Rocking Pine Lake

Local Rock band Hall Pass performed last Thursday at Pine Lake.  Over the summer, local music can be heard on Thursdays as part of the Concerts In The Park series.   Pine Lake Park is in Sammamish.

John Curley Leaving Sammamish City Council

John Curley, local TV celebrity, is leaving the Sammamish City Council.  Curley defeated Tom Vance in 2009 for his seat on the non-partisan body. At the time, very little was known about Curley's political viewpoints.  However since hosting radio talk shows in a number of time slots, listeners as welll as Sammamish residents are aware that his views tend to be conservative. 
Curley made his fame as the host of KING TV's Evening Magazine.  He also works as a charity auctioneer  Curley talked about his time on the council and his departure with KIRO FM morning host Dave Ross.  He spoke about long meetings and a little frustration with his fellow councilors.  He also spoke about it on his own show.

Cherry Cherry Closes 2012 Season At Pine Lake

The Pine Lake Summer Concert Series came to an end last Thursday with Cherry Cherry, a band that pays tribute to Neil Diamond.  Named after one of Diamonds early hits, the lead singer, Steve Kelly sang all of the audience's favorites like Song Sung Blue and Sweet Caroline with the trademark Neil Diamond rasp.  When Kelly took a break, the band continued with a blend of blues and hits from years gone by.

A Visit To The US Senior Open

I was lucky to enough to win tickets last week to watch yesterday's practice round of the US Senior Open. The Open is taking place this week at Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish. I would have taken some pictures, but cell phones were not allowed. I was able to get yesterday afternoon off, so I took my 11 year old nephew.
We parked at Marymoore, a big park in Redmond, where shuttle buses where running. The bus took us directly to the entrance of the course. Since the tickets allowed us entrance to the "Trophy Club" we stopped there to have lunch. We had heard that Fred Couples, a golfing sensation who grew up in the area, would be holding a youth clinic at the practice range. As soon as we finished our lunch, we headed out to find the range. There was plenty of signage to make finding it easy, so we watched players warm up both on the range and the putting green until it was time for the Couples thing.
King 5 Sports announcer Paul Silvi interviewed Couples who spoke about his background in the area and how he picked Golf over other sports. Couples has a very relaxed demeanor that played very well with the young spectators. He spoke of liking golf because it is more individually oriented rather than team oriented. He answered questions from the children such as whether he has ever hit a hole in one (he has hit three) and how he keeps his cool on the course. Then he hit some shots and had two of his students hit a few shots. Although a golf pro was also present, it did not look they needed any advise. My nephew was able to get a few autographs and then it was time to head back.

Pinelake Concerts On Thursday

About a half hour from Maple Valley, Pine Lake Park in Sammamish has live music on Thursday nights every week until the end of August. Last week, the Ricky Venture Review played 70s music until dusk. The concerts are free and there is plenty of room to bring a picnic, toss a frisbee or take an evening dip in Pine Lake.

Longtime Sammamish Resident Tom Vance Endorsed For Sammamish City Council

The Seattle Times has endorsed longtime Sammamish community activist Tom Vance for Position 3 of the Sammamish City Council. According to the Times, Vance's experience on the city's planning commission and parks advisory committee, along with his 15 years of living in the city, make him a more qualified candidate than his opponent, Seattle TV personality John Curley. Curley, thought to be a "stealth" Republican, is thought to be the favorite because of name recognition. In the race for position 7 of the Sammamish City Council, the Times endorsed Tom Odell over longtime incumbent, Jack Barry.

Washington's 5th District Legislative Caucus To Be Held In Issaquah

If you attended the Democratic 5th district Precinct caucuses in and have been chosen to be a delegate or an alternate, you will need to go to the 5th district Legislative Caucus this Saturday at the Pacific Cascade Freshman Campus at 24635 Issaquah Fall City Rd in Issaquah. The caucus will begin at 10:00 am. Only credentialed delegates may vote and are assured entrance. Unseated alternates and spectators will be admitted as seating allows.

All 5th District Democratic Caucuses Rock And Roll!

I scoured the internet trying to find video from the Maple Valley Democratic Caucus. I was able to find this video from the Democratic Caucus in nearby Issaquah. Notice our 5th District Chair Hank Thomas.