No surprises as candidate filings pass
June 6, 2013
King County’s weeklong candidate filing period ended May 17 without any local surprises.
Three City Council positions are up for election in November, but only one seat elicited more than one candidate.
John Drescher and Mark Greene both filed to run for Position 6 on the council. Councilman Bill Erxleben currently occupies the seat but said earlier this year that he would not file for re-election.
4th of July celebration kicks off summer schedule
June 6, 2013
The city of Newcastle will offer its full array of summer activities this season, beginning with the Fourth of July celebration at Lake Boren Park.
The annual fireworks show will go on as planned, despite initial funding concerns and worries about public safety. Councilman John Dulcich secured a $10,000 commitment from Continental Properties, the developer of Lake Boren Townhomes, to sponsor the event in April.
“We are sponsoring as a thank you to the community for helping us make Lake Boren Townhomes a great success,” Claudio Guincher, of Continental Properties, wrote in an April email. “We have really enjoyed working in the Newcastle community, and hope that we have provided a positive addition to the community.”
Aegis eyes Newcastle for new, unique retirement community
June 6, 2013
A unique retirement community is coming to the shores of Lake Boren within the next few years.
Aegis Living, a Redmond-based company that offers senior housing, is set to build Aegis Gardens, an assisted living and memory care residence geared toward the Asian community.
The company already has a similar facility in Fremont, Calif., but Aegis Gardens of Newcastle will be the first of its kind in the state of Washington.
Courtesy of Aegis Living
An artist rendering shows plans for a unique retirement community inspired by the Asian culture that is set to open on the shore of Lake Boren in a few years.
“The Fremont location is one of our most successful communities with occupancy almost always at 100 percent,” said Jennifer Hall, Aegis Living’s director of marketing. “We felt that after the number of years of having the community there, figuring out what works and what doesn’t, that it might be time to do another community elsewhere.”
Newcastle dog survives bobcat attack
June 6, 2013
A Newcastle family received quite a scare the morning of April 24, when their 12-year-old bichon frise, Hannah, narrowly escaped the grips of a bobcat.
Myron Thomas and his son Peyton, 12, were in the kitchen eating breakfast, when they heard a loud yelp emerge from the backyard of their China Creek home in The Terrace development.
“All I saw was the little brown tail of a bobcat just walking away, and then I saw Hannah walking up the deck all bloody,” Peyton said
Contributed
Hannah, a 12-year-old bichon frise, recuperates from hours of surgery after being attacked by a bobcat April 24.
As soon as Myron opened the back door, the bobcat got scared and ran off, but the damage had already been done.
Construction begins on Coal Creek Parkway
June 6, 2013
Work finally began on a city of Bellevue project that will replace an aging culvert underneath Coal Creek Parkway.
The Bellevue portion of Coal Creek Parkway between Southeast 60th Street and Forest Drive will be reduced to one lane in each direction for 24 hours a day until December.
To mitigate the expected bottleneck, the city of Newcastle is changing the timing of some traffic signals. Ultimately, though, drivers are encouraged to use alternate routes, especially during the morning and evening commutes.
Test your Newcastle history knowledge — Part 3
June 6, 2013
At the 2012 Newcastle Days celebration, the city’s rich history was celebrated with the festival’s theme, Return to Newcastle. One of the components of the celebration was a trivia activity put together by Mayor Rich Crispo.
Crispo compiled a list of 120 questions that highlighted the history of Newcastle. Each vendor booth had a question, and prizes were awarded for correct answers at the end of the day.
In the October issue Of Newcastle News, we printed 16 of those questions, and in March we printed 10 more. We’ve selected a few additional questions, which bring forth interesting facts about the history of the Newcastle community.
Bus stop moved
June 6, 2013
The city has temporarily relocated the Metro Transit bus stop located at the intersection of Newcastle Way and Coal Creek Parkway to assist with traffic flow on the busy arterial during the Bellevue bridge construction.
By Christina Corrales-Toy
The city has temporarily relocated the Newcastle Way bus stop. It is now directly across from City Hall.
The stop was moved just west on Newcastle Way and now sits directly across the street from City Hall, where city staff members have erected an interim bus shelter.
The move is expected to stay in place through the duration of the city of Bellevue’s construction project to replace an aging culvert on Coal Creek Parkway.
Beautiful, delicious combos can come in containers
June 6, 2013
Container gardens are great in small spaces, and on patios and decks.
Place containers in the sunniest location to create a focal point in your garden. Grow food without dedicating the lawn to an edible garden.
Get creative with your plant combinations; mix fruits, vegetables and herbs.
At first signs of insects, don’t reach for the pesticide
June 6, 2013
Shriveled leaves? Discolored or spotted leaves? Chewed and dying leaves? Insect infestation! If your first course of action is grabbing the pesticide and spraying a fog of killer clouds throughout your garden, stop!
Many insecticides can indiscriminately harm or kill a broad range of insects — some of which do no harm to plants. (Not to mention the allergies and irritations pesticides can cause to humans and animals.)
Aphids, thrips and mites are the most common intruders, which suck the juices from plant stems and blossoms. Often, insecticide sprays will miss direct contact with the “bad bugs” because of their ability to hide under leaves and in tight spaces between plant stems.
Show off your pesticide-free yard with a ladybug sign
June 6, 2013
Families that maintain their yards without pesticides can proudly display their healthy-gardening practices with a “pesticide-free zone” sign, courtesy of King County and Washington Toxics Coalition.
Since kids are most at risk from toxins like pesticides, King County would like to recognize lawns and parks that are pesticide free.
Families in King County who take care of their lawns without pesticides can take a pledge and receive the sign to recognize their efforts. The round sign has a ladybug on it and proclaims the lawn as a “pesticide-free zone.” Go to http://bit.ly/15nBYo5 to sign the pledge and get your free yard sign.
