snovalleystar051712

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

Reece Karalus strikes out 15 batters Page 12

May 17, 2012 VOL. 4, NO. 20

New management County appoints new boss to work with unincorporated areas. Page 2

New principal Opstad Elementary School gets a new principal. Page 3

New hope Fishing helps cancer survivors cope. Page 6

By Mary Miller

Photographer Mary Miller, of North Bend, organized a heart-shaped community photo May 5 at Centennial Fields in Snoqualmie. She said 200 people from the Snoqualmie Valley showed up for the photo, and brought along their dogs and chickens.

Community photo shows the love for everyone New writer Middle-schooler is recognized as one of the best in the state. Page 8

Police blotter

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New playoff picture Lacrosse has its first playoff experience. Page 12

By Michele Mihalovich When you put a call out to the Snoqualmie Valley to show up for a community photo, you never know who or what’s going to show up. Such was the case May 5, when several people brought their dogs, and a couple of fami-

POSTAL CUSTOMER

Upper Valley.” “But then I thought it would also be a great way to bring back the celebration of this community in the midst of such tragedies we’ve faced recently,” she said. The tragedies were a plane crashing into Mount Si, a home invasion where a man had to

shoot and kill a man who broke into his home, a Mount Si High School student who killed himself and the killings of Lynnettee and Kaylene Keller. “I personally felt there was a bit of a pall in the Valley,” Miller said. See HEART, Page 2

Hospital construction Crime rate increase gets delayed by red tape doesn’t tell the whole story By Michele Mihalovich

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

lies brought their chickens. “I couldn’t believe it — chickens,” said North Bend photographer Mary Miller, who organized the community photo. “But it was great. I loved it.” Miller said the original intent for a community photo was to be a part of a table book she’s creating called “Life in the

Site grading for the new Snoqualmie Valley Hospital is completed, and architects and contractors are waiting in the wings for the go-ahead from the state, but a delay is holding up construction. Hospital administrators had hoped to get an approved Certificate of Need, which costs $34,457, from the state’s Department of Health in April.

But a backlog in applications and appeals is holding up the process, said Mark Thomas, analyst for the Certificate of Need program. State Rep. Jay Rodne, who also serves as attorney for the Snoqualmie Valley Hospital district, said a letter of intent was mailed to the state in October, and the application for the certificate See HOSPITAL, Page 3

By Michele Mihalovich

Overall, the crime rate in Washington is indicating a downward trend when comparing 2010 numbers with 2011. Snoqualmie is following that trend, but the numbers show North Bend with a slight increase. The just released 32nd annual Crime in Washington 2011 statistics show a 5 percent decrease from 2010 in violent crimes statewide, a 3.3 percent decrease

in property crime offenses and a 3.6 percent decrease in domestic assault crimes. Since 2010, the crime rate is up 2.8 percent per 1,000 people from last year in North Bend, compared to Snoqualmie, which is showing a 32.2 percent decrease. North Bend experienced an 87 percent increase in violent crimes, but North Bend Police Chief Mark Toner said the numSee CRIME, Page 3


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