A residential fire broke out at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 18 during the first day of heavy snow last weekend. Mercer Island and Bellevue Fire Departments responded to the fire, located a 4102 100th Ave. S.E., with difficulty due to the snowy weather. Icy road conditions prevented the fire fighters from getting their trucks close to the two-story house. All equipment had to be carried 150 yards down a steep driveway.
The Mercer Island wrestling team started the regular season with a big 39-37 victory over Bellevue on Friday, thanks to five pins, including two by freshmen.
In the years after the Island was settled and the first East Seattle bridge was constructed, Island Catholics attended Mass in Bellevue. As the number of Catholic families grew in the years after WWII, the search was on to build a church of their own. After being officially established, the new St. Monica Parish celebrated its first Mass on the Island in November 1954, in the East Seattle School gymnasium.
While the majority of work needed to install new traffic lights near the high school has been completed, the signals will not be up and running until next spring.
A British citizen, Island resident and the former CEO of a bankrupt software company pleaded guilty to wire fraud last week after he was accused of swindling about $50 million from investors.
Presentations regarding public comments about funding a new SR-520 floating bridge will be held on the Island at noon tomorrow, Dec. 12, at the Mercer Island City Hall Council Chambers.
The only competition that Mercer Island could find on Thursday came from its own bench. The Islanders began defense of the last three state titles with an overpowering 148-36 victory against Snohomish to open the season.
Mercer Island residents will have an opportunity this month to see if their televisions are prepared for the transition to digital broadcasting. On Dec. 17, major television stations will turn off their analog transmitters for 60 seconds, starting at 5:28 p.m., across Western Washington. Any interruption in programming, such as a blank screen, “snow” and white noise, color bars or warning text, will indicate that a viewer’s television is not yet compatible for the transition, which will take place on Feb. 17, 2009. The same test, called “Marketwide Analog Shut-Off,” will also occur on Jan. 13 and Feb. 10, at 5:28 p.m. Television stations participating in the test include KOMO 4, KING 5, KIRO 7, KCTS 9, KONG, KSTW 11, KMYQ22 and Q13 FOX.
The last time when the Mercer Island High School Marching Band had new uniforms was during the Carter administration. Islander musicians pulled on their new duds in the fall days of 1978, just weeks after the film, “Saturday Night Fever,” was released. In the world outside the Island, the Shah of Iran was still in power, eight-track tape players were playing the hits and, ironically, the nation was suffering a major energy crisis.
The North-end QFC has been named the 2008 Mercer Island Business of the Year. The Chamber of Commerce announced the news last Thursday at its monthly membership luncheon.
The Mercer Island High School Marching Band found out on Friday that it was not selected to march in the Jan. 20, 2009, Presidential Inaugural Parade in Washington, D.C. Band director Parker Bixby received a phone call from a Inaugural Parade committee member with the news. Bixby told parents and supporters in an e-mail that the committee representative told him that the MIHS application, which included a video of the band performing, was one of the best that they had received.
Girl Scouts members Eileen Cho (left) and Natalie Marr (right) were chosen out of more than 40 girls in Western Washington to attend the National Girl Scout Convention in Indianapolis, In., from Oct.29 to Nov. 2. While at the convention, the two MIHS juniors met the Girl Scouts National Board of Directors, Patricia Diaz Dennis (center), along with fellow scouts from across the country. The four-day convention included two days of leadership training and guest speakers such as actress Geena Davis. Both girls are members of Mercer Island troop 1069, led by Doreen Kindred and Charlie Czech. The girls had to pass an intense interview process to attend the national convention.
Islander Maxi Gumprecht, 17, was selected as the 2008 Reserve Youth of the Year at the 2008 Grand National & World Championship Morgan Horse Show, held in early October at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds in Oklahoma City.
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