Redmond off-leash dog area remains closed

The popular off-leash area for dogs in Marymoor Park remains closed due to water up to 3 feet deep covering roughly 20 acres, or about half of the area.

The remaining half is in soggy shape, said Doug Williams, a King County spokesman. The county has asked dog owners since Friday to exercise their pets elsewhere until the ground has a chance to dry out from being submerged by heavy rains and the Sammamish River.

The off-leash area at the park near Redmond will be checked regularly, and changes will be made accordingly. For more information, phone King County Parks at 206-296-4232.

Council considers

tent-city settlement

The Bellevue City Council on Tuesday considered a proposed settlement in the legal fight over Tent City 4 but didn't give final approval to the deal.

The council could sign off on the agreement later this week or at its meeting Monday night, city officials said.

Temple B'nai Torah, which is hosting the homeless camp, and Seattle Housing and Resource Effort (SHARE), which runs the camp, sued the city in November. They claimed the city's restrictions on Tent City 4, including limits on its length of stay and the number of people who could be housed in it, violated the temple's religious freedoms.

The Church Council of Greater Seattle joined the case in support of the temple.

The parties agreed on a tentative settlement in mediation last week, but the City Council has not approved the deal.

guaranteed slots

Transfer students from qualified community and technical colleges will be guaranteed more than half of the openings at the University of Washington, Bothell for the 2006-07 school year.

A formal agreement will be signed Thursday by University of Washington President Mark Emmert, State Board for Community and Technical Colleges Executive Director Earl Hale and Higher Education Coordinating Board Executive Director Jim Sutton.

The plan ensures no reduction in the number of transfer students accepted at UW Bothell as the school starts adding freshman and sophomore classes to the campus in 2007.

Groundwater group

plans public forum

The Issaquah Creek Valley Groundwater Protection Committee has scheduled a public meeting for Jan. 26 in Issaquah, where citizens can learn more about watershed-management issues in the area.

The committee will meet from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Eagle Room of the Issaquah Police Station, 130 E. Sunset Way.

Groundwater scientists will present a progress report on a geologic study of the Upper Issaquah Creek basin. Upcoming education and outreach efforts also will be presented.

More information on the meeting is available by calling Susan Oxholm at 206-296-1984 or by e-mail at Susan.Oxholm@metrokc.gov.

Seattle Times Eastside bureau