Three homes near a ravine on Holly Lane, off of West Mercer Way, were affected by a landslide that resulted from the weekend’s punishing rainfall.
Jennifer Franklin, the emergency preparedness officer for the Mercer Island Police Department, said one home was red-tagged, meaning it had to be vacated.
In what may be the first of several forums on how to best educate our youth, parents, teachers, a few community members and a newly-minted state legislator came together to discuss the topic, Education: Myths and Realities.
The Community Center at Mercer View opened five years ago this week, and to celebrate the milestone there will be an open house and a gaggle of events on Dec. 16.
Despite the fuss, The 42,000-plus square foot center opened on time and under budget at $12.4 million on Dec. 10, 2005. The brick, steel and glass structure was designed by Miller/Hull Partnership. The bid to build the center was awarded to Swinerton Builders.
City finance director Chip Corder said their bid was too low.
The spirit of giving was overflowing on Nov. 30 at Ann Peterson’s Mercer Island home, as she and a large group of friends helped military mom Debbie Kane put together 26 care packages to be sent to Kane’s son and his platoon mates who are deployed in Afghanistan.
George Kane III, 24, is a 2004 graduate of Mercer Island High School and Gonzaga University, where he received his degree in finance. He joined the service, went through Army Ranger training last summer, and is now a second lieutenant with the 101st Airborne Division. He has been in Afghanistan since Sept. 13.
The students in Carol Wiseley’s International Entrepreneurship class at Mercer Island High School are bright, motivated and focused. Not only are they international traders with their corporation, Mercer Trade Inc., which is a public company, but they are excelling in competition.
The Mercer Island School District has awarded Wiseman Utilities of Olympia the bid to install a fiber-optic network for the district. This will be one of the first of several pieces of the installation project.
Wiseman Utilities was the low bidder out of six bids, coming in at $185,817.
Bill and C.C. Crenshaw have always wanted to do some sort of relief work, but the right opportunity had never come up — until they were called to help in Haiti. On the last leg of their journey, they flew from Miami on a one-hour, 40-minute flight into another world.
They could not have imagined the suffering they saw.
“One minute you’re sipping your coffee at Starbucks, then you’re in a war zone,” C.C. said.
After a five-year absence from Mercer Island, the Seven Star Restaurant and Lounge is back in its old location at 2885 78th Ave. S.E.
Family-owned by Xin Lin Li and his wife, Xiuling Yuan, the restaurant comfortably seats 60 to 70 patrons. The couple’s daughter, Amy Li, also works at the Seven Star.
Island resident and artist Marianne Bond finds all kinds of inspiration for her art. She paints everything from dachshunds to florals and she used to design and build furniture.
But the motivation for her latest artistic venture came from a most unusual source.
It was actually black and white images of India that her husband, Michael, saw in one of his issues of The Financial Times, a newspaper that moved the Mercer Island artist to put her creativity to work, and also to help out a good cause.
A new fountain which “embodies the enthusiasm of childhood play” now graces the front of Early World Montessori on Mercer Island.
Earl Caditz, one of the owners of the school, said it puts people in a good mood when they’re walking in. He bought the bronze fountain online, and after four months it was delivered and installed on Nov. 20.
Farmers New World Life, one of Mercer Island’s largest employers, eliminated 60 jobs here on Nov. 10.
Mark Toohey, spokesman for Farmers New World Life, said the layoffs were due to “projected economic and business conditions.” The company will still employ approximately 600 people at the Mercer Island facility, which is the headquarters for Farmers life insurance division.
On the third day of inclement weather, members of the Mercer Island Local IFF (International Fire Fighters) 1762 bundled up and gathered outside the Mercer Island Albertsons on Wednesday to collect food for the Mercer Island food bank.
With a bright red fire truck parked at the store’s entrance, the firefighters set up a barrel to collect food and a red helmet on the ground to collect cash donations as shoppers emerged from the store.
The Mercer Island School District Board of Directors held their annual session with 41st District Legislators to discuss the coming session and the need for increasing funding for education.
