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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2016
NEW CHIEF FOR SNOQUALMIE
Perry Phipps, a captain with Visalia Police in California, is city’s pick. Page 5
Lawhead Architects selected to design City Hall BY STUART MILLER smiller@snovalleystar.com
GREG FARRAR | gfarrar@snovalleystar.com
Science at work
Three referees judge the actions in the cage of four robots being wirelessly controlled by their teams Dec. 10 during the FIRST Tech Challenge Turing League event at Mount Si Freshman Campus.
Students square off to see whose robot can do the most
BY STUART MILLER smiller@snovalleystar.com
Outside the quiet, frozen Mount Si Freshman Campus on Saturday night, a full parking lot was the only indication that inside, hundreds of teenage students were competing in series of robot cage matches. Inside, the commons area was dotted with tables for each of the Turing League teams competing in the night’s event. To the beat of blaring electronic music, pit crews surrounded their robots making adjustments and repairs between matches while others scurried
GREG FARRAR | gfarrar@snovalleystar.com
Two Mount Si Robotics Club robots belonging to the Catastrophe (left) and SiBorgs teams sit in the arena waiting for the starting horn.
around the room — headline to the main pen, where the action was, or perhaps scouting the abilities of other teams. While the cage wasn’t an intimidating chain-link octagon, the crowd surrounding it brought a level of enthusiasm similar to an MMA event. Four robots were stuck in the 12-by-12, foam-floored square with glass walls standing a foot high. The machines would not be trying to destroy each other BattleBots style (as many students would prefer), instead attempting to score points with SEE ROBOTS, PAGE 6
The North Bend City Council selected Lawhead Architects to design the new City Hall building after a unanimous vote Dec. 6. The city pitted two architecture firms against each other to compete for the opportunity to design the building, culminating in an October town-hall meeting where both Lawhead and TCA Architecture presented their designs, estimated costs and other information. Attendees and councilmembers provided written and verbal feedback to city officials and the architects. The “dry run” gave the city and citizens insight on the capabilities of the firms, City Administrator Londi Lindell said. In addition, the city owns the designs from both firms and can incorporate aspects from both firms’ plans if it chooses to. Twice, the City Council delayed picking between the firms in what Lindell said was a difficult decision for members of the council. Ultimately, Lawhead’s experience with construction
SEE DESIGN, PAGE 3
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