Your locally-owned newspaper, serving North Bend and Snoqualmie, Washington
January 3, 2013 VOL. 5, NO. 1
Funding ideas wanted Tribe is accepting grant applications.
Local man sketches portraits of the fallen Page 11
Homeless in the Valley are invisible no more corner of North Bend Community For 30 years, Church where the Joey has slept in a q To donate, shelter is being tent in the damp mail a check to hosted and took in woods along the Congregations the scene. Snoqualmie River, for the Homeless Some of the battling bears that (write SVWS in the homeless sat in wanted his food memo line on your the kitchen eatand black mold check), 2650 148th ing their meals that threatened Ave. S.E., No. 202, and chatting with to eat holes in his Bellevue WA 98007 volunteers. Others tent. q Volunteer by had already laid But on Dec. 27, contacting snovaldown on mats Joey, was warm and leywintershelter@ spread out on the dry and all smiles. gmail.com. church floor. He and about q Sign up to “If someone had 10 other homeless bring food at told me back at ate hot lasagna www.takethemathat first meeting cooked by volunmeal.com/meals. that I’d be sitting teers before turning php?t=ILAY4803. here, spending the in for the night at night at a homeNorth Bend’s first less shelter created homeless shelter. by the community, “This place is a blessing right I would have told them they now to quite a few of us,” Joey were crazy,” she said. said, referring to the cold, wet Matthysse showed up Nov. 6 and snowy weather that has at that first community meeting moved into the Snoqualmie with a friend. Valley. “I wanted to get away from Paula Matthysse, one of all the election coverage and I about 30 dedicated volunthought it was great that the teers who helped organize the See HOMELESS, Page 2 temporary shelter, sat in the
By Michele Mihalovich
Page 3
Firefighters wanted EFR is seeking volunteer firefighters. Page 3
Readers wanted Local author publishes first e-book. Page 6
Competitors wanted Youth wrestling league hosts tournament. Page 8
How to help
By Michele Mihalovich
Joey, who has been living in the woods along the Snoqualmie River for 30 years, enjoys a hot lasagna dinner at North Bend’s first homeless shelter, which opened Dec. 23.
North Bend planner is a world-class athlete Artists wanted Students use newly learned computer skills to make comic strips. Page 10
Prsrt Std U.S. Postage PAID Kent, WA Permit No. 71 POSTAL CUSTOMER
By Michele Mihalovich Gina Estep is not just North Bend’s Community and Economic Development director. She’s also a world-class athlete after competing with more than 3,000 others in the 2012 Barfoot & Thompson World Triathlon Grand Final in Auckland, New Zealand, in October. Estep, 39, placed 12th in her Contributed
Gina Estep (right) poses with friend Stephanie Haner, of Carnation. The two women competed in the 2012 Barfoot & Thompson World Triathlon Grand Final in Auckland, New Zealand, in October.
age group class against 46 other women with a time of 1:19:43. She also had the best time of any of the women from the United States. “This was absolutely so exciting, and a huge compliment to even be able to participate and run alongside people who are so driven in life,” Estep said. What she found most interesting, she said, was the highenergy atmosphere of incredibly driven individuals from so many cultures being brought together for the competition. Estep said athletics has always been a part of her life. “Growing up, it was part of our family lifestyle to always be See ESTEP, Page 3