Coal Miners Cemetery — Part 3
August 12, 2015
NEW — 6 a.m. Aug. 12, 2015
This is the third history feature installment about the historic Coal Miner’s Cemetery, on 129th Avenue Southeast, south of the Newcastle Library.
Every cemetery has many stories to tell. Some are sad, some are heartwarming and some help us remember how we have grown as a people.
At the time of the first burial in 1878, it was unheard of for whites and blacks to be buried in the same cemetery. Chinese would also be excluded. The Newcastle Miner’s Cemetery has both ethnic groups, though there is a distinction.
Council approves speed humps for Southeast 75th Street corridor
August 6, 2015
NEW — 2:36 p.m. Aug. 6, 2015
Newcastle resident Jo Ann Pancheri often sits in her home, peering out the window, clutching her phone and waiting for the worst.
Her house sits at the intersection of Southeast 75th Street and 125th Place Southeast, a corridor where neighbors have repeatedly asked for traffic-calming measures.
Pancheri has an unobstructed view to the speeding and near-miss accidents that community members say plague the neighborhood.
“I wait every day with my phone waiting to call 911,” she told the Newcastle City Council on July 21, illustrating her fear of witnessing a major accident. Read more
Coal Miners Cemetery — Part 1
June 4, 2015
Did you know there is a cemetery in the city of Newcastle?
File
Newcastle’s Historic Coal Miners Cemetery was established in 1878.
Remembering historian Milt Swanson and his stories
March 5, 2015
Whether Newcastle residents know it or not, March 29 is a significant date in the city’s history. On that day, in 1918, Ernest Milton Swanson was born. Milt, as he was known, was born and raised in Newcastle, and is single-handedly responsible for protecting the city’s history.
A founder of the Newcastle Historical Society, Swanson knew more about Newcastle’s history than anyone, because he actually lived it. Swanson died at the age of 95 in January 2014. In this month’s history feature, Newcastle City Councilman, and history buff, Rich Crispo recalls his favorite Swanson stories. Read more
2014 was a year of change for Newcastle
January 2, 2015
In 2014, the city of Newcastle celebrated a birthday, lost an icon and set the stage for the future. Here are some of the top stories of the year, in no particular order:
Newcastle pioneer Milt Swanson passes away
Family, neighbors and community leaders gathered Jan. 25 to honor the life of Milt Swanson, a titan of Newcastle history and a man with an unceasing, warming smile.
The Newcastle pioneer, born and raised in this community, spent all of his 95 years in the same area, 90 of which were in the same company house that still stands at the edge of town near the Cougar Mountain trailhead. Read more
CCUD building purchase questioned
January 2, 2015
A Newcastle City Council-approved agreement to purchase a building for equipment and vehicle storage is raising questions, after the city offered up more than money to acquire it.
In September, the council authorized City Manager Rob Wyman to enter into a purchase-sale agreement for the Coal Creek Utility District-owned property on 129th Avenue Southeast.
In exchange for the property appraised at $750,000, the city would agree to pay $250,000 and forfeit its legal right to assume the utility district for 10 years.
It’s the non-assumption clause, in particular, that has some current, and one former, council members questioning the logic of the agreement. Read more
‘Little giant’ makes history come to life
October 3, 2014
By Greg Farrar
Rich Crispo, Newcastle councilman, stands next to a display case with Milt Swanson’s coal miner helmet and an information poster honoring the late 95-year-old Newcastle native’s contributions to preserving the city’s history. The Renton History Museum’s Newcastle retrospective exhibit is on display until Feb. 7.
The first thing visitors see upon walking into the Renton History Museum’s Newcastle exhibit is, appropriately, a tribute to a man that means so much to the city’s history. Read more
City looks to add youth voice
October 3, 2014
Newcastle teen leads charge to get peers involved in city government
The Newcastle City Council explored the possibility of adding a youth voice to its government structure at its Sept. 16 regular meeting.
The discussion comes after Newcastle teen James Ricks approached Mayor Steve Buri about the feasibility of creating a youth advisory board to the council.
“I want youth to care about Newcastle,” Ricks said. “Whether that’s evident in service projects, involvement in planning activities or tutoring, I want youth to be involved because they care about the city they live in.” Read more
America the beautiful
July 31, 2014
Eastside residents become U.S. citizens at Newcastle Library
By Greg Farrar
Immigrants from around the world, who passed citizenship tests and renounced allegiances to the countries of their birth, take the oath of allegiance from officials of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services July 23 during a naturalization ceremony at the Newcastle Library.
Council passes marijuana moratorium
July 31, 2014
Newcastle residents won’t find a marijuana retail establishment in the city anytime soon.
The Newcastle City Council approved a six-month moratorium on marijuana-related business activity within Newcastle, at its July 1 meeting.
“A moratorium is simply a procedural mechanism this council can adopt to literally hold the status quo as is, meaning, it gives you six months to review something,” city attorney Dawn Reitan told council members. “Nothing comes in while that happens.”
Councilman Gordon Bisset made the motion instituting the moratorium. It passed 4-3, with council members Lisa Jensen, Carol Simpson and Rich Crispo dissenting. Read more
