PAGE A4 - THE ISSAQUAII PRESS WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 1998
EDITORIAL
jailhouse go-ahead
is the right direction
tion may be one of the most disconcerting fiscal issues
a warding a construction bid for the city’s new police sta—
the City Council has faced in years. In the end, the coun-
cil made the right choice by moving ahead.
Rising construction costs put the council in a quandry when it
first went out for bid on the police station that also includes addi—
tional city office space. Councilors split on their options, but
eventually agreed to revise the plans and go back out for bids.
While bids were still high the second time around, the adminis-
tration has put together a funding package that puts the city in a
tight spot —— but still applies good sense.
C] The City Council approved councilmanic bonds equal to a
third Of the city’s total bonding capacity without going to the vot-
ers, leaving the city with only about $6 million available for
emergency monies. But there’s little room to argue that this is an
appropriate use for those bonds if there ever was one.
C] The police station and jail complex is already a year behind
schedule. Meanwhile, the city has housed all Of its prisoners else-
where, for an added cost of about $18,000 a month. Further con-
struction delays mean continued jail costs, as well as the loss of
revenue the city usually receives for housing prisoners from other
cities.
D Once the new police station building with its additional top-
story city administrative Offices is complete, city employees will
be able to move in, vacating space in the city’s temporary quar-
ters near I-90. Those offices then will be available to lease and
generate revenue to help pay Off the bonds.
We hope council members will continueto pay close attention
to the financial details while city coffers feel the pinch in the
midst of growing pains. That attention has finally paid Off with a
bid award and a green light for the police station, jail, gun range,
city offices and parking. It’s a bit of a risk, but one worth taking.
OFF THE
’Beam me to State 3A’
he weekend in local sports,
I the logistics and foibles of
reporting it, and the work
Rita Balock and I put into produc-
ing the state fastpitch and track
championship coverage can be
best summed up as follows:
Joe Brosseau and Brady Jones
won state track and field titles and
Skyline fastpitch began its final
game simultaneously.
That meant synchronize-your-
watches-be-in- -
three-places-
at-the-same-
time simulta-
neously.
Funny, the
job description
didn’t mention
breaking the
laws of
physics. But GREG
we managed to FARRAR
beam our— PRESS
selves back PHOTOGRAPHER
and forth
across Tacoma
for two days, and the athletes
made it worth the effort.
Freaky Freeway Frlday
Our first hurdle Friday was
actually getting to Tacoma. Some
truck’s accidental cargo spill at
the Puyallup River bridge on I-5
closed all southbound lanes, and
the typical wait was two hours.
But lucky for Rita, she was in a
car with the Driving Madman of
the Apocalypse — and I had a map.
Instead of crawling to Exit 130
I took 142B turned right at the
light turned left on Pacific
Highway South saw a road-work-
ahead sign so turned left on 70th
Avenue East right on 20th Street
East right on the Port of Tacoma
Road got back on [-5 at Exit 136
back on course to Exit 130 turned
right at South 56th Street crossed
the train tracks turned left on
Adams Street and voila a savings
of fifteen minutes! “I was only
scared a little bit,” said Rita.
Liberty fastpitch started at 2
pm; Issaquah and Skyline at 4.
We would be able to watch and
shoot at the adjacent Indians and
Spartans ball fields when the Pats’
game was over, no problemo.
That was, until Liberty’s game
ran 10 innings!
According to my notes — other-
wise, it’s all a blur I went to the
Skyline game after Liberty’s ninth
inning, and caught the Spartans
from the bottom of the first till the
top of the third, got the Issaquah
game from the top of the fifth to
the end of the seven-inning game,
and returned to Skyline’s bottom-
seventh to the end Of their eight-
inning contest. I was pooped.
We deserved a dinner after that,
and went to Houlihan’s for chicken
fingers (although we didn’t know
chicken had fingers) and a steak.
What we didn’t know was that
Saturday would be twice as busy
and we’d be stuck with hot dogs.
Stressed-out Super Saturday
Rita drove.
She dropped me off at Lincoln
Bowl (not the bowling alley two
blocks away but the actual stadi-
um) at 9:30 a.m. Balock went to
cover Issaquah and Skyline fast-
pitch semifinals while I was to
cover pole vault, girls’ high jump,
girls’ shot put and boys’ javelin,
all starting at 10. Four places at
once — Scotty, can you keep the
transporter working for me?
Well, it was on the fritz. I pho-
tographed shot put and javelin in
the upper field, but Skyline’s
vaulter and Liberty’s jumper were
done when I got to the lower field.
Now there was time to kill. I
had the first of two Polish dogs
and read from a book Of poetry
Samuel Taylor “Rime of the
Ancient Mariner” Coleridge, to be
exact. When Rita found me - inci-
dentally, the Lincoln Bowl is
famous for nonexistent parking
and it was quite a hike — she said I
was the only photographer she saw
reading poetry, and also the only
one flapping around in his wide-
legged jeans, or “Pipes.”
Definitely the only one doing both.
Anyway, it was time for discus
and the 800-meter race. Brady
Jones was the top qualifier, so he
was the last thrower in the last
flight, and discus got a late start,
and he finally threw his first three
at 1:50 pm. Brosseau’s race was
at 2. The transporter worked this
time and I beamed down to the
track. Joe won his SOD-meter race
at the same time Brady was taking
his final three throws.
But luckily, his best throw had
been in the flight, not the final.
One more hot dog and Off to
fastpitch. We caught Skyline’s last
three innings against Olympia,
and then the Issaquah-Capital title
game, which was a tense pitchers’
duel ending with Capital’s one-out
run in the bottom of the seventh.
And although I had the shots to go
with Rita’s coverage, the words
that strike terror in a photograph-
er’s heart had come to pass.
I had to use my last roll of film.
Congratulations to all of the
participants. Take care.
ISSAQUAH PRESS,
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ISSAQUAH, KING COUNTY, WA 98027
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OPINION
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
SPAR
County is dedicated to new road
After reading your editorial on the “County’s
low priority for SPAR inexcusable,” I felt com-
pelled to clarify some information and miscon-
ceptions presented in The Issaquah Press.
(King) County has been a leader in the imple-
mentation of the cluster of projects known as the
Sammamish Plateau Access Road (SPAR), the
Sunset Interchange and the Issaquah Bypass
since the concept began taking shape in 1989.
With the advent of the Growth Management Act
and the proposed Urban Planned Development Of
Issaquah Highlands, the county seized the oppor-
tunity to develop a Master Transportation
Financing Agreement (MTFA) with the develop-
er, the City of Issaquah and WSDOT (state
Department of Transportation). Under the
MTFA, this project was split into these multiple
phases including the segregation of the SPAR
into the north and south links.
While it is true that the six-year Capital
Improvement Program adopted by the County
Council in November 1997 shows construction
funding for the North SPAR in 2003, the county
always has been deeply committed to funding
the project at the earliest opportunity as required
under the MTFA. The county has long stated
its intent to move ahead with construction of the
North SPAR in 2001 -— if funding for the Sunset
Interchange was obtained. The county remains
deeply committed to meeting this schedule. The
MTFA requires the county to construct the North
SPAR following the start of construction of the
South SPAR and the Sunset Interchange.
Since [1995, the county, in partnership with
the City of Issaquah, WSDOT and the developer
of Issaquah Highlands has been working to
secure funding for all four projects. The coun-
ty was informed recently that Congress will, in
fact, agree to provide $19.8 million to fund the
Sunset Interchange, which should ensure the pro-
ject’s completion.
I believe our aggressive action to move this
package of projects forward speaks for itself.
These projects have, and will continue to be,
leading transportation priorities for the county
and its partners.
Paul Toliver
Director, King County
Department of Transportation
SCHOOL ELECTION
Volunteers, donations appreciated
On behalf of the Volunteers for Issaquah
Schools, we gratefully acknowledge the commu-
nity for its support of the Issaquah School
District bond and levy measures on the May bal-
lot.
The Show of support began on March 30 at a
rally and fundraiser held at Village Theatre. The
event, attended by 150 people, was co-spon-
sored by Issaquah PTSA Council and the
Issaquah Chamber of Commerce. The Liberty
High School Jazz Band and a string quartet
from Issaquah High provided musical entertain-
ment. Art work by district high school and mid-
dle school students was on display. We would
like to thank all those who participated in the
event with a special thank you to Village
Theatre for letting us hold the rally in their
lobby.
The people who worked on the campaign are
ALL DEPARTMENTS CAN BE REACHED AT 425-392-6434
too numerous to list individually: 95 worked on
preparing mailings; 123 made “get out the vote”
calls; approximately 90 doorbelled their neigh-
borhoods; 88 conducted poll watching efforts on
election day; approximately 350 people waved
signs at 17 locations during morning and evening
rush hours on election day.
The following people deserve special recogni-
tion: Maureen Shaw, treasurer; Judy Brewer, sign
distribution; Roseshel Howe, “get out the vote”
call coordinator; Robin Steams and Sheryl
Goldsberry, endorsement ad; Jan Yalowitz, distri-
bution of materials to pre-schools; Connie
Fletcher, VIS hotline; Marianne Kersten, Kathy
LeMond, Diana Wooden, Jan Bennett, Saras
Eisenberg and Melissa Gardner, doorbell coordi-
nators; Marianne Kersten and David Irons,
fundraising.
Others who contributed a great deal of time in
j a number of different capacities include Steven
and Kathleen Drew, Debbie Householder,
Melissa Freeman and Erica Haynes.
It was wonderful working with a dedicated
group of volunteers united by the belief that we
were supporting issues that are in the best inter-
est of the students of Issaquah. It was a pleasure
working with all of them!
Lesley Austin and Dave Sharkey
Co-chairs, Volunteers for Issaquah Schools
Here’s why I voted ‘no’
I’ve been a resident for more than 17 years,
and I never miss an opportunity to vote.
I have watched the spread of the school sys-
tem, and I have observed the waste of my tax
dollars on bloated administration staffs and
grossly excessive administration salaries,
grandiose structures and needless infrastructure
spending that do not add to the educational expe-
rience.
The purpose of school funding is to provide
good education to kids. It is not to perpetuate an
administrative system, not to support a bureau-
cracy, not to enrich land owners and not to
enrich developers.
And, the quality of education in Issaquah
schools, as I see it, is not all that great. We don’t
get what we’re told, and I don’t believe we’re
getting what we’re paying for. And we pay and
pay and pay. ‘
If the amounts proposed and approved in
levy votes during the past 10 years (pick a
period), added to the state basic funds, had
been simply allocated to each kid, all kids in
the Issaquah school district could undoubtedly
have been sent to excellent private schools,
with lots of money left over. The size of the
student population does not warrant the size
of the taxes taken (this of course would have
put a large and growing bureaucracy out of
work).
I will gladly join with any and all that oppose
the continued abuse of the taxpayer by the
Issaquah schools bureaucracy.
John S. Gordon
A more candid approach, please
I was honored at Mr. Richard Symms’ invita-
tion to call him regarding volunteer opportuni-
ties. Rowley Enterprises’ secretary referred me to
Mr. Symms’ voice mail, on which I left a mes-
sage.
While Mr. Symms may have had some
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THE ISSAOUAH PRESS
P.O. Box 1328
Issaquah WA 98027
background in education, his current posing“ n at thef
with Issaquah’s premier developer indlcfieer’ ben0f1_1r9{
that his rimar focus has chan ed consl . 1.“ y 1%
p y g n03, ‘ Secret in ‘
ably. Mr. Symms’ ideas of what voluntee . ”
for our community is all about doubtless .‘lilon ‘ t f:
coincide with mine. But if Mr. Symms “’1 s '
agree to volunteer time to one of my Causes,
I’ll consider volunteering equal time t0 0”
his causes. i
V\ ‘
May I confess that I’m skeptical of ME ,
Symms’ Statement that his employer, SKIP I *
Rowley, has done “more for kids,’without "
fare,” than anybody in the community. M"
Rowley indeed donates a (minuscule, ta)"
exempt) proportion of his wealth to various
causes. v
Is that more significant than, say, scho‘zl ,. 3
board members’ contributions to Issaquah “‘
cation system, the contributions of enviroI}n1 F
tal activists fighting to keep our air and SO1
of health-destroying pollution resulting from}
local overdevelopment, the struggles of R“ 'f‘
Kees, Denise Smith and Joanna Buehler “3
serve our superb surface and ground waters"f
tems, or the efforts of our dedicated 0011’s
unteer firefighters?
“Without fanfare?” If I had Mr. ROW
wealth, one of my top aides would proba
the time to praise me to the heavens. ,‘
The controversy surrounding the last Mgd
school bond elections had little to do with :;
eating the “kids.” It had to do with whether
Rowley Enterprises and other developerS 5
pay their fair share of the cost of construCt on,
new educational facilities, the need for Wm j
wasn’t persuasively demonstrated.
Mr. Symms’ speculation that I p .
without “knowledge of facts” is under!la
true to some extent. Especially when the .1'"
“facts” are defined by Mr. Rowley’s t0? 3‘5
those “facts” used by big-bucks deveIOPelavli
when “persuading” politicians to weakean
and regulations related to developmellt a
pollution. Mr. 5.
A more candid approach is called for, f,
Symms. Abe R' p
lay"
my I
roceed ‘
bit
