neighborhood villages

Credit:  John Reinke

REDMOND, WA  �  Law enforcement personnel from the Redmond Police Department will be joining officers from across the nation to escort the �Flame of Hope� torch to the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games as part of the Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg�  Before competition begins on  July 2 , an elite group of law enforcement officers and Special Olympics athletes will escort the Special Olympics �Flame of Hope� on a journey across Washington State. From June 27 through July 1, 47 law enforcement officers representing 47 states, along with six Special Olympics athletes, will make up the prestigious �Final Leg� team for the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games Law Enforcement Torch Run�. The Law Enforcement Torch Run� for Special Olympics is Special Olympics' largest grass-roots fundraiser and public awareness vehicle in the world. More than 100,000 law enforcement members in all 50 U.S. States, 12 Canadian provinces/territories, and 47 other countries contribute to LET...

Register at TOURdeRREDMOND.org. "Tour de Redmond" Commute Challenge is a yearly, 2-month long program run by a non-profit, GRMTA , every June and July. It's intended to encourage using bicycles as an alternative to commuting to work via a single occupancy vehicle.  PIM  Bicycles is one of their sponsors.  They kindly gave me an e-bike to try for a few months.  Their bikes are sturdy and affordable....starting at $1,495.   I took two e-bike "commutes." -- one from Education Hill to Kirkland and the other from Education Hill to Bothell.  My Kirkland ride is reported here .    click to enlarge The Bothell ride carrying a 25-pound pack was a breeze.  The State speed limit for e-bikes is 25 MPH.  It was all I could do to hold my speed to 28 MPH.  One road bicyclist passed me going over 30 MPH.  Another warned, yelling "speed."   E-bikes are really taking off in Redmond.  Trek  on Redmond Way sells both ...

A lucky dad with Pam and Lexie  . One of the joys of living in Redmond is our proximity to the majestic Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges.  My wife, daughter and I were at this Mt. Index lookout of Father's Day after only a one hour drive.  We found the 3.3 mile hike at a Snohomish County Park trailhead. The hike was a serene and hearty 760 ' elevation gain through a cool-green cedar, fir and aspen forest.  Only an hour away from the bustle of downtown Redmond construction and we were here, alone at peace. B. Yoder

The Mayor interviewed nature photographer John Reinke for this summer's  "Focus on Redmond" newsletter.  It made the front page. John started as a local nature, environmental and cultural photographer.  Ten years later he's evolved into a photo-journalist as seen by his "The Bird With the Broken Wing " story. Last week, on a field trip, John pointed out two bucks he found grazing in a seasonal wetland near Bear Creek Parkway.  He said "It's remarkable how nature can be found so close to downtown."  No doubt many move to Redmond for it's natural beauty, trails and open spaces. John Reinke is a very important and special citizen in that ---- in this urban environment ---he brings Redmond nature to our doors.  I've known John for over 10 years and we gotten to be close friends. We meet regularly at SoulFood to review his latest pictures and hear recountings of where and how he engages with Redmond's wildlife and nature.  Many of his ph...

Redmond, Wash.  � At the June 14 special board meeting, the Lake Washington School District (LWSD) Board of Directors screened 58 candidates for first-round interviews for the position of Superintendent. Ray and Associates contacted 1,110 individuals regarding LWSD�s Superintendent vacancy. Out of those 1,110 contacts, 58 candidates completed the application process by providing Ray and Associates, Inc. with the required candidate materials. These 58 applicants were screened based on administrative experience, academic background and the qualities and criteria determined by the LWSD Board of Directors and printed on the  LWSD Job Profile . Ray and Associates, Inc. then performed a comprehensive interview with each of the top candidates. A thorough investigation of each candidate was then made through references, state officials, other school administrators and individuals who knew each candidates� abilities and strengths. Following these investigations, the determination of th...

OPINION:  This red bike adjacent to Banner Bank has been advertising "Three Lions Pub" for over 10 days now.  When driving on 164th it's easy to get distracted by the "sign" at this busy intersection, posing a hazard.  In addition, the advertisement takes up bike docking space. I reported this to the city's Code Enforcement Officer since there's an ordinance governing the placement of signs.  It's interesting this novel advertisement was placed right next to Banner Bank where the past President of One Redmond works.  A Lime bike share was placed in the same location for over a week about a month ago. In my opinion, especially with the redevelopment of Sears, the Mayor should hire a third Code Enforcement officer to enforce an amended sign and the pending bike share ordinance. B. Yoder  

You may have heard that there is a large, multi-year redevelopment plan being proposed by Seritage Growth Properties for the Overlake Sears location.  After several months of City Council review, the public is now encouraged to provide formal feedback at a hearing scheduled for  Tuesday, June 19 , 7:30 PM, City Hall.   Extensive project materials are available at  City of Redmond Suggested topics:  transportation, bike travel, mobility, affordable housing, affordable services, parks, building design and height, performance center, transit services, landscaping, connectivity to Bellevue and Downtown Redmond.   The proposal calls for the redevelopment of the approximately 13 acre Sears site for a mixed-use development that includes: 500 multifamily units 210 room hotel 100,100 square feet of street level retail space 23,000 square feet of market/food retail space 266,800 square feet of office space 62,700 square feet of restaurant space 2,245 stalls of ...

Mr. Welton wrote the Mayor of the negative health effects from putting fluoride in our drinking water.  Below, is the Mayor's response and a copy of Mr. Welton's letter.   Mr. Welton, Thank you for the article you sent for review along with your request for the City of Redmond to reconsider adding fluoride to its drinking water. I want to assure you that I do appreciate your concern. Staff and I understand that fluoride has been controversial for many years, with countless studies and activists both for and against the ionic compound being added to water. In reviewing the article you provided, the basis of concerns comes from studies conducted in China on the effect of naturally occurring fluoride in drinking water where concentrations are much greater than 1.0 mg/l. As you may know, the City�s well water that serves roughly 40 percent of Redmond has naturally occurring fluoride , as most natural water does. A small amount is added to reach a level of 0.7 mg/l, which mee...

Walking from the Eastside Gym over the "rusty bridge" yesterday I saw some Pike minnow fly-fishermen casting from a raft.  The fishermen were targeting their white fin.     According to Tom Hardy, City of Redmond Stream and Habitat Planner, lots of these unwanted,   Northerrn Pike minnow are swimming around Lake Sammamish and the River eating  salmon smolt and eggs. Mr. Hardy stated:  "The curious thing about Northern Pikeminnow is that they are native fish to Washington but they are voracious salmon eaters, too."  As you'll see from the video, numbers are so high in the Columbia River there's a bounty on them.  I don't think we're there yet. ?? But it sure looks like a fun sport! The season is from May 1 to August 31.  Go for it! B. Yoder

StationHouse in 2018 The Education Hill 166th Avenue road to downtown Redmond is probably the most significant urban gateway of any in Redmond next to Leary Way.  Residents from the north Redmond neighborhoods travel 166th most any day of the week.  I must admit, in my 38 years on the Hill I've taken our evergreens for granted.  This all changed with the StationHouse development.  Below is a photo of StationHouse in 2017.  One year later it reached it''s maximum height and white finished color.  StationHouse is the embodiment of the new Redmond.  At first glance from the Hill I was shocked if not repelled by this white cubed "flat top."  Numbed, already I'm getting used to it.       StationHouse in 2017 B. Yoder 

2002 manhole public art  OPINION:  Redmond is becoming a dull place to live and it will get worse.  Installing green street trees and the build out of the Downtown Park will help but Redmond needs more "punch" to make us a great city. On May 8th council discussed a much greater emphasis of art in their budget.  Major projects like Buoyant in the Down Park need funding.  It will cost >3% of the total park construction.  The present grass and concrete downtown park is of course better than another one or two 6-8 story rental buildings.  A "landmark" art installation like Buoyant near the pavilion would make it a true park and sparkle our downtown. "Signature" art installations are needed too.  They would cost 2-3% of total constructions costs at places like the main streets of Overlake, the Marymoor Village gateway, key public buildings or high traffic parks or trails like the Connector Trail  Signals art. Then there is the "Hallmark" ...

Council member Angela Birney stated on social media that this art was paid for by the builder.  At first I thought it was gaudy but now I find it a pleasant change from the plethora of our downtown monotone box buildings.  "162" is located just north and across from the Downtown Park. Can we expect more to come?  

Tom Hardy in a CCOW meeting asking Council to put his  Mackey Creek Project on the Consent Agenda OPINION:  Our city council works very, very hard and they should be paid more than their $1000/month salary.  They put in well over 14 hours per week not counting community events. Besides weekly "study sessions" and "regular meetings" where business is transacted, they participate in four "council committees" to meet with staff and keep current on city business. [Planning and Public Works, Parks and Human Services, Safety, and Finance, Administration and Communications.] Until April 7th and for the life of this city,  three  Council members, were assigned to  council standing committees to meet weekly for information and education by staff on existing city programs and issues in preparation for possible policy decisions.  Owing to a State Open Government revision and the city's tremendous growth --now 68,000 residents -- with much more to come, Council ch...