Your locally owned newspaper, serving North Bend and Snoqualmie, Washington
Mark Mulligan only needs one try to win state wrestling title Page 6
February 26, 2015
Low-income services available to Valley residents Winter, even though it has been mild this year, can be overwhelming for low-income families and individuals. Basic costs of things such as electricity and internet can wreck an already strained budget. Here are some options: Internet Comcast’s “Affordable Internet” package is $9.95 a month. To be eligible, customers must have a child who receives free or reducedprice lunch at school. Low-cost computers and free internet training are also available to qualified customers. Learn more at www.internetessentials.com/default.aspx. By Sherry Grindeland
Matthew Wenman, band director at Mount Si High School, relaxes in his office and discusses the jazz band’s invitation to the 20th Annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival.
ESSENTIALLY ELLINGTON Mount Si Jazz Band snags second invitation to New York By Sherry Grindeland The Mount Si High School Jazz Band hit just the right notes again. The 17 musicians received a coveted invitation to the Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition and Festival for the second consecutive year — a feat that makes director Matt Wenman almost giddy with pride. Mount Si is one of 15 schools invited to Lincoln Center in New York in May to participate in workshops and compete for top honors. The invitation is no gift. “The kids worked their tails off,” Wenman said. “I drove them into the ground. We spend a lot of time together and this is a driven, motivated and
focused group.” The hard work begins early five days a week. The jazz band meets at 6:30 a.m., the first class for these students. They warmed up in September and picked their motto for the year, “Word hard, play hard.” In October, the band chose three pieces to record. They started working on the numbers in November and recorded them in January. The CDs were submitted to Essentially Ellington in what is called a blind audition. Judges have no way of knowing which schools submitted what CD. Mount Si was in a competitive regional pool — one of five throughout North America. That regional pool covers a swath of Northwest states that
includes the Dakotas and the western provinces of Canada. Three schools made the cut — ironically the same trio that was selected in 2014 — Mount Si, and Roosevelt and Garfield high schools in Seattle. Wenman noted proudly that Mount Si is competitive with the two Seattle schools that have been jazz powerhouses for decades. Indeed, earlier this month Mount Si came in second at the Bellevue College jazz competition — sandwiched between Garfield in first and Roosevelt in third. “Getting invited to Essentially Ellington would be the equivalent of our Mount Si football team winning state and then a regional competition and getting invited to a national title game — if there were such a thing,” Wenman said. Maria Henricksen, the vice president of the Mount Si Band Booster Club, agreed. “This experience is close to priceless,” she said.
She has seen the trip through her sons’ eyes. One son, Christian, was a member of last year’s band. She has two sons, Jonathan, a sophomore, and Daniel, a freshman, who are in this year’s band. Going to New York means that students get to work with jazz greats, meet top music professors, and network with other musicians and students, Wenman and Henricksen said. Some students who went last year extended the trip by extra days to visit East Coast colleges. The 17 students in the band are expected to contribute $500 each toward the trip. Henricksen and the other members of the booster club will help raise the additional funds — about $27,000 — to fund the trip. The Snoqualmie Valley community donated generously last year to get the band to New York and both Wenman and See JAZZ BAND, Page 2
Electricity and natural gas Puget Sound Energy offers financial assistance for electricity and natural gas for eligible lowincome individuals or families. The federal Low-Income Energy Assistance Program assists lowincome households pay winter bills. The PSE Home Energy Lifeline Program provides assistance beyond what is offered by the LIHEAP program. Other assistance includes The Salvation Army Warm Home Fund and weatherization assistance for income-eligible customers. Learn more, including eligibility requirements, at pse.com. Click on “Accounts & Services,” “Your Account & Bill” and then “Low-Income Assistance.” Or call customer service at 1-888225-5773 toll free. For TTY, dial 1-800-962-9498. See SERVICES, Page 2 Prsrt Std U.S. Postage PAID Kent, WA Permit No. 71 POSTAL CUSTOMER