Your locally-owned newspaper, serving North Bend and Snoqualmie, Washington
Mount Si football begins playoff run Page 8
November 8, 2012 VOL. 4, NO. 45
Fire service budget EFR set to pass a new budget. Page 2
Mill site discussion Chamber hosts a talk about the mill site. Page 3
Access road closed Except for emergency vehicles. Page 3
Dancing queen Local girl represents the region in dance contest. Page 6
By the dawn’s early light
By Jim Robison
In October just before the rains began, Jim Robison, of Snoqualmie, took a drive on Mill Pond Road just east of the Salish Lodge and snapped this shot of the sun rising over Mount Si reflected in the water.
School board to vote on North Bend company middle school boundaries will help military vote State-bound Volleyball team searches for revenge in tourney. Page 8
Police blotter
Page 10
Prsrt Std U.S. Postage PAID Kent, WA Permit No. 71 POSTAL CUSTOMER
By Sebastian Moraga On Oct. 30, Snoqualmie Valley School District school board members got an F. Jeff Hogan, executive director of technology services for the district, presented a committee’s recommendation that the board adopt Option F as the new middle school boundaries for the district. Option F, one of three final options available, would send all fifth-graders and all Snoqualmie Middle School sixth- and-seventh graders from both Fall City and Snoqualmie to Chief Kanim Middle School starting in 2013, with the exception of Cascade View Elementary fifth-graders.
Students at CVES, along with students from North Bend and all the way to the southeast corner of the district would attend Twin Falls Middle School. The recommendation ended a seven-week period of surveys, meetings and discussions, setting the table for a 6:30 p.m. Nov. 8 vote at the Snoqualmie City Hall. “Option F best serves the district until such time that the district returns to having three middle schools,” Hogan said. The current Snoqualmie Middle School — housing about 460 students — will become a freshman learning center in the See BOUNDARY, Page 2
By Michele Mihalovich A U.S. soldier in Kandahar, Afghanistan, a missionary in Africa, the U.S. ambassador to France, and even the American astronaut up in the International Space Station will have a much easier time filling out voting ballots this election. Bryan Finney, a North Bend resident and owner of DemocracyLive, said his firm, with 22 employees, was selected by the U.S. Department of Defense to deliver Web-based ballots to overseas American voters, which the DoD estimates is 6.5 million eligible voters.
“Just imagine how high voter turnout would be if people could vote from their tablets and smart phones.” — Brian Finney Business owner
Finney said his eBalloting system speeds up the process for absentee voters. Election officials around the nation snail mail ballots to military and other overseas voters, and often times, ballots See VOTE, Page 2
SnoValley Star
PAGE 2
EFR budget calls for North Bend to pay 3.3 percent more By Caleb Heeringa Eastside Fire & Rescue board members are scheduled to approve the agency’s $22.2 million 2013 budget at a Nov. 8 meeting. The budget represents a 3.1 percent increase from 2012, something Deputy Chief Wes Collins attributes to already-agreed-to wage and benefit increases for firefighters as well as
Boundary From Page 1 fall of 2013. Hogan outlined five reasons the Attendance Boundary Study Committee picked Option F. Reasons included: q Community support, via surveys, in-person and online meetings: About 578 people participated in two community surveys. About 435 participated in the second survey, which had a bulk of people stating no preference, Hogan said.
modest increases in several programs that the agency cut back during the recent economic downturn, such as volunteer training and protective clothing for firefighters. “After the downturn, we cut back on a lot of supplies like clothing and bunker gear,” Collins said. “Those things have a shelf life and we’re coming up on a bubble where they’re going to have to be
replaced.” Firefighters are due an automatic 2 percent wage increase under the terms of their labor agreement with the agency. The cost of medical benefits will also rise by 6 percent, with employees covering any cost increase above that number. The budget calls for no new employees and the
The three options presented, C, D, and F, were tied at just about 33 percent each. However, most of the comments on the survey, the subsequent emails and phone calls favored Option F, Hogan said. Seventy-five percent of the feedback came from parents in the Snoqualmie Middle School area. q Option F provides the most straightforward transition to the new transportation routes. q Option F provides the best socioeconomic balance between schools. “We based that on the
percentage of students with free and reduced lunches,” Hogan said. Fifteen percent of students at Chief Kanim and 14 percent at Twin Falls would qualify for free or reduced meals under Option F, he added. q Option F does not disrupt neighborhoods recently affected by elementary school boundary changes. The last boundary change for elementary school families was 2010, Hogan said. q Option F creates a long-term solution for when, or if, a third middle school is built. Twin Falls has capac-
See EFR, Page 3
NOVEMBER 8, 2012
Vote From Page 1 aren’t received by voters until after the election he said. Strange things can happen when mailing ballots to countries around the world, like the ballots that burned in a plane crash in Shindad Air Base in Afghanistan Oct. 19, according to the Associated Press. Finney said the Webbased ballots are housed in a Microsoft cloud, and 45 days before the elections, anyone overseas ity for 637 students and Chief Kanim has capacity for 593, according to the district’s 2012 Capital Facilities Plan. Neither school has modular classrooms. “The district plans to put about six modular classrooms at each school, depending on where we end up with Option F,” Hogan said. The committee was comprised of district officials including assistant superintendent Don McConkey, Fall City Elementary principal Dan Schlotfeldt, North Bend Elementary principal Jim Frazier, superintendent
can access the interactive ballots and fill them out. The ballots still need to be printed and mailed or faxed to the proper election office. “We did a pilot in 2010 with the Department of Defense,” said Finney. “And because of its success, they’ve expanded it. This is the first real extensive rollout.” Finney sees this as the future of voting in the United States, adding that our current system is antiquated, especially among the Facebook generation of voters who expect instant informa-
tion and immediate access. “Just imagine how high voter turnout would be if people could vote from their tablets and smart phones,” he asked. Finney said the 2000 presidential election with the hanging chads fiasco in Florida pushed him to develop an alternative for voters. He said voters from 90 countries have used his voting technology so far, but its reach remains Earth-bound. “We’re still trying to get the astronaut in the space station to try it out,” he said.
intern Sabrina Crawford and the district’s transportation supervisor Jim Garhart. The group voted unanimously for Option F, Hogan said. Under Option F, Chief Kanim would house 665 students in 2013, 689 in 2014 and 711 in 2015. Twin Falls would house 835 students in 2013, 841 in 2014 and 850 in 2015. “Open enrollment in a limited basis would solve the imbalance between the two middle schools next year and beyond,” Hogan said. Open enrollment would allow Cascade View
and Twin Falls families to apply to enter Chief Kanim. If interest is greater than the number of openings, entrants might be picked via a lottery. Hogan said the board directed the committee Oct. 30 to study a fourth option, championed by community activist Stephen Kangas. The option would leave the boundaries intact, with all of Snoqualmie Middle School students going to one of the two other middle schools, likely Chief Kanim. “I urge you to direct the administration to look at this option. Delay if you need to, to demonstrate you are not being heavyhanded. It will serve you in your relationship with the community,” Kangas said. The option was dismissed by the committee, Hogan said, because it was a short-term solution. “They’ve dismissed it, but the board asked to go back and run the numbers, basically,” Hogan said, adding that this new option would create sort of a modular compound at Chief Kanim. This option would put about 900 students at Chief Kanim in the first year and more than 1,000 in 2015 School Board President Dan Popp said he had not heard support for this other option. Board Member Geoff Doy said he had received a few emails about it. “I suggest looking at it, to see if it has legs,” Doy said. Board member Marci Busby disagreed. “The time has passed to look at other options,” she said. “We are scheduled to vote next week.”
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SnoValley Star
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Ribbon cutting The Snoqualmie Valley Chamber of Commerce is hosting a ribbon cutting for Snoqualmie Physical Therapy at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 14 at 7713 Center Blvd. No. 160 in Snoqualmie.
Access road to Lake Alice is now closed The first phase of the Lake Alice Road repair is complete, and the access road from Southeast Sorenson Street on
EFR From Page 2 agency is hoping to keep personnel costs in check by waiting until August or September of next year to replace two firefighters who are retiring early next year.
Snoqualmie Ridge closed Oct. 26 except for emergency vehicles, according to a press release from the city of Snoqualmie. The access road through Snoqualmie Ridge will be closed until work begins again next summer. However, vehicles used for fire, emergency medical, public safety services or public works may continue to use the access road, according to the press release. A section of Alice Lake Road was closed for emergency repairs to an underground culvert. Direct questions to Ashley
The retirements are two of what Chief Lee Soptich hopes are many more in the coming years. Soptich said more than 30 of the agency’s 125 firefighters are eligible to retire in the next several years. If all of those employees elected to retire at the same time, the agency would be faced with a significant staffing issue, since new employees
Corrections q Snoqualmie City Councilwoman Maria Henriksen was misquoted in the Oct. 25 article, “Snoqualmie council considers changes to fireworks law.” Her full quote at a Sept. 24 meeting was, “Last year we made some progress with education and temporary signage in the parks. Last year was the first year of many that there were no fireworks in the park next door to us.” q A story featured in our Oct. 25 issue, “Snoqualmie Ridge will again host Night on a Dark Trail” misspelled the last name of coordinator Mark Hennig. q A story in the Star’s Nov. 1 issue, “Former Wildcats hitter will play for New Zealand” misidentified the nickname of the New Zealand national team. The team is known as the Diamond Blacks.
DeForest, King County community relations planner, at ashley. deforest@kingcounty.gov or 206684-1154.
Get the Real Dirt on the Snoqualmie Mill Site
The Snoqualmie Valley Chamber of Commerce is holding an open house at the Snoqualmie Mill Site from 5-7:30 p.m. Nov. 15 at 7001 396th Drive S.E., Snoqualmie. There will be door prizes and refreshments, according to a press release from the chamber.
take several months to train before being ready to be deployed. “If even eight or nine people retired in the same year it would stress our system horribly,” Soptich said. “We don’t have the staff to train that many people at once.” In an effort to stagger retirements, the agency is offering up to four firefighters $58,000 “buy outs” to incentivize them to call it quits. That amount of money reflects the savings the agency will realize over a three-year period when paying a rookie firefighter compared to a veteran firefighter. “That’s $58,000 we’re going to spend anyway if (the veteran firefighter) decides to stay for that period,” Soptich said. Mayor Tom Odell, one of Sammamish’s two representatives on the EFR board, said the buyouts make good business sense
PAGE 3 The open house affords the public an opportunity to review and comment on the Sensitive Areas Study of the former mill site. This document includes a detailed study of existing site conditions, including biology, geology, fill, wetlands and wetland buffers, streams and stream buffers, wildlife habitat, environmental issues, topography, and the physical history of this mill site, according to the press release. Scientists and consultants who have documented their investigations of the site will be on hand to discuss what they
given the prospect of having to grapple with more than a dozen retirements at once. “It hits our books now, but when you look at it out over the next few years, it makes some sense,” Odell said. “It prevents a tidal wave of retirements and allows us to spend time rehiring and replacing them over several years.” Partners’ annual contribution to the agency’s equipment replacement fund will be edging up by a bit more than $100,000 in 2013. The fund projects the eventual cost of replacing the agency’s fleet of vehicles and equipment over 15 years and collects money on an annual basis, hopefully avoiding sudden cost increases to partners if something suddenly breaks down. The board had elected to scale back their contributions to the fund during the recent economic downturn and
have discovered, according to the press release. Participants include: q Goldsmith – Land Surveyor, Civil Engineer, Land Use Consultant, Water Resources Engineer q Raedeke Associates – Wetland Ecologist, Soils and Wetland Scientist q Associated Earth Sciences – Geologist / Hydrogeologist q Cedarock Consultants – Principal Fisheries Biologist q David Wilma – Historian q David Battey, Resident Mill Area Historian
Contributions
Change in partner contributions to Eastside Fire & Rescue in 2013 (Total/ percent increase) q King County Fire District 10: $7,133,973/-1.4 percent q King County Fire District 38: $1,424,228/2.4 percent q Issaquah: $5,406,969/7.8 percent q North Bend: $830,754/3.3 percent q Sammamish: $6,041,036/3.1 percent Source: EFR 2013 budget
is now having to make up lost ground to keep up with the 15-year schedule. Despite the uptick in EFR’s budget, King County Fire District 10 will actually see its contribution to the agency drop by 1.4 percent, or $102,000, thanks to a combination of a 9 percent decrease in the district’s assessed value and annexations of parts of the district’s area by Bellevue and Renton. EFR determines each partner’s bill for fire services based on the assessed value of areas covered by specific
stations. The assessed valuebased funding model will also mean a significant increase in Issaquah’s bill for fire service. The 2013 budget calls for a 7.8 percent increase – approximately $393,000 – because Issaquah’s assessed value did not fall as drastically as District 10’s, Deputy Chief Greg Tryon said. Issaquah is now responsible for 92 percent of the assessed value covered by Station 72, on Northwest Maple Street, compared to 83 percent last year.
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Opinion
PAGE 4
Editorial
Letters
Speak up about transit changes
Cougar comments were dismissive
King County Metro Transit is reaching out to the Snoqualmie Valley to learn more about how residents can best use bus services. It couldn’t come at a more perfect time. Snoqualmie Valley Transit, a service that allows people to call in and schedule a ride, ceased lower Valley operations Sept. 21, according to B.J. Libby, who oversees the nonprofit service as the executive director of Mount Si Senior Center in North Bend. Residents in Carnation, Duvall and Monroe, as well as students from Two Rivers School, no longer have that service available to them. At the same time, Metro says a lot of their buses in those areas are empty or have very low ridership. What’s a transit provider to do? That’s where you come in. Metro is beginning to reach out to community organizations and the public to explore service partnerships. Its first project is in the Valley. Recommendations will be made to the King County Council this winter and any transit changes would be implemented in June 2013. The goal is to get more people where they want to go by making better use of Metro resources. Metro recognizes that a one-size-fits-all approach to bus service may not meet every community’s needs, and is seeking cost-effective and innovative transit options for rural King County. Metro’s 5-year plan for alternative service delivery provides a framework for providing alternatives to fixed-route bus service in less-populated areas. Read more at www. metro.kingcounty.gov/have-a-say/projects/alternative-service/ snoqualmie-valley. Share your comments at next week’s community meeting from 5-7 p.m. Nov. 13 at Fall City Elementary School. Can’t make the meeting? It’s as easy as picking up the phone to share your thoughts, 206-684-1162, or email to haveasay@kingcounty.gov. The Valley has long been short on public transit solutions. New approaches are needed, but must also meet the needs of many to be affordable. Metro is listening, so let your ideas be heard.
WEEKLY POLL If you could name a superstorm, how would you name it? A. After my ex-spouse B. After my accountant C. After this itch I’ve got that just won’t go away D. After Congress Vote online at www.snovalleystar.com.
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I am writing in reference to Sebastian Moraga’s Oct. 11 article “Cougar has North Bend man worried.” The dismissive and callous comments by state fish and wildlife representative Chris Moszeter will create more harm than good for Riverbend residents. His downplaying the cougar attack on one resident’s 15-year-old pet showed an unbelievable lack of compassion. For most of us, our pets are family members. His statement, “You’re more likely to be killed by a vending machine,” was even more unbelievable. For one thing, vending machines are not wild creatures who stalk their prey. He seems to think this event was an isolated event, when in fact we’ve had numerous cases of pets gone missing, and evidence of both cougars and bears searching for food. Moszeter’s comment that the cat is “snacking on dogs” might be amusing to him but horrific to pet owners. Wouldn’t it have been more helpful to actually address residents’ concerns and to provide helpful information on how to protect our children and pets?
NOVEMBER 8, 2012 And, there are many young children in Riverbend who weigh less than the 75-pound dog! By being blatantly dismissive and not providing helpful information, Moszeter’s attitude can only add fuel and fear to the fire. Why is there no plan to host a community meeting to empower and enlighten rather than patronize residents? If Moszeter represents the position of the fish and wildlife department, residents need to organize at the grassroots level and seek helpful counsel. And finally, Moszeter’s attitude and words are only one small shred of what’s truly plaguing our community and our world — we just don’t seem to care about each other anymore. Susan Olds Riverbend
Bus cuts — why us? We are writing in regard to the cuts in the Snoqualmie Valley Transportation budget, which have resulted in the termination of shuttle service to Two Rivers School. Since the termination took effect Sept. 24, our school has experienced a dramatic drop in attendance because students continue to lack any means of transportation. One of the students, who lives way out on the outskirts of Fall
City, rarely makes it to school now. Another is usually late getting to school, and has to wait two hours after school every day for her ride. We fear that many students missing school who expect to graduate soon will fail their classes and as a result fail to graduate on schedule. We need the shuttle to get to school, so we can receive our education like students at other schools in the district. Without the shuttle, Two Rivers School as we know it is in danger. As an alternative school, Two Rivers has flexible scheduling, and the SVT shuttle provided rides that fit our needs and the needs of the school. The shuttle cannot be easily replaced. We understand that the cut in funding must result in the cutting back of SVT service. But, we question how and why Two Rivers School was singled out for termination. What other possibilities were considered? Weren’t there routes besides MT54 that could be trimmed, or across-theboard reductions in service that would keep us from the chopping block? In short — why us? Olivia Barragan, Mason Blalock, Patrick Brown, Dylan Cook, Jordin Forgey, Cortney Harris, Darian Michaud, Taylor Mosier, Alexis VanWolvalaere Two Rivers School students
Home Country
Sometimes, it’s pearls before swine By Slim Randles Dud was awfully quiet all through the daily dissemination of anything on page one of the Valley Weekly Miracle, which wasn’t like him at all. Just sucked down caffeine and silently shook his head now and then. “Anita okay, Dud?” “Oh … sure, Doc.” “You okay?” He nodded, and then looked up with a wistful, philosophical look that our guys don’t usually get until after the buttered toast. “Sometimes, I think it’s pearls before swine, that’s all.” We waited. “Music, I mean. You know how you practice and practice and then you get good enough to actually do something? Well, I took the accordion and went to the accordion festival to compete … well, you know I’m not really that bad anymore…” “You’re getting pretty darn good on that thing, Dud.” “Thanks, Steve. Well, we drove down to the capitol and I got in the competition and did okay. Placed third in polka. I played that new piece. It’s kinda
hard, because it has those minor bass buttons in it and it took me forever to learn not to miss them. “It was Slim Randles after that. You see, I put Colunmist the accordion back in the car and we went in for a lunch they gave everyone.” “What’s wrong with that?” “I forgot to lock the car. We were halfway through lunch when Anita asked me if I’d
locked the car and then it hit me that I might not have locked it. She insisted I run right out and check and that’s what I did. And that’s when I lost my faith in human beings.” “Oh, Dud,” Doc said, “someone stole your accordion?” “No, it was still there in the back seat. But someone had put two more in there with it.” He shook his head. “Pearls before swine.” Brought to you by the national award-winning book “A Cowboy’s Guide to Growing Up Right.” Read a free sample at www.slimrandles.com.
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:
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P.O. Box 1328 q Issaquah, WA 98027 Fax: 391-1541 q Email: editor@snovalleystar.com
NOVEMBER 8, 2012
SnoValley Star
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Community
NOVEMBER 8, 2012
Teen tests her abilities against elite dancers at Junior Miss Dance contest By Sebastian Moraga Katia Lucas, a 13-year-old from Snoqualmie Middle School, represented the Pacific Northwest in the Dance Masters of America Junior Miss Dance contest in August. Lucas earned a spot after winning the Pacific Northwest version of the contest in December. That was Lucas’ second pageant ever. The local pageant, for girls ages 9-12, was held near Factoria, while the national version occurred in Anaheim, Calif. At the contest, she performed a jazz dance number, the same routine she performed in Factoria and has performed throughout her career as a dancer, which began nine years ago. “It was an amazing opportunity to be with all the winners from the other regions,” Katia said. “You get to learn how to work with people you’re not used to; you learn to cope with different people, people not the same from your dance studio. It’s not people you have known before, and you get to be friends with them.” Shaun Lucas, Katia’s mom, loved seeing her daughter on stage in Mickey Mouse’s hometown, even if she didn’t place
among the top competitors. “I cried my eyes out,” she said. “Just the accomplishment of competing against all those girls, it was so exciting. Taking the whole family down to Disneyland and just experience it with her.” The contest, Shaun said, bases its choices on merit and ability. “It’s all done based on how artistic the girls were, and that’s impressive,” she said. “If you were from a lower-class family you would never know it.” The environment is competitive, but you would also never know it, Katia added. “Everyone wants to win, but you kind of hide it,” Katia said. “You try to be nice to everyone, of course.” Besides the jazz performance, the girls had interviews in front of judges in formal attire. Then they performed on stage. “You had to wear stage makeup so people can see your features from offstage, otherwise you looked like a ghost,” Katia said. “It was really cool.” The hardest part was having the family close by but not too close by. “I was in a hotel, and you were mostly on your own,” she
Contributed
Katia Lucas represented the Pacific Northwest in the Dance Masters of America national ‘Junior Miss Dance’ contest last August in Anaheim, Calif. said. “It was kind of hard to find where you had to go and always had to be on time. If you were late, you got docked off points.” Still, it was a once-in-alifetime experience, Shaun said. Katia said losing did not begin to disappoint her. “They were amazing, absolutely phenomenal,” she said of her competitors in Anaheim. “I would have been very surprised
Picture perfect
Contributed
The Northwest Watercolor Society announced Barbara Seese Koefod, of Snoqualmie, has been accepted into its 21st Annual Waterworks 2012 Membership Exhibition, through Nov. 28. The painting ‘Bivouac’ was one of 55 selected out of 181 to show in the exhibit at Kaewyn Gallery, 10101 Main St., Bothell. Koefod is a teacher in the Lake Washington School District.
if I won.” Some competitors showed up pressured by their dance studios to win the contest. Katia said that was not the case for her. “For me, it was more about the experience, and just having fun with this,” she said. “Not really caring too much and just trying your hardest.” Katia recommended the contest for other girls,
“Don’t think about it as a winning experience,” she said. “Just think of it as an experience to be better at what you love doing.” She said anyone can do it, “but you have to be good, I guess. “I have been dancing since I was 3, so it comes easier to me. If I just started dancing, I don’t know. It’s not something you can pop in and win and go to nationals.”
Winter Pineapple Classic returns to North Bend
teams planning to win the race). People without teammates may sign up as an individual and will be assigned to a team. Each participant must raise a minimum of $50, which is separate from a $50 registration fee. The first Pineapple Classic in 2006 had 750 participants raising $95,000. The next year, the event raised $200,000. This year’s event will try to raise half a million dollars. Mountain Meadows Farm is at 10106 422nd Lane S.E., North Bend.
The Winter Pineapple Classic, a 5K obstacle course and fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, returns to Mountain Meadows Farm Nov. 10. The event, followed by a post-event luau that gives the fundraiser its name, gives 100 percent of its proceeds to the society. Anyone 8 years old or older may participate, registering in teams of two or more. The fastest teams, either single-gender or co-ed will win prizes. More prizes will be given to the best costume. Every participant will receive tee shirts, a free pass for the food line, a goodie bag, a free beer if you’re 21 or older, “and the satisfaction that you are fighting blood cancers,” a press release stated. The first wave of participants starts at 9 a.m. and continues every 15 minutes thereafter. Last wave starts at 1 p.m. Teams will be categorized as Honu (Hawaiian for turtle, for teams that plan to walk), Wiki (Hawaiian for fast, for teams that plan to run and walk) and Kekoa (Hawaiian for warrior, for
Celebrate Veterans’ Day in the Valley
For the next few days, the Snoqualmie Valley will take a moment to honor and thank the veterans of our armed forces. Events at area schools, cafés and organizations will help our communities commemorate the efforts of men and women in uniform. Nov. 8 2:15 p.m. North Bend Elementary School Veterans’ Day assembly Nov. 9 8:50 a.m. Snoqualmie See VETERANS, Page 7
SnoValley Star
NOVEMBER 8, 2012
Community Calendar Music/ entertainment q Arridium, 8 p.m. Nov. 10, The Black Dog Café, 8062 Railroad Ave. S.E., Snoqualmie, 831-3647 (DOGS), admission is $5. q Crazy Love, theatrical revue, 8 p.m. Nov. 15-17, The Black Dog Café q Holiday Artisan Fair and Wine tasting 3-8 p.m. Nov. 23, The Black Dog Café. Call to reserve. tables available, $15. q Songwriters in the round 8 p.m. Nov. 24, with Jay Pinto, Jean Mann, Steve Fletcher, Camelia Jade and Mike Antone. The Black Dog Café. q Peter Tilton and Trace, 8 p.m. Nov. 30, The Black Dog Café.
Events q Santa’s Toy Shop Toy Drive at the North Bend Substation of the King County Sheriff’s Office, 1550 Boalch Ave N.W., to Dec. 11. New, unwrapped toys for children tots to teens welcome. Office is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 8:30 a.m. to noon Friday. Santa will visit the toy shop at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 1. q Veterans’ Day
Veterans From Page 6 Elementary School Veterans’ Day assembly. 9 a.m., Cascade View Elementary School Veterans’ Day assembly. 9:15 a.m. Fall City Elementary School Veterans’ Day assembly. 9:30 a.m., Opstad Elementary School Veterans’ Day assembly. 6 p.m. “Songs For Peace” dinner and concert fundraiser for care packages to soldiers in Iraq
Lunch, noon, Nov. 8, Mount Si Senior Center, 411 Main Ave. S. If you are a veteran, your lunch is free. Meals for nonveterans and seniors are $3 and $6 for people younger than 60 years old. q Ski and Snowboard Swap, 9 a.m. Nov. 10, Snoqualmie Middle School. Proceeds benefit the Snoqualmie Valley ski and board clubs. Email fredenburgc@svsd410.org. Bring your washed, used ski and snowboard equipment and clothes to sell at the swap, and you will receive 70 percent off the sale price of new equipment. q ValleyFest craft festival, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 10, Mount Si High School, 8651 Meadowbrook Way S.E. Gifts, clowns, facepainting, passages, great food and plenty of crafts. Special guest: Santa. q Fundraiser for the Wounded Warrior Project, noon, Nov. 10 at Finaghty’s, 7726 Center Blvd. S.E., Suite 110. Buy raffle tickets from noon to 8 p.m.. All proceeds go to the Wounded Warrior Project. You may directly donate at the bar or with your phone and QR codes on posters around the pub. Performance by Petty Thief to follow at 9 p.m. q The Snoqualmie and Afghanistan. Tickets are $20 for a three-course, Thanksgiving-style meal. Hosted by the Black Dog Café, 8062 Railroad Ave. S.E., Snoqualmie.831-3647 (831-DOGS) Nov. 9 is the last day
Valley Museum presents: “Beyond Smokey: The USFS In The Snoqualmie Valley,” 1-5 p.m. Saturdays through Tuesdays, 320 Bendigo Blvd. S., North Bend
Volunteer opportunities q The Mount Si Helping Hand Food Bank is looking for volunteers to help unload food at noon Mondays, sort food at 9 a.m. Tuesdays or hand out food on Wednesdays. Call 888-0096.
Classes q Adult/senior tap lessons. Learn basic steps and rhythms, traveling time steps and shuffles. Wear comfortable clothing and bring your tap shoes the first day. Fees are $7 for drop-ins or $30 for a five-day punch card good for 90 days. Lessons start Tuesdays at 1:15 p.m. at the Mount Si Senior Center, 411 Main Ave. S., through Dec. 18. Submit an item to the community calendar by emailing smoraga@ snovalleystar.com.
of a drive to collect items for troops in Afghanistan. Send food items, personal care items, cards, drawings and letters by contacting the American Legion Auxiliary Post 79 at 38625 S.E. River St., Snoqualmie.
PAGE 7
Sports
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NOVEMBER 8, 2012
Mount Si record breakers head to second round By Michele Mihalovich As far as senior football seasons go, this one has been amazing for Mount Si High School’s football team, said Wildcat Jimbo Davis. And it’s not over yet. State and school records have been broken. The Wildcats ended the regular season with an 8-1 record, their best in years. On Nov. 2, they trounced Auburn Mountainview 52-7 and now head into the state playoff round against Glacier Peak next weekend. And as Davis, who pulled a Lion’s pass out of the sky Friday night, as well as put a touchdown on the board, tells it, “We’ve just been taking it one game at a time. I’m basically just having fun with my friends. We all grew up together.” That longtime connection might explain what the seniors, and some juniors, have done on the field this year. Senior kicker Cameron Van Winkle, on Oct. 5, broke the state record for career field goals, which marked his 34th at the time. He’s since made several more field goals, including a 23-yarder against the Lions Friday night, his eighth this season. Van Winkle, who has committed to University of Washington, also leads KingCo 3A conference ‘end of the regular season’
“We’ve just been taking it one game at a time. I’m basically just having fun with my friends. We all grew up together.” — Jimbo Davis Mount Si wide receiver stats with the most kicking scores: 66 points in the ninegame regular season. Seniors Beau Shain and Trent Riley also lead the conference in most interceptions: four and three, respectively. However, Riley grabbed another interception during the Mountainview game, as did senior Hank Van Liew. Riley also leads the conference for the most touchdowns during regular season, wracking up 16 – that’s four more than Bellevue’s John Nguyen. However, Riley posted three more touchdowns at Friday’s game, and broke Mount Si’s previous record of most touchdowns in a season, which was 18. Van Liew and junior Evan Johnson lead KingCo 3A in solo tackles, with 42 and 40 respectively. Senior Hunter Malberg is ranked fourth, with 35 solos and 45 assists. And for sacks this regular season, Bellevue’s Myles Jack
By Calder Productions
Wildcat Trent Riley catchs a Nick Mitchell pass in the Nov. 2 playoff game against Auburn Mountainview. Mount Si won 52-7. takes the title with 10 (and posted six more in the first half of their first playoff game Friday), but is followed by so many Wildcats, they need mentioning: seniors Griffin
McLain (6), Zack Blazevich (6), Stephen Nnabue (4), Jordon Aune (2), Joey Cotto (2), Van Liew (2), as well as juniors Johnson and Shain, each with two.
Wildcat junior quarterback Nick Mitchell made a little bit of school history Friday night as well. He broke the school See FOOTBALL, Page 9
Mount Si volleyball will return to state tourney By Sebastian Moraga
By Sebastian Moraga
Senior blocker Lauren Smith (left) during the district championship game in Seattle against Mercer Island. Mercer Island overcame the Wildcats in five sets. Both teams qualified for state.
Some screamed, some shouted, some cried, some remained silent. But every expression seemed to say the same thing: We’ll get them yet. “We played our game and we fought the whole time. We didn’t come out on top, but wait ‘til state,” said Wildcat freshman Anna McCreadie, one of the volleyball players who lost the district championship game to the Mercer Island Islanders in five sets in Seattle Oct. 27. It was the third time Mount Si had lost to the Islanders in the 2012 season. “The game showed us we have to work so much harder this week in practice, so we can beat teams like these,” Wildcat Jenn Rogers said. Mount Si did earn a ticket to state for the sixth year in a row.
The excitement of the trip to Lacey’s St. Martin’s University was tempered by having come so close to beating the Islanders. The Wildcats came back from six points down, 15-21, to win the first set 25-23. Mercer Island won the second set 25-22, and Mount Si won the third set 25-21. In the fourth set, Mount Si could not repeat the comeback and lost 25-16. In the fifth set, Mount Si jumped to an early 5-2 lead, causing head coach Bonnie Foote to jump off her seat and scream “Good job.” Mercer Island reacted and evened the set at 9-9 when a Mount Si block went out of bounds. On the next point, Mercer Island took the lead. The two teams went back and forth all the way to the end. At See VOLLEY, Page 9
SnoValley Star
NOVEMBER 8, 2012
Runner participates at state in Pasco; soccer out at M.I. Bailey Scott closed her 2012 season as a cross country runner with a 43rd place finish at the state meet at Pasco’s Sun Willows golf course. Scott, a junior, was the only Mount Si High School runner at the event Nov. 3, where 139 female and 144 male runners
competed. She finished with a time of 19 minutes, 53.8 seconds. Her best 2012 mark occurred at the KingCo Conference championships Oct. 18, where she posted a time of 19 minutes, 32.93 seconds. Amy Eloise Neale from Glacier Peak took first place, with 17 minutes, 3.6 seconds. Bellevue’s Julia Ellings was the top 3A KingCo runner, finish-
ing 22nd with a time of 19 minutes, 30.7 seconds. In soccer, Mount Si High School’s 2012 season ended in dramatic fashion, with the team losing the first game of its conference playoffs to Interlake on a penalty kick shootout 3-2. The game at Mercer Island High School ended tied 0-0 in regulation and after two overtimes. The shootout loss was the first loss in eight
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matches for the Wildcats and the last prep career match for KingCo 3A Player of the Year Miranda Rawlings, who moves on to play for Division I University of Nevada-Las Vegas this fall. “The stars were just not aligned for us tonight,” head coach Darren Brown wrote on his team’s website. “PK shootouts can go in any direction, and there has to be an ending.”
Football From Page 8 record of four touchdown passes in a game when he tossed five Friday, but he shattered the school’s record of touchdown passes during a season, which was 16 and now stands at 24. At Friday’s game against the Lions, Mitchell, in addition to passing for 273 yards and five touchdowns, ran four yards for a score. Two of those touchdown passes went to Cameron McLain and Davis, but three sailed into Riley’s hands. There’s no mistaking the connection that Mitchell and Riley have with each other, especially since this is their first season together as quarterback and wide receiver. Riley said the two of
By Calder Productions
Wildcat Cameron McLain catchs a Nick Mitchell pass in a Nov. 2 playoff game against Auburn Mountainview. Mount Si won 52-7. them worked a lot together on the off season, and Mitchell said that when they could have been sleeping in on Saturdays,
the two of them were out working on their plays at 8 a.m. We’ll see if those old and new connections are still holding when
Volley From Page 8 14-14, two controversial calls favored Mercer Island, giving the Islanders the lead, the match and the trophy. Foote slammed her notebook on the ground on the last call. “We took too many mental vacations, too many times during that match,” Foote said. “When you get a lead, you keep a lead. If you play consistent volleyball for long periods of time you are going to win the match.” Lindsay Carr had 32 kills, 21 digs, three assists and two blocks. Lauren Smith had 41 assists, 9 digs, 1.5 blocks and one ace. Lexie Read had 12 digs, five kills, one assist, one ace, and 1.5 blocks. Rachel Hayford had 13 digs and Gen Knoppi had 19 digs and three assists. Foote added, “My girls deserved that match. They are classy, they don’t celebrate before the match, and they will remain classy. We’ve got to get a lot better this week. If we
Mercer Island should be scared right now, because we are getting better. Every time we play them, we add a little more fuel to that fire. We are going to get them.” — Bonnie Foote Mount Si volleyball coach do that, we can have a shot at it.” Mount Si began its weekend with wins against Ingraham and Eastside Catholic Oct. 26, and Lakeside Oct. 27. The win against Lakeside earned the Wildcats a state berth. The Wildcats’ first round match at state is against Glacier Peak 9:45 a.m. Nov. 9. Mount Si has finished sixth in the last three trips to state. A sixth-place finish won’t cut it this year, McCreadie said. “Mercer Island should be scared right now, because we are getting better,” Foote said. “Every time we play them, we add a little more fuel to that fire. We are going to get them.”
Mount Si faces Glacier Peak at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 9 at Veterans Memorial Stadium, Snohomish High School, 1316 5th St., Snohomish.
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Police blotter North Bend
Potted plant lover Mount Si Senior Center reported that someone stole a potted plant from the premises sometime between Oct. 19-22.
Boulevard and drove 75 mph in a 50 mph speed zone. The deputy caught up with him and arrested him for reckless driving and transported him to Issaquah Jail.
CD thefts
Police received a report that about 8 p.m. Oct. 24, someone broke out a vehicle window at the QFC parking lot.
A North Bend woman reported Oct. 25 that sometime during the night, someone smashed the vehicle’s passenger side window, which was parked at Rock Creek Ridge Apartments, and stole 20 CDs out of her Jeep.
Unhappy with your ticketing decision
Coats and radio thefts
Vandalism
A 19-year-old Fall City man was arrested for reckless driving at 2:37 p.m. Oct. 25. According to a police report, the man initially was given a ticket for “driving too fast for conditions,” after colliding with another vehicle. The man got upset with the deputy, got into his vehicle, revved the engine and then sped toward the deputy who was walking back to his vehicle. The man then got back on Bendigo
An Ellensburg man reported Oct. 25 that sometime during the night, someone smashed the passenger side window of his vehicle, which was parked on West Ribary Way, and stole two coats and a satellite radio.
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Snoqualmie police were called to a disturbance at Starbucks on Center Boulevard. An employee reported that a man was yelling and scaring staff and customers. The employee said they managed to get the man out of the store and then locked the door. The man was trespassed from the business.
Not a good place to park
Police at 11:53 p.m. Oct. 28 found a vehicle in a ditch on Mill Pond Road, and were unable to locate the driver.
Fraud A Snoqualmie resident reported Oct. 29 that someone used his credit card for a delivery in Chicago.
Very odd indeed A Snoqualmie resident reported Oct. 30 that he was trying to sell a fish tank for $500 on the Internet. The man said a person who was interested in
buying the fish tank sent the resident a check for $2,800, requesting the extra payment be sent through Western Union back to him. The information was forwarded to the FBI.
Look what I learned today
Police received a 911 hang up call at 4:48 p.m. Nov. 1. A child had learned how to call 911 from firefighters at school that day.
North Bend fire calls
q Three fire engines responded to a vehicle accident with no injuries at 5 p.m. Oct. 26 at the 37200 block of Southeast North Bend Way. q Four fire engines responded to a vehicle accident with injuries at 8:27 p.m. Oct. 26 at westbound Interstate 90. q Two fire engines responded to an unauthorized burning call at 4:57 p.m. Oct. 27 at the 43000 block of Southeast Mount Si Road. q Four fire engines
NOVEMBER 8, 2012 responded to a vehicle accident with injuries at 10:36 p.m. Oct. 28 at westbound Interstate 90. q Two fire engines responded to a vehicle fire at 8:12 p.m. Nov. 1 at the 100 block of Southeast 146th Street.
Snoqualmie fire calls
q EMTs assisted EF&R Oct. 26 with injuries from a motor vehicle accident q EMTs responded Oct. 27 at Snoqualmie Casino to assist a person experiencing stroke symptoms. q EMTs responded Oct. 27 to Mount Si High School to assist a student with a sports injury. q EMTs responded Oct. 28 at Snoqualmie Casino to assist a person experiencing a headache. q EMTs responded Oct. 28 at Snoqualmie Casino to assist a person experiencing stroke symptoms. q EMTs responded Oct. 28 at Snoqualmie Casino
to assist a person experiencing dizziness. q Firefighters responded Oct. 29 to an automatic fire alarm at the Nexus building on Snoqualmie Ridge. Firefighters determined burnt popcorn set off the alarm. q Fire fighters responded Oct. 31 to a fire alarm at Technical Glass on Snoqualmie Ridge. Fire fighters found contractor doing construction that set off the alarm. q Firefighters responded Oct. 31 to a fire alarm at a residence on the Ridge. Found smoke detector tripped by theatrical smoke being produced for Halloween. q EMTs responded Oct. 31 at Snoqualmie Casino to assist a person experiencing light-headedness and fainting. The Star publishes names of those arrested for DUI and those charged with felony crimes. Information comes directly from local police reports.
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Yoga class teaches area students downward joy By Sebastian Moraga Sit in a circle, close your eyes and then hold your arms straight in front of you. Then, take a deep breath, as your friends give you clues on whether what you’re holding is in the shape of a cat or a skeleton. Lay flat on your back, breathing with your belly. Then, turn your head and stick your tongue out at your neighbor. Concentrate, stay focused, keep your poise. Unless you find a bug; then feel free to start giggling. What, you’ve never practiced yoga? Yoga done Snoqualmie Elementary School style, that is. A different flavor of the ancient practice, with games mixed in with the exercises, keeping children engaged and limber. “I have this knee thing and yoga works well for it,” student Mia Bel said. Besides their arms, knees and legs, the students work out their funny bone. When a student shows off her double joints, her
buddy calls it “creepy.” The students manage to have fun, although they did not choose to do yoga. Almost all of them point to one person as responsible for making them show up once a week to sit on a mat in an empty gym — their mothers. “My mom works at home,” student Ashlyn Klein said. “I think she was trying to get rid of me, so I don’t get loud around the house.” Bel agreed. “My mom said, ‘I’m going to find every activity I can, so you don’t annoy me,’” Bel said. Classmate Ella Svensson said her mom had a different concern. “My mom wanted me to do it because it’s a good exercise, and it takes the pain away,” thirdgrader Svensson said. It helps when a buddy joins a class. Student Connor Knowles said he joined because of his mom and because his pal had joined, too. Joey Sands, the pal, said he joined because of football-
By Sebastian Moraga
Ashlyn Klein (left) watches yoga instructor Erin Knowles conduct a lesson at Snoqualmie Elementary School, while classmates Mia Bell and Mackenzie Barnes follow along. The students learn yoga while playing games once a week after school. induced pulled muscles in his legs, and because Connor is there. So is Connor’s mom. “They get a little antsy,” said Erin Knowles, the class’ instructor. “So, we do little games. Sitting still is very difficult for
them.” Besides the laughs and the stretches, students practice other “muscles,” like trust and communication, taking turns when they talk and treating each other with respect. The goal, Erin Knowles said,
is to turn this one hour per week into a lifelong skill. “I would like them to want to come back, and I would like to see more kids join,” she said. “Have the kids enjoy the program, enjoy doing movement, instead of playing video games.”
The world is a stage for Snoqualmie Middle School thespians By Sebastian Moraga To hear Alysa Vermeulen tell it, making it in theatre is simple: When in doubt, Tinkerbell out. “Last year, we were performing at the high school,” the sixth-grader from Snoqualmie Middle School said during a break of the school’s drama club. “We were doing a game and it was supposed to last a minute and they left me alone on stage with 30 seconds left.” So she decided to flap her arms around, repeating “Tinkerbell, Tinkerbell, Tinkerbell,” until her minute was up. “They started to laugh, they thought I was a really good actor,” Vermeulen said. “They were like, ‘Look! She can make herself sweat.’” The students at drama club – four boys and 41 girls—vary from newbies to veterans. The class teaches them strategies and techniques more than scripts, and the children love their teacher Stephanie Lynn Merrow for it. “In this class, we do more improv and less planned acting,” said first-year student Paula Bachtal, “it’s more suspenseful and you have to think a bit
By Sebastian Moraga
Snoqualmie Middle School’s Drama Club members strike a pose during their weekly class. Students learn improv skills instead of learning lines from a script. harder.” Twelve-year-old Kaitlin Losansky, who has been acting for eight years, calls Merrow the best teacher she has ever had. “She actually teaches you something, she doesn’t just give you lines.” Losansky said.
Merrow, a teacher of drama and dance for the past 15 years, asks her charges to connect with their audience at all times. Never turn your back on them, always project your voice, and if they laugh at you, it’s a good thing.
“Make sure they know what’s going on,” said student Abbi Zuray. “Make everything clear.” The students play games, crack one another up, but in the meantime, they build up their nerves for when the audience is someone outside Drama Club.
“It keeps us from breaking down and crying in the middle of things,” said SMS student Erika Khosrovian. These children can’t drive yet, but they are driven to theater. It’s a career they are building, even this early on. Club member Taylor Lamb smiled when a classmate said she would be famous by appearing in the paper. “Thank you,” Lamb replied. “I already planned that.” For Calie Rose, the club helps her combat her shyness, she said, recurring even to a certain mantra. When in doubt, Tinkerbell out. She was the performer after Vermeulen finished flapping. “I thought, ‘if Alysa did that,” Rose said, “I probably will be able to do my sketch.” Classmate Allison Caswell agreed. “A lot of us did not know a single thing about improv or drama,” she said. “Now we know there’s one more opportunity. We can be actors or actresses and not be afraid.” Sebastian Moraga: 392-6434, ext. 221, or smoraga@snovalleystar.com. Comment at www.snovalleystar.com.
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SnoValley Star
NOVEMBER 8, 2012