Your locally-owned newspaper, serving North Bend and Snoqualmie, Washington
Bus ride to imagination Page 6
July 31, 2014
Be bear aware Not feeding
Volunteers bring comfort to children
wildlife will help animals survive By Tami Asars A 304-pound black bear near IssaquahHobart Road peers By Tami Asars out of the large trap Lindsay Welfelt, WSU master student/bear where he sits in a researcher (from left to right); Brian Kertson, pile of straw behind wildlife research scientist, Washington bars. He pops his jaw, Department of Fish and Wildlife; and Jason sways back and forth, Capelli, a Fish and Wildlife officer, record meaand then explosively surements on a tranquilized black bear. charges with wild fervor. He’s following moil for the bears that now assohis instincts for finding food. ciate humans with handouts, a The large bruin and at least potentially dangerous situation five other bears have been that now is being handled by repeatedly coming to a residence authorities. near Issaquah, where, for the There are roughly 500 bearpast 13 years, related calls in “Whenever we have to the occupant King County has been feedalone each year, get involved, the survival ing them 5-galmost of them rate of these animals lon buckets full related to habitof bird seed in uated or fed goes way down.” her backyard, bears, Capelli Washington said. However, — Jason Capelli State there is no way State Dept. of Fish and Wildlife to catalog the Department of Fish & Wildlife number of peoOfficer Jason Capelli said. ple who do not call. Like most animal lovers who “Bear feeding can mean a lot fall into the trap of feeding wild- of things,” Capelli said. “Just life, she likely meant no harm. one incident with a trashcan or However, her lack of education See BEARS, Page 2 on the subject has created tur-
Community invited to hospital board’s strategic planning session Help shape the future of Snoqualmie Valley Hospital. The King County Public Hospital District No. 4 Board of Commissioners is inviting the community to their strategic planning retreat 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 7. The meeting will be held at the Cedar River Watershed Education Center,
19901 Cedar Falls Rd. S.E., North Bend. The day will be spent discussing a possible affiliation with Overlake Hospital Medical Center, planning what will happen if the affiliation goes through and planning the future of the hospital district. The public is welcome to attend and share thoughts and comments during the day-long session said district spokeswoman, Jill Green.
Photo by Sherry Grindeland
Liz Davis (left) and JoAnn Stringfellow (right) cut fringe on fleece blankets during a work party at the Sallal Grange July 28. The two North Bend women responded to a plea from Leah Aichele of the grange for volunteers to help make blankets for Project Linus. The national charity, which distributes blankets to local hospitals for children in traumatic situations, asked regular donors to pull together summer work parties because the supplies had been depleted. Nearly a dozen people completed 65 blankets.
Meet the neighbors and the police He’s the officer spearheading the Snoqualmie Police Officer James Sherwood Department’s open house wants to from 5-9 p.m. introduce Aug. 5, which you to your is part of the If You Go neighbors National Night and to National Night Out Out Against the police Against Crime Crime. who patrol Free The your North 5-9 p.m. Aug. 5 National Bend and Snoqualmie Police Night Out Snoqualmie Department program has neighbor34825 S.E. Douglas St. been bringing hoods. Snoqualmie citizens and Sherwood cops together will even on the first throw in Thursday in dinner, some free handouts for August since 1984. children and fun activities. National Night Out is the
By Sherry Grindeland
outreach portion of the National Association of Town Watch – the parent organizations behind what is better known in the Pacific Northwest as neighborhood watches. That’s one of the local police department’s goals for hosting See WATCH, Page 3 Prsrt Std U.S. Postage PAID Kent, WA Permit No. 71 POSTAL CUSTOMER