Snovalleystar042414

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

Even dogs get an Easter treat Page 6

April 24, 2014

Robots coming to life in the Valley schools Even the teachers are hooked. “For me, it’s about the fun,” All across Snoqualmie Valley said Erin Kavanaugh, a secondchildren and teenagers are getyear teacher at Chief Kanim ting into robotics. From middle Middle School who specializes in schoolers competing in First the STEM subjects. Kavanaugh, Lego League along with to high David Cruz, schoolers are the Valley of the ‘bots taking on faculty in A series exploring the the more charge of growth of robotics for advanced the school’s First Tech growing youth in the Challenge, robotics Snoqualmie Valley. youths in club. the Valley In 2012, have Cruz applied responded to the educational for a PTA grant for robotics at emphasis on science, technolthe now-closed Snoqualmie ogy, engineering and mathemat- Middle School. He asked for ics. $4,352. Cruz would have been Students have embraced happy to receive a few hundred robotics — a combination of dollars but was thrilled when engineering and technology — they gave him every penny which in turn has teachers and he requested. He bought 12 schools starting robotics clubs “kits,” the basic components for and adding more engineering building a robot based on the classes. LEGO Mindstorm computer.

By Sam Kenyon

By Sam Kenyon

Mount Si High School freshman Max Cannella (left) and teacher Kyle Warren look over the robot for team Mt. Si-Borg. Cruz used the robots, which are named Ace, Knute and Flame, in his classes. Then he started the after school robotics club. “The kids are just now realizing that we use the scientific method every day,” said Cruz. The total community support for robotics Cruz received is not

uncommon. Kyle Warren, a computer science and engineering teacher at Mount Si High School, has been a big proponent of bringing robotics to the valley. Like Cruz, Warren has found nothing but support from the community, parents, and the school itself.

“I went through a proposal process with the administrative team at the district and here at the high school, and all along the way it was nothing but thumbs up and praise and go for it,” Warren said. “So, it has been strong encourageSee ROBOT, Page 3

Blues Walk coming to North Bend on Saturday By Emry Dinman

Contributed

Vernon Petry, also known as “Cool V P Funk Petry,” will perform during Blues Walk.

Cafes, theaters and bakeries alike will host live musical performances for this year’s second annual Blues Walk from 6 p.m. to midnight April 26 in North Bend. Although only one new business, Replicator Graphics has been added for the event’s second year, the 19 performances in 16 venues are expected to bring in 500 more fans than last year according to Audrey Paisley, the special events director at Boxley’s Music Fund and the organizer of the event. If her prediction comes true, that means more than 1,700 blues lovers will be in the Snoqualmie Valley. Word has spread, Paisley said, that blues fans will be celebrating live music in Snoqualmie Valley this weekend. Fans purchase one universal

ticket, good for all the venues and then walk from place to place and catch as many performances as they’d like. Ticket prices vary, with pre-paid and at-the-door adult tickets priced at $20 and $25, respectively, for adults, while tickets for children under 15 years of age cost $10 if prepaid and $15 at the door. “For the amount of money you’re paying, you’re seeing a whole lot of really good musicians,” said Kyle Twede, owner of Twede’s Café. Twede’s, a local See BLUES, Page 2 Prsrt Std U.S. Postage PAID Kent, WA Permit No. 71 POSTAL CUSTOMER


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