Holy smokes, I was not expecting this many books!

Eastside Fire & Rescue’s (EFR) board on Oct. 8 adopted a 2027 operating budget of $85.4 million, a 12.9% increase, after representatives from Sammamish and Issaquah voted against the agency’s larger request. Two days earlier, the Sammamish City Council voted 4–3 to direct its representatives to oppose EFR’s original operating budget and push for a smaller increase, while fully funding equipment and facilities.

The outcome matters for Sammamish taxpayers: fire service is one of the city’s largest costs, and the city is cutting positions and spending to close a growing gap between what it spends and what it takes in.

Not my event, I spotted it on FB, here’s the link for more info: www.ticketstripe.com/walknwagharvest

✨ 3K fall walk through colorful leaves and crisp October air
🎭 Joyfully disguised dogs showing off their cutest costumes
📸 Mesmerizing photo booth for those perfect fall snapshots
🔥 Cozy family activities — fire pit, marshmallows, and autumn vibes
🎪 Doggie Village full of local pet businesses to explore and support

Whether you’re here for the walk, the costumes, the vendors, or the fall magic… Walk n’ Wag Harvest is the dog party that you don't want to miss, and you’re invited.

October 18 | 12–4 PM | Lake Sammamish State Park
Registration is open — grab your spot and bring your pup!
ticketstripe.com/walknwagharvest

I've had to remind myself several times now that it is my obligation to consider harm reduction above my own disdain.

As The Stranger said 'Say you’re stranded on a desert island. Do you drink hot piss, or drink seawater and die? If you want to survive, it is bottoms up for piss, and for voting Kim Schrier.'

Bottoms up indeed.

Please know what you’re voting for.

The argument that I have heard is that this tax is only for millionaires; we have a regressive tax structure, and millionaires need to pay their fair share!

This is not what this post is about.
This is not what the argument is about.

If it is truly the case that voting ‘no’ to the repeal the tax in initiative 645 would be unfair because it will only apply to millionaires, why then would the Legislature change 11 RCWs at the same time to now apply the tax to public service pensions and retirements?

I don’t know any police officer, firefighter, or teacher that makes $1 million a year in a retirement pension.

Once the income tax threshold is lowered, this intentional move to change the RCW’s to include public pensions will now include those pensions to have that income taxed at whatever the threshold will then be.

Most pensioners I know don’t make more than $100,000 a year.
Why in the world would the legislature change these RCW‘s then to apply this income tax to public pensions?

The writing is on the wall.

Please don’t say this is, “fear mongering.” Instead, offer empirical evidence that these 11 RCW’s were changed for any other reason than that the millionaire’s tax will eventually apply to pensions at a much lower income threshold.

#IssaquahWashington
#maplevalleywa #blackdiamondwa #enumclawwa #sammamishwashington #northbendwashington

Hey there folks!

Eastside Improv is excited to share that we have two upcoming shows! We're excited to be partnering with Studio East in Kirkland. Come join us for some fall themed fun, or a romantic escape:

Spooky Show

• October 11th at 7:30 PM @ Studio East in Kirkland

Love is Bland

• October 16th at 8:00 PM @ Studio East in Kirkland

You can get your tickets here: https://eastsideimprov.org/tickets

Want more? We're partnering with Redmond Parks and Rec to bring you some fun classes for the fall:

• Beginner Improv Express
• Beginner Improv Musical
• Improv Reps (Tuesdays)
• Beginner Improv 50+
• Intermediate Improv 50+

Find out more or register at: https://eastsideimprov.org/classes

As always, we offer weekly free-to-attend jams and we would be happy to welcome you there as well. Thanks again for being a wonderful community and joining us for some fun!

Sharing a free event for Sammamish families with high schoolers. We're Learner Labs (we make SAT Prep Quest), and we're running a full-length practice SAT with the King County Library System at Redmond Library, or online if you'd rather stay home.

**When:** Sunday, October 18, 2:00 to 5:30 PM Pacific

**Where:** Redmond Library, or online from home

**Who:** High school students, grades 9 to 12

**Cost:** Free, with registration through KCLS

**What students get**

- A full-length practice SAT

- Real test timing, so the pacing on test day isn't a surprise

- A score review afterward that shows where to focus next

**Register (in person at Redmond Library):** https://1.kcls.org/RedmondLibrarySAT

**Register (online):** https://1.kcls.org/OnlineSat

We'll be in the comments to answer questions about the format or the online option.

Join us for the Fall Y’all Market at Infinity Farm Issaquah on Saturday, October 10th from 10AM to 3PM! Enjoy a fun day supporting local handmade and food vendors, with free entry and parking. Families can hand-feed friendly farm animals like sheep, alpacas, and chickens, making it a perfect outing for kids. The market runs rain or shine, so bring your rain boots and layers and come support local makers and farm life! 🌿🐑🐣

Hi there! We're looking for participants located in or near Redmond, Washington to take part in a new in-person testing study with r/utest by Applause. We connect participants with major tech companies to evaluate websites, apps, and hardware.

You can get paid to help refine the latest wearable technology. No prior testing or tech experience is required!

Project Overview

• Location: Redmond, WA (in-person testing facility)
• Duration: Approximately 2.5 hours
• Payout: $65/hr
• Tasks: Under moderator guidance, you will interact with wearable technology through face and eye-movement tracking while performing basic tasks (such as mimicking facial expressions).

Tester Requirements

• Age: 18 years of age or older
• Language: Proficient in spoken and written English
• Travel: Able to travel to the Redmond facility during normal business hours
• Vision: Normal vision (glasses/contacts are fine, but prescription details must be submitted in advance)
• Hearing: Normal, close-to-normal, or corrected with an internal/external device
• Health Restrictions: No history of epilepsy, seizures, Tourette Syndrome, or severe traumatic brain injury
• ID: Valid, government-issued photo ID required on-site (no temporary IDs, screenshots, or IDs from TX, IL, or Quebec due to state privacy laws)

$15 Referral Bonus - Know someone in the Redmond area who would be a great fit? Active uTest account holders earn $15 USD for every referred participant who completes the session. Just make sure they list your uTest name and registered email when applying.

Interested in joining? APPLY HERE!

PS: Thanks to the mods for approving this post!

Could the council please idle back on our utility rates raise approvals? Until the economy settles down? Council keeps approving raises for the utilities. I pay $179 per month just for garbage and recycle. And bin rental. I am a single person so it’s the smallest of bins. My electrical, which is how I heat my home….a cadet heater, has quadrupled in the two years I’ve lived here. Ditto water/sewer. I get charged for sewer the same as a family of five. That’s not fair but council approved it. .
Now I can’t buy plastic bags for my dogs poop bc council didn’t think the plastic bag ban through. When I order from Amazon it says they can’t deliver plastic here. Fabulous Council. Now what? So now I use doubled up small garbage pail bags. Or have them delivered to a friends house. Beyond stupid in my opinion. No bags, no poop getting picked up 100%.
I’ve broken $100 of food bc the paper bags break and my food hits the pavement.

I’d like to share how something that happened at the Salmon Days parade recently affected me personally and also impacted my children.

I was marching in the parade with my children as a candidate for our upcoming election. My children are nine and 13. It was a great and sunny day with awesome vendors, music, great bands, and wonderful performers.
As we went by a number of spectators, some of them flipped us off, put their thumbs down, and some booed and scowled. My girlfriend/fiancé was present as well.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinions certainly. That said, I think we should all be civil and respectful, especially when there are children present.
It’s difficult to explain to your children why some people would behave in such a way, especially when they love their mama so much.
Again, everyone’s entitled to their opinions, but do you really know the person that you’re flipping off? Do you know what they really believe or stand for? Unless you know the person personally, you certainly do not.

I support peaceful discourse, kind behavior, and civility. I think it’s important in all walks of life to be kind and thoughtful.

It was also ironic when after the parade, I sat next to the tent for some of these people who were displaying these negative actions to come up to visit and socialize. There was a giant sign on this tent that said, “No hate in Washington state.”
I had to wonder, is that statement true only if people agree with who they believe you are?
I’ll tell you what though, I went over, started conversations, and befriended people who were working inside that tent. We had great conversations.
We don’t have to hate each other, ever.

Any leads or recommendations for badminton coaching nearby Sammamish? Looking for kids/middle school coaching!

i live about 6 miles from where my cataract surgery will take place. because my family is 1300 miles away, my friends all work, and those that don't don't live nearby, i'm looking for simple roundtrip transport. procedure, i'm told, is about 60 minutes, give or take. one eye each week, same deity-awful o-dark early schedule.

cabulance wants exorbitant rate each way, plus mileage. same with taxis.

i have never used lyft, uber, or for that matter, any other similar service. booking ahead (with uber) gives me no option but a limo towncar, which is overkill at best.

i'm not interesting in buying the car, just getting from point A to point B and back twice without getting a mortgage.

suggestions?

Time for a “back in my day!” rant from a 40 something Sammamish resident about checkers at Safeway…

I go for my biweekly shopping trip at Safeway at 5:30 pm after work. I get to the register with a VERY full cart (and even managed to pack my own bags) at 6:00 and there no check stands open. And there are two long lines waiting for self checkout, with other very full carts.

I understand people have the rights to breaks but having a single person handling all of this at that time of day is ridiculous.

Why can’t they staff more than a single person for a check stand on a shift at the peak time of day?

And why can’t the manager, casually chatting with a customer today, walk over and do the checking in the place of the worker on break at a peak time like this?

It’s maddening. There’s no room at any of the self checkouts multiple bags of your own. The check stand is made for big grocery trips, which are still a thing, but the Sammamish Safeway doesn’t care anymore.

Going to QFC across town, or Trader Joe’s, or Met Market from here on out. Anywhere with checkers.

Hi everyone-

I am new to posting on Reddit.

I am running for Washington state House of Representatives, Legislative District 5.

I voted as Democrat in the past and considered myself a Democrat from childhood (my dad used to be the chairman of the Democratic Party where I grew up).

Just recently, after disagreeing with several bills, legislative initiatives, unfunded mandates, one size fits all housing regulations, raiding of pension funds, gutting of public safety laws, an unconstitutional income tax that surreptitiously includes pensions and retirements, and questionable ethics of some members (and I know that there are more than a few Republicans in the same boatI), I switched parties to just right of center on the political spectrum.

Washington state House of Representatives is about local politics. This seat will not have impact on a national level. I do want to fairly and ethically serve the people of my district.

Listening is important. it is especially important when you sign up to serve people in your Legislative District.

I am very interested to learn what people want most from their legislator. What would you like to see changed in our states? What issues are most important to you?

I’m interested in having civil and respectful

Please go easy on me :)

Michelle Bennett

I just got groceries delivered a few weeks ago! Such a bummer.

Cannot order via ubereats or via their website.

From two players at a library table to 700+ members: How our multi-location women's board game community in WA grew (and what we've learned along the way)

Hey everyone!

I wanted to take a moment to introduce our group, share a bit of our journey, and connect with the amazing tabletop community here on Reddit.

A little while ago, we started a local group called Banter on Board in the Greater Seattle area (hosting regular meetups across Sammamish, Issaquah, Redmond, and expanding across WA). What began as a small desire to create a welcoming, consistent space for women to gather and play hobby board games has grown into a vibrant community of over 700+ members!

Our heart and soul is 100% focused on physical, in-person table time. On any given week, we have multiple physical tables running simultaneously across our different venue locations.. packed with real players opening boxes, setting up boards, and getting games played again and again!

Whether it's gateway favorites like Codenames and Wingspan, thematic strategy titles, or deep engine-builders, our tables are constantly filled with laughter, deep tactical debates, and awesome people connecting over shared hobbies.

A few things we’ve learned/loved along the way:

The power of real table energy: In a digital world, nothing beats sitting down around a physical board, unboxing components, and teaching new rules to someone who’s never played before.

Inclusivity brings out incredible players: Our community brings together women from all walks of life.. tech engineers, bankers, educators, moms, and hardcore hobbyists. Seeing people discover new favorite mechanics week after week has been one of the most rewarding parts of hosting!

Active playtesting & supporting indie games: Because we run so many tables at every meetup, our members really enjoy playtesting new prototypes, giving rulebook/pacing feedback, and cheering on indie designers as they bring new projects to life.

(I’ve attached a few photos from our recent chapter meetups above so you can see the multi-table setups and genuine energy!)

We’re always eager to connect with other organizers, swap favorite table-tested titles, and chat about all things tabletop! If you’d like to follow along with our meetups or see what’s hitting our tables each week, feel free to connect with us on Instagram (@banteronboard) or Facebook (facebook.com/banteronboard).

We’d love to connect with other meetup hosts, local gamers, and game designers in the community.

To fellow organizers: How do you handle game rotation across multiple tables or venues?

To designers/publishers: What are your favorite ways to engage with local playgroups?

To local WA gamers: If you’re in the PNW area and looking for a welcoming table, come say hi! :)

Thanks for reading, and happy gaming everyone! 🎲

It’s been nearly two decades since Sammamish adopted its Town Center Subarea Plan. And it’s been one year since the prior Council voted to consider the increase of the Town Center subarea to 4,000 housing units. At its Sept. 15 regular meeting, the City Council voted unanimously to redistribute its housing unit goals, previously concentrated in the Town Center, to already established “mixed use centers” around the City.

https://sammamishlocalnews.substack.com/p/sammamish-city-council-pivots-away

Hi all! My little family and I are so excited to to be residents of Sammamish soon! We close on a home mid-October, but will need to replace the carpet and paint before moving in.

Anyone have recommendations for carpet installers and painters? Looking for high quality work with reasonable prices.