Save the date for Summer Celebration
In less than one month, Mercer Island’s annual Summer Celebration! Festival will be here again, with the 2017 theme “Out of This World.”
On July 8-9, the festivities unfold at Mercerdale and Luther Burbank parks, offering events for all ages and interests, as well as music, a street fair, a parade and, of course, the fireworks show starting at approximately 10:15 p.m. Saturday night. New this year is a skateboard competition on Sunday afternoon.
Some events, such as the boat rides, require registration in advance. Check the Summer Celebration website at www.mercergov.org/SectionIndex.asp?SectionID=61 for more information.
Mercer Island recommits to greenhouse gas reductions
Following the June 1 announcement by the Trump Administration that the U.S. would withdraw from the Paris Agreement on greenhouse gas reductions, hundreds of local and state leaders have signed on to an open letter to the international community via the WeAreStillIn Campaign.
In accordance with its existing position on sustainability and carbon footprint impacts, the city of Mercer Island will also be joining this effort, along with the city of Seattle, King County and many others.
In the U.S., local and state efforts have proven the most effective arena to achieve significant decreases in greenhouse gas emissions in recent years, and the city believes it is important to continue that work, with its partners in the King County-Cities Climate Collaboration (K4C).
Nominations open for Flash Family Inspirational Award
Nominations are now being accepted for the Flash Family Inspirational Award (FFIA), which honors a Mercer Island senior adult (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. The city invites all residents to nominate a citizen whom they think deserves to be recognized for embodying the spirit of this award.
As Flash once said, this award should be given to a community member who “keeps busy, exercises, eats healthy food, never, ever sweats the small stuff and always stays positive.” Flash passed away in April 2015.
The winning recipient of the FFIA rides as a “Hometown Hero” in the Summer Celebration Parade on July 8, receives a gift and has their name added to the perpetual plaque inside the Mercer Island Community and Event Center.
Nomination forms are available online or in person at the community center or the city’s Youth and Family Services office in Luther Burbank Park. Request a form to be mailed by calling 206-275-7754. The deadline for submissions is June 30.
No summer lifeguards at Groveland
Due to a lifeguard staff shortage, the city’s Parks and Recreation Department will be unable to provide lifeguards at Groveland Park Beach this summer. The beach will be open to the public for swimming at user’s own risk.
Guards will be on duty at Luther Burbank Park Beach from June 26-Aug. 27, from noon-6 p.m. daily.
Contact recreation supervisor C.J. Stanford at cj.stanford@mercergov.org for more.
City posts traffic and mitigation update following center lane closure
The city of Mercer Island has been tracking traffic changes since the closure of the Interstate 90 center roadway for East Link light rail construction on June 4.
The city will hold a traffic mitigation community meeting at 7 p.m. on June 22 in the West Mercer Elementary gym to discuss traffic, as well as mitigation and safety projects that can be funded by the $10.1 million settlement with Sound Transit.
The city also conducted an online survey underway, asking Seattle-bound commuters to report their driving experiences and observations from the first weeks of the closure.
In an effort to ensure compliance with parking regulations, and prevent “Hide and Ride” behavior by off-Island commuters, the city has stepped up enforcement and signage in the Luther Burbank parking lots, the Community and Event Center parking lot and the neighborhood north of the Sound Transit Park and Ride (which requires a Restricted Parking District permit).
As construction looms along the now-closed center roadway, residents have asked about work hours. Sound Transit has published its intentions to operate 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, in general. Residents are encouraged to sign up for construction alerts at www.soundtransit.org/subscribe-to-alerts.
General resources for commuters can be found at www.mercergov.org/CommuterResources. Residents are invited to send questions to rail@mercergov.org.
Island Crest Way sidewalk work begins
With school out for the summer and the Sound Transit work all but wrapped up along North Mercer Way, the city is starting a crosswalk safety project on Island Crest Way.
Many residents have been waiting for a safer way to cross Island Crest at Southeast 32nd Street to reach Town Center. The city will construct a signalized, protected crossing controlled by traffic signals, made possible by winning competitive state grant funding in 2016.
One lane in each direction will be closed while work is being done. The concrete pouring started Monday.
See www.mercergov.org for more.
