Published January 2 2014
In 2013, a pair of guardian lion statues from sister city Hualien, Taiwan took up residence at City Hall, a farmers market moved downtown and City Councilman Don Davidson bid farewell. In this month's Lake to Lake news show, we look back on a year of comings and goings.
Bellevue celebrated nearly 30 years of sisterhood with Hualien in grand style on July 29, with an "awakening" ceremony for the imposing marble lion (also known as "fu dog") statues installed on the plaza at City Hall. Bellevue elected officials and a delegation of government and business leaders from Taiwan, including Hualien first lady Zhang Mei-Hui, were on hand for the event, which included Asian folk dancing, a martial arts demonstration and musical performances.
The January episode of Lake to Lake, hosted by police public information officer Carla Iafrate, can be viewed on channel 21 and streamed from the Bellevue TV page, as well as from YouTube. Other Lake to Lake stories this month include:
- Residents' reflections on the city for an update of the comprehensive plan;
- Rolling out paperless permitting for all types of development projects; and
- Beginning of construction of the new Bellevue Youth Theatre and a new visitor center at the Bellevue Botanical Garden.
