Your locally-owned newspaper, serving North Bend and Snoqualmie, Washington
June 28, 2012 VOL. 4, NO. 26
Help wanted Snoqualmie seeks a planning commissioner. Page 2
Valley is home to budding filmmaker Page 8
Hospital and tribe make a deal Hospital board agrees to terms in early payoff agreement By Michele Mihalovich
Watch the boom Be careful with fireworks on the Fourth of July. Page 3
New Middle Fork Groups work together to renovate trails. Page 6
Snoqualmie Valley Hospital commissioners agreed to accept an early payoff deal with the Snoqualmie Tribe’s purchase of the current hospital and land, but those who voted yes weren’t too happy about it. The tribe bought the hospital and land for $30 million in 2008, and agreed to let the hospital continue to operate it until it builds a new facility. The tribe, which has been making monthly payments toward the purchase, was expected to pay $25 million in a balloon payment in May 2015, but had approached hospital administrators about paying it off at the end of July with a sigSee DEAL, Page 3
Study up Valley researcher needs help with exercise study. Page 9
Bring it home
Man charged with possession of child porn By Sebastian Moraga
EBI Lioness team wins first place in Reno. Page 12
Police blotter Page 14
Prsrt Std U.S. Postage PAID Kent, WA Permit No. 71 POSTAL CUSTOMER
Court documents state that discs found in the home of Theodore A. Bernstein, a substitute teacher for the Snoqualmie Valley School District, contained pedophilic writings, many with a theme of cruelty, violence and decapitation of children, and even necrophilia. Bernstein, 64, has been charged with two counts of firstdegree possession of child pornography. Charges were filed June 22 in King County Superior Court, according to documents from the prosecuting attorney’s office. The office has requested Bernstein be forbidden from See CHARGES, Page 2
Contributed by Black Canyon Hydro
This is a photo illustration of what the proposed Black Canyon hydroelectric inflatable dam would look like on the North Fork of the Snoqualmie River.
Public will get a say on proposed dam By Michele Mihalovich The public got its chance to weigh in June 19 on a hydroelectric dam on the North Fork Snoqualmie River being proposed by a Bellingham company. Black Canyon Hydro submitted its pre-application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the agency that issues licenses for dam projects, in March. The company is proposing to build a 157-foot-wide inflatable dam across a section of the river, about four miles northeast of North Bend. Chris Spens, a licensing manager with Black Canyon Hydro, described after the meeting how the inflatable dam would work. He said a tube, stretched across the river, would be anchored to a cement platform set into the riverbed. During low flow on the river, the tube would inflate to create a 7-footdeep reservoir. During high flows, the tube would deflate and lay flush against the river bottom. The tube could be manually inflated or deflated, but sensors measuring river
Get involved Submit comprehensive comments or request studies by registering at www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp. Registering allows you to sign up for the docket (in this case P-14110) and you will be notified of all filings and future opportunities to comment on the project. File a short comment of less than 6,000 characters, without registering, at www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ecomment.asp. Include your name and contact information at the end of your comments. Mail hard copy comments to Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First St. N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426. Be sure to reference P-14110 in the introductory paragraph. The commission will accept comments, studies and professional opinions until 2 p.m. July 24. flow would be installed to do the work automatically. Water would be drawn from the reservoir into an underground tunnel, about 8,200 feet long with vertical and horizontal shafts that encases a 10-footwide pipe, that runs through timberland owned by THR and Hancock timber companies, and leads to the powerhouse. The powerhouse will be near transmission lines that already exist, but will have to be upgraded to handle the additional electricity generated from the dam.
The dam also will include a fish ladder for rainbow and cutthroat trout. About 15 people turned out for the regulatory commission scoping meeting, held at the Cedar River Watershed Education Center in North Bend, including Snoqualmie City Attorney Pat Anderson. A natural spring near the proposed dam site provides 30 percent of Snoqualmie’s drinking water supply. Anderson said he wanted to See DAM, Page 3