Opinion Stories - East King County

A Fourth of July quiz | John Carlson

How well do you, your family and friends know your country’s history? Take the following quiz and find out. Could make for some interesting conversations during the July 4th holiday weekend.

Airport security blunders not as bad as people fear | From the Editor

If you ever wondered where you may have misplaced say, oh, a Swiss Army knife, I’m here today to tell you how to find it. My revelation came as I sent my carry-on duffle bag through the screening machine at Portland International Airport. Suddenly, the TSA workers were very interested in my bag. Finally, one of them said to follow him over to another counter. Uh-oh.

Bellevue CC president: Teachers weave living fabric of society

To a great extent it is teachers who instill the passion to pursue one’s dreams and the zeal to continue learning which, combined with academics and practical skills, are key to a successful life. I see the profound and enduring impact of teachers every day at Bellevue Community College.

Life lessons from Tim Russert

What makes someone great at what they do? What propels them to the top of the pack? Tim Russert was one of America’s most trusted television journalists before being struck down by a heart attack last week at 58.

Celebrate the Fourth, but please be safe

With Fourth of July just around the corner, it’s time to celebrate.

Words for the grads

It’s graduation season and time for all that advice designed to send students on in life with something to think about.

Seniors should plan for disasters — natural and otherwise

If you’re a longtime local, you may remember the Columbus Day Storm of 1962, otherwise known as “The Big Blow,” or recall what you were doing when that 6.5-magnitude earthquake rocked Puget Sound in 1965. How about the December 2007 floods? Fact is you don’t have to be an old-timer to know the kind of emergencies we face around here. If you’ve weathered just one Northwest winter, chances are you’ve experienced a power outage, flooding, or worse. Then there are those personal disasters – like fires and falls – that can happen anytime of the year.

Maybe youth athletes have better idea what sports are all about

What is it about sports that makes adults go crazy? More often, it seems, kids - the players - have the right idea of what’s right and wrong.

King County Metro burning money on biodiesel

This may surprise you. King County Metro is buying a fuel that is significantly more expensive than diesel, may be worse for the environment, may increase local food prices, may lead to global hunger and potentially cost King County more as a member of the Chicago Climate Exchange. That fuel is canola-based biodiesel.

Quiz your friends on July Fourth facts

How well do you, your family and friends know your country’s history? Take the following quiz and find out. Could make for some interesting conversations during the July 4 holiday weekend.

If Dems want cheaper gas, they should act like it | John Carlson

Every candidate for president, the U.S. Senate and Congress should be asked the following question this year: “Do you want the price of gasoline to come down?”

Fireworks: Play it safe

With Fourth of July just around the corner, it’s time to celebrate.

Access to high-quality, affordable dental care is a critical issue

I’ve been a dentist in King County for over nine years. My colleagues and I across the state continue to see patients come through the doors of our offices with conditions that could have been prevented with proper care and treatment. This is a critical issue, and one that affects our entire community. Dental problems that go untreated can worsen diabetes, lead to the spreading of infections or heart malfunctions and, in pregnant women, cause low birth weight for their babies. Dental emergencies are one of the top reasons the uninsured are rushed to the ER, often times for issues that were worsened by lack of routine care and could have been prevented with regular dental visits. As doctors of dentistry, we know that oral healthcare is essential for our complete physical health, and is something everyone needs and deserves.

Getting up close and personal with airport TSA workers

If you ever wondered where you may have misplaced say, oh, a Swiss Army knife, I’m here today to tell you how to find it.

Newer model TVs can be energy guzzlers | Andy Wappler

Thinking of buying a new television? Well, apparently you are not alone if a new jumbo-tronic video monster is calling your name. According to a consumer survey taken this May, more Americans than ever are thinking of getting a new TV. Many things are behind the allure of a new television, from life-like pictures to thundering sound. But there’s another twist I noticed in this survey: the high cost of gasoline is causing us to hit the couch rather than hit the highway. In a quest to save energy, we’re choosing entertainment that doesn’t come with a $4.50-per-gallon price tag.

It's a Democratic year in Washington, but close races could still loom

Most of the public generally believes the state Legislature can probably do better. However, most of the public also tends to believe their legislators are doing a good job. It’s those legislators from other areas that are the problem. Therein rests the likely outcome for this year’s legislative races. When the votes are tabulated, most incumbents will probably be re-elected and the Democrats will retain comfortable margins in both the House and the Senate.

King County’s budget crisis: What will be cut?

Last week, the King County Executive, along with the Sheriff, Prosecuting Attorney, and judges from around the county, revealed that King County is facing a budget crisis of great magnitude. This year alone, we may have to cut $20 million from the $660 million general fund. An additional deficit between $40 million and $70 million is predicted in 2009.

Sammamish Town Center Plan approved, but just the beginning

Life lessons from Tim Russert

What makes someone great at what they do? What propels them to the top of the pack? Tim Russert was one of America’s most trusted TV journalists before being struck down by a heart attack last week at 58. For 16 years he hosted the country’s most influential news program, “Meet The Press.” He was also NBC’s favorite political analyst, was the network’s DC Bureau Chief, and managed to find the time to host a second weekly interview program and write a pair of bestselling books. He was also loved by his family, friends, colleagues and competitors.

Time for Kingsgate-Juanita-Finn Hill to explore free agency | Scott St. Clair

To those living in Upper Juanita, Finn Hill and Kingsgate (the Proposed Annexation Area), the message is now clear: On annexation Kirkland fiddles while the PAA get burned.

Our city’s wild side

Kirkland, it seems, might be a little wilder than you think. Most locals are probably familiar with the downtown’s nightly commitment to revery -- a situation that helps make Kirkland one of the DUI capitols of the state -- but did you know the city is also home to a veritable “who’s who” of North America’s signature animals?

Think simple, Kirkland — carpools logical solution to gas crisis | Debra Sinick

I’ve covered a variety of issues since I started writing this column for the Reporter. Looking back at what I’ve written, the underlying theme becomes obvious: community and community involvement. It takes a neighborhood or a village or a city to solve many of the issues a community faces.

Kirkland's identity crisis: big or small?

Should the city grow up and out through annexation and new, bigger developments? Or should it put on the brakes and maintain its small-town suburban feel? It’s an interesting time, indeed, with Kirkland currently working through an identity crisis.

Obama nomination proves just how far, and fast, we’ve come

Growing up in the 1960s, it seemed as though every evening’s TV news was filled with scenes of Birmingham, Ala., sheriff Bull Connor either turning fire hoses or police dogs on crowds of civil rights protesters. Whether it was Walter Cronkite or Huntley and Brinkley, the lead story of the evening too often recounted some horrific act like the assassination of the NAACP’s Medgar Evers or the discovery of the bodies of three murdered Freedom Summer voter registration activists in an earthen dam in Mississippi.

Quick quiz on our country’s history | John Carlson

How well do you, your family and friends know your country’s history? Take the following quiz and find out. It could make for some interesting conversations during the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

Bringing some law and order to our country | Pat Cashman

The other day, I thought of a new law that ought to be enacted.

Fourth of July with the ‘other side’ of the family

Note: This week’s column is an excerpt from my forthcoming book, “Relative Discomfort: The Family Survival Guide.” I simply couldn’t wait to share it with you! Enjoy, and look for the book in stores this fall. I will also be doing some book and stand-up events across the country — with special attention paid to Kirkland, Redmond and my homeys of the greater Eastside. Hope to see you there!

Myths of the PSE merger

And I thought the weather got people riled up! Going from meteorology to the energy industry put me in stormy seas.

Time for downtown to get a makeover

Downtown Redmond needs a makeover.

Time to celebrate and play it safe

With Fourth of July just around the corner, it’s time to celebrate. But before your family celebrates this year, make sure everyone knows about fireworks safety.

Teachers weave the living fabric of society

Several years ago, I watched a thought-provoking film, The Great Divorce, based on the book by C. S. Lewis.

It’s important to recycle in our high-tech world

As co-owner of a technology company, it is my role and responsibility to stay up-to-date on the arrival and adaptation of as many technological ideas, innovations and practices as humanly possible.

What should we do about high gas prices?

Every candidate for president, the U.S. Senate and Congress should be asked the following question this year: Do you want the price of gasoline to come down?

Redmond grads: rise up and make a difference

So you’ve graduated, now what? Over the past couple weeks, several hundred students from Redmond threw their flat hats into the air — knowing that they will soon come down to Earth. Capped by throwing your caps in the air, high school graduation is a day devoted to celebrating an important point in students’ lives. Examinations are finally over, scruffiness is replaced with fancy clothes and parents admire their children for reaching the finishing line of a long marathon. Most of all, it is a time of unrestrained optimism.

Quiz your friends on July Fourth facts

How well do you, your family and friends know your country’s history? Take the following quiz and find out. Could make for some interesting conversations during the July 4 holiday weekend.

Ask candidates about gas price crisis

Every candidate for president, the U.S. Senate and Congress should be asked the following question this year: “Do you want the price of gasoline to come down?”

Fireworks: Play it safe

With Fourth of July just around the corner, it’s time to celebrate.

Access to high-quality, affordable dental care is a critical issue

Getting up close and personal with airport TSA workers

If you ever wondered where you may have misplaced say, oh, a Swiss Army knife, I’m here today to tell you how to find it.

King County’s budget crisis: What will be cut?

Watch for interesting outcomes come election time

Most of the public generally believes the state Legislature can probably do better.

Think about environment when purchasing a new TV

Hang with Town Center Plan, Sammamish

Many of the residents who attended the final City Council meeting about the Sammamish Town Center were disgruntled, to say the least. It has been grueling for everyone involved, but we hope they hang with the process. The council on Monday voted 7-0 to approve the Town Center Plan — with numerous amendments. The whole document is an amendment to the city’s Comprehensive Plan, the over-arching document that guides development within the city.

Life lessons from Tim Russert