Your locally owned newspaper, serving North Bend and Snoqualmie, Washington
Mount Si showing signs of improving Page 10
December 25, 2014
Ice skating rink moves to Snoqualmie YMCA Winter Magic, the Snoqualmie Valley Chamber of Commerce outdoor ice skating rink, has moved from historic downtown Snoqualmie to the basketball court by the Snoqualmie Ridge YMCA, 35016 S.E. Ridge St. The rink will be open through Jan. 1. The fee, $10 for skaters age 10 and older and $5 for children ages 3 to 9, includes skate rental. Each session lasts 45 minutes. q Open skate, 1:30-4:30 p.m. Dec. 25 q Open skate, 1:30-4:30 p.m.; family skate, 6-9 p.m. Dec. 26 q Open skate, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; family skate 6-9 p.m. Dec. 27 q Open skate, 1:30-4:30 p.m.; family skate 6-9 p.m. Dec. 28 q Open skate, 1:30-4:30 p.m. Dec. 29 q Open skate, 1:30-4:30 p.m.; family skate 6-9 p.m. Dec. 30 q Open skate, 1-5 p.m. Dec. 31 q Open skate, 1:30-6 p.m. Jan. 1 Skaters must sign a waiver to participate; minors must provide a waiver signed by a parent or guardian. Children 10 or younger must be accompanied by an adult. Get the waiver form at www. snovalley.org.
City of Snoqualmie
Children enjoy an afternoon of free skating on the Snoqualmie ice rink during the KING 5 Television’s filming of ‘Evening Magazine.’ See other photographs of the session, including a pratfall by host Jim Dever, on the city’s Facebook page at http://on.fb.me/1weDtMh.
Getting into the holiday spirit as Mrs. Claus By Sherry Grindeland Santa Claus and I see an Eastside seldom noticed by most — economically challenged families. We hold their children on our laps and listen to their Christmas wishes. Every year, I am Mrs. Claus at Bellevue’s Crossroads Community Center holiday party. People scoff that there are no needy people in Bellevue. Unfortunately the city’s reputation as a wealthy suburb is overstated. The same problems of unemployment, underemployment and hunger face all towns, including Bellevue. As a journalist I know this. As a busy woman preparing for Christmas I sometimes forget it. Like you, my to-do
list is long. My holiday shopping and cards aren’t done and the house is only half decorated. But once again at the holiday party, I learned those things don’t matter. My role as Mrs. Claus began two decades ago when I was a columnist/reporter for the now defunct Journal American newspaper. It was a week before the annual Crossroads Community Center event and the director came to me with a plea. Would I put something in the paper asking people to donate gifts? The usual donations hadn’t come through and the toy cupboard was bare. Readers were wonderful. The response was so immense the center stayed open extra hours to receive
City funds human services groups Snoqualmie recently allocated funds to community organizations that provide services to children, families, individuals and seniors in need. The city’s Human Services Commissions reviews applications for funding requests from Snoqualmie Valley organizations and then makes a recommendation to the City Council. The funds, 1 percent of the city budget, will provide aid for food, shelter, clothing, counseling and safety. “The state Legislature gives a very focused mandate to Washington cities, requiring that we attend to the health, safety and welfare of our citizens,” Snoqualmie Mayor Matt Larson said in a news release. “Given that Snoqualmie lacks a department of social and health services, we are very fortunate to have many strong local partners that can assist the city in more effectively meeting this mandate.” The organizations that will receive funding in 2015 are Eastside Baby Corner, Encompass, Friends of Youth, Hopelink, Lifewire, Mt. Si Senior Center, North Bend Community Church, Sno Valley Pet Food Bank, Sno Valley Adult Day Health, Sno Valley Indoor Playground, Snoqualmie Valley Community Network, Snoqualmie Valley Food Bank, Snoqualmie Valley Hospital, St. Vincent de Paul, Two Rivers Schools and the Snoqualmie Firefighters Association.
By David Grindeland
Stations throughout Bellevue collect toys to distribute for the holidays. These firefighters from Bellevue Fire Station No. 3 gave Santa and Mrs. Claus a ride to the Crossroads Community Center in the hook-and-ladder truck. the donations. suit so she could help at the The next holiday season, the party. center employee who had been Mrs. Claus asked me to fill her See MRS. CLAUS, Page 7
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