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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016

SNO★VALLEY

STAR

MISTER PERFECT

Elkugia’s big night powers Eastlake past Mount Si Page 10

Officials give Phipps high praise

BY STUART MILLER

smiller@snovalleystar.com

Top Snoqualmie city officials say they are confident incoming police chief Perry Phipps will serve Snoqualmie and North Bend well. Phipps was chosen from about 20 candidates who applied for the position.

Phipps, who is finishing his tenure as a captain in the

Visalia Police Department in California, will be sworn in at the Jan. 10 Snoqualmie City Council meeting, pending council approval.

“He had a unique and strong combination of great experience, competence, skills and also a refreshing humility that I think made him very approachable,” Mayor Matt Larson said.

Having served as an officer, agent, sergeant, lieuten-

ant and captain in Visalia, Phipps knows how to run a police department, current Snoqualmie Police Chief Jim Schaffer said. Schaffer has been serving as the interim chief since Steve McCulley’s sudden retirement in June.

“He’s been in a command position for many years in California,” Schaffer said. “The mechanics of (SPD) are not too much different.”

Phipps will have to go through a two-week equivalency academy to bring him up to speed on state criminal procedure and law. Schaffer said he will stick around for a while to help ease Phipps into his new position.

“The first week he’s here I intend to get him introduced to as many folks and groups SEE PHIPPS, PAGE 6

Perry Phipps

Skate park receives match to state grant

BY STUART MILLER smiller@snovalleystar.com

SCOTT STODDARD | stoddard@snovalleystar.com

Cris Deutsche’s holiday decorations at 9411 Ash Ave. earned first place in Snoqualmie’s 2016 Holiday Lights Contest.

Brightest of the Christmas lights

BY STUART MILLER smiller@snovalleystar.com

Winners from the fourth annual Snoqualmie Holiday Lights Contest have been announced. The top three daz-

zling displays, chosen from 12 entries, can all be found in the Eagle Pointe neighborhood on Snoqualmie Ridge.

A judging panel consisting of Parks Board members Milissa Ching and Paul Sweum, plus

Snoqualmie Ridge Residential Owners Association Outreach Manager Jacki Jones, decided the fate of the contestants.

The judging criteria called for scores based on originality, arrangement, theme and over-

all presentation.

When the judges’ tallies were totaled, Cris Deutsche’s display at 9411 Ash Ave. shined brightest. He took first place and SEE LIGHTS, PAGE 8

Funding for a long-awaited skate park on Snoqualmie Ridge has been rolling in since designs were released in July.

City and county officials now say they’ve secured enough money to match a large state grant, pushing them within reach of the funding goal to build the park.

Money has come from a wide variety of sources, including local businesses, civic clubs, the YMCA, several state and county grants and private donations from residents.

“It was a collaborative effort, it really was,” Parks and Recreation Director Dan Marcinko said.

SEE PARK, PAGE 2

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016

SNOVALLEY STAR

PARK From Page 1

So far, funding efforts have procured roughly $370,000 of the $440,000 the parks department says is needed to build the park. If funding reaches that goal, the city can add amenities like picnic tables, benches, fencing and colored concrete for the park.

King County Councilmember Kathy Lambert was instrumental in securing needed matching funds for a $175,000 state Recreation and Conservation Office grant, money which would have otherwise been lost. When the park designs were completed in July, nobody knew when or if the matching funds would come through.

Recently released regional tax monies were allocated to each of the county’s council districts.

Lambert said she called Snoqualmie Mayor Matt Larson and asked what the top priority was.

“That was great news,” Larson said. “We took a gamble to accept the state grant with expectations and hopes to get the

Provided by Grindline

Designs for the Ridge skate park feature a snake-run type bowl that is 8-feet high in the deep end with pool coping. The bowl waterfalls up to 5- and 4-foot sections with standard coping. It is open-ended.

funds to match.”

Local organizations, businesses and residents have pitched in to help make the skate park a reality. The Snoqualmie Valley Rotary Club helped get the design effort started with a $16,200 donation. From there, the city was able to hire a world-class, Seattlebased company, Grindline Skateparks, to design the park.

Grindline helped organize community meetings and took suggestions

from the community on what they’d like to see in the park, said Larry White of the parks department.

“That’s how we ended up with the design we have, is they took all the kids’ input,” White said. “The second meeting they came back with a conceptual, and they scratched off the (features) they didn’t like,” and added others.

Grindline’s final-stage designs were released in July. Since then, Square

One Distribution, a local benefit the skate park The city helped provide watersports company, effort. signs for the event, disdonated $5,000 to the After reading in the tributed a press release effort. Snoqualmie YMCA newspaper over the sumabout it, provided tables donated $5,000 to the mer that the city was for the approximately 40 park, which will sit a searching for funds to participating vendors, stone’s throw from its match the state grant, and helped in basically community center on Chapman decided to put every way that Chapman Southeast Ridge Street. together the fundraiser. asked them to, she said.

Private residents have “I thought, ‘I can do Despite nasty weather pitched in $2,500 so far, something to help raise and a time slot competing Marcinko said. Much of money,’” Chapman said. with a Seahawks game, that came about through “I met with the city in late the bazaar was able to Ridge resident Jennifer August and pitched the draw a couple hundred Chapman, who organized idea of doing a holiday people, Chapman estimata holiday bazaar at the bazaar. They were totally SEE PARK, PAGE 3 YMCA in November to NEIL.ePROOF.SV.CMYK.RVS on board.”

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ed, and resulted in donations totaling roughly $1,000 toward the skate park.

“It’s a worthy cause,” Chapman, a schoolteacher, said. “I think we definitely need more stuff up here on the Ridge for kids to do.”

According to Larson, more than 35 percent of Snoqualmie’s population is aged 18 or younger.

While the idea of a skate park — which would give Snoqualmie skaters a place to call home — was born in 2006, it wasn’t initially met with overwhelming enthusiasm.

“Skate parks have a kind of negative reputation of being a place that attracts some more nefarious activities,” Larson said, like drug use and fights.

White, who is now firmly committed to making the skate park a reality, said he did not like the idea of a skate park at first.

“I wasn’t a fan of it until I started doing research and understanding the value that a skate park does bring to the community,” White said.

He recognizes there is a perception of a skate park as a place where “only bad kids skate,” he said.

One thing he discovered in the learning process

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engraving the community into the skate park — literally. Marcinko said he’s looking into getting kids from neighboring Cascade View Elementary School to come over to the park and put their handprints and initials in the wet cement around the perimeter of the skate park.

The Snoqualmie Valley Rotary Club may donate a two-ton, 6- to 7-foot tall, 19th-century metal wheel from Puget Sound Energy’s Snoqualmie Falls facility. Placed out front of the skate park, the wheel would effectively put the Provided by Grindline local civic group’s stamp on the skate park, which Street features the skate-park design include ledges, flat bars, a handrail and hubbas. A quarter pipe on the end serves as a return for the street and bowl sections. they were instrumental in creating.

The city is currently helped tip him over Park, across the parkMarcinko and others are his hopes that the comworking on bid specificatoward a positive view: ing lot from the YMCA hopeful that the skaters munity would take owntions for the skate park, One of Snoqualmie’s own community center. will help out with some ership of the skate park.

Marcinko said. Pending police officers was a spon- That location will allow upkeep.

He said it would be nice acquisition of the remainsored skater in college. authorities and residents “What we’d really like to see more business and private donations to help ing funding, the specifica“I’m telling you that it’s to spot people using the is the kid group to step up push the city toward its tions will then go to the not bad kids,” White said. park after its closing time, and take ownership of it,” target funding goal.

City Council and open “It’s just another area to which is dusk.

Marcinko said. “Say ‘Hey, “We’re excited about for bids at the end of get kids outdoors that’s “There’s been a lot of this is our park. We need donations coming in,” February. safe. Get them out of the thought put into that pro- to maintain it and we Marcinko said the goal is grocery store parking lots cess,” Marcinko said. need to help keep it clean.’” Marcinko said. “They’re excited about the skate to have the ribbon-cutting and off the sidewalks.”

Its location is also conThat could include park, we’re short fundin summer 2017 before the The skate park’s locavenient for maintenance things like changing full ing, and we’d like them to school year starts. tion was chosen specifiof the skate park. Parks trash bags and leaving donate.”

For questions about cally to deter any negative crews already roll through them out for parks crews Beyond monetary dona- donations, contact elements from influencthe area to do upkeep at to swoop up, and helping tions, the parks departthe Snoqualmie Parks ing the park, Marcinko Snoqualmie Community discourage vandalism.

SANDY/LAURA F.noPROOF.SV.CMYK. ment isPDF interested in Department at 831-5784. said. The parks departPark and can make stops Marcinko emphasized 1123 LAM ment and police departat the skate park to do 50.17996.FRI.1209.3x6.LAM ment worked together to general maintenance. choose a spot with ample While the city has fixed of visibility and lighting. into the budget $8,500 for SCOTT Z.ePROOF.SV.CMYK. They came up with its skate park maintenance, PDF 1020 LAM current location next to 44.14746.FRI.1028.1X2.LAM the basketball court at Snoqualmie Community

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PARK

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016

OPINION

SNOVALLEY STAR

STUART MILLER | smiller@snovalleystar.com

The annual Christmas tree lighting festivities lit up the night Nov. 26 without a hitch thanks to Snoqualmie’s Parks and Recreation Department.

Valley View

Giving thanks to the parks department this Christmas

BY STUART MILLER

I

n lieu of the normal prattling in my weekly Valley View column, I’d like to take a few paragraphs this week to recognize the Snoqualmie Parks and Recreation Department.

As you may have noticed in this week’s edition — and I do hope you’ve read it all — two stories involve the parks department or Parks Board members. That is no coincidence — they have been busy, particu-

larly this winter.

Light” White You’ve no doubt saved the day, seen the radiatand some city ing Technicolor dollars, by manmothership that aging to splice has been made the strands back of Railroad Park. together rather Stuart Miller than replacing That beautiful, glowing strip of them.

Snoqualmie didn’t just White also helped land there from outer launch the Holiday space. It was strung, Lights Contest four years strand by strand, by parks ago. Though I’ve been employees. told the parks departWhen the local Grinch ment relinquished con(or Grinches) took a trol of the event to the knife to the light strands city last year (don’t ask just days before the me how that works), that annual tree-lighting, hasn’t curbed White’s crew chief Larry “The enthusiasm for the con-

SNO★VALLEY

STAR Published every Friday by The Issaquah Press Group 1085 12th Ave. NW, Suite D1 | P.O. Box 1328 Issaquah, King County, WA 98027

test. He still helps out and hopes the event will grow in the years ahead.

Not only has the parks department been a light for the holiday season, they’ve also been working at pushing the Ridge skate park project — a decade in the making — and creating the momentum it needs to finally materialize.

Director Dan Marcinko and White were instrumental in that task. White convinced me of his dedication to finishing the project with one firm sentence:

“I’m going to see this one through.”

I believe he will.

Multiple people have told me that skaters some-

times use the IGA parking lot for skating, much to the chagrin of some busiSEE THANKS, PAGE 5

HAVE YOUR SAY Something on your mind about your city? Tell us about it. Send letters to the editor via email to editor@snovalleystar.com. The SnoValley Star welcomes comments to the editor about local issues — 300 words at most, please. We may edit them for length, clarity or inappropriate content. Include your phone number (it will not be published). Email is preferred, but you can also mail your comments to: Editor, SnoValley Star, P.O. Box 1328, Issaquah, WA 98027

STAFF Charles Horton.......................................General manager Scott Stoddard...............................................................Editor Stuart Miller............................................................. Reporter Neil Pierson.............................................................. Reporter Greg Farrar.....................................................Photographer

CORRECTIONS We are committed to accuracy at the SnoValley Star and take care in our reporting and editing, but errors do occur. If you think something we’ve published is in error, please email us at editor@snovalleystar.com.

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SNOVALLEY STAR

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016

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GREG FARRAR | gfarrar@snovalleystar.com

The Ice Skating on the Ridge runs from 1-4 p.m. through Jan. 1, except Dec. 30-31.

Calendar of events Saturday, Dec. 17 The Mt Si Artists’ Guild Holiday Art Show runs through Jan. 2 in the North Bend Library Meeting Room, 115 E. Fourth St., 888-0554 Kids Night Out at the Y, for ages 3-12, Snoqualmie Valley YMCA, 35108 SE Ridge St., Snoqualmie, $20 per child, pre-pizza dinner available for $5 per child, reserve a space at 256-3115

Monday, Dec. 26 Snoqualmie and North Bend City Offices closed for the Christmas holiday No School Day Camps, for grades K-5, 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Si View Community Center, 400 SE Orchard Dr., North Bend, $65/day or $195/ week, register at siviewpark. org or 831-1900 Ice Skating on The Ridge, 1-4 p.m., The Ridge Amphitheater at Center & Ridge Streets, $3 for ages 17 and younger/$5 for ages 18 and older, cityofsnoqualmie. org

Tuesday, Dec. 27 No School Day Camps, for grades K-5, 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Si View Community Center, 400 SE Orchard Dr., North Bend, $65/day or $195/ week, register at siviewpark.

THANKS From Page 4

nesses and shoppers. But can you blame them?

They have nowhere else to go.

I’ve also seen comments from some parents that a “splash park” would be a better addition to the community than a skate park.

I have to respectfully and completely disagree with that. Splash parks are great

org or 831-1900 Ice Skating on The Ridge, 1-4 p.m., The Ridge Amphitheater at Center & Ridge Streets, $3 for ages 17 and younger/$5 for ages 18 and older, cityofsnoqualmie. org The North Bend City Council work study session has been canceled

Wednesday, Dec. 28 No School Day Camps, for grades K-5, 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Si View Community Center, 400 SE Orchard Dr., North Bend, $65/day or $195/ week, register at siviewpark. org or 831-1900 Wondering About Wildlife, all ages, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Cedar River Watershed Education Center, 17905 Cedar Falls Road SE, North Bend, free, 206-733-9421 One-on-One Computer Help, for adults, 1-3 p.m., North Bend Library, 115 E. Fourth St., 888-0554 Ice Skating on The Ridge, 1-4 p.m., The Ridge Amphitheater at Center & Ridge Streets, $3 for ages 17 and younger/$5 for ages 18 and older, cityofsnoqualmie. org Future Jazz Heads, 6 p.m., Piccola Cellars, 112 W. Second St., North Bend, jazzclubsnw. org/northbend Open Mic Night, 7 p.m., Black Dog Arts Café, 8062 Railroad Ave. SE, 831-3647

in the heat of summer, but they offer zero opportunity to learn a skill or a place to practice to improve that skill.

I’ll end here with praise and a plug. Residents like Jennifer Chapman, who organized a holiday bazaar that raised 1,000 bucks for the skate park, are what makes this place great.

While basking in the holiday lights around town, please consider

Thursday, Dec. 29 No School Day Camps, for grades K-5, 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Si View Community Center, 400 SE Orchard Dr., North Bend, $65/day or $195/week, register at siviewpark.org or 831-1900 Ice Skating on The Ridge, 1-4 p.m., The Ridge Amphitheater at Center & Ridge Streets, $3 for ages 17 and younger/$5 for ages 18 and older, cityofsnoqualmie. org The Snoqualmie Public Safety Committee meeting has been canceled Boxwell/Feldman Quartet, 7:30-9:30 p.m., Piccola Cellars, 112 W. Second St., North Bend, jazzclubsnw. org/northbend

Friday, Dec. 30 No School Day Camps, for grades K-5, 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Si View Community Center, 400 SE Orchard Dr., North Bend, $65/day or $195/week, register at siviewpark.org or 831-1900 Ice Skating on The Ridge, 1-4 p.m., The Ridge Amphitheater at Center & Ridge Streets, $3 for ages 17 and younger/$5 for ages 18 and older, cityofsnoqualmie. org The Stillbillys, 8 p.m., Black Dog Arts Café, 8062 Railroad Ave. SE, 831-3647

donating money or time to help Snoqualmie’s hard-working parks department make the Ridge skate park a reality.

Email reporter Stuart Miller at smiller@snovalleystar.com.

Valley View is a weekly column by SnoValley Star reporter Stuart Miller.

It does not necessarily represent the editorial views of the newspaper.

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016

From Page 1

as I can,” Schaffer said, including Eastside fire chiefs, county police chiefs and the Snoqualmie and North Bend city councils and staffs. “Together with my assistant, we’ll get him updated on the budget and all the things that are unique to Snoqualmie and North Bend.”

Larson said one thing that stuck out about Phipps was his fortitude.

“He’s gone through challenges that weaker souls would have broken on,” Larson said, like the time he was injured in a propane tank explosion while dealing with a person threatening suicide.

Phipps will bring to Snoqualmie his experience from fighting crime in Visalia, which struggles with gang

activity and drug crimes.

The problems and challenges in Visalia are going to be very similar to Snoqualmie, but different in scale, Schaffer said.

“The advantage of having the exposure he’s had to all those activities,” Schaffer said, “is he’s going to be an ideal candidate in managing the folks here who deal with that.”

Larson and Schaffer both said community

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Drawing by Grace Gildersleeve, 4th grade, North Bend Elementary

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Schaffer said.

Phipps will also be the one organizing the duties of the new positions and deciding what roles they will play in the department.

“I’ll give him my two cents and he’ll evaluate what’s going on,” Schaffer said.

Schaffer said there is a positive mood around the department. Some SEE PHIPPS, PAGE 7

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Drawing by a 3rd grade student at Endeavour Elementary

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said. He will also oversee a growing police department. Snoqualmie’s public safety levy, approved by voters in November, will add two new positions to the department.

While Schaffer has been working on hiring for the new positions, Phipps will take the reins once he’s sworn in.

“Depending how (the candidates) do, he’ll be the one to either recommend them to be hired or not,”

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outreach is one of Phipps’ strong points.

In Visalia, Phipps helped create a policecommunity athletic league that included gang members and families.

The outreach involved the groups in activities where participants got to know officers as people, in an effort to create community connections.

Phipps will be living in the community and growing with it, Schaffer

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SNOVALLEY STAR

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“These people do a good job,” Schaffer said. “They don’t need someone to From Page 6 come in and fix what is officers participated in not broken. They need the interview panels that someone to take them to examined the police chief the next level, and there’s candidates, and many every indication that will have been part of the happen.” hiring process since the Phipps could not be beginning.NEIL.ePROOF.SV.CMYK.RVS3 reached1219 for comment.

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Susie Oppedal, North Bend city clerk, was recently honored as the city’s 2016 Employee of the Year.

At the annual Wellness Employee Recognition Luncheon on Dec. 8, Mayor Ken Hearing and city staff recognized Oppedal’s accomplishments and contributions.

“Susie’s leadership and

willingness to take on tough, detailed projects despite her heavy work load speaks to her high level of performance and commitment to the City,” Hearing said.

Oppedal began working for the city in 2007.

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Oppedal is North Bend’s Employee of the Year

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016

SNOVALLEY STAR

LIGHTS From Page 1

won a $100 gift card to Lowe’s, provided by the Ridge ROA. The Deutsches’ display includes a variety of features, including a video projected on a secondfloor window of Santa sneaking around a Christmas tree. In addition to lights on the house, the display featured lit statues of reindeer, snowmen, penguins, foxes, and an angel with mechanically flapping wings.

Derek and Jennifer Dutilly at 34215 SE Moses St. came in second place with a flashing display of lights set to the tune of “The Little Drummer Boy.” The Krieger family took third place for their oceanic-themed display at 9221 Ash Ave. SE. A sign reading “Finding Christmas Under the Arctic Sea” anchored their display, which included an ocean of blue lights covering the lawn and large statues of “Finding Nemo” characters.

First-time judge Jones decided to step up this year after noticing that the last few years, three of the same homes seemed to always make up the winning three. She said she wanted to see for herself if they earned those wins. This year, two of them again ended up winners.

If you’re thinking her job as the Ridge’s ROA outreach manager swayed her judgments — think again. Jones said her favorite house was the only contestant from old Snoqualmie.

“The one in downtown, that was my favorite,” Jones said. “It was clear that she put in a lot of time and effort into that.”

The aforementioned display belonged to Judy Talton of 8262 Silva Ave. SE. Talton said she started decorating her house and yard the day after Thanksgiving, stringing thousands of lights around the property with the help of her tenant.

“I put stuff up, ripped it down, put it up, ripped it down,” Talton said, in her efforts to organize the lights and decorations to her liking.

Between the 12 contestants, unique displays included such features a large inflatable Yoda, a house broadcasting a “Santa’s Rock-n-Roll Workshop” radio show, in-person appearances by Santa and about every type of light imaginable.

Contest organizer Lizzy Billington, who rode along with the judges, said the contest is one of the most fun events of the year for the Parks Board.

“It’s a great event because it inspires a lot of community and holiday spirit,” Billington said.

“Kind of a warm, fuzzy thing.”

SCOTT STODDARD | stoddard@snovalleystar.com

Derek and Jennifer Dutilly took second place in the 2016 Holiday Lights Contest for their display at 34215 Southeast Moses Street.

SCOTT STODDARD | stoddard@snovalleystar.com

The Krieger Family’s “Under the Arctic Sea” themed decorations at 9221 Ash Avenue Southeast earned them third place honors in the 2016 Holiday Lights Contest.

SNOVALLEY STAR

Police & Fire Blotter Snoqualmie police reports

No need to yell A male suspect was reported at 6:28 p.m. yelling at people outside a bus stop, then aggressively charging people in the Ace Hardware parking lot at 330 Main Ave. S. When the reporting person told the suspect he was calling the police, the suspect yelled, “Bring them on.”

Upon officers’ arrival, the suspect was found sitting on a bench and agreed to not yell at any more people that day.

Bicycles found At 9:01 a.m. Dec. 12, someone found on the Mount Si Golf Course, located at 9010 Boalch Ave. SE, two youth mountain bikes — a 16-inch Kona Spinner and a Hotrock — both valued at $150. They were placed in safekeeping.

Ice cream caper At 10:17 a.m. Dec. 13,

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016 the operator of an ice cream truck reported someone broke into the truck the previous night on Railroad Avenue Southeast and stole about $1,900 in property.

Wrong method for right message At 10:23 a.m. Dec. 14, a resident of the Timbers neighborhood discovered someone had spray-painted “stay in school” on a stop sign on Southeast Jacobia Street.

Funny money At 12:47 p.m. Dec. 16, a suspect tried to exchange fake $50 bills at the McDonald’s at 735 SW Mount Si Blvd. he said he was given by the restaurant. When employees told him police were called, he left, leaving the money behind.

Snoqualmie fire reports

Shorted furnace sets off alarm

Snoqualmie firefighters were dispatched at 3:23

a.m. Dec. 8 to a residential fire alarm on Snowberry Avenue Southeast.

En route, the call was changed to smoke smell inside the residence. The crew arrived to the home evacuated. The homeowner said he awoke to the alarm and the smell of smoke. With no visible haze, but a slight electrical smell, the crew checked out the furnace and discovered it had shorted out. The furnace was turned off at the breaker and the homeowner was advised to call for service.

Gas smell evacuates home

At 5:51 a.m. Dec. 8, firefighters were dispatched to a residence on Silent Creek Avenue Southeast to a report of a gas smell.

Upon arrival, the homeowner told the crew a gas-stove burner had been left on overnight.

The gas smell inside was not strong enough to register on the five-gas meter. With the wind outside, the homeowner was advised to open

some windows to clear out the smell and that it was safe to occupy the structure.

Flue fire Firefighters responded to a chimney fire at 6:19 a.m. Dec. 8 on Railroad Avenue Southeast. Upon arrival, the crew spotted smoke and sparks coming from the chimney, but no flame. The renter advised that he just put the fire out in the woodstove. A check in the wall and attic turned up no flames. The renter was advised not to use the woodstove until it was cleaned.

HVAC glitch sets off smoke alarm

At 6:29 p.m. Dec. 8, firefighters were dispatched to investigate smoke in a residence on Sword Fern Avenue Southeast.

They were met by the homeowner, who stated that when he attempted to turn on the HVAC, he smelled something then the smoke alarms went off. A slight haze was

located near the cold air returns for the HVAC system. The heater appeared to be operating abnormally. It was shut off and the house checked with a thermal imaging camera.

Citizen assist At 3:33 p.m. Dec. 9, Snoqualmie firefighters helped a resident on Pickering Court Southeast get back into her locked apartment.

This is only a test At 10:09 a.m. Dec. 12, firefighters called to a commercial fire alarm at the Snoqualmie Valley Eagles building found no fire. Instead, they learned from a technician on site that he had called the alarm company to place the system in test mode while he performed an annual acceptance testing.

Fire alarm by phone

An automatic residential fire alarm on Southeast Leitz Street

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triggered an investigation from Snoqualmie firefighters at 3:57 a.m.

Dec. 14. Upon arrival, the crew found no signs of fire from the exterior, but they could hear alarms in the background. They contacted the homeowner via cell phone and he remotely opened the doors. A faulty smoke detector was found and removed, and the system reset. They advised the homeowner to replace the smoke detector, then secured the home.

Workers set off beam detector

At 9:27 a.m. Dec. 14, firefighters responded to a beam detector alarm set off by workers on Bracken Place Southeast.

The alarm was reset with the help of the building manager.

In addition to the above calls, Snoqualmie EMTs responded to 17 medical aid incidents, bringing the total number of calls to date 1,075.

In 2015, there were 878

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016

SPORTS

SNOVALLEY STAR

Lady Wolves pull away for win

BY NEIL PIERSON npierson@snovalleystar.com

He led all scorers with 23 points, using a variety of post moves and midrange jump shots to befuddle the Wildcats.

“I feel like I’m fitting in pretty well,” said Elkugia, who previously played select basketball for Northwest Prospects and is considering a move to Friends of Hoop Seattle.

“I play the post because I’m the tallest guy. I just like playing all around – shooting, driving, everything.”

Elkugia led Eastlake (3-2 overall, 1-2 KingCo) to its first conference win of the season and he got plenty of help as

Eastlake coach Sara Goldie and Mount Si coach Bob Richey had very different observations of their teams during the first half of a Dec. 14 girls basketball game.

“It just felt like the whole gym was deflated,” Goldie said.

“At one timeout, I said it was kind of like we were all being lulled to sleep. The problem was that we were trying to energize them in timeouts … and they just weren’t responding.”

“I thought they were gritty in the first half,” Richey said of the Wildcats, who ended a 17-game conference losing streak in their previous outing against Issaquah.

“I thought they did a really nice job battling back when they were down early – made really good decisions with the basketball, played great defense. We played with poise.”

The roles reversed in the second half as Eastlake dominated, pulling away for a 61-43 victory in a Class 4A KingCo Conference outing in Snoqualmie.

Mount Si (2-2 overall, 1-1 KingCo) went to halftime feeling good about itself as the score was tied at 24.

Senior guard Emma Smith had nine points on three 3-pointers, loosening up the lane for 6-foot-7 freshman center Sela Heide, who came off the bench at the start of the second quarter and scored

SEE BOYS, PAGE 11

SEE GIRLS, PAGE 12

GREG FARRAR | gfarrar@snovalleystar.com

Eastlake sophomore forward Yousef Elkugia (24) drives around Mount Si senior forward Taylor Upton and finds the hoop for two of his game-high 23 points during the second quarter of their Dec. 13 basketball game.

Elkugia’s big night powers Eastlake past Mount Si

BY NEIL PIERSON npierson@ snovalleystar.com Mount Si coach Jason Griffith paid a major compliment to Eastlake forward Yousef Elkugia following a Class 4A KingCo Conference boys basketball game in Snoqualmie on Dec. 13.

“I was telling their coach, he’s the perfect type of post kid for high-school basketball,” Griffith said. “He just gets stuff done. He’s got that workman mentality.”

Elkugia, a 6-foot-5 sophomore and firstyear varsity player, was instrumental in the Wolves’ 76-61 victory.

GREG FARRAR | gfarrar@snovalleystar.com

Eastlake senior guard Grant Henderson (11) is fouled by Mount Si sophomore center Robbie Stevens (33) while being triple-teamed and goes on to score two free throws of his 18 points during the second quarter of their Dec. 13 basketball game.

SNOVALLEY STAR

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016

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11

BOYS

From Page 10

GREG FARRAR | gfarrar@snovalleystar.com

Mount Si senior forward LJ Linton (15) scores two of his team-high 16 points while being defended by Eastlake junior guard Peter Chang LAURA F.noPROOF.SR.CMYK. PDF. 1125 LAM

“We didn’t do it and they made us pay for it.”

Freshman guard Tyler Patterson hit a pair of 3-pointers for eight points, and senior forward Taylor Upton had six points as Mount Si matched Eastlake’s execution in the first quarter.

But Upton was a virtual nonfactor the rest of the way, scoring one point in the final 24 minutes. Patterson finished with 13 and senior forward LJ Linton had 10 of his team-high 16 in the second half, though the Wildcats were already behind the eight-ball at that point.

“The bottom line is, we’ve got to be able to defend and if our bigs can’t defend then they’re not going to see the floor,” Griffith said.

“We need kids that can understand what we’re trying to get done on the defensive end. We shot 48 percent and lost by 15. That has never happened in my entire 15 years of coaching.”

The Wolves, who had eight players on the score sheet, also had the type of ball security they’ll need throughout the season. They had 21

assists and only seven turnovers.

“We kind of pass it around like it’s a hot potato sometimes, then nothing good happens,” Kramer said.

“We’ve been having way too many turnovers.

Turnovers were down tonight because they slowed down in the half

court, kind of were all on the same page.”

And Elkugia believes their two losses were due largely to correctable mistakes.

“We had last-minute turnovers that we shouldn’t have made,” he said. “But we’ve learned from it and now we’re just moving on.”

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three teammates – Grant Henderson (18), Reid Pierzchalski (11) and Peter Chang (10) – scored in double figures.

The Wolves aren’t the biggest or most experienced team in KingCo but they seem to have established an identity around high intensity, fast breaks and making open shots.

They could’ve easily started 3-0 in KingCo as they blew a sevenpoint lead with under four minutes to play at Inglemoor, then took a lead into the fourth quarter on Monday night before wilting against preseason favorite Bothell.

“A lot of the kids, they’re young and they’re just getting their feet under them,” said Steve Kramer, Eastlake’s third-year coach. “The game has got to slow down a little bit. It’s pretty fast at this level for guys that haven’t really played there, so I think we’re getting a little more comfortable.”

Mount Si (0-3, 0-2) had an 18-16 lead after one quarter and had spurts of good play at the offensive end. But the Wildcats couldn’t pick up their first win under Griffith as they struggled to contain Elkugia and Henderson, in particular.

Eastlake hit three 3-pointers in the second quarter to take a 37-32 halftime lead, then ran the floor like thoroughbreds in a 29-point third period that all but settled the outcome.

Chang’s 3-pointer from the right corner gave Eastlake its first doubledigit lead. Jaxon Williams hit a trey off an Elkugia feed and Pierzchalski scored twice in quick succession to push the margin to 19.

“We’ve struggled in the third quarter for our first three games,” Griffith said. “I think we’ve been outscored now by almost 40 points in (third) quarters. We talked about it at halftime, being able to come out and execute and defend right away.

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GIRLS From Page 10

nine points of her own.

Conversely, Eastlake (3-2, 2-1) was misfiring.

Freshman center Keeli Burton was playing well, but guards Gina Marxen and Cameron Edward had only eight combined points, and none of the Lady Wolves had made a 3-point shot.

Hayden Frederick’s free throw early in the third quarter gave Mount Si a brief lead, but Eastlake found the spark it was looking for.

Two Stacie Keck baskets fueled a 9-0 run that pushed Eastlake’s lead to 42-31 after three quarters. Marxen had 14 of her 18 points after halftime, including three 3-pointers, and Edward netted eight of her 12 in the fourth as the Lady Wolves led by as many as 21.

Goldie said her halftime talk and third-quarter strategy seemed to push the right buttons.

Eastlake abandoned full-court pressure and went to straight man-toman defense, daring the Wildcats to beat them off the dribble rather than leave their shooters open.

Inserting reserves Korbyn Stahl, McKenzie Feinglas and Madison

Gift s the Heart... from

Warm their spirit all year long

Lester also helped, the ing KingCo champion coach said.

Bothell two nights ear“Really, it was a matter lier. The Lady Wolves of a couple subs, swing let a four-point lead slip players, that went in and away in the final minjust played fearless and ute. gave us that energy,” “It was a heartbreakGoldie said. “And we ing loss but we really talked about them at the bonded … and I think end of the game. We def- that we’re going to do initely gave them credit way better in the future,” … They motivated their Burton said. teammates.”

After finishing 2-18 The game was the first last season, Mount high-school matchup Si has clearly raised between Burton and its expectations. The Heide, who’ve been play- Wildcats pinned the loss ing against each other on playing poorly in the since fourth grade. second half.

Both players had “I don’t think it’s anybright moments, with thing (Eastlake) did,” Burton scoring a gameRichey said. “We ran out high 22 points and Heide of gas and we lost our notching a career-high composure … The goal is 11. to learn from it. I’m not “I love playing against mad at them. We just her because it’s not a lot have to learn from it and of the time you get some- grow up a little bit, and body that’s taller than learn to compete every me,” said Burton, who is second of every minute, listed at 6-3. every game.”

“She challenges me,” “Eastlake has some Heide said. “It was just a great shooters and battle down there, and I it was shown in that think it was the fourth fourth quarter,” Heide quarter where we startsaid. “They beat us ed to lose our confidence down the floor. They and our effort.” popped the threes. They fed it down low and that Eastlake needed was how they got all the win after a threetheir points.” point loss to defendLAURA D.noPROOF.SV.CMYK.PDF 1129 LAM

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