Your locally-owned newspaper, serving North Bend and Snoqualmie, Washington
July 5, 2012 VOL. 4, NO. 27
Habitat home? Meeting is this week for potential owners. Page 2
New cop on the beat Snoqualmie swears in a new captain. Page 3
Every other year City moves to biennial budgeting.
Page 3
See the stars Come and experience the portable planetarium. Page 6
View from the top Hikers learn the geology of Rattlesnake Ledge area. Page 8
Police blotter Page 10
Prsrt Std U.S. Postage PAID Kent, WA Permit No. 71 POSTAL CUSTOMER
He plays with the best Page 8
Burglary suspect arrested
Teacher pleads not guilty
Learn the silly way
By Sebastian Moraga
By Michele Mihalovich
A man suspected of multiple residential burglaries, including two Snoqualmie incidents, was captured June 8 in a Federal Way hotel. Mark Caoile, 35, of Federal Way, was charged June 13 in King County Superior Court with six counts of residential burglary and one count of trafficking stolen property. According to court documents, Caoile was wanted for residential break-ins in Bellevue, Bothell, Sammamish and Snoqualmie. According to two certifications of probable cause issued by the Snoqualmie Police Department, Caoile was suspected of breaking into a home on Leitz Avenue on May 2, and pawning stolen tools taken from the back of a pickup parked on Douglas Avenue on May 21. Court documents indicate that a neighbor on Leitz Avenue saw a man she didn’t know standing on her neighbor’s porch. She later saw the same man coming from her neighbor’s backyard with a canvas bag. The neighbor called police and reported that she saw the man get into the passenger side of a full-sized, blue pickup with big tires and tinted windows. Police responded to the home and found an open window at the back of the house, and the window screen leaned up against the house. They also noticed pry marks on the window. According to court documents, the neighbor gave a good description of the man she saw, and a partial plate number for the vehicle that helped police identify the truck owner, and his suspected accomplice — Caoile. The homeowner, after being called by her neighbor, came home and tried to identify what had been stolen. She said jewelry and a brand new Apple laptop computer See ARREST, Page 2
By Sebastian Moraga
Logan Cezar, right, mimics Chicago entertainer Chris Fascione during Fascione’s show at the Snoqualmie Library. Children enjoyed a mixture of scary stories, jokes, magic tricks and oneliners from Fascione in an hourlong performance. See the story on Page 6. Fascione returns to the Valley Aug. 1.
Ted Bernstein, a Snoqualmie Valley School District substitute teacher from North Bend, pleaded not guilty to two counts of possession of child pornography July 2. King County Superior Court judge Ronald Kessler released Bernstein, 64, but ordered him to be monitored electronically and forbade him from leaving his home or having any contact with children. Bernstein also had to surrender his passport, and may not use the Internet or consume alcohol, according to court documents. “It’s pretty standard that there be a not-guilty plea at the time of the arraignment,” said Dan Donohoe, spokesman for the King County Prosecutor’s Office. “And we will proceed with the prosecution of the defendant.” Removal of or tampering with the electronic monitoring device will land Bernstein in jail, documents stated. See PLEA, Page 2
Foundation will promote North Bend By Michele Mihalovich A new nonprofit organization has been established to help promote downtown North Bend, and help improve and expand events held in the downtown area. The main goals of the North Bend Downtown Foundation, established in May, are to promote downtown and improve the look and feel of downtown, said Geoffrey Doy, president of the foundation board. Doy, a Snoqualmie Valley School District board member, recently joined North Bend’s Economic Development Commission. He said the commission has a lot of ideas about adding new events to the current lineup, like the Block Party and
Holiday Lighting Festival. “We’re trying to add a Pumpkin Festival in October,” he said. “So the foundation can be a vehicle for helping to make that happen, financially. The foundation can get sponsorship so that the city isn’t burdened with having to try and fund all these events. “The foundation could use some of its money to purchase better lighting for the Holiday Festival,” he added. “Or we could purchase more planter boxes or fund Fourth of July fireworks … whatever the community would like us to focus on.” There are a couple of plans in the works for raising money. Foundation members will work the beer garden at the Warrior Dash to earn money
for the nonprofit, he said. Last year, members of the Snoqualmie Valley Chamber of Commerce, which focuses on promoting businesses in the entire Valley, worked the Warrior Dash’s beer garden and raised about $25,000, according to Doy. This year’s Warrior Dash isn’t expected to attract 23,000 attendees this year like it did last year because two Warrior Dashes are being held in Washington this summer, but Doy still thinks the foundation could raise between $10,000 and $20,000. Another opportunity to raise money has come about due to a change in the Iron Horse Relay route. See PROMOTE, Page 3