snovalley star 092211

Mount Si’s kicker stays grounded while the pigskin soars

Your locally-owned newspaper, serving North Bend and Snoqualmie, Washington

Page 12

Annexation’s infrastructure costs worries City Council

September 22, 2011 VOL. 3, NO. 37

Road rules Measure calls for tighter rules on highway tolls.

Page 2

Back on the ballot Initiative aims to remove state from liquor business.

Page 3

By Dan Catchpole

Police blotter Page 6

By Puget Sound Energy

Workers dismantle a turbine in Plant 1, 260 feet beneath Snoqualmie Falls. The cavern was first carved out of the bedrock in the 1890s.

Paternal love North Bend woman joins cancer walk for her dad.

Page 8

PSE falls-restoration project reaches half-way point Anger lingers in wake of dismissed lawsuits

By Dan Catchpole

Hawk-A-Thon’s a hit School fundraiser makes for theater of the odd.

Page 10

Prsrt Std U.S. Postage PAID Kent, WA Permit No. 71 POSTAL CUSTOMER

Work on the upper part of Snoqualmie Falls Park is nearly finished, two years after Puget Sound Energy began the restoration project. The design work for the redevelopment of the lower park is almost finished but that phase of the project has not started yet.

More work is underway that isn’t as apparent to visitors as the 268-foot waterfall. All parts of the $240 million project are still on track to wrap up by 2013, according to PSE spokesman Roger Thompson.

PSE is also restoring a former train depot and carpenter shop on the river’s west bank south of the falls. The utility company is also in the process of overhauling the heart of its operations at Snoqualmie Falls — two hydroelectric power plants that will

Annexing a former Weyerhaeuser mill site will likely generate more tax revenue than costs for Snoqualmie, according to a fiscal impact study released last week by the city.

A peer review of the study by an independent consulting firm reached the same conclusion.

City Council members asked for more detailed analysis of the expected costs of annexation, and opponents criticized the study as incomplete.

The City Council is still considering a pre-annexation agreement between the city, DirtFish Rally School and the site’s owners: the Weyerhaeuser Real Estate See ANNEXATION, Page 3

Phonathon nets $15,000 for student programs

By Sebastian Moraga

By Puget Sound Energy

Workers use a high-pressure hose to remove concrete lining from a See PSE PROJECT, Page 7 1,000-foot tunnel that moves water to Plant 2.

Yes, it fell short, but it was not a failure.

Sure, the goal of the 2011 Snoqualmie Valley Schools Foundation Phonathon was $20,000, and it collected a little more than $15,000. But last year’s phonathon raised “only” $12,000.

Besides, foundation treasurer Cheryl Duncan said the group pulled that goal amount out of the air.

What really matters is that the foundation has 150 “Benjamins” to help improve classrooms, thanks to the generosity of Valley families.

“We will be able to fund the programs we wanted to fund,” See PHONATHON, Page 3

SnoValley Star

PAGE 2

Joint police force decision is on hold North Bend has put its consideration of ending its contract with the King County Sheriff’s Office for police services on hold.

The city is waiting to see what savings come from budget cuts and consolidation of resources at the sheriff’s department, City Administrator Duncan Wilson said.

“We are sort of waiting for them to get through that,” he said.

In the meantime, the North Bend Police Department, staffed by sheriff’s deputies, has implemented cost-cutting measures during the past year.

The results have been impressive, City Councilman Alan Gothelf said.

Concerns about the rising cost of its contract for police services prompted North Bend to tell the sheriff’s office last October that it was considering ending the contract.

The city considered forming a joint police department with neighboring Snoqualmie.

But the sheriff’s office has responded by reducing costs for the 12 cities for which it provides police services.

Encompass readies to open in North Bend Encompass is expanding next month.

The children’s and family services organization is opening a satellite office in downtown North Bend. The new facility will offer two categories of services: Pediatric therapy pro-

425.396.1410 SnoValley Star Storage Special

grams and family support.

Pediatric therapy programs include in-home therapy for infants and toddlers and inclinic therapy for children ages 3 to 18. Encompass has offered the service since 2008.

Family support services include walk-in support for families in need, caregiver support for relatives and a local presence for the national Parent-Child Home Program, which is funded by United Way. The program offers in-home literacy support for parents of infants and toddlers.

The new facility is at 209 Main Ave. S., and will open Oct. 3. Encompass is hosting an open house at the office from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Nov. 7.

The other two sites are the Encompass Main Campus, operating since 1996 at 1407 Boalch Ave. N.W., North Bend, and Encompass Issaquah, an office within Blakely Hall, 2550 N.E. Park Drive in the Issaquah Highlands, which opened this month.

Follow us on

5’x5’ unit

for $39!

Refer to this ad when you call for details.

35501 SE Douglas Street Daily 9am - 6pm www.snoqualmieridgestorage.com

www.twitter.com/snovalleystar

Remember Dental Check Ups during the Back to School Season

SEPTEMBER 22, 2011

Measure calls for tighter rules on highway tolls

By Tom Corrigan Tim Eyman said that for him, Initiative 1125 isn’t so much about highway tolling as it is a continuation of the same idea he has been promoting with his various ballot issues for 18 years.

I-1125 would change the way state conducts highway tolling in several ways. Among other provisions, I-1125 would require the Legislature to set toll amounts — rather than the appointed Washington State Transportation Commission — and mandate that tolls end when the state finishes paying off projects funded by tolling.

Voters will decide on the initiative in November.

The basic idea behind I-1125 is that all new taxes or fees must be approved by the Legislature or put on a public ballot, Eyman said. Voters approved just those provisions last year when they passed Initiative 1053 with 64 percent in favor, he added.

I-1053 was Eyman’s primary 2010 initiative effort. The measure requires any state tax increase to receive a two-thirds majority in the Legislature.

He argues that Olympia politicians bypassed I-1053 when they let the Washington State Transportation Commission set the cost of tolls on the state Route 520 bridge.

But I-1125 opponents say there are several big problems with having the Legislature set tolling amounts.

Cynara Lilly, a spokeswoman for the Keep Washington Rolling campaign opposed to the initiative, said local residents should be worried about I-1125’s effects on the much-publicized plans to rebuild the state Route 520 bridge.

Among other concerns, Lilly said the initiative would leave a $500 million hole in funding for replacing the bridge.

Even closer to home for local residents, the measure likely would kill plans for voterapproved light rail on the Interstate 90 floating bridge.

Eyman argues such construction would violate the state Constitution. I-1125 mandates that state transportation money

— including toll collections and gas taxes — cannot be used for nonhighway purposes, which would include the proposed light rail system. The initiative provision simply restates what the Constitution already requires, Eyman said.

An avowed opponent to I1125, Doug MacDonald served as the state secretary of transportation from 2001-07.

If the Legislature were to set toll rates, MacDonald said, the state would have a lot of trouble selling capital improvement bonds based on toll collections.

Bond rating services and others involved in bond sales would worry that politics might play too much of a hand in the collections.

State Treasurer James McIntire came to the same conclusion in a report on the initiative’s possible fiscal impact.

In a financial analysis of I-1125, McIntire said bond investors see the independence of toll-setting bodies as a “critical credit characteristic.” Having state legislators set tolls would be unprecedented nationally, he added.

“We simply cannot sell tollbacked bonds if the Legislature is the toll-setting body,” McIntire said in the report.

Eyman’s argument is that voters cannot hold accountable the unelected transportation commission, whom he labeled “bureaucrats appointed by the governor.”

The Washington State Republican Party agrees with him. On Aug. 25, the state GOP voted to support I-1125.

“I-1125 will require state government to stay fiscally prudent and has the added benefit of requiring elected representatives to set the cost of tolls, not unelected bureaucrats,” state party Chairman Kirby Wilbur said in a news release.

Lilly said GOP backing of the initiative didn’t surprise her.

“The Republicans are often in lockstep with Eyman,” she said.

“We have both sides of the aisle on our team.”

Some other major provisions of I-1125 would require tolls only be used for projects on the road or bridge being tolled and, again, that the tolling come to an end when the project was paid off. Eyman said current rules allow the state to collect tolls indefinitely.

For his part, MacDonald argued that maintenance and other costs don’t disappear when a capital improvement project ends.

Tom Corrigan: 392-6434, ext. 241, or tcorrigan@isspress.com. Comment at www.snovalleystar.com.

SnoValley Star

SEPTEMBER 22, 2011

PAGE 3

Costco-backed I-1183 aims to remove state from liquor business Opponents cite safety concerns about more retailers offering booze

By Warren Kagarise Months after a measure to privatize the state’s Prohibitionera liquor system failed, Issaquah-based Costco ordered another round, and spearheaded a similar measure for the November ballot.

Initiative 1183 aims to remove the state from the business of distributing and selling hard liquor. The measure is less comprehensive than Initiative 1100, a Costco-backed privatization measure rejected last November.

If passed, I-1183 calls for state-run liquor stores to close

by June 2012. The measure also aims to require the state to license private enterprises to sell and distribute hard liquor, set license fees based on sales and regulate licensees.

Unlike the unsuccessful initiative from last year, I-1183 limits hard liquor sales to stores of at least 10,000 square feet. (The average Costco encompasses about 140,000 square feet.) I1100 aimed to allow smaller retailers, such as gas stations and convenience stores, to sell hard liquor.

Still, opponents said safety concerns remain about efforts to privatize the system and sell

Annexation From Page 1 Development Co. and Snoqualmie Mill Ventures. The owner of Snoqualmie Mill Ventures, Steve Rimmer, also owns DirtFish.

The agreement outlines conditions for annexation and expectations for the city and companies after annexation. It is the key to the annexation process, according to Snoqualmie City Attorney Pat Anderson.

Questions from council members focused mostly on the potential maintenance costs of Reinig Road, Mill Pond Road and Meadowbrook Bridge.

Maintaining the two roads

Phonathon From Page 1 foundation president Carmen Villanueva said. “Fifteen thousand dollars is a great amount.”

DECISION

booze at more locations.

“One thing that became clear is that voters of the state of Washington really didn’t want to have a huge increase in the amount of outlets selling liquor — and that’s exactly what this would do,” said Alex Fryer, a spokesman for Protect Our Communities, the campaign opposed to I-1183.

Costco — alongside other large retailers, including Safeway and Trader Joe’s — serves as a major backer for the initiative.

Protect Our Communities receives important support from the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America.

The forces for and against I1183 raised about $9 million combined so far, and more money is guaranteed to pour in before Election Day, Nov. 8.

Kathryn Stenger, Yes on 1183 spokeswoman, said support from familiar retailers bolsters support for the measure among the electorate.

“On the one hand, people love the idea because they

Measure differs from past initiatives The state estimates liquor privatization resulting from I-1183 could generate $216 million to $253 million for state coffers in the next six years. The state could also pocket about $28 million from the liquor distribution center sale.

The measure also includes fees to generate revenue for local governments. Many local government officials across Washington raised concerns last year about possible financial losses related to liquor privatization.

“It’s recurring revenue that’s been very dependable, very reliable,” unlike the more volatile sales tax, Snoqualmie Financial Officer Robert Orton said at the time.

Snoqualmie receives about $80,000 a year from the state for liquor profits. North Bend receives about $40,000 from liquor profits.

The state estimates local governments could receive $186 million to $227 million in the next six years if I-1183 passes.

I-1183 is the latest effort in a long series of proposals to

change Prohibition-era liquor laws. The state maintains a government-only monopoly on retail and wholesale liquor sales.

Washington and 17 other states control liquor sales and distribution.

“What we’ve heard anecdotally from people across the state is, it’s not that they’re uncomfortable with taking the state out of that monopoly, it’s that they wanted a little more peace of mind about where liquor would be sold,” Stenger said.

I-1183 opponents said the defeat of dueling liquor-privatization measures last November offered a clear message.

“The message that we received was clear from voters that they just didn’t want it,” Fryer said. “Whatever problems or complaints people may have with state liquor stores, they were outweighed by concerns.”

Stenger said the presence of initiatives 1100 and 1105 left voters uncertain about possible outcomes.

“As a voter, having two initiatives on there that dealt with it, but in different ways, made for a lot of confusion,” she said.

In the latest round, however, Fryer said voters tired of liquor privatization initiatives could sink I-1183.

“One of the biggest things we’re hearing from voters is, ‘This again?’ It’s the third time in 12 months,” he said. “Of all the things that are going on in people’s lives, with the economy and the housing market the way

and bridge could cost Snoqualmie more than $25,000 a year according to the city’s study.

“I’m not interested in annexing Reinig Road. I’m not interested in annexing Meadowbrook Bridge,” Councilman Charlie Peterson said.

City officials tried to leave Reinig Road and Meadowbrook Bridge out of the annexation, but that was not possible because the annexation was initiated by the city and King County, and not by voters. Since it is a negotiated annexation, 60 percent of the area’s border must touch Snoqualmie’s existing city limits.

The city thinks Reinig Road is in “horrible shape,” City Administrator Bob Larson said.

Mill Pond Road is in worse condition, and the city could

close it altogether if the annexation happens, Larson said.

Bringing it up to city standards is expected to cost $12,000, according to the study.

The annual maintenance cost is estimated to be $6,000.

Council members asked for more information about the estimated life span of Meadowbrook Bridge, a historic landmark registered with the county. King County rebuilt the bridge for $7.7 million in 2005.

In the short run, Snoqualmie would bring in more money from the proposed annexation site than it would spend on the land, said Finance Officer Rob Orton, who authored the study.

City officials expect that revenue from the site would grow from future development.

Still without any concrete development proposals, it is impossible to do a long-term fiscal analysis of annexation, Orton said.

“Usually you have some objective plan in front of you that you can evaluate objectively, but I don’t,” he said. “That’s part of the conundrum.”

Critics had harsher words for it.

“It’s a piece of junk,” Warren Rose said.

Rose is a member of Your Snoqualmie Valley, a grassroots group of residents opposed to the annexation and DirtFish.

The study doesn’t consider the value to the community of other uses for the property, such as returning it to its natural state, he said.

“It’s not until you do all of

Dan Catchpole: 392-6434, ext. 246, or editor@snovalleystar.com. Comment at www.snovalleystar.com.

The money will fund math enrichment programs at the elementary level and the high school program Natural Helpers.

Joe Galagan, advisor for Natural Helpers, praised the phonathon. The event helps pay for the group’s pivotal Nov. 11-13 retreat to Vashon Island, where its members are trained to be peer

counselors and communicators.

“We’re hoping,” he said, later adding, “they’ve been giving us about $4,000 a year to do this and we’re in the process of raising money to do it again so students can go without having to pay.”

Without the $4,000, students would have to pay about $100 per person for the two nights,

five meals and the training, Galagan said.

Although the phonathon is over, people who could not donate during the Sept. 12-13 event have until the end of the month to donate online or via mail.

To donate online, go to www.svsfoundation.org and click on

“Donate.” To donate by mail, send a check to the Snoqualmie Valley Schools Foundation, P.O. Box 724, Fall City, WA, 98024-0724.

“We want to thank our community for the generous donation,” Villanueva said. “Because of their generosity and the work of our volunteers, we were able to raise $15,000.”

2011 Find complete election coverage at www.snovalleystar.com through Election Day and beyond.

already have a good relationship with Costco and being able to go in there and find their favorite brands, but it’s also given them some peace of mind,” she said. “They know that Costco is selling beer and wine now, they know that Costco sells liquor in other states and has done so safely.”

State ballot initiatives Though initiatives 1125 (highway tolling) and 1183 (liquor privatization) receive the most attention, Washington voters must decide other important issues on the Nov. 8 ballot. ❑ Initiative 1163 requires training and background checks for employees in adult family homes.

Washington voters passed a similar measure, Initiative 1029, in 2008, but it withered in the Legislature due to budget shortfalls. ❑ Senate Joint Resolution 8205 calls for amending the state Constitution to remove a longunused provision about the length of time a voter must reside in the state to vote for president and vice president. ❑ Senate Joint Resolution 8206 is a proposed constitutional amendment on the budget stabilization account maintained in the state treasury. The measure calls for legislators to transfer money to a budget stabilization account if the state receives revenue related to “extraordinary revenue growth.”

it is, privatizing liquor just seems off-key.”

Warren Kagarise: 392-6434, ext. 234, or wkagarise@isspress.com. Comment at www.snovalleystar.com.

that when you can compare all the options side by side and say, ‘This is the best option,’” he said.

The study’s purpose was simply to weigh the costs of annexation, not to determine the best use of the land, Orton said.

Even if no development plans exist at the moment, the area has potential for future development, consulting agency Berk noted in its peer review of the city’s fiscal impact study.

Given the current economic climate, developing the site could take time.

“Redevelopment — it’s going to occur. Not tomorrow, but eventually,” Larson said.

Opinion

PAGE 4

Editorial

Share your views

Use logic, not politics to redistrict Washington

Citizens can make a difference by contacting their elected representatives.

Washington State is in the midst of its once-a-decade chance to re-evaluate the lines on a map that create our Congressional and Legislative districts. Politics, of course, figure into the process.

Please, powers-that-be, draw the lines based on logical groups of people, not on how best to create districts safe for one party or the other.

Logic does not divide small cities. Logic does not have a district that encompasses large portions of both sides of the Cascades. Logic does not base district boundaries on today’s representation without acknowledging that elected officials and political leanings will change dramatically over the next decade.

Washington uses a bipartisan committee to draft boundaries. But a bipartisan commission is a long way from a nonpartisan commission. Political parties appointed the commission members. When the commissioners think in terms or red and blue, the other colors of our political rainbow are shut out.

The four suggested maps show a wide array of ideas.

With public input, the anointed team must come up with a final solution, or let the Supreme Court justices decide.

It’s a tough assignment.

For the Snoqualmie Valley, there are things to like and dislike about each of the four proposed redistricting maps: None of the proposals put Snoqualmie or North Bend in separate districts. There is no reason to do so.

But two of the proposals put the upper Valley in an 8th Congressional District that is stretched across the Cascades.

The Wenatchee and Snoqualmie valleys have very different interests. Will flooding matter as much to a representative elected in large part by voters from central Washington?

Demographics require that some districts cross the mountains. The commission should stretch the 3rd District, where the mountains create a much smaller cultural and political divide.

WEEKLY POLL What’s the worst habit people display when in traffic?

A. Jaywalking B. Running stop signs C. Driving slow in the fast lanes D. Driving fast in residential neighborhoods E. The one-finger salute F. Texting Vote online at www.snovalleystar.com.

Deborah Berto Kathleen R. Merrill Jill Green

Publisher Managing editor Advertising manager

Dan Catchpole

Editor

Sebastian Moraga

Published by

David Hayes Michelle Comeau

ISSAQUAH PRESS, INC. P.O. Box 1328 Issaquah, WA 98027 Phone: 392-6434 Fax: 391-2241

Reporter Page designer Advertising rep.

MAIL SUBSCRIPTION

$30 per year Call 392-6434

State — 5th District ❑ Sen. Cheryl Pflug (R), 415 Legislative Building, P.O. Box 40405, Olympia, WA 985040405, 360-786-7608; 413-5333; pflug.cheryl@leg.wa.gov ❑ Rep. Glenn Anderson (R), 417 JLOB, P.O. Box 40600, Olympia WA 98504-0600; 360786-7876; 222-7092; anderson.glenn@leg.wa.gov ❑ Rep. Jay Rodne (R), 441 JLOB, P.O. Box 40600, Olympia, WA 98504-0600; 360-786-7852; rodne.jay@leg.wa.gov

County ❑ King County Executive Dow Constantine, King County Chinook Building, 401 Fifth Ave., Suite 800, Seattle, WA 98104; 206-296-4040; or kcexec@kingcounty.gov

SEPTEMBER 22, 2011 ❑ King County Councilwoman Kathy Lambert, District 3. King County Courthouse, 516 Third Ave., Room 1200, Seattle, WA 98104; 206-296-1003; 800-325-6165; kathy.lambert@kingcounty.gov

North Bend ❑ Mayor Ken Hearing, mayor@northbendwa.gov ❑ Councilman and Mayor Pro Tem Dee Williamson, dwilliamson@northbendwa.gov ❑ Councilman Jonathan Rosen, jrosen@northbendwa.gov ❑ Councilman Chris Garcia, cgarcia@northbendwa.gov ❑ Councilman Alan Gothelf, agothelf@northbendwa.gov ❑ Councilman Ross Loudenback, rloudenback@northbendwa.gov ❑ Councilman David Cook, dcook@northbendwa.gov ❑ Councilwoman Jeanne Pettersen, jpettersen@northbendwa.gov Write to the mayor and City Council at City of North Bend,

P.O. Box 896, North Bend, WA 98045. Call 888-1211.

Snoqualmie ❑ Mayor Matt Larson, 8885307; mayor@ci.snoqualmie.wa.us ❑ Councilman Robert Jeans, 396-4427; bjeans@ci.snoqualmie.wa.us ❑ Councilman Jeff MacNichols, 396-4597; macnichols@sbmhlaw ❑ Councilman Bryan Holloway, 396-5216; bholloway@ci.snoqualmie.wa.us ❑ Councilman Kingston Wall, 206-890-9125; kwall@ci.snoqualmie.wa.us ❑ Councilwoman Maria Henriksen, 396-5270; mhenriksen@ci.snoqualmie.wa.us ❑ Councilman Charles Peterson, 888-0773; cpeterson@ci.snoqualmie.wa.us ❑ Councilwoman Kathi Prewitt, 888-3019; kprewitt@ci.snoqualmie.wa.us Write to the mayor and City Council at City of Snoqualmie, P.O. Box 987, Snoqualmie, WA 98065. Call 888-1555.

Home Country

A good festival idea is hard to come by

By Slim Randles “Good morning, boys!” said Delbert McLain, glad-handing the regular members of the world-dilemma think tank at the Mule Barn truck stop’s philosophy counter. “I need your advice.”

Well, when the director (make that “sole employee”) of our local chamber of commerce needs advice from the best minds in the county, he’d naturally show up here in his white shirt and tie to learn from the best. We all sat up a bit straighter and adjusted our gimme caps to a jauntier angle.

In situations like this, Doc is our usual spokesman, having more initials behind his name than the rest of us.

“We’re here,” said Doc, “our advice is free and worth every penny, and our attention is focused solely on you, Delbert ol’ boy. What’s up?”

“Boys, we need a celebration, a festival, a real humdinger of a blow-out.”

“And you need me to play the accordion?” Dud asked.

“No, Dud,” Steve said. “I think the idea is to attract people to come to it.”

“That’s right,” Delbert said, grinning. “We need something really unique to bring people here. Calaveras County has its frog jumping, Mojave has turtle races, Hinkley has buzzards.

Deming has duck races.

Anchorage has an ugly dog contest.

We need something to call our own.

See what I mean?”

“A Slim Randles varmint-oriented whingColumnist ding, as it were,” said Steve, nodding sagely beneath his cowboy hat.

“Precisely,” said Delbert, grinning and rubbing his hands.

“Relax,” Dud said. “You’ve come to the right place.”

And we sipped, and considered, and broke down into actual thought.

“Are nude foot races out?”

Doc asked.

“Afraid so. Yes.” “Bed bug jamboree?”

“No way, Dud.” “Gopher golf? You know, hit the ball in gopher holes instead of on the course?” Doc asked.

“Or,” suggested Steve, “a Who Flung Dung competition using seasoned horse leavings. You know, separate contests for accuracy and distance.”

Delbert looked at him.

“You’re a sick puppy, Steve, you know that?”

“I’ve got it!” Doc said. “We could have a huge dance contest where everyone dances with a drain pipe! Call it the Rollicking Run-Off Romp!”

Delbert groaned.

“I see we’ll have to open this idea to the public.”

Brought to you by Slim’s new book, “A Cowboy’s Guide to Growing Up Right.” Learn more at www.nmsantos.com/Slim/Slim.html.

Write to us Snovalley Star welcomes letters to the editor about any subject, although we reserve the right to edit for space, length, potential libel, clarity or political relevance. Letters addressing local news will receive priority. Please limit letters to 350 words or less and type them, if possible. Email is preferred.

Letters must be signed and have a daytime phone number to verify authorship. Send them by Friday of each week to:

snovalley star P.O. Box 1328 ❑ Issaquah, WA 98027 Fax: 391-2241 ❑ Email: editor@snovalleystar.com

SEPTEMBER 22, 2011

SnoValley Star

PAGE 5

SnoValley Star

PAGE 6

Police & Fire North Bend police Don’t drink and drive At 10:09 a.m. Sept. 9, in the 300 block of Mount Si Boulevard, police observed a man remove a bottle of whiskey from a bag, open it, toss the bag on the ground and drive away.

Police had heard many complaints about this man in the past, including two days earlier, when the same man took a swig from a bottle before driving away. On this day, police approached the man, who had not yet opened the bottle, and told him to place it in the back of his vehicle, so it would be unreachable while driving. He was cited for littering.

Really, don’t drink and drive At 2:27 a.m. Sept. 10, police assisted the Washington State Patrol with a reported collision on Interstate 90 near milepost 31. Police saw a white Chevrolet pickup parked on the grass next to the westbound lanes. It appeared to have been involved in a collision but it showed no major damage. A man identified as 22-year-old Aaron Steele was sleeping on the passenger seat. He told police he had driven to North Bend to return his friend's handgun and now was driving back to Tacoma. Since he had a few beers in North Bend, he had stopped to sleep for a while. Police asked Steele if he had any weapons on him; he said his friend might have

taken his weapon and Steele's, too. Police checked Steele and the vehicle for weapons. Once the state patrol arrived, they checked again. Though they found no weapons, police found three magazines, a brown bag full of .45 caliber ammo and a long clip lying in the grass with about 25 rounds in it. After failing sobriety tests, the state patrol arrested Steele.

The vehicle was impounded.

Vandalism At 2:37 p.m. Sept. 9, police responded to a vandalism call in the 1100 block of Hemlock Avenue Southwest. Vandals have hit the spot repeatedly since early August. This has resulted in broken curbside lamps, hoses tied between a tree and the front door handle, toppled granite seats, stolen address digits, and people ringing the doorbell and fleeing. No more information was available.

police impounded his car. He was taken to the Snoqualmie Police Department and then booked into the Issaquah City Jail.

Paint job At 7:52 p.m. Sept. 9, police arrived in the 8300 block of Falls Avenue Southeast and contacted a woman who said her truck had been spray-painted purple sometime that evening. The damage was estimated at $500.

Purse stolen

Snoqualmie police

At 8:06 p.m. Sept. 10, a woman called to report someone had stolen her purse from her vehicle while it was parked at Snoqualmie Point Park. She had parked it there, leaving the purse on the rear floorboard of the truck, partially hidden. She returned to find someone had broken a window. The purse carried a digital camera, $200 in cash, her Visa card and her driver’s license. The total loss was estimated at $760.

Drunken driving

Abandoned vehicle

At 2:12 a.m. Sept. 10, police were patrolling the 37000 block of Snoqualmie Parkway when they saw a Hyundai traveling 17 miles under the 40 mph speed limit. The driver, Robert J. Lorens, from Maryland, drove in the fast lane and drifted from the centerline to the curb. When approached, Lorens had red eyes, slurred speech and his breath smelled of alcohol. He failed field sobriety tests, almost falling onto the hood of his vehicle, and hopping on one leg when police asked him to just stand. He was arrested for driving under the influence and

At 3:50 p.m. Sept. 13, police responded to an abandoned vehicle in the 34700 block of Jacobia Street Southeast. The vehicle had been tagged Sept. 4, had been parked in the same spot for at least a month and its tabs had expired in 2009. The current owner lives in Des Moines. The vehicle was towed with a copy of the parking infraction inside.

Drunken driving At 11:47 p.m. Sept 13, police traveling south on Snoqualmie

SEPTEMBER 22, 2011 Parkway saw a Subaru parked underneath Interstate 90 where the road turns onto Highway 18.

The car was parked in one of the lanes, and people had to change lanes to avoid the Subaru. The car had headlights on and its driver, Charles Donald Nelson, 36, was talking on a cellphone.

Police knocked on his window twice and when he tried to lower his window, he lowered a rear window, with the phone still at his ear. Police smelled alcohol on him, and his eyes were red and watery. Once a Washington State Patrol trooper came to the scene, she took over the investigation and asked Nelson to perform field sobriety tests. Nelson failed the tests, almost falling backward many times. He was arrested and the vehicle was impounded.

Raccoon crossing At 12:03 a.m. Sept. 14, police reported to the corner of Fisher Avenue Southeast and Snoqualmie Parkway on an animal call. They found a baby raccoon in the roadway, and removed it.

Snoqualmie fire ❑ At 12:31 a.m. Sept. 11, EMTs were dispatched to Snoqualmie Ridge for a medical call. The EMTs evaluated the patient, who was then taken to a hospital. ❑ At 4:50 p.m. Sept. 12, EMTs responded to a medical call in downtown Snoqualmie. The EMTs evaluated the patient, who was then taken to a hospital. ❑ At 3:15 p.m. Sept. 13, firefighters responded to a call from Cottonwood Drive, where

Your Comfort is our #1 Priority Because We Care!

$200

Welcome to our Dental Office!

GIFT CERTIFICATE Good towards Crowns, Bridges, & Root Canals Dr. Allemand and his family

$99

Exam, X-ray & Cleaning

New Patients Only.

(May not be combined with any other offers.

Present coupon at first appointment. Expires 10/31/11)

New Patients Only.

(May not be combined with any other offers.

Present coupon at first appointment. Expires 10/31/11)

GET UP TO

$1,250

• High Tech Digital X-rays • Gentle, caring staff

CASH BACK

• Cosmetic Dentistry • All ages welcome

Pre-Season Promotion Must be installed by Nov. 30th

• Prompt Appointments • Convenient location

High Efficiency Furnace Filtration • Heat Pump System

• Soft Tissue Laser

North Bend Dental Care Family and Cosmetic

General Chris Allemand, DDS 133 E. Park St., North Bend www.nbdentalcare.com

Flexible Payment Options Are Available, Emergency Patients Accepted Flexible 0% Interest Payment Options Are Available

Call Today! 425.888.2106

Heating • A/C • Air Quality

Call your trusted experts

425.881.7920

www.mmcomfortsystems.com

an infant had fallen off a changing table. ❑ At 9:39 p.m. Sept. 13, firefighters responded to a call from Cascade Avenue, where a 2-yearold girl had swallowed hand sanitizer. ❑ At 4:45 p.m. Sept. 14, EMTs and Bellevue paramedics responded to a medical call in downtown Snoqualmie. A patient was treated on scene and taken to a hospital by the paramedics.

North Bend fire No reports were available this week.

The Star publishes names of those charged with felony crimes. Information comes directly from local police reports.

State adopts changes to vehicle emission testing The owners of some vehicles may no longer need to undergo emission testing after July 2012, as the state Department of Ecology prepares to enact rule changes to the testing program.

The state requires certain vehicles in King County and other densely populated areas to undergo emission tests to reduce air pollution.

Under the rule change required by the Legislature and due to go into effect next summer, all 2009 and newer model year vehicles do not require testing. In addition, additional businesses may be authorized to conduct tests. The rule change also eliminates some emission tests.

The measure calls for the same standards to be used for all 1995 model year and older gasoline vehicles. The rule change exempts light-duty diesel vehicles from testing and tightens test standards for heavy-duty diesel vehicles. The measure nixes the gas cap test and dynamometer testing.

Department of Ecology officials posted the complete rules and supporting documents on the agency’s air quality website.

The agency announced the impending rule change Thursday.

The agency accepted public comments on the proposal in March and held a public hearing on proposed changes in Federal Way. Besides King County, vehicles in Clark, Pierce, Snohomish and Spokane counties undergo emission tests.

If a vehicle needs to undergo the test, the owner receives a reminder inside his or her tab renewal notice or email reminder reading, “This vehicle must pass a Washington emission inspection.” Then, the vehicle must be tested before he or she can renew the tabs.

SnoValley Star

SEPTEMBER 22, 2011

PSE project

Construction schedule

From Page 1 generate about 54 megawatts of energy. That is a 20 percent increase over its existing production, which relies on turbines that are more than a century old.

Together the two plants provide energy to roughly 33,000 customers, according to PSE. That number will jump to 40,000 after the project is finished.

Plant 1 was put into a cavern carved out of the bedrock below Snoqualmie Falls in 1898. It was the first underground hydroelectric facility in the world.

The power plant’s original owner, Charles Baker, and 35 men tunneled 250 feet into the bedrock below the falls. They needed only 16 months to complete the project, recording no fatalities in the process, according to local historian Dave Battey.

The more powerful Plant 2 came in 1910 and was expanded in 1957.

Today, a new crew is laboring to renovate and improve the cavern made by Baker and his men. PSE’s crew is expanding and modernizing the facility that will house new, more efficient turbines.

Workers have made good progress on dismantling existing structures to make way for the new ones, Thompson said.

Renovations designed for visitors While the meat of the project is designed to improve the safety

PAGE 7

By Puget Sound Energy

Construction workers build a new water intake for Plant 1 at the top of Snoqualmie Falls. and efficiency of the facility’s operations, the park’s renovations, and the opening to the public of restored historical buildings on the river’s west bank, are aimed at the 1.5 to 2 million visitors who come to Snoqualmie Falls each year.

The renovated upper park is largely finished and open to the public. In addition to giving the area a more polished look and making it compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the work also added interpretive information for visitors. The upper park’s lookout is scheduled to be finished this fall.

The lower park’s renovations will include a new hillside trail from the upper to lower park, a riverfront boardwalk, an interpretive area, a parking lot and improved river access, Thompson said.

Snoqualmie officials hope the renovations will draw more visi-

tors into the city’s historic downtown, which is undergoing its own revitalization project about a mile to the south.

But not everyone is happy with the project.

Project’s detractors have nearly exhausted legal options The Snoqualmie Valley Preservation Alliance — a group of residents from the lower Snoqualmie Valley — sued PSE and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to stop work on the project, specifically the removal of a diversion barrier across the river just before the falls.

Removing the usually submerged wall would increase flooding for lower Valley residents, the alliance argued in its lawsuit.

The alliance asserted that PSE and the Corps used inaccurate models to determine the impact the work would have on downstream flooding.

Facility Upper park redevelopment Lower park redevelopment Park trail redevelopment Plant 1 Rebuild Intake structure Powerhouse Tailrace Elevator/penstock shaft Diversion structure rebuild Plant 2 Rebuild Intake structure Water tunnel Gatehouse and forebay Penstocks Powerhouse

Begin September 2009 June 2010 June 2010

Finish May 2010* March 2013 March 2013

April 2010 April 2010 April 2010 June 2010 June 2010 June 2010

March 2013 September 2012 December 2012 September 2011 June 2012 October 2012

June 2010 June 2010 August 2011 February 2011 March 2011 June 2010

March 2013 September 2012 April 2012 December 2012 December 2011 October 2012

* The viewing platform overlooking the falls is being rebuilt this fall.

Source: Puget Sound Energy

The lawsuit was dismissed in March by the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled that the Corps had followed the proper permitting procedure.

However, alliance members plan to appeal that decision.

The work at the falls has also drawn the ire of some Snoqualmie Tribe members. In June, a handful of members gathered beneath a soaring cedar tree to pray and protest the project.

The work is further desecration of what the tribe considers to be the center of the world, tribal member Lois Sweet Dorman said.

The tribe lost its legal challenge to the renewal of PSE’s federal license to operate at the falls in 2008. The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals denied the tribe’s claim that the license, which is granted by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, put an undue burden on tribe members’ ability to freely practice their religion.

Since then, the tribe has collaborated with PSE on the renovation project. In 2010, the Tribal Council approved wording for interpretive information to be installed in the park.

Community

PAGE 8

SEPTEMBER 22, 2011

By Sebastian Moraga

Jenn Clarke, and her father Al, hold origami cranes, just a small chain of the more than 15,000 created in tribute to cancer survivors. Al has survived both brain and bladder cancer.

Contributed

Television gardener Ciscoe Morris (center) visits with Aimee and Jerry Sherrill at their Dahlia Barn in North Bend.

TV gardening show to feature North Bend’s Dahlia Farm

By Sebastian Moraga TV gardener Ciscoe Morris is having a dalliance in North Bend. Or rather, a dahlia-nce.

Morris will air an episode filmed in North Bend’s Dahlia Barn.

“Two reasons why we did the Dahlia Barn,” Morris said.

“It was unbelievably colorful and we love to shoot our show in a really beautiful, colorful spot. And we really like to support small, family-owned companies and nurseries.”

The episode was recorded Sept. 9. It will air Sept. 24 and

Oct. 8.

“Ciscoe just talked about our flowers, our farms, and how you can order dahlias and we’ll ship them to you in the spring,” Dahlia Barn owner Aimee Sherrill said. “We talked about dahlia care a little bit, what kind of care they need.”

Morris also featured the Dahlia Barn in a segment for the “Evening Magazine” TV show. That segment aired Sept.

12.

“We hope that it will drive a lot of people out to our farm,” Sherrill said of the TV appearances.

By Sebastian Moraga

A dahlia blooms at North Bend’s Dahlia Barn.

Dahlias, Sherrill said, take some work, but are worth it.

“In return, you receive a lot of flowers when nothing else is blooming. They come along in August and will bloom until mid-October,” she said.

The more you cut a dahlia, the more it blooms, she added.

Plus, Morris said, they’re beautiful, varied and deer don’t eat them.

“It’s no surprise people fall in love with dahlias,” he said.

Sherrill said she ships tubers (dahlia buds) all across the United States. She said she hopes to even create her own varieties someday.

“It takes a long time to create a new variety,” she said. “It may be five years from the time you create it to the time you send it to market.”

Still, she said, dahlias make a great hobby. And a great hubby. The Dahlia Barn fills with men during the tuber sale days of April and May, she added.

Morris said a dahlia’s continuous bloom can save a man’s marriage, affording him many bouquets.

“It’s the perfect flower for a man like me that gets into accidental mischief every now and then,” Morris said. “And has to keep making bouquets to make sure the spouse is happy.”

Sebastian Moraga: 392-6434, ext. 221, or smoraga@snovalleystar.com. Comment at www.snovalleystar.com.

North Bend woman joins cancer walk for her dad

By Sebastian Moraga Sometimes, the best pet is the one that flunked out of seeingeye dog school because of cataracts.

Sometimes, the strongest feeling is missing people who live less than an hour away.

Sometimes, the sweetest news is that your dad is in surgery for bladder cancer.

Just ask Jenn Clarke, a University of Washington student from North Bend who will participate in this year’s Cancer Walk at Seattle Center on Sept.

24.

In 2008, her father Al was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

Al beat the tumor and was on the mend from treatment in 2011 when he found he had to have surgery for bladder cancer.

Jenn, who owns that pet and moved back home from Seattle as a freshman, remembers feeling glad after the news. It meant a victory over the brain tumor.

“It meant that he was strong enough to have the surgery,” she said.

Al Clarke is one of Jenn’s best pals, a stay-at-home dad since her birth and a man who also thought the surgery news was fridge door worthy.

Now he’s on the comeback from that surgery, during which they also removed his prostate and the cancer cells on it.

“I wouldn’t recommend this ride for anybody,” Al said.

Still, he said he feels a little stronger every day. On this day, he was gardening, giant shears on hand.

During trips to the oncologist, Jenn heard about the Cancer Walk and she has participated since, starting a month

after the first diagnosis.

Jenn was a senior in high school when Al first got sick, and had no one at school to talk to about it.

At the walk, Jenn found people waging the same battles.

“It helps to let people know there’s people in the same boat,” she said. “It’s kind of reassuring to know there are people out there and that you are not all alone.”

With time, her involvement in the walk has grown.

She joined people in making 15,000 origami cranes as a tribute to survivors and victims of brain cancer. She’s her Cancer Walk team captain, and has even recruited the dog.

Jen’s involvement is rewarding, but also sad. The search for a cure continues, but meanwhile, many lives have been lost.

“I feel pretty lucky,” 62-yearold Al said.

In a way, Jenn feels lucky, too. Her father’s disease helped her value family more. As a college freshman, she moved off campus to spend more time with the man she still calls Daddy.

“It was weird being 45 minutes away from home and miss people that much,” she said.

She would hang up the phone and cry, while her roommate stared. In a way, the loneliness made the decision easier.

“I’d just rather be at this table doing my homework,” she said, “than in my dorm room doing my homework with no one caring.”

Sebastian Moraga: 392-6434, ext. 221, or smoraga@snovalleystar.com. Comment at www.snovalleystar.com.

SnoValley Star

SEPTEMBER 22, 2011

Obituary Paul Edward Fairchild Paul Edward Fairchild, of North Bend, died Sept. 12, 2011, in Snoqualmie.

Paul was born Nov. 17, 1948, in Worcester, Mass., to Lemont and Gladys Fairchild.

He owned Paul Fairchild Painting, was a Ford Mustang collector and is remembered as a generous man who gave freely of his time, advice and

money.

He is survived by his wife Anne Phillips; stepchildren Wayne and Wanda; “adopted son” Michael Carlin; nine grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; sisters Sally Schoeneweiss and Shirley Kirchan-Person; brothers Bill, Bob and Dave Fairchild; and numerous relatives.

Sign the family’s guestbook at www.flintofts.com.

Flintoft’s Funeral Home 3926444.

King County projects $70 million in savings King County is projected to save more than $70 million in the decades ahead, or about $3 million per year, after refinancing sewer revenue bonds Aug. 22.

The county Wastewater Treatment Division issued $494 million worth of sewer revenue bonds at a rate of 3.79 percent.

The savings to county taxpayers is projected at more than $70 million through 2034.

PAGE 9 Officials intend to use most of the proceeds to refinance $458 million of outstanding sewer revenue bonds issued in 2001, 2002 and 2004. The rest is to be used to fund the completion of the Brightwater Treatment Plant project and other capital improvements.

Brightwater is a $1.8 billion treatment plant under construction near Woodinville that is scheduled for completion next year.

The credit rating agency Standard & Poor’s reaffirmed

the AA+ rating of the sewer revenue bonds. Moody’s, another credit rating agency, also reaffirmed the Aa2 rating based on sound management practices, the system’s large service area, continued progress on a complex capital improvement plan and satisfactory debt service coverage.

The excellent credit ratings lower the annual costs to borrow money. Ratepayers then repay the sum through monthly sewer rates and charges.

Auto Repairs

Bicycles

Automotive Service

Collision Repair

Tires

Schools

PAGE 10

SEPTEMBER 22, 2011

By Sebastian Moraga

The Mount Si High School Natural Helpers are a group of peer counselors.

High school group gets in the business of building bridges Hawk-A-Thon fundraiser

By Sebastian Moraga

Students at Chief Kanim Middle School begin the last round of laps at their school’s Hawk-A-Thon fundraiser.

By Sebastian Moraga From all corners of Mount Si High School, a group of 30plus students head to Vashon Island for a weekend in the fall.

From glances, they graduate to looks. From looks they move on to bashful dialogues and from dialogues they start friendships.

Then, they return to Mount Si and repeat the recipe, this time with as many classmates as they can.

Natural Helpers, a group of peer communicators and counselors, credits every activity, success, friendship or problem solved under its wing to the midautumn training in northwestern Washington.

“What happens during that weekend,” group advisor Joe Galagan said, “is during the course of the activities they learn they can be close to a lot of other people they maybe didn’t even know 24 hours earlier.”

Knowing that, they reach out to their fellow teenagers at school, offering help, offering an ear or even a simple hello or birthday wish.

In a building full of teenagers, reactions to friendly faces will vary.

When rejected or rebuked, member Samantha Lindmeier said, “You just got to brush it off.”

Sometimes, it’s not as easy.

Building bridges with classmates, like any construction project, has its hurdles.

Lindmeier said confronting societal ills like homophobia can be frustrating.

“People like those who are against gays or something, they say what they want, they don’t care who they hurt,” she said. “I fear that’s going to keep happening, even if people are committing suicide because of these actions.”

But when the bridge holds, it’s great.

“You learn the big impact that little things can have,” member Jack Polito said. “Like saying hello to someone new or someone who looks like they are not having a good day.”

Galagan agreed.

“You start believing that it’s a good thing to reach out to other people,” he said. “You come back with that belief and then you act on it.”

To join, students have to be nominated by a former member of the group or by a faculty member.

“Anyone who goes into there, they were nominated for a reason,” Lindmeier said.

“Someone sees something in them so they want to put them in that situation so they can make a difference.”

Students who join remain members for life, Galagan said, because the lessons they learn last that long.

“Once you’re a Natural Helper, you’re a Natural Helper,” Polito said. “You can always spread what you’ve learned to other people, and if someone is willing to listen, they can learn the same things you did.”

Sebastian Moraga: 392-6434, ext. 221, or smoraga@snovalleystar.com. Comment at www.snovalleystar.com.

makes for theater of the odd

By Sebastian Moraga The candidate showed up at the fundraiser intent on convincing others that he was the man for the job.

Rather than promises, he doled out lollipops.

Rather than an Armani suit, he had a banana one.

But seventh-grader Davis Hatch sidelined his candidacy to the Chief Kanim Middle School Associated Student Body for a day Sept. 16 to join classmates running laps in his banana suit to raise funds for the school.

“Just to be cool,” Hatch said of his banana suit.

The second annual Hawk-AThon was a hit with students and adults alike, with thousands of dollars going to the See HAWK-A-THON, Page 11

PTSA contact info and first meeting PTSA presidents for the 2011-12 school year ❑ Cascade View Elementary School: Monica Niemela, president@cvesptsa.org ❑ North Bend Elementary School: Deborah Doy and Kim Ayars, president@nbepta.com ❑ Opstad Elementary School: Paul Sprouse, opstadpta@yahoo.com

By Sebastian Moraga

Hunter Dow (right) and Madison Parrott prepare for the Hawk-a-Thon fundraiser in style, with most every color imaginable featured in the seventh-graders’ outfits.

❑ Snoqualmie Elementary School: Monique Kruyt, mokruyt@gmail.com ❑ Chief Kanim Middle School: Cathy Renner, rennermom2@Centurytel.net ❑ Snoqualmie Middle School: Tina Townsend, townsendtina@comcast.net ❑ Twin Falls Middle School: Ahn Lee Horn and Beth Burrows, president@twinfallsptsa.org ❑ Mount Si High School: Tom Boord, tomboord@comcast.net

❑ PTSA Council: Liz Piekarczyk and Lindsey Buckton: svptsacouncil@gmail.com Next PTSA meeting dates for the 2011-12 school year ❑ Twin Falls Middle School: 6:30 p.m. Oct. 5. ❑ Snoqualmie Elementary School: 7:30 p.m. Sept. 22. ❑ Mount Si High School: 6:30 p.m. Nov. 14.

Source: Snoqualmie Valley School District

SEPTEMBER 22, 2011

SnoValley Star

PAGE 11

Hawk-A-Thon Welcome aboard From Page 10 school’s Parent Teacher Student Association.

Students ran relays all day Friday, with sessions split by grades and grades split by team. If a team ran 16 laps (four miles) each member received a one-time pass from running the dreaded “mile” in gym class.

“That’s a big deal for a middle-schooler,” Lori Hollasch, of the PTSA’s grants committee, said.

Deals aside, students took full advantage of the day, dressing up, dressing down, dressing weird.

“We’re dressed like fairy godmothers because we’re the crazy group,” said Madison Parrott, whose outfit included wings, a mask, tights and a top on backward. “It’s just a way to have fun.”

It wasn’t fun for Koa Roberts for a while. His buddy painted his hair red and the dye ran into Roberts’ eyes. He was OK and showed it by running a few laps.

Students ran to have fun and exercise, Hatch said. The number of laps did not affect the amount of money raised.

Students got pledges from parents and their friends.

“It’s a sponsorship for children to run,” Hollasch said.

“Every kid runs and there are prizes at every level.

The first Hawk-A-Thon expected to raise $24,000 and raised $30,000. This year’s Hawk-A-Thon expected to raise $30,000.

Students ran, walked, rolled in wheelchairs, rolled on the ground, skipped, moved backward and leapfrogged around the school’s track. They also suggested ways to improve the event next year, letting students run with their friends instead of one at a time.

The Hawk-A-Thon began at 8 a.m., with the eighthgraders, followed by the sixthgraders and then the seventhgraders.

The eighth-graders were the most adventurous and the sixthgraders needed the most help, as this was their first-ever Hawk-AThon.

“They got it,” Hollasch said, “but their first lap was a bit like, ‘What do we do? Where do we go?’ They are smart kids, they catch on quickly.”

Veterans from last year loved the chance of doing it all again, and faster this time.

“It’s better this year,” Riley Ovall said. “I was on crutches last year.”

Sebastian Moraga: 392-6434, ext. 221, or smoraga@snovalleystar.com. Comment at www.snovalleystar.com.

Contributed

Contributed

These are nine of the new teachers the Snoqualmie Valley School District welcomed this year. Front row, from left: Shannon Caires, Snoqualmie Elementary School; Jared Carter, Chief Kanim Middle School; Katrina Alegado, Twin Falls Middle School, and Katherine Sharkey, Cascade View Elementary School. Back row, from left: David Ostrer, Two Rivers School; Karen Waters, Chief Kanim; Julie Buck, Cascade View; Robert Kershner, Cascade View; and Jean-Jacques Tetu, Mount Si High School. Not pictured: Ryan Harris, Mount Si; Camille Currie, Twin Falls; Danielle Mundell, Mount Si; and Jake Hammons, Fall City Elementary School.

Your Local Flower Farm!

These are 11 of the new teachers the Snoqualmie Valley School District welcomed this year. Front row, from left: Carma Young, North Bend Elementary School; Salina Marth, North Bend Elementary; Erin Whitney, Snoqualmie Elementary School; Janice Wintermyer, Snoqualmie Middle School; and Alisha Parker, Cascade View Elementary School. Back row, from left: Katelyn Irwin, Fall City Elementary School; Jody Elsasser, Cascade View; Haley Smith, Chief Kanim Middle School; Daniel Ray, Snoqualmie Middle; Nikita Armbruster, Snoqualmie Elementary; and Victoria Ringoen, Snoqualmie Elementary.

888-2155

Everyone Needs a Little Help Now and Then...

U-Cut Now Open Weekends!

Hours: Saturday - Sunday 10am - 5pm U-Cut/Pre-Cut Dahlia Flowers $10 per dozen stems

Stress Depression Life Transitions Loss and Grief Relationship Problems

1 mile down Mt. Si Road in North Bend. Please follow the signs!

AARP AUTO INSURANCE PROGRAM from The Hartford Now available from your local independent agent!

Call Today for your FREE, no-obligation quote:

425-888-5066 Doug Carr Carriage Insurance Agency 301 Bendigo Boulevard North North Bend, WA 98045 Auto Insurance Program from

Patty Groves, M.A., L.M.H.C.

Issaquah Creek Counseling Center 545 Rainier Blvd. N., Issaquah www.issaquahcreekcounseling.com

(425) 898-1700

Never too young to start good oral hygiene

?

What is a Pediatric Dentist?

A Pediatric Dentist is trained to provide primary and specialty oral health care to infants, children, adolescents and patients with special health care needs.

New patients always welcome!

Dr. John R. Liu Dr. SallySue M. Lombardi Dr. Donna J. Quinby Members American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Certified, American Board of Pediatric Dentistry

185 NE Gilman Blvd., Issaquah 425.392.4048 www.eastsidepediatricdentalgroup.com

Sports

PAGE 12

SEPTEMBER 22, 2011

Kicker stays grounded while the pigskin soars

By Sebastian Moraga At Mount Si High School, they get a kick out of Cameron Vanwinkle.

Six days after Vanwinkle’s record-breaking performance against Bothell, a line of teammates nursing injuries roasted the team’s kicker.

“He’s terrible,” said Jack Hunt, a defensive back.

Linebacker Tyler Hutchinson agreed.

“My eighth-grade kicker was better,” he said.

Vanwinkle, sitting right there with them, took it all in with a smile. He knows better than to take his buddies seriously.

In truth, the jokes carry a great deal of gratitude. The boys appreciate how good Vanwinkle is at what he does. So does his coach.

“It’s security,” head coach Charlie Kinnune said after the Bothell game, which Mount Si won on the road, 26-14. “We feel good that if we cross the 40-yard line, we can score.”

Vanwinkle contributed two extra points and four field goals against Bothell.

That game gave Vanwinkle sole possession of the school’s record for career field goals and single-game field goals and it tied him for the record of longest field goal, 47 yards.

Then, on Sept. 16, Vanwinkle broke two more records with one kick against Lake Washington.

The kick was Vanwinkle’s third field goal of the game and eighth of the year. The school

By Dan Catchpole Mount Si High School’s volleyball team is younger than last year’s team that won the KingCo Conference and finished sixth in state.

But the Wildcats are making another run for the league title.

They are already off to a 3-0 start in conference play.

The team’s new faces picked up some valuable experience Sept. 17 while taking on some of the Pacific Northwest’s top teams at the Kent Classic. The Wildcats went 3-3 in the tournament, and stayed close in their losses.

By Calder Productions

Cameron Vanwinkle, kicker for the Mount Si Wildcats football team, kicks off at a recent game. record, set in 1986 and tied in 1990, was seven.

The field goal traveled 49 1/2 yards to split the uprights, and became the longest in school history.

That would sound even more impressive if teammates had not tattled on what Vanwinkle

has done at practice.

“You kicked a 52-yarder today,” defensive back David Butler said.

Vanwinkle nodded.

“He’s kicked one 63 yards,” Hunt said. “The NFL record is 62.”

Teammates are quick to cor-

rect him: “63,” they said in chorus.

Vanwinkle downplayed the numbers. The 63-yarder happened in practice, and that’s different, he said. There’s nobody rushing at you in pracSee KICKER, Page 13

Wildcats are too much for Kangs in 42-0 romp

By Sebastian Moraga The Mount Si High School Wildcats dominated the Lake Washington Kangaroos, 42-0, Sept. 16 in a game where the visiting Kangs did not make it past the 50-yard line.

Mount Si (1-0 in league, 2-1 overall) overwhelmed a team that arrived in Snoqualmie undefeated after wins over Garfield and Redmond.

“We’re continuing to get better right now,” Mount Si head coach Charlie Kinnune said, later adding, “We’re concentrating in all parts of the game, the little things that you have to deal with, especially with a young team, and we’re young.”

The game was all but over at halftime, with Mount Si leading 27-0. After the first drive of the second half, Mount Si started subbing players. The last six

Youthful Mount Si seeks another league title

“We just came out fired up.

We had a great week of practice and we wanted to win tonight.”

— Connor Deutsch Mount Si running back minutes of the game were played with a running clock.

“It’s important that we get everybody in and we keep everybody healthy,” Kinnune said. “I think most of our kids got in and played significant minutes.”

Kinnune praised backup QB Nick Mitchell’s performance, which included his first varsity touchdown.

“He’s a gamer,” Kinnune said.

See FOOTBALL, Page 14

By Calder Productions

Tyler Button (18) streaks past the Lake Washington defense in a game that Button’s Wildcats dominated from beginning to end.

Volleyball preview Mount Si’s volleyball squad has to fill some big holes left by seven players who graduated last year. The core of this year’s team is six returning varsity players — three seniors and three juniors.

Senior Sarah McDonald has led the team’s offense so far this year. She put up 37 kills in the team’s first three games.

The 6-foot-1 McDonald quit basketball last year to focus on volleyball. In 2010, she was named to the 3A/2A KingCo AllLeague First Team.

Fellow senior Krista Galloway has been shutting down opponents at the net as a mid-blocker. Galloway traveled to Georgia this summer to play volleyball against some of the top teams in the country. She has returned to the Wildcats with a more polished skill set and a new intensity.

Last season, she earned 3A/2A KingCo All-League honorable mention.

Junior Lauren Smith also earned an honorable mention last season. Playing as a setter, she had 17 assists and four aces in the Wildcats win over Liberty on Sept. 8.

Sophomore Noelle Stockstad racked up 28 assists against Lake Washington.

Another sophomore, Lyndsay See VOLLEYBALL, Page 14

SnoValley Star

SEPTEMBER 22, 2011

Scoreboard Prep football KingCo Conference 3A Standings: Bellevue 1-0 (L), 3-0 (S); Mount Si 1-0, 2-1; Mercer Island 1-0, 2-1; Liberty 1-0, 12; Lake Washington 0-1, 2-1; Juanita 0-1, 1-2; Interlake 0-1, 0-3; Sammamish 0-1, 0-3.

Sept. 16 game MOUNT SI 42, LAKE WASHINGTON 0 Lake Washington 0 0 0 0 – 0 Mount Si 14 13 6 9 – 42 First Quarter MS – Keenan McVein 9 pass from Ryan Atkinson (Cameron Vanwinkle kick) MS – Joseph Cotto 19 run (Vanwinkle kick) Second Quarter MS – Vanwinkle 31 FG MS – Connor Deutsch 5 run (Vanwinkle kick) MS – Vanwinkle 37 FG Third Quarter MS – Tyler Button 22 run (kick failed) Fourth Quarter MS – Nick Mitchell 1 run (kick failed) MS – Vanwinkle 49 FG

Prep girls soccer KingCo Conference 3A/2A Sept. 15 game MOUNT SI 4, SAMMAMISH 0 Sammamish 00–0 Mount Si 31–4 First half scoring: 1, Miranda Rawlings (MS, unassisted), 13:00; 2, Laura Barnes (MS, unassisted), 19:00; 3, Alyssa Proudfoot (MS, unassisted), 38:00.

Second half scoring: Sophia Rouches (MS, Kristen Kasel assist), 60:00.

Shutout: Courtney Cowan, Trina Eck.

Prep volleyball KingCo Conference 3A/2A Standings: Mount Si 3-0 (L), 6-3 (S); Mercer Island 3-0, 3-0; Juanita 2-1, 2-1; Interlake 1-1, 12; Bellevue 1-2, 1-3; Sammamish 0-2, 1-2; Liberty 0-2, 0-3; Lake Washington 0-2, 0-3; Sept. 14 match MOUNT SI 3, LAKE WASHINGTON 1 Mount Si 19 25 25 25 – 3 Lake Washington 25 15 9 11 – 1 Mount Si statistics: Lyndsay Carr 16 kills, Sarah McDonald 18 kills, Noelle Stockstad 28 assists, 4 aces.

Sept. 12 match MOUNT SI 3, SAMMAMISH 0 Sammamish 7 16 9 – 0 Mount Si 25 25 25 – 3 Mount Si statistics: Lyndsay Carr 4 aces, Sarah McDonald 7 kills, 13 aces; Lauren Smith 4 aces.

Nonleague Kent Classic Sept. 17 Scores Mount Si 2, Mount Tahoma 0 (25-8, 25-3) Central Catholic, Ore., 2, Mount Si 0 (25-19, 25-20) Crook County, Ore., 2, Mount Si 0 (25-18, 25-8) Post Falls, Idaho, 2, Mount Si 0 (25-17, 25-18) Mount Si 2, Kentridge 0 (25-20, 25-22) Mount Si 2, Camas 1 (25-15, 2325, 15-9)

Prep boys cross country KingCo Conference 3A/2A

Sept. 14 Meet BELLEVUE 15, MOUNT SI 50 At Kelsey Creek, 3.1 miles Top finishers: 1, John Fowler (B) 16:17; 2, Addison Woolsey (B) 16:23; 3, Ryan Long (B) 16:43; 4, Spike Sievert (B) 16:47; 5, Nick MacLean (B) 17:23. Mount Si runners: 8, Richard Carmichael 18:02; 9, Dominick Canady 18:03; 10, Ben Houldridge 18:13; 11, Timothy Corrie 18:43; 12, Ryan Olson 18:45; 18, Whalen Moreno 19:17; 20, Spencer Ricks 19:57; 21, Sam Egan 19:58; 26, Justin Kock 20:53.

Prep girls cross country KingCo Conference 3A/2A Sept. 14 Meet BELLEVUE 18, MOUNT SI 40 At Kelsey Creek Park Top finishers: 1, Julia Ellings (B) 20:14; 2, Vandan Kasar (B) 21:17; 3, Alexis Neuman (B) 21:21; 4, Bailey Scott (MS) 21:23; 5, Tiffany Eisenbach (B) 21:37; 6, Abbey Bottemiller (MS) 22:01. Other Mount Si runners: 9, Angelina Belceto 22:52; 10, Erin Rylands 23:07; 11, Ashley Jackson 23:48; 14, Delaney Hollis 23:57; 18, Madeline Bezanson 25:23; 2, Annie Shaw 25:39; 23, Sally Miller 26:07; 24, Daniele Curley 26:09.

Prep boys golf KingCo Conference 3A/2A Sept. 12 Match BELLEVUE 196, MOUNT SI 199 At Overlake GC Medalists: Chandler Hawk (B) 37, Sean Ballsmith (MS) 37.

Other Mount Si scores: Reed Pattnade 40, Mitchell Gardunia 40, Wesley Nelson 40.

PAGE 13

Prep boys tennis

Kicker

KingCo Conference 3A/2A

From Page 12

Sept. 13 Match MERCER ISLAND 7, MOUNT SI 0 Singles: Ben Hou (MI) d.

Camden Foucht 6-0, 6-0; Zach Elliot (MI) d. Josh Hamann 6-0, 6-0; Ben Elliot (MI) d. Nate Popp 6-0, 6-0; Josh Hartman (MI) d.

Azhar Khandekar 6-4, 6-0.

Doubles: Kyle Baska-Matt Seifirt (MI) d. Alex Pease-Jake Rouches 6-1, 6-0; Jeremy Chow-Cameron Coe (MI) d. Van Magnan-Jake Miller 6-0, 6-0; Rafa GonzalezMarcus Almquist (MI) d. Kevin McLaughlin-Matthew Griffin 61, 6-1.

Junior football Greater Eastside League ROOKIES DIVISION Mount Si Red 14, Wolverines Blue 0 Cedarcrest Black 12, Mount Si Grey 0 Mount Si White 27, Mercer Island 6 CUBS DIVISION Mount Si Red 30, Woodinville Green 0 Mount Si White 31, Redmond Gold 0 SOPHOMORES DIVISION Skyline Green 33, Mount Si White 27 Mount Si Grey 54, Bothell White 26 Woodinville Green 33, Mount Si Red 7 JUNIOR VARSITY DIVISION Five Star 22, Mount Si 0 VARSITY DIVISION Mount Si 22, Skyline White 12

tice. No crowd yelling “Block that kick!” like against Bothell.

And during the game, the good kicks don’t come from just him alone. There’s a snapper and there’s a holder doing their job, he added.

Still, he likes being the kicker. Punts are more relaxing, he said, but kicks are fun.

“The best part about being the kicker is the glory that sometimes it gives,” he said.

“But nobody really realizes how hard the position is.”

Linemen and other teammates realize it, he said, when they try to kick a field goal and the ball bounces around on the turf.

He doesn’t make much fun because he has seen his kicks.

The ones with his right leg may soar, but the ones with his left leg not so much.

“That’s when I look like one of the linemen,” he said.

Lucky for the Wildcats, Vanwinkle has yet to try a southpaw kick during a game.

He may wear No. 13, but he doesn’t like to tempt fate.

Besides, he’s got all those teammates who joke about him being terrible counting on him.

“Pretty much it’s a given,” Hutchinson said. “We know he’s going to do it.”

Can’t get enough Another beautiful smile Eastside Having braces wasn’t as painful as news? people make it out to be. Having friendly orthodontic assistants throughout the time period of wearing them was a major part of the experience. The people at Kirby Nelson Orthodontics are awesome and I just don’t come there to get check-ups, but to also visit them. Thanks to them, I have beautiful teeth!

- Natalie Weidenbach

Natalie Weidenbach, North Bend patient

Courtesy of Updated daily!

Call to find your perfect smile...

Your dentist’s choice for their family North Bend Office 425-888-1896

Maple Valley Office 425-413-2121

Snoqualmie Ridge Office 425-831-0386

Follow on Twitter Print subscriptions available- 425-392-6434

SnoValley Star

Carr, has stepped up to share the offense work. She had 16 kills and four digs against Lake Washington.

Leading the defense at libero is senior Brooke Bonner. As libero, she moves where needed.

One freshman, Anna McCreadie, made the varsity squad. The 6-foot-2 McCreadie will play as a mid-blocker up front.

To grab another conference title, the Wildcats will have to get around Mercer Island. The Islanders are off to a 4-0 start.

The Seattle Times ranked them as No. 5 in the state through the season’s first two weeks.

Whichever team wins the state title will have to get through the powerful Metro League, which is older and stronger than last year. Three of its teams made The Times’ preseason top 10 ranking for 3A/2A.

One of the things that kept the attention of the crowd during this lopsided affair was kicker Cameron Vanwinkle’s pursuit of the single-season record for field goals, which he eventually broke with 6:08 left in the fourth quarter. The 49 1/2-yard kick also broke the record for the longest field goal in Mount Si history. Vanwinkle had tied the previous record, 47 yards, last week against Bothell.

“It feels great,” he said. “It means I’m in the record books for a while.”

The game itself started shakily for the Wildcats. On the second play of the first series, a Ryan Atkinson pass to Connor Deutsch ended in a rare fumble by the running back, who scored one second-quarter touchdown and was a constant headache for the Kangs’ defense.

personal items under $250

Classifieds

To place your ad call 425-392-6434, ext 222 Deadline: Monday 5pm

1 2ie Pkway

qualm Sno

SNOQUALMIE

27

N

Be

nd

ig

25

4

o

Bl

vd

cho Lake Cut Of f

From Page 12

FREE ADS FOR

NORTH BEND

No

rth

Be

nd

31

Wa y

n- E

From Page 12

Mount Si punted two plays after the fumble. Lake Washington started at its own 20 and moved the chains two yards before Mount Si’s Justin Henak intercepted the Kangs’ quarterback on a tipped ball.

Two consecutive Deutsch carries later, Mount Si had a promising first-and-goal at the Kangs’ 8-yard line. Atkinson connected with Keenan McVein, who caught the ball at the 2-yard line, took three strides and started the rout.

“We just came out fired up,” Deutsch said. “We had a great week of practice and we wanted to win tonight.”

Next up for the Wildcats is a guest that figures to be tougher than the overmatched Kangs: the Liberty Patriots.

“That’s a big one,” Kinnune said.

Mitchell agreed.

“They’re always a tough team to play,” he said. “We just got to come out focused.

Hard work starts tomorrow morning.”

Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

Ave

Football

d lroa Rai

Volleyball

SEPTEMBER 22, 2011

ur

PAGE 14

Au

b

00

32

Highway exit numbers

(1) SNOQUALMIE RIDGE COMMUNITY Garage Sale, Sept. 23rd/24th, Friday/Saturday. 9am-4pm. Over 200+ homes participating. Look for red balloons!! Free recycling event at Snoqualmie Community Park all weekend! www.RidgeROA.com (2) SNOQUALMIE RIDGE GARAGE Sale Extravaganza!

Saturday only! September 24 9am-4pm, 34816 SE Ridge St, Snoqualmie 98065. +Huge neighborhood sale!!

34

(3) GARAGE SALE, SEPT. 24/25, Sat/Sun 9am-? 47031 SE 159th Street, North Bend.

Lots of miscellaneous items!

Exit 34 off I-90, Edgewick Road

3

(4) GARAGE/ESTATE SALE on Tiger Mountain, 9 miles out of Issaquah on Issaquah/Hobart Road, look for the green neon signs. Numerous items//variety, Longaberger baskets, furniture, kitchenware

13-Apartments for Rent

117-Classes/Seminars

134-Help Wanted

CLOSE TO DOWNTOWN, North Bend. Quiet, convenient.

Edelweiss Apartments, 1BD $700/month. 425-392-5012

ALLIED HEALTH CAREER Training -- Attend college 100% online. Job placement assistance. Computer Available. Financial Aid if qualified.

SCHEV certified. Call 800481-9409, www.CenturaOnline.com <w>

AUTO TECHNICIAN SALES & SERVICE

25-Storage or RV Space RV SITE, NOT in RV park, 110 hookup. Includes W/S/G, view of Mt. Si, private yard & storage unit, $535/month, pets OK. 206-714-3777

41-Money & Finance #1 COMMERCIAL REAL Estate Loans. Fast Cash/Closings. Equity Driven, Multi-Use, Warehouses, Manufacturing, Retail, Business/Medical Offices. Timely complex Deals.

Call Gary 1-877-493-1324 www.shepsfunding.com <w> LOCAL PRIVATE INVESTOR loans money on real estate equity. I loan on houses, raw land, commercial property and property development. Call Eric at (800) 563-3005. www.fossmortgage.com <w>

44-Business Opportunity MAKE $20,000-$30,000. JOIN our breeding program. Easy.

Fun. All equipment FREE. Work 3 hrs per week. 4 ft work space needed. Live anywhere.

Call 1-509-720-4389 <w>

63-Items for Sale/Trade HORSE SADDLE STAND, solid walnut, very handsome, $99. 425-255-5010 SAWMILLS FROM ONLY $3997. Make Money & Save Money with your own bandmill.

Cut lumber any dimension. In stock ready to ship. Free info & DVD: www.NorwoodSawmills.com/300N, 1-800-5781363 ext. 300N <w>

ATTEND COLLEGE ONLINE from home. *Medical *Business *Paralegal * Accounting * Criminal Justice. Job placement assistance. Computer available. Financial aid if qualified. Call 866-483-4429 www.CenturaOnline.com <w>

134-Help Wanted RECEPTIONIST NEEDED FRIDAY afternoons and Saturday mornings, 8 hours, $10/hour. 206-227-8481 DRIVERS: CENTRAL REFRIGERATED IS GROWING! Hiring Experienced & Non-Experienced Drivers.

CDL Training available!

Employ Today!

Avg $40,000-$70,000!

1-877-369-7894 DRIVERS -- COMPANY Lease - Work for us to let us work for you! Unbeatable career opportunities. Trainee, Company driver. Lease Operators earn up to $51K. Lease Trainers earn up to $80K (877) 369-7105 www.centraldrivingjobs.net <w> GREAT PAY, START today!

Travel resort locations across America with young, successful business group. Paid training, travel and lodging. 877646-5050 <w>

$9.20+/hr to Start Plus Benefits

Must have Customer Service or Sales Experience Prefer Automotive Knowledge Apply online:

www.henrysjobs.com select "Issaquah, WA"

DRIVERS: LOCAL SEATTLE REEFER RUN Great Pay & Benefits!

CDL-A, 1yr Exp. Req. Estenson Logistics Apply: www.goelc.com

1-866-336-9642 INTERNTIONAL CULTURAL EXCHANGE Representative: earn supplemental income placing and supervising high school exchange students.

Volunteer host families also needed. Promote world peach!

1-866-GO-AFICE or www. afice.org <w>

142-Services DIVORCE $135. $165 with children. No court apperaances. Complete preparation. Includes, custody, support, property division and bills. BBB member. (503) 772-5295, www.paralegalalternatives. com?divorce@usa.com <w>

Calendar

SEPTEMBER 22, 2011

PAGE 22

Public meetings ❑ North Bend Planning Commission, 7 p.m. Sept. 22, 211 Main Ave. N. ❑ Snoqualmie Valley School Board, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 22, 8001 Silva Ave. S.E., Snoqualmie ❑ Snoqualmie City Council, 7 p.m. Sept. 26, 38624 S.E. River St. ❑ Snoqualmie Community and Economic Affairs Committee, 5 p.m. Sept. 27, 38624 S.E. River St. ❑ North Bend City Council workstudy, 7 p.m. Sept. 27, North Bend City Hall, 211 Main Ave. N. ❑ Snoqualmie Economic Development Commission, noon Sept. 28, 37600 S.E. ❑ North Bend Economic Development Commission, noon Sept. 28, 126 E. Fourth St. ❑ Snoqualmie Shoreline Hearings Board, 5 p.m. Sept.

28, 38624 S.E. River St. ❑ North Bend Parks Commission, 6 p.m. Sept. 28, 126 E. Fourth St. ❑ Snoqualmie Public Safety Committee, 5 p.m. Sept. 29, 37600 S.E. Snoqualmie Parkway

Events ❑ Open mic, 7 p.m. Sept. 22, The Black Dog, 8062 Railroad Ave. S.E., Snoqualmie. ❑ Teen laser tag, 1:30-6 p.m.

Sept. 23, Si View Community Center, 400 S.E. Orchard Drive, North Bend. For children in grades 6 to 12. To register or for information, call 831-1900 or go to www.siviewpark.org. ❑ Game on!, 3 p.m. Sept. 23, North Bend Library, 115 E. Fourth St., North Bend. For teenaged gamers. ❑ Milo Petersen Trio, 7 p.m.

Sept. 23, Boxley’s, 101 W. North Bend Way, North Bend ❑ Oceans of Algebra, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 23, The Black Dog, 8062 Railroad Ave. S.E., Snoqualmie. ❑ Little Si trail work, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 24, Little Si trailhead, North Bend. Join volunteers from Mountains to Sound Greenway to celebrate National Public Lands Day. ❑ Meadowbrook 101, 10 a.m. Sept. 24, Meadowbrook Farm Interpretive Center, 1711 Boalch Ave., North Bend. Learn about the history of the Meadowbrook area from a local historian. ❑ Sno-Valley Tilth Pig Roast and Country Auction, 3-8:30 p.m. Sept. 24, Jubilee Farm, 229 W. Snoqualmie River Road N.E., Carnation. Come by for a harvest feast featuring local wines and brew, farm games and live music. Buffet dinner for $20 (children under 12 are free).

Auction at 5:30 p.m. All money raised benefits local agriculture.

Dracula hits Center Stage

September

2011

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 22 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

Volunteer opportunities

Contributed

The Valley Center Stage’s 2011-2012 season opens with ‘Bram Stoker’s Dracula.’ The terrifying tale isn’t for the faint of heart.

Shows are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday from Sept. 29 to Oct. 15, Valley Center Stage, 119 W. North Bend Way, second floor, North Bend. Tickets can be purchased at www.valleycenterstage.org.

Go to www.snovalleytilth.org. ❑ Danae Dean live album recording, 7 p.m. Sept. 24, The Black Dog, 8062 Railroad Ave. S.E., Snoqualmie. Cost: $15. ❑ Karen Shivers Quartet, 7 p.m. Sept. 24, Boxley’s, 101 W. North Bend Way, North Bend ❑ SnoValley Writers Work Group, 3 p.m. Sept. 25, North Bend Library, 115 E. Fourth St., North Bend. Join other local writers for writing exercises, critique and lessons regarding voice, plot and point of view. Email snovalleywrites@gmail.com for assignment prior to coming to class.

Adults only please. ❑ Danny Kolke Trio, 7 p.m.

Sept. 25, Boxley’s, 101 W. North Bend Way, North Bend ❑ Merry Monday Story Times, 11 a.m. Sept. 26, North Bend Library, 115 E. Fourth St., North Bend. For newborns to 3year-olds accompanied with an adult. ❑ Afternoon Preschool Story Times, 1:30 p.m. Sept. 26, Snoqualmie Library, 7824 Center Blvd. S.E., Snoqualmie.

For ages 3 to 6 with an adult. ❑ Trouble-Free Trees and Shrubs, 7 p.m. Sept. 26, Snoqualmie Library, 7824 Center Blvd. S.E., Snoqualmie.

Learn about some woody plants that are beautiful, tough and naturally insect and disease-free. ❑ Carolyn Graye Singer’s Soiree, 7 p.m. Sept. 26, Boxley’s, 101 W. North Bend Way, North Bend ❑ Toddler Story Times, 9:30 a.m. Sept. 27, North Bend Library, 115 E. Fourth St., North Bend. For ages 2-3 with an adult. ❑ Preschool Story Times, 10:30 a.m. Sept. 27, North Bend Library, 115 E. Fourth St., North Bend. For ages 3-6 with an adult. ❑ Effective Networking for Employment, 7 p.m. Sept. 27, North Bend Library, 115 E.

Fourth St., North Bend. An exploration of why networking is so important for getting a job in today’s environment. ❑ Future Jazz Heads, 7 p.m.

Sept. 27, Boxley’s, 101 W. North Bend Way, North Bend ❑ Talking about Talking: Speech and language milestones from infancy through preschool years, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 27, Snoqualmie Library, 7824 Center Blvd. S.E., Snoqualmie.

Parents can learn about the major speech, language and motor milestones to expect from infancy to about 5 years of age. ❑ Young Toddler Story Times, 9:30 a.m. Sept. 28, Snoqualmie Library, 7824 Center Blvd. S.E., Snoqualmie.

For ages 6 months to 24 months with adult. ❑ Preschool Story Times, 10:30 a.m. Sept. 28, Snoqualmie Library, 7824 Center Blvd. S.E., Snoqualmie. For ages 3 to 6 with an adult. ❑ Pajamarama Story Times, 6:30 p.m. Sept. 28, North Bend Library, 115 E. Fourth St. All young children are welcome with an adult. ❑ Open mic, 6:30 p.m. Sept.

28, Twede’s Café, 137 W. North Bend Way, North Bend. ❑ Pajama story times, 7 p.m.

Sept. 29, Snoqualmie Library, 7824 Center Blvd. S.E., Snoqualmie. All young children welcome with an adult. ❑ Open mic, 7 p.m. Sept. 29, The Black Dog, 8062 Railroad Ave. S.E., Snoqualmie. ❑ Are you ready for an emergency? Noon Oct. 2, Snoqualmie United Methodist Church, 38701 S.E. River St., Snoqualmie. Learn about emergency preparedness. Presented by the Snoqualmie Fire Department, American Red Cross and Wilderness Safety Academy.

❑ Snoqualmie Sister Cities Association invites community members to join a newly formed group to support Snoqualmie’s new sister city, Chaclacayo, Peru.

The association already has developed a close relationship with sister city Gangjin, South Korea, which more than 30 residents have visited in the past four years. For information, contact Mary Corcoran at maryrcorcoran@gmail.com or call 5031813. ❑ The Mount Si Food Bank is looking for volunteers to help unload food at noon Mondays, sort food at 9 a.m.

Tuesdays or pass out food on Wednesdays. Call the food bank at 888-0096. ❑ Elk Management Group invites the community to participate in elk collaring, telemetry and habitat improvement projects in the Upper Snoqualmie Valley. Project orientation meetings are at 6 p.m. the third Monday of the month at the North Bend City Hall, 211 Main Ave. N. Email research@snoqualmievalleyelk.org. ❑ Snoqualmie Valley Hospital is accepting applications for ages 16 or older to volunteer in various departments of the hospital. Email volunteer coordinator Carol Waters at carolw@snoqualmiehospital.org to arrange an interview. ❑ Senior Services Transportation Program needs volunteers to drive seniors around North Bend and Snoqualmie. Choose the times and areas in which you’d like to drive. Car required. Mileage reimbursement and supplemental liability insurance are offered.

Call 206-748-7588 or 800-2825815 toll free, or email melissat@seniorservices.org. Apply online at www.seniorservices.org.

Click on “Giving Back” and then on “Volunteer Opportunities.” ❑ Mount Si Senior Center needs volunteers for sorting and sales in the thrift store, reception and class instruction. The center is at 411 Main Ave. S., North Bend. Call 888-3434. ❑ Hopelink in Snoqualmie Valley seeks volunteers for a variety of tasks. Volunteers must be at least 16. Go to www.hopelink.org/takeaction/volunteer.com or call 869-6000.

❑ Adopt-A-Park is a program for Snoqualmie residents to improve public parks and trails.

An application and one-year commitment are required. Call 831-5784. ❑ Study Zone tutors are needed for all grade levels to give students the homework help they need. Two-hour weekly commitment, or substitutes wanted. Study Zone is a free service of the King County Library System. Call 369-3312.

Classes ❑ S.A.I.L. (Stay Active and Independent for Life) exercise class meets Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the Mount Si Senior Center, 411 Main Ave. S., North Bend. Led by certified exercise instructor Carla Orellana. Call 888-3434.

Clubs Snoqualmie Valley Chess Club, 7 p.m. every Thursday, North Bend Library, 115 E. Fourth St., North Bend. Learn to play chess or get a game going. All ages and skill levels welcome. ❑ Sallal Grange, 12912 432nd Ave. S.E., North Bend, meets the first Friday for a potluck and open mic with local musicians. The potluck starts at 6 p.m. with the music from 7 p.m. to midnight. Open to all people/ages. Go to www.sallalgrange.org. ❑ Snoqualmie Valley Chess Club, 7 p.m. Thursdays, North Bend Library, 115 E. Fourth St. Learn to play chess or get a game going. All ages and skill levels are welcome. ❑ The North Bend Chess Club meets every Thursday from 7-9 p.m. at the North Bend Library, 115 E. Fourth St. All ages and skill levels are invited. ❑ Snoqualmie Valley Rotary Club meets at 7 a.m. every Thursday at the TPC Snoqualmie Ridge Golf Club Restaurant. All are welcome. Go to www.snoqualmievalleyrotary.org. ❑ American Legion Post 79 and the American Legion Auxiliary meet at 7 p.m. the second Thursday at 38625 S.E. River St., Snoqualmie. Call 8881206. ❑ Snoqualmie Valley Garden Club meets at 6:30 p.m. the second Thursday at the Mount Si Senior Center, North Bend. Call 888-4646. ❑ Snoqualmie Valley Kiwanis Club meets at 7 a.m. every Thursday at the Mount Si Golf Course restaurant in Snoqualmie. Email snovalley@member.kiwanis.org.

Submit an item for the community calendar by emailing editor@snovalleystar.com or go to www.snovalleystar.com.

PAGE 16

SnoValley Star

SEPTEMBER 22, 2011