Eastside Digest
Man, 19, pleads not guilty in child-sex case

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Gabriel K. Letoto's parents were in the courtroom when their son entered his not-guilty plea.

In addition to charges filed in Superior Court, Letoto has been charged in U.S. District Court with possession of child pornography and transporting and shipping visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

Letoto, who was arrested by Bellevue police on March 31, has been ordered by a King County judge not to contact the 14-year-old victim in the case. He also has been ordered by a federal judge not to own a computer, access the Internet or have contact with anyone under 18.

Letoto apparently met the 14-year-old in an Internet chat room. Police arrested Letoto on March 19 after the girl's stepfather contacted officials.

Charging papers say officials seized four computer hard drives from Letoto's Bellevue apartment last month and found 50,000 images and 1,000 videos of children engaging in sex acts.

Letoto is being held in the King County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail, said King County prosecutor's spokesman Dan Donohoe.

Braille signs installed at Sound Transit centers

BELLEVUE — Starting this week, Sound Transit bus travel should be a bit easier for visually impaired commuters. Officials in Bellevue yesterday unveiled new Braille signs at transit centers and Sounder stations served by the agency. On the Eastside, transit centers in Bellevue, Kirkland and the Overlake area received the upgrades.

The signs, placed on poles next to boarding areas, list bus lines and give directions. Agency officials said the placards will allow the visually impaired to find their bus without having to ask for help from strangers.

The signs are not required by law; they were ordered after the need was identified in public workshops. They were placed at stations with multiple bus bays.
 
Issaquah seeks nominees for city's Hall of Fame

ISSAQUAH — The city this month is seeking nominations to the Issaquah Hall of Fame.

The city chooses one or two people a year who have made a lasting contribution to the community over time. The criteria include inspiration, service, leadership, civic-mindedness, length of service and fund-raising efforts for the public good.

Past recipients have included Suzanne Suther, executive director of the Issaquah Chamber of Commerce; and Tommie Troutman, who recently retired as executive director of the Issaquah Valley Senior Center.

Nominations, with a brief summary of the person's contributions to the community, can be sent to mayor@ci.issaquah.wa.us or to the mayor's office at P.O. Box 1307, Issaquah, WA 98027-1307. The deadline is May 3.

Snoqualmie library board needs three new members

SNOQUALMIE — The city is looking for volunteers to fill three openings on the Library Advisory Board.

The board advises the City Council and works with the King County Library System on city-library issues. At least five members of the seven-member board must be city residents, and all must reside in the city-library service area or be associated with a business in the area.

Applications are available at City Hall, 8020 Railroad Ave. S.E., at www.cityofsnoqualmie.net or by request at 425-888-1555. Send applications to Jodi Warren, Snoqualmie city clerk, at P.O. Box 987, Snoqualmie, WA 98065 or jwarren@ci.snoqualmie.wa.us.

Online signups to be offered for Bellevue parks programs

BELLEVUE — People can register online for Bellevue parks programs starting May 5.

The department is launching a feature on the city's Web site, www.cityofbellevue.org, that enables people to sign up for such things as art classes, swimming classes or senior programs. It will be reachable by selecting the home page for the Parks and Community Services Department, then looking under the "What's New" column.

Information is from the Eastside bureau of The Seattle Times.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company