Derby Days is Nearing!

While the 4th of July is this weekend, there's another exciting event coming right around the corner... that's right, it's time for the Redmond Derby Days!  In fact, this year is the 75th anniversary of Derby Days!

Derby Days began as a bike derby, a 25 mile race around Lake Sammamish with spectators guessing what the winning time would be.  The closest guess won $25.  

Back then, I would've spectated as biking for 25 miles is not my idea of a good time. :-)  

Even now, biking 25 miles in the heat is not my cup of tea.  Even if there were a chance for cooler weather or rain.

Speaking of, oddly enough it was almost 10 years later when it first rained during the Derby, which is quite surprising, considering the fickle nature that is Seattle weather.

Derby Days wasn't just a bike derby but it was also a parade to raise money for the community.  75 years later and it still is a unique display of Redmond, with parades, races, arts, food and of course... the Criterium!  While it's no longer a race route around Lake Sammamish, it's still a grueling race within downtown Redmond.  Watch as people speed by on their bikes as they race to win!

So come by, enjoy the parades, watch as people dominate in the Criterium and enjoy the community that is Redmond on July 10th and July 11th!

Image Credit:
Redmond Historical Society, from the Roy Buckley collection.

- James

Nokomis Club - Take a Stand

The winds of change blow through Redmond.  You can see it everywhere, with construction piling on through the streets of the once quiet little town.  New apartments seem to be sprouting left and right, with ground floor commercial space available... but not quite filled.

The sense of community seems to have faded away, replaced by the urban center that demolishes everything in its path.  Look around Redmond now and you start realizing that it's nothing more but box shaped building after box shaped building, with varying degrees of bright, vibrant colors to clash with the dreary weather.  

Long before Redmond began its path to becoming a light version of Bellevue downtown, there was a thriving community, with people willing to help one another out in the most depressing of times.

In fact, in 1909 seven women formed the Nokomis Club, a group dedicated to providing services for the community.  In 1927, one of the members of the Club purchased the land and donated it to the Nokomis Club to build Redmond's first public library.  With the continued usage and popularity of the property, the Nokomis Club decided to expand it and build a Clubhouse to allow for more people to come by and have meetings.

Even with the Great Depression hitting America, the Nokomis Club was able to expand and build the Clubhouse for the community of Redmond to use.  The Club continued to grow and flourish, even giving scholarships for students.  When the Redmond public library moved to a larger location in 1964, the Nokomis Club was handed off to the Chamber of Commerce, continuing to be used as a building for the community, this time for the businesses growing in Redmond.

In 2012, the Redmond Chamber of Commerce agreed to a partnership with the Redmond Economic Development Alliance and Realize Redmond to form One Redmond.  The former Nokomis Club soon became home to another home for books, this time the McDonald's Book Exchange.  Unfortunately it was short lived as plans began to flourish for a new way to use the land.

And now, this land that was once donated to provide a center for the community of Redmond is in the process of being sold.  In it's place will be yet another five story residential / commercial building.  However, there is still something you can do to preserve this part of history.

If you want to take a stand against the change, help spread the word.  Dates and times for appeals are still in the midst of being scheduled.  Get in front of it, reach out to the community, write to the Redmond Reporter, and don't forget to email the mayor of Redmond at mayor@redmond.gov and express your concern.

- James

City of Redmond Neighborhood News Resources

Looking for a way to keep up-to-date on neighborhood news from the good folks at the City of Redmond’s Neighborhood and Historic Preservation?  Look no further than the City’s eAlert Subscription webpage.

eAlert is a free email and digital subscription service allowing the public to subscribe to topics of interest and receive instant, automated email notification whenever the City posts new information on its website. The City also can send e-newsletters, text messages and relevant information to specific groups.

In addition to a plethora of topics ranging from City Council business to recreation, you can also select your specific neighborhood towards the end of the list under the “Neighborhood News” section:

New to Redmond and not sure which neighborhood is yours? Use this map for a quick view:

Still can’t get enough of Neighborhood news!? You can find all this and more at the City of Redmond’s Neighborhoods page…happy reading!

Puget Brass!!

The bold sounds of Puget Brass definitely encourage the use of exclamation points! (!)

On Sunday, March 17th at 2 p.m., Puget Sound’s premier British style brass band, Puget Brass, will blow out the dreary winter days with a Spring concert for the whole family at the Redmond Library. You will be regaled by marches and soothed by symphonies, all played in the unique and entertaining style popularized by British colliery* bands of the early 20th century.

Hope to see you there – come early to grab a good seat!

___________________________________________________

*colliery = coal mine and associated buildings
If you want to study up before you hear the music, consider renting the movie Brassed Off, which inspired the creation of Puget Brass.  If you still own a VCR, borrow it from the library!  Otherwise, Netflix also has available in their streaming collection.

Jeannine Hall Gailey: Redmond’s Poet Laureate Reads

Join Redmond's Poet Laureate, Jeannine Hall Gailey, for a reading from from her first book, Becoming the Villainess, a celebration of geek culture in poetry, with poems in the voices of comic book and fairy tale characters. After the reading, Jeannine will host a Q&A and discussion about the book. The talk is at the Redmond Library on Wednesday, February 20th at 7pm. Refreshments provided.

Other Books
Gailey’s other more recent notable book of poetry, She Returns to the Floating World, deals with feminine transformations in the personae of characters from Japanese folk tales, anime, and manga. Gailey's work addresses feminist issues of power in mythology and comic book cultures, turning fairy tale stepmothers into empathetic characters, and holding up a mirror to contemporary American culture's images of powerful women.

Here’s an excerpt from the book:

    I’m sorry I didn’t turn out
    like you expected
    sorry the last sight you’ll see is
    the flash of silver in the sky and that
    is it
    a flurry of leaves and dust…
    I wanted to be sturdy I wanted more I wanted you
    but instead I have the transitive the shift the loss
    the goodbye
    farewell goodnight…

Gailey’s third book, Unexplained Fevers, will be published by New Binary Press in 2013. For more about her, visit her blog, Jeannine Blogs.

Lorin Catudio
Redmond Library Board, Emeritus

Saturday, December 1st - Redmond Lights

Celebrate Redmond's Centennial by Day 
and
Redmond Lights by Night!

If you’re looking for something to do after the library closes at 5 p.m., you won’t be able to miss Redmond Lights across the parking lot at City Hall on Saturday, December 1st!  Traditionally a winter event held in the evening, the City has added Centennial events during the day. This will begin to close out the year-long festivities surrounding Redmond’s 100th birthday, which began at last year’s Lights event.

Things I About Redmond Lights:

- The Blinkers
- The Luminary Walk Celebrating Different Winter Traditions
- The [weather permitting] Hot Air Balloons
- The Northwest Boychoir
- Santa’s Arrival and Tree Lighting

Hope to see you there!

Nonprofits Front & Center, October 30th Event

Free Annual Event for the Nonprofit Community
hosted by the
Nonprofit & Philanthropy Resource Center
at the Redmond Library

SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY EFECTIVE FUNDRAISERS
Featured Speaker: Janet Boguch
Principal & Owner of Non-Profit Works and Wide Angle Coaching

Tuesday, October 30, 2012 at 7:00 p.m.

How do the Seven Habit of Highly Effective People, made famous by Stephen Covey, pertain to fundraising?

Nonprofit expert Janet Boguch will address this question with inspiration, humor and practical advice gained from over 25 years of experience in the sector. Janet is highly regarded for her energetic, interactive and results-driven presentations.

Reception to follow the program.

RSVP online or call 425.885.1861.

Sponsored by the Nonprofit & Philanthropy Resource Center at the Redmond Library and the Friends of Redmond Library.

Hope to see you there!

You’re Invited!

The public is always welcome at Library Board meetings and on occasion we present to the City Council about the state of the Redmond Library outside of our regular “1st Wednesday of the month” meeting times.

On Monday November 5th at 7:30 p.m., the Redmond Library Board of Trustees will be in attendance at the regular City Council meeting to give a short presentation about the last year of events at the Redmond Library.

We’d love to see you there!  But don’t worry, if you miss it, you’ll be able to catch the video when it’s posted on the City of Redmond’s website.

Hope to see you at Derby Days 2012!

The 72nd Annual Redmond Derby Days is just around the corner and the weather should be spectacular! The pancake breakfast at the firehouse….the parades….the music….and of course, the bicycles!  Spanning three full days this year, I hope you’ll find time to enjoy a few of the events this weekend. This year’s event also has a few special extras to help celebrate Redmond’s 100th birthday.

I’ll be in the Redmond Library booth starting at 3 p.m. and would love to chat with you about how the library can best serve your needs. Beware though, I just might try to recruit you to serve on the Board! Or the Friends!

Along with Redmond Lights (save the date: December 1), Derby Days ties for my favorite Redmond event of the year.  Actually, I think it’s a three-way tie with Ananda Mela, which is the last weekend in July and also on the City Hall Campus. All three events are a wonderful (and free) opportunity to celebrate the diversity to be found in our community and I’m grateful to be a resident in a place that honors our traditions yet is always moving forward!

The Show Must Go On: Cavalia Pulls Up Its Tents

Cavalia ended its 6-week run at Marymoor Park in Redmond last weekend. Several days later, the 110’ tall main tent was all that was left to take down.

Here are some fascinating statistics about the main tent:

• Size of canvas for the tent is 71,000 square feet
• Seating capacity is 2004 persons
• Width of the stage is 160’
• Stage contains 2,500 tons of sand and dirt

Eight other tents form part of the Cavalia village. These auxiliary tents are used for such things as a stable and an employee cafeteria. In the photo below, only the tops of one the auxiliary tents remain to be dismantled.

150 people are required to erect the tents and work on the preparation of the site. The set-up takes 12 days, while the tear down is completed in three days. Cavalia now moves to St. Louis where the entire setup/tear down cycle is repeated.

The video below, Building Cavalia, walks through the creation of the Cavalia village.

Oh, and that large Cavalia sign on Highway 520, that was actually a banner draped on a stack of 5 freight containers — the containers are conveniently used for storage.

Redmond Library Open For Business (Partly) :-)

As if Redmond couldn’t be more beautiful, it’s been blanketed in (several) layers of snow for the past few days.  Wednesday was projected to be the worst of the snow, so many King County Libraries were operating on reduced schedules.

Given the novelty of this much snow in the neighborhood, and my book on hold waiting for me, I took the opportunity to snowshoe the 3 miles round-trip from my house to the library. I saw that many others were out enjoying the day as I passed skiers, sledders, walkers, and other snowshoers along the Sammamish River Trail.  Even the ducks were out for a meander!

I arrived to find a few more intrepid souls braving the elements to use the library.  In addition to a (very) few vehicles in the parking lot, people appeared to arrive by foot and … by bike.  Biking in the snow is something I’ve never tried. Maybe next time! (not really)

The City of Redmond’s website is updating regularly noting conditions within the City, so be sure to check it out before you head out on Thursday.  Please also consider donating blood - a Blood Mobile will be at City Hall tomorrow and due to the weather, supplies are dangerously low.

Hopefully you are staying safe and warm through this week!

2011 Redmond Lights

If you’re looking for something to do after the library closes at 5 p.m. this Saturday, take a few steps across the parking lot to the City Hall campus and join the crowd for the 13th Annual Redmond Lights.  You’ll actually want to arrive closer to 4:45 though, so you don’t miss Santa’s arrival and the tree lighting! Music and activities abound in City Hall, the Senior Center, and the Public Safety Building.

After you pick up your blinker around the campus, walk the Sammamish River Trail’s Luminary Walk to Redmond Town Center (1.3 miles) to enjoy more cultural and holiday entertainment.  The Luminary Walk is one of my favorite holiday activities – it’s great to see all of the diversity that Redmond has to offer and learn about holiday and winter traditions from other cultures.

Once you arrive at Redmond Town Center, I’d highly recommend the Chili Cook-Off.  The last time we taste-tested, the Redmond Fire Department was our hands down favorite (sorry, Police!), but the field of competitors has widened this year with the addition of the City Council and a few local restaurants. There will also be plenty more music, food, and activities to enjoy.

Logistically speaking, there will be shuttles between City Hall and Redmond Town Center, every 30 minutes until 8:30 so you don’t have to walk there and back – unless you are super motivated to keep working off all of those holiday treats! You can leave your raingear at home, but don’t forget your hat and mittens – the weather forecast is for a clear, but frigid, night.

Hope to see you there!

Puget Brass Holiday Concert

Join Puget Brass on Sunday, December 11th at 2:00pm for a holiday concert at the Redmond Library. This  entertaining performance for the whole family consists of popular music of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Some of you may remember that Puget Brass performed at the Redmond Library in December 2009.

Puget Brass is a local British brass band that performs traditional and contemporary music throughout the Pacific Northwest. From school teachers to Boeing engineers, truck drivers to entrepreneurs, the group brings together 30 community brass and percussion musicians to perform this genre of music.

Here's a video of their performance at the Northwest Brass Band Festival in January 2011.

Brass Bands
Puget Brass was formed in 1999, inspired by the movie, Brassed Off, based on a modern-day English mining town and its brass band. The band members’ camaraderie combined with the movie’s stirring renditions of songs such as Danny Boy and Floral Dance served as a template for Puget Brass.

In the mining industry, bands were sponsored by companies, and over time contests with rival company bands developed. At the turn of the 20th century, these contests drew audiences of up to seventy thousand in large industrial cities, such as Manchester. Today hundreds of brass bands worldwide, like Puget Brass, keep the spirit and fun of the golden-age of the brass bands alive.

The East Lake Sammamish Trail: Paved and Open

On November 7th, the Redmond portion of the East Lake Sammamish Trail was reopened. This 1.2 mile section of the trail has been paved — previously, it was hardpack gravel. However, the non-Redmond portion of the 11-mile trail is still unpaved.

Parking 
The East Lake Sammamish Trail improvements included the construction of a 77-space parking lot next to the trail on the south side of NE 70th Street (near Whole Foods).

Here’s a map showing the location of the new parking lot:

View Larger Map

For more info on public access, parking, and restrooms along the East Lake Sammamish Trail, click here.

Regional Trail Corridor
The East Lake Sammamish Trail is part of a 44-mile urban regional trail corridor that also includes the Burke-Gilman Trail, the Sammamish River Trail, the Marymoor Connector Trail and the Issaquah-High Point Trail. This corridor links Seattle to the Eastside and the Cascade foothills.


For more info, see the East Lake Sammamish Trail Master Plan.

Only in Redmond: Geek Graffiti

I suppose it had to happen sooner or later — my favorite graffiti in Redmond got painted over. For those of you who missed it, here's a photo of the tag underneath the NE 90th St. bridge along the Sammamish River trail from earlier this year. Apparently, someone was very passionate about the metric system!

The Library: Center of Derby Days Action! (IMO)

Chances are, if you visited the 71st Annual Derby Days last weekend, you passed the Redmond Library.  The parade route led by, vendors had booths set up in the shared parking lot with City Hall, and it was only (a few) steps away from the firefighter’s pancake breakfast.

I borrowed the bike rack at the library to park my wheels, arriving early enough that I was the first person to lock up there.  Bike secured, it was off to support the Redmond Firefighter’s Benevolent Fund and enjoy eggs, sausage, and M&M pancakes. 

I finished breakfast just in time to find a spot for the start of the parades.  It’s been a couple of years since I’ve seen the Kids’ Parade but I think it’s safe to say it was very, very well attended.  The children, and their adorable costumes, just kept coming!  Our neighbors took part and the pictures I snapped of them look like a “Where’s Waldo” photo. Following all of the cute tikes on trikes and bikes, the Grand Parade included approximately 50 entries (I think) and the All City Marching Band/Seattle School District took top honors.  However, my favorite, of course, was the Redmond Library entry!

After the parades, I perused the booths before heading back to the library to extract my bike from the pile at the rack. (so much harder going home…one of these days I’ll be able to bike back up the Puget Power Trail to Education Hill from the Sammamish River Trail….) I hope that you and yours were able to enjoy the community festivities and stop by the library to see all that it has to offer too! If you missed the parades, you can catch the replay on RCTV.

p.s. The fireworks were rescheduled for this Friday.  Head down early to enjoy music by Leroy Bell and Doctor Funk!

Redmond Community Indicators 2011: Where are We Headed?

On April 27th, the City of Redmond released its sixth annual Redmond Community Indicators report. These reports monitor the city’s progress towards achieving the goals laid out in Redmond Comprehensive Plan developed in 2005. The report focuses on a variety of indicators that highlight economic, cultural, and demographic trends

The full set of reports are available on the City’s website — see Redmond Community Indicators. The Redmond Community Indicators Brochure 2011 provides a good summary of the full report. Here are a few of the indicators highlighted:

Get a Charge Out of Redmond: Support for Electric Vehicles is Switched On

The next time you’re in the combined Redmond City Hall/Library parking lot, take a look at the two new electric vehicle charging stations at the west end of the lot. The charging stations are designated Level II, which means they give out 220-240 volts versus the 110-125 volts that come out of an average Level I home electrical outlet. The higher voltage cuts down charging time — a full charge is 4-6 hours rather than 8+ hours.

The charging stations are part of the ChargePoint America Program, a $37 million project sponsored by Coulomb Technologies. ChargePoint has some 5,000 charging stations in nine regions nationwide that were installed free of cost. In return, ChargePoint is required to collect data from the stations, which will be then be analyzed by universities and federal agencies to determine usage patterns.

The City of Redmond will be charging $4 to $5 per electric charging session. The four charging stations (two are located at the City’s Maintenance and Operations Center) are connected via wireless to the national ChargePoint Network. Users can directly access the network to search for the nearest charging station as well as to reserve a station in advance if needed.

The following video shows how a ChargePoint electric vehicle charging station works:

Redmond Joins the Rotary Club: Completing the NE 36th St Bridge

Redmond added its first rotary (or more accurately, roundabout) as part of the completion of the NE 36th Street Bridge in the Overlake section of Redmond. The bridge, which spans State Route 520, opened on Dec 15th after 18 months of construction.

The bridge crosses SR520 diagonally. In the photo below (taken from Microsoft building 43), you can see the bridge’s “wings” — landscaped extensions that provide broad pedestrian walkways.

Leading to the NE 36th Street Bridge from the east side is Redmond’s first roundabout. In general, a roundabout is designed for lower speed traffic, unlike a rotary, which is a larger circle and handles higher speed traffic. Roundabouts are increasingly being used in the United States.

The NE 36th Street Bridge features a park-like design with dozens of trees and shrubs on small rolling hills. Several benches line the pathways.

For more info about the project, see the City of Redmond’s NE 36th Street Bridge project page.