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SNO★VALLEY

STAR

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2016

PREP SPORTS YEAR IN REVIEW Mount Si baseball’s unexpected spring is No. 1 moment Page 7

Hatchery operations hit low-water mark BY STUART MILLER smiller@snovalleystar.com

SPECIAL REPORT

Most years, Christmas season at the Tokul Creek Hatchery in Fall City is a time for spawning hatchery steelhead trout. For fishing enthusiasts on the Snoqualmie River and its tributaries, it means hours spent pursuing steelhead. Not this year. The steelhead trout released by Tokul hatchery for more than 100 years start making their way back home around the holidays. They often swim out of Puget Sound, up the Snoqualmie River, into Tokul Creek and into the hatchery ponds starting just after Thanksgiving. The hatchery spawning process usually begins right around Christmas. This year, as of Christmas Day, just three steelhead had returned to the hatchery — two females and one male. It is likely the lowest number of fish they’ve had return this time of year, and far less than the hatchery’s modest goal this season. Also, for the first time

TROUBLE AT TOKUL Today: An examination of Tokul Creek Hatchery’s steelhead planting practices and the arguments behind the 2014 lawsuit that is affecting operations. Jan. 6: How science and research influence the debate over the hatchery’s relationship with wild steelhead. Jan. 13: A strained relationship between the hatchery and the Wild Fish Conservancy has muddied the waters as both look for a path forward.

in recent memory, the Snoqualmie River is completely closed to fishing from Dec. 16 to Feb. 15 in hopes of allowing at least 50 fish to return for the hatchery’s broodstock. SEE TOKUL, PAGE 6

STUART MILLER | smiller@snovalleystar.com

Debi Sanchez, longtime Tokul Creek Hatchery specialist, checks lake-stock trout roe in the hatchery’s rearing trough.

GREG FARRAR | gfarrar@snovalleystar.com

A barricade erected by the city of North Bend beside the last home in the Cedar Falls development at end of the 1200 block of Salish Avenue Southeast indicates the road is planned to eventually be extended into an older, currently more sparsely built neighborhood.

GROWING PAINS

North Bend defends its small-town character BY STUART MILLER smiller@snovalleystar.com

After experiencing years of rapid growth following the end of a longstanding building moratorium in 2010, North Bend residents and city officials are attempting to deal with growing pains around the small town. On Dec. 12, the North Bend City Council released an open letter to residents, laying out the councilmembers’ collective position on “The Realities of Maintaining North Bend’s Small Town Character.” The council recognized the frustrations and dialogue around town and laid out general strategies for absorbing growth and respecting property rights, while also attempting to hold on to North Bend’s character. When North Bend residents Blake Schneider and his friend Sean, who preferred not to provide his last name, returned to North Bend from their military service and deployments in the Middle East, they said they came home to a significantly

changed town. Some of the first things they noticed were the development of formerly open, rural areas, and a lot more strangers around town. “I saw a local farm lot had become a subdivision,” Sean said of his homecoming. According to Mayor Ken Hearing, North Bend’s population in 1999 was about 4,700 people. Today it is just shy of 7,000. Snoqualmie has grown by about 11,000 people in that same time period, but the nature of that growth has been very different. Snoqualmie’s population growth was almost entirely absorbed, over the last couple decades, in the master-planned Ridge development, which is geographically separate from historic Snoqualmie. North Bend has experienced much of its growth over the last six years. In that time, 252 new single-family homes and two duplexes have been erected, and many formerly unincorporated areas were annexed.

More building is on the way. There are currently 1,205 units submitted with the city for permitting, including 568 single-family residences, 429 apartments-condos-duplexes, 101 cottages and a 32-unit mixed-use building. An application for a development agreement has been submitted for 150 condotownhome units just east of Nintendo’s property south of North Bend Way. The application is subject to approval by the City Council. Gini Echoes, who grew up in the North Bend area and now bartends at the Sure Shot Pub in town, said the number of SEE GROWTH, PAGE 6

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SNOVALLEY STAR

Firefighters’ benevolent fund gets big contribution BY CHRISTINA CORRALES-TOY ccorrales-toy@snovalleystar.com

Every three months, more than 100 women gather in a Snoqualmie Valley establishment, get out their checkbooks and start writing. All of them pledge to give $100 to support programs and organizations that make a direct impact on the community. This quarter, the group is making the checks out to the Eastside Firefighters Benevolent Fund. The Snoqualmie Valley chapter of 100 Women Who Care agreed to donate $14,000 to the fund that provides relief to firefighters and their families or people suffering from poverty, homelessness and other life situations deserving of charity. The donation is the fund’s largest since it was first endowed about six years ago, said Eastside Fire & Rescue Battalion Chief Dave McDaniel, who also serves as the fund’s president. “It was just a tremendous blessing,” McDaniel said. The 100 Women Who Care group meets every quarter at Sigillo Cellars in Snoqualmie. Members nominate local charities, make on-the-spot presentations about the need and then vote on where everyone’s $100 checks will go. The top vote-getting charity then receives all the checks, made out to them on the spot. The group is only about a year old and already has more than 100 participants, said member Dawn

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Dawn Harper, second from left, drops off 100 Women Who Care’s $14,000 donation to benefit the Eastside Firefighters Benevolent Fund.

Harper. “It’s all about giving, nothing more,” Harper said. “Plus, people like the idea of giving in an easy way. This is fast, efficient and so impactful.” Harper nominated the Eastside Firefighters Benevolent Fund after seeing the good it did at Issaquah Valley Elementary School. The fund’s nutrition program teamed up with the school to provide breakfast for children in need. Firefighters also use the benevolent fund to provide firewood for people who need it during the

winter and community projects that benefit residents. For example, firefighters used money from the fund to build a ramp at the home of a Sammamish woman who recently lost one of her legs, McDaniel said. Another time, firefighters responded to a young Issaquah bicyclist who was hit by a driver. The bicycle was totaled, but the firefighters replaced it, thanks to the benevolent fund. “Really our motto is giving back to the communities we serve,” which includes all cities served by Eastside firefighters, including Issaquah, Sammamish and the Snoqualmie Valley, McDaniel said. “The biggest thing for us is we’re driven by finance, the more money we have the more projects we can do,” McDaniel said. “With this donation, we can do even more projects in the community.”

driveway no later than 8 a.m. with all decorations removed. Tinsel, flocked trees or nails will not be accepted. Place your donation ($10 is suggested) in an envelope and attach it to the base of the tree. Personal checks only made out to BSA Troop

115. No cash will be accepted. If your tree is missed, contact 206-920-7070 and a troop will pick it up. The Christmas Tree Pick Up Service is an annual fund raiser by Boy Scout Troops 115, 425, 466 and 701.

ON THE WEB n Donate and learn more about the Eastside Firefighters Benevolent Fund at esfbf.org. n Learn more about the Snoqualmie Valley chapter of 100 Women Who Care at 100wwcgsv.com.

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Scouts to recycle Christmas trees on Jan. 7

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Boy Scout Troops will be picking up Christmas trees from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 7 within North Bend, Snoqualmie and Fall City. Have your tree in your

Calendar of events Saturday, Dec. 31 Snoqualmie Brewery and Taproom New Year’s Eve party, 8032 Falls Ave. SE, for details, call 831-2337 New Year’s Eve with the Danny Kolke Trio and guest Courtney Cutchins, 7:3010:30 p.m., Picccola Cellars, 112 Second St., North Bend, jazzclubsnw.org/northbend Illumination: 2107 NYE Celebration, a New Year’s party featuring DJ Skratchy, 9 p.m., Snoqualmie Casino Ballroom, bit.ly/2ixHkWe

Sunday, Jan. 1 Ice Skating on the Ridge, 1-4 p.m., The Ridge Amphitheater at Center & Ridge Streets, $5 for ages 18 and older, $3 for ages 17 and younger, ci.snoqualmie.wa.us

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2016 ings at City Hall, 38624 SE River St.: Parks and Public Works meeting, 5-6 p.m.; Community Development committee meeting, 6-7 p.m.; Planning Commission meeting has been canceled North Bend City Council meeting, 7-9 p.m., Mt Si Senior Center, 411 Main Ave. S. First Tuesday Book Club: “The Nightingale” by Kristin Hannah, for adults, 7-8:30 p.m., North Bend Library, 115 E. Fourth St., 888-0554

Wednesday, Jan. 4 Sno-Valley Indoor Playground, ages newborn

to 5, 9:30-11:30 a.m., Si View Gymnasium, 400 SE Orchard Drive, North Bend, $1 donation per child, snovalleyindoorplayground.org One-on-One computer help, for adults, 1-3 p.m., North Bend Library, 115 E. Fourth St., 888-0554 Snoqualmie Finance and Administration meeting, 6-7 p.m., City Hall, 38624 SE River St. Open Mic Night, 7 p.m., Black Dog Arts Café, 8062 Railroad Ave. SE, Snoqualmie, blackdogsnoqualmie.com/ calendar

Thursday, Jan. 5 Jack Gravalis and Stanley Ruvinov, 7 p.m., Black Dog Arts Café, 8062 Railroad Ave.

SE, Snoqualmie, blackdogsnoqualmie.com/calendar

Friday, Jan. 6 Sno-Valley Indoor Playground, ages newborn to 5, 9:30-11:30 a.m., Si View Gymnasium, 400 SE Orchard Drive, North Bend, $1 donation per child, snovalleyindoorplayground.org Parent/child yoga, ages 2-5, 10:45-11:30 a.m., Jan. 6 to Feb. 10, Mt Si Community Center, 400 SE Orchard Dr. North Bend, $48, 831-1900 Acting and Improvisation for Teens, ages 12-18, Jan. 6 to Feb. 10, Mt Si Community Center, 400 SE Orchard Dr. North Bend, $48, 831-1900

North Bend and Snoqualmie city offices are closed for the New Year holiday Ice Skating on the Ridge, 1-4 p.m., The Ridge Amphitheater at Center & Ridge Streets, $5 for ages 18 and older, $3 for ages 17 and younger, ci.snoqualmie.wa.us

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SNOVALLEY STAR

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2016

Valley View

OPINION

SNOVALLEY STAR

Is North Bend becoming another Issaquah?

BY STUART MILLER

“We’ll turn into another Issaquah.” I have been hearing variations of this phrase more Stuart Miller and more around North Bend and Snoqualmie lately. It seems that the word “Issaquah,” the name of my hometown, has morphed from a proper noun into an adjective describing the stereotypical, blown-out small town ruined by over-development. I’ll admit that it’s a pretty useful descriptor. In Issaquah, we have our own way of putting it. We say, “We’re turning into another Bellevue.” I wonder what Bellevue folks say when they need to describe their town’s growth? My guess is nothing — the charm that old Bellevue once had is all but gone, with only a couple scattered old relics to remind people of the small town it once was. I guess nobody took the time to consider preserving Bellevue’s “small-town character.” It has been a tough process for me watching Issaquah expand to its current girth. Even though my earliest memories of the town are from the ’90s, and I’ve heard how different those days were from the previous decade, it still seems like too much change. Despite the slew of new, gaudy, high-density living units being planned and built around old Issaquah, I still love the town as much as I always have. I might even love it more, as the longtime residents and I hold on to what is left. We still have an amazing historic Front Street, where inebri-

GREG FARRAR | gfarrar@snovalleystar.com

A kiosk with 44 mailboxes at the corner of Southeast 12th Street and Salish Avenue Southeast serves some of the homes in the newer Cedar Falls development east of downtown North Bend.

ated loggers and miners once fired guns and labor unions once scrapped. I imagine the same could be said for Snoqualmie and North Bend’s historic downtown areas. As much as I hate the idea of development and growth in Issaquah, I have patronized new businesses and made friends with newcomers. It is tiring being in a huff all the time about my town being ruined. The only way it could truly be ruined is if the people who love and care about Issaquah’s history, its people and its future just stopped caring. Knowing that change is the only constant thing in life will not stop me from groaning when plans for the next big downtown apartment building come across my desk. I will still be outraged at the next housing tract planned

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

for the receding natural areas around my neck of the woods, even if I eventually could benefit from it. “I used to worry about the towns of Snoqualmie and North Bend turning into expansions of Snoqualmie Ridge. Now I worry about the towns becoming another Issaquah and Sammamish,” said the only speaker at North Bend’s public hearing regarding the moratorium on single-family residences. He was referring to large, corporation-built neighborhoods that have gone up in the past few years. The man said he was concerned that nothing unique was being created, just a bunch of similar-looking living structures. Aside from referencing traffic and congestion issues, the adjective “Issaquah” is describing a

lack of personality, of originality, of character. In some cases, that is a fair assessment, in others, not so much. Hopefully the City Council and leaders can get it right as they attempt to maintain North Bend’s small-town character. At least they are thinking about it before they find themselves in New Issaquah.

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.

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 30, 2016

Snoqualmie fighters responded to an automatic fire alarm at the Falls Condos on Fairway Avenue Southeast. Upon arrival, crews found smoke detectors sounding in a unit for no apparent reason. The homeowner said they were sounding earlier in the day. The homeowner disconnected one of the detectors in a bedroom and they all stopped. The homeowner was advised to clean or replace the smoke detectors.

of the road on state Route 18 at the Tiger Mountain Snoqualmie fire reports Summit. Upon arrival the crew used a dry-chemical extinguisher along with Blame it on water and foam on the the baby unoccupied vehicle. Once At 4:35 p.m. Dec. 15, extinguished, they deterSnoqualmie firefighters mined the fire had started responded to a residential in the engine compartment fire alarm on Southeast then spread through the Fury Street. The crew was passenger area. The driver met by the homeowner stated while driving on who state his 18-month-old SR18, his windshield wipers child had accidently actihad failed an he began to vated the alarm system. have electrical problems. After pulling over to wait for the weather to clear up Is something before driving any further, Candle causes burning in the someone drove up and told concern at church him his vehicle was on fire. kitchen? At 12:06 p.m. Dec. 18, The owner evacuated and At 5:08 a.m. Dec. 16, Snoqualmie firefighters the car went up in flames. Snoqualmie firefighters investigated a problem Due to the fire’s accidenwere dispatched to a fire with an oil-burning candle tal nature with electrical alarm at the Salish Lodge inside the Episcopal issues, no fire investigator and Spa. Upon arrival, the Church on Railroad was contacted. The loss was crew was met by lodge Avenue Southeast. They valued at $5,400. staff and directed into the were met by the head deakitchen where the alarm con who stated the church Home water had gone off. Kitchen staff just started using a new oil pointed to where smoke burning candle inside for pipe bursts At 2:16 p.m. Dec. 19, came out of three vents in their eternal flame. They Snoqualmie firefightthe ceiling. The vents had a left the candle burning burnt electrical odor. The overnight, only to find the ers and the fire captain crew contacted the engifuel was aerosolizing and responded to a report of a burst pipe in a resineering department and looking for an ignition informed them that there source, causing soot stain- dence on Douglas Avenue should be an air return unit ing on the walls. The crew Southeast. The captain in the ceiling near the vents. investigated and found no worked with the homeowner to find the source of The air unit was located signs of fire, just incomthe problem and began the and shut off as there was a plete combustion of the cleanup process. The crew bit of an odor coming from candle fuel. They deterit. The engineering staff was mined there was no immi- left to a basic life support call, but returned aftertold not to restart the fan nent threat to the staff or wards to assist with the until it could be serviced. congregation; but due to The alarm system was the chemical properties of cleanup. The homeowner reset and turned over to the the fuel, they recommend- was left with instructions lodge staff. ed the staff switch back to on who to contact and what they had been using what steps to take. before. The crew left the Burned food deacon with follow-up triggers fire alarm instructions and cleared School sprinklers spring a leak At 5:35 a.m. Dec. 17, the scene. At 1:20 p.m. Dec. 18, Snoqualmie firefighters Snoqualmie firefighters responded to an automat- Erroneous odor responded to an autoic fire alarm at the Zetec matic water flow alarm at Building on Bracken Place report At 1:45 p.m. Dec. 18, Cascade View Elementary Southeast. They discovon Southeast Ridge Street. ered the alarm was set off Snoqualmie firefighters Upon arrival, they conby burnt food. Crews reset invested the report of an odor of natural gas in the firmed water was flowing the alarm. area of Railroad Southeast from a broken sprinkler and Meadowbrook Way. pipe in the rear exterior Home’s water They canvased the area of the school. The water main bursts but were unable to find was secured and the buildAt 12:48 p.m. Dec. 17, an odor. They spoke with ing turned over to district a resident on Southeast employees from nearby maintenance for repair. Sandalee Court called businesses who hadn’t The building was left in Snoqualmie firefighters to smelling any odors. The fire watch until further report a broken water line. crew then cleared the scene. notice. Crews arrived and shut down the water at the In addition to the above Vehicle fire meter and told the homecalls, Snoqualmie EMTs At 9:21 a.m. Dec. 19, owner to call a plumber. responded to 11 medical Snoqualmie firefightaid incidents bringing the ers and the fire captain total number of calls to Mystery alarm responded to the report of date to 1,101. In 2015, there At 4:19 p.m. Dec. 17, a vehicle fire on the side were 878 EMT calls.

Police blotter

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2016

TOKUL From Page 1

Large sections of Tokul Creek, the Raging River and the Tolt River are also under strict fishing restrictions. While steelhead fishing restrictions have been enacted before, this year is the widest-ranging closure Tokul Creek Hatchery specialist Debi Sanchez can remember since she started working at the facility in 1989. The Tokul hatchery has seen weak winter steelhead runs before, for a variety of reasons both known and unknown. The main cause for this year’s low numbers is clear: A lawsuit settlement between a state agency and a conservation group prevented Tokul hatchery, and many other Puget Sound basin hatcheries, from releasing young steelhead smolt in 2014 and 2015. The troubles in recent years have put into question what roles fish hatcheries should play in Puget Sound ecologies. Hatchery history The Tokul Creek Hatchery has existed in various forms for about 115 years. Originally it was operated by the county, then in 1932 control shifted to the Washington Game Department. A 1994 merger brought the

GROWTH From Page 1

unrecognizable faces was not something she grew up with. “People knew each other, their neighbors, the police,” Echoes said. “It’s got to the point where you can’t possibly do that.” Echoes remembers growing up going to community fundraisers at the Elks and Eagles lodges in North Bend and Old Snoqualmie to help neighbors in need. To her, North Bend’s character centers on being surrounded by people who look out for one another. “If anything were to happen here (at Sure Shot Pub), 15 people would have

SNOVALLEY STAR ery ceased planting in 2014 and 2015. A break-in at the hatchery in 2014 resulted in the release of about 25,000 steelhead smolt. The culprit was never identified, but the release provided for some fishing and hatchery spawning opportunities last winter.

Casting the lawsuit The Wild Fish Conservancy sued to stop Puget Sound-area hatchery planting — including at Tokul — on the basis that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration hadn’t approved necessary hatchery permits required under

the Endangered Species Act. Puget Sound’s wild steelhead are listed as a threatened species under the act. Hatcheries like Tokul are required to have a “hatchery genetics management plan” in order to operate. The plan documents how a hatchery is run and what the likely impacts on the Endangered Species Act listed wild fish are likely to be. NOAA evaluates the plans and decides if the impacts are acceptably low to be carried out, said Nick Gayeski, a fisheries scientist for the conservancy. In the case of Puget Sound basin hatcheries like Tokul Creek, Sanchez and Gayeski both said that after the genetics management plans were submitted around 2004, NOAA did not act on them. “That’s where the ball was left dropped. NOAA didn’t sign anything or approve anything, and it was just kind of forgotten about,” Sanchez said. “I don’t understand how something that important, that determines your whole program and your job, how it just gets left on the table undone for that many years. I can see a year or two, but 12 years?” Gayeski said that Fish and Wildlife did not put any pressure on NOAA to act on the genetics management plan. Under the lawsuit settlement, Tokul hatch-

Recreation vs. recovery In an attempt to reconcile the gap between hatchery and wild fish, some hatcheries, like Soos Creek Hatchery off Green River, have begun to catch wild fish and spawn them in the hatchery. The offspring more closely resemble the wild fish that are adapted to that particular area, reducing the damage done by interbreeding. “We would love to do that,” Sanchez said. “Why Tokul doesn’t on the Snoqualmie, no one knows. At least at my level we don’t know why.” Beardslee maintains that even a single generation in a hatchery can change the genetics of a wild fish and make them less fit for the wild. According to Beardslee, Tokul hatchery operates only for entertainment purposes. He and many wild fish supporters would like to see the Snoqualmie River system designated a “wild gene bank,” which would mean an end to all hatchery planting operations on the

river system. Without the Tokul hatchery, recreational take-home steelhead fishing would likely end on the Snoqualmie system, at least for the foreseeable future. Keeping wild fish is currently illegal. If steelhead move from a threatened species to endangered, recreational fishing opportunities on the Snoqualmie system would also be greatly diminished. NOAA has not identified how close to endangered Puget Sound steelhead are, but sharp declines in wild fish populations since 1990 have many people worried that wild steelhead are nearing that classification. Sanchez said that while she understands Wild Fish Conservancy’s view in concept, it is unrealistic. The Snoqualmie River flows through a highly populated area, and habitat loss, pollution, overfishing and other aggravating factors are likely to get worse, she said. “I don’t know how anybody can say with a straight face that they believe that we will bring this run back anywhere,” Sanchez said. She contends that hatchery fish are feeding all kinds of animals and wildlife, and supporting a commercial and recreational fishery that would otherwise be lost.

since the days when they were growing up. “You’d go maybe one mile up the road (Snoqualmie Parkway), then you needed a dirt bike,” Sean said. The former Weyerhaeuser land now houses thousands people on the Ridge. Mayor Hearing said the future of North Bend’s growth will not look like that of Snoqualmie. “It’s totally different from our situation,” Hearing said. For the most part, developments are small 10- to 20-home projects forming nice neighborhoods with well-built, well-designed, pretty houses, Hearing said. “How do you define ‘small town character?’ ”

Hearing asked. Part of it is “how well do you know you neighbors.” If you go into the Cedar Falls neighborhood or other new developments, parents are outside with kids playing and visiting with each other, Hearing said. “It’s exactly what we’re talking about with smalltown character,” Hearing said. North Bend has already reached its population growth target for 2030 under the state’s Growth Management Act, but it continues to grow. In order to stop development, you have to buy property, Hearing said. While purchases have been made in the past for places like the 460-acre Meadowbrook Farm Preserve, which was

acquired jointly by the cities of Snoqualmie and North Bend in 1996, management of new development will mostly come from city zoning policies and City Council decisions. In its open letter, the City Council laid out some of its recent actions. While rezoning large sections of the city for growth at no more than two dwelling units per acre, the council also imposed a moratorium on single-family homes in certain commercial zones — a move it hopes will help create density around downtown and reduce suburban sprawl while preserving a rural feeling elsewhere. The council’s Community and Economic Development Committee is also reviewing design stan-

dards that can influence the look and feel of future development. “I’m not against the valley growing as long as it’s done responsibly, which it’s not right now,” Sean said, pointing to growing traffic and infrastructure problems. Councilmember Martin Volken, who owns and operates an outdoor recreation shop downtown, said the council needs to have strong planning for traffic infrastructure. “You can create a mess with a town of 10,000 people, and a lot of that has to do with traffic,” Volken said. Volken said he hopes the open letter will spark more discussion and input between residents and the City Council.

game department and the Department of Fisheries together to form the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. Throughout Tokul hatchery’s long history, the main objective has been to provide a fishery. The facility exists so that anglers have something to catch. For many years, hatcheries, including Tokul, operated with what today would be considered recklessness. A lack of understanding about how river ecologies functioned led to many mistakes throughout the development of the hatchery program. “Their thing was, ‘Let’s put some fish out there.’ Nobody knew what the repercussions were going to be,” Sanchez said. The National Marine Fisheries Service has listed hatcheries among the top four contributors to the decline of wild steelhead populations, which is about 3 percent of what it was around 1900, according to Kurt Beardslee, executive director of the Wild Fish Conservancy. The conservancy, a Duvall-headquartered organization dedicated to the recovery and preservation of the region’s wildfish ecosystems, leveled the lawsuit against the Department of Fish and Wildlife in 2014. Beardslee and the conservancy contend that interbreeding between wild fish

populations and the widely used hatchery breed of Chambers Creek steelhead has been a big factor in the population decline of wild fish. Opponents of hatchery planting also blame the decline on competition between large hatchery steelhead smolt and smaller wild smolt, and the large dumps of hatchery smolt luring unprepared wild smolt out to sea too early. The Tokul hatchery has made modifications to its steelhead program in an attempt to minimize those effects. It now segregates the timing of the hatchery steelhead run from that of the wild fish. “They aren’t out there when the wild fish are out there,” Sanchez said. Beardslee and the conservancy would like to see Tokul Creek’s planting program stopped. The group scored what it considers a significant victory when it settled a lawsuit that stopped hatchery steelhead planting for 12 years on the Skagit River.

my back,” Echoes said. At the same time, Echoes said she is noticing growing homelessness and drug problems around town, and sometimes feels nervous when alone in the alley at night. Soaring housing prices have also pushed a lot of people out of the oncemore-affordable town. Echoes and her family moved to Maple Valley for a better real estate value. If she’d remained in the North Bend area, she’d have half the house she does now, she said. Schneider and Sean, who both graduated from Mount Si High School around the time the building moratorium was lifted, also noted how Snoqualmie has changed

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2016

SPORTS

SNOVALLEY STAR

YEAR IN REVIEW

Prep athlete of the week

Mount Si baseball team’s adventurous, unexpected spring is No. 1 prep sports moment

BY NEIL PIERSON npierson@ snovalleystar.com There weren’t any teams or individuals who captured state titles for Mount Si High School within the 2016 calendar year, but the past 12 months saw plenty of triumphs and tribulations. In reverse order, here are the top 10 moments of year for Wildcat athletics: 10. Griffith named boys basketball coach It was coup of sorts for Mount Si to land Jason Griffith as its new boys basketball coach. Griffith was highly successful during his six seasons at Class 4A KingCo Conference rival Issaquah, winning 102 games and three trophies at the state tournament. But Griffith, who lives in Snoqualmie, was looking to plant new roots and happily accepted the job at Mount Si after Kyle Clearman’s departure. Griffith began working with the program in the spring and has said the Wildcats’ blueprint for success will closely follow what occurred at Issaquah. Mount Si lost its first four games of the season, but was competitive each time, and picked up its first win in resounding fashion, 71-37 over Newport on Dec. 19. 9. Weidenbach plays for Eastside FC at youth soccer nationals Natalie Weidenbach will go down as one of the best soccer players in Mount Si history, and the University of Texas recruit found her way onto a big stage over the summer with her select squad, Eastside FC 98 Red. Eastside qualified for

Isabel “Izzy” Smith

Freshman Smith shines on two squads BY NEIL PIERSON npierson@ snovalleystar.com

GREG FARRAR | gfarrar@snovalleystar.com

Mount Si High School senior righthander Jimmy Boyce (left) shares fist bumps and high fives with teammates after pitching a complete-game two-hitter May 6 against Newport in a KingCo baseball tournament game for a 4-0 win at Bannerwood Park in Bellevue.

the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships in July and traveled to Frisco, Texas, for the highly competitive tournament. The squad, which includes players from several other schools – including Skyline, Issaquah and Bellevue – was eliminated early with an 0-3 record in pool play. But Weidenbach, who typically played midfield or forward at Mount Si, put her versatility on display as Eastside’s right back. 8. Wrestlers win medals at Mat Classic KingCo 4A didn’t have a big season in terms of sending wrestlers to the state tournament, but Mount Si ended the 201516 campaign with the conference’s top showing at February’s Mat Classic XXVIII. The Wildcats sent five athletes to the Tacoma Dome and two of them – senior Andrew Harris

and junior Mason Marenco – won medals. Harris was sixth at 220 pounds and Marenco was sixth at 152. Mount Si finished fourth at the 4A regional meet as Harris and Mason Marenco won their weight classes, while Spencer Marenco, Kurtis Olson and Brennan Dalgleish qualified for state with thirdplace efforts. 7. Wachtendonk headlines Star Track performances Senior thrower Jacob Wachtendonk didn’t have the ultimate ending to his Mount Si track and field career, but he walked away with hardware from May’s 4A championship meet. With aspirations of a state title going into the javelin toss, Wachtendonk fell short of his personal record, but his heave of 179 feet, 3 inches was good for fifth. A total of 14 Wildcats

competed at the meet, winning seven medals for the program. Baly Botten became a threetime medalist in pole vault, and distance runner Hannah Waskom claimed top-eight finishes in the 1,600- and 3,200meter races. 6. Girls basketball snaps long conference losing streak Mount Si went 0-16 during the 2015-16 KingCo girls basketball season and had a 17-game winless streak against conference foes going back to a Jan. 2015 win over Newport. The Wildcats didn’t take long this season to end their drought, jumping on Issaquah in the Dec. 7 conference opener. Senior guard Emma Smith led all scorers with 18 points. Joelle Buck and Nitika Kumar had key offensive contributions and the Wildcats scored 21 points in the fourth quarter to overturn a lead

that Issaquah built with swarming pressure. 5. Boys soccer reaches KingCo title match For the second straight season, the Mount Si boys soccer program experienced the joy of playing for a conference championship. And for the second straight season, the Wildcats also felt the sting of falling short of the state tournament. Coach Darren Brown’s squad qualified for May’s KingCo title match as the No. 2 seed but was completely overwhelmed in a 4-0 loss at Skyline. The Wildcats had another chance to reach state five days later but fell, 4-1, in a penalty-kick shootout against the Union Titans. Mount Si, which hasn’t reached state since 2010, finished the year with a 12-4-2 record. SEE REVIEW, PAGE 8

It was a struggle on the field for Mount Si during the 2016 girls soccer season, but the Wildcats are counting on youngsters like Isabel “Izzy” Smith to pave the path to future success. It’s a similar story for the school’s girls basketball program. First-year coach Bob Richey placed Smith and three fellow freshmen – Joelle Buck, Sela Heide and Nitika Kumar – on the varsity roster because they’ve got the skills, smarts and fearlessness to compete against older players. Smith, a forward on the Mount Si soccer team, is now plying her trade in multiple positions on the hardwood. She spoke with the SnoValley Star last week as the Wildcats prepared for a holiday trip to the Surf ‘N Slam tournament, Dec. 26-31 in San Diego. Question: How did you get started playing basketball? Answer: I started playing when I was really young – recreational basketball up on the ridge. And then I played with coach Brian Buck (Joelle Buck’s father) from fourth SEE SMITH, PAGE 8

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4. Baseball team goes the distance Extra-inning games aren’t uncommon, but the Mount Si baseball team played two unusually lengthy contests during the 2016 season. With a chance to wrap up the KingCo regular-season title at Woodinville on April 29, the Wildcats were on the verge after taking a 4-2 lead in the 10th inning. But the Falcons refused to fold, rallied to tie the score and then won it, 5-4, in the bottom of the 13th. Amazingly, it wasn’t Mount Si’s longest game of the season. In a May 3 tiebreaker for playoff seeding, the Wildcats went 20 innings before losing to the Skyline Spartans, 6-3. It also wasn’t the end of the Wildcats’ story… 3. Waskom siblings sweep KingCo cross country titles Joe and Hannah Waskom knew the 2016 cross country season

SNOVALLEY STAR this is your time to shine. You’re the coach. You’re going to tell them what to do.’ And it was fun for me to be like, ‘Oh, I get to run the plays.’ Q: The Wildcats snapped a 17-game conference losing streak when they beat Issaquah in early December. How did it feel to get such a longawaited win? A: Even in eighth grade, we struggled against Issaquah. We didn’t win very much against them. We weren’t expected to win that game. To beat that team was one of the best feelings. Watching our seniors go through that and not get many wins last year – and then get to come out and win this year – was super fun. Q: After beating Issaquah, the team lost four straight to some good teams, including Bothell, Eastlake and Juanita. What do you

had a chance to turn into something special, and they were right. At October’s KingCo championship race at Lake Sammamish State Park, senior Hannah Waskom’s first-place time of 18 minutes, 28.22 seconds propelled the Mount Si girls to a second-place finish and a repeat berth in the state meet. Mere minutes later, sophomore Joe Waskom topped the boys’ field in 15:30.66, fending off a late challenge from Eastlake’s Nate Pendleton. The Waskoms went on to reach the state podium in November. Joe was third in the boys’ race (15:23.1) and Hannah was fourth among girls (18:17.1). 2. Golfers Lau, Warford advance to state It was a banner year on the golf course for the Mount Si boys, who went 6-1 in KingCo 4A matches to share first place with Eastlake and Newport. At October’s conference championship meet, freshman Drew Warford and senior Jordan Lau kept things rolling as they qualified for the state meet in May 2017.

have to do to compete against – and beat – teams at that level? A: Like coach Bob was saying, we just need to be really intense. We need to come out in the first five minutes and play our best. Our bench needs to get up. Like yesterday (against Juanita), second half, our bench was really loud and helped us get our effort and our intensity up. Q: Do you have any favorite athletes? A: Kelsey Plum of the Washington Huskies women’s basketball team. I try to attack like she does. She’s just really good at off-the-dribble stuff and I’ve been working on that a lot. Q: Do you have any favorite movies or music? A: I love watching old football movies. “Remember the Titans” is my favorite movie and I also like “Creed,” the new movie about Rocky Balboa.

Warford, the team’s No. 1 player for much of the season, shot a two-day total of even-par 144. Lau was six strokes back at 150. Senior Jake Brady (155) will be a state alternate. 1. Wildcats win KingCo baseball championship Despite heartbreaking losses to Woodinville and Skyline at the end of the regular season, Mount Si recaptured the mojo that led a 15-2 start. At the KingCo 4A tournament, the Wildcats won an elimination game against Newport, avenged the 20-inning loss to Skyline and dominated Woodinville, 9-2, to capture the tournament title and a state-playoff berth. In the program’s first 4A state trip after years of competing at the 3A level, Mount Si ended its season with a 1-0 loss to Gig Harbor. KingCo Player of the Year and all-state pitcher Jimmy Boyce was superb in defeat, striking out nine and scattering six hits in seven innings. It was an especially memorable season for the Wildcats, who finished 18-7 a year after struggling to a 3-17 mark.