Mercer Island to celebrate Arbor Day, ballfield re-opening and more

In other city news, Money Magazine named Mercer Island the best place to live in Washington.

Mercer Island proclaims Oct. 20 as Arbor Day

At the Feb. 20 City Council meeting, Mayor Debbie Bertlin proclaimed that the city will host an Arbor Day celebration on Oct. 20 at Luther Burbank Park, in conjunction with the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust Annual Tree Planting Celebration.

Celebrating Arbor Day is the final requirement needed to obtain Tree City USA designation, which recognizes the many ways the city supports trees and urban forestry, and makes the city eligible for certain urban forestry grant programs. This status will be retroactively applied to Mercer Island starting in 2017, and will be maintained going forward.

Four core standards of sound urban forestry management must be met to qualify for the program: (1) maintaining a tree board or department, (2) having a community tree ordinance, (3) spending at least $2 per capita on urban forestry, and (4) celebrating Arbor Day.

Accepting the proclamation was Island resident Diane Adachi, a board member for the Arboretum Foundation in Seattle, which supports the preservation of the Washington Park Arboretum.

Mercer Island named best place to live in Washington

Money Magazine recently named Mercer Island the best place to live in Washington state, beating out the other top contender, Newcastle.

Last year, Mercer Island ranked No. 89 on the magazine’s nationwide list of 100 Best Places to Live. However, the list doesn’t typically cover every state, prompting readers to request that the magazine name the winning location in each state.

Money Magazine complied, with the result that Mercer Island landed in the No. 1 spot for Washington. Money Magazine says it picks spots “that offer a healthy economy, affordable homes and a high quality of life.”

Mercer Island’s small town feel and natural beauty appeared to figure prominently in its selection, with mention given to the city’s well maintained parks, miles of scenic shoreline and special community events like Summer Celebration and the Farmers Market that draw residents to Town Center. Strong figures for median income and projected job growth (7.64 percent) also factor into the rankings.

Island Crest Park sports field to re-open this month

All are invited to come celebrate the grand re-opening of the varsity field from 3:30-4:15 p.m. on March 14 at Island Crest Park, immediately preceding the first varsity baseball game to use the new facility. Project leaders will read welcoming remarks at 4 p.m.

The 2.4 acre sports field is now 100 percent synthetic turf and has new, highly efficient LED lighting and a deluxe scoreboard donated by the Mercer Island Baseball Booster Club. Below the surface lies natural cork infill and a new drainage system, guaranteeing year-round play.

This project would not have been possible without support from the community; it received over $700,000 in grants and community donations.

Bike route signage installed

Over the last few weeks, as time permits, crews have been adding new signage along the I-90 Trail that traverses Mercer Island along the interstate corridor.

Also known as the Mountains to Sound Trail, this corridor sees large amounts of recreation in various sections such as Aubrey Davis Park (The “Lid”), as well as significant year-round usage by bicyclists. In just the first two months of 2018, over 12,000 bicycles and pedestrians have crossed the East Channel Bridge.

While commuting cyclists may know their way around, for several years the city has wanted to add directional signage for recreational riders who may not be sure which route represents the main east-west trail from Bellevue to Seattle.

Over the coming weeks, Mercer Island will be adding more signs, and soon, additional wayfinding to guide users to points of interest such as Town Center, the Community Center and City Hall.

See www.mercergov.org for more.