Your locally-owned newspaper, serving North Bend and Snoqualmie, Washington
May 24, 2012 VOL. 4, NO. 21
Vets get a ride Railway museum offers discount to veterans. Page 2
Elections kick off Candidates file for statewide offices.
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Helping the fish County gives salmon recovery projects a boost. Page 6
Don’t be afraid Clinic helps horses learn not to fear obstacles. Page 8
Gymnasts perform New gym’s athletes have a good showing at meet. Page 12
POSTAL CUSTOMER
Break-in rumors are exaggerated
This is only a drill
Police in both cities want residents to call about suspicious behavior By Michele Mihalovich
Police blotter
Prsrt Std U.S. Postage PAID Kent, WA Permit No. 71
Softball team is headed to state Page 12
North Bend and Snoqualmie yahoo groups are abuzz with reports of a rash of residential break-ins and shady solicitors, and a possible connection between the two. But local law enforcement wants residents to know that although there may have been a connection in one break-in, not all door-to-door solicitors are thieves. “It’s nice that people are letting their neighbors know on these groups when something doesn’t look right in the neighborhood,” Snoqualmie Police Captain Steve McCulley said. “But you really should be calling 911 if you see something suspicious.” McCulley said there seems to be a “hiccup” in Snoqualmie, where people don’t call 911 because they don’t think it’s important enough or they don’t want to bother police. “But you people live there in the neighborhood, you know when something doesn’t look right,” he said. “If they don’t call us and let us know, we’re not going to know about it. If a door-to-door salesman is trying to sell you something, and then you see that same person at your neighbor’s house shaking doorknobs and looking in windows, we want to hear about that.” One alert neighbor in Snoqualmie’s Deer Park did notify police at about 7:45 p.m. May 2 that she saw a strange male, who had tried to sell her something earlier, leaving her neighbor’s house and getting into a blue pickup. A press release said that another caller reported seeing the same subject in another neighborhood. The home in Deer Park suffered a broken window, but nothing was taken, according to See RUMOR, Page 2
By Greg Farrar
Firefighters and a King County Sheriff’s deputy place an injured passenger, played by Mount Si High School senior Reece Karalus, on a gurney for transport to the hospital. Karalus was one of the students who acted in a mock car crash to teach Mount Si students the dangers of drinking and driving. Read the story on Page 8. See a slideshow of photos from the event at www.snovalleystar.com.
City administrator leaves North Bend Jokes, tears flow at Duncan Wilson’s last City Council meeting By Michele Mihalovich The Prince of Darkness is now Friday Harbor’s problem. Duncan Wilson, North Bend city administrator, attended his final City Council meeting May 15.
Wilson received the evil moniker soon after he started with the city on Nov. 1, 2006 — the Day of the Dead. He told the Star that just five days after he started his new job, North Bend experienced massive flooding. “We had to open the Emergency Operations Center for the first time in years,” Wilson said. “It was my first week and we were dealing with trapped citizens, significant property damage and impassable roadways. Five weeks later,
Remember fallen heroes on Memorial Day The Snoqualmie Valley will remember its fallen heroes with several ceremonies on Memorial Day, May 28. ❑ 9 a.m., Preston Cemetery, 8328 308th Ave. S.E., Issaquah ❑ 10 a.m., Fall City Cemetery, 4713 Lake Alice Road S.E. ❑ 11 a.m., North Bend Cemetery, 43008 S.E. North Bend Way ❑ Noon, Snoqualmie Valley Veterans Memorial at American Legion Post, 38625 S.E. River St., in downtown Snoqualmie, across the street from City Hall. People may bring flowers to leave on graves. Call Suzy Cassidy at 831-1914 to volunteer to place American flags on graves May 26.
we had massive wind storms that took down transmission lines throughout Western Washington. “Most of North Bend was without power for six days,” he added. “We had to get emergency generators. We had to move elderly residents out of retirement homes to beds at the hospital. Communications were sketchy and cell service was lost. We opened the EOC again ... the second time in six weeks.” See DUNCAN, Page 2