:?
7:,
MI Reporter, Thurs.
Dec. 31, 1970 Page 3
his
S do
has
open
in its
ainly
a new
doubt
by
Fork
6:30,
Lake
7:30,
7
8:30
Church
go to
of Jim's
Island
sailed a
they
they
yachts
world,
from
will be
address
Skoog,
the
visited
went
took
A fifth
is
asa
for her
(Continued from page 2)
drainage basin. Throughout the Island, citizens
revolted against turning neighborhood streets
into speedways, and the mayor himself
demanded a long-overdue reassessment of road
construction priorities.
AS WITH ANY NEW DEPARTURE, we will
find we have made false starts, and some of our
efforts to control and plan community
development will provoke controversy and
skepticism.
The best we can hope for is that 1970, the Year
of the Undevolopment, will not prove a passing
fad but a start, however wobbly, toward
establishing new values, priorities and
directions.
In a rather large nutshell, here is what
happened on the local scene:
JANUARY
The Town Council formally asked the City to annex
the Town area, and the City agreed, ~ccepting the
merger terms Builders-developers Byron Emery
and Dave Stabbert donated four acres of open-space
greenbelt to the City of Mercer Island. Stabbert told the
City Council he hoped he was starting a precedent
City Planning Director Gerry Bacon told the Interstate-
90 committee he thought Mercer Island might obtain
similar consideration, that of a design team, as that
accorded by the Highway Department to Seattle's
Central Area. City officials moved to reconsitute the 1-
90 Committee, which began meeting regularly once
again . First Baby Thomas Soren Jonssen made his
appearance January 4 The schools named a
Chicago architectural firm architects for the proposed
South End high school . . . and John Wilhite, an Island
south end pioneer, moved his house onto a barge for the
journey to Sequim. After a four-month delay at the
water's edge the house was finally under way.
FEBRUARY
The Wilhite home arrived in Sequim and was carted
inland without serious damage . . . The hillside at the
southern end of East Mercer Way collapsed,
undermining the road and threatening at least one
home . Voters turned down a $5 million bond issue
which was to have begun a south end high school,
meanwhile passing a building fund levy. Voters also
turned down public sale of the Mercerdale property
The Cyclemates made their first appearance, and
announced their cross-country plans to a skeptical
community The MIHS cagers, after a miserable
season's start, took a 15th straight contest, against
Bellevue, to tie with the Wolverines for the Kingco
League lead and go into playoffs . . . The City passed a
dog leash law And the Mess-Ralston greenbelt
proposal was first presented publicly.
MARCH
The Islanders would up fourth place in the regionals
. . John Lackland was appointed by the Mercer Island
School Board to replace recently-elected Richard
Saunders, who had moved away and resigned The 1-
90 Committee requested the State Highway Department
to appoint a design team for the Mercer Island portion,
RON ADAMS
JUDGE OLWELL
and itself appointed a committee to help chose such a
team Police Officer Ron Adams was reported
recovering miraculously from being shot through the
head by a burglary suspect The City Council
decided to "pursue" the Mess-Ralston proposal, and
asked its staff to prepare a written analysis . . . A fight
brewed in East Seattle over a proposed neighborhood
waterfront park In a public meeting, citizens told
the School Board what they were thinking about schools
and buildings A voter registration drive, with an
eye to the forthcoming annexation election, was
announced by COIN, "Committee for One Island Now"
. . Aroused residents killed a proposed L.I.D. to put a
drainage basin in the southwestern portion of the Island
The City received deed to the "pond area" of
Mercer Island Estates The Reporter organized a
"Tramp-In" of the Tarywood property, to show school
and city officials the wreackage wrought by
construction of storm sewers The schools appointed a
committee of naturalists and soils experts to direct
reclamation . . . The County accepted annexation as a
ballot issue for the May 19 election
Committee for
One Island
APRIL
A fifteen-year-old Vancouver, B.C boy drowned in
the East Channel whilte canoeing after dark . . . The
schools announced they would employ the University of
Washington special education facilities to renovate the
local special ed facility, and to take some of Mercer
Island's students . . . A meeting called by the newly-
formed Mercer Island Environmental Council all about
1-90 packed the high school auditorium, a "first" for a
public meeting . . . The 1-90 committee reviewed and
stated its goals and priorities Ren Haugland
launched a petition drive to request action by King
County on the Luther Burbank property. Lease on the
brick administration building, by County to City of
Mercer Island, had been pending for almost two years,
and meanwhile County neglect of the property allowed
thousands of dollars of damage by vandals
Associate Superintendent Charles Murray, formerly
acting superintendent, left Mercer Island schools after
18 years A junior-senior high school Student
Advisory Board (to the School Beard and the
Superintendent) was formed The League of Women
Voters announced that its registration drive had
registered 381 persons, of which t12 lived in the Town of
Mercer Island. Thereby, the Town's effective voter
rolls were almost doubled, enabling validation of the
forthcoming annexation election On Earth Day,
April 30, the high school parking lots were empty,
except for bicycles Next day, the filled again with cars
. . A three-year-old Shorewood boy slipped away from
home to look at boats, and drowned in Lake Washington
MAY
Emmanuel Episcopal Church acquired the Island's
first pipe organ In response to a letter from City
from City Mayor Aubrey Davis Jr. and Town N~yor
Arthur C. Burton, State Highway Director George
Andrews assured Mercer Island that 1-90 would go back
to the drawing boards, with a "design team" to be
selected from architectural and engineering firms . .
Negotiations for lease of the Luther Burbank building,
and for purchase of Island Crest Park as well, were
reopened between City and King County City
/V~nager Donald Hifchman reported that after study of
the Mess-Ralston proposal, he thought the community
"should give it a try" And the 1-90 dragon, a
creation of artist Ted Rand, was named "Gasper,"
City Mayor Aubrey Davis, Jr receives the "key to the
Town" from Art Burton, July 1.
name proposed by Island Park Elementary School
student John Larsen in a community-wide contest
sponsored by the Reporter . . . The Reporter was joined
by the Environmental Council and the Pre-School PTA
in objecting to terms of the proposed purchase of Island
Crest Park which would leave the way open for sale or
trade for school construction The Reporter also
opened the issue of open burning permissiveness on
Mercer Island.
It was the summer
of the Cyclemates.
4,k
~Z~ ,~rl 4tdTIC 0C[4~
JUNE
Mercer Island leaders made their ideas known at
Seattle design hearings on 1-90 The City Council
approved purchase of Island Crest Park, after del~ j
clause which would permit sale for school purposes . . .
The Cyclemates left on their pedal to New York City,
fifteen junior high school youngsters and a teacher who
determined to cross the country on muscle and nerve
alone . . . Mercer Island's first "Paddle-o Rama," was
held, in which fifteen boats sti~rted and three or four
finished a circumnavigation of the Island's 14m~le
shoreline under oar or paddle An All-Island meeting
provoked good turnout and much interest, and the City
decided to create a study committee to pursue the
Mess-Ralston proposal The King Count/ Council
approved the document which would sell to the City
Island Crest Park and lease to the City the
administration building at Luther Burbank Park
Mercer Island's 1.90 priorities were given stafewide
support, primarily by Governor Dan Evans and State
Senator Brian Lewis, 41sf District State senator . . . The
City's road program was blasted, with the mayor
insisting upon long-needed revision . . . Metro reported
Lake Washington the cleanest it has been in twenly
years.
q Continued on page 11 )
Children
