This article was published in the September 2018 issue of Mercer Island Living Magazine.

Family and community has always been of utmost importance to the Blumenstein family. Although the kids, Julia, Ryan and Grant, are all grown and off on their own adventures, they still regularly make time for the family. “All three kids live in Seattle, but family is always at the center of their lives,” said Jami Blumenstein, their mom.

Jami has deep roots on Mercer Island and has lived there for most of her life, excluding her college years in California. Back when she and husband Rodney began seriously dating, they decided that Mercer Island would be the perfect place for them to start a family.

The two of them met while Jami, a college student at the time, was on vacation with her dad at a resort in Palm Springs. Rodney, who is originally from New York, was also there on a business trip.

“We met while both floating on rafts in the resort pool,” said Jami. “I like to tease Rodney that he paddled over toward me.” Although the two seemed to hit it off from the get-go, it would be several years before they would begin seriously dating. “We were in very different stages of life at the time,” Jami said.

As if by some sort of divine persuasion, they ran into each other once again several years later at the Beach and LA Sports Club and subsequently started dating. They were married in 1988 and moved up to the Pacific Northwest not long after to begin their lives together.

Nowadays their kids all live in Seattle, although Julia is currently home on Mercer island for summer break.

Julia, 21, will be starting her senior year at the University of Washington this fall and plans to graduate in the spring of 2019 with a degree in psychology. Once a dedicated basketball player, she hung up her jersey to more seriously pursue a career in psychology. She played for the University of Puget Sound before transferring to the UW.

Ryan, 25, graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in business. He moved to San Francisco for a job opportunity shortly after but is now back in the Pacific Northwest working in the South Lake Union area. During his senior year at Mercer Island High School, he was the captain of the lacrosse team and lead the team to a state championship.

Grant, 27, graduated from the UW with a degree in finance and currently works for Beecher’s Handmade Cheese in sales, while also pursuing some entrepreneurial endeavors. In his spare time, he enjoys playing the piano, playing basketball or being out on the water with friends.

Rodney started his own business back in the early 1980s called Rod Asher & Associates, which serves as a recruiting firm in the high-tech industry. He continues to own and operate the business, which he relocated to Mercer Island.

Jami owned a modelling agency called Kid Biz Talent Agency, located in Bellevue. The agency promoted children, ages six months to 16 years, in local and national television, films and print ads. “It was really successful and kind of took off,” she said.

But above all, Jami has her priorities set on her three kids. She eventually sold the modelling agency to focus on parenting. “My favorite job ever has been being a mom,” she said. “I love working with kids.”

Jami’s passion for working with kids transferred smoothly to her next endeavor - taking on the head-coach position for the Mercer Island High School Sparkle Squad.

The Sparkle Squad is a cheer squad made up of 22 high school students with and without disabilities. This summer the Squad had the honor of performing at the Special Olympics, which was held in Seattle. They began preparing about six months prior to the event by practicing tons of dances and cheers.

“The program has really taken off,” said Jami. “Everyone who was involved [with the Special Olympics] was very touched.”

When the Blumensteins aren’t wrapped up with their busy lives, they enjoy being out on the water, travelling to Hawaii or their home in Palm Desert, or playing with their dog Teddy. Julia, Ryan and Grant all still love being active and playing sports or hanging out with friends.

Jami felt that the Island was the perfect place to raise her family. “You can feel safe having your kids out and about,” she said about when they were younger. “If your eyes aren’t on your kids then someone else’s are.”

“It’s this wonderful community,” Jami said, reminiscing about growing up on the Island herself. “Some things never change.”

This article was published in the August 2018 issue of Mercer Island Living Magazine.

The Mercer Island community is lucky to have the Hankes, who are undoubtedly one of the most impressive families you’ll ever meet.

Although they love living on the Island now, Bill and Lisa Hankes will be the first to admit that they initially had some reservations about moving there. “We weren’t sure if we were going to like it when we first moved here,” admitted Lisa. “But it’s worked out really well for us.”

The two met in 1998 at a legal marketing conference in Los Angeles. At the time, Lisa resided in San Francisco while Bill was living in Seattle. They dated long-distance for eight months before getting engaged, and eventually Lisa moved up to the Pacific Northwest. They were married in 1999.

The family lived in Seattle until 2002, when Bill was recruited to Scottsdale, Arizona for a job opportunity as Director of Public Relations for Cyclone Commerce (now Axway). In 2006, he took advantage of another job recruitment opportunity in the Pacific Northwest, and the family relocated permanently to Mercer Island.

They wanted their kids, Danny and Sophie, to be able to experience the excellent Mercer Island School District. It’s certainly paid off for them, as both are headed toward remarkable futures.

Sophie recently graduated from Mercer Island High School and is headed to the University of Southern California in the fall. She was accepted into the prestigious Bachelor of Fine Arts program where she’ll study drama. Sophie has been acting on stage since she was young and is very excited to be working with the exceptional drama department at USC.

This spring at Issaquah’s Village Theater, she starred in Sincerely Yours, a powerful play written by and featuring an all-female cast about the changes that came for women in 1946 at the conclusion of World War II.

Sophie plans to continue merging her love of acting with politics in order to convey important messages to her audiences.

Danny will be a junior at Mercer Island High School this fall and is a prodigious classical piano student. Although he only started learning to play the piano about a year and a half ago, his skills have already progressed to incredible heights. He dreams of one day attending Juilliard to further pursue his piano studies.

Growing up, Danny didn’t express much interest in learning to play music, said Lisa. He started learning to play the trombone at one point but struggled with it due to his small size as a child.

“We just assumed after that that he wasn’t very musical,” Bill admitted. Of course, years later they were proven very wrong when Danny fell in love with classical piano.

Nowadays he volunteers his time at the Aljoya Retirement Community on the Island - an idea he came up with on his own.

Lisa spends much of her time creating beautiful paintings and sculptures inspired by Norwegian folk art. Being of Norwegian heritage, she found herself fascinated by the repetitive shapes and designs that she noticed in the artwork as she was growing up. She’s also volunteered her time to assist the art programs at her kids’ schools.

Bill is the Founder and CEO of Sqoop, a startup company that helps journalists tell their stories by getting them access to critical news and information that might not be readily available to them. Sqoop gets the information directly from businesses and experts themselves.

Sqoop lends its services to nearly every newsroom in the country, despite having only been on the market for less than three and a half years. They’re used by the likes of the New York Times, The Seattle Times, CNN and many others.

In June of 2016, Bill had the opportunity to travel to Vienna, Austria to present Sqoop to a conference of 1,400 editors from around the world at the Global Editors Network Summit.

Although the company has seen great success, it wasn’t always easy getting to that point. “It was tumultuous getting the company started,” said Bill, but he believes that the gratitude they get from the reporters who use their services has made the job worthwhile.

When the Hankes aren’t consumed by the day-to-day commitments of their busy lives, they enjoy barbecuing in their backyard or visiting with friends.

Bill and Danny are also both involved in Mercer Island’s Boy Scout troop 647. Danny is the Senior Patrol Leader and is just four merit badges shy of becoming an Eagle Scout. Last summer, the two of them went on a 70-mile excursion at the legendary Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico.

“We love Mercer Island because it’s kind of like being in the country,” said Bill. “There’s so few people that it’s hard to not run into someone you know. It’s a tight-knit community.”

This article was published in the June 2018 issue of Mercer Island Living Magazine.

Mercer Island resident Todd Humphrey was born and raised outside of Toronto, and like any good Canadian, he was an avid hockey player, competing at both the college level and professionally. He relocated to Mercer Island in 2000 and has happily resided there ever since. He lives with his girlfriend Melanie and two daughters Evan and Claire.

“I think I skated before I could walk,” Todd said about getting his start on the ice at a very young age. He learned to play hockey at age four and completely fell in love with the sport.

“Hockey is such a part of the life blood of Canada,” he said. Todd spent most of his weekends and free time playing hockey. “Pretty much all I wanted to do growing up was play hockey,” he said.

That passion and dedication ended up paying off for Todd, who went on to play hockey at Western University in London, Ontario. After college, he played four years of professional hockey - one year with the Detroit Falcons and three years with the Generals in Flint, Michigan.

“It was fulfilling my childhood dream,” said Todd about going pro. “I couldn’t believe I was getting paid to play this game that I love so much.”

Playing hockey taught Todd a lot about dedication and achieving goals - characteristics he passed onto his daughters. At just 14 and 15 years old respectively, Evan and Claire are both already incredibly accomplished young women. The girls are both dedicated rowers at the Mount Baker Rowing and Sailing Center, practicing between five and six days per week. Claire hopes to one day compete for a college rowing program.

The girls are also heavily involved with the Island Friends Guild, which raises money for the Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine Unit at Seattle Children’s. The unit works to diagnose, treat and prevent emotional and behavioral problems in children.

Currently there are about 15 members in the Guild. They meet monthly and put on two to three big events per year. The Guild has raised a staggering $20,000 since its inception in 2015.

Evan serves as the treasurer for the Guild and Claire is the president and a founding member.

“They’re really good kids,” said Todd, but that goes without saying. The girls have also done their fair share of travelling - they’ve been to Southeast Asia, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Singapore and more. In 2017, the girls travelled to Costa Rica with their best friends, who are also sisters.

“They’ve formed a lot of friendships all over the world,” said Todd.

Todd isn’t playing hockey professionally anymore, but he’s confident that the sport helped him in his professional life today. He serves as the CEO of the Seattle-based company LiquidPlanner, an online project management software company.

“I’ve done startups my entire career,” he said. “Startups are like playing a sport. You’re competing on a daily basis and your team has to come together.” For these reasons, he’s always felt right at home in the world of startups. “This is where I was supposed to be,” he said.

At the end of the day, Todd loves being a dad to Claire and Evan, and he loves how family-centric Mercer Island is. “It’s really a family-first environment,” he said. “The schools here are extraordinary and the kids are all very supportive of one another.”

Have Claire and Evan developed any interest in playing hockey? Todd says he taught them to skate at a young age, but they’re rowers first and foremost. “I think Evan would be the better hockey player because she’s got a mean streak,” he laughed.

The most rewarding part of being a father for Todd has been watching his daughters grow up and evolve into community-minded, thoughtful people in a place as incredible as Mercer Island. Although there will always be the inevitable challenges that come with parenting, he remarked, “I’ve got really amazing kids and I’m thankful for that.”

This article was published in the May 2018 issue of Mercer Island Living Magazine.

Dogs have the incredible ability to love us unconditionally and to make us smile when we need it the most. Their antics make us laugh out loud and they make us feel protected and loved. Because of this, losing a dog can be just as heartbreaking as losing any other family member.

“Nala was a real source of comfort,” said Kathleen Spitzer, a Mercer Island resident whose dog passed away in mid-March. She was with the family for nearly 12 years.

“She was the family dog,” said Spitzer. “Our whole family felt like she was in tune with us.”

Nala was a German Shepherd whom Spitzer’s family rescued from a shelter in Seattle. She had been brought into the shelter, which was meant for cats, at six weeks old along with two other puppies after the owner’s friend had attempted to breed the mother.

Nala was always very protective of her family and would bark with great fervor when anyone came to the door, friend or foe, Spitzer explained. However, once everyone was inside and settled, she was as friendly as could be. She had a very assertive personality and wanted you to pay attention to her at all times.

She was also wonderful with young children and babies. “She was always like, ‘Yeah, I’ll take care of this one,’” said Spitzer.

Being an energetic German Shepherd, Nala needed lots of exercise on a regular basis. The family would often take her to the dog park to run around, or to their cabin at Lake Chelan where she had much more freedom than on Mercer Island.

She loved being on the boat at Lake Chelan, although she didn’t like going in the water so she never jumped off the dock. “She fell off the dock a couple times but immediately came back to the shore,” said Spitzer.

Pets will always hold a special place in our hearts when they pass. “We’ve always had dogs,” said Spitzer. “They don’t become teenagers and start hating you - they offer unconditional love.”

This article was published in the May 2018 issue of Mercer Island Living Magazine.

Both Charlene and her husband Jeff Pimentel grew up in Seattle, but they found that Mercer Island offered a more supportive, family-oriented setting that they desired. Jeff and Charlene live on the Island with their son Jeffrey.

Jeff is a senior civil engineer at Seattle City Light, where lately he’s been working on the LED Streetlight Conversion Project.

He also volunteered full-time for the Seattle Police Department for 22 years in the gang unit. “Most people would think that it was really dangerous,” he said. “But it was fun – every night would be different.” He even got to know some of the gang members on a personal level and watched as many of them were able to turn their lives around.

Jeff met Charlene through his work with the SPD while patrolling the Bon Odori festival in the International District one year. He was performing a routine premise check in the beer garden when he saw Charlene for the first time. He told his squad members that he wanted to go talk to her, but they weren’t buying it. “Everybody in my squad laughed and said, ‘Jeff, you’re not going to do that,’” he joked. But after a while, he mustered up the courage to approach Charlene.

He eventually asked her out to lunch, and the rest is history.

It must’ve been destiny, because the two later found out that they had even lived very close to one another when they were in elementary school, without ever meeting. “We never knew of each other,” said Charlene.

Charlene currently works as a substitute teacher for the Mercer Island School District, teaching students anywhere from pre-k through the 12th grade, as well as special education. She received her teaching degree from the University of Washington and went on to earn a degree in special education in a Down syndrome program at Greenlake Elementary School.

“I’ve always enjoyed working with [children with special needs],” said Charlene.

As fate would have it, their son Jeffrey was born with developmental disabilities, but Charlene’s prior knowledge of special education made her well-equipped to bring him up in the world. “We knew exactly what to do with him. He’s our success story,” she said.

Jeffrey has social anxiety, so getting out of the house can be tricky for the Pimentel family at times. “A lot of our activities have evolved around Jeffrey,” Jeff said. The family occasionally enjoys going out to eat at Jeffrey’s favorite restaurants and familiar spots on the Island.

Education has always been of utmost importance to the Pimentel family. “We wanted a neighborhood where the schools were top-notch,” said Jeff on why they love living on the Island.

Jeffrey attends Mercer Island High School, which offers a special education program of the highest quality – every student in the program receives an Individualized Education Program (IEP) to ensure that they get the appropriate form of instruction. Goals are set on an individual basis depending on each student’s capabilities.

Jeffrey is one of 12 students in the Personal Learning Program at Mercer Island High School. Students learn life skills by taking field trips into the community by metro bus. They also practice ordering food in restaurants and managing their money.

Jeff and Charlene have been blown away by the progress Jeffrey has made in Mercer Island’s special education program. “He’s achieved more than we’ve ever expected,” said Charlene.

Jeffrey is currently a senior and is a leader on the Mercer Island High School Sparkle Squad - a cheer squad made up of students with and without disabilities. The program aims to boost students’ confidence and promote inclusivity. The Sparkle Squad cheers at high school sporting events and can even be found performing at Mercer Island’s Summer Celebration and the homecoming parade.

Jeff started volunteering as a coach for the Sparkle Squad two years ago but has been heavily involved in supporting the program since Jeffrey began cheering in the eighth grade. The students practice every Thursday after school.

For Jeff, the most rewarding part of coaching for the Sparkle Squad is seeing the smiles on the kids’ faces. “It takes a lot for some of these kids to learn the cheers,” he said.

Jeff and Charlene love just how inclusive Mercer Island is. “It’s a very caring community,” said Charlene. That sense of support and compassion, combined with high-quality education surely makes Mercer Island one of the best places to raise a family.

This article was published in the April 2018 issue of Mercer Island Living Magazine.

With the 2018 season in full swing, Mercer Island’s Island Thunder Volleyball Club is dedicated to winning, but they’re also about developing their athletes off the court.

Club volleyball is an opportunity for young athletes to improve their game outside of their school teams and to play in a more competitive setting. Many of the athletes who compete at the club level go on to have very successful high school athletic careers, or even to play for college teams.

“I like that volleyball is an outlet to become friends with new people, relieve stress and stay healthy,” said Jillian Quinn, a defensive specialist on Island Thunder’s 18s team. Quinn attends Mercer Island High School and plays on the school team as well.

Island Thunder has traditionally had great success as a club, producing a handful of elite-caliber athletes every year. Many of the teams go on to play in the Junior Olympics at the beginning of the summer.

“We’re doing really well [this season], which is fun to see,” said Jennifer Baklenko, the club’s executive director. This season, Baklenko is coaching the 12s, 15s and 16s teams.

Baklenko has also been instrumental in establishing beach volleyball in the region. “We were one of the first clubs in our region to have a beach club,” she said. Island Thunder holds a nine-week training session in the summer where players practice at either Alki or Golden Gardens in Seattle.

As a tremendous athlete herself, Baklenko knows the sport of volleyball better than most. She competed and coached for the University of San Diego and played professionally in both indoor and beach volleyball. “My goal was to win every point every time I stepped on the court,” she said.

Island Thunder is among the top volleyball programs in the Puget Sound Region, but the club is dedicated to more than just producing the best athletes. “My goal is to help my players win in every situation,” said Baklenko. “We’re really about developing the whole person.” The club strives to help guide young players to be better people, both on and off the court, and academics are an important part of that, she explains.

For Baklenko, the most rewarding part of coaching is the comradery. “People typically say we’re a competitive family,” she said. She also finds coaching the younger players to be incredibly rewarding. “I love coaching all levels, but I especially love coaching 12s. They improve more than anybody else.”

As for Baklenko’s goals for Island Thunder this season? “Of course, I want them to qualify for the Junior Olympics,” she said. “That would be amazing.”

This article was published in the April 2018 issue of Mercer Island Living Magazine.

The Seawolves are making history as Seattle’s very first professional rugby team. Traditionally, rugby hasn’t been of utmost popularity in the United States, but Seawolves’ lock and Mercer Island resident Jeremy Lenaerts is confident that the sport is bound to be a favorite in no time.

Lenaerts, who is Belgian, spent seven years playing rugby in France before moving to the States to play rugby at Central Washington University.

“In France, rugby is really embedded into their culture,” said Lenaerts. “But the US has a huge passion for sports overall. Without a doubt the States will grow to become an even more dominant force in the international rugby scene.”

On April 22, the Seawolves will face the San Diego Legion for their inaugural game and home field opener at Starfire Sports. Between the Seawolves’ star-studded lineup, which includes a number of the Canadian international players, USA international players, Olympians and more, and accomplished coaching team led by head coach Tony Healy and Rugby Development Director Curry Hitchborn, it’s sure to be an impressive match.

The club came to fruition after Adrian Balfour – a rugby fanatic from Ireland – approached Shane Skinner in 2017 about co-founding the league. “[Balfour] had an option on a new league,” Skinner said. “He told me that he didn’t know how it would pan out, but that worst case it would be an experience, and best case we could do something really special.”

The co-founders originally met while Skinner was fundraising for his tech company, Record360 – Balfour was assigned to Skinner’s board and became his sponsor. As a board member to Record360, Balfour got a look into how Skinner runs a business. “He’s seen me execute, and hire quality, good people,” Skinner said. “He knows I am gritty and resourceful, all the things it takes to have a successful startup.” Over the years of working together, the two also built a friendship. “We both play rugby, so we bonded over that, and we play on the same team now. Adrian absolutely loves rugby, he will travel all over the world to watch it.”

For Skinner, who is as passionate about the sport as he is making it visible in Seattle, partnering with Balfour was an easy decision. “Rugby is the fastest growing team sport in America,” he said. “I love the game, it’s done a lot for me in my life and it feels good to give other people that opportunity to experience it.”

Fast-forward one year later and the team has made headway that takes other leagues years to accomplish. For starters, New Zealand-based Canterbury Rugby Union and the Crusaders Super Rugby team recently purchased minority ownership in the franchise. In terms of its significance, Skinner said, “This would be equivalent to [England-based] Manchester United [F.C.] taking an ownership stake in the Sounders before they even played a game.” And in addition to locally broadcasted games, Skinner and Balfour landed the team a weekly slot on the nationally televised CBS Sports, which reaches 63 million households. “We already have immense reach and we haven’t even stepped on the field. It’s amazing.”

The league is currently made up of seven teams: Seattle, San Diego, Utah, Houston, Austin, New Orleans and Denver; the Seawolves are slated to play four home games and four away games this season. “It’s going to be really competitive from the start,” Skinner said. “Every team has phenomenal players.” Looking forward, the league intends to add three more teams in 2019; New York is already entered. “Our league’s commissioner, Dean Howes, is the former Real Salt Lake CEO. He has a lot of experience getting across the goal line and creating successful leagues. We are very optimistic.”

For rugby enthusiasts alike, the Seawolves is an overdue venture, not only in Seattle, but the US at large. “Rugby isn’t just a sport, it’s a community,” Skinner said.

Lenaerts echoed a similar sentiment - “It’s about giving it your all on the field with your teammates,” he said. “and about creating special memories that will last a lifetime.”

The Seawolves are on pace to sell out of season tickets and single game tickets before they even play their first match. To snag tickets before it’s too late visit SeattleSeawolves.com.

This article was published in the April 2018 issue of Mercer Island Living Magazine.

Growing up, music was always a part of Dr. Natalya Ageyeva’s life. “It’s a cultural thing,” said the acclaimed concert pianist about being exposed to classical music from a young age in her native Russia. Ageyeva currently resides on Mercer Island, but has performed sensational piano music for audiences all over the world.

Originally from Moscow, Ageyeva’s father was a naturally talented musician with a degree in choral conducting, and her mother was a professional opera singer. Musical excellence seemed to run in her blood, but Ageyeva’s parents never pressured her into studying music.

Most professional musicians begin formally learning music by age five or six. Ageyeva, however, was a unique case in that she didn’t start seriously studying piano until the age of 13. It was her remarkable natural talent and passion for classical music that paved the way for her early success as a pianist.

At 13, Ageyeva was accepted to the esteemed Special Music School for Talented Children in Moscow, and by 16 she had already played with an orchestra. “That was my biggest accomplishment,” she recalled fondly.

The Special Music School for Talented Children provided students with an education up through the 12th grade and the opportunity to obtain a bachelor’s degree. The school was also affiliated with the Tchaikovsky Conservatory - the world’s most prestigious music school – so students could go on to graduate from the Conservatory with a master’s degree.

Ageyeva often spent six or seven hours practicing piano every day during the week, and on the weekends as many as nine hours per day. However, it was solely her own fervor that motivated her to do so. “My mom never pushed me into practicing,” she said. “It was my own choice.”

She graduated from the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in 1997 with honors and a master’s degree after just four years of study.

Ageyeva moved to the United States two years later in 1999, intending to take a break from her musical studies and resume later on in Moscow. However, an incredible scholarship opportunity at the University of Washington changed her path completely. She was accepted into the Brechemin Scholarship program and, after about four years of study, graduated with a Doctor of Musical Arts in 2005. She’s been living in the Seattle area ever since.

Ageyeva has performed as a recitalist, a chamber musician and a soloist with orchestras all around the United States and throughout the world. While living in Moscow, she performed all over the former Soviet Union. In the United States, she has performed at the likes of the Washington Governor’s Mansion, Benaroya Hall and even New York City’s Carnegie Hall.

Although she’s played and studied all different types of classical music, Ageyeva’s first true love has always been Russian music. “Russian classical music has a lot of emotions, a lot of depth,” she said about what draws her to it. “You can feel those emotions.”

Her love for Russian music served as a huge inspiration for the creation of the Russian Chamber Music Foundation of Seattle, for which she is the artistic director. The Foundation, which was chartered in 2007, holds several events in the Seattle area every year – most of which are on Mercer Island – and aims to bring the best of Russian music to American audiences. The very best musicians from around the world are invited to perform.

Youth outreach is also a big part of the mission – children are welcome at many of these events as to promote well-roundedness and early exposure to classical music.

One of the Foundation’s biggest events every year is the Russian Piano Festival and Competition, which provides piano students, ages five and older, the opportunity to compete against one another and perform in front of a judge. The event draws around 140 contestants every year and is open to the public.

When she’s not playing classical piano music, Ageyeva particularly enjoys listening to jazz or flamenco. “I have a wide range of musical tastes,” she said. She hopes to one day learn how to play jazz music and hone her improvisation skills.

Ageyeva has been incredibly instrumental in bringing music and the arts to Mercer Island, where she and her daughter have resided since 2010. “I’ve been collaborating very closely with arts in the community,” she said. She also teaches piano lessons with the Mercer Island Piano Conservatory.

Additionally, she loves how close the Island community is. “People will see me walking down the street and say, ‘Oh I know you, I heard you play!’” she said with a laugh.

“I moved to Mercer Island because of the community,” said Ageyeva, and she’s certainly helping to bring the community even closer together through her love of music.

You can visit http://www.russianchambermusic.org/ to view upcoming events for the Russian Chamber Music Foundation of Seattle.

This article was published in the March 2018 issue of Mercer Island Living Magazine.

It’s hard not to occasionally fantasize about hopping into a speedboat on Lake Washington on those days when traffic seems to be moving at the speed of molasses.

That’s a reality for Drew Myers, who rides his jet ski to work.

Myers’ office, located in the Leschi marina, is two miles from his home across Lake Washington on the north end of Mercer Island. His commute by jet ski only takes between six and twelve minutes, and occasionally he even stops to take calls out on the water, he said.

And perhaps the best part? There’s no traffic, ever.

Myers commutes via jet ski for about eight months out of the year - he stops around Halloween and resumes at the end of March.

“You start shivering a little too much and it gets really dark as it gets into the fall,” he said.

Rain or shine, he’s out on the water practically every morning and evening. Sometimes he speeds across the lake at up to 65 mph, while other times it’s just a nice leisurely cruise, he said. It all depends on his mood and how much time he has.

Myers currently lives with his significant other Laura and their two young children in a house he purchased about four years ago.

He’s originally from northern California, but moved up to Bellevue for high school and went on to attend the University of Washington. Shortly after graduation, he moved into a friend’s windowless basement on the Mercer Island waterfront - it was then that his dream of taking a boat to work every day was born.

Myers founded Banyan, LLC in 2004, an alternative investment firm and consultancy which is located in Seattle’s only commercial office building on Lake Washington. Eventually, he purchased his very own jet ski, and the rest is history.

To prepare for his unique daily commute, Myers throws on some waterproof pants, a waterproof jacket, and a life vest over his work clothes. In order to ensure that his work laptop stays nice and dry, he puts it in an ultra-waterproof bag.

It’s worked out smoothly so far - after 12 years of commuting to work on his jet ski, Myers has yet to fall off or even get his laptop wet.

And he’s only had a couple minor boating infractions to boot, he laughed.

“I only get soaked with water every once in a while,” said Myers. And specifically for those unfortunate occasions, he keeps an emergency towel and hair dryer handy at his office.

“I never get sick of it, that’s for sure,” said Myers. “Big smile each way, no matter what the day brings.”

This article was published in the March 2018 issue of Mercer Island Living Magazine.

When the Niederman family moved to Mercer Island from Chicago nearly four years ago, they were anticipating the infamous “Seattle Freeze.” What they got, however, was something beyond incredible.

In January 2014, Chris Niederman received a call from a former colleague about a job opportunity at the Amazon Web Services (AWS) headquarters in Seattle, prompting the family to start planning a big move across the country.

“I landed in Seattle without my family in April of 2014,” said Chris about starting his new job as the GM of Global Alliances for AWS. “They had to stay back in Chicago so the kids could finish school, and couldn’t join me until June.”

Meanwhile, Chris’s wife Nicole packed up the rest of the family’s belongings and put their Chicago house on the market. She recalls breaking down as they finally drove away from the city they called home for 15 years.

Nicole drove across the country with their two kids and the family dog, stopping along the way to visit family and to see some of the nation’s iconic sights.

The Niedermans' first year in the Pacific Northwest had its trials – at first, they settled into a small two-bedroom apartment in Seattle that hugged I-5. Over the course of a year, they moved two more times until they finally found their slice of heaven on Mercer Island.

“We were so used to city living that it took a little getting used to in the beginning,” said Nicole about living on the Island at first. “But, I always tell Chris that things happen for a reason!”

“At the time [of the move] it seemed like an exciting new adventure,” said Chris. “But neither Nicole nor I had any clue how much we had bitten off with this move. We look back on it now and ask ourselves, ‘What the heck were we thinking?’” But, now they say they wouldn’t change a thing.

Before the move, Chris had lived in the Chicago area his entire life. He went to graduate school at the University of Chicago, started his career at IBM, moved on to various software start-ups including a stint at NeXT working with Steve Jobs, and worked for eight years at VMware as a sales leader. He ultimately ended up running the Americas Solution Provider business.

Nicole grew up in rural Iowa, an hour west of Iowa City. She moved to Chicago shortly after graduating with honors from the University of Iowa to pursue a career at Fox 32 Chicago as a writer and producer in the Creative Services Department. She left her career in television in 2005 in order to focus on their two children, Noelle and Dane.

Nicole currently works as an Independent Consultant for Rodan + Fields (R+F), the number one skincare company in North America. She has had great success within the company, rising to the top two percent of all R+F consultants internationally in her first year.

“I never really considered myself a ‘salesperson,’ and in some respects, I still don’t. I’m just a friendly person who loves interacting with people. R+F has been an incredible way for me to meet new people and grow strong friendships all while giving back to local charities and non-profits,” Nicole said of the business she has built on Mercer Island over the last two years.

Noelle and Dane were both born in Chicago. Noelle is currently a seventh-grader at Islander Middle School who plays volleyball and enjoys creative writing, math and spending time with friends. Dane is in fifth grade at Hamlin Robinson School in Seattle. He enjoys playing Little League baseball with the Mercer Island Boys and Girls Club, and is currently working on his black belt at Mercer Island Martial Arts.

Since moving to the Island, Nicole has found joy in giving back to the community. Last year she donated over half of her earnings from Rodan + Fields to various organizations including the Rivkin Center for Ovarian Cancer (CanCan), YMCA of Greater Seattle, and Mercer Island Boys and Girls Club, among others. She also volunteers as a volleyball coach for elementary and middle school students on the Island.

At the end of January, Nicole co-hosted the second annual “Tapas and Tastings to Transform Lives,” which benefited YMCA Camp Orkila’s scholarship program. The program aims to make summer camp available for all kids, regardless of financial status.

When the Niedermans aren’t swamped by their busy schedules, they can be found wake surfing or kayaking on Lake Washington, enjoying performances at the Youth Theater, or hanging out with friends at the Mercer Island Beach Club on beautiful Pacific Northwest summer days.

The family also enjoys going to Mariners games. “But, we’re still loyal Chicago Cubs fans,” admitted Nicole.

After almost four years of being Island residents, the Niedermans feel like they truly belong to the community. Nicole says that the dreaded Seattle Freeze is a phenomenon they have “yet to encounter.”

“There’s a reason for everything in life,” said Nicole. “The friendships we have made here are beyond incredible - relationships we will cherish forever. We feel truly blessed.”

This article was published in the March 2018 issue of Mercer Island Living Magazine.

Even if you didn’t personally know Beverly Mezistrano, you certainly knew her face and friendly demeanor around Mercer Island. 

Mezistrano had a way of making friends wherever she went. She loved to stroll around to the businesses of downtown Mercer Island, or venture to the farmers' market and chat with just about anyone.

Despite her special needs, people in the community still loved and accepted her with open arms.

Mezistrano had an extraordinary ability to love unconditionally. “She would say ‘I love you’ right to your face whether you knew how to react or not,” said Michelle Behar, one of Mezistrano’s nieces.

Barb Hovsepian, owner of Au Courant, fondly recalls the moment she met Mezistrano 11 years ago while sitting at a Starbucks with her puppy Jaxson. Mezistrano walked right up to her and asked if she could sit down. A beautiful friendship was born right then and there.

“People joked that she was like the mayor of Mercer Island,” said Behar.

Mezistrano had an incredible ability to give without expecting anything in return. She made people feel special, and took a lot of joy in just seeing others happy.

Mezistrano's huge capacity to give to others lead to her passion for volunteering. She volunteered her time at her synagogue and Jewish community center – her faith was of utmost importance to her.

Family was also everything to her, and she had no shortage of family members who loved her dearly. She loved talking on the phone with family, and would sometimes continuously call until someone picked up the phone. “She just needed someone to talk to,” said Behar.

“Beverly was the beating heart of our family and community,” said Lisi Mezistrano Wolf, also a niece of Mezistrano’s.

And even if you weren’t related, she wanted you to call her “Aunty Beverly.” She once even took a trip to Kinko’s to have professional business cards proudly printed with the same title, Behar recalled fondly.

Mercer Island lost someone very special in Beverly Mezistrano, but her legacy of unconditional love and kindness will live on in the community.

This article was published in the February 2018 issue of Mercer Island Living Magazine.

Dean Hobson spent eight years in the Navy as a Hospital Corpsman, where he specialized in molecular imaging and acted as a radiological disaster first-responder. He mainly worked in hospitals, as well as with children and adults with cancer, thyroid dysfunctions and heart disease.

In the mid-1990s, Hobson was put in charge of radiological decontamination of the Naval Hospital in Oakland, California. This particular project, which took two years to complete, involved crawling in between nine floors of the building to remove contaminated piping.

He also designed and led teams to respond to radiation mass casualties, meaning that if a dirty bomb (a weapon that combines radioactive material with conventional explosives) was detonated, he would be responsible for responding to the injuries and decontaminating those who were on the scene.

Hobson separated from the Navy just eight days after his first daughter was born. He took a job in the Bay Area leading a nuclear medicine department, acting as Assistant Radiology Director.

Hobson’s time in the Navy taught him a lot about perseverance. “The most valuable thing I learned was to honor my commitments, look at things with fresh eyes, and to always give it 120 percent,” he said. “That extra push leads to success.”

The Hobson family lived on Mercer Island from 2009 to 2012, when Hobson worked with Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, and later as an administrator with Neurological Surgery with the University of Washington.

But suddenly, life took a turn for the worse for Hobson. He survived a car accident in 2011, sustaining significant brain injury as a result. He was forced to resign from his position at UW Medicine, and the family moved back to California for a few years.

The Hobson family did eventually return to Mercer Island in November of 2015, and they were overjoyed. “We came home,” he said about the move.

Nowadays, Dean and his wife Tamara run a successful business on the Island called The Custom Plate. They originally launched the company as Mercer Island Paleo Kitchen in December of 2015 in order to bring healthy food to the Island community. The company cooks and delivers healthy and organic customizable meals right to the patron’s door.

“Healing through food is possible and we have impacted so many lives in our community,” said Hobson.

The Custom Plate has been Hobson’s way of giving back to the Mercer Island community that does so much for others.

“Mercer Island is the first place we lived where we felt a sense of community,” he said. “We came back here because this is where we want to be.”

This article was published in the February 2018 issue of Mercer Island Living Magazine.

Congratulations are in order! The public voted for Mercer Island’s own Island Books as King 5’s 2017 Best Bookstore of Western Washington, and owner Laurie Raisys couldn’t be more excited.

Despite being crowned with such a high honor, Raisys has remained humble. She attributes much of the success of Island books to the support of the Mercer Island community. “We would like to thank the community for their support,” she said. “We felt really fortunate about that.”

In recent years, the store has also been ramping up their online presence to try to get their name out to the public.

“There are so many great bookstores in the Northwest - we just have a lot of heart,” Raisys added.

Island Books has been a Mercer Island staple for more than four decades now. “It’s a community bookstore,” said Raisys. “It belongs to the Island.”

Raisys has enjoyed seeing loyal patrons come back to the store time and time again over the years. “There are people who come in who grew up in the store, and that’s a pretty special experience,” she said.

Much of Island Books’ patron-base belongs to the over-60 population, but Raisys has been pleasantly surprised to see a growing number of young readers.

Island Books has been committed to instilling a love of reading early on in young children. The store hosts a Weekly Storybook Corner every Wednesday morning at 10:30 where young parents can bring their children in to listen to classic picture-book stories read aloud by staff members, although, of course, anyone is welcome to attend. “That’s really fun, that’s a joy to see,” said Raisys.

Raisys is the fourth owner of Island Books, having purchased the store in 2015. She had previously worked for 15 years at Microsoft, but wanted to transition to working closer to home. “I wanted to do my own thing,” she said.

Raisys’ husband had grown up on the Island, and after his mother introduced her to Island Books for the first time, she fell in love with the store. “It’s been an amazing experience for me,” she said. “I’ve always been a huge book lover.”

Raisys loves the daily interactions that she gets with her patrons. “It’s the people, the hugs that I get, the people that I get to see,” she said.

As for her current favorite reads? She’s been enjoying Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng, and George and Lizzie: A Novel by Nancy Pearl.

This article was published in the February 2018 issue of Mercer Island Living Magazine.

Health and fitness has always been a huge part of Amy Posner Wolff’s life. “It’s therapy,” she said about why she exercises. “I don’t feel right physically and mentally if go a few days without exercising.”

Wolff is the February athlete of the month for her lifelong dedication to fitness in her career and as an athlete and coach.

Wolff recently started a new position as the studio manager at Orangetheory Fitness on Mercer Island, where she feels right at home.

“It fits me like a glove,” she said about her new role. Orangetheory Fitness is one-hour, heart-rate based interval group training. The workouts focus on strength, power and endurance with cardio and weights and participants can expect to continuously burn calories for 24-36 hours after the session.

It’s the success stories of the clients at Orangetheory that really make the job worthwhile for Wolff. “I’ve heard of people who were either physically or mentally in pain, and they can change their lives through exercise,” she said.

Wolff has been a Mercer Island resident for 14 years now, but has been coaching the Mercer Island High School track team since before she moved to the Island.

She was a gifted athlete herself in both track and soccer in high school, and even went on to compete for the University of Washington track team in the 400-meter hurdles.

The most rewarding part of coaching for Wolff has been watching her athletes work hard and achieve their goals. “It fills my bucket list that I am able to pay it forward [to the community] from my high school and college coaching,” she said.

Wolff has also been involved in other outdoor activities recently, including water-skiing, soccer, cycling, Spartan and Tough Mudder races, and even mountain-climbing. In 2016 and 2017 respectively, she climbed Mount Shasta and Mount Adams with a group of fellow Islander friends. “I just love being outdoors and active,” she said.

These days, she’s been involved with Jesse Itzler’s #WeDoHardStuff Fitlanthropy Challenge for Charity, in which participants do a designated number of reps of a different workout each month from home. Itzler donates $100 to the charity of the month for every participant who completes the challenge.

Wolff says being a part of the Fitlanthropy group has been a great option as a busy mom with three kids. “I can do the workouts before the kids even wake up,” she explained. So far in 2017, she’s done nearly 9,000 burpees – including a few on top of Mount Adams.

As for her fitness goals for 2018, Wolff said she’s thinking about climbing another mountain, and maybe even running a hurdle race again.

“I love a good challenge,” she said. “I’m more than a little bit competitive.”

This article was published in the February 2018 issue of Mercer Island Living Magazine.

The David Pettigrew Memorial Foundation has proven for the past ten years that it’s possible to turn a terrible tragedy into something wonderful and inspiring.

The Foundation was formed in 2007 in memory of David Pettigrew, who passed away in 2005 after a tragic snowboarding accident at Alpental ski resort at Snoqualmie. David, who was raised on Mercer Island, was an avid skier, snowboarder and fly-fisherman.

“David loved the outdoors,” said Ed Pettigrew, David’s father.

The Foundation was formed when a few of David’s high school friends and family members got together in 2007 to host a golf tournament to raise money in David’s memory. One of these friends was Karin Davidson, who became the president of the Foundation.

“We cannot overemphasize how important Karin has been to the Foundation,” said Ed. “She’s been an inspiration.”

David’s sister Laurie Givan has also been very active in supporting Davidson and the Foundation.

“I think the members of the board feel really good about being involved with this foundation,” Ed added.

After an incredibly successful first golf tournament fundraiser, the Foundation decided to host these fundraisers annually, and used the money they raised to educate people about mountain and outdoor safety. One year, they raised nearly $25,000 from a single golf tournament event.

The Foundation provides free classes and workshops on mountain safety. They also donate equipment and provide sponsorships for local ski patrollers to attend the courses to advance their skills, as well as to other organizations that support the Foundation’s mission.

The courses focus on different things, including basic mountain safety, avalanche awareness and companion rescue.

“The feedback from the courses has been very positive,” said Marna Pettigrew, David’s mother.

The Foundation has had 20 different ski patrol instructors participate, all of whom have volunteered their time to save lives.

Ski instructor John Stimberis said that the most rewarding part of being involved with the Foundation has been helping people develop their safety skills on the mountain. Stimberis has been a professional ski patroller at Alpental for more than two decades, and got involved with the Foundation in companion rescue at Alpental in 2009. Companion rescue has been the most popular course offered.

“I constantly learn things from our students,” Stimberis said. “It also strengthens my beacon skills.”

A beacon is a small device that helps skiers find each other if they get stuck under snow. They’re crucial for any skier who ventures into the backcountry where there isn’t any avalanche control.

“We think that one of the most important things to know is the importance of beacons and how to use them properly,” said Ed. “People have said that they didn’t know how to use the beacons until they took our course.”

Stimberis agrees with the importance of proper beacon usage, and also believes that it’s very important for people to be aware of their surroundings and to always have a partner.

Last year, the Foundation started hosting a wine-tasting event as its annual fundraiser, which they plan to continue into the future. Although the golf tournament was very successful in the past, wine-tasting has been much more accessible for people and requires fewer volunteers.

The event included pizza, a silent auction and a raffle in addition to the wine tasting. Mission Ridge, Alpental and Stevens Pass have all donated season passes for the raffle.

“The Mercer Island community has been very supportive of us,” said Marna. The Foundation has received numerous donations from community members.

Islanders who are interested in supporting the Foundation can attend the annual fundraiser, donate through the website, and help to spread the word about the Foundation.

Ed and Marna Pettigrew are very proud of what the Foundation has accomplished so far. “We just want to continue doing what we’ve been doing because we’ve been successful,” said Ed with regard to the future. “We formed the Foundation to save lives and we think we have.”

This article was published in the December 2017 issue of Mercer Island Living Magazine.

Being diagnosed with breast cancer is scary enough without having to worry about treatment options. Concure Oncology is working to change that with the Breast Microseed Treatment, an incredible new treatment option for early-stage breast cancer.

Concure Oncology is a medical devices and services company based on Mercer Island that partners with cancer centers of excellence where radiation oncologists deliver the procedure to patients with early-stage breast cancer.

Breast Microseed Treatment is an FDA-approved radiation procedure that works by implanting tiny low-dose seeds of radiation into the breast. The seeds deliver the treatment for about 60 days, and then become inactive after 90 days.

It’s a post-lumpectomy procedure, which means that it takes place a few weeks after the tumor and surrounding tissue is surgically removed from the breast. The radiation seeds destroy any remaining cancer cells.

“It’s a really simple procedure,” said Sharon Purcell, Brand and Marketing Manager at Concure Oncology. Patients are put under light anesthesia and the treatment is administered in less than one hour.

With such a simple process, it isn’t hard to see why the company’s motto is “One Time, One Hour.”

Breast Microseed Treatment is indicated for those diagnosed with non-aggressive, early-stage breast cancer (invasive ductal carcinoma or DCIS). “About 30 percent of all patients with breast cancer will qualify,” said Purcell.

The benefits of such a procedure are numerous - patients can leave the hospital the same day and don’t have to return for any other treatments. While other cancer treatments often have severe side-effects, Breast Microseed Treatment has very minimal side-effects. Furthermore, the survival rate after this treatment is very high, with only around a 1.2 percent chance of the cancer returning.

“It’s also a beautiful option for working women,” said Purcell. Because the treatment is administered on an outpatient basis, women don't have to worry about taking too much time off, and can return to work the next day.

“Many women say it was a no-brainer,” said Purcell on patients’ decisions to go through with this treatment.

One patient named Dayle said that she was surprised at how easy the whole process was. “It was nothing compared to the biopsy and lumpectomy.”

Many patients come in with the assumption that they will be completely incapacitated after they go through the treatment. Afterward, however, “some patients have said they almost feel guilty because the treatment was so easy. They say it was as if they never had breast cancer,” said Purcell.

In 2014, Concure Oncology’s CEO, Sandra Rorem, learned about Breast Microseed Treatment, which had been successfully used to treat breast cancer in Canada since 2004. Committed to making this kinder, gentler treatment available to women everywhere, she and her co-founders bought the company and brought it to the U.S., then partnered with the Swedish Cancer Institute as the first cancer center in the country to offer the pioneering breast cancer treatment (Breast Microseed Treatment is also currently available in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Canada and parts of Europe).

The next step for Concure Oncology is to get the treatment into regional cancer centers in order to make it available to any woman who needs it. “Many women don’t have cancer treatment sites available near them,” said Purcell. Some end up travelling for extended periods of time and taking extended periods of time off work just to get the necessary treatments for their cancer.

Rorem, a long-time resident of Mercer Island, believes that Breast Microseed Treatment is critical for working women in the U.S. to have access to so that they can return to living their lives in a timely manner.

“Our treatment approach is much less invasive … allowing patients to quickly get back to the important aspects of their lives, including family and work,” said Rorem. “Our goal is to make this treatment available to every woman with early-stage breast cancer, no matter where she lives.”

“We’re not advocating for Breast Microseed Treatment to replace other treatments,” said Purcell. “But, it’s a critical tool to add to the physician’s toolbox, for the right patient.”

Purcell’s number one recommendation for catching cancer early? Regular exams. “It’s nearly 100 percent curable if caught early enough,” she said. “Early detection saves lives.”

This article was published in the December 2017 issue of Mercer Island Living Magazine.

Although Barry, Steve, Mark and David Bunin all live in different parts of the country, they can still always count on feeling right at home when they come back to visit Mercer Island where they grew up.

The Bunin family picks a different city to celebrate Thanksgiving in every year in order to accommodate everyone, and this year it was parents Ruth and Alan Bunin’s turn to host at their Mercer Island home.

Since the weather in the Pacific Northwest tends to be less than optimal in November, the family opted to have their Thanksgiving in September instead.

So, what’s it like when the whole family gets together? “Pandemonium,” Barry, who currently lives in San Francisco with his family, said with a laugh.

A genuine sense of familial joy filled the room as the brothers all congregated into the living room with their extended family. Soon enough, they began trading childhood stories with one another as the smell of turkey came drifting in.

One street near Ruth and Alan’s house had 54 kids on it at a certain point, reminisced Ruth, the family matriarch. “It was like a suburban gang,” Barry joked.

“Growing up on Mercer Island was great … you find ways to get into trouble when you’re a teenager and the cops just say, ‘I’m going to call your mother,’” remembered David, who currently lives in Dallas with his wife.

The brothers all attended Mercer Island High School and were very successful in athletics. Mark, Barry and David all competed in wrestling, while Steve played basketball.

Success seems to run in the Bunin family’s DNA. Steve, who moved to Seattle from Houston with his family earlier this year, is an Emmy-winning sports anchor and current co-anchor of a morning news show on King 5.

Mark, whose family lives in Los Angeles, is a family doctor who works with marginalized populations.

David is an avionics engineer with Southwest Airlines, and Barry has a PhD in chemistry and currently works as an entrepreneur.

Alan still works as a doctor in geriatrics, while Ruth was a high school math teacher. “We had no excuse for getting a B in math [in school],” David joked.

But although success was the expectation in the family, happiness was also a priority. “We were always encouraged to do whatever we enjoyed doing,” said Barry.

Mercer Island taught the brothers many life lessons that they still adhere to today in their adult lives. “The Mercer Island community is really there for each other,” Steve said.

Obligation to the community is a value that they’ve all carried into the respective communities in which they live today. “We try to stay involved,” said Mark, who has worked tirelessly with the immigrant community in Los Angeles.

Steve has always enjoyed giving back to the community as well. He even received the Presidential Volunteer Service Award in 2012 for his work with at-risk youth as a basketball coach.

Barry and David both volunteer with kids - David teaches kids with Civil Air Patrol and Barry teaches science lessons for kids on their birthdays in school.

It isn’t difficult to see where the brothers get their passion for helping others - Alan and Ruth have always made community service a priority in their lives, despite their busy schedules. Alan helped start Planned Parenthood on the East side, for example, and Ruth has been very involved in Hadassah, a Jewish women’s volunteer organization.

The Bunin family has always been involved in Mercer Island’s close-knit Jewish community. The brothers remembered attending Camp Solomon Schechter in Tumwater every summer, and Steve recalled there being many different options for Jewish youth groups and community centers. “[The community] didn’t discriminate based on how Jewish someone was,” he said.

Recently, Steve traveled back to Houston to report from the King 5 station in order to relieve some of the employees who had been adversely affected by Hurricane Harvey. “It’s really hard,” Steve said about seeing a city he had previously called home go through such a tragedy. “Our hearts are really shredded for our friends [who still reside there].”

But even in the darkest of times, a silver lining always shines through. “I learned on Mercer Island that community is the most important thing,” Steve said. “You see this great love and support for humanity - people are helping each other out by doing little tasks for one another.”

This article was published in the November 2017 issue of Mercer Island Living Magazine.

After more than four decades in the teaching business, Tom and Barbara Tivnan’s retirement in June this year felt bittersweet.

Tom began his teaching career in 1973 at St. Monica School on Mercer Island, where he was instrumental in starting the school’s music and computer programs on top of teaching fourth grade. He finished his career in June teaching third grade at West Mercer Elementary.

Barbara began her career teaching third grade at St. Thomas More School in Lynwood, but eventually moved to the Mercer Island school district and has since taught nearly every grade. She retired teaching second grade at Lakeridge Elementary.

Growing up, Tom always thought he was going to be a doctor. He caught the teaching bug one summer, however, after meeting a young boy who was terrified of water due to a traumatizing experience.

He ended up teaching the boy to swim, and was amazed to learn later on that the same boy ultimately went on to become a lifeguard himself.

Tom and Barbara have been married for 41 years now. “We tell people that we had a modern-day arranged marriage,” Barbara said with a laugh. Their parents became friends after Tom’s family moved to Mercer Island from New York in 1964. “My parents always said, ‘you’re going to marry this guy,’” said Barbara who, at the time, was skeptical of such a claim.

However, after she graduated from college the two finally met up, and six weeks later they were engaged.

So far, retirement has been a bit of an adjustment for the Tivnans. Tom reminisced about how every year, he would read The Hobbit to his third-graders. “There were tears in my eyes the last time I read it to my class,” he said about his last year.

“My whole life I was preparing to be a teacher,” Barbara said about her own thoughts on retirement. “But all of a sudden, I’m saying ‘now what am I supposed to do?’”

Yet, the transition hasn’t been all bad - retirement has left Tom and Barbara with more time to volunteer and give back to the Mercer Island community. They’ve also been periodically working as substitute teachers.

Teaching can often be full of enriching experiences for both the student and the teacher. Tom feels that one of the most valuable things he’s experienced throughout his career has been keeping in contact with students he taught many years ago.

“It’s teaching kids who don’t get something, and all of a sudden a light turns on and they get it,” Barbara said about what she found most fulfilling from her teaching career. “If I can make a difference for a student then I feel like I’ve done my job.”

This article was published in the October 2017 issue of Mercer Island Living Magazine.

When George Richter first rode on a pump track with his kids at Sun Valley Resort in Idaho, he knew he needed to find a way to bring that experience to Mercer Island - so he did just that.

A pump track is a series of bumps on a rounded bike path, but instead of pedaling around the track using your legs, you pump down on the handlebars to accelerate, so the workout is mainly in your arms, explained Richter. Most pump tracks are made out of dirt or asphalt, and he recommends using a BMX bike, although any bike will do.

“It’s addictive,” said Richter. It’s also great exercise and people of any age, from little kids to parents, can enjoy using the pump track. “That’s the great thing about it,” he added.

After that initial fateful trip to Sun Valley, Richter’s energetic 10-year-old twin boys begged him to go back to the pump track again and again. But instead, he decided to build his own pump track in their backyard - it’s the first one ever on Mercer Island.

“They’re really easy to build,” Richter said. They’re also very cheap and easy to maintain - he explains that all you really have to do is pack it down with some dirt and water.

Since building a pump track in the comfort of his own backyard, Richter says that it’s been a great place for the neighborhood kids to come and interact with one another. They also get the opportunity to learn about various bicycle-riding techniques at the same time.

But Richter’s pump-track efforts aren’t over just yet - although he’s got one set up in his own backyard that his friends and family can use, his ultimate goal is to construct a public one that all Islanders can enjoy.

“At the end of the day, I think having a pump track would be a great asset to a park,” Richter said. “I’ve been trying to do this for three or four years.”

He’s in the process of trying to make it a priority for the city, and why, you may ask? Because it’s for the kids and it’s a safe environment where they can come together, he explains.

Richter feels that the pump track has brought his family closer together. “It gets my kids outside and active,” he said. “And we get quality bonding time together.”

What more could a parent ask for?

This article was published in the October 2017 issue of Mercer Island Living Magazine.

On the surface, Henry Weiker seems like your typical Mercer Island teenager; he likes to hang out with friends, play video games, and has been working as a lifeguard this summer.

But what sets Weiker apart from the crowd is that he also happens to be a dedicated three-sport athlete at Mercer Island High School. He took some time out of his busy schedule to talk about gearing up for the 2017 varsity football season and his goals for the school year and beyond.

Weiker, who is a junior this fall, plays football, soccer and basketball for his school teams. He became interested in football and basketball because he had friends who were involved in both sports. And soccer? He’s been playing that his whole life, he says.

This school year in particular he’s got a lot on his plate. “It’s definitely really challenging, especially this fall,” Weiker said about his jam-packed schedule. His daily routine in the fall consists of football practice for three hours per day after school, immediately followed by a two-hour practice with his select soccer team.

And in case you didn’t think all of that was enough for one person’s schedule, Weiker is also the vice president of his junior class, and he’s finishing up all of his requirements to become an Eagle Scout this year.

One can only imagine that trying to fit in homework time every day on top of all of that would be a complete nightmare, but still Weiker has big goals for his academics this year: he hopes to get a 4.0 GPA.

So where does such a strong work ethic come from, anyway? Weiker attributes much of his perseverance to what his coaches have taught him. “[They’ve] taught me to work hard at everything I do,” he said.

He’s also learned a lot about the importance of teamwork along the way. “You have to do your job in football or else people can get hurt,” he said.

Weiker’s not entirely set on where he wants to go to college in a couple years, but he’s considering the University of Washington and the University of Colorado Boulder. If one thing’s for certain about his future, his perseverance will serve him well in whatever he puts his mind to.

This article was published in the October 2017 issue of Mercer Island Living Magazine.

Having a home-based business takes a lot of hard work and dedication, as Lois Fuhr knows all too well. Fuhr lives with her family on Mercer Island and has been working with the beauty and skincare company Younique for three years now.

Younique is a direct sales network marketing company where everyone is an independent business owner. The company sends out the makeup and skincare products to each seller, like Fuhr, and each person creates their own individual website and can host makeup parties, either virtual or in-person.

You can tell that Fuhr is passionate about the work she does with Younique; there’s a certain glimmer in her eye when she talks about it.

“It’s a phenomenal opportunity,” says Fuhr, who has climbed the ranks to be considered an “elite presenter” within the company. There are different levels, and once you meet certain sales goals you can move up in ranking, she explains.

Younique was started by a brother and sister duo who wanted to give back to the community by helping women who had been sexually abused. And so they created what they call the “Younique Foundation,” which serves to help women gain the skills to be business owners and provide for their families.

“Family comes first,” says Fuhr about the company’s underlying values.

On top of all that, “the products are amazing and innovative,” she says. Younique is most well-known for their 3D pigmented mascara.

Being a business owner means that Fuhr gets to spend a lot of time at home. She’s always been able to travel at practically anytime she wants, and she enjoyed spending quality time at home with her kids when they were young. “I was always the room parent [in school] for both of my kids,” she says.

Of course, working from home can have its challenges too. “It can be challenging to stay focused sometimes,” Fuhr admits. But, she advises always keeping goals in mind and having a plan to stay on track.

Overall, being a business owner has allowed Fuhr a lot of flexibility in her life. “You wanna have that balance,” she says.

On top of the flexibility of her job, Fuhr also considers her line of work to be incredibly inspiring and rewarding. “One of the things that speaks to me is that it’s so much more than a beauty business,” she says. “I’m in the confidence business.”

She’s seen women, including herself, gain strength and confidence by coming out of their comfort zones. She regularly helps her clients feel better about themselves - even the smallest change can really transform someone, she says.

Although Fuhr describes herself as a “makeup girl” nowadays, she didn’t start out that way. She worked in PR and marketing before finding Younique. She lived in Beverly Hills working in the PR industry before moving to the Pacific Northwest in 1992, when she decided to start her own PR firm. She also helped launch Hotels.com, performing all of their PR tasks.

Eventually, she noticed a friend doing Younique and got curious about it. She was invited to a virtual Younique makeup party and that’s when she decided to give it a try for herself. She admits that at the time she didn’t know much about makeup, but today she can proudly say, “I feel confident enough now to help [other] women with their makeup.”

Fuhr smiles, recalling one of her proudest moments working with Younique where a woman messaged her saying that she had used some of her makeup tips to attend a wedding. “She said it was the first time she truly felt beautiful,” Fuhr remembers. The same woman is now a client of hers.

Working with Younique has certainly helped Fuhr meet new people on Mercer Island, where she’s resided since 2001. “I love the sense of community [here],” she says. “People will sometimes come up to me in public places on the Island and recognize me as ‘the Makeup Girl,’ from my [virtual parties on Facebook],” she laughs. “I have made so many more friends doing this.”

Ultimately, working with Younique has helped Fuhr feel more connected to the Mercer Island community. “[Working with Younique] is all about women finding their inner-strength and inner-beauty,” she explains. “It’s been all about relationships, new and old.”

This article was published in the September 2017 issue of Mercer Island Living Magazine.

After years of working in virtually every corner of the country, Steve Bunin is finally back home in the Pacific Northwest and he couldn’t be more thrilled about it.

Sports enthusiasts will recognize Bunin from TV - he spent nine years working for ESPN as a sportscaster but recently moved back to the Pacific Northwest to accept a job offer from King 5. It was an offer that the Mercer-Island native simply couldn’t resist. “My wife and I wanted to move back to Seattle, and this was a chance to do that,” said Bunin.

Bunin has worked in television for many years, but his recent move from sportscaster to co-anchor of King 5 Mornings in Seattle was a particularly exciting transition. While at ESPN, he started working on more news-heavy pieces and tied his long-time interest in politics into sports reporting. Bunin also recognizes the importance of investigative journalism in the current political climate; “It’s an important time for journalists to tell the truth,” he said.

Bunin’s hard work throughout his career in television has certainly not gone unnoticed; in 2010, he was the first-ever anchor to win the Game Ball Award for character from ESPN, which he takes an immense amount of pride in.

He’s also received recognition for his community service efforts. In 2012, he won the Presidential Volunteer Service Award for his work with at-risk teens as a basketball coach. But still, Bunin remains humble: “I’ve gotten back more from the kids than they ever got from me,” he said. He proudly recalls a particular experience he had where a former athlete of his reached out to him after ten years to thank him for his tireless efforts.

Bunin attributes his outlook in life to the community he grew up in. “How I grew up wasn’t how most kids grew up,” he said about his privileged upbringing on Mercer Island. And because of that, he sought to give back to others who didn’t have the same opportunities that he did growing up. He plans to pass on that mentality to his daughter: “I want to teach [her] about diversity and injustices in the world,” he said.

Bunin says that the Mercer Island community played a big role in his success in life. “Success was the expectation there,” he said about his upbringing. Furthermore, he said that the strong sense of community and support on Mercer Island is something he can always come back to.

You can watch Steve Bunin on weekday mornings from 4:30-7:00 am on King 5.

This article was published in the September 2017 issue of Mercer Island Living Magazine.

If there’s anyone who truly embodies the spirit of Mercer Island, it’s the Eng family. There are few who can claim to be as tight-knit as the Engs, who have been living on the Island for several generations. 

Chris Eng and her late husband raised their three daughters, Wylie, Laura and Elissa, on the Island for much of their childhood. They moved to Palo Alto, California for 13 years, but eventually made their way back to Mercer Island, where they felt the most at home. In the past, the girls had moved away periodically for work or school, but they all eventually ended up back on the Island, and currently reside there.

While chatting on the deck of Chris’s beautiful home, the girls all reminisce about their days of growing up on the Island. Laura recalls going to the beach club every summer where they would swim or go out on jet skis. In the winter, skiing took center stage.

“Growing up I had no worries in the world,” said Wylie, who currently works at the Starbucks headquarters in Global Strategy Organization. Wylie had previously lived in West Seattle but recently purchased her first home on the Island to be closer to the rest of her family.

“It was really just almost magical,” said Chris on growing up on the Island herself. She moved there when she was eight years old and has even remained friends to this day with many of the people she grew up with.

“I appreciate [Mercer Island] more now than when I was a kid,” Laura said about how her perspective has changed into adulthood. “We have a little baby now, and we’re seeing things through her eyes. It’s really exciting to do things with her for the first time.”

The Eng family has also been able to witness the Island change over the years - both the ups and the downs. “The I-90 express lanes are an absolute travesty to this community,” said Wylie, making her sisters laugh.

And while it seems like brand new condos and apartments are popping up on the Island constantly now, the sense of family and community remains as powerful as ever. “The community is really close-knit,” said Laura. “When a tragedy happens, everyone comes together,” Chris said. “People are really caring.”

Chris and Laura work in the mortgage business together at Wells Fargo and have been since Laura graduated from UCLA at age 22. Some might have a difficult time working alongside a family member every single day, but not these two. “We’ve always done a good job working together,” said Chris. “I actually like who I go to work with every day,” Laura added.

Elissa, who is an artist, was partially inspired to start creating art through the legacy of her artistic family. “My grandfather was an artist and even when I was very young he would critique my art and talk to me as though I was an adult,” she recalled fondly. “From the time [Elissa] would open her mouth at two, she would always say, ‘I’m an artist,’” Chris remembered.

Laura and her husband are currently raising their daughter Elise on the Island as well. “We want to teach her to be a phenomenal skier,” Laura said with a laugh. But above all, they have every intention to raise their daughter, a next-generation Eng woman, with the strong sense of community and family that growing up on Mercer Island has taught them.

This article was published in the November 2016 issue of Mercer Island Living Magazine.

Every year, Thanksgiving marks the start of the holiday season and all of the joyous festivities that come with it. It's a time when everyone seems to be out buying gifts for their friends and families as well as planning extravagant meals. Contrary to popular belief, however, not every Islander is always fortunate enough to finance the joys of the holiday season. In fact, for many, the holidays can be a time riddled with worry. 

For the past eight years, the Market Bucks program, implemented by the Mercer Island Farmers Market (MIFM), has enabled low-income people to obtain fresh produce during the Market season. Market Bucks operate much like cash in that shoppers can redeem them at any Market vendor. The program allows low-income families access to fresh produce that may otherwise be too expensive for them or unavailable at the Mercer Island Youth and Family Services (MIYFS) Food Pantry. Having a healthy diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables is critical in preventing diabetes and other diseases. In fact, many of those who access the Food Pantry are not underweight, but instead obese and diabetic. In 2014, Feeding America reported that out of the 15.5 million households surveyed, one-third contained someone with diabetes, making access to fresh produce absolutely crucial for healthy living.

This year, Mercer Island's very own Aljoya made an additional donation toward Market Bucks for seniors who use the MIYFS Food Pantry. Partnered with generous donations from the Mercer Island Community Fund and New Seasons Market, MIFM was able to triple the amount of money allotted for Market Bucks.

The Market Bucks program has augmented the food budgets of low-income Islanders, and is therefore  greatly appreciated by MIYFS. “[The program] makes people feel good about what they can buy, and seeing the recipients' reactions is the most rewarding part of the program,” says Cindy Goodwin, Director of MIYFS. Marla Becker, Executive Director at Aljoya, attests further to the overwhelming appreciation for Aljoya's support, adding that “Many people have stopped by our booth at the Market to say thanks.” The Market Bucks program could not be made possible without Aljoya's generous contributions, which include chef demos, shopping bags and fully underwriting fundraisers for MIFM. The MIFM needs the support of local businesses like Aljoya as well as individuals to bridge the gap between the vendor fees and the costs of keeping the Market open.

MIFM was just getting its start in 2008 when the folks at Aljoya noted that a partnership between the two would be a perfect fit; MIFM was in need of funding, and Aljoya knew their residents would enjoy shopping there for fresh and healthy food. Furthermore, funding a local non-profit organization would  make Aljoya's residents feel more welcome and connected to their community, explains Ms. Becker, adding that the committed partnership between Aljoya and MIFM also encourages more healthy eating among seniors and young families alike. Moreover, it's a win-win scenario for all parties involved: low-income people have access to fresh produce and local farmers and vendors enjoy increased sales.

Despite the great success of MIFM and the Market Bucks program, Aljoya has remained humble.

“We're not really worried about receiving thanks,” says Ms. Becker. Nonetheless, the MIFM Board of Directors would like to express their gratitude to Aljoya and all of their Mercer Island business sponsors for their continued support. Clearly, the generosity of the Mercer Island community has given low-income Islanders a chance at leading healthier lives – and just in time for the holidays, what could be a better feeling than that?

(See www.mifarmersmarket.org for a full list of sponsors)