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Mount Si grad goes pro Page 10
July 10, 2014
Fire engulfs home on Snoqualmie Ridge By Emry Dinman A four-bedroom, 3,560-squarefoot home in the 6600 block of Fairway Avenue Southeast in the Snoqualmie Ridge area of Snoqualmie suffered extensive damage in a fire July 4. An off-duty firefighter called 911 about the fire at 5:19 p.m., according to Joan Pliego, the city of Snoqualmie Public Information Officer. Snoqualmie police and fire departments were immediately dispatched, with the first
Snoqualmie fire unit arriving at 5:27 p.m. Nobody was home at the time and there were no serious injuries. A firefighter was treated for a twisted knee, but he is expected to be fine. Approximately 35 firefighters from the Snoqualmie Fire Department, Eastside Fire & Rescue and Fall City Fire arrived at the scene. Further support came from Bellevue Medic 3. “I got there just when the firemen did and took pictures,” Snoqualmie photographer Curt
By Calder Productions
Firefighters work to douse a blaze on Snoqualmie Ridge.
By Emry Dinman
Firefighters tend to their hoses that criss-cross the street.
Calder said. “The wind really fanned the flames, and eventually the roof collapsed. It’s a real shame.” The pillar of smoke that rose into the air attracted onlookers. Many were children who, as one teen that said he had biked three miles to the fire put it, “came to see the real fireworks.” Crowds of people filled the sidewalk opposite the fire at
first, despite multiple failed attempts by firefighters to move the crowd uphill. Finally, smoke from the fire enveloped the area and onlookers retreated from the fumes. Though the fire was considered under control within an hour, the house suffered extensive fire, smoke and water damage. In an open letter to
Snoqualmie residents July 7, Mayor Matt Larson detailed the ongoing investigations. The King County Fire Marshal’s preliminary determination is that the fire was accidental and possibly caused by fireworks. However, the investigation is ongoing. Once the final report is available, Larson said in his letSee FIRE, Page 2
Hospital district to explore selling new building to Overlake By Sherry Grindeland Soon, the Snoqualmie Valley Hospital District may no longer have a hospital. King County Public Hospital District No. 4 (as it is formally known) took the first step July 3 toward possibly selling the still under-construction hospital to Overlake Hospital Medical Center in Bellevue. The hospital board voted 4-1 to allow CEO Rodger McCollum to sign a nonbinding letter of intent for the district to sell the new hospital facility to Overlake. Commissioner Gene Pollard was the only commissioner who voted no. He said he opposed the letter because he felt the
public should get a chance to weigh in on the decision to begin talks. Several board members, legal counsel Jay Rodne and McCollum all tried to reassure Pollard that there would be public hearings before any decision would be made. “I’m not against affiliation,” Pollard said. “I want to make sure people — the taxpayers in the Valley — get a fair shake.” He also said he didn’t want to give Overlake an exclusive option. “What if someone walks in and offers us $2 million more? Let’s not lock ourselves in,” Pollard said. Indeed, there were representatives from another area hospital
at the meeting in the council chambers at Snoqualmie City Hall. Two leaders from King County Public Hospital District No. 2, which operates EvergreenHealth Medical Center in Kirkland, attended. One was president of the board of commissioners, Al DeYoung, and the other was the district legal counsel, Jim Fitzgerald. “We came to find out about the letter of intent,” DeYoung said as he left the meeting. “We want to know what’s happening in our area.” When asked if Evergreen would possibly be interested in an affiliation with Snoqualmie, he said not to put words in his mouth.
In the July 3 meeting, Pollard also argued about the wording of the letter of intent and questioned when the commissioners were told about it. Commissioner David Speikers spoke up and said, “We’ve been looking for a deal a long time. No one wanted us.” After a heated back-and-forth conversation, Speikers finally said to Pollard, “I think you’re against whatever we want,” regarding the board. All commissioners agreed they wanted as much public input as possible into the possible sale or affiliation. “We need to think outside the box of how we’ve been delivering healthcare,” Commissioner Dariel Norris
said. “Many families in the area already identify with Overlake and have been patients there.” The possible sale doesn’t mean the Snoqualmie Valley Hospital District will be pulling out of the healthcare business. “There are at least 12 hospital districts in the state that I know See HOSPITAL, Page 3 Prsrt Std U.S. Postage PAID Kent, WA Permit No. 71 POSTAL CUSTOMER