Newcastle:
Newcastle is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 7,737 at the 2000 census.
For family-oriented people who want to escape from urban sprawl, Newcastle combines the convenience and choices of urban living with the comfort and community of a small town. Only in Newcastle can residents and visitors live, work, shop, and play with stunning views, commute easily to the best jobs in the Pacific Northwest, and return home to live in balance with nature in a community that respects their values.
Newcastle has an unusually rich history for a city its size. It played a vital role in opening up the Seattle region for expansion. In many ways, it was the poster child for development in the Pacific Northwest in the late 1800s—rail, coal, and timber were the key themes of this time, and Newcastle was at the nexus of all of them. Newcastle 's coal mine and railroad helped transform Seattle into a major port.
In 1872, between 75-100 tons of coal was produced each day in Newcastle ; by the time the mine closed for the last time in 1963, more than13 million tons had been extracted. Its legacy remains ever-present in local place names such as Coal Creek Parkway , and China Creek Golf Course. An active, well-informed, and passionate group of citizens remain committed to sharing Newcastle's history with visitors and residents. The City celebrates Newcastle Days at a community festival each September. The City was officially incorporated in 1994.
Based on per capita income Newcastle ranks 23rd of 522 areas in the state of Washington to be ranked.
History
Newcastle was most likely named after Newcastle upon Tyne in England, as it was originally a coal mining town founded in the 1870s. Coal mining ended in 1963. The area was an unincorporated area within King County until it incorporated as a city on September 30, 1994. Currently the city is a suburban community; most residents work in nearby Seattle, Bellevue, or Renton. The most notable attraction of the area is probably The Golf Club at Newcastle.
Geography
Bordering Newcastle to the north is Bellevue, to the south is Renton to the east is Issaquah, to the west is Lake Washington.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.5 square miles (11.6 km²), of which, 4.5 square miles (11.6 km²) of it is land and 0.22% is water.
Schools
The City of Newcastle is served by two school districts with the boundary line roughly going north-south just to the west of Coal Creek Parkway. The two "in-city" schools are Newcastle elementary, which is operated by the Issaquah School District 411 and Hazlewood elementary, which is operated by Renton School District.
District: Issaquah School District 411
Schools: Newcastle Elementary School, Maywood Middle School, Liberty Senior High School
District: Renton School District,
Schools: Hazelwood Elementary School, McKnight Middle School, Hazen High School
Politics
The City Council is the legislative branch of Newcastle city government and is the chief policy-making body.
The role of the City Council is to establish policies and to enact ordinances and resolutions that are deemed to be in the best interest of the City. The City Council hires a City Manager to ensure that the Council's policies, ordinances, and resolutions are implemented.
The policy-making work of the City Council is aided by the Parks Commission and the Planning Commission. Members of those commissions are recommended by the Mayor and confirmed by a majority of the Council.
The current mayor (2008) is Ben Varon. Other councilmembers are: Dan Hubbell, Lisa Jenson, Carol Simpson, Steve Buri, Sonny Putter, and Jean Garber.
The City Manager, John Starbard, is the chief executive officer of the municipal corporation and administers the day-to-day operations of the City. The City Manager seeks to implement the policy direction established by the City Council, and also brings to the City Council policy items for its consideration and action.
The duties of the City Manager include supervising the administrative affairs of the City, appointing all employees and addressing all personnel matters, preparing a recommended operating and capital budget for the fiscal year, and working with staff to see that the City's laws and ordinances are carried out (see RCW 35A.13.080).
While most projects and services are assigned to the City's operating departments, the Office of the City Manager often provides the lead staffing support to certain high priorities of the City, such as new initiatives, special real estate transactions, or activities that involve intergovernmental relations.
The City of Newcastle is located in the 41st Legislative District. Our Senator is Brian Weinstein and our two representatives are Fred Jarrett and Judy Clibborn. Further, the City of Newcastle is located in the 8th Congressional District. Our two Senators are Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray. Our representative is Dave Reichert.
On the national level, Newcastle leans toward the Democratic Party. In 2004, Democrat John Kerry received 55 percent of the vote here, defeating Republican George W. Bush, who received around 44 percent.
An unusual snowy winter day in Newcastle, WA
Demographics
The official population figures show 9,550 citizens. The 2000 census showed 7,737 people, 3,028 households, and 2,189 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,731.5 people per square mile (668.3/km²). There were 3,117 housing units at an average density of 697.6/sq mi (269.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 75.05% White, 1.62% African American, 0.45% Native American, 18.25% Asian, 0.25% Pacific Islander, 1.36% from other races, and 3.02% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.88% of the population.
There were 3,028 households out of which 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.7% were married couples living together, 5.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.7% were non-families. 20.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.4% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 37.9% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 6.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 100.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $80,320, and the median income for a family was $91,381. Males had a median income of $60,639 versus $41,868 for females. The per capita income for the city was $35,057. About 1.8% of families and 2.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.1% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.
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