Week in Review: Sammamish News and Notes

Sobering as well as uplifting and good, old-fashioned news events swept across the Sammamish Plateau last week.

In case you missed some of the events, here's a quick rundown on what happened:

Monday: News broke about the death of a 12-year-old girl who once attended Pine Lake Middle School. It shook the community.

Tuesday: Sammamish Patch offered its weekly feature. This week featured Naleigh. The City Council also talked about building a community center, one that might have swimming facilities. A quick summary is on the Sammamish Patch Twitter feed.

On Tuesday, Sammamish Patch began running names, photos and short profiles of all the . The community awards event is on Friday, March 18. Many have dubbed it the "Oscars" for Sammamish.

Yes, the nominees have contributed to the city and life on the Plateau. Keep checking the site this coming week - more nominees will be added to the list.

, a Patch contributing writer, suggested going to Snohomish County to pedal, especially as the spring approaches.

Wednesday: Sammamish Patch featured a story in which counselors talked about the impact of a young person's death on the community - and the need to talk openly about it.

The week's "Whiz Kid" was Connor Creswell, a student from . He saw a need for foster kids, made a plan and did something about it.

There was the reminder that Interstate 405, near Bellevue, will be closed during the first weekend of April. A bridge needs to be removed.

Thursday: At a joint meeting, the Issaquah and Sammamish city councils met to talk abour regional issues. There were no formal votes. But there was talk of what the new campus on the Issaquah Highlands might look like. A summary is at the Sammamish Patch Twitter feed.

Patch parenting columnist offered up some great suggestions on how parents can get back into shape with their kids in tow. You can find her past columns .

Friday: By Friday, the site had news that two teenagers had been arrested on suspicion of painting a swastika and the word "Jew" at in December. Patch contributing writer also dug through the police reports for summaries, including one in which a mover apparently took items after saying he would give them to charity.

Patch contributing writer came up with another gem for - a jazz club near Sammamish.

Saturday: People in Sammamish and the Seattle area were still dealing with news of the earthquake, tsunami and possible nuclear meltdown in Japan. Northwest and national groups asked for donations.

Sunday: , editor of Edmonds Patch, wrote about rolfing, which can help athletes and office workers and just ordinary people. It's an alternative to massage therapy.

On the Good Cause Alert Front: The YMCA's Partners With Youth campaign is continuing but will end on March 17. The Boys & Girls Clubs is still raising $3 million to open a Teen Center in Sammamish - on the site of the old library.

On the Sweepstakes Front: Patch.com is offering two - a luxurious spa getaway in either San Francisco or New York City (airfare and hotel will be covered) and a private screening of the movie, Hop, which is about the Easter Bunny's teenage son.

For the spa trip, register by May 1. For the movie, register by March 16. For both sweepstakes, one person is allowed to register once a day until the deadline.

Editor's note: Yes, it was a busy week. Sammamish Patch will resume with regular features in the coming week.