snovalleystar030812

Your locally-owned newspaper, serving North Bend and Snoqualmie, Washington

A night at the museum Page 14

North Bend chef prepares pizza for President Obama

March 8, 2012 VOL. 4, NO. 10

By Warren Kagarise

Earlier notice County to send out delinquent tax notices sooner.

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Police blotter Page 6

Change clocks Batteries should be changed, too.

Daylight saving time starts.

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Make great steak It can be done without a grill.

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A principal reflects Opstad Elementary School principal retires in June.

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The unusual delivery order originated far from the Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria restaurants in Issaquah and Seattle — 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. in Washington, D.C. The call from the White House to restaurant founder Joe Fugere occurred late Feb. 15, days before President Barack Obama left the capital for a fundraising jaunt to the West Coast.

The tight deadline left Fugere and the Tutta Bella team less than 72 hours to overcome culinary, logistical and security challenges to deliver 40 pizzas to Air Force One. North Bend resident

Michael Cisneros, a chef at the Issaquah restaurant, and other Tutta Bella chefs prepared the pizzas for Obama in a loaned outdoor oven beneath a tent on the Paine Field tarmac. “‘The president won’t be able to stop at Tutta Bella, but if you can bring Tutta Bella to the president, we’ll make it happen,’” Fugere recalled from the White House call.

The team decided to use a 4,000-pound oven at Paine Field to ensure the pizzas reached the president as crisp as possible — rather than after a 30-minute trip from Seattle to Everett.

The setup to cook for the customer-in-chief posed hurdles to Fugere,

Cisneros and the other chefs.

“We’ve been making pizzas for years now, and when it comes to the execution of the pizzas, so long as you’ve got your dough right and the oven temperature right and you’ve got all your ingredients there, we all have the skills to make pizzas quickly,” Cisneros said.

“Whether it be inside or outside, it’s the same technique.”

The plans for the special delivery started to coalesce Feb. 16. Fugere set up a command post at the original Tutta Bella in Columbia City to create a menu and address the

By Tom Schabarum

Michael Cisneros (left) and Dan Piecora Jr. prepare See PIZZA, Page 2 pizzas on the Paine Field tarmac.

State auditor concerned about hospital’s debt

By Michele Mihalovich

Making good Wildcat excels at the college level.

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Prsrt Std U.S. Postage PAID Kent, WA Permit No. 71 POSTAL CUSTOMER

When the state auditor’s office first examined the Snoqualmie Valley Hospital District’s 2010 books, it was given a clean bill of health in November. But when the Legislature required a second opinion, the prognosis didn’t look as rosy.

“The district’s financial position places it at risk of not meeting financial obligations or providing services at current levels,” the auditor’s office said in February in a reissued report.

That has some people in the King County Public Hospital District No. 4 worried, and others not at all.

The basis of the concern stems from the plan, and the financing, of building a new hospital near Interstate 90.

The district sold the current hospital building and land to the Snoqualmie Tribe in July 2008 for $30 million, and the tribe is allowing the hospital to continue to operate in the building.

The tribe is currently paying $100,000 a month and will pay the remaining balance in a balloon See HOSPITAL, Page 2

By Michele Mihalovich

Victoria and Nick Copeland, 10-year-old twins from Snoqualmie, watch the caucus process at the SNQ 05-3151 precinct table, held March 3 at the Mount Si High School.

GOP caucuses see huge turnout

By Michele Mihalovich Bob Brunjes, 5th Legislative District GOP chairman, looked around at the standingroom-only crowd of Snoqualmie Valley and Preston

Republican caucusgoers, and said he was overwhelmed by the large turnout.

“I am so pleased,” he said. “I bet we’re double, maybe even triple, the number of people who

showed up four years ago.”

Brunjes officially opened the March 2 caucus by saying, “This is the first time since 1948 that See CAUCUS, Page 7

SnoValley Star

PAGE 2

MARCH 8, 2012

Pizza From Page 1 logistics.

Joyce Morinaka, director of operations for Tutta Bella, did some research and learned Obama is keen on spicy foods.

Executive Chef Brian Gojdics created a pizza using local ingredients — pickled peppers from Seattle-based Mama Lil’s and sausage from Seattle-based Isernio’s — plus Calabrian chilies, roasted peppers, basil mozzarella, Grana Padano and extra-virgin olive oil. (The chilies nod to Fugere’s family roots in Calabria, a region in southern Italy.)

“This is it,” Fugere recalled.

“This is a home run.”

The team named the pizza Il Presidente.

“You could eat that pizza cold, and it would still be delicious,” Cisneros said.

Next, Fugere needed to determine the optimum setup to prepare and deliver the pizzas to Air Force One as the jumbo set sat on the Paine Field tarmac behind a fortresslike security cordon.

Bellingham-based Wood Stone lent a portable oven for the Tutta Bella team to use.

Fugere, in search of a spot to set up the behemoth, called the Paine Field office.

“Here I call them and say, ‘Hey, by the way, can you think of a place — whether it be someone’s home or a hotel or a parking lot or just anywhere — that would let us park a 4,000-pound oven close to the airport so that we can make these pizzas a little bit fresher?’” he said.

Fugere received clearance moments later to set up the

By Tom Schabarum

Mini Coopers line up near Air Force One to deliver 40 pizzas to the president and White House staffers.

By Tom Schabarum

Michael Cisneros (clockwise from left), Dan Piecora Jr., Brian Gojdics, Joe Fugere and Emily Resling stand on the steps of Air Force One. oven on the tarmac — outside the gate but not far from Air Force One. The airport also loaned a forklift to unload the oven.

‘Just like on TV’ The next day, after Obama delivered a speech about U.S. manufacturing to Boeing employees inside the cavernous

aircraft assembly facility next to the airport, Fugere and the chefs reached Paine Field. Then, as Obama headed to Eastside fundraisers in Bellevue and Medina, chefs started sliding pizzas into the 800-degree oven.

Gathered beneath a tent on a rain-soaked afternoon as wind swept across the pavement, Cisneros and the others prepared Il Presidente, Margherita

By Tom Schabarum

A worker totes pizza boxes onto Air Force One. and other pizzas for Obama and White House staffers.

“When we pulled the pizza out of the oven and cut it up and tasted it — because it was the first thing we’d eaten all day — it was like, ‘Oh my God, these pizzas are so delicious.

They’re so good fresh out of the oven,’” Cisneros said. “I just wish that we could get that product to the president.”

The team loaded the 40 pizzas, salad and tiramisu into fire-engine-red Mini Coopers borrowed from Seattle Mini and headed to the gate.

Fugere initially planned to do a delivery to Secret Service personnel at the gate, but after some calls and a security check, agents allowed the Mini Cooper caravan to proceed to the plane.

“I’m looking at them thinking to myself, ‘Man, this is just like on TV,’” Cisneros said after seeing earpiece-outfitted Secret Service agents emerge from a black vehicle.

The delivery culminated beneath the polished fuselage, as Fugere and the chefs handed boxes to U.S. Air Force flight crew members to tote into the cabin.

“Every time we thought we were as close as we were going to get, we got closer,” Fugere said.

Then, the crew asked if the Fugere and others wanted to See PIZZA, Page 9

Your news comments welcome!

SnoValley Star

MARCH 8, 2012

Together Center receives $35,000 grant The Together Center in Redmond, which helps local residents, has received a grant of $35,420 from the Employees Community Fund of Boeing Puget Sound to support renovation of recently vacated space for use by nonprofit, direct-service agencies.

Previously, the center was the recipient of two $5,000 grants from the Microsoft Corp. and the Norman Archibald Charitable Foundation, while the Rotary Club of Redmond pitched in an additional $1,500.

One of the first multitenant, nonprofit centers in the country, the Together Center creates access to human services in one location.

Tens of thousands of people from throughout east King

Hospital From Page 2 payment May 1, 2015, expected to come in at about $29 million, according to the audit.

The district originally purchased land on the north side of I-90 for the new hospital, but King County denied the rezoning request. The district tried to pull out of the sale, but ended up having to purchase the land for $6.7 million.

“We were probably a bit naïve about the comprehensive planning process,” Hospital Administrator Rodger McCollum said.

The district then purchased land on the other side of the interstate for $5 million, which McCollum said falls within Snoqualmie city limits, and land use for a hospital has been approved. He said he expects groundbreaking of the new hospital in June.

According to the audit report, in order to refund prior year bonds, cover operating costs, purchase land and pay predevelopment construction costs, the district issued long-term general obligation bonds of $15.3 million in September 2011, which bumped the district over its statutory limit for nonvoted debt by

County receive help from center tenants each year.

Together Center serves communities from as far south as Covington, east to the Snoqualmie Valley and north to Shoreline and Bothell.

The center helped 292 people from Snoqualmie in 2010 and 576 from North Bend that same year, said Pam Mauk, executive director of Together Center.

Construction is under way on the three-building, 35,000-square-foot Together Center to create two new suites.

One space will become the new home of Habitat for Humanity of East King County, while the other location will be put up for lease.

Construction will be completed by March 1.

“It’s a very difficult financial environment for garnering grants for capital needs,”

Together Center Executive Director Pam Mauk said. “We are tremendously grateful for the support we’ve received.”

Learn more about the organization at www.togethercenter.org.

$81,515.

And there’s the rub, according to McCollum. Those bonds were secured in 2011, which shouldn’t be considered in the audit, which is looking at 2010 numbers, he said.

However, when the Public Facilities District that owns Town Toyota Center, a publiclyfunded arena in Wenatchee, defaulted on its bond payment last fall, red flags started popping up all over the state.

Mindy Chambers, communications director for the state auditor’s office, said the Legislature requested that auditors start collecting information on entities in financial distress.

She said that second look is when auditors learned about the hospital’s new debt, and it is noted in the report that 2011 financial balances have not been audited yet.

“The focus of the auditor’s concern is not over compliance with state law, but on the district’s financial condition due to increasing debt,” according to the report.

McCollum and the hospital’s chief financial officer, Steve Daniel, say there is no need for concern.

“When the tribe pays for the old hospital property, then we’ll have plenty in reserves,” McCollum said.

But how can administrators

know for sure that the tribe has the money to pay? Its finances

Delinquent property tax notices will be mailed earlier King County will move up the annual mailing of property tax delinquency notices from September to June, under a policy change made by County Executive Dow Constantine after hearing from taxpayers, according to a press release.

“By sending notices earlier, we can help taxpayers avoid unnecessary late fees and provide better customer service,” Constantine said in the release.

If you go q Snoqualmie Valley Hospital Board Meeting q 6:30 p.m. April 5 q Snoqualmie City Hall Council Chambers q 38624 S.E. River St., Snoqualmie aren’t public, and the tribe has just committed millions to a new casino in Fuji.

McCollum said the tribe gave up its right to sovereignty when it signed the contract for the hospital property.

“If for some reason, they didn’t pay, we would have recourse in the federal court,” he said. “But that would be a worstcase scenario.”

He said the tribe used bonds to finance the Snoqualmie Casino and that Moody’s recently improved the tribe’s bond rating and mentioned that it had $53 million to $55 million in reserves.

“Now that tells me a lot,” McCollum said. “The tribe is also exploring an early payoff to that note, which we would be very supportive of.”

The hospital also has implemented a plan that will save the district $1.5 million annually,

PAGE 3

To avoid penalties, the first half of property taxes is due April 30.

While there is no requirement to send a delinquency notice, for many years the county has sent a single courtesy notice in late September to about 9,000 taxpayers who missed the April deadline. The September notice was timed to be close to the Oct. 31 due date for the second half of property taxes owed and to help taxpayers avoid the 8 percent penalty imposed in December.

The new June notice will go out to about 14,500 taxpayers.

County officials anticipate that about half of those taxpayers will pay before July 1 and avoid the additional monthly interest charges and December penalty that are mandated by state law.

King County is also developing a system for taxpayers

to sign up for email alerts to notify them when tax payments are due. This tool, expected to be available as early as 2013, should further enhance customer service and reduce the number of delinquent property tax payments.

he said.

In January, 15 jobs at the hospital were cut, which should save about $750,000, McCollum said.

He said five of those jobs were vacant positions that weren’t filled. The other 10 were outright layoffs.

McCollum said some fees at the hospital will increase, and Daniel said he’ll be taking a look at vendor contracts to see if money can be saved by renegotiating.

But nothing short of halting construction of the new hospital will satisfy the hospital board’s newest commissioner, Gene Pollard.

He said it was a “bizarre scheme” to build a new hospital only nine miles from the new 175-bed Swedish/Issaquah.

Pollard also said voters rejected a new hospital by 69 percent in an August 2007 election.

Herschel Backues, of North Bend, also shared those sentiments when he spoke at a March 1 board meeting.

“I am against the new hospital and I voted against the hospital in 2007,” he told the board. “I think it’s arrogant and unfair to taxpayers.”

But McCollum said he stands by what he has said in the past.

“We were bringing back the levy to 50 cents rather than the 30 cents,” he said. “Yes, some

of that money was going to be used for the new hospital, but it was also going to be used for our clinics and other health care operations.”

McCollum said he thinks the levy increase didn’t pass because people at the time were just not in the mood for any new taxes.

“Voters rejected a school levy increase during the same election,” he said. “It was clear that no one wanted any new taxes.

But they weren’t rejecting the idea of a new hospital.”

Board President Dick Jones said he does think a new hospital is necessary.

“We need to expand and we couldn’t do that at the current location because the land has steep slopes,” he said. “Yes, we’ll still have the same number of swing beds, 24, because that is the most allowed in a critical access program. But our emergency room and waiting lobby is way too small. We have more equipment now that takes up a lot of room. We really need more space to improve our services.”

McCollum is expected to give a presentation about the audit at the board’s next meeting April 5, which is open to the public.

Master gardeners plan to talk shop at North Bend Library Master Gardener Pat Roome will present a workshop on starting a vegetable garden and avoiding pests, disease and weed problems.

The workshop will be from 3-4 p.m. March 10 at the North Bend Library, 115 E. Fourth St. Master gardeners will also be available from 2-5 p.m to answer plant problem questions.

Michele Mihalovich: 392-6434, ext. 246, or editor@snovalleystar.com. Comment at www. snovalleystar.com.

Opinion

PAGE 4

Editorial

MARCH 8, 2012

Share your views

DUI crackdown need not wait for holidays St. Patrick’s Day could be unlucky for impaired motorists. But getting drunk drivers off the road would be lucky for everyone else.

Statewide, law enforcement agencies and the Snoqualmie and North Bend police department plan to embark on a campaign to nab drunken drivers before, during and after the St. Patrick’s Day holiday.

The effort starts March 9 and runs through March 18.

The campaign means beefed-up DUI enforcement on King County roads, as local police officers and other law enforcement agencies join the crackdown.

Washington law enforcement officers advise all holiday partygoers to designate a sober driver, call a cab or choose not to drink alcohol.

Officers in King County on routine and extra patrols arrested 310 people for DUI during the St. Patrick’s Day enforcement effort last year.

In addition to North Bend and Snoqualmie police and the Washington State Patrol, officers in nearby Bellevue, Issaquah, Newcastle, Renton and Sammamish will participate in the extra DUI enforcement.

The anti-DUI effort is organized under the aegis of the King County Target Zero Task Force, a regional effort to crack down on unsafe driving practices. Target Zero managers coordinate the extra patrols.

Target Zero’s goal is to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries statewide by 2030.

It seems like an unachievable goal, but certainly a worthy one. Both alcohol and drugs are the cause of numerous traffic accidents, many of which end with someone in the morgue.

We all need to take the challenge of the Target Zero group. Don’t drink and drive, don’t let friends drive drunk — whether it’s a holiday or not.

WEEKLY POLL Should people try to get an NBA team to relocate to Seattle?

A. No. Oklahoma did that to us and it hurt.

B. No. It’s over, Sonics fans. Let’s move on.

C. No. The NHL is more fun. Let’s get one of those teams.

D. Yes. Turnabout is fair play.

E. Yes. Teams rarely last long anywhere anymore.

F. Yes. It will bring tourism money.

Vote online at www.snovalleystar.com.

Deborah Berto

Publisher

Kathleen R. Merrill

Managing editor

MIchele Mihalovich

Editor

Jill Green

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Sebastian Moraga

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Citizens can make a difference by contacting their elected representatives.

Federal President Barack Obama (D), The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20500; 202456-1414; president@whitehouse.gov U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D), 511 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C., 20510; 202-224-3441; http:// cantwell.senate.gov/; 915 Second Ave., Suite 512, Seattle, WA 98174; 206-220-6400 U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D), 173 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510; 202-224-2621; http://murray.senate.gov/; Jackson Federal Building, Room 2988, 915 Second Ave., Seattle, WA 98174; 206-553-5545 U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert (R-8th District), 1730 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515; 202-225-7761; 22605 S.E. 56th St., Suite 130,

Issaquah, WA 98029; 206-2753438; www.house.gov/reichert

State — Governor Gov. Chris Gregoire (D), Office of the Governor, P.O. Box 40002, Olympia, WA 985040002; 360-902-4111; www.governor.wa.gov

State — 5th District Sen. Cheryl Pflug (R), 415 Legislative Building, P.O. Box 40405, Olympia, WA 985040405, 360-786-7608; 413-5333; pflug.cheryl@leg.wa.gov Rep. Glenn Anderson (R), 417 JLOB, P.O. Box 40600, Olympia WA 98504-0600; 360-786-7876; 2227092; anderson.glenn@leg.wa.gov Rep. Jay Rodne (R), 441 JLOB, P.O. Box 40600, Olympia, WA 98504-0600; 360-786-7852; rodne.jay@leg.wa.gov Toll-free Legislative Hotline: 800-562-6000.

County King County Executive Dow

Constantine, King County Chinook Building 401 Fifth Ave., Suite 800, Seattle, WA 98104; 206-2964040; or kcexec@kingcounty.gov King County Councilwoman Kathy Lambert, District 3. King County Courthouse, 516 Third Ave., Room 1200, Seattle, WA 98104; 206-296-1003; 800-3256165; kathy.lambert@kingcounty.gov

Snoqualmie Valley School Board

President Caroline Loudenback, District 2, clouden8@comcast.net Vice President Dan Popp, District 5, danpopp@microsoft. com Craig Husa, District 3, craig@ husas.com Marci Busby, District 4, mbusby2831@aol.com Scott Hodgins, District 1, gscott.hodgins@comcast.net Write to the School Board at Snoqualmie Valley School Board, P.O. Box 400, Snoqualmie, WA 98065. Call 831-8000.

Home Country

On the trail, it’s a long way to Nome

By Slim Randles As you read this there are dozens of men and women and hundreds of dogs crossing a very cold Alaska: more than a thousand miles of it. It’s called the Iditarod by everyone who doesn’t drive a team in it. For those who have, it’s the Idiot Road.

There are deadly serious mushers in that race who are after that prize money, and a few of them will get it. But there are also the tail-draggers. They know they won’t win. What they want to do, really, is finish this most difficult of all races.

And more than that … to find out exactly what’s inside them.

Thirty-nine years ago this week, that was me.

I had seven dogs. The minimum that year. And I had to borrow two to make the minimum. Most teams were in the 12- to 16-dog range. This translates to putting a VW bug in the Indy 500. Forget any prize money.

The front-runners have snow machines half a day ahead of them, packing trail. With packed trail, those teams can average something like 80 miles a day.

Without packed trail, you’re lucky to get five miles, on snow-

shoes. And all it takes to turn a packed trail into snowshoe time is a halfhour of wind.

There have always been Slim Randles “recreational Columnist mushers,” like I was back then. I lived 12 miles from a road in those days, and for six months each year the dogs got us back and forth to the village.

They were basic transportation and basic family.

But this race, this monumental journey from Anchorage to

Nome, makes a person want to hook up the dogs and head out.

I wasn’t able to finish the race that year, 1973, because of an injury, and while I was on the trail, everyone passed me. And I guess it’s because of that each March I say a little prayer for all the mushers and all the dogs, but especially for the recreational mushers, for the tail-draggers.

They’ll be out in the cold and the lonely longer than the winners, looking to find that certain personal something.

Packed trail and fresh dogs, people. It’s a very long way to Nome.

Buy Slim’s books at www.slimrandles.com.

Write to us Snovalley Star welcomes letters to the editor about any subject, although we reserve the right to edit for space, length, potential libel, clarity or political relevance. Letters addressing local news will receive priority. Please limit letters to 350 words or less and type them, if possible. Email is preferred. Letters must be signed and have a daytime phone number to verify authorship. Send them by Friday of each week to:

snovalley star

P.O. Box 1328 q Issaquah, WA 98027 Fax: 391-1541 q Email: editor@snovalleystar.com

MARCH 8, 2012

SnoValley Star

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SnoValley Star

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Police & fire North Bend Robo dialing

An employee with the Mount Si Transitional Center reported to police that on Feb. 22 , while she was at work, she received about 45 calls in an hour and a half from a man on the East Coast with a foreign accent demanding money.

Sharp-dressed man The manager for Banana Republic in North Bend reported that on Feb. 18 a man had stolen $1,000 worth of clothing from the store, including suit blazers, sweater vests and dress pants.

The manager and police officer watched a security tape showing the man trying on

Local firefighters climb Columbia Center stairs to fight leukemia For the 10th year, a team of Snoqualmie firefighters will climb the Columbia Center in the Scott Firefighter Stairclimb on March 11.

More than 1,500 firefighters from around the world will climb to the top of the 73-floor Columbia Center in downtown Seattle wearing full firefighting gear and self-contained breathing apparatus, Joan Pliego, Snoqualmie communications coordinator, said in a press release.

For the past two years,

clothing and then placing it inside of a white bag. The man left the store and then returned a little later with an empty white bag. Police were unable to locate a suspect.

Tag, you’re it A police officer on Feb. 7 noticed gang graffiti on a North Bend Way building and a Main Avenue South building.

He attributed it to the Southside Locos gang, which he said is the oldest Sureno criminal street gang found in King County.

Bandit steals school supplies

A woman who had parked her vehicle behind the North Bend outlet mall on Feb. 22 returned to find the window smashed and her laptop and school books missing.

Snoqualmie firefighters, along with firefighters from Fall City, Duvall and Eastside Fire & Rescue, have led the team competition for fundraising, collecting more than $30,000 in donations each year for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Pliego said they are currently in second place for team fundraising in 2012, having raised more than $9,000. They are determined to move into first place and raise more money than ever. Although the actual Stairclimb is March 11, fundraising will continue through March 30.

Donate at the Snoqualmie Fire Station, 37600 S.E.

Police did find a tool, possibly used during the break-in, and were able to lift some fingerprints for evidence.

Swervy driving Brandon Thomas Martin, 36, of North Bend, was arrested for drunken driving Feb. 23 when police noticed his vehicle crossing the yellow lines on several North Bend streets.

Martin’s two blood alcohol tests recorded a .114 percent and .104 percent. The legal limit in Washington is .08 percent.

Eastside Fire & Rescue q At 2:03 p.m. Feb. 21, EFR units responded to a 71-yearold male with difficulty breathing. He was sent to Snoqualmie Hospital for further evaluation. q At 2:42 a.m. Feb. 22, EFR units responded to assist

Snoqualmie Parkway.

The Scott Firefighter Stairclimb supports the mission of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, raising money through sponsorships, individual and department fundraising, and entry fees for blood-cancer research and patient services.

Learn more by contacting firefighter Brian Busby at 8881551 or bbusby@ci.snoqualmie. wa.us.

Turnout hit 28 percent in fire station special election Turnout in the Feb. 14 election to decide a $5.5 million bond for fire station construction reached 28 percent, King County Elections announced Feb. 28, as officials certified the election results.

State law required the Fire District 10 bond measure to receive a 60 percent yes vote from a turnout of at least 4,418 voters. The measure received a 64.7 percent yes vote from a turnout of 5,863 voters. (The district includes 20,791 registered voters.)

Fire District 10 is the Eastside Fire & Rescue partner serving residents in Klahanie, May Valley, Mirrormont, Preston and Tiger Mountain in the Issaquah area, plus Carnation in rural King County.

Officials plan to use bond dollars to relocate crews from Fire Station 78 at 16135 S.E. 113th Place near Renton to a modern facility at a more central location at Southeast May Valley Road and 207th Avenue Southeast.

Overall, elections officials issued 189,753 ballots for measures in Fire District 10 and school districts elsewhere in

MARCH 8, 2012 police on South Fork Avenue Southwest to help an officer gain access to a roof for a suspected burglar. The Ladder 87 crew assisted the officer to gain roof access through the riser room. q At 4:58 a.m. Feb. 22, EFR units responded to a swift water rescue. The Ladder 87 crew supplied lighting for the incident. q At 6:12 a.m. Feb. 24, EFR units responded to a confined chimney or flue fire on 402nd Avenue. The entire stove pipe was visually inspected and a thermal imaging camera was used to look for hot spots. There was no extension or other problems. q At 11:33 a.m. Feb. 24, EFR units responded to a report of a 60-year-old male experiencing stroke-like symptoms. The man was evaluated at the scene and

King County. The elections office predicted 38 percent turnout overall in the special elections, but turnout reached 32 percent in the contests.

Time change is a reminder to change clocks and batteries Prepare to spring forward as daylight saving time starts at 2 a.m. March 11.

Set clocks one hour ahead before bedtime and plan accordingly. Many computers, mobile phones and other electronic devices make the adjustment automatically.

The time change also serves as a reminder to change smoke alarm batteries. Public safety experts recommend changing batteries at least once a year and testing smoke detectors monthly. Most battery-powered smoke detectors chirp as the battery weakens.

During daylight saving time, the sun appears to rise later in the morning and set later in the evening, seemingly stretching the day.

The winter-to-fall daylight saving time period lasts until Nov. 1.

Issaquah to host meeting about sustainable farming Join the King County Agriculture Commission in Issaquah to learn about successful small farms in the region.

The commission is hosting a panel discussion at the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery on March 9 to highlight the impact market gardens, small farms and urban farms can have on food security, jobs and sustainability in King

transported to a hospital. q At 9:37 a.m. Feb. 25, EFR units responded to a motor vehicle accident. Crews provided patient care, one patient was transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle and three other patients were transported to an unidentified hospital. q At 12:24 p.m. Feb. 26, EFR units responded to a 36-year-old male with a fainting episode.

He was transported to a hospital emergency department. q At 1:06 p.m. Feb. 26, EFR units responded to an EMS call on Interstate 90 at mile marker 40 for a motor vehicle accident, and was directed to block one of the lanes for safety.

The Snovalley Star publishes names of those arrested for DUI and those charged with felony crimes. Information comes directly from local police reports.

County.

The commission meets from 4-7 p.m. in the hatchery’s Watershed Science Center, 125 W. Sunset Way. The panel discussion is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

The panelists include Amaranth Urban Farm’s Nicole Capizzi, Local Roots Farm’s Siri Erickson-Brown and Sol to Seed Farm’s Matt Tregoning. Each farmer operates a successful farm and sells wares at farmers markets and to subscribers through community supported agriculture initiatives.

Longtime Commissioner Michaele Blakely also plans to join the panel discussion.

The commission is a group of volunteer citizen agricultural experts responsible for advising the county on policy and regulatory issues, farmland preservation and strategies to keep agriculture viable.

Contact Project Manager Claire Dyckman at 206-296-1926 or claire.dyckman@kingcounty. gov to learn more.

Congressman completes district office move to Issaquah U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert opened a district office in Issaquah on March 1, after redistricting prompted the Auburn Republican to relocate from the former office on Mercer Island.

“I’m excited to be moving to Issaquah,” he said in a statement. “My priority as a congressman is serving my district and my constituents.”

Constituents can visit the office in the Sammamish View Office Building, 22605 S.E. 56th St., Suite 130. Call the office at See OFFICE, Page 8

SnoValley Star

MARCH 8, 2012

Caucus From Page 1 Washington has been a player in the presidential nomination.”

The hundreds of people packed into Mount Si High School’s commons cheered and applauded the announcement.

In fact, according to the Washington State GOP website, four years ago, only about 12,000 people statewide attended the Republican caucus.

On March 2, 50,764 Washingtonians cast votes in the caucus straw poll — 12,196 of those were in King County alone.

In the 5th Legislative District, which includes Issaquah, Snoqualmie, North Bend and Preston, 1,499 Republicans cast votes and Mitt Romney was the clear winner in the voting, with 56 percent.

Nationally, a clear winner of Republican presidential candidates has not been apparent, one of the reasons Mitt Romney,

PAGE 7

2012 Washington caucus results* Statewide King County Mitt Romney 37.65 percent 47 percent Ron Paul 24.81 percent 25.2 percent Rick Santorum 23.81 percent 18 percent Newt Gingrich 10.28 percent 7.2 percent Undecided 3.44 percent 2.7 percent *Washington State GOP website and 5th Legislative District Republicans website

Ron Paul, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich all made appearances in Washington before the caucus.

But it seemed to be the ousting of Obama that drove record numbers of Republicans to caucuses March 2.

It was the first time Kim Tveit, of Snoqualmie, had ever attended a caucus.

“I came because it matters a lot,” she said. “I plan to support Mitt because I like his experience, integrity and ideas. Plus, he’s a moderate. But I think he has the best chance of unseating Obama. And that’s really the goal.”

Several people stood at the

“We worked very hard to get our citizenship. So we really value the voting process and want our children to see and understand it.”

— Lisa Copeland GOP caucus attendee head of the SNQ 05-3511 precinct table and pitched why they should be elected as delegates.

None stated which presidential candidate they were supporting, but all said their

5th District 56 percent 18 percent 16 percent 7 percent 3 percent

main purpose in wanting to be delegates was to help remove Obama from office.

Two of the three delegates who were elected for that precinct said after the vote that they were still undecided about which presidential candidate they would vote for.

Aaron Mostofi, of Snoqualmie, said it was between Romney and Paul.

His brother, Camron Mostofi, said he was undecided, “but it’s definitely not going to be Gingrich or Santorum.”

But some caucus attendees knew exactly who they were going to vote for in the nonbinding straw poll.

Victoria Copeland, a 10-yearold from Snoqualmie, prepared to give her stump speech in support of Gingrich to the Republicans over at the SNQ 05-3151 table.

Of course, she couldn’t participate in the voting process, but her mother Lisa Copeland brought Victoria and her twin brother Nick so that they could watch the caucus process.

“I wanted to expose them to what it means to be a good citizen,” Lisa Copeland said. “My husband and I are originally from Canada and we worked very hard to get our citizenship.

So we really value the voting process and want our children to see and understand it.”

Brunjes said the 5th District is allowed 454 delegates alone, but statewide, the delegates will have to be whittled down to 43 for the National Republican Conference in Tampa, Fla. Michele Mihalovich: 392-6434, ext. 246, or editor@snovalleystar.com. Comment at www.snovalleystar.com.

The SnoValley Star is 4 Years Old! Founded March, 2008

SnoValley Star

PAGE 8

677-7414.

The district office site in Issaquah needed to meet congressional security criteria.

Reichert chose Issaquah due to easy access from communities throughout the redrawn 8th Congressional District. The reshaped district stretches from Auburn to Wenatchee. The former district encompassed only communities in King and Pierce counties.

The fee for the four-day course is $25 per person and is fully refundable upon completion of all classes. The class includes equipment, a student manual and CERT kit (Field Operation Guide, hardhat, safety vest, backpack, goggles, gloves, flashlight, whistle, triage tape and hand-sanitizing gel).

Register by emailing the city of Snoqualmie Department of Emergency Management at eoc@ ci.snoqualmie.wa.us.

MARCH 8, 2012

Little girl brings down a big elk

Help your community during local emergencies President declares disaster for Washington Snoqualmie and North Bend, along with Eastside Fire & Rescue, are jointly offering the FEMA-certified Community Emergency Response Team course, which begins April 14 at the Snoqualmie Fire Station.

Session dates are: April 14, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

April 21, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

May 5, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

May 12, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (drill) CERT training provides participants the opportunity to learn techniques in fire suppression, search and rescue, disaster psychology and disaster medical operations, including triage techniques, patient assessment and treating life-threatening injuries. The course concludes with a disaster simulation and drill.

Learn more at www.ci.snoqualmie. wa.us/Departments/ EmergencyManagement/ CERTProgram.aspx.

Federal aid has been made available for the state of Washington to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by a severe winter storm, flooding, landslides and mudslides during the January storms, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency announced in a March 5 press release.

Federal funding is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the storm in Clallam, Grays Harbor, King, Klickitat, Lewis, Mason, Pierce, Skamania, Snohomish, Thurston and Wahkiakum counties.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

Contributed

Who says girls can’t shoot? Ellen Vincent was 7 years old when she snagged this bull elk in October in the Upper Snoqualmie Valley. Her parents, Mike and Heather Vincent, of Snoqualmie, said Ellen ‘harvested this 5 x 5 Bull with one clean shot from her 30-06, which has been modified with a custom stock and muzzle break (all our kids share this rifle).’

Michael L. Karl has been named federal coordinating officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area.

Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments, Karl said in the release.

Local police join St. Patrick’s Day DUI crackdown St. Patrick’s Day could be unlucky for impaired motorists.

Statewide, law enforcement agencies and the North Bend and Snoqualmie police depart-

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ments plan to embark on a campaign to nab drunken drivers before, during and after the holiday.

The effort starts March 9 and runs through March 18, the day after St. Patrick’s Day. The campaign means beefed-up DUI enforcement on local and King County roads.

Washington law enforcement officers advise all holiday partygoers to designate a sober driver, call a cab or choose not to drink alcohol.

Officers in King County on routine and extra patrols arrested 310 people for DUI during the St. Patrick’s Day enforcement effort last year.

In addition to North Bend

and Snoqualmie police and the Washington State Patrol, officers in nearby Issaquah, Bellevue, Newcastle, Renton and Sammamish plan to participate in the extra DUI enforcement.

The anti-DUI effort is organized under the aegis of the King County Target Zero Task Force, a regional effort to crack down on unsafe driving practices. Target Zero managers coordinate the extra patrols. In addition, the Washington Traffic Safety Commission provides support.

Target Zero’s goal is to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries statewide by 2030.

“If your St. Patrick’s Day celebrations involve drinking alcohol at a restaurant, bar or someone else’s home, designate a safe ride before the party begins,” Kent Police Chief Ken Thomas said in a statement. “If you don’t have a designated driver, ask a sober friend for a ride, take the bus, call a cab, a family member or just stay where you are. Do not drive.”

Send us your pictures

LIVE ON THE LAKE!

Relaxing on your patio & enjoying lake & Mt Si viewscan you see yourself here? Kitchen has tile counters & eating bar, large pantry. Open floor plan you’ll love! Large Master with slider to patio. Closet space abounds! Light & bright! #314990

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SnoValley Star welcomes original photography contributions.

We give priority to local content. Information about the photo and the photographer’s name are required.

The deadline is noon on the Friday before the publication.

Send photos to: SnoValley Star, P.O. Box 1328, Issaquah, WA 98027 or email to editor@SnoValleyStar. com.

SnoValley Star

MARCH 8, 2012

Pizza From Page 2 pose for photographs on the Air Force One steps.

“You ask yourself, ‘Is this really happening?’ These are the stairs to Air Force One,” he said.

“We were all kind of thinking, ‘Really? Really? We can climb the stairs? Or are you just teasing us here?’”

Fugere said a White House official described the Tutta Bella pizzas as a hit aboard the plane. The idea to deliver pizza to the president started percolating in August 2010, after restaurant owner Fugere met Obama at a Seattle roundtable discussion for small business owners.

The president later mentioned the struggle to open a Tutta Bella — albeit not by name — in Issaquah during a Seattle speech.

(The speech also included a reference to the former Issaquah Community Bank, the institution behind the loan needed to open the restaurant.)

The president and the pizzaio-

lo met again the next month as Obama signed a small business assistance package at the White House.

“I still haven’t tasted the pizza, but he promises I’m going to get some at some point,” Obama told Fugere and the East Room audience.

Fugere remained alert for opportunities to serve the president a Neapolitan-style slice, and reached out to the White House after officials announced the Feb. 17 fundraising trip.

Following the delivery to Air Force One, Cisneros and the other chefs prepared about 20 more pizzas for law enforcement officers at Paine Field.

Then, the Tutta Bella team lingered at the airport until Obama returned from a Bellevue fundraiser and Air Force One departed for Washington, D.C., in the late afternoon.

“I would have liked to have met Obama, but I started to think to myself, ‘A lot of people met Obama that day, but very, very few were actually on the steps of Air Force One,’” Cisneros said.

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SnoValley Star

MARCH 8, 2012

MARCH 8, 2012

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community

MARCH 8, 2012

Fiber art finds a home at Mount Si Senior Center

By Sebastian Moraga Karen Snyder believes in UFOs. She even has a few stashed away at home, and so do her friends.

A quick survey of her buddies proves it.

“Hey,” Snyder asked the four ladies, all busy ironing or sewing at the Mount Si Senior Center March 5. “You guys got any UFOs at home?”

She may as well have asked the women if now and then they blinked.

“A few,” said Chris Keeler, a quilter from North Bend “Of course,” said Mary Maupin, also from North Bend.

UFOs is quilter-speak for UnFinished Objects, the soft and colorful odds and ends that may someday become a part of a quilt, but not yet.

“There’s not a quilter alive who doesn’t have UFOs,” Snyder said.

Some onetime UFOs that became finished products are now on display and for sale at the Mount Si Senior Center.

The quilts will remain for sale “until we sell them or somebody needs them,” Snyder said.

Proceeds from the sale will go to the senior center.

Snyder, a longtime quilter and the rest of the SnoValley Quilters club (“a club, not a guild, so we do whatever we

want to do,” she said), have turned their longtime hobby into a passion and a purpose.

Snyder said she does not make quilts just for looks — she makes them for people who may need them.

“For me, quilting is something that I’m doing for people to use,” she said. “I want people to use them, enjoy them, snuggle with them.”

The club’s quilts have landed in places like Madigan Army Medical Center at Fort Lewis, Camp Korey in Carnation, the Mount Si Transitional Health Center in North Bend or to people with ailing spouses.

The group also makes bags, potholders and other decorations that they sell at quilt shows.

“We have a good time,” Snyder said, “while we are also accomplishing something.”

Members of the club range in age from their early 40s to early 80s, although Snyder said her grade schooler niece makes quilts, too.

Across the hallway from the quilts, another art form has found a home at the senior center: collages.

Audrey Zeder combines layers of antique paper with layers of watercolors. The result, she said is a multidimensional work.

“It’s been very fun for me,” she said. “Very creative.”

The collages will be for sale

By Sebastian Moraga

Karen Snyder cuddles up to one of the quilts she and the rest of the SnoValley Quilters club has for sale at the Mount Si Senior Center in North Bend. at the center until the end of March. A percentage of those sales also will go to the senior center.

Antique paper has a unique feel and texture, which adds to a collage, Zeder said.

Despite the uniqueness of the mix, she said she does not see herself as a trailblazer or a pioneer.

“Everything in art has been done at one time or another,” she said.

On the other hand, watercolors are popular and so are collages, but the combination of

both is rare.

Zeder said she felt in a rut doing watercolors, so she looked for ways to change. She solved that with the mixture.

Adding bits and pieces of paper alongside watercolors, she said, results in a more eye-catching experience for the viewer.

“There’s more to look at,” she said. “Because all of a sudden you’ll say, ‘Oh, look over here.’”

A longtime Northwest resident, she said she draws most of her inspiration from the area. A seasoned traveler, she said she always thinks she owns

a standard palette until she travels. Once abroad, she realizes that the colors she leans toward belong in landscapes from Northwest spots and do not fit landscapes in, say, the Caribbean.

Still, she said she has found her home turf and won’t stray from it.

“We could not live in a more beautiful place,” she said.

Sebastian Moraga: 392-6434, ext. 221, or smoraga@snovalleystar.com. Comment at www.snovalleystar.com.

Cook the perfect steak, without a grill Share your recipe — Do you have a great recipe?

Want to share it with Snoqualmie Valley? Email the recipe and a photo of the finished product to editor@snovalleystar.com.

By Deanna Morauski Usually, the boys grill our steaks. Husband’s even been known to make dinner for us in the rain. But in the winter, we enjoy steak inside. We make it with butter. And wine. And butter. This recipe allows you the feeling of dining in a high-class restaurant but the joy of cooking together. This recipe is for two, so just double it if you’re having friends over.

Steak: First, the steaks need to sit out on the counter for about an

hour so that they won’t be too cold to cook evenly. Next, coat steaks in olive oil and freshly ground salt and pepper.

Heat a medium-sized, ovensafe frying pan on medium high.

Once hot, place steaks in pan.

Preheat oven to 425F. Brown steak well on every side (even the edges).

Place garlic butter (recipe below) over the steak. Using same oven-safe pan, place steaks into oven. Allow to cook for about six minutes at 425F. Place steaks on a clean plate and set aside to allow to rest.

Place frying pan with all its buttery goodness back onto the burner on medium heat. Whisk in about 1 1/2 cups of red wine and/or water (or chicken broth) to make a nice sauce. You can add a teaspoon or two of soy sauce. If you like mushrooms, a few sliced or chopped mush-

rooms are delicious, too.

Add any juices that have run off your steaks and salt and pepper to taste. Lemon pepper adds a lovely flavor, too. Allow sauce to simmer until it reduces to about half of the amount you started with. Taste test to make sure your sauce is heavenly.

Pour sauce over steak. Or serve on the side.

The best way to know if your steak is to your liking is to measure the temperature with a meat thermometer before removing it from the oven: Rare — 126F Medium rare — 131F Medium — 145F Medium well done — 154F Well done — 163F

Garlic butter: 2 tablespoons olive oil (for frying onions) 1/8 cup finely diced and sautéed yellow onion 1/4 cup butter, softened Dash of salt 2 cloves of garlic, minced 1 teaspoon chopped, fresh parsley

1 teaspoon chopped, fresh oregano 1 teaspoon chopped, fresh basil Deanna Morauski owns, operates and cooks at the Old Hen Bed and Breakfast near North Bend with her husband, John. She also blogs about food and cooking at www.thecleverculinarian.com. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/clvrculinarian.

SnoValley Star

MARCH 8, 2012

Community network seeks new leader

By Sebastian Moraga With Kristy Trione on her way to Costa Rica to start an organic farm with her husband, the Snoqualmie Valley Community Network is dealing with having to replace someone who did far more than fill the top spot on the network’s chart.

“She had been the face of the network for 10 years,” said Steve Bates, a counselor at Opstad Elementary School and the chairman of the network’s board of directors. “She was ready for a new challenge.”

Bates called Trione’s exit a little surprising but understandable, given her decadelong tenure Under Trione, hired in December 2001, the network grew more connected with leaders at both ends of the Valley.

Board member Leanne Christensen had high praise for Trione, calling her instrumental to the growth of the network.

Snoqualmie Valley Schools Superintendent Joel Aune said Trione, a former school board member, brought a unique view that allowed both the net-

United Way of King County offers tax help

The focus at United Way of King County is on income tax season as the April filing deadline approaches.

The nonprofit organization offers free tax preparation and access to the Earned Income Tax Credit and other tax credits to middle- and low-income families. Organizers also seek volunteers to help prepare tax returns and assist at tax-preparation sites.

Learn more about United Way

work and the district to work in harmony.

Trione said she knew the network would continue to flourish after she left.

“The work matters and it makes a difference,” she wrote in a tribute essay penned by Christensen, in which Aune was quoted.

The difference-making will continue, Bates said.

“We are working on finding out how we can be better partners with the police departments, the faith community, with the schools,” Bates said.

Then, there’s the matter of funding, which is always tricky.

The network’s working budget for 2012, an email from Bates stated, stands at about $150,000, which includes state and federal funding, the latter of which must be renewed annually.

“There are two more years on that grant,” Bates wrote.

“We are working on funding through the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation as well as other grants, but there are no guarantees.”

Lastly, the network’s new director will also have to confront issues such as substance abuse and suicide prevention

among youth.

The community, Bates said, already has in mind the kind of person it wants to replace Trione.

A network-sponsored survey from earlier this year showed that the community wants someone with strong connections in the Valley.

“Someone who can step in and move forward immediately,” Bates said, “without having to completely start out building relationships.”

At the same time, he said, the network will not look for what Bates called a Kristy Trione clone.

“I don’t think there’s one out there,” he said.

Trione, Bates added, was a woman who worked hard for the Valley.

“We will miss her commitment and her passion for the job,” he said, later adding, “She went above and beyond what the network was able to compensate her for, and she did it because she loved the community.”

of King County’s tax preparation campaign by emailing EITC@uwkc.org.

The nearest center to Issaquah is Crossroads Bellevue, Northeast Eighth Street and 156th Avenue

Northeast. The center is scheduled to be open from 5-9 p.m.

Wednesdays and Thursdays, and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Saturdays until April 14. The location offers tax preparation in Russian and Spanish.

Sebastian Moraga: 392-6434, ext. 221, or smoraga@snovalleystar.com.

Comment at www.snovalleystar.com.

PAGE 13

Obituary Dennis L. Morstad Dennis L. Morstad, of North Bend, died Feb. 23, 2012. He was 70 years old.

Denny was born and raised in Park River, N.D. He attended Pharmacy College in Fargo, N.D., and served with the United States Coast Guard as a search

and rescue swimmer.

He is survived by his wife Peggy, and his blended family Scott (Meeling), Amy (Josh), Greg (Holly), and Gordon, and his loyal dog Connor. He also has two sisters, two brothers, and numerous nieces and nephews. A celebration of life will be at 11 a.m. Friday, March 2, at Flintoft’s Funeral Home in Issaquah.

Rep. Jay Rodne sponsors local student as a page at state Capitol Rep. Jay Rodne, R-North Bend, sponsored a local student as a page this legislative session.

Logan Weatherbee, 16, is the son of Jan and Lance Weatherbee, of Fall City. He attends Mount Si High School and is in the 11th grade. Logan paged Contributed Feb. 5-10.

Rep. Jay Rodne (left) stands at his desk Students attended with page Logan Weatherbee. page school daily to learn more about the mission from their parents and legislative process and sponsored schools, and have acceptable mock bills with their fellow stugrades. Most pages stay with dents from Washington state. local volunteer host families.

They also distributed documents Learn more about the House to state lawmakers and staff Page Program at www.leg.wa.gov/ members throughout the state House/Pages/HousePageProgram.

Capitol campus. aspx.

Young men and women have Learn more about Rodne at come to Olympia to serve as http://houserepublicans.wa.gov/ pages for the Washington State members/jay-rodne. Or reach him Legislature since 1891. Pages at 360-786-7852 or jay.rodne@ must be ages 14-16, obtain perleg.wa.gov.

WHEN YOU CALL BEFORE 03/31/12

schools

PAGE 14

MARCH 8, 2012

Twin Falls Middle School museum walks like an Egyptian

By Michele Mihalovich “King Tut, Born in Arizona, Moved to Babylonia, King Tut.” Nah, that’s not right, as any sixth-grader at Twin Falls Middle School in North Bend will tell you. And they know because

By Michele Mihalovich

A model of an ankh, a symbol integral to ancient Egyptian culture, stands in a display.

they just spent the past few months researching ancient Egypt.

Comedian Steve Martin may have gotten a few facts wrong in his 1979 hit song, but students at the school’s fourth annual Museum Walk on March 2 could talk endlessly about the subject they chose and the 186 3-D exhibits they created for the one-hour event.

Parents walked around the commons area of the school, which had been turned into a museum, and snapped photos of exhibits that included pyramids, boats, jewelry, weapons and musical instruments of the time.

Amanda Linder, 11, used Styrofoam, boxes and clay to craft a papier-mâché replica of the Great Sphinx of Giza.

Part of her research included watching “Mystery of the Sphinx” on Netflix.

She pointed out that due to the extensive erosion the Sphinx has suffered, it could be even older than scientists currently estimate, which is 2,500 years old.

Griffin Nicolino, 12, desperately wanted to make King Tut’s death mask, but sadly, someone had already signed up for that.

So he created a papier-mâché rendition of Egyptian god Anubis’ jackal head, painted black with ominous-looking white eyes and gold, sequined

fabric.

Emma Anderson, 11, is the girl who beat Nicolino to the punch on Tut’s death mask.

She used Styrofoam, molded wire and mesh to create her colorful exhibit, which also included a falcon and snake on the crown.

Tyler Kim, 11, went a different route, and carved the ancient Egyptian writing system in plaster.

Kim said he’s not very artistic, but managed to draw a pretty good collection of hieroglyphics.

He “aged” the plaster using his mother’s liquid makeup.

Everything Egyptian under the sun was displayed at the makeshift museum, including a bottle with actual sand from outside Khufu’s Pyramid, working models of Egypt’s water system and handmade papyrus paper.

And what Egyptian museum would be complete without a mummy?

Ryan Hendricks, 12, created his by wrapping a three-footlong doll he found at Goodwill with athletic tape.

“A lot of people have been asking me if it’s my little sister,” he joked. “But I don’t even have a sister.”

In reality, the only exhibit missing was a student dressed up like Steve Martin dancing the Funky Tut.

Snoqualmie Valley Schools Foundation luncheon gets cooking on March 22

By Sebastian Moraga It’s luncheon time again for the Snoqualmie Valley Schools Foundation.

The foundation’s event March 22 is its biggest fundraiser of the year, with the group aiming to raise more than $80,000 for children in the Snoqualmie Valley School District.

Carmen Villanueva, the president of the board of directors of the foundation, said the luncheon is free.

However, the foundation will ask attendees to make a donation.

People may also donate via the Internet at www.svsfound ation.org. A third way to donate is to join the 365 Club, where people pledge to donate $30 per month.

“That way, it can fit in their budget and they can make a big impact that way,” Villanueva said. “And for a dollar a day.”

Donations are tax-deductible.

If you go q Snoqualmie Valley Schools Foundation luncheon q 11 a.m. March 22 q TPC Snoqualmie Ridge 36005 S.E. Ridge St., Snoqualmie q www.svsfoundation.org Money will fund classroom grants, district initiatives and educational programs, according to a foundation press release.

The foundation is requesting that people RSVP, so foundation officials know how many people will come.

Contact the foundation online or call Villanueva at 2811224.

At the luncheon, Sandi Everlove, chief learning officer of Washington STEM, will serve as keynote speaker.

Washington STEM is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing science technology,

engineering and math education across the state.

Villanueva said Everlove will remind people why a STEM education is important.

“Sixty-one percent of middle schoolers nationwide would rather take out the garbage than do math homework,” Everlove said in a phone interview. “We really need to produce kids who are comfortable with math.”

The state of Washington leads the nation in the concentration of STEM jobs, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

That’s a ranking schools in Washington cannot afford to waste, Everlove said.

“We have a real opportunity for our state’s children,” she said.

“We are really fortunate.”

Sebastian Moraga: 392-6434, ext. 221, or smoraga@snovalleystar.com. Comment at www.snovalleystar.com.

By Michele Mihalovich

Amanda Linder, 11, stands next to her 3-D exhibit of the Great Sphinx of Giza at the fourth annual Twin Falls Middle School Museum Walk on March 2.

Food bank fundraiser set for March 25 The Mount Si Helping Hand Food Bank will host the first Empty Bowls silent auction and meal from 4-6:30 p.m. March 25.

The event consists of a soup-and-bread meal in bowls made and decorated by high schoolers and middle schoolers in the Snoqualmie Valley.

Then, there will be a silent auction of products donated by businesses and individuals from the Valley.

Proceeds will benefit the food bank.

Both the meal and the auction will occur at the Si View Community Center, 400 S.E. Orchard St., North Bend.

Tickets are $20. Since a limited number of bowls exist, people are encouraged to get their tickets early.

After the meal, people may take their bowl home as a reminder of all of the empty bowls in the world, the food bank’s website stated.

Purchase tickets online at www.mtsifoodbank.org or in person at the food bank from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Wednesdays. The food bank address is 122 E. Third St., North Bend.

Donate items for the auction by emailing the food bank’s Heidi Dukich at mtsifoodbank@yahoo.com.

Mount Si PTSA wants you The Mount Si High School PTSA is seeking people to fill positions on its executive board for the 2012-13 school year.

The board meets once a month during the school year, has four to six general meetings a year, and also includes other activities.

The board consists of copresidents, co-vice presidents, co-secretaries and a treasurer.

Go to www.mshsptsa. org or email the PTSA’s nominating committee’s Lois Bauer at loisbau@comcast. net or Melanie Cochran at melanie.m.cochran@questdiagnostics.com.

SnoValley Star

MARCH 8, 2012

PAGE 15

Opstad principal closes book on fruitful career

By Sebastian Moraga The ticket to Paris and the Eiffel Tower await Opstad Elementary School Principal John Jester.

From the top of the tower, if he chooses to visit it this summer after he retires from his job, Jester might look east, and into the past, and catch a glimpse of a science instructor teaching in South Korea.

His name was John Jester and he was a Peace Corps science instructor in 1969.

“We had a box of chalk, a pressure cooker, a few test tubes and some Petri dishes,” said Jester from his North Bend office. “The kids would bring coal. We had one textbook, and it was in English.”

Four decades later, and times are lean again.

Not box-of-chalk-and-coal lean, but with the state threatening to cut millions of dollars from education budgets, the system will be strapped.

He’s no longer a teacher but an administrator. The unshakeable optimism is still there, though.

“I have faith that funding will return,” he said.

Jester said he maintains a glass-is-half-full approach about most everything, including school funding.

“I still have the whole cando attitude,” he said. “It’s gone from ‘I can do this,’ to ‘We can do this,’ but that’s never going to change.”

If needed, he draws from his days in Kong Ju.

“My story to staff is, you can get by with a great deal less if you have to,” he said.

With budget cuts looming, Jester disagrees with the idea that an experienced educator would best lead a school through challenging times.

“That challenge has been there for the past few years,” he said. “But I also know this school is in really good shape as far as the ability of everyone to rally together.”

Jester said he believes his replacement will be better suited than he to deal with the lean years.

Telling people at school that he is leaving was hard, he said.

After all, he has led Opstad for 15 years. Valley Schools Superintendent Joel Aune called Jester a class act and an outstanding leader.

Stephen Kangas, an Opstad parent for five years, praised Jester’s performance, saying his replacement ought to continue Jester’s knack for encouraging diverse ways of learning.

“I found Mr. Jester to be very accommodating in meeting my child’s needs there,” he said.

“The kids love him.”

To Jester, the feeling is mutual.

“It provides me a place to laugh a lot,” he said of Opstad.

“To see the joy in kids’ faces, watching their eyes light up when they discover they can do something. I get to see that every day.”

He laughs a lot, but he also misses the classroom.

“Teaching’s so much fun,” he

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John Jester, principal at Opstad Elementary School, feels right at home at his school. Jester has announced his retirement from the school district, effective at the end of June. said. “You get to be this person at you like you are crazy.” catches sight of the young man who cares about kids and you His replacement will be in Korea, odds are Jester will get to be a big ham, be theatrinamed this spring; his retiretell him about the last stop of a cal, sing songs. Just from kinder- ment becomes official in sum42-year career. garten to third grade, though. mer.

“This is just a fantastic The fourth-graders start looking And once in France, if he school,” he said.

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MARCH 8, 2012

Mount Si grad is off to hot start at Texas Tech man shortstop from Mount Si. Proudfoot is batting .341 Tim Proudfoot just did not with 16 hits, two doubles, three know. triples, nine runs batted in, 10 The Mount Si High School runs scored and 22 total bases. grad did not know what to His average is the team’s fourth expect, with this being his fresh- best, he has the second-most man year at total bases, the Texas Tech. third-most RBIs “I was confident I could He did not and runs, and know he would the most triples. compete at this level.” start Opening “I didn’t Day at short— Tim Proudfoot know I would stop for the Baseball player get such a great Red Raiders, start, but I was beating out two confident I other freshmen, could compete including a oneat this level,” time draft pick for the Cleveland Proudfoot said in a phone interIndians. view March 5. “I’m not shocked He did not know that the I am doing so well, but I’m team would start the season 9-3, shocked I’m getting so much winning eight of its first nine playing time.” games.

Proudfoot has started every Lastly, he did not know that game for the Red Raiders, facone of the big reasons for such See PROUDFOOT, Page 17 a great start would be the fresh-

By Sebastian Moraga

Photo by Texas Tech Athletics Communication

Tim Proudfoot’s career as a Mount Si Wildcat finished with the state title and a .360 batting average. His career as a Texas Tech Red Raider is off to a fine start as well, with him starting every game this season so far. The freshman shortstop beat out two other prized freshmen for the spot on the lineup.

Baseball tryouts make even seniors jittery

By Michele Mihalovich For a freshman trying out for a position on a high school baseball team, the experience can be nerve-racking enough.

But when that team is Mount Si, the 3A Washington State Champions from last year, then the pressure is really on.

Eighteen freshmen showed up at the baseball field on a chilly, sunny Feb. 27 afternoon to try and wow the Mount Si coaching staff, or at the very least, try to not bomb.

Head coach Elliott Cribby said after day one of tryouts that he was impressed by the freshmen.

They are passionate about the game, and about being Wildcats, he said.

For the first day, coaching staff members paid attention to how well the players moved and what specifics they can bring to the table, Cribby said.

“We want hard workers who hustle and pay attention to detail,” he said.

Tryouts were a four-day process and Cribby said 16 of the freshmen made the cut, with two qualifying for the JV team.

Four seniors from last season remembered their freshman-year tryouts, and felt the students’ apprehension.

“Oh, I hated it,” said Trevor Taylor, a starting pitcher last season.

Reese Karalus, who pitched

and played first base last year, remembered thinking at tryouts that he had good enough skills for high school baseball, but he didn’t know if he’d even be able to prove he had the skills because he was so nervous.

Trevor Lane, a pitcher and first baseman from last year’s championship season, remembers thinking he was going to

“It is very rare to have three pitchers who have the talent that these young men have.”

— Elliott Cribby Head coach drop balls or flub tosses.

“I was so nervous with everyone watching,” he said. “It was terrible.”

But Lane also pointed out that being a freshman doesn’t mean you can’t prove yourself and move up to varsity, which is what happened his freshman year.

And this season has a lot of holes to fill from losing key players after graduation.

Most notable were catcher Robb Lane, shortstop Tim Proudfoot and centerfielder Max Brown. Brown ended his high school career with a .500 batting average last season.

Even being seniors and returning champs doesn’t guarantee players starting positions.

“I’m more nervous about these tryouts then I have been in recent years because there are a lot of expectations,” said Ryan Atkinson, an infielder last season, referring to the baseball team’s first state championship in the school’s history.

But coach Cribby had nothing but praise for his returning players, especially the pitchers.

“They are all seniors and will play a huge role to our team’s success this year,” he said. “They all pitch and it is one of the reasons we are ranked 27th in the country by Baseball America. It is very rare to have three pitchers who have the talent that these young men have.”

Tryouts for sophomores, juniors and seniors was also a four-day event: two days at the University of Washington’s Dempsey indoor field and two days at Marymoor Park’s ballfields.

Not surprisingly, all four seniors made the varsity team, along with 30 other upperclassmen.

Michele Mihalovich: 392-6434, ext. 246, or editor@snovalleystar.com. Comment at www. snovalleystar.com.

By Michele Mihalovich

A player warms up during an early season practice.

SnoValley Star

MARCH 8, 2012

PAGE 17

Snoqualmie Valley Wrestling Club teachs toughness to youths

By Sebastian Moraga From ages 5 to 14, from naps to zits, from toys to teendom, the Snoqualmie Valley Wrestling Club forges toughness into children of all ages and sizes.

The four-year-old club, cofounded by Nels Melgaard, Chris Garcia, and Misti and Joe Marenco, welcomes the challenge of enticing children to a sport that has nothing easy about it.

Among the younger ages, the main challenge for the club’s parents is not to go “aww” too loudly during a match.

“A lot of times, it’s just very cute to watch them,” said Misti

Proudfoot From Page 16 ing powerhouses such as Rice and No.10-ranked Arizona State University.

“It does not surprise me at all,” Elliott Cribby, the Mount Si head coach who coached Proudfoot his senior season, wrote in an email. “I told Division 1 programs last year that he could start for them then, and I still support that statement today.”

Cribby called Proudfoot a great young man and a true leader. Cribby wrote that the “irreplaceable” Proudfoot is very close to being the proverbial five-tool player.

Proudfoot’s success on the college diamond has helped the Wildcats underclassmen this year, Cribby added.

“Tim has shown the ability to adapt to a faster-paced game and he is carving an impressive trail for other underclassmen in the future,” he wrote.

Proudfoot said he had to adjust to facing college-level pitching.

Hurlers have much better control and location at this level, he said.

“They can throw all their pitches for strikes,” he said.

“They are more accurate with it.

They can throw a fastball or off-

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Marenco, who added that if it gets too hard for a 5-yearold, coaches can always stop a match.

Youth aside, the tiny wrestlers learn plenty once they put on a singlet. Marenco said the club’s main goal is to expose children to wrestling, and teach them certain values.

“They learn respect, perseverance, sticking with something, doing something challenging,” Marenco said. “You try to help them along that process. There’s going to be stumbling blocks.

It’s going to be hard.”

The teaching also extends to the parents, she said. All a parent should say is he or she

loves the child and loves watching him or her practice a sport.

Leave coaching to the coaches.

“Don’t criticize or anything like that,” she said. “Because they are out there by themselves.”

At one point, the founders of the club were out there by themselves.

With no wrestling club nearby, the Marencos had to drive to Redmond to let their children wrestle.

“I came back and talked to Chris Garcia and Nels Melgaard,” she said. “We sat down and said, ‘We need to bring this out to the community.’”

The parks are bigger, which explains his three triples, he said.

“In high school, the bats were better and the fences were shorter,” he said. “So, the balls that would go over the fence are now dropping for triples.”

Another difference from the prep game is how mentally demanding it can be. In high school, Proudfoot said, it was easier to lose focus and still succeed.

In college ball, he cannot afford to lose focus.

Photo by Texas Tech Athletics Communication “I have to be preTim Proudfoot, shortstop for the Texas Tech pared for every pitch,” University Red Raiders, during a game this he said. season.

Other differences speed stuff and locate it where were easier to deal they want to.” with, like the amount of sun-

Garcia’s father ran a wrestling club, said Aaron Colby, the recreation coordinator at Si View Community Center, which houses the club. Joe Marenco used to wrestle, and Melgaard had been in the community for decades.

After four years, the club is averaging 70 children per year, Misti Marenco said. Children are split by age. Categories include peewee, bantam, intermediate, novice, schoolboy and cadet.

Marenco said she feels proudest of the sense of accomplishment children feel when they learn and improve, regardless of results.

“Watching a kid who starts

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shine he gets playing in Texas mates wanting to follow on his in the spring or the posh digs footsteps: practice, and practice at Texas Tech’s newly renohard. vated Rip Griffin Park.

“Just prepare every day “I love it like it’s your down here,” he “Practice like it’s a game last,” he said. said. “It’s a lot “Practice like because if you don’t, different but it’s a game it was pretty because if you you’re going to play like easy to adjust. don’t, you’re you practice.”

It would be going to play harder to go like you prac— Tim Proudfoot tice. from Texas to Baseball player Washington.

“Do your I like the sun best every and it sure day,” he added, shines a lot “because you more down never know here.” who’s watching.”

With the sun shining bright on both his face and his baseSebastian Moraga: 392-6434, ext. 221, or smoraga@snovalleystar.com. Comment ball career, Proudfoot had one at www.snovalleystar.com. last word for his former team-

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out not being the best, but still works at it and works at it,” she said. “Watching him grow and then all of a sudden, they are getting up there.”

Results, though, serve as proof that the club moves forward. More than a dozen club wrestlers made it to state competitions this year, and the name of the club is growing.

“In the wrestling community now, our name is being mentioned. We’re Snoqualmie Valley,” she said.

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PAGE 18

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home services Washington State Construction Contractor law requires that all advertisers for construction related services include the contractor registration number.

Local students can design artwork for the Washington State Voters’ Pamphlet — a guide distributed to more than 3 million people statewide before the November election.

Secretary of State Sam Reed’s office invited students in fourth and fifth grades to enter the contest.

In addition to featuring the top artwork in the voters’ guide, Reed plans to conduct a surprise visit to the winner’s school.

The theme for the contest is “If I Could Vote.” The art contest is a chance for Washington’s youngest citizens to be a part of elections and think about what they might value as voters.

Students enter the contest by submitting art with the entry form by April 16. Find the entry form at www.sos.wa.gov/_assets/ elections/just4you/Entryform.pdf.

Email JulieAnne Behar at julieanne.behar@sos.wa.go to ask questions or to learn more about the contest.

Department of Ecology enlists teenagers to clean up litter from roadsides Local teenagers can join the effort to clean up Washington parks and roadsides soon.

The state Department of Ecology’s Northwest Regional Office in Bellevue plans to hire about 72 teenagers to help clean up area roadsides, parks and recreation areas during the summer.

Ecology Youth Corps members also learn how to better care for the environment through the program.

Youths ages 14-17 can apply through April 10 to work with one of Ecology Youth Corps crews cleaning up litter this summer in King, Skagit, Snohomish and Whatcom counties. Crews work Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., in a four-week session.

Sessions run from June 28 through July 25 and again from July 26 through Aug. 21.

Participants earn $9.04 per hour.

Teenagers can pick up applications through area school counselors and at www.ecy. wa.gov/programs/swfa/eyc/nwro. html.

Dollars for the Ecology Youth Corps program comes from a dedicated fund called the Waste Reduction, Recycling and Model Litter Control Account.

The account is funded by a voter-approved tax on items related to the litter problem.

Calendar

MARCH 8, 2012

Public meetings q North Bend Planning Commission, 7 p.m. March 8, City Hall, 211 Main Ave. S. q North Bend Public Health and Safety Committee, 4 p.m.

March 13, City Hall q North Bend Economic Development Commission, 8 a.m. March 15, Community and Economic Development office, 126 E. Fourth St. q North Bend Community and Economic Development Committee, 1:30 p.m. March 20, Community and Economic Development Office q North Bend City Council, 7 p.m. March 20, Mount Si Senior Center, 411 Main Ave. S. q North Bend Transportation and Public Works Committee, 3:45 p.m.

March 21, Public Works building, 1155 E. North Bend Way q North Bend Planning Commission, 7 p.m. March 22, City Hall q North Bend City Council Work Study, 7 p.m. March 27, City Hall q North Bend Parks Commission, 6 p.m. March 28, Community and Economic Development Office q Snoqualmie City Council, 7 p.m. March 12, City Hall.

38624 S.E. River St. q Snoqualmie Community and Economic Affairs Committee, 5 p.m. March 13, City Hall q Snoqualmie Shoreline Hearings Board, 5 p.m. March 14, City Hall q Snoqualmie Public Safety Committee, 5 p.m. March 15, Snoqualmie Fire Station 37600 S.E. Snoqualmie Parkway q Snoqualmie Public Works Committee, 5 p.m. March 19, City Hall q Snoqualmie Planning and Parks Committee, 6:30 p.m.

March 19, City Hall q Snoqualmie Parks Board, 7 p.m. March 19, City Hall q Snoqualmie Planning Commission, 7 p.m. March 19, City Hall q Snoqualmie Finance and Administration, 5:30 p.m.

March 20, City Hall q Snoqualmie Arts Commission 7 p.m. March 20, City Hall q Snoqualmie Economic Development Commission, 8 a.m. March 21, Snoqualmie Fire Station q Snoqualmie City Council, 7 p.m. March 26, City Hall q Snoqualmie Community and Economic Affairs Committee, 5 p.m. March 27, City Hall q Snoqualmie Shoreline Hearings Board, 5 p.m. March 28, City Hall q Snoqualmie Public Safety Committee, 5 p.m. March 29, Snoqualmie Fire Station

PAGE 19

March

‘Fire’ to burn up the ‘dog’

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Contributed

The Fire Inside will play at 7 p.m. March 8 at The Black Dog, 8062 Railroad Ave. S.E., Snoqualmie. Call 831-3647 (831-DOGS).

Music/entertainment q “A Man For All Seasons” 7:30 p.m., March 9, 10, 16, 17, 23 and 24, The Black Dog, $1215 per ticket, www.brownpapertickets.com, reservations recommended q Young Lizards, 7 p.m.

March 9, Boxley’s, 101 W. North Bend Way, 292-9307 q Jason Ames, 9:30 p.m.

March 10, Finaghty’s, 7726 Center Blvd. S.E., Snoqualmie, 888-8833 q Sarah Christine, 8 p.m.

March 10, Snoqualmie Brewery and Taproom 8032 Falls Ave. S.E., Snoqualmie, 766-2837 q Janette West Band, 7 p.m.

March 10, Boxley’s q Danny Kolke Trio, 6 p.m.

March 11, 18, 25, Boxley’s q Carolyn Graye Vocal Soiree, 7 p.m. March 12, 26, Boxley’s q Chris Morton, 7 p.m.

March 14, Boxley’s q Darto & and John White & Seth, 7:30 p.m. March 15, The Black Dog q Reuel Lubag and Danny Kolke Quartet, 7 p.m. March 15, Boxley’s q Milo Petersen Trio, 7 p.m.

March 16, Boxley’s q Valley Center Stage presents “Jack and the Beanstalk,” 6:30 p.m. March 16, Si View Community Center, 400 S.E. Orchard Drive. Tickets are a $10 donation per family. q James Howard Blues Band, 8 p.m. March 17, Snoqualmie Brewery and Taproom q Cherlyn Johnson and Heartdance, St. Patrick’s Day special, 7 p.m. March 17, Boxley’s

q St. Patrick’s Day Party, Finaghty’s, 8 a.m. to 1 a.m.

March 17 q Pearl Django, 7 p.m.

March 21, Boxley’s q Kelley Johnson and John Hansen 7 p.m., March 22, Boxley’s q Chris Clark Trio, 7 p.m.

March 23, Boxley’s q Jason Hill (Extra Sauce), 8 p.m. March 24, Snoqualmie Brewery and Taproom q Valley Center Stage presents “Murder Medium Rare,” interactive murder mystery theater, 6:30 p.m. March 24, Boxley’s, $65 per person until March 17, $75 after. Call Boxley’s for tickets. q John Hansen, 7 p.m.

March 28, Boxley’s q Gigs for Guatemala fundraiser, dinner, open mic and silent auction, 6-9 p.m. March 29, The Black Dog q Katy Bourne Duo, 7 p.m.

March 29, Boxley’s q Tim Hickey and Jazz Strings, 7:30 p.m. March 30, The Black Dog q Frank Kohl Trio, 7 p.m.

March 30, Boxley’s q The Left Coast Gypsies, CD release party, 8 p.m. March 31, The Black Dog q Ravinwolf, 8 p.m. March 31, Snoqualmie Brewery and Taproom q Valley Center Stage presents “Leisure Time Presents The Billy Dupree Show,” 7:30 p.m. March 30-31, Valley Center Stage. The show is a spoof of the old-time radio shows. Tickets are $10 to 12.50.

Events q Collages by North Bend

artists Susan Olds and Audrey Zeder will be on display at Mount Si Senior Center, 411 Main Ave. S., North Bend, Monday-Friday through March 31, free, 888-3434 q SnoValley Indoor Playground, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays when school is in session, Si View Community Center, 400 S.E. Orchard Drive.

A donation of $1 per child per visit is appreciated. q “Itsy Bitsy Yoga for Tots,” 9:30-10:30 a.m. daily through March 29 at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge, membership not required.

Email trinayoga@gmail.com or call 443-6228 for more information. Six-week session is $65 plus $10 fee for nonTPC members.

Four-week session is $55 plus registration fee. q “Itsy Bitsy Yoga for Tykes,” 10:45-11:30 a.m. daily through March 29 at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge, $65 for members, plus $10 fee for nonmembers q Tree planting at Three Forks Natural Area, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., March 10, 24 and 31, 39912 S.E. Park St., Snoqualmie q Tween Scene, after-school activities, starting March 5 at Snoqualmie Valley YMCA. Fifth-graders engage in fun and unique activities while remaining physically active, getting homework help and learning leadership skills. Call 256-3115 for more information. q Kids U Session 3B, afterschool activities starting March 5 at the Snoqualmie Valley YMCA focusing on science, arts, reading and sports, challenging children and stretching their imaginations. Call 256-3115 for

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a list of classes and more information. q Sallal Grange Community Games Night, 7 p.m. last Wednesday of each month.

Please consider bringing a small monetary donation to help the Grange keep organizing events like this, www.sallalgrange.org. q American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life, second kick-off, 11 a.m. March 10 at Snoqualmie Valley YMCA, 35018 S.E. Ridge St., Snoqualmie q Valley Animal Partners’ Pawsta Pawty and Dessert Auction fundraiser, 5:30 p.m.

March 10 at the Snoqualmie Eagles, 8200 Railroad Ave. S.E. Tickets available at door or in advance at Another Hair Place, Pet Place Market and U Dirty Dog. Adults $10, seniors $7, children 6-12 years old $5, free to children 5 and younger.

Donate a dessert by calling 8882120. q Snoqualmie Valley YMCA Zumba For A Cause fundraiser, 9 a.m. March 10, 35018 Ridge St. S.E. Open to members and nonmembers alike. Proceeds will benefit the YMCA’s annual Partners With Youth campaign. No minimum donation required. Call 2563157 or email Megan at mworzella@seattleymca.org. q Leukemia and Lymphoma Society fundraiser, March 11. Snoqualmie firefighters will climb Seattle’s Columbia Center to raise money along with firefighters from around the Eastside.

Donate online at www. llswa.org. Click on “Scott’s Firefighter Stairclimb,” click on “Donate,” click on “Search For A Department” and type “Local 2878” in the box. You may also donate in person at the Snoqualmie fire station, 37600 S.E. Snoqualmie Parkway. Make checks payable to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. q Saint Patrick’s Day 5K run, 7 a.m., March 17, at Snoqualmie Ridge. Learn more at www.runsnoqualmie.com. q Issaquah Alps Trails Club will hike Little Si, 9 a.m. March 17. Hike is 5.8 miles. Call 5576554.

Submit an item for the community calendar by emailing smoraga@snovalleystar.com or go to www.snovalleystar.com.

PAGE 20

SnoValley Star

MARCH 8, 2012