Sept 6, 2017 | Vol. 12 | No. 36
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 City Council Stands United Against Hate Speech
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Click here to read Council's September 5 Letter to the Community
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Recent events in Charlottesville, Virginia, and elsewhere in the country, prompted Councilmember Grausz to request Council's consideration of a collective letter to the community speaking out against hate speech.
In consultation with Mayor Bassett and Deputy Mayor Bertlin, the letter was shared with the full Council at last night's September 5 regular meeting for its consideration. The Council approved the letter and signed it unanimously, finding that it aligns with a prior Proclamation on civil discourse adopted November 21, 2016.
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Flash Family Award Winner Announced
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Mr Sameshima (left) after receiving his award from Mayor Bruce Bassett and MIYFS Manager Derek Franklin
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Each year the Department of Youth and Family Services awards the Flash Family Inspirational Award (FFIA) to a Mercer Island senior (55 and older) who exemplifies the spirit of good sportsmanship or community leadership, and who possesses an optimistic attitude and friendly demeanor while acting as a role model to others. Seniors may be nominated for their role(s) in the area of organizing, or promoting sports or activities.
The Flash Family Inspiration Award was founded in 2009 by the late community artist and activist Phil Flash to recognize the power of positive role modeling by seniors.
The winner of the 2017 award is
Jack Sameshima for his outstanding work with organized pickleball on Mercer Island and his welcoming presence to others, including newcomers in particular. As a long-time resident, Jack has been playing weekly since the sport began locally in the 1970s and at the
Community and Event Center since it opened; he'll be 92 this month.
Although he would say he's "just an ordinary guy," Jack has lived through some extraordinary times: as a teenager in WWII he served with the 442th Infantry Regiment, the highly decorated Japanese-American combat team, enduring severe injuries to his right leg and foot. After the war Jack raised a family in Washington, and worked at Sandpoint naval air station.
With his positive and welcoming attitude on and off the court, Jack embodies the spirit of the Flash Family Inspiration Award and is a man respected by many, demonstrating sportsmanship, leadership, a winning attitude and sincere friendship. Congratulations!
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New Software to Streamline Records Requests
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Paralegal Mary Swan (lef) and City Clerk Ali Spietz test the new software
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Mercer Island residents who wish to request public records from the City can look forward to a new online system, starting in early October, called NextRequest. And for the first time, everyone can see what has been requested as well as the City's official response.
"Our goal is to make the public records request system more streamlined and efficient for staff and customers, as well as more transparent to the community," says Public Records Officer and City Clerk Ali Spietz. Spietz and Mary Swan, Paralegal, spend more than half their work hours responding to public records requests every week.
The web portal can help people find information without a public records request too, by directing them to relevant reports and pages that are already on the City's website. The portal will also assist the City in better complying with a raft of
new reporting requirements handed down by the State this summer without any funding provided.
In responding to a Washington State Auditor's survey in 2015, Mercer Island concluded it spent close to
$300,000 the previous year addressing public records requests. Most of that expense derived from staff time, including the hours spent by the City's Public Records Officers (City Clerk, Paralegal, and Police Evidence Technician) and the Assistant City Attorney.
"We want to work efficiently on public records, so staff can focus more of their time on the issues most pressing to the City," says Swan. "With our new web portal, we are headed in the right direction.
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Recycling Sports Field Sand
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Recycling sand at South Mercer fields; click to learn
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about the Island Crest Park renovation project
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Turf renovation and LED lamp installation is fully underway at Island Crest Park and resourceful Parks and Recreation staff have been looking for ways to make the project even better.
In order to install new synthetic turf in the outfield, the old underlay fill must be excavated: up to 12 inches of fine sand. Rather than disposing of that expensive material, it is being transported to other Island sports fields and recycled for use as a top dressing to improve drainage and turf health, saving the City money. Later this year, the sand will be driven into the grass with spiked rollers, then reseeded, at various locations such as the South Mercer Fields (see photo). The Island Crest Park project is scheduled to be finished this November.
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Arts Council Vacancy
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Click for more information on the Arts Council
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The Mercer Island City Council is seeking applicants to fill one vacancy on the Arts Council, effective immediately. The Arts Council was established in 1985 and advises the City Council on matters related to the arts, organizes art events throughout the year, and promotes awareness and enjoyment of the visual and literary arts. The application deadline is September 15, 2017.
The Board is staffed by the Parks and Recreation Department, and the eleven appointed members meet on the second Wednesday of each month at 6:30pm. The term for the open position expires on May 31, 2019.
Click here to learn more about the Arts Council.
Arts Council members should be able to commit an estimated eight hours of time each month to board activities, should possess a broad perspective on the arts, and must be willing to facilitate an event that may require a relatively large time commitment for a short period.
Interested applicants with questions should email
Ellie Hooman, Deputy City Clerk, or call
(206) 275-7795.
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New Art Exhibit Opens Soon
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Colored pencil artwork: "Bejeweled"
by Pamela Belcher, CPSA; click to learn
more about the Mercer Gallery |
The MI Arts Council presents a new exhibit by the Seattle chapter of the Colored Pencil Society of America (CPSA). Everyone is invited to come see the amazing depth of color and detail that can be achieved with colored pencil, often as the sole medium, but also in combination with other mediums such as acrylic, ink and watercolor.
This exhibit opens September 11 and runs through October 27, 2017. Come meet the artists, view the art and enjoy refreshments at a free drop-in reception on Thursday, September 14, 6:30-8:00pm, at the Community and Event Center's Mercer Gallery.
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