MICA, YTN and Mercerdale: a wonderful marriage
In 1984 Nancy Satterberg, then with the Mercer Island Arts Council, Carl Darchuk, then artistic director of The Village Theatre, and many others, had a vision: to create a theatre on Mercer Island dedicated to involving youth in the arts. With a lot of hard work, commitment and dedication, the Mercer Island Children’s Theatre was born, with its inaugural performance of the Wizard of Oz in December 1984. I was dating Nancy at this time, and was so pleased and excited to have been associated with this founding group.
Over time, the Mercer Island Children’s Theatre morphed wonderfully into Youth Theatre Northwest. The rest, as they say, is history, as YTN has become an incredibly important, vibrant and vital presence on the Island.
Nancy and I were married for 24 years, until her untimely passing in July 2012.
Were Nancy alive today, she would be thrilled to see the creation of the Mercer Island Center for the Arts (MICA) at Mercerdale Park. She would support it unqualifiedly and without hesitation, both as an arts center, and especially as the future home of Youth Theatre Northwest.
MICA deserves a central location where, as a community, people can come together to embrace the arts. Mercerdale Park is a natural and absolutely perfect fit, where MICA will enliven and enrich our Town Center. Mercer Islanders should be thrilled and excited to see this wonderful vision come to fruition.
Don Desonier
What’s the rush on school start times?
Why is the school board motivated to “have a decision” on the start time for the high school resolved by November? Why is this decision being coupled with the addition of world language at the elementary schools? And, why is the extensive work done by the Late Start Committee being questioned?
Yes, Bellevue has voted to move their high school start time from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Good for them. If we are going to open up the possibility for a late start, again, can we learn from another district’s implementation?
There are many groups within the district that will be impacted by a change in start time – at any of the schools. These groups are part of a fragile, intricate system that currently works. This isn’t to say that a new system cannot be put in place, but before we break the current one, let’s make sure we have a new one that works.
Finally, we can wait and still have world language at the elementary schools in 2016. One of the recommendations at the last school board meeting was to add 20 minutes to the end of the elementary day. Can we do this now and wait on the rest?
I am not anti-change, but I am very concerned when due process is ignored and change is implemented without all the parties impacted, involved in the discussions. Let’s take Bellevue’s vote for a late start as a gift to us. Let’s watch and learn. And, let’s keep talking.
Betsy Robertson
