A review of the first six months of 2014 is in this issue. The final six months will be printed in the issue of Dec. 31.

The front page of the Jan. 8 issue of the Mercer Island Reporter foretells what is ahead. It is all about growth and development — cars, traffic and parking.

January

Sound Transit tells Island officials that it will commit up to $6 million to help with parking issues at the Mercer Island Park and Ride, saying it would commit $6 million to “address overcrowding at the lot.” City officials are optimistic, but note that more parking will not help Islanders if it fills up with “commuters from the Eastside.”

Ideas are shared on how to find more commuter parking include sharing lots with churches, perhaps starting a shuttle service and more.

A traffic consultant estimates there would be 250 more car trips each day generated by an expanded high school by 2017.

The State Legislative session in Olympia begins, with transportation funding at the top of the list.

Islanders get a preview of King County Library System’s plan to remodel the Island library. Islanders are not enthusiastic about the changes.

Meetings are set on proposed cuts to Metro routes.  Island riders are not happy.

A planning commission meeting at City Hall on the Coval property on 84th Avenue S.E. is standing room only. Many speak against the proposal to build 18 homes on the five-acre property, citing the impact on traffic and the character of the surrounding neighborhood.

Former foes of the 2013 school bond and levy vote throw their support to the revamped and smaller proposal to build a new elementary school, and expand and rework other facilities, on the ballot in the February.

The Mercer Island office of Windermere in Mercer Island reports that 353 homes are sold on the Island in 2013 — the highest number of sales  since 2009. Days on the market fell. Average prices were just 3 percent higher than 2012 — the median price was up by 13 percent.

Islander Greg Asimakopoulos, chaplain of Covenant Shores, is chosen to open the 63rd meeting of the Washington State Legislature.

But there is other news, joy and excitement.

Eleven Islander youth receive their Eagle Scout rank at a court of honor.

The Mercer Island United Methodist Church celebrates its 50th anniversary on the Island.

Noel Treat is sworn in as the new City Manager for the City.

Results from the annual bird count reveal 3,000 birds representing 67 species are seen on the Island.

Islanders gather signatures for I-594.

Seahawk fever begins to build as the Super Bowl is set for Feb. 2. Islander wardrobes become heavily tilted toward the colors of ‘college navy’ and ‘action green.’

The old South-end Fire station is demolished to make way for a new modern building. The French American school buys more land to expand at its present site.

February

Seahawks win the Super Bowl. Hundreds of Islanders, including students skipping school and adults missing work, attend the massive parade in downtown Seattle. Communications systems are swamped by the event. One provider, Verizon, reported that voice use peaked at 130,000 calls between 10 and 11 a.m. Data requests peaked at 5.2 million between noon and 1 p.m., a load estimated to be roughly 100 times greater than normal.

Less than 40 percent of Islanders fill out a survey that tabulated the number and times they drove on I-90. The data was to help inform tolling proposals. Just 3,595  Islanders completed the survey.

School Measures pass as 3/4 of voters say yes to more taxes to build a fourth elementary school, upgrade and expand school buildings and fund ongoing maintenance and operations.  The vote was the final step in moving toward plans to rebuild Island schools. Just half of Island registered voters voted.

Islanders again begin to receive telephone calls with callers impersonating police or IRS agents demanding money.

Neighbors continue to voice their opposition to the proposal to build 18 homes on five acres of land on 84th Avenue S.E. above the Town Center. The Planning commission splits the vote on whether to approval with four saying yes, and two voting no. Construction begins on Stevenson Farm property. Mercer Island Nutrition closes after 15 years on the Island.

The private schools, who have long leased land on school district property near the high school, search for new space after the district announces it will move ahead to build a fourth elementary school on the land leased to them.

Plans to expand the Thrift store are postponed.

A new solicitor ordinance takes effect on Valentine’s Day.

Islanders receive property assessments from the King County Assessors office. Island-wide, assessed values are up eight percent.

Islanders see and hear from Sound Transit about the new light rail station to be placed in the center lanes of I-90, next to the Park and Ride. The agency held an open house at the Community Center. Islanders wanted to know where there would be parking.

Mercer Island’s new plastic bag ordinance that bans the use of single-use plastic bags with some exceptions, is approved.

Youth Theatre Northwest is the first tenant to move out of its old home at the North Mercer Gym on S.E. 40th Street.

March

Island native Joel McHale thrills Islanders by appearing at a fundraiser for Youth Theatre Northwest, where he himself took the stage as a youth. Prior to the gala, he holds a private session at the old YTN for Island youth, who took selfies with the star.

School Board notifies its remaining tenants on teh old Norther Mercer it is time to go.

Islanders become alarmed about proposed changes to the Mercer Island library. A Library Advisory group is appointed by City Council.

The 30,000 square foot property along North Mercer Way owned by the Beaufort family for more than 80 years with 60 feet of no bank waterfront, receives five offers within a day. It sells for $2.5 million but later is sold again for $3.1 million in August.

A group of Island teens hang out for a few days at an Island home off West Mercer Way, whose owner is away on vacation. They help themselves to cash and valuables. Two are arrested at school a few days later.

Mercer Island High School student Josiah Townsend wins a chance to compete for the August Wilson monologue competition in New York City.

More than 3,800 walk or run in the 42nd Rotary Run to raise money and awareness about colon cancer.

Island youth collect six tons of food for YFS food pantry.The Mercer Island High School Marching Band along with Island Boy Scout troop 457 collect six tons of food for the food pantry.

Nathan Cummings, 18, is named a national Portfolio Gold Medalist in the 2014 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. He is awarded a $10,000 scholarship. He said he would attend Harvard in the fall.

April

Islanders fan out to help the community of Oso in Snohomish County after the devastating mudslide there. Au Courant and other Island businesses and individuals gather donations for the community. Islanders ask city for maps and information on landslide risks on Mercer Island.

Prop 1 for transit and roads to increase the King County sales tax by 0.1 of a percent for ten years; and establish a $60 vehicle fee, is voted down.

The mayor and deputy mayor warn that city may need to establish a Transportation Benefit District  and charge $20 for tabs in order to pay for improvements. Metro bus cuts loom.

Mercer Island City Councilmember, Tana Senn announces her run for State legislature. She was earlier appointed to replace State Rep. Marcie Maxwell at the statehouse.

The city approves charges fee for false alarms.

The plastic bag ban ordinance, approved by the City Council, goes into effect on Earth Day, April 22.

City re-opens discussion on the  Coval property.

Mercer Island School District hires new staff and reorganizes leadership positions. Educator Mark Zmuda, formerly a principal at Eastside Catholic High School, is chosen as the new associate principal at Mercer Island High School.

Oso fund reaches $30,000.

Country Village Day School finds a new home on S.E. 36th Street near City Hall. They later begin renovating the space.

A dog bites two police officers responding to call about one dog attacking another.  The owner is fined $500.

A performing arts center is proposed for old recycling center land and Bicenntenial Park, adjacent to Mercerdale Park.

May

The controversy about the fate of the proposed remodel at the Mercer Island library continues. The newly formed Concerned Citizens group grows more frustrated.

A new $415,000 rescue truck is delivered to the Mercer Island Fire Department. It can be seen most Sundays on the parking apron outside Station 91. Island fire fighter Alec Munro is dispatched to help with the technical rescue and recovery efforts in Oso.

After several meetings with neighbors and city staff regarding the impacts of expanded schools; notably regarding the proximity of school buildings and their height, new zoning is approved for school projects.

An exhibit of art work by the late Islander artist, illustrator Ted Rand, is exhibited at the Governor’s mansion in Olympia. A film about the life of Stanley Ann Dunham, a Mercer Island High School graduate and the mother of President Barack Obama, is shown at the Seattle International Film Festival.

Julie Brand-Acteson, interim director of the King County Library System, announces that construction remodeling of the library would commence in the fall. She said, “We are at a phase where public input is no longer needed.”

Solar panels begin to pop up  around the Island, including the South end Rite aid.

Mercer Island High School senior Mark Anderson is one of 700 National Achieve Program Finalists to receive a $2,500 National Achievement Scholarship award. The scholarship serves as an award recognizing outstanding Black American high school students.   Anderson was also selected as one of the 1,000 Gates Millennium Scholars for the GMS Class of 2014. Over 52,000 students applied to the Gates Millennium Scholarship program, which offers a full college  scholarship.

At 2 a.m. on Thursday, May 22, Mercer Island police officers respond to a call of a male and female breaking into locked mail boxes at an apartment building in the 2800 block of 75th Place S.E.  The caller had the suspect’s vehicle blocked in with his own car. The suspects rammed the caller’s vehicle and fled as officers arrived. A female suspect was taken into custody. The male suspect then escaped on foot. At 4:15 a.m. Washington State Patrol Troopers located the male suspect walking across the I-90 bridge. He then jumped into Lake Washington.  Seattle Harbor Patrol pulled him from the water at 4:45 a.m.  He was transported to the hospital.

June

The Roanoke Inn, Island landmark and favored Island watering hole and gathering place, celebrates its 100th anniversary.

The Mercer Island School District Teachers of the Year are Jan Brousseau, Jeanne Berkshire and Sue Jobe.

The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services closes Mercer Island Care and Rehab Center after the nursing home was cited for numerous violations. As a result, the families of 74 patients had to find a new place for their family member to stay. Investigators found that yhe owners of the business did not have enough money to support basic needs.

The first annual Mercer Island High School Band rummage sale is held at Islander Middle School to raise money for the band and the upcoming trip by the Wind Ensemble to Australia.

Respected teacher Mr. Segedelli retires after 15 years teaching math at Islander Middle School.

The Mercer Island Fire Department announces that some of the very last artifacts from the Sept. 11 attack on the World Trade Center in New York, are set to come to Island. They will be fashioned into public art to be placed at the new South-end fire station.

Coval developers reduce the number of homes  to be built  from 18 to 16.

Islander family-owned, Kusak Cut Glass works celebrates its 100th anniversary on June 14. The shop, down on Rainier Avenue South, was founded by Anton C. Kusak, a master crystal engraver who was a native of Morovia in the Czech Republic in Eastern Europe.

Mercer Island Parks and Recreation employee Marilyn Anderson retires after 33 years with the City. She was the first female maintenance employee hired by the city.

In mid-June, 321 Islander teens celebrate their graduation from Mercer Island High School at commencement ceremonies held at Key Arena in Seattle.

Islander graduate Emily Lightfoot earns her 14th and final athletic letter.