Boys & Girls Clubs of Bellevue to Hold Grand Opening Celebration for New Fieldhouse at Hidden Valley Sports Park

Boys & Girls Clubs of Bellevue will host a public ceremony celebrating the Grand Opening of their Foster Family Foundation Branch – the Fieldhouse at Hidden Valley Sports Park. The event will take place on Saturday, March 28^th from 10am-11am at Hidden Valley Fieldhouse, located at 1903 112^th Avenue NE, Bellevue, WA 98004. The public is invited to join as they celebrate this exciting milestone for our community!

The new Fieldhouse at Hidden Valley Park is a unique partnership with the City of Bellevue that will provide recreational facilities for thousands of youth and their families on the Eastside. This 27,000 sq. ft facility has three courts, classroom space and a concession stand that will serve both the indoor courts and outdoor sports fields. Hidden Valley Fieldhouse is now open for programming and will house BGCB’s Spring Sports programs for ages 5-18 starting in April. Spring programs include volleyball, soccer, basketball and Spring Break Sports camps. Registration is online at www.bgcbellevue.org.

In 2012, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Bellevue launched a community-wide campaign to open more doors for more kids – helping to meet the needs of a growing Bellevue and strengthen the fabric of our community. Through this campaign, the goal is to expand our capacity to serve over 70% more youth by increasing their programmable space by 80% throughout the city. The Hidden Valley Fieldhouse is the second capital project to open since then, the first being “The Club” Teen Center in East Bellevue. We hope to break ground on the third and final project – our Main Clubhouse in downtown Bellevue, this year.

Since 1952, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Bellevue (BGCB) has been in the forefront of youth development; targeting services to young people from disadvantaged economic, social and family circumstances. In 2014, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Bellevue served more than 14,000 members and their families, providing a safe, fun place that encourages kids to choose healthy lifestyles, get involved with their communities and achieve academic success. By inspiring our youth to make constructive life choices, they strive to help them realize their full potential. The Club upholds a policy that no child will be turned away because of an ability to pay, and in the past year the BGCB has awarded more than $700,000 in scholarships to families in need. To learn more about Boys & Girls Clubs of Bellevue, visit www.bgcbellevue.org.

ABC Announces 2014-2015 Board of Directors and Officers

[caption id="attachment_9578" align="alignright" width="263"] Mark VanWell - Chair of ABC Board of Directors[/caption]

Mark VanWell - Chair of ABC Board of Directors

Mark VanWell, VanWell Masonry Inc., was elected as the Chair of the Board of Directors; Chair-elect is Jamie Creek with Synergy Construction, Inc.; Vice Chair – Government and Labor Affairs is John Noble, Washington Commercial Painters; Vice Chair – Membership is Mike Schultis, Schultis Sundberg Inc.; Vice Chair – Professional Development is Dawn Lanz, Sea-Tac Electric, Inc.; Secretary-Treasurer is Dan Case, Peterson Sullivan LLP; and the Immediate Past Chair is Amanda Grindle, Saybr Contractors, Inc.

Other directors are: Ryan Brown, System Heating & Air Conditioning Co.; Anthony Christoffersen, Tradesmen International; Jeff Harding, Premier Builders, Inc.; Travis Hull, Mechanical & Control Services, Inc.; Clarke Jewell, Olympian Precast, Inc.; Glen Kuntz, S.D. Deacon Corp. of Washington; Scott Rhodes, Rhodes Architecture; Greg Tozer, Express Construction Co., Inc.; James Walsh, Finishing Systems; and Jason Wandler, Oles Morrison Rinker & Baker LLP.

ABC of Western Washington represents more than 300 companies and their nearly 15,000 employees from both open shop and union contractors, professional service firms and suppliers. Its membership includes general and subcontractors as well as associated firms that are dedicated to promoting the free enterprise system through improved business conditions, increased training and safety and promoting positive employee/employer relations.

Next stage of Bellevue's 120th Avenue Project Begins Monday September 15th

Contractors will begin making improvements to 120th Avenue Northeast between Northeast Seventh and 12th streets on Monday, September 15. The city is widening the street to five lanes and adding bike lanes and sidewalks as part of a project to improve mobility and accommodate growth in the corridor.

This is the second stage of the 120th Avenue Northeast corridor project. The first stage, from the 300 block (just south of Northeast Fourth Street) to just south of Northeast Eighth Street, is in its final weeks of construction.

Drivers should expect intermittent lane closures, but two-way traffic and pedestrian access will be maintained during construction. Access to local businesses will be maintained through the duration of Stage II, tentatively scheduled for completion in late 2016.

Stage II will widen the existing roadway of 120th Avenue Northeast between Northeast Seventh and Northeast 12th streets to five lanes, with a center-turn lane where necessary. It will include bike lanes and sidewalk on both sides of the road, landscaping, street lighting, a new traffic signal at the intersection of 120th Avenue Northeast and Lake Bellevue Drive/Old Bel-Red Road and modification of the two existing traffic signals at Northeast Eighth Street and Northeast 12th streets. Additionally, the project will stabilize soft soils between Lake Bellevue Drive and Northeast 12th Street, construct a joint utility trench and provide new sewer and water systems throughout the corridor.

Work on this project will be phased into three work zones. The first work zone will take place from Northeast Seventh Street to Old Bel-Red Road. Work zones two and three will occur from Old Bel-Red Road to Northeast 12th Street, east side and west side, respectively. Private utility work will occur separately.

Work in work zone one is estimated to take about six months to complete, and will include activities such as underground utility work, widening on 120th Avenue Northeast and Northeast Eighth Street, construction of a retaining wall and sidewalks, curb and gutter installation. Much of the work in this zone will be concentrated at the intersection of the Northeast Eighth Street and 120th Avenue.

Standard work hours will be Monday through Friday, with daytime hours between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. and night hours between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. Because Northeast Eighth carries a high volume of traffic during the day, a majority of the intersection work will take place at night. We will keep the public informed of construction activity and impacts during this two-year project. Watch for electronic message boards with pertinent construction and impact information. Obey flaggers and use caution when traveling through the work zone.