,” she said.� e the� was easy. She had le� her keys
in the car, the � rst bad habit Detective Oni-shi warns against.
“Do not leave your car running in your driveway,” he added.
On a cold morning the exhaust creates a visible cloud above the car, he said. “Dopers call those things steamers.”
Renton’s mayor, Denis Law, helped track down a car thief who stole one steamer, a green Astro minivan, in November 2009, Onishi said.
While Law was driving to work, he saw the thief cause a crash in the Highlands and � ee the scene. Law followed the suspect until police caught up. � e suspect was ar-rested before police � nished the initial the� report.
Securing a car can also mean removing temptations.
Don’t leave anything in your car you don’t mind losing, Onishi said.
Even a suction cup ring from a GPS holder is enough to attract a thief, he said. “You’re just asking for it.”
Ryan is so automobile dependent she keeps a second car insured. Her Ford was � lled with about $10,000 in tools and golf equipment, which she uses regularly.
When police recovered the Ford, the only thing le� was a cheap set of golf balls.
It was as if the thief was saying, ‘Here, try gol� ng without your clubs,’ she said. “It was kind of vindictive.”
Losing her keys, which accessed more than just her car, cost her about $2,000 in locksmith fees, she said. “It was a money issue. I didn’t feel violated or anything.”
Solly agreed. “Safe and getting some-thing stolen are two di� erent things.”
While criminals determined enough can steal any car, alarms and steering-wheel locks are a deterrent to the average thief, Onishi said.
Cheaper Hondas with thousands of dol-lars in modi� cations are some of the few cars targeted for chop-shop operations. � ose owners o� en take special precau-tions.
One man, who installed car alarms for work, was caught trying to steal a modi� ed Acura in 2002, Onishi said. “� e prob-lem was the victim knew this thing was a target.”
When the car wouldn’t start, the thief tried to compression start the engine by rolling the car down a hill, but the owner had yanked the fuse that starts the igni-tion, he said.
Police caught up to the suspect, pretty easily, he said. “At least he was employed.”
Finding the hot spots � e biggest hot spot for car the� s in
Renton is in the Cascade neighborhood. � e largest concentration, about 26
reports in 2009, centered on the Mission Ridge Apartments, south of the Cascade Shopping Center and roughly o� of South-east Petrovitsky Road.
“In general that is a high-crime area,” Detective Onishi said.
� e area was accustomed to the limited resources of the King County Sheri� ’s o� ce until it annexed to Renton in 2008.
Initially, the neighborhood appeared quiet, but once people realized Renton police are more responsive, calls for help skyrocketed, he said.
� e Rainier and Grady corridor make the No. 2 spot with 20 the� s in 2009.
� e area’s large-box store parking lots, hotels and park and rides tend to attract
thieves, Onishi said. “It’s sort of one-stop shopping.”
Renton’s largest shopping center, � e Landing, ranked ninth place with about 11 the� s.
Homes surrounding the Windsor Hills Park, o� of Edmonds Avenue Northeast, made the No. 3 hot spot with about 20 cars stolen in 2009.
Like Cascade, this area is also about demographics. � e neighborhood has a lot of thieves who grew up in the area, Onishi said. “It’s kind of their comfort zone.”
� e Renton Reporter identi� ed the top 10 car the� hot spots in 2009 by � rst pinpointing each of the 484 the� s for 2009 on a map.
A visual examination of the map revealed hot spots.
� e least likely place to have a car stolen in 2009 was Kennydale, with only 5 car the� s for the entire neighborhood.
Thefts on the rise in 2010Overall Renton has seen an increase in
car the� s this year, about 30 more the� s as compared to the end of June last year.
However, there has been a signi� cant increase of the� in high tra� c areas, such as � e Landing and the Grady and Rainier corridor.
� e corridor has so far doubled with 20 the� s through June. � e Landing almost tripled last year’s rate with 15 the� s so far.
As � e Landing storefronts are gradually � lling, tra� c and the area’s visibility are on the rise.
“We’ve seen a number of those (the� s) out of � e Landing’s parking garage,” Oni-shi said.
Solly’s Excursion was stolen from � e Landing parking garage.
It’s not all bad news.� e No. 3 the� spot in 2009, the Windsor
Hills Park neighborhood, dropped to only four the� s so far this year. It totaled 20 last year.
It’s likely the thieves were either jailed or found a new place to live, Onishi said.
As a whole, 2009 had a relatively low number of the� s. Renton’s highest the� rate was in 2006, with 954 the� s, he said.
Legislation was passed to increase jail time for regular o� enders in 2007, he said.
“(� e law) put a lot of chronic thieves out of circulation for much longer,” Onishi said.
About 10 percent of the thieves cause about 90 percent of the problem, he said.
As prosecutors are now working more closely with local police and crime analysts, the numbers have dropped substantially in all of King County.
“� ese guys don’t stop at the city limits, so by coordinating we can address the fact that these guys are regional problems,” he said.Renton Reporter sta� writer Celeste Gracey can be reached at 425-255-3484, ext. 5052.
RENTON REPORTER SPECIAL REPORT
The thieves: ‘These guys aren’t real ambitious’
Mary Ryan, a car-theft victim, stands in front of her recovered car at her house in downtown Renton. She’s one of hundreds in Renton who’ve had their cars stolen this year. CELESTE GRACEY, Renton Reporter
TIPS
1. Don’t leave keys in the car, especially with the engine on.
2. Don’t leave keys in the car, even if it’s locked.
3. Remove all valuable belongings, clutter and bags. Even the ring left from a suction-cup holder for a GPS can tempt thieves.
4. Do what you can to make your car a hassle to steal, such as installing car alarms or using The Club.
Thwarting a thief
TIP
The City of Renton joined a Kent program to distribute The Club, steering-wheel locks, to Honda owners.
The city still has plenty left to distribute, and drivers don’t need to live in Renton to get one, said Cyndie Parks, community program coordinator for Renton police.
To get The Club, owners must have a regis-tered 1991-1998 Honda Accord or Civic.
The locks came through the Washington Auto Theft Prevention Authority, which was concerned with a recent increase in thefts, Parks said.
To get a lock, call Parks at the City of Renton, 425-430-7521.
City hasThe Club
[ THEFTS from page 1]
the resources it takes to put on Renton River Days,” she said.
The Wenatchee Youth Circus plans to give two shows Friday and a third show
Saturday.River Days includes several
events and is highlighted by the kids activities and a pa-rade Saturday on South Third Street.
“It brings the community
together,” she said.Several art shows, includ-
ing a chalk art contest and craft fairs, dominate the event. Multiple music stages offer free entertainment.
“It’s a great way for people
to enjoy the arts and music and food,” she said.
See the special section in today’s Renton Reporter for a full schedule.
This is the 12th year IKEA will be the title sponsor.
[ RIVER DAYS from page 1] Youth circusto perform
three shows
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Issaquah skate park: promise and problems
Austin Fischer rekindles memories at the Issaquah Skate Park, where he � rst learned to skate. Tall trees ensure the park is wet most of the winter, this ramp was the only one dry enough to skate. CELESTE GRACEY, Issaquah Reporter
BY CELESTE GRACEY
When Issaquah opened its skate park about 12 years ago, it was one of the � rst on the Eastside. It was considered a gem of forward thinking, but even then people questioned its location o� the Rainier Trail.
Skaters, like now 28-year-old Austin Fischer, came from as far as Snoqualmie to work the ramps. And like today, the skaters weren’t alone.
Teen troublemakers who showed little interest in the sport, wandered into the park to smoke joints and drink beer, he said.
Police have been battling the crime problem for years – minor assaults, possessing alcohol, the� – but this year it’s gotten worse, said Issaquah’s Commander Scott Behrbaum.
� e major concern is a group of teens, mostly from Tiger Mountain and Issaquah high schools, who block the paved trail and intimidate passersby, he said.
� e area even had a couple strong-arm robberies last summer.
Since classes began in September, o� cer Karen Weihe alone has made 17 arrests.
She’s found knives on the teens before, and they talk about having guns, but she’s never seen any evidences of it.
� e group of kids even gave itself a gang-like name: Relentless.
On a sunny winter a� er-noon, an older member spot-ted Weihe outside the com-munity center and quickly paced down the trail. School had just let out, and the group had begun gathering nearby.
A� er being spotted, she cautioned that there wouldn’t be much to see.
While the trail parallels an arterial, little light shined through the wooded area. � e visibility is so poor, Weihe had to walk down the trail to see what the group was do-ing, making her presence even more obvious.
“It’s such a hole down there,” she said.She approached the group while they played hacky sack,
and she carded a teen for smoking. He had just turned 18, and she sardonically wished him a belated happy birthday.
A group of middle schoolers gathered nearby, a few played with their skateboards, while showing interest in the older group.
For Weihe, that’s the saddest part. Clean middle school-ers who mix with the group o� en get arrested for the � rst time by the end of the year, she said.
Long term, police say that if the trail is cleaned up, the self-perpetuating group will move somewhere else. � is area is important, however, because there is a vulnerable population of students, Behrbaum said.
Solutions� e group changes every year as teens move on and new
ones join. � e only common denominator has been the location, Behrbaum said.
Aging facility’s issolated locationdraws wrong crowd of teens to area
Cracks in concrete pose a hazard
“It’s such a hole down there.”– School resource o� cer Karen Weihe, who has made 17 arrests since the start of school in September.
[ more SKATE PARK page 3 ]
BY CELESTE GRACEY
Building planner John Minato unloaded a fat roll of paper, � lled with designs for the Swedish Medical Cen-ter, on a table in the Issaquah council chambers.
It was one of 14 volumes, printed in sets of � ve, multiple times through the course of permitting for the one project. By the end, the paper totaled about 5,000 pounds, or about $63,000 in printing costs.
For the council, it was an eye opener to the need for a system that would allow developers to submit permit requests digitally.
� e group of politicians passed an ordinance that would allow eCityGov Alliance, an interlocal government agency, to move permitting to the digital age.
It also allowed the council mem-bers to move the cost of the program, which has been preparing for this inevitable move since 2001, from the general fund and add it to the permit-
ting fees.It may cost builders another 1.3
percent to get their plans submitted, but the local Master Builders Associa-tions couldn’t be more thrilled.
“� ey said not only do we want it, but it’s also a huge cost savings,” Minato said.
� e old funding model was based
on population. So while Bellevue has a larger population than Issaquah and Sammamish, it still cost Bellevue less per building application, because of how much development the city has had, said John Backman, eCityGov executive director.
While the fees have started, Is-saquah doesn’t plan to introduce online permitting until next year.
� e plan is to start small with basic plumbing permits, and then begin in-cluding building and land use permits.
Issaquah will eventually tie in pub-lic works engineering, Minato said. “� is will go from a building depart-ment project to a citywide project.”
Developers to homeowners plan-ning renovation would be able to submit their plans online, then receive notes from the city, and resubmit multiple times.
Planners can also pay for permits from multiple cities at once, much like someone might do with “shopping cart” features online.
ECityGov � rst came into existence
Building department to go digital
[ more BUILDING page 4 ]
Issaquah building director John Minato presents just one roll of paper plans for the Swedish Medical Center, as an example of the paper waste in the permitting process. He’s one of many in the � eld supporting a move to allow contractors submit plans electronically. CELESTE GRACEY, Issaquah Reporter
[3]FRIDAY, FebRuARY 25, 2011www.issaquah-reporter.com • www.sammamish-reporter.com
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A maintenance crew cleared out thick bushes that concealed the skate park from the road, where police often pass.
The same can’t be done for the trail, said Anne McGill, Parks and Recreation direc-tor. “It’s a recreational pathway, so we can’t knock down every tree.”
Weihe was confident the more visibility has been a deterrent at the park.
During a nostalgic visit, Fischer experi-enced something different.
While the group hung out on the trail, an officer stood at the trailhead, question-ing those who passed. The group worked a system of lookouts organized in shifts.
Once the officer left, the teens migrated to the skate park and began smoking and drinking.
“It creates a bad vibe,” Fischer said. “It seems they almost intentionally get in your way.”
Over the past few years, the parks depart-ment has submitted a proposal that would build two new skate parks in Issaquah, one in the Highlands and one downtown.
One idea was to build a new park behind the police station at City Hall.
Moving the skate park wouldn’t move the problem, but it would separate middle school students and families from it.
“We could have put a basketball court back there and have some of the same problems,” McGill said.
About a month ago, a group of volun-teers picked up 28, construction-sized bags of trash off the trail.
“If we didn’t pick it up, it would be aw-ful.” McGill said.
Just a week after, a beer can could be seen floating in a creek. FourLoko was also a popular choice, before Washington banned the alcoholic energy drink.
Today, someone from the nearby com-munity center is sent out daily to spend about 45 minutes picking up the garbage. They often put on waders to get at the stuff thrown into the wetland areas, she said.
An aging parkFischer was a teen kicking it around town
when his friends encouraged him to buy his
first skateboard. He sold video games and old sporting gear to make the purchase.
He hasn’t stopped skating since, earning a sponsorship that lasted eight years.
There wasn’t a skate park, so the group of teens skated the streets of North Bend, in front of businesses or at schools.
“We would skate until we got kicked out,” he said with a laugh.
Around the same time, skaters in Is-saquah approached the City Council with a proposal for the park, which would give them a place other than City Hall.
When the park in Issaquah opened, Fischer and a group of friends took the bus to visit multiple times a week.
One of the clan was David Gravette, now a professional skater in Oregon.
When Gravette visits home, he always visits the old Issaquah park. The outdated design is nostalgic, Fischer said. “The Is-saquah skate park was one of the originals in Washington.”
Even more of an issue is the park’s cracked and shifting concrete. Lifted edges create places for the small skateboard wheels to catch.
“If your wheel gets stuck in the crack, you’re going to fly off,” he said, picking at various cracks with the wheel of his board.
Broken bones aren’t unusual for skaters, Fischer has had seven or eight, but safety
isn’t his only concern.Tall evergreen trees keep the sun from dry-
ing out the park. It rains one day and is wet for five more, making it unusable, he said.
When a skateboard gets wet, it’s ruined.Fischer is excited about the idea of build-
ing a new park, and would like to serve on a committee to design it, he said.
Skating is unique, he said, because it can be very artistic. It’s not a team sport, there aren’t coaches to yell at you, but it’s a healthy outlet.
“Some of my best moments in life have been skateboarding.”Issaquah Reporter staff writer Celeste Gracey can be reached at 425-391-0363, ext. 5052.
Austin Fischer grew up using the Issaquah Skate Park, and even earned a sponsorship there. With the aging, cracked ramps and increased crime, he’s moved on, and so have most skaters old enough to drive. CELESTE GRACEY, Issaquah Reporter
[ skAte pArk from page 1]
parks Department considering two new skate parks in city
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD | Vote for ‘your’ award in Renton FilmFrenzyIII [RentonReporter.com]
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BY DEAN A. RADFORD
Fairwood has now said no twice to city-hood and most likely once to annexing to the City of Renton.
What’s le� is a county government that’s forced by state growth-management laws to get out of the business of running urban areas.
Annexation was failing 55 percent to 45 percent a� er the initial count in Tuesday’s general election. � at percentage didn’t change much following Wednesday’s vote tally, the last before the Renton Reporter’s print deadline.
� e county Elections O� ce will release updated returns at 4:30 p.m. each weekday, with the election certi� ed on Nov. 23.
� e defeat was a surprise and a shock to those who have worked to annex Fairwood and its roughly 27,000 residents to Renton.
“I think people were just burned out,” said annexation supporter Linda Sarturnak Wednesday, because of the two e� orts to incorporate Fairwood.
“� ey just didn’t want to deal with it and instead stay the way we are,” she said. She
said because the November elections were so contentious, voters were feeling “over-whelmed.”
� e Renton City Council purposely placed the annexation measure on the No-vember ballot to give the Fairwood com-munity a year or so to settle down from the incorporation debates.
Sarturnak doesn’t know whether there will be another e� ort to annex to Renton. It’s possible incorporation proponents could try again, too.
Scott Helfen, a Fairwood business owner, opposed annexation; he was one of three people who wrote the opposition state-ment in the voters pamphlet. He went into
election day not knowing what to expect; he said he was “pleasantly surprised” by the outcome.
Helfen favors incorporation, but he doesn’t think any new e� ort to incorporate or annex is going to happen for another year or two.
“Everyone wants to take a breather,” he said.
Fairwood has three camps in the debate about its future: � ose who favor cityhood, those who favor annexation and those who like Fairwood the way it is. � at third camp is the swing vote, he said, � rst voting
Fairwood says no to annexation
Editor’s note: � is is the second story in a continuing series on West Hill’s e� orts to cope with crime, a struggling economy and social issues. Someday, West Hill could become a part of Renton.
BY CELESTE GRACEY
When the Skyway Model Shop opened its doors in 1994, Renton Avenue had several restaurants, a grocery store and the beloved A&H Drugs.
� e regional economy was strong, but still one by one businesses were shuttered and many residents le� with them, said shop owner Emil Minerich.
“We used to have a really nice business community here,” he said. “I’ve been really saddened to see some of the businesses go.”
Many blame Walmart and Fred Meyer for opening so close in Renton, but city o� cials are � nding West Hill resi-dents want local businesses again and hope to reveal the potential of the community’s barren business community.
Unlike the grocers, Minerich’s model kit store held on strong, because its clientele are willing to travel from Ta-coma to Canada for the store’s selection.
� e kits neatly line the walls from � oor to ceiling. Some of them are vintage, opened but never assembled.
Don’t expect to � nd other hobby supplies in Skyway Model, just paint and tools. Minerich will tell you it’s his addiction turned into a job.
“� ere is no one else who does what we do,” Minerich said.
His store is one of the few family businesses le� on the
block, he said. � e change he’s seen has been disheartening.Two people have been murdered within 100 feet of the
storefront, he said.
West Hill is full ofeconomic promise; who will step up?
WEST HILL: BUSINESS AT CROSSROADS
Ron Minter decided to push for annexing his neighborhood to Renton after he grew tired of break-ins at his greenhouses at the Minter Earlington Nursery. He’s among several at the West Hill Business Association who think the City of Renton’s economic development team can help unlock the potential in West Hill/Skyway. CELESTE GRACEY, Renton Reporter
[ more FAIRWOOD page 8 ]
Latest election resultsRentonReporter.com
[ more WEST HILL page 4 ]
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At night carousers gather outside for drinking and other illegal activities. The sheriff ’s storefront is only a few hundred feet away, and the deputies often drive by too busy to stop, he said.
Minerich and other businesses on West Hill are considering the possible annexa-tion to the City of Renton in a 2012 vote.
“The era of doing nothing and being un-incorporated is leaving,” he said, but he still hasn’t decided if Renton is the right choice.
For him the solution for revitalizing the district is as simple as more youth pro-grams and a successful supermarket.
“You need some type of unifying retail,” he said, pointing out a window to an old grocery store building that’s now a food bank.
The whole thing should just be flattened and re-developed, he said.
The declineWhen Ron Minter purchased the Minter
Earlington Nursery in 1996, the business was focused on wholesaling quality plants.
But just as box stores began knocking mom and pop grocers out of business with cheap goods, big nurseries in Canada and Mexico began underselling the local nurs-eries at hardware stores.
Minter laid off several workers and refo-cused on the storefront on Renton Avenue South.
“We have cut back considerably,” he said.Minter’s plight was similar to the three
West Hill/Skyway grocery stores that closed or moved from the area, said Cheryl Scheuerman, president of the West Hill Business Association and manager of the Skyway Water and Sewer District.
Fred Meyer and Walmart opened stores on Rainier Avenue South, drawing resi-dents from West Hill, she said.
“I really believed the local consumer was looking for cheaper prices and didn’t understand the need to shop local,” Minter said. “If you talk to the average person up there now, they’ll say they probably should have supported the local grocery stores.”
Scheuerman joined a group of business owners to restart the WHBA as a support system in 2001, but stores continued to close.
“It’s very discouraging,” she said. “It’s almost a grief process.”
The last grocer to test the waters in West Hill was the Greenfresh Market, which opened along Rainier Avenue North in 2007.
The impressive new store, which had an emphasis on quality produce, closed in early 2009, after a power outage destroyed many of its goods.
Many Skyway businesses are like the Greenfresh building is now, empty.
Scheuerman drove along Renton Avenue pointing out places she missed and busi-nesses still hanging on with a history in hand.
“It’s kind of a skeleton of its former self
now,” she said.She misses Greenfresh, but disagrees
with the notion that West Hill simply needs a market.
“A grocery store isn’t going to cut it any-more,” she said.
Great potentialThere are a few signs that residents are
becoming disenchanted with box stores in favor of shopping local, said Renton’s Eco-nomic Development chief, Suzanne Dale Estey. “I think the pendulum is swinging back.”
Walmart is beginning to introduce Neighborhood Markets, which are about a quarter of the superstore size, she said.
The new stores focus solely on groceries, and Renton has begun its own efforts to recruit one.
The fact that Walmart is scaling down is a good sign for West Hill, she said.
The West Hill community, like many others, wants a walkable business district, she said. “People want to be able to walk to their grocery store and their post office and to bike down the street to grab some milk.”
The change in resident attitude coupled with the abundant opportunities for devel-opment on Renton Avenue give West Hill a high potential for growth.
That potential is the best dowry West Hill can hope to offer the City of Renton, as the City Council still debates annexation.
As finances are now, an annexation would cost the city about $1.7 million each year to make up the difference between West Hill’s tax revenue and how much the area costs to serve.
That gap could grow to as large as $5.5
www.rentonreporter.com[4] November 5, 2010
Emil Minerich has seen the Renton Avenue South business district fade since he opened the Skyway Model Shop in 1994. He’s among several owners considering the proposed West Hill annexation in 2012. celeSte gRAcey, Renton Reporter
WEST HILL: BUSINESS AT A CROSSROADS
Future may lie in return of small businesses[ WEsT Hill from page 1]
[ more WEsT Hill page 5 ]
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$5000 CashPaid For
Renton 1st National BankNational Note
We Buy Other Currency Too!Serving King County since 1964
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Renton Coin Shop
Fellow, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
Q: First Dental Visit - At What Age?A: "First visit by first birthday" is the message
of the AAPD, as well as the ADA. Basically, whenever the first tooth comes in is an appropriate time to see the dentist. Because dental problems can begin early, examination and preventive care protects your child's smile now and in the future.
Q: Would your childbenefit from a specialist?
A: Of course! Pediatric dentists are the "pediatricians" of dentistry. Our focus
is prevention, early detection, and treatment of dental disease. Combining expertise and kindness, with a bit of illusion, Dr. McDonald provides a positive and caring approach to dentistry for your child.
• Board certified pediatric specialist
• Early oral hygiene instruction & "get acquainted" visits for children under 3
• Digital radiography - 75% less radiation than traditional x-rays
425-228-KIDS (5437)451 Duvall Ave NE, Ste 140
Renton, WA 98059Across from the QFC/
Bartell Drug shopping center
Keith E. McDonald, DMD
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million in 10 years, said Marty Wine, the city’s assistant chief administrative officer.
The numbers aren’t optimistic, and assume the West Hill won’t see any new business or revitalization. West Hill still has the potential to excel, even to the point of gentrification, Wine said.
City Council charged city admin-istrators to leave “no rock unturned” in finding ways to close the funding shortfall for the first few years of an-nexation, she said.
If the city can’t come up with the money, the council still has the op-portunity to reject a positive annexa-tion vote.
The city already received a $25 mil-lion agreement from the state, and it continues to talk with King County.
The next step is to cut expenses, Wine said. “If we can keep our costs in check, we don’t need as much revenue.”
What Renton offersSince Minter purchased the Ear-
lington nursery 12 years ago, he’s had about 15 break-ins, he said.
He suspects local teens and drug
users were responsible for prying open the empty cash register and raid-ing the refrigerators.
Two years ago he decided that he had enough. He pushed for annexing the Earlington neighborhood.
He wanted police protection, but he also wanted to tell people the nurs-ery was in Renton instead of in the Skyway area.
The greenhouse’s West Hill location is a turnoff for potential new cus-tomers, because of area’s reputation for being unsafe, he said. “(Annexa-tion) would change the perception of Skyway.”
The Earlington neighborhood an-nexed in August 2009. Now Minter, along with the West Hill Business Association, is spreading a good word about annexation.
In addition to safety, the city’s eco-nomic development team promises a slew of resources to help revitalize the business districts.
While the West Hill annexation is far from decided, Renton already went to bat for the hill in Olympia, winning a $250,000 grant for sidewalks in the business district.
King County matched the effort, wining an additional $190,000 federal grant.
“We’re going to work together to
help build sidewalks and create a safer place where people would want to shop,” Dale Estey said.
Unlike the county, Renton has the resources to be tougher on code compliance.
When residents began to complain about the abandoned Chinook Motel, the county’s response was to fence the property, Wine said.
While the fences discouraged camping and illegal activity, the prop-erty is still an eyesore. The city could do more, she said.
“We would aggressively pursue the take-down and redevelopment of that property,” Dale Estey said.
West Hill would get its own master plan and more organized zoning laws.
Today, the area is poorly organized, said Scheuerman. “It’s just potpourri.”
The city also recruits new business-es with self-promotion and by offering tax breaks and new roads for larger developments.
The economic development team has a great track record with areas its focused on, such as The Landing, she said.
“We really believe in the opportuni-ty of this area,” Dale Estey said. “It will be a tremendous challenge, but the residents of West Hill/Skyway deserve the opportunity to thrive.”
www.rentonreporter.com [5]November 5, 2010[ WEST HILL from page 4]
Double LotEnjoy western views of Lake Washington, Olympic Mountains, and colorful sunsets from this Lower Kennydale home. Fully renovated
with 50 year composition roof, gas furnace/hot water heater, and vinyl windows. Granite kitchen with all stainless appliances. Shy quarter
acre site with large deck, patio, and double car garage. $499,000
Vintage 1928 CraftsmanWell maintained Bryn Mawr view home with covered front porch &
lovely glass entry door. Period details include: mahogany/fir hardwoods, coved ceilings, archways, millwork, lighting, wood wrapped windows,
and one panel doors throughout. Fireplace with arts & craft style surround & mantle warms living & dining rooms. Four large bedrooms, extra basement w/potential for more living spaces, 1 car garage. $299,900
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Experience, Service, Results!• Seller & Buyer Representation
• Over 2,500 Homes Sold & 20 Years of Experience• Top 1% Ranking, Locally & Nationally
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Affordable HomeDesirable one story home in secure gated Falcon Ridge community. Enjoy views of Lake WA, Seattle skyline, mountains, sunsets, & night lights just off your backyard. Updated maple hardwood floors, vaulted ceilings, gas fireplace warms living & dining rms. Pantry & breakfast bar in kitchen.
All applncs stay, including washer/dryer in handy laundry rm. Master has private bath. Two more bedrooms here. 2 car garage too! $225,000
Lower KennydaleDesirable location just off I-405. Walk to Kennydale Beach Park. Gleaming maple hardwood floors span entire main level. Updated
chef’s island kitchen has granite counters, stainless steel appliances, and generous maple cabinets. Large open family room upstairs.
Romantic master has walk in closet and private bath. Double garage plus charming yard with fruit trees! $375,000
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Please contactJamie Faasse 425-255-3484
TO ADVERTISE YOUR PLACE OF WORSHIP
REPORTER .com
R E N T O N
New BeginningsChristian Fellowship
8:00am & 11:00amwww.thenbcf.org19300 108th Ave. SE
Renton, WA 98057 42
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BethlehemLutheranChurch
1024 Monroe Ave. N.E. – Renton Highlands
Sunday School 9:15 a.m.Adult Bible Forum 9 a.m.Worship Service 10 a.m.
Pre-school • M-F 8:45 - 11:45 a.m.
The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
(425) 255-9772
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FIRST AME CHURCHSouth Campus
11800 SE 216th Street Kent, WA 98031(Emerald Park Elementary School)
(206) 324-3664www.fameseattle.org
Sunday Worship Service 9:30AMRev Carey G Anderson -Senior Pastor
Rev George Davenport, South Campus Coordinator
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FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH RENTON
2640 Benson Rd. S. 425-255-1255Rev. Dr. Kenneth Finley, Pastor
Adult Worship & Children's Service 9:30 AM
Adult Sunday School 11:00 AM
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St. Anthony ParishInvites you to be a part of our parish family…
Saturday Mass 5:30 p.m.Sunday Mass
7:30 a.m. Mass9:00 a.m. Mass10:45 a.m. Mass12:30 p.m. Mass
7:00 p.m. Mass (in Spanish)Reconciliation:
Every Saturday at 3:30 p.m. until all are heardDaily Mass: Mon.-Fri. 7:50 a.m.
Sat. 8:00 a.m.
425-255-3132St. Anthony is located at 314 South 4th St.
in Downtown Renton www.st-anthony.cc426903
427767
Affordable Family LawMOGREN, GLESSNER & ROTI, P.S.
Attorneys at Law15 So. Grady Way, 100 Evergreen Building, Renton, WA 98057
(425) 255-4542 • www.mgrlaw.com
Adoption, Property Settlement Agreement, Legal Separation or Divorce, Parenting Plan, Child Support, Modification, 3rd Party Custody, Relocation, Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO)
423701
Fri & Sat, Nov. 12 & 13 • 10am - 5pm | Sun, Nov. 14: 10am - 4pm
Expo Hall / Puyallup Fairgrounds(Meridian St. S. & 9th Ave. SW)
• Gem, Jewelry & Mineral Dealers • Demonstrations, Exhibits • Hands-on Activities & Crafts • Silent Auction, Raffl e, Door Prizes
Adults: $4 • Students and Kids under 12 FreeFree Parking in the Gold Lot • Wheelchair Accessible • Food Available
Info: 206.283.4205 • 425.483.0557
6th Annual South SoundGem, Opal, & Mineral Show
The Northwest Opal Association and The Boeing Employees’ Mineralogical Society present: