On December 14 we endured a storm that initially flooded the streets of the business center and left us adrift without heat or technology. The entire island was without grid power. Houses went cold. Some of us couldn’t cook or take a shower. We went loopy when our electronics faded as batteries drained. We are thankful to the dedicated public employees and utility workers who have worked long hours, in dangerous conditions, to provide for our safety and comfort. Many millions of dollars will be spent getting us back to “normal.” And sadly for some in our region, the loss of power, flash flooding and downing of trees was deadly and not just an expensive and uncomfortable experience.
From the inception of Mercer Island government, the city has worked hard to keep utilities up to date, beginning 50 years ago with the installation of a municipal sewer system. However, as the storm of the past month reminded us, the infrastructure here is tied to that of the region and to entities whose workings are largely out of our control — entities that must look after hundreds of thousands of customers as well as Islanders.
PEAK could be an admirable community asset with a teen center, a new Boys & Girls Club, childcare and gyms. What PEAK does not offer is a high school-integrated facility as once envisioned and sold to the community in Spring 2005. For a project that neither offers educational value nor reflects funding priorities, PEAK will soak up $1,000,000 in precious school funds and scarce school district land, while incurring ongoing costs and headaches for the Mercer Island School District. For this reason, PEAK should not be sited on MISD land, but instead nurtured elsewhere by community — not school — funds
Six Mercer Island School District teachers have earned National Board Certification bringing the total number of nationally certified teachers in Island schools with this distinction to ten. The always-growing number of teachers in the school district who hold advanced degrees and are working to continually improve their skills, is a reflection of to the values held by Island educators and parents alike.
Just four days after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed by a sniper’s bullet on a terrible April day in 1968, legislation was introduced to create a federal holiday to honor him. When the bill became bogged down by political maneuvering, petitions containing six million names endorsing the holiday were submitted to Congress.
People will inevitably differ in their interpretations of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy and in their assessments of “how far we’ve come.”
The focus of the 35th Annual Economic Outlook conference at the downtown Seattle Convention Center last Wednesday was on giving money away rather than making it. Instead of focusing on the usual indicators of employment growth or jet aircraft orders, the conference of business leaders and economists centered on the role of philanthropy as not only an engine of social change but also a tool of profound and growing impact on the world and the local economy.
In 2004, the Boys & Girls Clubs of King County first sat down with the Mercer Island School District to explore a partnership, spurred by the needs of the youth in the Mercer Island community. This group of youth advocates set out to improve facilities for the Mercer Island Boys & Girls Club, expand teen programming and enhance the educational and recreational opportunities of Mercer Island youth. Today, thanks to the Mercer Island Boys & Girls Club project, named “PEAK,” the Island is closer than ever to seeing these goals accomplished. The PEAK (Positive Place for Kids & Teens, Enrichment & Education, Activities & Athletics, Kinship & Community) facility will impact the lives of every child served, not just during school hours, but during critical after-school hours when youth are statistically most likely to explore high-risk behaviors.
I was appointed several months ago by the Mayor and City Council to be a representative of Mercer Island on the Renton Airport Advisory Committee (RAAC). My responsibilities include: being a voting member of the RAAC; working with the City of Mercer Island staff in the development of strategies to minimize the impact on Mercer Island residents of any City of Renton decisions on the Renton Airport Development Plan; keeping the Mayor, City Council and staff updated on the activities of the RAAC and City of Renton with regard to this issue; and providing a communication link to the residents of Mercer Island.
Gordon Hill
ISLAND FORUM
Despite the early hour, the wind-tossed hike up the steps (in high heels) from the Luther Burbank parking lot to our beautiful new Community Center was a worthwhile effort. The coffee was good, the company lively, and the sponsor of the early-morning fund-raising breakfast, Mercer Island Youth and Family Services, held a blessedly brief and informative program. Most innovative was the addition of Karen Campbell, the drama teacher from Mercer Island High School and Island attorney, Craig Wright, who performed rather than read a sampling of heartfelt comments and thanks from those the agency has helped.
The city and its citizens have geared up to challenge the City of Renton and its plans to upgrade and expand its municipal airport. Renton planners hoped to attract more planes and flights to the facility. However, Island officials and citizens want Renton to ensure that flights will not be routed directly over the Island at low altitude. Islanders had a taste of what might happen with more planes overhead last August when another south county runway was shut down sending extra flights directly over the Island. And many Islanders were stunned to find out just last fall that this expansion was nearly a done deal. The City of Renton had started the process to redevelop the airport as early as 2001.
Chris Harnish
Island Forum