Newcastlenews010215

Hazen, Liberty programs had a good 2014

Page 6

Best photos from 2014

that didn’t fitPage 8

January 1, 2015 VOL. 17, NO. 1

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DID YOU KNOW?

By Christina Corrales-Toy

In 2014, the city of Newcastle celebrated a birthday, lost an icon and set the stage for the future. Here are some of the top stories of the year, in no particu-lar order:

Newcastle pioneer Milt Swanson passes away

Family, neighbors and com-munity leaders gathered Jan. 25 to honor the life of Milt

Swanson, a titan of Newcastle history and a man with an unceasing, warming smile.

The Newcastle pioneer, born and raised in this community, spent all of his 95 years in the same area, 90 of which were in the same company house that still stands at the edge of town near the Cougar Mountain trail-head.

Swanson died Jan. 20 after a Jan. 14 fall sent him to a hos-pital, where he lapsed into a

coma.He knew more about the

city’s vast coal-mining his-tory than anyone, because he actually lived it. He worked in the mines, as his father and grandfather did before him, and it was vital to him to tell his story, making sure the history of Newcastle never died.

“It was important to him to allow as many people who were interested to understand the beginnings of the city they live

in,” Newcastle City Councilman Rich Crispo said. “He loved this community.”

Council elects new mayor, deputy mayor

The Newcastle City Council ushered in 2014 with elec-tions for the mayor and deputy mayor positions at its Jan. 7 meeting.

Steve Buri was elected as mayor, while newcomer John Drescher is the new deputy

mayor. Both will serve two-year terms.

Buri was elected to the City Council in 2007 and re-elected in 2011. He served as deputy mayor from 2008-2011.

Drescher was the new face on the council, having defeated opponent Mark Greene to fill the seat vacated by retiring Councilman Bill Erxleben in the November election.

2014 was a year of change for Newcastle


The Community Advisory Group working on Puget Sound Energy’s Energize Eastside trans-mission line upgrade project has made its final route recom-mendations and both include Segment M, which goes through Newcastle.

The panel — comprised of neighborhood, business and civic leaders — selected routes Oak and Willow at its final meeting Dec. 10. The advisory group’s final recommendation is based on its work over the past year, including discussion of community feedback collected throughout 2014.

Of the 20 advisory group members and residential alter-nates present at the meeting, 17 supported the final recom-mendation. Of those 17, eight expressed preference for the Oak route and five expressed prefer-ence for the Willow route, while four supported either route.

Three advisory group mem-bers had a dissenting opinion

and supported none of the routes. One was Olympus resi-dent Sue Stronk.

“I was one of the three that refused to vote on any final route, as any vote would harm our residents since segment M is in both remaining routes,” she wrote in a letter to fellow resi-dents.

These are the final recom-mended routes that now move on to PSE for an even more thorough review:

� Oak (Segments A-C-E-G2-I-K2-M-N)

� Willow (Segments A-C-E-J-M-N)

PSE will ultimately make an announcement about routing after reviewing the Community Advisory Group’s recommenda-tion, larger public feedback and opportunities and constraints surrounding the project. That decision is expected in early 2015.

The Coalition of Eastside Neighborhoods for Sensible Energy said in a news release that the “outcome of this pro-cess does not represent the wish-es of the community.”

Advisory group endorses Energize Eastside routeSuggested routes go through Newcastle

See ROUTE, Page 3


A Newcastle City Council-approved agreement to purchase a building for equipment and vehicle storage is raising ques-tions, after the city offered up more than money to acquire it.

In September, the coun-cil authorized City Manager Rob Wyman to enter into a

purchase-sale agreement for the Coal Creek Utility District-owned property on 129th Avenue Southeast.

In exchange for the property appraised at $750,000, the city would agree to pay $250,000 and forfeit its legal right to assume the utility district for 10 years.

It’s the non-assumption clause, in particular, that has

some current, and one former, council members questioning the logic of the agreement.

“I was perplexed by this decision from the start,” Deputy Mayor John Drescher said, “and it only gets uglier the closer you look at it.

“The need for the building is

CCUD building purchase questioned

See 2014, Page 2

See QUESTIONS, Page 11

Now you see him

Volunteer Corin Carper sits atop

the new Little Rhody Park play-

ground with bolts in his mouth, waiting for a

piece to come to him, as he and other neighbor-

hood volunteers construct the new

playground April 12. See other

memorable imag-es from 2014 on

Page 8.


Prior to that, he served the Newcastle Planning Commission for four years, and as the board’s chairman for the past year and a half.

Neighbors voice concerns about Energize Eastside

A Puget Sound Energy project to bring higher capacity electric transmis-sion lines to a growing Eastside caused contro-versy across affected cit-ies, including Newcastle, in 2014.

Olympus residents in particular voiced their concerns about Energize Eastside at City Council meetings and public forums.

PSE’s Community Advisory Group recently presented its recom-mended routes, and both include a line that goes through Newcastle.

This story appears far from over though, as affected cities, led by Bellevue, come together to hire an inde-pendent consultant to research the project, and work through the Environmental Impact Statement process.

Old Hazelwood comes down to make way for a new middle school

The Renton School District demolished the old Hazelwood Elementary School in

2014 to make way for a new middle school.

The district’s fourth middle school comes at an important time, given that Renton’s middle schools are among the largest in the state.

The new school is slat-ed to open in fall 2016.

Newcastle Days celebrates the city’s 20th anniversary

The city of Newcastle celebrated its 20 years as an incorporated city with a special Newcastle Days celebration.

New to this year’s annual festival was a parade featuring youth groups and individuals dressed as coal miners in a nod to the city’s his-tory.

“Really, when you think about it, 20 years isn’t old for even a tree, but there’s been a huge amount of change here in Newcastle in the last 20 years,” said Community Activities Commission Chairwoman Diane Lewis, one of the festi-val’s organizers.

Newport Woods community voice their concerns about proposed development

A proposed multifam-ily, mixed-use develop-ment along Newcastle Way, just beside City Hall, has Newport Woods neighbors wondering how much longer the city will remain the quaint Newcastle they fell in love with.

The application calls for a 76-unit, 64-foot

mixed-use building set on just under an acre of land in what is now a wooded area next to Newcastle City Hall. A trail along the Olympic pipeline is about the only thing that would separate it from homes on the edge of the Newport Woods commu-nity.

If approved as is, the six-story building would be the tallest in the city.

Renton History Museum features Newcastle exhibit

The Renton History Museum partnered with the Newcastle Historical Society to create an exhibit dedicated to Newcastle’s past.

“Newcastle: Little Giant of the Eastside,” feature pictures, maps and objects from Newcastle’s coal-mining past. The exhibit has information about the cemetery, as well as the Baima House, a still-standing Pacific Coast Coal Co. house, con-sidered among the old-est buildings in King County.

The exhibit will be on display at the Renton History Museum through February 2015.

PAGE 2 Newcastle News JANUARY 2, 2015

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2014From Page 1

By Rich CrispoNewcastle City Councilman

In 1853, the area around current-day Newcastle was heavily for-ested with 10-foot diam-eter trees, a multitude of streams, and many gorges and valleys. It was also home to wildlife including cougars, bears, raccoons, bobcats and deer.

In that year, a couple of explorers found some-thing that would change that landscape forever — chunks of coal along a creek (later to be named Coal Creek).

The first coal wasn’t mined until 10 years later, but when it began, it was in earnest. In the 100 years between 1863 and 1963, the Newcastle coal mines produced 10.5 mil-lion tons of coal.

The coal was of good quality, and the proximity to Seattle made it an impor-tant commodity. In 1870, Seattle had only 1,107 residents, but because coal was being shipped to San Francisco and the growth of the port, that number grew to 42,837 by 1890, only 20 years later.

In 1880, President Rutherford B. Hayes and General Tecumseh Sherman visited Newcastle during a trip to the Northwest. In 1886, Newcastle also had the

only post office and voting district on the east side of Lake Washington, and in the late 1890s, Newcastle was the second largest town in King County with 3,000 residents.

Coal was king, but Newcastle was also a leader in the process of justice. There was a resident justice of the peace who oversaw proceedings from verbal and spousal abuse to assault and battery and murder.

Miners were frequently witnesses and jurors. The process of dispensing jus-tice was so important that failure to appear as a wit-ness or juror could result in a fine 50 times as great as the fine for the crime heard at trial. Jurisdiction was not limited to Newcastle. The court also heard cases from Renton, Bellevue and Issaquah.

Mine operations contin-ued at an uneven pace in the early 1900s as demand for coal varied. In 1916, that all changed with the threat of World War I.

From 1916-1918, the mines at Newcastle pro-duced 1 million tons of coal to support the war effort. After the war, demand dropped.

As 1929 rolled around, cheaper coal became available from Montana, oil burst onto the scene, the Depression crippled economies and a fire in

Newcastle’s main bunkers caused the Pacific Coast Coal Co. to cease opera-tions.

Newcastle was a com-pany town and with the selling of the homes, dis-mantling of some buildings, removal and reuse of equip-ment, and the pulling up of the railroad tracks, by 1937, the town of Newcastle no longer existed.

The Pacific Coast Coal Co. moved operations out of the area, but did sell and lease land to contract-basis mining operators known as “gypos.”

Gypos went into the existing mines and cleaned out smaller pockets of coal. These smaller outfits worked the mines from 1932 until 1963, when all coal mining stopped.

During that, they pro-duced 536,000 tons of coal. One of the gypos, the Strain Co., strip-mined an area 80 to 90 acres in size that later became a land-fill, and in 1999 became the site of The Golf Club at Newcastle.

Seattle continued to grow and the Newcastle area was a prime location as a bed-room community, so it also grew in population. In 1994, the city of Newcastle was incorporated.

The city has 150 years of history that has includ-ed discovery, growth, decline and growth again.

Newcastle’s history shaped King County as we know it

Come visit us at the

Newport Hills Shopping CenterNewport Hills Shopping Center

Your news comments welcome!

JANUARY 2, 2015 Newcastle News PAGE 3

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CENSE said it believes PSE prematurely eliminated better energy alternatives and never gave the Community Advisory Group a chance to consider them.

Some members of the advi-sory group worked together to submit a dissenting report, challenging PSE’s stance that Energize Eastside is the most cost-effective way to meet the needs of future energy demands.

Newcastle Community Development Director Tim McHarg was among those who signed their names to the five-page document presented to PSE at the end of December.

“The city of Newcastle sup-ports PSE in its efforts to deliver reliable and cost effective solu-tions to the Eastside’s energy needs for existing and future residents and businesses,”

McHarg said in a news release. “However, the CAG process did not offer sufficient depth or breadth of data, analysis or alternatives to determine the best solutions to these needs.

“If pursued, the resulting rec-ommendation would have sig-nificant and irreparable impacts on homes and businesses along the routes and to our entire community, since both routes run through the middle of Newcastle.”

McHarg went on to say that based on the information col-lected to date, city staff are unconvinced that the proposed instillation of high-voltage power lines is the only available option.

“We encourage affected cit-ies and the public to participate in the Environmental Impact Statement process for Energize Eastside to ensure a clear under-standing of the nature of the problem and the impacts of feasible alternative solutions,” he said.

The process appears far from

over, as affected cities, led by Bellevue, come together to hire an independent consultant to research the project, and work through the Environmental Impact Statement process.

Also during the coming months, PSE will work directly with property owners and ten-ants to begin detailed fieldwork to inform the route alignment, project design, the environmen-tal review process and permit applications; ask for commu-nity input on project design, which may include pole loca-tion, height, finish and other design considerations; and work with the city of Bellevue and other affected jurisdic-tions and agencies on the proj-ect’s Environmental Impact Statement process.

“Olympus already has experi-enced a homebuyer, after plac-ing a down payment, back out of the sale after learning of this project coming to their back yard,” Stronk said. “Our resi-dents will suffer monetarily by this project.”

RouteFrom Page 1

Puget Sound Energy

New principal named at Hazelwood Elementary School

Hazelwood Elementary School has a new principal.

Tracey Naylor will take over the position currently held by interim-Principal Judy Busch.

Naylor, a graduate of

Columbia University and American University, comes to Hazelwood from Campbell Hill Elementary School, where she served as the assis-tant principal.

Prior to serving in the Renton School District, she taught in Arizona and Louisiana as well as served as an instructional coach,

principal in residence and director of instruction in Louisiana, New York and Washington, D.C., respec-tively.

“I truly value excellence and believe that high-qual-ity teaching and learning, along with strong com-munity partnerships, are paramount to our success,”

Naylor wrote in an email to Hazelwood staff members. “I am incredibly excited by the opportunity to lead the wonderful efforts of staff, students and parents at Hazelwood.”

The Renton School District began searching for former Principal Cindy Farnsworth’s replacement

last summer. Farnsworth is now at the Meadow Crest Early Learning Center.

Not being able to find a permanent solution, the district asked Busch to come out of retirement and get the year started.

Naylor will officially begin her new duties Jan. 5. Tracey

Naylor

OpinionPAGE 4 JANUARY 2, 2015

Our 2015 goals for a better Newcastle

Editorial Letters

Newcastle newsPublished since 1999 by

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Write to usNewcastle News welcomes signed letters to the editor.

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

Newcastle NewsP.O. Box 1328 q Issaquah, WA 98027

Fax: 391-1541 q Email: [email protected]

Joe Heslet ......... General manager/Advertising

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

Christina Corrales-Toy ......................... Reporter

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

Join the fight to prevent PSE project

Thank you, Olympus residents who came to the Puget Sound Energy Community Advisory Group meeting Dec. 10.

There were more than 400 in attendance — standing room only. A lot of people were wearing orange to sup-port the Coalition of Eastside Neighborhoods for Sensible Energy. I was the alternate attending the meeting around the CAG table speaking for Olympus. And I was one of the three that refused to vote on any final route, as any vote would harm our residents since segment M is in both remaining routes. The three of us not vot-ing will sign a minority report and present it to PSE with the reasons why we did not vote.

Please go to cense.org — join the cause — get on the mailing list to follow what comes next, as it will help us continue the fight to keep this project out of our neighbor-

hood, with alternate solutions to large towers and more wires.

CENSE has many brilliant people who have spent many hours this past year finding out what is really behind this project and questioning what PSE has told us. They have been instru-mental in getting the city of Bellevue, the lead agency, to hire an independent electrical consul-tant to verify if what PSE is say-ing is true and the real reason for this project — if it serves more than our local region and is over-sized for our needs. Go to cense.org, click on “recent news” and scroll down to the video — an excellent video to watch to learn about this project.

Olympus already has experi-enced a homebuyer, after plac-ing a down payment, back out of the sale after learning of this project coming to their back yard. Our residents will suffer monetarily from this project. Two real estate agents spoke Dec. 10 and said that homes adjacent to these tall poles will

devalue up to 30 percent when you sell. So, the $20 to join CENSE (or donate more if you wish to contribute), is a tiny amount to spend now to help with costs to fight this project.

Thank you for your support — it is not over yet!

Sue StronkOlympus

Speak up about how the city spends your money

Despite Newcastle ending its budget year in surplus, the City Council passed the biggest prop-erty tax increase in our history. I believe this decision to be short-sighted and against the wishes of our citizens.

Newcastle is a small city heavily reliant on property taxes to fund its operations. Property taxes that are more than twice the rate of Bellevue and some of the highest in the state. Our retail core is suc-cessful but small, and we do not

As the city heads into the coming year, Newcastle con-tinues to grow and flourish. Here are a few of our goals for the city in 2015.

Look to the future — The city has enjoyed a few years of financial stability, but looking at future forecasts, chal-lenges are ahead as development revenues begin to disap-pear. Begin the discussion now, not later, to make decisions that will ensure the city’s financial future isn’t seeing red.

Keep an eye on Energize Eastside — Puget Sound Energy’s Community Advisory Group just selected its rec-ommended routes, and both include proposed electric transmission lines through Newcastle. The company’s Energize Eastside process, aimed at upgrading power lines to fulfill the growing demand, is far from over, though. Make your voice heard and participate in the coming Environmental Impact Statement process and any other avenues offered to share your concerns.

Do something with Lake Boren Park — It’s been more than a year since the city unveiled a series of conceptual designs for improvements to Lake Boren Park at a town hall meeting. During that October 2013 presentation, a majority of respondents supported park improvements, and even expressed a willingness to pay for it through a park levy. City leaders need to decide how much of a priority Lake Boren Park truly is and move forward with a levy process if it’s that important.

Make a long-term decision on marijuana — The Newcastle City Council extended the six-month mora-torium on marijuana-related business activity within Newcastle at its Dec. 2 meeting. A moratorium is only a temporary measure, though, and a permanent solution must be reached sooner rather than later. The council has talked about marijuana numerous times and each time it does, a ban is discussed. The council should decide how marijuana fits into the city and begin laying the ground-work for a permanent solution.

Try for a city ZIP code again — The most one-sided response at the June 2014 town hall meeting was residents’ desire to acquire a unique Newcastle ZIP code. The city last petitioned for its own ZIP code in 2009, but the request was denied, as it was in 2004 and 1994. Municipalities are required to wait five years between ZIP code requests, so now is the time to try again.

Communicate with your residents — In this digital age, it’s more important than ever that a city have an online presence. Newcastle has Twitter and Facebook accounts, but they are not consistently used. Keep your citizens informed of city events and answer resident questions through these social media platforms. Just look east to the city of Issaquah for the right way to disseminate information to the popu-lace. Newcastle City Councilwoman Carol Simpson scratches the surface with her weekly email blasts, but the city can do more. City Manager Rob Wyman often stresses the impor-tance of customer service among his staff; well, this is part of it. It’s an easy way to be responsive to your residents.

My brother has probably always been mentally ill, but it wasn’t until he was in his late 20s that a psychiatrist confirmed his schizophrenia. Adding to his complexity, he is vulnerable with a devel-opmental disability, a wandering soul and a fierce streak of independence.

Before I became his official caregiver in 1999, my family saw him evicted from apartments, thrown in jail and pursued by collection agencies, and he was one bad break away from becoming homeless. Flash forward 15 years and I’m happy to say, with the proper help from a variety of agen-cies, my brother is stable.

My personal experiences with my brother and my work as a public librarian make me keenly aware of the challenges some of our community members face. The Newcastle Library doesn’t often see the challenging societal issues some of our other King County Library System branches face, but we remain aware the need for assistance exists in every commu-nity, regardless of age, ethnicity or income level.

Our library carries a book called “Where to Turn” that provides resources and referral infor-mation for any challenges a person may face.

It’s always available on our Reference shelves (361.0025 WHE). Compiled by the King County Crisis Clinic, it lists local crisis resources cover-ing food, shelter and domestic abuse.

But it also provides many non-emergency resources and referrals including those for caregivers, chemical depen-dency, eating disorders, seniors, GLBTQ, youths and parenting issues. An even easier way to get this same help is call 211 to be connected to an operator, or go to http://win211.org.

On Jan. 22, the Newcastle Library will be par-ticipating in “Count Us In 2015,” a survey tak-ing place all across King County trying to count youths and young adults, ages 12-25, who are unstably housed or homeless.

Homeless teens and young adults will be sur-veyed in the library to tell the story of homeless-ness in King County and help our community understand the scope of the issues teens face. If this is a topic you’re interested in, we have com-piled a reading list to inform and inspire action here http://ow.ly/GhtsI.

Our hope is everyone in our community is well cared for and looked after, but challeng-ing circumstances affect us all. Know that there are people who care and are standing by to help with a simple phone call to 211. My brother uses these resources, even today, and he is happier and healthier because of the help he has found.

Library has help when you need it

Vicki Heck

Notes from Newcastle

See LETTERS, Page 5


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have a utility tax or a B&O tax. So the financial tools at

our disposal are limited.And yet, by controlling

costs, we finished the year in surplus, allowing us to make a down payment on an additional police officer. All of this was done with-out a tax increase, render-ing the council’s tax hike all the more unnecessary.

When it comes to how to spend your hard-earned tax dollars, it seems to me we start with public safety, healthy roads and infrastructure, and build on our natural strengths of beautiful trails, good parks and a smartly expanded downtown core. We can do all of this without rais-ing taxes, so long as we are disciplined enough to avoid spending money on non-essential things.

One example of such a non-essential spend is the

recent 4-3 council deci-sion to purchase a building from the Coal Creek Utility District for $250,000 while surrendering our right to assume the CCUD for 10 years. This decision was made without a finan-cial analysis of what an assumption might bring, and despite the fact that in an assumption of the CCUD, the building would come with it — saving $250,000. Poor spending decisions do not justify raising your taxes, and will make balancing our 2015 budget even tougher.

Please lend your voice to the ongoing discussions on how to steward your money wisely and make Newcastle an even better place to live and raise our families.

Newcastle Deputy Mayor John Drescher

LettersFrom Page 4

City hires new public works director

Newcastle City Manager Rob Wyman announced that the city has hired Jeffrey Brauns as its new Public Works director.

Brauns comes to Newcastle from the city of Sammamish, where he served as city engineer and the senior transportation program manager.

Prior to that, he worked for various private-sector engineering firms as well as the Washington State Department of Transportation.

Wyman said Brauns is very plugged in with other cities and regional organiza-tions, and currently serves as the American Public Works Association’s Transportation Committee chairman.

“Most importantly,” he said, “Jeff brings a great temperament and strong belief in customer service that I think the residents of Newcastle will find very positive and productive.”

Brauns replaces popu-lar Public Works Director Mark Rigos, who left to take the same position in North Bend in June. Brauns’ first day is Jan. 2.

SportsPAGE 6 JANUARY 2, 2015

There was no shortage of success stories in the 2014 Hazen and Liberty sports seasons. Here are the ones that stood out among the rest.

Hazen drillers three-peatIf Kristin Sargent’s

career as the head coach of the Hazen drill team was written as a book, it would have the perfect fairy tale ending.

The preface would note that her Hazen roots run deep. She was a member of the Liberty High School drill team before coming to Hazen, where she was the drill team captain in 1999.

The body of the story would detail her seven years as the Hazen drill coach, a golden era of sorts, as she led the Highlanders to several state titles.

The best part would be the ending, though, when Sargent’s team captured its third consecutive state title, in the same year she announced it would be her last.

That’s what happened March 29 as the Hazen drill team added to its overflowing trophy case with another great show-ing at the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association’s Dance and Drill State Championships in the Yakima SunDome.

The Highlanders took first in 3A pom with a score of 252.3.

Liberty goes from 3A to 2ALiberty High School

sports teams went from 3A to 2A beginning in the 2014-2015 school year.

The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association released enroll-ment numbers showing Liberty, at 891.8, is the size of a 2A school. Schools with less than 990.8 stu-dents, but more than 472, are considered 2A.

In the recent past, the

Patriots had opted up to the 3A level, despite its stature as one of the state’s smallest 3A schools, but this time around, adminis-trators decided to test the 2A waters.

Former Liberty Athletic Director Stark Porter said he looked at the move as a two-year experiment, after which the school would re-evaluate things.

Hazen’s basketball star signs with ASU

With the swift stroke of a pen, Hazen High School senior Dominic Green made a permanent deci-sion about the setting of his life’s next chapter Nov. 12.

The Hazen basketball star signed his national letter of intent to play at Arizona State University next year, officially mak-ing him a Sun Devil.

Green, a small for-ward, chose Arizona State over offers from schools such as Washington State University, Portland State University and the University of Montana.

Green is the first Hazen boys basketball player to sign with a Division I school since 1992, when Jason Hamilton began his career at San Diego State University before transfer-ring to the University of Washington. Hamilton now serves as a radio ana-lyst for the Huskies’ bas-ketball team.

Patriots win first swim titleThe 2014 Liberty girls

swim team won the pro-gram’s first state champi-onship in a devastatingly dominant fashion. The Patriots won seven of the meet’s 12 events and left the King County Aquatic Center with a 2A record final score of 348 points.

To put that score in perspective, second-place finisher Sehome, coinci-dentally Liberty coach Kris Daughters’ alma mater,

had 188 points.“That was one of the

most fun nights of my existence,” a beaming Daughters said at the end of the meet.

Senior Mackenna Briggs led Liberty swimmers with two individual wins, cap-turing the 100-yard butter-fly with a 2A meet record time of 55.65 seconds, and cruising to victory in the 50-yard freestyle in 23.78. Briggs, a University of San Diego commit, also won the Swimmer of the Meet Award.

Hazen, Liberty wrestlers shine at Mat Classic

Malik Haythorne’s senior season of wrestling was emblematic of his entire Hazen High School team — growth was evi-dent.

A year after failing to win a match at the state championships, Haythorne nearly wound up capturing a 3A state title. He settled for second place at 152 pounds as the Mat Classic XXVI wrapped up Feb. 22 at the Tacoma Dome.

Haythorne’s runner-up finish topped the Highlanders’ six-athlete contingent at the Mat Classic. Raven Svenson, a freshman who took sev-

enth in the 155-pound girls division, was Hazen’s only other medalist.

On the Liberty side, three Patriots reached the medal podium.

Conner Small took third at 160 pounds, Romney Noel was sixth at 170 and Joanna Moreira took sixth in the 137-pound girls division.

Patriots put together big fall at 2A

In its first sports season at 2A, the Liberty Athletic Department put together an impressive 2014 fall postseason.

In addition to the swim team’s 2A state title, other teams took home hard-ware, too.

The Liberty boys and girls cross-country teams each earned third place at the state championships in Pasco on Nov. 8, taking home the first state tro-phies in program history.

The Patriots’ volley-ball team also made his-tory, making its first state appearance and earning an eighth-place trophy.

Hazen senior named a Sea GalHazen High School

2014 graduate Errin Mekel was selected as a member of the Seattle Seahawks dance team, the Sea Gals, for the 2014-2015 season.

Mekel, also a member of the state-champion Hazen drill team in 2014, competed in a marathon

of workshops, tryouts and auditions to be selected as a Sea Gal.

She used her athleti-cism, knowledge of cho-reography and passion to win over judges in the selection process. Out of the hundreds of women who try out, only between 24 and 32 are selected for the squad.

Liberty tennis star goes out on top

A year after Liberty High School tennis player Jenny Adams teamed up with Kristy Braunston to take second at the 3A state doubles tournament, Adams went solo with almost as much success.

She placed fourth at the 3A state tennis singles tournament May 31.

Adams, who graduated in 2014 as one of Liberty’s best tennis players ever, defeated Shadle Park’s Audra Spargo in three sets to win the fourth-place medal.

Hazen coach steps down to lead alma mater

The Hazen High School football team began spring 2014 practices under new leadership after head coach Drew Oliver stepped down to take over at Newport High School, his alma mater.

Oliver took over the program in 2009, and under his direction, Hazen returned to the state play-offs during the 2011 sea-son, for the first time since 1993.

Oliver, who grew up in the Newport Hills neighborhood, coached at Newport prior to accepting the job at Hazen.

David Kilpatrick-White took over for Oliver. The 2003 Bothell High School graduate came to Hazen via the Bothell program, having coached freshmen wide receivers.

Hazen finished 4-6 under the first-year coach.

Hazen, Liberty sports programs had a good 2014


For the fifth straight year, the Hazen High School wrestlers will tackle more than their oppo-nents.

They’ll do all that they can to tackle pancreatic cancer at a Jan. 16 meet

and fundraiser.Hazen’s event annu-

ally raises about $2,000 for pancreatic cancer research through bake sales, T-shirt sales and admission costs.

The fundraiser is inspired by Hazen coach Rory Magana’s father

Rodney, who died just eight months after he was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer in 2011.

“The diagnosis is a tough one,” Magana said. “The two-year survival rates are very low, and the five-year survival rates

are even lower. Pancreatic cancer is the most lethal cancer diagnosis that there is, but not a lot of people have heard about it.”

This year’s event is at Liberty High School, 16655 S.E. 136th St. Doors open at 5 p.m. Jan. 16. Hazen, Liberty, Oak

Harbor and Highline high school wrestling teams will all compete.

Instead of an entry fee, Magana encourages spectators to bring funds to donate to the cause. Organizers also will sell T-shirts and host a silent auction, with all proceeds

going to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.

“Over the last few years, our wrestlers have been very excited to compete for such a worthy cause,” Magana said. “They love stepping up to raise aware-ness for such a good cause.”

Hazen High School wrestlers to tackle pancreatic cancer Jan. 16

Contributed

The Hazen High School drill team and coaches show off their third consecutive first-place trophy after the Dance and Drill State Championships March 29 at the Yakima SunDome.

By Greg Farrar

The Liberty High School swim team cheers Nov. 15 as the 400-yard freestyle relay team wins the final event and the Patriots run away with their first-ever team state swimming championship.

Lake Boren donutsAn unknown suspect

in an unknown vehicle drove onto the grass at Lake Boren Park, 13000 S.E. 84th Way, tearing it up and spraying mud between Nov. 26 and 29. It most likely occurred when the ground was frozen.

Mail theft An unknown suspect

stole mail from a box in the 11800 block of Southeast 79th Court Dec. 3. A homeowner noticed that his and eight of his neighbors’ mailboxes had been emptied.

Samara did itA Newcastle resident

arrived at his home in the

13000 block of Southeast May Creek Park Drive to find that an unknown sus-pect had ripped open his waiting packages and took a few items, including a copy of the movie “The Ring” Dec. 9.

O Christmas TreeA package filled with

three pre-lit Christmas trees was stolen Dec. 9 from a porch in the 13800 block of Southeast 77th Place.

The real GrinchAn anonymous caller

reported that two people were seen taking items from the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound donation bin in the AM/PM parking lot, 6966 Coal Creek Parkway S.E., Dec. 10. The caller was able to give police the reported

suspects’ license plate number.

Up in smokeA Coal Creek Utility

District employee turned in a Superman backpack filled with glass smok-ing devices. It was found Dec. 11 behind the Del Mar Apartments, 12828 Newcastle Way.

Stolen?During regular patrol

Dec. 12, a Newcastle offi-cer spotted a white truck with stolen license plates in the Coal Creek Utility District parking lot, 6801 132nd Place S.E. The car’s owner, a CCUD employee, said the plates were report-ed as stolen, but he since received replacement ones, since the DMV re-issues vanity plates.

Library lootingAn unknown suspect

stole a $400 computer from the Newcastle Library, 12901 Newcastle Way, between Dec. 13 and 15.

Suspicious vehicleAn officer spotted what

appeared to be a stolen vehicle in the parking lot of the Newport Crossing Apartments, 7311 Coal Creek Parkway S.E, Dec. 17. The 2008 Toyota Prius was covered with dirt and pine needles and had a shattered back window. The owner of the vehicle lives in Snoqualmie, and while the vehicle had not yet been reported stolen, the officer had the car impounded.

Police blotter comes directly from police reports.


Police blotter

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Newcastle Police arrest package thief

Newcastle Police arrested a woman Dec. 18 for steal-ing packages from a front porch in the 15500 block of Southeast 79th Street.

The department sus-pects she is associated with other package and mail thefts in the area, Police Chief Melinda Irvine said.

Police can identify own-ers of the mail, but not items removed from pack-ages, so residents who have not reported stolen package should go to www.report-tosheriff.org or call 206-296-3311 to claim property.

Keep a close eye on your doorsteps when

shipping and/or receiving packages. If possible, ship boxes through an autho-rized mail service location, and plan to be home when packages are coming.

Irvine said video from a camera system, and alert neighbors, helped solve the crime. She asked security camera owners to examine their systems and make sure they are in a position to capture a good photo of a thief and his or her vehicle.

If you see anyone who appears to be unauthor-ized removing items from a porch, call 911 with a vehicle description, including the license plate number if possible, and suspect information.


Photos of the Year(that you never saw)

Not every photo from assignments in 2014 made it into Newcastle News. Here are 10 of the more memorable images by Greg Farrar that never made it to print.

At right, Nicholas Dean, a Boy Scout with the Troop 499 color guard, carries

the flag during the opening activities April 19 for Earth Day at Lake Boren Park.Below, Nolan Hoover, Hazen High School relief pitcher, comes in to

close out the third inning against bat-ters from Liberty in their March 25

baseball game.

At left, Amy Amila Gerzic, 6 months old, looks around at the crowd attending the naturalization ceremo-ny for new Unites States citizens July 23 at the Newcastle Library. Below, members of the ballet class leap in the air in the dance ‘Somewhere,’ choreographed by Philip Borunda to Leonard Bernstein’s music from ‘West Side Story,’ during Cornerstone Studio’s annual recital June 22 at the Newport High School Performing Arts Center.

At right, David Nonu

is barely visible June 13 under a pile of flow-

er, ribbon and money

garlands while he

poses after Liberty High

School’s graduation. His nieces,

nephews and cous-ins hold a traditional

mat and tapestry, as candy

bars spell out his name.

At left, Liberty High School Associated Student Body 2014-15 executive board offi-cers are (from left) Dan Godfrey, senator; Sarah Bliesner, secretary; Isabelle Ashraf, vice presi-dent; Cherelle Demps, president; Issabelle Hayden, senator; and Nick Bliesner, treasurer.

At right, Hazen High School Associated Student Body 2014-15 executive board

officers are (from left) Katie Dunn, Highlander Club Girls;

Nolan Hoover, Highlander Club Boys; Annie Dang, vice president; Kyle Hanis, presi-dent; Johnny Le, secretary;

Paul Charbonneau, treasurer; and D.J. Anderson, historian.

Above, Dinara Ranney, of Newcastle, smiles as her daughter Melanie, 14 months, enjoys playing with a bal-loon from the Seattle Revival Center tent Sept. 6 during Newcastle Days at Lake Boren Park.

By Pat Detmer

I have, for more than 25 years, donat-ed blood. My own blood, by the way, if that wasn’t clear. I’ve filled the plastic bag at Puget Sound Blood Centers, in school audito-riums and in my current favorite: The Bloodmobile that shows up at the Newcastle Y every eight weeks or so.

Yes, it can sometimes be a bit time-consuming, which is why I was elated when I opened the PSBC website and saw a large button that said, “Donate online!” For a nanosecond I pondered how it might be accomplished — Via USB port? Would one need broadband? — and then I realized that they had yet to find a way to siphon my blood over the ethernet, but instead were seeking monetary dona-tions.

The Sainted One gives plasma, and his blood type is such that it mixes with all other types, which means that his plasma is as coveted as Seahawks season tickets at the 50-yard line. When he’s due for a session we get a persistent but pleasant phone call a day from a volunteer until he books it. He gets his own TV and blanket while he donates.

Admittedly, I do get cookies and a choice of drinks when I’m done, so it’s not as if my needs are ignored. I always choose V8 because it makes me feel like I’m replenishing what I’ve lost. They have yet, however, to stock the little bottles of vodka that I keep requesting.

But something has begun to mess with my desire to donate. My iron levels are sometimes not high enough for giving. For a quarter of a century I’ve had the right stuff, and even though I’m not eating differently, and even though I love kale, spinach, seafood, a good steak and Almond Roca, my numbers have gone

down. According to the folks at the PSBC, that’s not unusual, especially for women. And according to my doctor, my levels are not “low” by medical stan-dards, so there’s nothing to treat.

So here’s where I take a moment to apologize to the white-coated PSBC technicians who prick my finger to get the blood drop for the iron test. I sit in the tiny room that feels eerily like a Catholic church confessional, and because I believe in mind over matter, I will chant in my head: “Be the iron. Be filled with lots of iron,” and then I’ll wait breath-lessly for the result. And here’s why I apologize:


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The Bloodmobile will probably be rolling around again in January. I am now taking a 65mg iron tablet a day. I’ll show them, those #!!?#?##!!!

You can reach Pat Detmer — who will give her signed book to anyone who donates at the Newcastle Y Bloodmobile for the first time in his or her life — at www.patdetmer.com.

Students invited to join page program

Students between ages 14 and 16 are invited to participate in the Senate page program, where each year hundreds of students from through-out Washington state get a firsthand look at how the legislative process works.

Students spend one week in Olympia, where they attend page school, hear directly from state lawmakers and other offi-cials, and assist with pro-ceedings on the Senate

floor during debate and voting.

Interested students liv-ing in the 41st District are encouraged to apply by submitting an application to State Sen. Steve Litzow’s office for the 2015 session that runs from January through April.

Learn more or get an application by call-ing the Legislative Information Center at 800-562-6000 toll free; go to SenatorLitzow.com and select “Page Program;” or email [email protected].

Events

‘Intro to Graphic Novels’ with Newcastle’s Dana Sullivan, learn how to script, storyboard and layout your own graphic novel, starts Jan. 5, Bellevue College, 14673 N.E. 29th Place, register at http://goo.gl/X6BKAD

Eastside Coalition Legislative Breakfast for 2015, 7-9 a.m. Jan. 8, Hyatt Regency Bellevue, 900 Bellevue Way N.E., $40, register online at newcastle-chamber.org

‘What Will Happen To Your Family History Stuff When You Downsize Your Residence Or Pass On?’ learn the steps you can take now with the Eastside Genealogical Society, 7 p.m. Jan. 8, Bellevue Regional Library, 1111 110th Ave N.E., Bellevue, www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~wakcegs

Newcastle Chamber of Commerce monthly lunch, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Jan. 14, Tapatio Mexican Grill, 6920 Coal Creek Parkway S.E., ‘What’s App with Puget Sound Energy?’ learn about PSE’s new app and

more, $20/members, $25/nonmembers, register at newcastle-chamber.org

Public meetings

All city public meet-ings are at City Hall, 12835 Newcastle Way, Suite 200. Call 649-4444.

� Finance Committee — 4-5 p.m. Jan. 12

� Community Activity Commission — 7-8 p.m. Jan. 14

� Economic and Community Development Committee — 5:30-6:30 p.m. Jan. 20

� City Council — 7-8 p.m. Jan. 20

� Planning Commission — 7-8 p.m. Jan. 21

Newcastle Trails board, first Monday of the month, 7 p.m., Regency Newcastle, 7454 Newcastle Golf Club Road, www.newcastletrails.org

YMCA

The Coal Creek Family YMCA, 13750 Newcastle Golf Club Road, has regular fam-ily programs for all ages. Get a complete schedule or register for classes by calling 282-1500 or go to www.coalcreekymca.org.

Kids 5K training,ages 5 and older, six-week sessions throughout the year, $35/facility and pro-gram members

Parents Night Out at the Y, ages 3-10, 5-9 p.m. Jan. 10 $30/facility members, $40/program members

Senior pinochle, 10 a.m. to noon Tuesdays and Thursdays

Teen Drop In, times vary, drop in after school for some community time

Family badminton, 5:15-6:45 p.m. Fridays and 8-11:45 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays

Table tennis, 11 am. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays, 7:15-9:15 p.m. Wednesdays, 4-9 p.m. Fridays, and 2:30-5 p.m. Sundays

Adult pickleball,7-8:30 a.m. Mondays, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fridays, and noon to 3 p.m. Sundays

Family pickleball,3-4 p.m. Sundays

Tween dodgeball, 7-8 p.m. Tuesdays

Open basketball,times vary Monday through Friday, free to facility members

Open volleyball, ages 14 and older, 8-9:45 p.m. Thursdays

Power volleyball,8-9:45 p.m. Tuesdays, free to facility members

Youth Tae Kwon Do, ages 5 and older, 5:15-6 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, $40/facility members, $60/community member, $35 uniform fee

Kids 5K training, 9 a.m. Saturdays, $35/facility members, $60/community

‘Let’s Move,’ youth fitness classes, ages 7-11, times vary, $40/facility members, $70/community members

Swimming lessons,ages 3 and older, $35 to $126, call for age group times and dates

Library events

The Newcastle Library is at 12901 Newcastle Way. The follow-ing programs are offered:

SHIBA counseling,10 a.m. Fridays, Jan. 2 and Feb. 2

Work Area, open to everyone, 3-5:30 p.m. most days

Young Toddler Story Times, ages 1-2, 10:15 a.m. Monday, Jan. 5, 12 and 26, and Feb. 2

Toddler Story Times, ages 2-3, 11:30 a.m. Monday, Jan. 5, 12 and 26, and Feb. 2

Computer class: One-on-One Assistance 6:30-8 p.m. Monday, Jan. 5, 12 and 26

Infant Story Times, ages 0-1, 10:15 a.m. Wednesdays

Study Zone, grades K-12, 4-6 p.m. Tuesdays and 3:30-5:30 p.m. Wednesdays

Talk Time, practice your English conversation skills, 7-8:30 p.m. Tuesdays

Preschool Story times, ages 3-5, 11:30 a.m. Wednesdays

‘Make Your Own Comic Book,’ for middle and high school students, 1 p.m. Jan. 10, must regis-ter, http://bit.ly/104fzL8

Circulo de Lectura en Español, Spanish Literature Book Club, ‘Diablo Guardian,’ by Xavier Velasco, 7 p.m. Jan. 15

Teen Leadership Board, 6:30 p.m. Jan. 28, meeting at City Hall this month, 12835 Newcastle Way, Suite 200

Clubs

East Shore Singles, social group for single adults older than 45, monthly activities and events on Eastside, new members welcome, 270-3599, monthly bulletin at www.meetup.com/eastshore-singles.

The Society of Artists for Newcastle,art organization, 271-5822

MOMS Club of Renton, play dates at parks and other locations, new activities daily, non-profit and nonreligious, daytime support for moms and families, 260-3079

Bridge players wanted, evening or day-time, games at homes in Hazelwood area, 255-0895

Devotional gather-ing, by Baha’i Faith of Newcastle, 7 p.m., last Friday, 430-8047

Drinking Liberally, informal progressive social group that discusses politics, 7 p.m., first and third Thursday, Mustard Seed Grill & Pub, 5608 119th Ave. S.E., Bellevue, www.drinkingliberally.org

Cub Scout Pack 738, first Friday, 7 p.m., Newcastle Elementary School, 8440 136th Ave. S.E., grades one through five, www.pack738.com

Health

Angel Care Breast Cancer Foundation, trained survivors offer free emotional support to newly diagnosed, www.angelcarefoundation.org

Alzheimer’s Association Caregiver Support Group, 6:30-8 p.m., third Thursday, St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, 3030 Bellevue Way N.E., Bellevue, 822-3549

Volunteers

Coal Creek Family YMCA Seniors Program, volunteer for intergenera-tional opportunities, rock-ing and comforting infants, teaching children to play bridge, reading to kinder-gartners, 282-1506

Newcastle Trails,trail advocates and build-ers for Newcastle, regular meetings, work par-ties, 453-9292, ext. 110, www.newcastletrails.org

Exhibit makes city’s history come to life

Time is running out for residents to experience Newcastle’s history up close and personal at the Renton History Museum.

The “Newcastle: Little Giant of the Eastside” exhibit debuted Sept. 9 and is set to run until Feb. 7 at the Renton History Museum. It features pic-tures, maps and objects, most on loan cour-tesy of the Newcastle Historical Society, from Newcastle’s coal-min-ing past.

There are features about the still-standing Baima House and the Newcastle Cemetery, as well as a wall-sized present-day map pin-pointing several his-torical locations.

The artifacts range from mining tools to wine-making devices, because, as collec-tions manager Sarah Samson noted, “there were a lot of Italians” in Newcastle.

Learn more at www.rentonwa.gov/rentonhistorymuseum.

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suspect, the cost is unneces-sary because it would be zero if we chose to assume the CCUD, but most of all I cannot believe we would surrender a potentially valu-able city right to assume the district for 10 long years.”

Drescher was one of three council members who voted against the ini-tial agreement, along with Councilmen Gordon Bisset and Rich Crispo. It passed 4-3, though, Sept. 16.

The building would serve as a place to store and work on the city’s public works vehicles, which are currently parked at City Hall. It’s an ideal location, just down the street from City Hall.

The property wasn’t for sale, said Robert Russell, Coal Creek Utility District’s general manager,

but the city of Newcastle expressed interest, so they entered into discussions about an agreement.

The utility district worked with the city to offer a budget-friendly price for the $750,000 property, Russell said. The result was the $250,000 price tag and the 10-year non-assumption clause.

The non-assumption agreement is important, he added, because it “gives the district assurance to be able to plan for the future and know we are going to be around.”

“It seemed like a win-win for us and the city,” he said.

The agreement unjustly binds the hands of future city councils, though, according to former Newcastle City Councilman Sonny Putter.

The longtime council-man spoke as a citizen during the council’s public comment period Nov. 3, and contended that the

deal was illegal and a mis-use of public funds.

“You’re going to spend $250,000 for an asset that you could get for zero cost, that, I maintain, is a violation of your fiduciary duty to the city,” he told the council.

The city does have the legal right to take over the utility district. All it would need is four votes of the council and approval from the King County Boundary Review Board to assume all of the district’s assets.

Newcastle is in no posi-tion to make such a move, though, Councilman John Dulcich said at the Dec. 16 meeting, after Drescher proposed rescinding the previous agreement.

“We heard our city manager the other day talk about how full up the staff is, how there’s not another thing they can do,” Dulcich said. “For people to think that we could assume the district and it’s a plug and play, is

wrong. It’s going to take time and effort and we don’t have the capacity in-house at this point.”

Dulcich added that he felt the initial agreement was a good deal, and didn’t see the non-assumption clause as an “egregious or errorful action.”

Drescher’s Dec. 16 attempt to rescind approv-al for the agreement auto-matically failed when the vote ended in a 3-3 tie, with Councilwoman Lisa Jensen absent.

“I am not currently advocating the need to assume, but I believe it is my responsibility to maintain and strengthen the financial tools at our disposal — not surrender them,” he said. “I also believe that compelling future councils to uphold the surrendering of this right is far from clear in the law.”

The agreement has not yet been finalized, Russell said, as legal counsels on

both sides work through it. He said he had hoped it would get finished before the end of the year, but that is no longer possible.

The City Council will

have at least one more chance to vote on the agreement’s funding, though it is unclear when that will be, as both sides continue to work on it.


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