Celebrations Calendar
Here are events such as opening ceremonies, dedications, and ribbon cuttings for facilities funded through the Recreation and Conservation Funding Board and the Salmon Recovery Funding Board.
East Lake Sammamish Trail - Issaquah Segment Opening Ceremony
Date: June 12, 2013
Time: 11 A.M.
Location: At Gilman Boulevard, Starting point of the Issaquah trail segment
Grant Program: Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program
Grant Description: The King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks used a $500,000 grant from the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program to develop 1 mile of trail from Northwest Gilman Boulevard in central Issaquah to Southeast 56th Street along an abandoned railroad. The paved trail is 12 feet wide with 2-foot-wide gravel shoulders on each side. The County added a retaining wall and installed landscaping, fences, signs, and traffic controls. This is the second phase of a multi-phase project to complete an 11-mile trail corridor, which runs the length of the east side of Lake Sammamish, connecting the cities of Redmond, Sammamish, and Issaquah. This trail is a vital part of a 44-mile, multi-modal, non-motorized trail system extending from Puget Sound in Seattle to the Cascade foothills. This project will replace a gravel path, which is approved for use through 2015. Supporters of this project include Issaquah, Sammamish, Redmond, Cascade Bicycle Club, Bicycle Alliance of Washington, Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust, and Transportation Choices Coalition. The County will contribute more than $1 million from a federal grant and a voter-approved levy.
Directions: From Interstate 90, take Exit 17 to Front Street. Turn right at the exit and then immediate right just after the Shell gas station. After two blocks, on the right hand side, you will see a red and black former train caboose, take right onto the lane and park.
Web site: www.kingcounty.gov/eastlakesammamishtrail
Franklin Park Reopening Celebration
Date: June 6, 2013
Time: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Location: 1201 S. Puget Sound Avenue
Grant Program: Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program
Grant Description: The Tacoma Metropolitan Park District used a $500,000 grant from the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program grant to upgrade the 20-acre Franklin Park. The district built a sprayground to replace a 58-year-old wading pool, and constructed a surrounding plaza and picnic shelter to support community events. The district also added walking paths throughout the park to meet new standards for outdoor accessibility, installed a rain garden drainage system, expanded the community garden, installed park furnishings and landscaping, and upgraded parking and street access. The park is in the Hilltop community, which is one of the most economically challenged, socially diverse areas in Tacoma. The district contributed $536,039 in voter-approved bonds.
Web site: www.kingcounty.gov/eastlakesammamishtrail
Covington Community Park Ribbon Cutting and Grand Opening
Date: June 8, 2013
Time: 11 A.M..
Location: 17649 S.E. 240th ST., Covington
Grant Program: Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program
Grant Description: The City of Covington used a $500,000 grant from the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program to expanding the trail system, add a multi-purpose sports field, and provide a place for community events at its Covington Community Park. The city did not have a sports field so kids had to travel to other city and county fields to play soccer. Community events were one of the top ranked recreation needs, yet Covington did not have a suitable location to hold events. Expanding Covington Community Park addresses a long-term dream of citizens who have been working on this project since 2003, when the property was donated to the city. The City contributed $1 million from state funding, cash, and a local grant.
Oakland Bay Historical Park Grand Opening
Date: April 21, 2013
Time: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Location: 1570 E Agate Bay Road, Shelton
Grant Program: Salmon Recovery Grants
Grant Description: In 2005, Capitol Land Trust partnered with Mason County Parks to raise the money to purchase and protect one of the most iconic shoreline properties on Oakland Bay – what is now Oakland Bay Historical Park. The 85-acre property contains 2,000 feet of intact marine shoreline, near-shore and estuarine habitat on upper Oakland Bay, as well as about ¾ mile of Malaney Creek from estuary to uplands. The marine shoreline and Malaney Creek provide habitat for chum, coho, winter steelhead, and coastal cutthroat trout. A rich and diverse native vegetation complex is found lining the property’s marine bluff shorelines and throughout the forested uplands. Capitol Land Trust holds a conservation easement on the property, ensuring that it will remain protected for the public benefit into perpetuity. The County used a $655,300 grant from the Salmon Recovery Funding Board and matched it with $800,000.
Web site: www.co.mason.wa.us/oakland_bay/
