snovalleystar040711

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

Mount Si track team keeps busy in the rain.

Page 12

Snoqualmie eyes annexing former mill site

April 7, 2011 VOL. 3, NO. 14

Second try’s the charm School district readies another bond for voters.

Page 2

By Dan Catchpole

Police blotter Page 6

Crisis management Law officials work on shooting simulation.

Page 8

Sounds of Celtic Local band The Fire Inside makes merry music.

Page 8

Top teacher Middle school instructor named teacher of the year.

Page 8

And the winner is...

North Bend teacher gets Star FM’s weekly honor.

Page 11

Dispatches from Everest Page 12

By Dan Catchpole

Ty Hughes, of Fairwood, throws a stick for his dogs, Payton and Kona, at recently flooded Sandy Cove Park in Snoqualmie.

Minor flooding closes roads but causes no related injuries

By Dan Catchpole Emergency officials had to shut down several roads March 31 in Snoqualmie Valley due to flooding along the Snoqualmie River. Two roads in the city of Snoqualmie and several roads in unincorporated King County were topped by floodwater.

No injuries related to the

POSTAL CUSTOMER

Southeast Mill Pond Road and Southeast David Powell Road.

The Meadowbrook Way Bridge over Snoqualmie River was also closed.

All roads in the upper Snoqualmie Valley were reopened the next morning, according to city and county See FLOODING, Page 6

Costs vs. benefits Several council members are uncertain about the area’s potential benefit, but only one, Councilman Charlie Peterson, voted against beginning negotiations.

“My concerns are that we’re not evaluating the social and See ANNEXATION, Page 3

Restaurant Black Dog opens with high hopes

By Dan Catchpole

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

flooding have been reported.

The localized flooding followed several days of heavy rains falling on already saturated ground.

In Snoqualmie, portions of Boalch Avenue Southeast and Southeast North Street were closed. Outside the city, King County officials closed parts of Southeast Reinig Road,

Snoqualmie is considering annexing the former Weyerhaeuser Mill site from King County. The site is owned partially by Weyerhaeuser and Snoqualmie Mill Ventures.

The City Council voted to 5-1 at its March 28 meeting to enter into negotiations with the county.

But several council members raised questions about the potential cost of annexing the area, most of which sits in the FEMA floodway.

Mayor Matt Larson’s administration believes the site still offers economic opportunities despite the strict limits on development.

While the city talks with the county about the details of annexation, the Planning Commission will consider the issue and hold public hearings.

The commission will make a recommendation on annexation to the council, which will have the final vote on the matter.

Snoqualmie’s art scene has a new hangout in the city’s downtown. The Black Dog opened its doors in mid-March. It’s a café by necessity, but in the eyes of the owners, it is venue for supporting the performing arts — while providing good food and drinks.

As with other restaurants in downtown Snoqualmie, the owners will rely heavily on

tourists to keep The Black Dog from going into the red. But they want to lessen their dependence on seasonal traffic by expanding the café’s culinary and entertainment offerings.

The owners — five friends — know the economy is tough.

The previous tenant in their location, Isadora’s Café, went out of business at the end of See BLACK DOG, Page 3

By Dan Catchpole

Jill Brocco (left), Sharon Chapman and CJ Chapman catch up at The Black Dog in Snoqualmie. The three used to be regulars at Isadora’s Café, which closed in December.

SnoValley Star

PAGE 2

APRIL 7, 2011

School district sending another bond to voters

Automotive journalists put cars through the paces at DirtFish

“We really think it’s a really solid, not only cost-effective solution. But it provides a long-term solution for all of our sixth- through 12th-graders.”

More than two dozen automotive journalists gathered at the former Weyerhaeuser Mill site outside Snoqualmie to test the limits and characteristics of sport-utility vehicles on the market.

After two days of putting the vehicles through the paces, the journalists, all members of the Northwest Automotive Press Association, picked the Jeep Grand Cherokee as the overall SUV of 2011.

The event, known as Mudfest, was held at the DirtFish Rally School, which offers courses on rally car driving.

“DirtFish Rally School offered an ideal location for the acceleration, braking and stability testing as well as the off-road courses,” said Teresa McCallion, the association’s communications director.

The Kia Sportage was named the Best Affordable SUV. The Ford Explorer took the Best Family SUV title. The Volvo XC90 was named the Best Luxury SUV. The Jeep Grand Cherokee was also named the Best Off-Road SUV. It was the 18th year the association has held Mudfest.

Centerpiece still a new middle school, upgrades

By Sebastian Moraga The Snoqualmie Valley School District wants your two cents so they can ask you for two more.

The school bond for a new middle school that failed by one vote in February returns to the ballot April 26 almost untouched.

It differs from February’s proposal by two cents. Interest rates have driven the projected cost to voters from 47 cents per $1,000 of property value to 49 cents. It will last 20 years.

Besides the new school, the bond money would include upgrades such as new boilers at Fall City and North Bend elementaries, a new roof at Two Rivers School, new floors at Opstad Elementary, all-weather fields at Chief Kanim and Twin Falls middle schools and improved sidewalks at Chief Kanim, as well as the introduction of an improved curriculum for science, technology, engineering and math in grades 912.

Less than two months since

the slimmest loss in the district’s history was certified, district leaders again preached the virtues of the bond.

“We really think it’s a really solid, not only cost-effective solution,” said Ryan Stokes, the district’s finance director, “But it provides a long-term solution for all of our sixth- through 12th-graders.”

A second campaign won’t mean a large expense, said probond activist Cliff Brown, of Valley Voters For Education.

“It will be maybe a couple of thousand dollars,” he said. “It will be pretty frugal.”

Regardless of the April 26 result, the district will turn Snoqualmie Middle School into a ninth-graders’ annex by 2013.

A loss in April means the bond proposal won’t appear again on a ballot until 2012.

Stokes said this would guarantee at least one school year with two middle schools instead of the current three, while the new Snoqualmie Middle School is built on Snoqualmie Ridge.

“It would displace a lot of kids,” Stokes said.

If the bond passes, the district will pursue permits from the city of Snoqualmie and architects will begin designing a new school.

The prospect of state budget cuts won’t impact the maintenance of a new school in the

Valley, Stokes said.

The new school will look like Twin Falls Middle School in most areas but the price. This new school will cost millions of dollars more to build.

Stokes said cost increases from when Twin Falls was built, along with work needed at the new middle school’s site, are responsible for the bigger price tag.

“We have three wetlands that we have to work around and a fairly steep slope that we’ll have to do a lot of land work on,” Stokes said.

The ninth-grade annex, not the new school, will effectively be the new campus for the district, Stokes said. This is because the middle school will be a new building for an existing school and most costs there will be transferable.

Running the ninth-grade annex will cost about $650,000 per year in operating costs, he predicted.

After building the new middle school, the district might not need a new school for almost five years, at least.

That depends partly on whether a state mandate for allday kindergarten gets financing in Olympia, Stokes said.

That mandate is currently a law but the state has no idea how to finance it, the district’s Public Information Coordinator

Remember Dental Check Ups during the Back to School Season

— Ryan Stokes School district finance director Carolyn Malcolm said. Thus, it may be delayed.

“If that mandate is delayed, that gives us some flexibility,” Stokes said. “We might not have to build another elementary school.”

Malcolm said the county assessor’s office has released information ranking the Snoqualmie Valley School District’s tax rate of $3.88 per $1,000 of assessed value as one of the lowest in the state.

Vashon, Lake Washington, Bellevue, Mercer Island, Seattle and Skykomish have lower rates than Snoqualmie Valley, but the comparison is “not apples to apples,” Malcolm said.

Bellevue, Seattle or Lake Washington school districts have large commercial tax bases.

Skykomish has a little more than 60 students, a flyer from the school district stated.

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

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APRIL 7, 2011

International instability expected to increase state budget woes Washington state’s budget shortfall just got worse.

The state’s Economic and Revenue Forecast Council released its latest revenue forecast March 17, projecting a further revenue decrease of $698 million for the 2011-2013 budget.

State officials now project the budget shortfall for those years could reach about $5.1 billion if current services are maintained, if future promises are met, and wage and benefit increases are paid.

Washington’s chief economist, Arun Raha, said geopolitical uncertainties around the world are to blame for the decline.

With all the instability in the Middle East, oil prices have been driven up. That rise has been temporarily offset by the disaster in Japan, which greatly decreased demand for oil from one of the world’s largest petroleum consumers.

However, Japan is also one of Washington’s largest trade partners, and demand is down for almost all goods, not just oil.

“It is a fluid and fast-changing situation. The preliminary economic forecast, presented less than two weeks ago, is already outdated,” the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council said in its release.

The decrease in revenue will also affect the current two-year budget, which ends this year.

The council predicts that the state will have nearly $80 million less than forecast in November.

Correction In the March 24 issue of the Star, the address for the Snoqualmie Valley Alliance Church should have read 36017 S.E. Fish Hatchery Road, in Fall City.

Black Dog From Page 1 December.

The group isn’t new to the restaurant business. For one, opening The Black Dog is like coming home.

Chris Coffing opened Isadora’s in 1990, which she sold in 2008 to an employee, Jody Sands. Coffing still had money in the café, though.

“When I’m behind the bar, it feels like I never left,” Coffing said.

Not long after Sands took over, the economy went into recession. The decline in business finally caught up with her in late 2010. In November, she decided to close before the new year.

It just didn’t make financial sense to keep the doors open, Sands said before closing.

“It just made me too sad to see it close up,” Coffing said.

Since she was still invested in Isadora’s, she would have to take a financial loss if she walked away. Or she could reopen the café.

At the time, Coffing was performing in a production of A Christmas Carol in Preston.

She approached some of her fellow actors about joining her in taking over the location under a new name.

The group chose a name indicative of their vision of creating a place to support the performing arts. They had performed together as Theater Black Dog. So, Isadora’s became, The Black Dog. Before reopening, the space received a makeover.

“We’ve put a lot of sweat equity into it,” said Rich Payne, one of the owners.

Payne worked in restaurant construction for several decades before being laid off in 2008. He has overseen the extensive and ongoing physical modifications to the location.

The location’s stage has been converted into a black box theater. The minimalist setting is flexible and puts the focus on the performance.

The owners also plan on adding a patio and outdoor seating behind the café for the summer.

Most of the changes to the floor plan won’t be noticed by the customers, but the kitchen staff will greatly appreciate the

expanded space in the back.

Two of the owners, Janet Payne, Rich’s wife, and Greg Bulmer, Coffing’s husband, are in charge of the food. Janet, who has more than two decades in the culinary industry, is the café’s primary chef.

The menu will feature some standards, such as a BLT, but will change regularly, Janet said.

The Black Dog will also feature several homemade items, including bread, soup, pasta and “killer cinnamon toast,” Coffing said.

In addition, the café will have a well-stocked wine bar and selection of microbrew beers.

The expanded menu and live entertainment are keys to the owners’ plan for attracting new customers and new revenue.

Live music will be the mainstay of The Black Dog’s entertainment. It will run the gamut from rock to bluegrass, said Payne.

The owners plan to have live music on Friday and Saturday nights, and Sunday mornings, when the café will serve brunch.

They hope to partner with arts groups in Snoqualmie Valley, including Valley Center Stage.

CJ Chapman is happy to see the place back open.

A former regular, he now lives in Seattle, but the electrician volunteered to help with wiring the kitchen. Several members of the arts community lent their time and skills to the project. When he lived in the Valley, Chapman came to Isadora’s to perform or watch friends perform. Even after moving to Seattle, he tried to stop in once a month.

“A lot of my legend was made here,” he said jokingly.

But he did build up a reserve of stories from hanging out at Isadora’s. There was the time he and the audience took a performance onto the street, down Railroad Avenue and into the former bingo hall.

“They took their bingo very seriously,” Chapman said.

“Dabbers flew.”

The location encouraged artists to experiment.

“It was like a large living room,” he said.

Chapman hopes it will be again. He is trying to bring Seattle artists out to Snoqualmie, to build a bridge between the two art communities.

“It’s sort of like an evolution,” Chapman said.

PAGE 3

Annexation From Page 1 economic costs of annexing that area before moving forward,” Peterson said.

Supporters of annexation said that it could increase the city’s business tax base, but by how much and at what cost is not clear.

“All we were given was it would increase real estate tax revenue, increased business and operating tax revenue. We were given no dollar amounts,” Peterson said.

The site sits inside the county’s urban growth boundary, and, if annexed, it would be zoned as commercial/industrial use.

The only business on the land is DirtFish Rally School, which is owned by the owners of Snoqualmie Mill Ventures.

FEMA floodway designation prohibits construction that would raise flood levels.

The area is currently part of unincorporated King County.

Snoqualmie police respond when requested. Snoqualmie Fire Department has an agreement with DirtFish to respond, for which it is reimbursed.

By annexing the area, the city would bare the costs of providing services and maintaining the roads, two of which often flood.

Peterson wondered if the money needed for that could be better used elsewhere.

“We have over six miles in downtown Snoqualmie and on the Ridge that need to be

repaired,” he said.

The city is considering taking on debt to pay for the work he referenced.

Councilman Bob Jeans believes the property has “tremendous potential” for industry or retail.

Annexation will also give Snoqualmie control over property that sits next to the downtown, albeit across the river.

That is the priority for Councilman Kingston Wall.

“When is it ever a good thing to leave the future of your neighboring land up to someone else beside you?” he asked.

King County’s willingness to part with the property did raise some concern for him, Wall said.

The county told Snoqualmie it had to vote to begin negotiations by March 28.

DirtFish supports the annexation.

“We feel we’re part of Snoqualmie,” said Ross Bentley, the school’s president.

Planning larger events will probably be easier with the city than with the county, he said.

It also will be easier for some neighbors to lodge noise complaints.

Gail McCullough and her neighbors in unincorporated King County say the school is too loud. They plan to file complaints with Snoqualmie before the annexation.

Bentley said the school is within noise regulations.

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

Opinion

PAGE 4

Editorial

Guest Column

Take a first step against drug abuse

Watch for bond ballots this week

Later this month, Snoqualmie and North Bend police and the Snoqualmie Tribe will be participating in the second annual National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. Prescription drugs are one of the most abused drugs in America. Teenagers are especially prone to abusing prescription drugs.

Take precautions to properly store any prescription medications in your home, and take any unused, old medications to the drug take back events.

Mark it on your calendar: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 30, at Sno Falls Credit Union, 9025 Meadowbrook Way S.E., Snoqualmie, and at the North Bend Park and Ride located between East McClellan Street and East Park Street.

Last year, police in Snoqualmie and North Bend collected more than 100 pounds of prescription drugs.

The statistics are frightening. Every day about 2,500 teens illegally use prescription drugs for the first time, according to the Partnership for a Drug Free America. Oftentimes, they obtain the drugs from the medicine cabinets in their homes.

The problem has become more acute in Washington in the past 15 years. From 1995 to 2008, deaths caused by accidental overdose of prescription pain medicine increased 1,700 percent, according to the state Department of Health. During that same period, hospitalizations from accidental overdoses increased 700 percent.

According to the Healthy Youth Survey, 12 percent of high school seniors had taken prescription pain medicine to get high.

Abusing prescription drugs is not solely a problem of the young. In 2008, the median age of people who had overdosed in Washington was 48 years old.

Abuse of prescription drugs is a community problem, and it requires a community solution.

Disposing of unused medicine and securing prescription drugs in your home is a first step. Join the community in confronting this problem.

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By Joel Aune In the upcoming election, Snoqualmie Valley voters will have another opportunity to consider the school bond, which missed approval by just one vote last February. Ballots will be mailed to registered voters this week.

This bond is the same proposal that was submitted to the voters in February. The $56.2 million bond would build a replacement middle school for students who will be displaced when Snoqualmie Middle School is converted to the Mount Si High School Freshman Learning Center in the fall of 2013.

The “new” Snoqualmie Middle School would also open in the fall of 2013, maintaining the three middle school model currently in place. The bond also provides funding for several projects that would replace expiring systems and achieve safety improvements at our existing schools. The bond

APRIL 7, 2011 is the culmination of two years of study, committee work, and community involvement. The study process yielded a cost-effective long-term solution that will resolve overcrowding and improve education in our middle and high schools for many years to come.

We believe it is a smart, responsible plan that will serve the students extremely well.

There are several reasons this bond is again being presented to the voters: The voters in our community sent a clear message—-a strong majority of voters support the plan, as evidenced by 59.998 percent voting “yes” in the last election.

The needs of our schools and students have not changed. Our district continues to grow. We will need to provide more learning space at the high school by the fall of 2013. The previously identified repairs and upgrades for our school facilities still exist and need attention if we are to preserve the integrity of school buildings across the district.

A delay in addressing these needs will likely be more expensive. Interest rates are extremely low right now, making it an excellent time to secure financing for these needed improvements. Costs for construction also remain low.

And most importantly, this plan will enable us to improve the educational experience for our students as we work to prepare them for their futures. It is our responsibility to ensure that there is appropriate space for our teachers to teach and our students to learn and grow.

This bond ensures that our schools’ facilities will remain functional and provide us with the tools necessary to educate our students.

Since the last election, updated tax information from King County has become available. This information provides context as to how our school tax rates compare to neighboring districts. Even though we are one of the fastest growing school districts in the state, Snoqualmie Valley’s total school tax rate remains in the lower third of the list.

For more information about the bond, including King County 2011 School Tax Rate Comparisons, I encourage you to visit the district website: www.svsd410.org.

Thank you for taking time to learn about the particulars of this bond.

The outcome of the election will have significant impact on our community, our schools, and the students of the Snoqualmie Valley.

Joel Aune is the superintenden for the Snoqualmie Valley School District.

Home Country

A pony mom is never too old for fun

By Slim Randles Margaret Clawson, down at the Rest of Your Life convalescent home, can’t help it, really. You see, she’s a pony mom. Her teenage daughters have horses, and she’s busy hauling the girls and their mounts around to horse shows, gymkhanas and barrel racings throughout our corner of the country on weekends.

Pony moms have … well, a way about them. So did Genghis Khan. As one old cowboy put it: “You can put a pony mom in a room full of Little League moms and she’ll whip them all into shape.”

So in a way Margaret couldn’t help herself.

Dud and Anita Campbell were invited to come and be judges last Friday, but weren’t sure what was happening until they got there. But there, smiling from ear to ear, were about half the inhabitants of the home lined up in their best bathrobes and non-skid slippers, holding onto their walkers.

“Okay guys,” said Margaret, inspecting the troops a la Rommel, “we’re going to see fair play done in each contest, but you will strive to win. It’s the American Way.” Nods and grins.

Then Margaret whipped out a

stopwatch and said, “Our first event is the pole bending. You will weave in and out of the chairs in the hallway, go Slim Randles completely Columnist around Grant’s wheelchair at the far end, and weave back. If you break the pattern, you will be disqualified. Okay now. Estelle, are you ready?”

Estelle was.

“Go!” There she went, in and out of the chairs, only getting her walker hung up on a chair leg

once during her run. Two wall bumps. No falls. No pattern breaks. Great applause as she crossed the finish line.

The event was eventually won

by Mitch, who claimed he’d been a track star in high school around the time the stock market crashed.

“You’ve probably noticed the obstacles we’ve put out,” Margaret then announced. “Lily, do you have your hearing aids on? That’s better. So now we come to the trail horse class. Get those ponies ready!”

You’re never too old for fun.

Brought to you by Slim Randles’s outdoor memoirs, Sweetgrass Mornings, available 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. E-mail is preferred. Letters must be signed and have a daytime phone number to verify authorship. Send them by Friday of each week to:

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APRIL 7, 2011

SnoValley Star

PAGE 5

SnoValley Star

PAGE 6

Police & Fire Snoqualmie police Broken taillight leads to DUI At 3:40 p.m., March 26, police saw a gray Plymouth Voyager traveling east on Southeast River Street with a broken taillight. A status check showed that the registered owner, 42-year-old Trevor Marcus Kennedy Crow had a suspended license.

The driver identified himself as Crow and said he had a suspended license. He was arrested on the suspended license warrant, handcuffed and placed into the patrol car. A strong odor of alcohol was emanating from Crow, and police asked him how much he had had to drink. He said he had had two beers, but a search of his vehicle yielded a six-pack with only two cans left.

After failing sobriety tests, he was cited for driving a motor vehicle under the influence of intoxicating liquor and driving with a suspended license in the third degree. He was taken to the Issaquah City Jail and booked on these charges.

Speeding while suspended At 11 p.m., March 27, police saw a 2000 Audi sedan going south on Snoqualmie Parkway about 21 miles above the posted speed limit. The driver had no

license, registration or insurance.

While he searched for paperwork, police saw a letter from the Department of Licensing notifying him of the suspension of his license. Due to dangerous driving conditions, police told the man he would be mailed a citation for speeding and lack of insurance, along with a criminal citation for driving with a suspended license.

North Bend police A little hike in the rain At 3:30 a.m., March 25, police saw two people exit the John Wayne trail in a downpour.

Police approached the subjects who said they were coming from a friend’s house in Snoqualmie.

One of them was wearing fatigues and said he was still serving in the military. A check on both people came back clear except for a suspended license on one of them.

Snoqualmie fire ❑ At 8:27 p.m. March 25, Snoqualmie EMTs were dispatched to Snoqualmie Casino for a medical call. The patient was evaluated and then left in care on scene. ❑ At 6:16 p.m. March 26, Snoqualmie EMTs were dispatched to Snoqualmie Casino for a medical call. The patient was evaluated and then left in care of family on scene.

❑ At 7:30 p.m. March 26, Snoqualmie EMTs responded to the Snoqualmie Ridge area for a medical call. The patient was treated and then transported to the hospital by Snoqualmie EMTs. ❑ At 7:50 p.m. March 27, Snoqualmie EMTs and Bellevue paramedics were dispatched to the Snoqualmie Valley Hospital for a patient transport to another facility. The patient was transported to the hospital by Bellevue paramedics. ❑ At 8:57 p.m. March 27, Snoqualmie EMTs responded to Snoqualmie Casino for a medical call. The patient was evaluated and then transported to the hospital by Snoqualmie EMTs. ❑ At 10:18 p.m. March 27, Snoqualmie EMTs and Bellevue paramedics were dispatched Snoqualmie Casino for a medical call. The patient was evaluated and then transported to the hospital by private ambulance. ❑ At 10:20 a.m. March 28, Snoqualmie EMTs were called to Snoqualmie Casino for a patient complaining of chest pain. The patient was evaluated and transported to the hospital for further care. ❑ At 3:36 p.m. March 28, the Snoqualmie Fire Department was dispatched to Silent Creek Avenue Southeast for a patient who had fallen. The patient was evaluated on scene and left at home in the care of family. ❑ At 8:36 a.m. March 29, Snoqualmie EMTs were called to Snoqualmie Casino for a fall patient with a knee injury.

Patient was evaluated and trans-

APRIL 7, 2011 ported to the local clinic by casino staff. ❑ At 3:47 a.m. March 30, Snoqualmie EMTs responded to Snoqualmie Casino for an ill female. Patient was evaluated and advised to go see her doctor at her earliest convenience. ❑ At 7:55 a.m. March 30, Snoqualmie Firefighters were dispatched to the Shell gas station for an injury from a blownout tire. The patient was treated on scene and transported to hospital for further treatment. ❑ At 5:48 p.m. March 30, Snoqualmie EMTs were called to Fairway Avenue for a sick patient. The patient was evaluated on scene and transported to the hospital. ❑ At 7:40 p.m. March 30, Snoqualmie EMTs were called to Meadowbrook Way for a soccer injury. The patient was treated on scene and transported to the hospital for further treatment. ❑ At 9:16 p.m. March 30, Snoqualmie EMTs and Bellevue paramedics were dispatched to Carmichael Street for a cardiac patient. The patient was evaluated on scene and left in the care of family. ❑ At 12:16 p.m. March 31, Snoqualmie EMTs were dispatched to Douglas Avenue for a patient with a bad headache.

The patient was evaluated and left at home to follow up with family doctor.

The Star publishes names of those arrested for DUI and those charged with felony crimes.

Information comes directly from local police reports. Information regarding North Bend fire calls was unavailable.

Snoqualmie Tribe judge dismisses case against Venturas

By Seattle Times staff Snoqualmie tribal council members Arlene Ventura and her son Kanium had their day in Snoqualmie tribal court Thursday, where the judge dismissed all charges against them. Each was elected to tribal council but had been suspended until a conclusion of the case.

The Venturas were criminally

Flooding From Page 1 officials.

Several roads in the lower Valley were also closed. They include 415th Way Southeast (between Uplands Way Southeast and Southeast 141st Street), 308th Avenue Southeast (between state Route 202 and Southeast 31st Street), West Snoqualmie River Road Northeast (between Southeast 24th Street and near Northeast Tolt Hill Road) and Neal Road Southeast (near state Route 203).

The three forks of Snoqualmie River crested at about noon March 31, according to the National Weather Service.

NWS gauges recorded a crest of nearly 30,000 cubic feet per second. That is well above the 20,000 cfs threshold for King County’s Flood Phase III. Snoqualmie emergency officials don’t get worried until the flow tops 40,000 cfs at Snoqualmie Falls, Snoqualmie Fire Chief Bob Rowe said.

The peak at Snoqualmie Falls hit about 32,000 cfs that afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.

In the lower Valley, the Snoqulamie crested at about 35,000 cfs early the next morning.

charged in tribal court and suspended from their council positions late last year in connection with an ill-fated audit of the tribe’s casino. In an oral order from the bench, the court held that the doctrine of legislative immunity prevents council members from being prosecuted for engaging in legitimate legislative acts.

Reinstatement to the council will be the subject of a requested court order, said Kyle Gotchy, an attorney at Garvey, Schubert Barer helping with the case.

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State extends studded tire deadline to April 14 Washington state has extended the deadline for removing studded tires from vehicles to April 14. It is the second extension this year.

The Washington State Department of Transportation extended the deadline because forecasts call for continued

winter driving conditions across the mountain passes and higher-elevation areas in eastern Washington, according to a news release from WSDOT. Studded tires are legal in Washington from Nov. 1 to March 31, unless the deadline is extended.

WSDOT officials remain concerned about safety risks and

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roadway damage associated with studded tires. Research on studded tires consistently shows that vehicles equipped with studded tires require longer stopping distance on wet or dry pavement, according to the release.

WSDOT officials encouraged drivers in lower elevations with no plans to drive over passes to remove studded tires earlier than April 14.

PAGE 7

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APRIL 7, 2011

With a little help from my friends

By Sebastian Moraga Talking about her radical hysterectomy hurts, but doesn’t break Toddia Stone.

Talking about her dire financial situation is tough, but she’s tougher.

No, what makes the torrent of tears unload from the eyes of this North Bend woman is talking about new tires.

In the midst of her chemo this past winter, Stone’s friends kidnapped her vehicle, put new tires on it and fixed it, so she would be safer traveling back and forth from the hospital.

“My friends,” she said, voice breaking, “I have some wonderful friends. I didn’t even know about this, they did it to surprise me.”

They showed up in shifts to clean her house, fill her fridge and keep her in clean laundry.

“They’ve given me Toddia Stone money because I’ve got no money,” she said. “They gave me a bunch of Valentine cards with cash in them.”

In treatment since the beginning of February, she will undergo chemotherapy until this summer. The diagnosis was one more link in a chain

By Sebastian Moraga

See FRIENDS, Page 9

The Fire Inside makes merry Celtic tunes

By Laura Geggel

ON THE WEB

A shooting simulation occurred at Snoqualmie Middle School March 31 hosted by members of the Coalition of Small Police Agencies.

School shooting simulation unites agencies behind safety

> > www.youtube.com

Irish music lithely springs from its instruments during reels, jigs and pub songs.

“I like it because it’s actually quite simplistic, but you can make it complex,” Issaquah violinist Tami Curtis said. “It’s just plain fun. It puts a smile on your face.”

Curtis and six other local musicians, living in an area stretching from Issaquah to the Snoqualmie Valley and up to Redmond, have formed a Celtic band named The Fire Inside.

The band is the brainchild

By Sebastian Moraga Search for ‘The Fire Inside Celtic at Vino Bella, Issaquah

of Carol Whitaker, of Fall City.

Whitaker played for an informal group, and she knew several other people who played in bands about town. She wanted to play more challenging Celtic music, so she took her flute and penny whistle and formed a group of her own this past winter.

See BAND, Page 9

Contributed

The Celtic group The Fire Inside is playing gigs across the Eastside.

From top left are Carol Whitaker, Tami Curtis, Sue Lawrence and David Edfeldt. From bottom left are Daniel Horn, Michael Hurtenbach and Greg Stearns.

The shooter fired on the victims and policemen fired on him.

Then, they strolled one room over and reviewed it all while sipping on Starbucks.

Another shooter fired twice.

Police broke into his hideaway and unloaded on him.

Then, the shooter thanked the officers. They told him to give his family their best regards.

It may look like fun and games at times, but the Coalition of Small Police Agencies’ Active Shooter Training is serious business.

Officers from 14 police departments trained at Snoqualmie Middle School March 28-31 for future publicplace shootings.

The setting was realistic: shots ringing out, victims screaming and police officers in full gear breaking into a room like in the movies.

Firearms weighed the same, looked the same, and felt the same as the real thing. They even loaded and disassembled the same way.

Instead of bullets, the weapons carried Simunitions, a non-lethal wax bullet filled with dyed laundry detergent.

By Sebastian Moraga

A police officer shows what his mask looks like after being hit with a Simunition, a wax bullet loaded with dyed laundry detergent.

Instructors allowed no other weapons — like Tasers or batons — besides the Simunition-loaded guns and rifles. They frisked everyone entering the school — twice.

Officers received one loaded weapon and one magazine of Simunitions.

Issaquah Police Department Officer Paul Fairbanks said the

training happened at a school because many shootings have occurred at one. Because of that, school districts often let police departments train there.

Trainings like this happen at least once a year, Fairbanks said.

Coalition members include the police departments in See SHOOTING, Page 9

SnoValley Star

APRIL 7, 2011

Shooting From Page 8 Issaquah, Snoqualmie, Carnation, and Duvall.

“About 10 years ago, these agencies got together and figured out that if they pooled their resources they could do more things,” Fairbanks said.

The Active Shooter Training gives officers the basics for what Fairbanks called an “active shooter incident.” Using the latest military tactics, officers study and rehearse scenarios. Nobody improvises anything: civilians acting as victims or shooters receive scripts beforehand.

“It’s a lot of fun,” said J.P. DeCuire, one of the shooters.

A Microsoft employee and a friend of a friend of an officer, DeCuire said he gets specific

Band From Page 8 “She’s British and bossy and really cool,” Curtis said.

During rehearsal, Greg Stearns, an Irishman living in North Bend, gave a speech about how the Celtic band had potential.

“He said, ‘Despite our age and getting on in the years, we still are in possession of the fire inside,’” Curtis remembered.

As soon as the words had left his mouth — in his deep Irish accent, no less — the entire band agreed The Fire Inside would be an excellent name for the group.

The Fire Inside plays songs from across the British Isles, from Welsh to Scottish — “It’s all Celtic,” Curtis said.

At a show at Issaquah’s Vino Bella wine bar on St. Patrick’s Day, the band passed out sheet music so the audience could sing along.

“Everybody can belt out some

instructions on how to behave.

“We’re supposed to put two shots in the dummy and then focus on the officers as they storm the room,” he said.

Eastside Fire & Rescue personnel observed the training to know what to expect out of police at a shooting, Fairbanks said.

Normandy Park Police Sgt. Brian Sommer said he has seen interesting reactions from trainees.

“The first round hits them and we actually have to pick them up and tell them to keep moving,” he said.

Then, if they do get shot in real life, they are more likely to keep moving and fight through it.

The bullets may be fake but they leave a real scar.

Issaquah Police’s Marty Martin’s arm looked like someone had burned it with a cigarette.

Everybody wore masks, neck protectors and soft body armor. portion of ‘Danny Boy,’” Curtis said. “It’s just so much more of a rich experience if the audience can sing along.”

Michael Hurtenbach, of Snoqualmie, plays the concertina, an instrument like a small accordion. He used to play the guitar, but stopped after he developed arthritis.

“I couldn’t play the (guitar) chords very well,” he said. “I went through several different instruments” before finding the concertina.

His fingers are able to play the concertina’s buttons and push and pull at the bellows. Though the concertina keeps his hands occupied, it frees up his voice, and he sang a vibrant version of “Marie’s Wedding” at Vino Bella, all while wearing a kilt.

“I love Irish music and it’s a common instrument in Irish music,” Hurtenbach said.

The group practices weekly and is putting about 40 songs to memory so it can mesmerize its fans and know the music inside and out. The feat is not as hard

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All rounds sat inside a transparent bag so instructors knew they were not real bullets.

“Safety is the utmost to us,” Normandy Park Police Sgt. Brian Sommer said.

All the protection could not erase the tension in the air once the scenarios began.

“People get anxious,” Fairbanks said. “A lot of time their masks fog up because they’re breathing a little bit hard.”

The good guys do not always win these scenarios, Fairbanks said. He and the other instructors dislike saying a scenario or an officer failed.

“I don’t want them doubting themselves,” he said. “Most scenarios they do there are going to be things they do well and some they need to work on.”

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

as it sounds, Whitaker said, as Irish music melodies tend to repeat themselves within a song.

“The more I learn, the faster I’m getting,” she said.

The tricky part is learning the fingering and flourishes at breakneck speed on a penny whistle — “a tiny little pipe with six holes,” Whitaker said.

The classically trained flutist is taking the challenge head on, and she and the other players — Greg Stearns, David Edfeldt, Daniel Horn and Susan Lawrence — invited the community to come sing along with The Fire Inside at its upcoming shows.

We want your community stories Did you start a club or are in one already? Let us know what the group is up to.

Put on an event for the community? Send us a photo.

Collecting something interesting? Tell us what it is.

We want to know what makes the community tick.

Help the SnoValley Star deliver the best community news possible. Keep us updated by sending information and photos to Sebastian Moraga at smoraga@snovalleystar.com.

Friends From Page 8 of events that make her smile bitterly at times. Lost her escrow business, lost her next job and now she’s fighting to hold on to her health. She has also lost 36 pounds so far.

“From business owner to down-and-out,” she said with a chuckle. “At least I’m not sleeping under the bridge, yet.”

Stone has relied on her friends more than she would like but they have responded, organizing fundraisers for midMay at the Snoqualmie Valley Eagles. They know Stone from her years as manager of the Eagles, and now they show up at her door with no other excuse than it’s time for Stone to get some fresh air.

“I didn’t know I had so many good friends,” she said.

One of those friends is Carmen Moe, and she said all the proceeds of the roast pork fundraiser coming next month will go to help Stone, who has no insurance.

Why Do Smart Kids Fail?

An oxygen tank helps Stone breathe easier, but the prospect of more chemo, losing her hair and even radiation, scares her.

What gets to her, more than nuclear energy battling tumors inside her body, is the paperwork.

“Oh, my goodness,” she said. “I don’t know if it’s the toughest but it’s the most demeaning and irritating part.

They make you show a copy of the title of your vehicle: I have a 1988 Aerostar van, which is worth like $100 if I went to sell it. It’s incredible.”

Despite the setbacks, she considers herself lucky. No one, Stone said, ever expects to get cancer.

“Get your checkups, ladies,” she said. “Someone with a little more expertise might have found this sooner.”

She feels glad they caught it when they did, and with the hysterectomy well in the rearview mirror, her balance has improved, and with it, her quality of life.

“I think I’m going to make it,” she said.

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Schools

PAGE 10

APRIL 7, 2011

Chris Blake is the district’s middle school teacher of the year “All the college classrooms in the world are not going to get you prepared for a real classroom.”

By Sebastian Moraga Chris Blake spends at least eight hours a day in the wrong building. And he loves it.

“Originally, I was going to be a fourth-grade school teacher,” the Chief Kanim Middle School science and math teacher said.

“No way I would ever try middle school.”

That was Blake’s mindset 15 years ago. Since then, he has taught nothing but sixth grade.

Back then, he heard of a school in Fall City looking for a sixth-grade teacher. To Blake, that was his practice interview.

Instead, it turned out to be the only job he has ever held since graduating from Whitworth College in Spokane.

“This is my grade,” the Snoqualmie Valley Schools Foundation’s Middle School Teacher of the Year said. “This is my dream job.”

At a school like Chief Kanim, middle school starts in the sixth grade, so students are nervous, excited and they still love their teacher, Blake said.

Nevertheless, middle school is challenging for children.

“They are going through the hormones, growing and changing, just trying to find out who

— Chris Blake Teacher

By Sebastian Moraga

Chris Blake (back row, center), posing with some of his ‘fellow sixth-graders,’ recently won the Snoqualmie Valley Schools Foundation’s Middle School Educator of the Year award. they are,” Blake said. “It’s tough.”

It’s challenging for teachers, too, he said.

“Those seventh- and eighthgrade teachers,” Blake said.

“Those are brave teachers.”

On the other hand, surround-

ing oneself with 12-year-olds keeps one a 12-year-old, even if the driver’s license disagrees.

“I’m 37 but I’m still 12 inside,” he said.

A coach in his spare time, Blake has two jobs that could pull him away from his class-

room: Derek Jeter retiring and the Yankees calling the Chief Kanim main office looking for a new shortstop who can teach sixth grade, or Kobe Bryant calling it quits and the Los Angeles Lakers reaching for the phone.

Humor comes easily from

Blake, who said he believes one has to be a little crazy to be a sixth-grade teacher.

“All the college classrooms in the world are not going to get you prepared for a real classroom,” he said. “There are real challenges a kid can’t control.”

The biggest lesson Blake learned in the past decade and a half is that not every child has a home life like Blake’s Rockwellian upbringing in Chewelah, north of Spokane.

“I didn’t realize that kids have some strikes against them. I thought every family made their kids do their homework,” he said. “Now I realize, ‘Man, some kids don’t have that situation.’

That was me being naïve.”

Blake tries to be a good role model for those children, providing at least a little stability and support.

See TEACHER, Page 11

Snoqualmie girl among state’s top young writers she said.

It’s her first writing award Abby Bateman, a student at and it feels weird, Bateman said.

Snoqualmie Middle School, won “It feels like they made a misfirst place in a statewide literatake and I’m not supposed to ture contest, defeating more win,” she said. “Or that it could than 80 semifinalists. have been Emma.”

More than 3,300 students Emma Bateman is Abby’s entered the Washington branch older sister, a high school stuof the competition. dent who also is a talented The contest, Letters About writer. Mom Sheila Bateman Literature, said the sib“It feels like they made a required that lings have Bateman write always excelled mistake and I’m not supa letter to an at writing. posed to win.” author of her “They’re choice. both very — Abby Bateman good,” Sheila Bateman Writer Bateman said. wrote to Katherine Mostly just Paterson, Emma, Abby author of Bridge to Terabithia, a Bateman said, which made 1977 story of two lonely chilSheila laugh. dren who create a magical forest Bateman’s winning letter was kingdom. sent to the national Letters “Her book has a lot of emoAbout Literature competition tion in it,” said Bateman, who and she received a Target gift wrote the letter but did not send card. it to Paterson In the national contest, Rene Peterson, one of Bateman may win a cash prize Bateman’s middle school teachand a $10,000 grant to the ers made the girl and her classlibrary of her choice. mates participate in the contest, The national winners will be

By Sebastian Moraga

By Sebastian Moraga

Abby Bateman and some of her best friends: her books. The middle-schooler from Snoqualmie won first place in a statewide contest that required students to write letters to authors. announced this month.

A lover of books, Bateman prefers fiction to nonfiction.

Harry Potter is one of her favorites, but the Twilight series

were just OK. “The movies just make it stupid,” she said of the series.

Writing can sound sophisticated and professional without

sounding silly, Bateman said.

The written word can be descriptive in ways the spoken word See AWARD, Page 11

SnoValley Star

APRIL 7, 2011

PAGE 11

North Bend teacher wins Star FM’s Teacher of the Week

By Sebastian Moraga For a day, Kelsey Myers was Star’s star.

The Seattle radio station KPLZ Star 101.5 named the North Bend Elementary’s first-grade teacher its Teacher of the Week April 1.

It was not an April Fools’ joke, although that’s what Myers thought at first.

At midmorning, at mid-lesson, radio personalities, her boss, TV cameras, parents and one proud colleague invaded her classroom.

“It’s a great spring surprise, totally unexpected, I had no idea,” Myers said. “What a wonderful treat.”

Myers hugged student Rhys Buchthal, who wrote the radio station nominating his teacher for the award.

Then, they posed together with a plaque, an oversized check for $100 from City University of Seattle, and a cardboard key to a new car that she became eligible to win.

“Ms. Myers could sure use a new car,” she joked. “That’s for sure.” The odds of her winning a Jetta from Chaplin’s Bellevue Volkswagen are one in 24.

A graduate of Washington State University, Myers won the

award in her first year as a teacher.

“I know!” she said. “I’m shocked and honored that they would already feel that I made that deep of an impact. That made me feel as a teacher like I’m doing my job, because that’s what a teacher should do.”

One proud coworker agreed.

Shari Myers, fourth-grade teacher at North Bend Elementary and Kelsey’s mom, said she “couldn’t be more proud.”

“She’s got the perfect personality and temperament for it,” Myers said of her daughter and teaching.

Buchthal’s classmates loved the award because it meant presents for all, including sliced apples with dipping sauce and shirts that read “My teacher is Teacher of the Week.”

The only one looking slightly unimpressed with the proceedings was the fellow responsible for it all, first-grader Buchthal, who said he wrote the letter because he liked his class and his teacher.

“She is good, nice and she always has lots of surprises,” Buchthal said.

Principal Jim Frazier said the award speaks volumes about Myers’ quality as a teacher.

By Sebastian Moraga

Kelsey Myers reacts to hearing she has been chosen as the Star 101.5 Teacher of the Week “Kelsey is a first-year teacher this year and this shows what a tremendous ability she has as a

classroom teacher,” he said. “For a student to honor a teacher, it’s just tremendous.”

We want your school news

Award

Teacher

From Page 10

From Page 10

he said. “Sometimes you see kids out in an activity where they shine. It’s important for kids to see that you’re supporting them there, as well.”

“Not every kid is a star in the classroom, but maybe they are just more reserved,”

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

just sounds strange, she added.

Just like Paterson’s book, Bateman wants to write a book about a fantasy world someday.

That way, she can make everything up, she said.

For now, the challenge is Miguel De Cervantes’ Don Quixote. Bateman said her sister told her she wouldn’t be able to finish it.

“She says, ‘You can’t understand it at all, There are all runon sentences, you can’t understand it and it’s just gibberish.’

It’s not. I’m going to prove her wrong,” Bateman said.

Is your child going on an interesting field trip?

Know a student who overcame barriers to be successful?

Hear about something interesting going on in the class-

room?

Let the SnoValley Star know.

We want to deliver the best possible coverage of education in Snoqualmie Valley. To do that, we need to hear from our readers. Send us tips, updates and photos to Sebastian Moraga at smoraga@snovalleystar.com.

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Sports Mount Si track team keeps busy in the rain PAGE 12

By Sebastian Moraga It’s the first day of Spring Break most everywhere, it seems, but on the track at Mount Si High School.

A reduced, but still drenched contingent of athletes practice, while most of their classmates enjoy a weeklong furlough.

Though happy they are not, nobody looks like they even think about complaining. They do their sprints and stretches while their clothes get wet from head to toe.

After this practice on the first Monday in April, the boys and girls in the track and field team do get a respite, with no events scheduled for the week of break.

They are back at it for real April 14 at Liberty and then the Eason Invitational at Snohomish High, April 16.

“Hopefully we’ll get some track weather by then,” girls’ head coach Dave Clifford said.

“Not this.”

Despite “this” weather, arkworthy as it was, the team put up some decent numbers at the tri-meet against Skyline and the host Newport and then 48 hours

APRIL 7, 2011

later at the Arnie Young Invitational.

At Newport’s tri-meet, Lexi Swanson won the pole vault with 8 feet, 6 inches.

Sophie Rockow finished first in the 100 meters with 13.7 seconds. Leslie Stevens finished first in the javelin with 106 feet, 9 inches. She also won the triple jump with 32 feet, 11 inches.

Ashley Jackson won the long jump with 14 feet, 10 inches.

Lindsay Kirby won the 800 meters with two minutes. 31.1 seconds. Jackson won the 100meter hurdles with 17.7 seconds, and the 300-meter hurdles with 50.3 seconds.

Mason Bragg won the 400 meters with 53.2 seconds.

Kolton Auxier won the shot put with 51 feet, 9 inches. Bradly Stevens won the javelin with 166 feet, 10 inches.

At Renton’s invite, Mount Si finished fifth among 19 boys’ teams and sixth among 17 girls’ teams.

Auxier won the shot put with 52 feet, 3.5 inches. Bradly Stevens won the javelin with 159 feet, six inches.

By Sebastian Moraga

Keenan McVein, a sophomore equaled his best mark, pole-vaulting 9 feet, at the tri-meet against host Newport and Skyline.

from Seattle, that’s a much-welcomed feeling.

Tomorrow, I’ll meet Brian Dickinson, show him a bit of Bangkok, and we’ll head to Kathmandu.

Once we arrive in Nepal, we’ll enter a much different world. Despite spending over a year of my life in the Himalaya, it’s always a bit of a cultural adjustment.

Kathmandu has a way of shocking your senses: the sights, smells, and overall hustle and bustle of this underprivileged corner of the world has a way of transfixing you.

Despite advances in technology, the city hasn’t changed much since 1993, when I first visited this mountain Kingdom.

Dispatches from Everest Arriving in Nepal Snoqualmie residents Dennis Broadwell and Brian Dickinson are climbing Mount Everest, the tallest peak on earth. Boradwell also owns Mountain Gurus, a climbing guide service.

Dickinson is trying to climb the highest peak on each continent.

Broadwell is filing regular dispatches from the trip. These have been abridged for the SnoValley Star. Follow him online at mountaingurus.blogspot.com.

April 1

March 27 I’m heading out the door this evening for Nepal.

Getting ready for Everest has been unlike any other trip I’ve prepared for.

Planning my life for the next two months seemed insurmountable. I hope climbing Everest is easier than planning all this stuff.

It will be a big relief to finally get on the plane and know I’m doing it.

After so many trips to Asia, I still sort of dread these long flights. My flight departs Seattle around 2 a.m., then 20 hours to Thailand, then an overnight lay-

Contributed

Snoqualmie’s Dennis Broadwell and Brian Dickinson (not pictured) are attempting to climb Mount Everest, the tallest peak on earth. Broadwell runs a climbing guide service. over in Bangkok and another 3.5 hour fight to Kathmandu.

March 30 I arrived in Bangkok.

Thailand is my home away from

home. My wife grew up in Bangkok, and we met while she was studying in America.

The Thai people are always friendly, and the food is great. Contrary to many, I love the weather. You’re always assured 80 to 90 degree temperatures. Coming

After an eventful morning at the Bangkok airport, we finally arrived safely in Kathmandu with all our gear. It’s always a relief to known everyone’s stuff made it half way around the world.

As we made our final approach over Nepal, we were blessed with fantastic views of Mount Everest and the surrounding high peaks. An amazing feeling to think Brian and I will be standing amongst those peaks, on top of the world during the next two months.

We’re staying at the famous Hotel Yak and Yeti a few blocks away from Thamel, known as the main tourist district of Kathmandu.

Tomorrow morning, Brian will head See EVEREST, Page 13

SnoValley Star

APRIL 7, 2011

Scoreboard Prep baseball March 28 Game MOUNT SI 5, ELLENSBURG 2 Ellensburg 100 010 0- 2 6 1 Mount Si 005 000 x - 5 7 0 WP: Trevor Taylor.

Mount Si highlights: Dustin Breshears 2-4, 2B; Trevor Lane 13, 2 RBIs, 2B; Taylor 3IP, 4 Ks.

Prep boys soccer

Shutout: Dillon Oord (MS).

April 1 Game MOUNT SI 4, JUANITA 0 Juanita 00–0 Mount Si 2 2 – 4 First half goals: 1, Jonathan Cramer (MS, Dane Aldrich assist), 20:00; 2, Aldrich (MS, unassisted), 34:00.

Second half goals: 3, Eric Baumgardner (MS, Izzak Sinclair assist), 46:00; 4, Kody Clearman (MS, Alex Censullo assist), 48:00.

Shutout: Alex Anderson (MS), Dillon Oordt (MS).

March 29 Game MOUNT SI 5, LAKE WASHINGTON 0 Lake Washington 0 0 – 0 Mount Si 23–5 First half goals: 1, Kody Clearman (MS, Alex Censullo assist), 11:00; 2, Kyle Blauman (MS, Morgan Popp assist), 37:00.

Second half goals: 3, Dane Aldrich (MS, Eric Baumgardner assist), 48:00; 4, Aldrich (MS, Clearman assist), 53:00; 5, Davis Karaica (MS, E. Baumgardner assist), 59:00.

Prep softball

Everest

return to claim our spot.

April 1 Game MOUNT SI 14, MERCER ISLAND 2 Mercer Island 100 010 – 2 Mount Si 420 206 - 14 Mount Si highlights: WP Lauren Padilla; Kassidy Maddux 2-4, 1 run, 2 RBIs; Danielle Massengill 3-3, 2 RBI, 2 2Bs, HR.

Prep boys track & field March 31 Meet NEWPORT 70, SKYLINE 51,

April 3

From Page 12 to an orphanage, and present gifts and toys for the local children. Brian’s goal is to give back to the local community while pursuing the seven summits.

That is something I totally identify with as I spent a lot of time as a young man working with a Christian relief organization in Pokhara. Those experiences gave me a real passion for Nepal and its people.

In the evening, we’ll have our group orientation and dinner at the Rum Doodle. It’s always nice to enjoy some steaks and cold Everest beer before heading to the mountains.

The Rum Doodle has a tradition of posting paper size Yeti feet all over its establishment in honor of Expeditions and Everest summit climbers.

Hopefully, Brian and I will

After a restless night, we woke early, packed our bags and headed to Kathmandu’s domestic airport for our morning flight to Lukla. Flying past the highest peaks on Earth in a 14-seat Twin Otter plane and landing at one of the world’s most dangerous airports is always exciting.

Once in Lukla, we were greeted by Mountain Gurus’ Sherpa staff. Naga Dorje is one of our lead trekking guides; he and I led an Everest Base Camp trek last October.

Temba is our lead climbing Sherpa. He has three Everest summits. We’ve got a top-notch guy leading our climb.

After sorting porter loads we quickly headed out from Lukla for Naga’s house. His lovely wife prepared fried rice, potato and apple pie for us. She’s a great cook, and they have two girls, ages 1 and 3 — the same ages as my boys. Before leaving, she

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MOUNT SI 48 100: 3, Tyler Button (MS) 11.8; 4, Kaleb Huerta (MS) 11.9. 200: 3, Huerta (MS) 24.0; 4, Button (MS) 24.1. 400: 1, Mason Bragg (MS) 53.2. 800: 4, Levi Botten (MS) 2:07.6 1,600: 5, Dominick Canady (MS) 5:00.4. 3,200: 2, Robert Carmichael (MS) 10:48.6. 110 hurdles: 3, Bradly Stevens (MS) 18.0; 4, Nate Chase (MS) 18.1. 300 hurdles: 4, Chase (MS) 47.1. 4x100 relay: 2, Mount Si (Huerta, Bragg, Jimbo Davis, Button) 44.6. 4x400 relay: 2, Mount Si (Davis, Botten, Bragg, Button) 3:38.5.

Triple jump: 4, A.J. Brevick (MS) 35-3. Shot put: 1, Colton Auxier (MS) 51-9; 3, Brian Copeland (MS) 42-1.5. Discus: 2, Auxier (MS) 128-0; 4, Copeland (MS) 112-6. Javelin: 1, Stevens (MS) 166-10; 2, Emitt Rudd (MS) 14210. High jump: 2, Ryan Olson (MS) 5-4; 3, Jon Proctor (MS) 50, Mitchell Smith (MS) 5-0. Pole vault: 2, Davis (MS) 10-6; 4, Botten (MS) 9-6; 5, Keenan McVein (MS) 9-0. Long jump:

gave us prayer scarves and wished us a safe journey.

After a few more hours trekking we arrived in Phakding.

Tomorrow, we’ll head to Namche Bazar, the main trading center of the Sherpa people.

April 4 After a night of rain and thunder, we awoke to much drier weather. Not quite sunny but warm enough for a good day of trekking.

I enjoyed a hot shower, almost forgetting I was in the middle of the Himalaya. The living conditions are constantly improving in the Everest Region: electric lights, cell phone reception and Internet access.

I’m connecting to the local 3G network via a USB wireless card, something unimaginable just 10 years ago. I was able to speak to my wife and boys.

Contrary to many, I welcome all these advances. The mountains remain just as awesome as ever, while we are still able to

PAGE 13 10, Rudd (MS) 16-3.

Prep girls track & field March 31 Meet SKYLINE 72, MOUNT SI 65, NEWPORT 53 100: 1, Sophie Rockow (MS) 13.7; 2, Jessie Guyer (MS) 13.8.

200: 2, Rockow (MS) 27.9; 4, Guyer (MS) 28.8; 5, Sydney Dore (MS) 30.1. 400: 3, Madeleine Hutchison (MS) 68.0; 4, Kennedi Norris (MS) 68.1.

800: 1, Lindsay Kirby (MS) 2:31.1. 1,600: 3, Bailey Scott (MS) 5:46.9. 3,200: 1, Kendall Maddox (MS) 13:53.5. 100 hurdles: 1, Ashley Jackson (MS) 17.7; 5, Sydney Leonard (MS) 19.0. 300 hurdles: 1, Jackson (MS) 50.3. 4x100 relay: 2, Mount Si (Madelyn Esteb, Hutchison, Norris, Dore) 57.6.

4x200 relay: 2, Mount Si (Hutchison, Esteb, Guyer, Rockow) 1:55.5. 4x400 relay: 1, Mount Si (Kirby, Christina Volken, Jackson, Hutchison) 4:32.3.

Shot put: 4, Leonard (MS) 21-

enjoy some of the comforts of home. And the quality of life for the local people is increasing.

After breakfast, we headed out for Monjo, an easy three-hour walk before entering Sagamartha Nation Park, the Sherpa name for Mount Everest, meaning “Mother Goddess of the Earth.”

Somehow the local people knew Everest was the highest peak in the world before British surveyors told them.

After lunch, we’ll climb the hill up to Namche, considered by some, the hardest day of the trek before climbing Kala Patar.

At 11,000 feet elevation the air begins to thin, making the climbing slower and the need to properly acclimatize much greater.

Altitude sickness becomes a real threat, so we’ll take two

1.5; 5, Madison Bardsley (MS) 23-1. Discus: 3, Leslie Stevens (MS) 79-7; 5, Kristen Kasel (MS) 68-3. Javelin: 1, Stevens (MS) 106-9; 4, Chelsea Meadows (MS) 71-10. High jump: 2, Lexi Swanson (MS) 4-6; 3, Esteb (MS) 4-4; 4, Kamira Nicolino (MS) 40. Pole vault: 1, Swanson (MS) 86; 2, Hannah Richmond (MS) 86; 3, Daniele Curley (MS) 7-6.

Long jump: 2, Jackson (MS) 140; 3, Scott (MS) 13-8.5. Triple jump: 1, Stevens (MS) 32-11; 2, Rockow (MS) 32-5; 4, Guyer (MS) 28-6.5.

Prep boys lacrosse Division II March 31 Game LIBERTY 10, MOUNT SI 1 Mount Si statistics: Beau Bachand 4 groundballs, Andrew Bottemiller 2 groundballs, Nick Crandall 1 groundball, Matt Mahrer 1 assist, Blake Moorhead 1 goal, 2 groundballs; Henry Owens 3 groundballs, Brendan Pike 1 groundball, Matthew Yan 16 saves.

days in Namche to prepare for the higher altitudes.

April 5, 2011 After breakfast we headed up from Namche for great views of Everest. All the peaks of the range are spectacular: Nuptse, Lhotse and Ama Dablam.

This is my eighth trip to the Khumbu, and still the view gets me every time.

We continued our acclimatization hike to the Everest View Hotel. The views only get better the higher you go. We sat, drank tea and enjoyed the day.

Later, Brian and I did our final shopping in Namche. It is the last outpost to get any needed items.

From here we trek to Tengboche, and then enter the main Khumbu Valley.

The North Bend Baseball Foundation Presents the second annual

“KNUCKLEBALLERS’ SCRAMBLE”

April 16th, 2011 • 1pm Shotgun Start Snoqualmie Falls Golf Course, Snoqualmie, WA $100 Entry fee includes Greens Fees, Competition, Cart + 3 Drink Tickets and a Hamburger buffet. Sign up as a foursome, twosome or a single (we will pair you up as needed).

To reserve your spot, log on to www.northbendknuckleballers.net or email golf@northbendknuckleballers.net

SnoValley Star

PAGE 14 FREE ADS FOR personal items under $250

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Building a better Home & Garden section It’s springtime again, and that means the SnoValley Star’s spring Home & Garden section is around the corner. We want this year’s section to be the best it can be. To do that, we need to hear from you, our readers.

We are looking for sources for stories on: ❑ making the most of tiny spaces;

APRIL 7, 2011 ❑ quick and easy home improvement projects; ❑ getting your outdoor patio ready for summer; ❑ putting feng shui into practice; and ❑ projects to make your home or yard more environmentally friendly.

Do you have a useful tip to share about one of these stories?

Proud of that project you just finished? Let us know!

Send an email to editor@sno-

home services

valleystar.com by April 13, and be sure to include your contact information, which story or stories your tip is about, and what your experience was.

Tickets out April 25 for Thomas the Tank Engine Thomas the Tank Engine is coming to Snoqualmie this summer and tickets are available starting April 25.

The cartoon character will visit the Valley as part of its Day Out With Thomas: Leader of the Track Tour.

The visit is scheduled for July 8-10 and 15-17 at the Northwest Railway Museum in downtown Snoqualmie.

Children will be able to take a ride with a 15-ton replica of Thomas to the top of Snoqualmie Falls, a press release from the museum stated. Activities include arts and crafts, storytelling, videos, live music, temporary tattoos, model trains and more.

Tickets will be $19. Museum members may buy their tickets now for $18. To join the museum, visit www.trainmuseum.org or call 888-3030.

Troopers nab impaired St. Patrick’s Day drivers Post-St. Patrick’s Day hangovers started early for some drivers late March 17 and early March 18, as state troopers arrested 29 motorists for driving under the influence.

Troopers made the arrests in a 12-hour period and reported no fatality collisions.

The state patrol added four troopers to the regular patrol to crack down on impaired drivers.

In addition, state patrol King County Target Zero team members usually work Thursday evenings, including St. Patrick’s Day. DUI arrests made in the 12hour period starting at 5 p.m. on St. Patrick’s Day totaled more than double what the agency has arrested on any Thursday night so far in 2011.

During holidays or special events with a history of serious injury and deadly collisions related to drinking and driving, law enforcement agencies step up enforcement to catch impaired drivers.

Target Zero Teams include more than 35 police agencies in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties. Several additional agencies participated in the patrols in King County on St. Patrick’s Day.

Calendar

APRIL 7, 2011

PAGE 15

Public meetings ❑ Snoqualmie City Council, 7 p.m. April 11, 38624 S.E. River St. ❑ North Bend Public Health and Safety Committee, 4 p.m.

April 12, 211 Main Ave. N. ❑ Snoqualmie Community and Economic Affairs Committee, 5 p.m. April 12, 38624 S.E. River St. ❑ Snoqualmie Parks Board Special Meeting, 5:30 p.m. April 12, 38624 S.E. River St. ❑ Snoqualmie Library Board, 6:30 p.m. April 12, 38624 S.E. River St. ❑ Snoqualmie Shoreline Hearings Board, 5 p.m. April 13, 38624 S.E. River St. ❑ Snoqualmie Public Safety Committee, 5 p.m. April 14, 37600 S.E. Snoqualmie Parkway ❑ North Bend Planning Commission, 7 p.m. April 14, 211 Main Ave. N. ❑ Snoqualmie Valley School Board, 7:30 p.m. April 14, 8001 Silva Ave S.E., Snoqualmie

Orellana. Call 888-3434.

Remember the trees

April

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

File

Events ❑ Milo Petersen Trio, 7 p.m.

April 7, Boxley’s, 101 W. North Bend Way, North Bend. ❑ Camelia Jade, Mike Antone and The Left Coast Gypsies, 7 p.m. April 8, The Black Dog, 8062 Railroad Ave. S.E., Snoqualmie. Beer, wine, coffee and food available. All ages show. Suggested door donation: $5. Call 831-3647. ❑ North Bend yardwaste recycling, 8 a.m. to noon April 9, 1155 E. North Bend Way. ❑ Danny Kolke Trio, 7 p.m.

April 10, Boxley’s, 101 W. North Bend Way, North Bend. Local jazz outfit offers blues, gospel and straight-ahead jazz. ❑ Afternoon Preschool Story Times, 1:30 p.m. April 11, Snoqualmie Library, 7824 Center Blvd. S.E. Ages 3-6 accompanied by an adult. ❑ Young Toddler Story Times, 9:30 a.m. April 13, Snoqualmie Library, 7824 Center Blvd. S.E. Ages 6-24 months old accompanied by an adult. ❑ Preschool Story Times, 10:30 a.m. April 13, Snoqualmie Library, 7824 Center Blvd. S.E. Ages 3-6 accompanied by an adult. ❑ Teen study zone, 3 p.m.

April 13, North Bend Library, 115 E. Fourth St. Drop-in during scheduled study zone hours for free homework help in all subjects from volunteer tutors. ❑ Pajamarama Story Times, 6:30 p.m. April 13, North Bend Library, 115 E. Fourth St. All young children are welcome with an adult.

2011

Arbor Day Celebration, 10 a.m. April 9, Railroad Park, corner of Southeast King Street and Railroad Avenue Southeast, Snoqualmie. Join community members for celebrating Snoqualmie Valley’s leafy heritage by planting a tree.

❑ North Bend Theatre presents “Lords of Nature,” 6:30 p.m. April 14, North Bend Theater, 125 Bendigo Boulevard, North Bend. Free admission (donations accepted). The role of large predators such as wolves and cougars is explored in “Lords of Nature.” ❑ Sno Valley Youth Council, 7 p.m. April 14, Snoqualmie City Hall, 38624 S.E. River St., Snoqualmie ❑ The Y’s Healthy Kids Day, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 16, Snoqualmie Community Park, Southeast Ridge Street, Snoqualmie. The free event promotes healthy lifestyles, and includes health resources, activities and games. ❑ Encompass’ Sipfest, 6:30 p.m. April 16, Pickering Barn, 1730 10th Ave., Issaquah. A wine, beer and food tasting event at the Historic Pickering Barn. Tickets are $40 in advance and $45 at the door. Go to www.encompassnw.org. ❑ Snoqualmie Book Group,

6:30 p.m. April 19, Snoqualmie Library, 7824 Center Blvd. S.E. The selection for April is “Her Sister’s Voice,” by Mary Carter.

Volunteer opportunities ❑ Elk Management Group invites the community to participate in elk collaring, telemetry and habitat improvement projects in the Upper Snoqualmie Valley. Project orientation meetings are at 6 p.m. the third Monday of the month at the North Bend City Hall, 211 Main St. Email research@snoqualmievalleyelk.org. ❑ Snoqualmie Valley Hospital is accepting applications for ages 16 or older to volunteer in various departments of the hospital. Email volunteer coordinator Carol Waters at carolw@snoqualmiehospital.org to arrange an interview. ❑ Spanish Academy invites volunteers fluent in Spanish to

participate in summer camps on its three-acre farm-style school.

Must love children and nature.

Call 888-4999. ❑ Senior Services Transportation Program needs volunteers to drive seniors around North Bend and Snoqualmie. Choose the times and areas in which you’d like to drive. Car required. Mileage reimbursement and supplemental liability insurance are offered. Call 206-748-7588 or 800-282-5815 toll free, or email melissat@seniorservices.org.

Apply online at www.seniorservices.org. Click on “Giving Back” and then on “Volunteer Opportunities.” ❑ Mount Si Senior Center needs volunteers for sorting and sales in the thrift store, reception and class instruction. The center is at 411 Main St., North Bend. Call 888-3434. ❑ Hopelink in Snoqualmie Valley seeks volunteers for a variety of tasks. Volunteers must be at least 16. Go to www.hopelink.org/takeaction/volunteer.com or call 869-6000. ❑ Adopt-A-Park is a program for Snoqualmie residents to improve public parks and trails.

An application and one-year commitment are required. Call 831-5784. ❑ Study Zone tutors are needed for all grade levels to give students the homework help they need. Two-hour weekly commitment or substitutes wanted. Study Zone is a free service of the King County Library System. Call 369-3312.

Classes ❑ S.A.I.L. (Stay Active and Independent for Life) exercise class meets Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the Mount Si Senior Center, 411 Main Ave. S., North Bend. Led by certified exercise instructor Carla

Clubs ❑ Mental illness support group, 7-8:30 p.m. Fridays, Snoqualmie Fire Station, 37600 Snoqualmie Parkway, Snoqualmie. The group is free of charge for anyone with a mental illness or a family member with a mental illness. Call 829-2417. ❑ Mount Si Artist Guild meeting, 9:15-11 a.m. the third Saturday, Mount Si Senior Center, 411 Main Ave. S., North Bend, www.mtsiartistguild.org. ❑ Interpretive Center, Meadowbrook Farm, 1711 Boalch Ave., North Bend. Go to www.snoqualmievalleybeekeepers.org. ❑ Trellis gardening club meets at 10 a.m. the third Saturday, at Valley Christian Assembly, 32725 S.E. 42nd St., Fall City. Trellis is an informal support group for the Snoqualmie Valley’s vegetable gardeners, who have special climactic challenges and rewards.

New and experienced gardeners are welcome. ❑ Elk Management Group meets at 6:30 p.m. the second Wednesday at the U.S. Forest Service conference room at 130 Thrasher Ave., behind the visitors’ center on North Bend Way. Interagency committee meetings are at 1:30 p.m. the first Monday at the North Bend City Hall annex, 126 Fourth St. Both meetings are open to the public. Go to snoqualmievalleyelk.org. ❑ Mount Si Fish and Game Club meets at 7:30 p.m. the first Thursday, October through May, at the Snoqualmie Police Department. ❑ Sallal Grange, 12912 432nd Ave. S.E., North Bend, meets the first Friday for a potluck and open mic with local musicians. The potluck starts at 6 p.m. with the music from 7 p.m. to midnight. Open to all people/ages. Go to www.sallalgrange.org. ❑ Snoqualmie Valley Chess Club, 7 p.m. Thursdays, North Bend Library, 115 E. Fourth St. Learn to play chess or get a game going. All ages and skill levels are welcome.

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

PAGE 16

SnoValley Star

APRIL 7, 2011