Seastside Newsletter #91

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Bellevue:

News:

• Voodoo Doughnut Opens First Bellevue Location October 19: The iconic Portland-based doughnut chain is debuting at 10713 Main Street with a ribbon-cutting at 8 a.m., marking its 25th U.S. location. The first 25 guests receive a free dozen, and 20% of opening day sales benefit Bellevue LifeSpring. The shop will feature a Bellevue-exclusive “Apple Orchard” doughnut and operate from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. (1 a.m. on weekends). (info)

• Bellevue Selects Bellwether Housing for Wilburton Affordable Homes Project: The City of Bellevue has chosen Bellwether Housing to develop 127 affordable units and community space on city-owned land near the new 2 Line light rail in the Wilburton Transit-Oriented District. Serving households earning 30–80% AMI, the project will feature family-sized apartments, a youth-services partnership, and sustainable design, with completion expected by 2030 as part of Bellevue’s goal to create or preserve 5,700 affordable homes over the next decade. (info)

• MONOPOLY: Bellevue Edition Opens for Pre-Order: A new Bellevue-themed Monopoly board is now available for $39.99, featuring local landmarks like Lake Washington, Bellevue Downtown Park, and Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi. Produced by Top Trumps USA, the game includes custom money, eight unique tokens, and city-inspired Community Chest and Chance cards, celebrating Bellevue’s creativity and Pacific Northwest spirit. (info)

Events:

• Saturday Wine Tasting: The Heart of Tuscany: Sangiovese on Oct. 18 from 1-7pm. (info)

• Trick of Treat with the Farm Animals on Oct. 25 from 1-3pm. (info)

• Tuesday Trivia at Evergreen Point Bistro on Oct. 28 at 7pm. (info)

Bothell & Kenmore:

News:

• Bothell, YMCA Partner to Expand Free Behavioral Health Services: Funded by Washington’s opioid settlement, Bothell is contracting with the YMCA of Greater Seattle through December 2026 to offer no-cost therapy, substance use treatment, resource navigation, and direct assistance at the Northshore YMCA Annex (11811 NE 195th St), open to all residents without a Y membership. (info)

Events:

• Goose Ridge Live Music: Brittany Collins on Oct. 16 from 5-7pm. (info)

• Gentle Yoga Flow - The lodge at St. Edward on Oct. 18-19 at 10:15am. (info) 

• Trivia Night at Copperworks Distilling Kenmore on Oct. 23 from 7-9pm. (info)

Fall City & Snoqualmie:

News:

• SR 18 Closed Oct. 16–20 Between I-90 and Issaquah-Hobart for Widening: WSDOT will fully close SR 18 from 9 p.m. Thu, Oct. 16 to 5 a.m. Mon, Oct. 20 to shift the highway into its final, widened configuration; use the signed detour via SR 169/I-405/SR 900/I-90, with two lanes each direction south of I-90 opening after the closure (weather permitting). (info)

Events:

• Live Music at Sigillo Cellars on Oct. 17. (info)

• Sunday Group Trail Run on Oct. 19. (info)

• Spinning Yarn With a Drop Spindle - The Ancient Art of Fiber by Hand on Oct. 19. (info)

Issaquah:

News:

• Issaquah Police OK Mariners Gear in Uniform: In a temporary show of team spirit, Issaquah’s police chief is allowing patrol and corrections officers to wear Mariners caps/beanies on duty, detectives to don Mariners polos/caps, and civilian staff to wear team gear as the city rallies during the ALCS against the Blue Jays. (info)

Events:

• Ski Swap on Oct. 16 from 3-10pm. (info)

• Octoberfest at Issaquah Senior Center on Oct. 17 from 11am-1pm. (info)

• Boo at the Barn on October 24th and 25th. (info)

Kirkland:

News:

• Traffic Alert: Lake Washington Half Marathon on October 18: Kirkland will close sections of NE Juanita Drive and Lakeshore Plaza Saturday, Oct. 18, from 7–11:30 a.m. for the Lake Washington Half Marathon at Juanita Beach Park. Around 1,000 participants are expected, with proceeds benefiting Rise Up and Read, supporting literacy for refugee and migrant children. Detours will be in place, and vehicles parked along the route will be towed. (info)

• Kirkland Hosts Grand Re-Openings for Fire Stations 21 and 26: The City of Kirkland will celebrate the renovated Fire Stations 26 (Oct. 18, 10:30 a.m.–12 p.m.) and 21 (Oct. 25, 10:30 a.m.–12 p.m.) with ribbon-cuttings and open houses. Upgrades—funded by the 2020 voter-approved Proposition 1—include seismic retrofits, modernization, and energy efficiency improvements to enhance firefighter safety and emergency response. (info)

Events:

• Lake Washington Half Marathon on Oct. 18 from 8-11:30am. (info)

• Fall Recycling Collection Event on October 18th. (info)

• Día de los Muertos on October 25th. (info)

Mercer Island:

News:

• Mercer Island Completes Major Water System Upgrades: After four years of work, Mercer Island finished a comprehensive modernization of its water infrastructure, improving reliability and safety for residents. Projects included new high-capacity pumps, a backup generator, recoated 4-million-gallon reservoirs, a chlorination booster station, and upgraded SCADA monitoring systems. Over 7,000 smart meters were installed, with a customer portal launching January 2026, marking the City’s largest water system investment in decades. (info)

Events:

• Mercer Island Connect: Networking Luncheon on Oct. 16 from 11:30am-1pm. (info)

• Witches Night Out on Oct. 22 from 5-8pm. (info)

• Town Center Trick-or-Treat on Oct. 31 from 3:30-5:30pm. (info)

Redmond:

News:

• Redmond's Feed the Need food drive collects nearly 4,000 pounds for local food bank: Mayor Angela Birney led a community food drive on October 4 at QFC in Bella Bottega that brought in about 3,826 pounds of food and over $1,000 in cash donations for Hopelink, which serves more than 3,000 Redmond residents struggling with food insecurity—a number that's jumped 24% in the past year. The drive drew support from City Council members, staff, and residents like elementary schooler Vedika Nar, who donated her own birthday money to help neighbors in need. With nearly 1,000 Redmond families living below the poverty level and recent cuts to SNAP benefits driving up demand, Hopelink distributed nearly 100,000 pounds of food in June alone. (info)

• Mac & Jack's Brewing shutters Redmond facility, moves production to Bremerton: Mac & Jack's Brewing is closing its longtime Redmond brewery after 28 years and relocating all production to Silver City Brewery in Bremerton, with the move starting October 15 and wrapping up by year's end. The company cites zoning changes tied to Sound Transit's light rail expansion as the reason for the move, though the shift also consolidates operations under parent company Ackley Brands, which bought Mac & Jack's in 2023 and Silver City in June 2025. The Redmond taproom will stay open during the transition, and while some employees will be displaced, Ackley says it's supporting affected workers—the move positions Mac & Jack's flagship African Amber and other beers to continue production at a facility better suited for scale. (info)

Events:

• Redmond Saturday Market on October 18th. (info)

• BECU Drive-In Movies at Marymoor Park on October 23rd. (info)

• Bark in the Park on October 24th. (info)

Renton:

News:

• State Route 167 express toll lanes get new rules starting October 20: Starting October 20, all drivers using SR 167's express toll lanes between Puyallup and Renton will need to display a pass, including carpoolers and motorcyclists who previously rode free without one. Tolls for solo drivers range from $1 to $15 based on distance and demand, with an extra $2 fee for those without a Good To Go Pass, while carpool and motorcycle passes remain free for now through WSDOT. The changes are part of a longer-term plan to build a 50-mile toll lane system from SR-512 in Puyallup through the region to reduce congestion on Seattle's bridges and roads. (info)

• Sammamish Animal Sanctuary offers goat yoga classes to fund rescued animal care: The Sammamish Animal Sanctuary in Renton hosts Tuesday evening goat yoga sessions where eleven goats with distinct personalities interact with participants during relaxed yoga classes led by functional movement coach Benjamin Mills. The sanctuary has run goat yoga for three years but recently added evening sessions so people can attend after work, with all proceeds going directly to feed and care for the sanctuary's permanently rescued chickens, horses, pigs, donkeys, and goats. Participants say the playful goats—including one named Jack the Licker—climb on yogis, nibble hair, and occasionally join in poses, making it an experience worth repeating. (info)

• Westbound SR 18 reopens after crash blocks Auburn ramp for an hour: A collision at the State Route 167 ramp near Auburn closed westbound SR 18 lanes on Tuesday afternoon, with all traffic reopening around 3:30 p.m. after about an hour of delays. The crash happened at the ramp leading to Renton and Puyallup, bringing incident response teams and Washington State Patrol to the scene, though no details were immediately available about how many vehicles were involved or whether anyone was injured. (info)

• Renton wins regional planning award for transit-oriented development work: The Puget Sound Regional Council honored Renton with a VISION 2050 Award for its Rainier/Grady Junction Transit-Oriented Development planning, which sets up streamlined development around the future transit center to add housing, jobs, retail, and recreation near bus rapid transit service. The city's Environmental Impact Statement and Planned Action Ordinance create a faster, more predictable review process for developers while addressing connectivity, safety, and environmental concerns through extensive public outreach that included three developer forums. Mayor Armondo Pavone said the award recognizes innovative planning that increases housing density, walkability, and transit access, with the recognition presented at the October 13 City Council meeting. (info)

Events:

• Cops & Barbers on October 16th. (info)

• Location Insights for Entrepreneurs on October 23rd from 10:30-2pm. (info)

• Truck or Treat: Sensory Friendly Stroll on Oct. 24 from 5-5:45pm. (info)

• Renton Municipal Art Commission: Costume Contest on Oct 25 from 3-4pm. (info)

• Fish or Treat on October 25th. (info)

Sammamish:

News:

• Sammamish's Bartell Drugs completes rebrand to CVS after Rite Aid bankruptcy: The Bartell Drugs store that's served Sammamish since 1987 has officially become a CVS Pharmacy following Rite Aid's bankruptcy filing in May, which forced the sale of 1,000 of its 1,240 stores nationwide to competitors like CVS, Walgreens, and Albertsons. CVS acquired 63 Pacific Northwest locations including 20 Bartell stores in Washington, with prescription files from both the former Bartell and nearby Rite Aid seamlessly transferred to the new CVS location and nearly a dozen former employees hired to maintain familiar faces for customers. The pharmacy will keep popular local product lines while adding CVS brands like the Well Market snack line, ensuring no interruption in service as residents head in for flu shots this vaccine season. (info)

• Sammamish Animal Sanctuary offers goat yoga classes to fund rescued animal care: The Sammamish Animal Sanctuary in Renton hosts Tuesday evening goat yoga sessions where eleven goats with distinct personalities interact with participants during relaxed yoga classes led by functional movement coach Benjamin Mills. The sanctuary has run goat yoga for three years but recently added evening sessions so people can attend after work, with all proceeds going directly to feed and care for the sanctuary's permanently rescued chickens, horses, pigs, donkeys, and goats. Participants say the playful goats—including one named Jack the Licker—climb on yogis, nibble hair, and occasionally join in poses, making it an experience worth repeating. (info)

Events:

• Beaver Lake Management District Advisory Board Meeting on October 20th. (info)

• City Council Meeting on October 21st. (info)

• Trunk-R-Treat 2025 on Oct. 30 at 4pm. (info)

Woodinville:

News:

• Woodinville hosts community conversation with council members on October 17: Woodinville residents can drop by Sidekick Coffee on October 17 from 10 to 11 a.m. to chat directly with City Council members and key staff about local projects, services, and community priorities in an informal setting. The Community Conversations series gives residents a chance to ask questions, share feedback, and learn what's happening around town without any formal agenda or pressure. Sidekick Coffee is located in Woodin Creek Village at 17255 135th Street NE, Suite 1020. (info)

• Woodinville launches 2025 business survey to gauge local economic climate: Woodinville is asking business owners and managers to complete its 2025 Business Survey, which went out via mail and email starting October 15 to help city leaders understand the current business environment and how to better support local companies. The survey covers topics like the business climate, workforce quality, growth opportunities, technical assistance needs, and satisfaction with community amenities, with results used to identify strengths and areas for improvement. Businesses that didn't receive an invitation can participate through an open link in early November, and the survey closes November 24, with findings presented to City Council and the public in a report early next year. (info)

Events:

• Woodinville Heritage Society 50th Anniversary on October 18th. (info)

• Trick or Tree on October 30th. (info)

What we are currently loving!

• August Moon Chinese Restaurant

  This family-run gem tucked into Pine Lake Center brings bold, fresh Chinese flavors with the kind of care you often only see in hole-in-the-wall neighborhood spots. Their crispy Peking duck, spicy Szechuan noodles, and dim sum hits hit just hard enough to make you grateful Sammamish has “that real Chinese place.”

Weather this Week:

• This week brings a mild mix of sun and clouds with highs hovering in the upper 50s to low 60s. Expect the driest days early on, shifting toward occasional afternoon showers by Friday and over the weekend. Temperatures remain cool especially at night, dipping into the mid-40s.