Mount Si football keeps undefeated streak alive Page 12
Your locally-owned newspaper, serving North Bend and Snoqualmie, Washington
October 17, 2013 VOL. 5, NO. 41
All about art A pair of events for Valley artists. Page 2
The trail beckons Night on a dark trail still going this week. Page 3
Police blotter Page 6
Do you GMO? Locals weigh in on the food labeling campaign Page 6
Women in business Special section starts Page 7
Blue Fedoras ‘Taking Manhattan’ to North Bend By Sherry Grindeland Mix a jigger of jazz, oomph of opera and a touch of theater and you’ve got a Manhattan. This cocktail of musical entertainment – called “Taking Manhattan” – will only be available at the Valley Center Stage at 7 p.m. Oct. 19 when Kim Maguire and The Blue Fedoras bring their show to North Bend. The wacky combination of love, drama and jazz, said Snoqualmie Valley resident Brian Gmerek, started as a musical interlude some months ago. Gmerek was performing in Ballard. “This guest vocalist came up to sing a song,” he said. “It was Kim Maguire and she blew me away.” His jazz world literally collided with Maguire’s musical theater expertise. Instead of disharmony, the two entertainers began working together. “We decided to do more together musically than having Contributed
See FEDORA, Page 3
Kim Maguire, standing, second from left, and the Blue Fedoras will perform the musical ‘taking Manhattan.’
Snoqualmie mayor, Matt Larson, seeks 3rd term By Sam Kenyon
Shining bright Sparkle cheer program starts. Page 12
Shelter information Winter shelter seeks volunteers Page 13
Matt Larson, two-term mayor of Snoqualmie, is seeking reelection this November. Larson has lived in Snoqualmie for 17 years, been married for 28 years, and has four children. He first became involved in Snoqualmie politics when he volunteered on the parks department board before he was asked to join the planning commission, which
Larson did for two years. He then served on the city council for one term before becoming mayor. One of Larson’s top priorities as mayor is the future of the mill site. “We see some great potential for redevelopment opportunities,” he said. One challenge, he said, is the city faces retail leakage, where 70 percent of resident
retail purchases happen outside Snoqualmie. Larson sees the mill site as a way to balance that leakage to generate revenue for the city. He doesn’t think chasing retail sales is a realistic solution, but rather using the mill site to generate different revenue, through tourism and recreational activities, for example. “The mill site, and what is to transpire there I think is the big, exciting, and important issue
[facing Snoqualmie],” he said. Another big priority for Larson is civic infrastructure. The downtown area was in decline for decades before recent revitalization efforts. “We’ve been able to make some significant investments in turning a lot of that infrastructure around downtown,” he said. Currently some of the See MAYOR, Page 2
Last second funding change may salvage EFR Prsrt Std U.S. Postage PAID Kent, WA Permit No. 71 POSTAL CUSTOMER
By Sherry Grindeland Bringing in a team of facilitators to the Eastside Fire & Rescue Board of Directors may turn into a lifesaving event for the group. The board, which includes representatives from Sammamish, Issaquah, North Bend, and Fire Districts 10 and 38 amicably voted to take a new funding model back to their city councils
and boards for approval. The potential new model would be based 75 percent on assessed property value and 25 percent on service call volume. All of the partner jurisdictions must approve the change for it to take effect. Earlier this year, EFR meetings became so rancorous that Chief Lee Soptich recommended bringing in the facilitation team
to help develop open communications and common goals. EFR leaders have been meeting with Online Business Systems of Portland consultants since August. The last facilitator-led workshop was Oct. 10, just before the regular EFR Board of Directors meeting. At that last meeting, said Ramiro Valderrama, Sammamish deputy mayor and
a member of the EFR board, the group addressed the funding model. The city of Sammamish leaders have been exploring other fire service options because they were unhappy with the current funding model, based on assessed value. With the highest overall assessed property value, See FIRE, Page 3