Children’s soccer program returns to the Valley Page 16
Your locally-owned newspaper, serving North Bend and Snoqualmie, Washington
March 3, 2011 VOL. 3, NO. 9
Hand recount of school bond votes begins
Tale of two cities
Supporters use social media to raise money for recount
Snoqualmie mayor faces challenges, tensions. Page 6
By Dan Catchpole
Police blotter Page 7
Snow shots Residents send in photos they snapped of the snow. Page 9
Future of voting Innovator brings online voting to digital age. Page 10
When supporters of the $56 million bond measure to build a new school in the Snoqualmie Valley heard that it had failed by a single vote, one word came to the lips of many: recount. Only one vote needed to change from nay to yea for the bond to be approved. Within hours of the election’s final results being posted online Feb. 23, a Facebook page, SVSD
School Bond Recount, had been set up to raise the $2,650 needed to pay for a recount. Nine hours later, $2,700 had been raised. King County Elections has scheduled the hand recount for 9 a.m. March 3. The recount results will be certified the next day. Sean Sundwall, who set up the Facebook page, said he didn’t see any other option after he learned that the bond had failed. “With the election hanging on literally one vote, it was time to do
something,” he said. “If the margin had been 50 votes, 100 votes, it would be a different story.” Plenty of Valley voters agreed. Most of the contributions that came in were in small amounts — $10 or $20 — but they quickly added up. More than 125 people donated, Sundwall said. “It just blew up in a matter of hours,” he said. Like other supporters, Sundwall is worried that not passing the bond will have long-
A Washington State Department of Transportation snow blower clears a path on I-90’s westbound lanes near the summit of Snoqualmie Pass only minutes after an avalanche dumped 10 feet of snow across the road Feb. 28. WSDOT closed the highway at about 11:30 a.m. because of heavy snowfall since 6 a.m. that day.
By Dan Catchpole
Snoqualmie Ridge fueled changes Snoqualmie Ridge has fueled the population explosion in the Valley, and its picturesque streets have helped change the complexion of the city and the upper Valley. “Snoqualmie Ridge has undoubtedly attracted a population that’s much more like the new population coming to King County,” said Chandler Felt, a demographer with King County. That new population is more diverse in its ethnicity and place of birth. The county’s population growth has been
A late-season snowstorm hit the Snoqualmie Valley and Western Washington on Feb. 22, causing minor frustrations and few serious problems. The winter squall came with a blast of Arctic air, plunging temperatures into the teens. Road crews were ready for the weather and took to clearing streets as soon as the first flakes fluttered down. Snowfall varied across the Valley from a few inches to as much as a foot. “When we were in the teeth of the storm, we were rushing for 24 hours to keep up with it,” North Bend City Administrator Duncan Wilson said. “We pretty much had the plows running constantly.” While the plows kept the streets clear, they couldn’t keep ice from building up, especially on side streets. Road crews combat ice primarily with salt, which breaks it down. But with low temperatures falling to 12 degrees Fahrenheit overnight, salt becomes less effective at breaking down ice on the road, said Dan Marcinko, Snoqualmie’s public works director.
See CENSUS, Page 3
See SNOWSTORM, Page 3
By Washington State Department of Transportation
Census: Immigrants have changed the Snoqualmie Valley’s complexion Food drive for pets Leadership club heads up collection of animal chow. Page 14
Prsrt Std U.S. Postage PAID Kent, WA Permit No. 71 POSTAL CUSTOMER
It is no surprise that Snoqualmie has changed dramatically in the past 10 years. Snoqualmie Ridge has expanded at a rapid pace, with forests being replaced by wending streets lined with homes. But the once sleepy city isn’t the only part of the Valley that has seen dramatic change in the past decade. All of the Snoqualmie Valley has changed. Its complexion has darkened. While still predominantly white, the Valley has a growing minority population. An influx of foreign-born immigrants into King County has contributed to that growing
See RECOUNT, Page 8
Late-season Arctic blast hits Valley with snowstorm
Interstate 90 shutdown
By Dan Catchpole
term negative consequences for Snoqualmie Valley schools, specifically its middle schools. The Snoqualmie Valley School Board has already committed to turning Snoqualmie Middle School into a dedicated freshman satellite campus for Mount Si High School. “That leaves us with two middle schools that could not be more displaced from the centers of population” in the Valley, the Snoqualmie Ridge resident said. Twin Falls Middle School is
ON THE WEB
> > www.snovalleystar.com See the U.S. Census Bureau numbers for Snoqualmie Valley online.
population. The Valley’s immigrants face many challenges in adapting to their new communities. Language and cultural barriers make finding work and forming local ties to the nonimmigrant population difficult for some. The Valley’s communities and school district have adapted to meet the needs of the new residents. Services have been created or expanded to
help immigrants.
SnoValley Star
MARCH 3, 2011
Census From Page 1 driven more by immigration than births. “So, some of those migrants probably came to Snoqualmie,” Felt said. Snoqualmie’s foreign-born population is about 11 percent, according to data collected by the U.S. Census from 2005 to 2009. The Ridge’s population is also less white than the rest of Snoqualmie. About 82.9 percent of Ridge residents are white, compared to 86.3 percent in historic Snoqualmie. North Bend’s white population is 90.7 percent of the city. The changing demographics haven’t created any tensions for either city, but they did prompt an international incident for Snoqualmie Mayor Matt Larson. In 2005, Larson signed a decree in support of a local group of Falun Gong adherents. It was a backroom affair, one that he does for many local groups each year. But unlike most community groups in Snoqualmie, Falun Gong is banned by China. Since 1999, the Chinese government has persecuted its adherents. Shortly after signing the decree, Larson was visited by members of the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco. They demonized Falun Gong as a criminal organization and asked him to revoke his decree. “I politely explained to them that we have something here called the Constitution,” Larson said. Struggling for opportunities Coming to the Snoqualmie Valley was like “a dream” for Hiwot Wondemagegen. In 2003, she and her husband, Ashenafi, moved to the Valley from Ethiopia with their 5-month-old daughter. A family friend from Ethiopia who moved to Fall City sponsored them for immigration officials. At first, they lived with
him and his wife, who is American. Now, the couple lives in Snoqualmie with their daughter and 4-year-old son. They have struggled at times to feel at home in their new community, but have developed a network of friends made up of immigrants and nonimmigrants. Finding work can be hard for immigrants, especially for those who don’t speak English well. Ashenafi was able to find a job shortly after the couple arrived. Hiwot is a stay-at-home mother. Both had careers in Ethiopia. Ashenafi was an architect, and Hiwot was an accountant. Today, Ashenafi works as an attendant at a gas station and takes night classes in applied design at Lake Washington Technical College. Hiwot doesn’t regret giving up her career to come to the U.S. The couple didn’t come to find opportunities for themselves. They came so their children could have opportunities. “I want my kids to grow up in the land of opportunity,” she said. Moving here was an easy decision to make, but living here hasn’t always been easy for the couple. Like many immigrants, they have struggled with language and cultural barriers. “English is my second language, so I just try to say it slower” to avoid misunderstandings, Hiwot said. American culture has taken getting used to. Neighbors are more private in the Valley, compared to Ethiopia. “It’s not easy to know people the way you did in Ethiopia,” she said. But the couple has developed a strong social network, including some fellow Ethiopians. For the couple’s children, the Valley is the only home they have ever known. Education, English are important The Wondemagegens’ experience is typical for many of the immigrants that Gresia Bratton meets at Encompass, where she is a family support specialist. “We get people who come
here from everywhere,” but they share some common threads, she said. An immigrant’s educational background greatly affects his or her experience. Immigrants with more education and a better grasp of English have an easier time establishing themselves in the Valley. “Having a stable education background, that gives you something to work with,” Bratton said. Other immigrants with less education and a weaker grasp of English face far greater challenges in finding work and becoming part of their new communities. The “hardest part about living in the Valley is finding work,” Gabriela Escobar, a Snoqualmie housewife, said in Spanish. “I think people worry too much about whether you are here legally.” Escobar, who speaks only broken English, hasn’t found steady work since moving to the U.S. from Mexico six years ago. Her husband and relatives have also had difficulty finding work due to their limited English, she said. Not speaking English also limits their social interactions. “We interact almost totally with Latinos,” she said. “We don’t deal with immigrants from other parts of the world, and we don’t deal much with Americans.” Fitting in at school Snoqualmie Valley schools have had to adapt to meet the needs of the growing immigrant community, especially those who don’t speak English well. Karen Schotzko heads up the school district’s program to teach English to non-native speakers. Without a good grasp of English, students can quickly fall behind and become isolated. “It’s difficult to understand the content, and they have a hard time communicating with teachers,” Schotzko said. She works with 116 students spread throughout the district,
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PAGE 3 helping them learn what she calls “academic” English — the language of the classroom. “If their class is studying the weather next week, we go in and teach them the vocabulary they need — precipitation, cloud,” Schotzko said. “So, when the teacher teaches the weather system in class, you understand what’s being taught.” Like the rest of Snoqualmie Valley’s immigrant population, Schotzko’s students come from a wide array of backgrounds, speaking more than 25 native languages. “Certainly having a bilingual program is not an option,” she said. Still, the largest group is Spanish speakers, who make up a little less than half of her students. More than 5 percent of the Valley is Hispanic or Latino. Several students are Korean, but the rest are a mix including Chinese, Finnish, Indian and French. Dan Catchpole: 392-6434, ext. 246, or editor@snovalleystar.com. Comment at www.snovalleystar.com. Reporter Sebastian Moraga contributed to this story.
Break-ins spike on Snoqualmie Ridge for unlocked vehicles Snoqualmie police officers have recently responded to and investigated 14 vehicle breakins on Snoqualmie Ridge. In each instance, the car had been left unlocked with personal property sitting in plain view. Police recommend some easy and inexpensive ways to reduce the risk of a break-in: ❑ Remove all valuables from your vehicle, including garage
Snowstorm From Page 1 To provide more traction on the road for drivers, work crews also spread sand. “Sand doesn’t care what temperature it is,” Marcinko said. But the bad conditions prompted Allied Waste to cancel garbage and recycling collection for two days for North Bend and one day for Snoqualmie. King County Metro riders had to endure delays on Route 209, which serves North Bend. Route 215, serving Snoqualmie and North Bend, was on its snow route, which doesn’t serve Fairway Avenue Southeast, Southeast Ridge Street, Douglas Avenue Southeast and Meadowbrook Way Southeast. A La Niña winter has meant a wetter and colder winter for the Pacific Northwest. Despite several snowstorms, Snoqualmie and North Bend have not exceeded their snow removal budgets. door openers and GPS units. ❑ Lock the ignition and doors, and roll up all windows. ❑ Park in a garage, well-lit area or in locations frequently used by pedestrians. ❑ Use a car alarm. Police ask residents to be mindful of suspicious activity in their neighborhoods and to report it by calling 911. Organize a block watch by contacting Officer Nigel Draveling at ndraveling@ci.snoqualmie.wa. us or 888-3333.
Your locally owned newspaper, serving North Bend and Snoqualmie, Washington
Mount Si picks up first win of the season. Page 16 www.snovalleystar.com
DECEMBER 16, 2010 VOL. 32, NO. 49
Record rainfall floods the Valley
Programs take shape at planned community center. Page 2
Officials report little damage
Cold case file
By Dan Catchpole
Fun at the YMCA
TV show to take another look at unsolved murder. Page 5
Police blotter Page 9
Record breaker Valley teen sets new mark for bench press. Page 12
Money matters School district pushes for $56.2 million bond. Page 14
A record amount of rain fell in the Puget Sound area Dec. 12, swelling the Snoqualmie River to flood stage. But while the river ran high, little damage has been reported, according to city and county officials. The rain came in on a Pineapple Express, a weather phenomenon that brings precipitation and warmer temperatures from the Pacific to the Northwest. King County issued a flood stage 3 alert for the Snoqualmie River on Dec. 12. The highest alert level is 4. See FLOODING, Page 6
By Dan Catchpole
The Snoqualmie River overruns its banks, closing Snoqualmie’s Sandy Cove Park. The park was damaged in the 2009 floods.
North Bend City Council passes austere budget By Dan Catchpole Squeezed by the bad economy, the North Bend City Council has passed an austere budget that cuts services and delays capital projects rather than raise taxes. The council passed the budget with a 5-2 vote after contentious discussion at its Dec. 7 meeting.
INSIDE ❑ Snoqualmie City Council raises utility rates to pay debt... Page 3 The budget’s supporters said it was the best option during hard economic times, which have sapped the city’s revenues. Opponents said the budget’s priorities were out of order and
will put off dealing with pressing problems. The budget’s $5.8 million general fund still includes a $100,000 shortfall for paying personnel, which the city must close. It could do that with layoffs, furloughs or concessions from union employees. Mayor Ken Hearing’s administration is in the process of determining
which option to use. “No matter where it comes from, somebody is going to get hurt,” City Administrator Duncan Wilson said. The budget cut money for things such as human service programs, parks, downtown revitalization programs and street See BUDGET, Page 3
King County deputies vote for wage concession
All lined up Students collect supplies for Adopt-a-Class campaign. Page 15
By Dan Catchpole Prsrt Std U.S. Postage PAID Kent, WA Permit No. 71 POSTAL CUSTOMER By Dan Catchpole
King County Sheriff's deputy Sergeant Mark Toner (right) chats with a North Bend resident while patrolling the city.
Sheriff’s deputies in King County have voted to reduce their upcoming wage increase in 2011 in order to avoid layoffs. The concession leaves deputies’ pay comparable to other Eastside police departments, and their negotiated pay rates will likely pull ahead of most departments in 2012, according to an analysis by the SnoValley Star.
Despite the concession, concern about the deputies’ rising wages remains part of the reason the North Bend City Council is considering ending its contract for police services with the King County Sheriff’s Office and instead partnering with Snoqualmie. Deputies voted Dec. 8 for a proposal to reduce their raise in 2011 from 5 percent to 3 percent, which will save the county See DEPUTIES, Page 8
SnoValley Star
PAGE 8
Deputies
By the numbers
From Page 1
Negotiated pay rates for Eastside commissioned police officers in 2011
$1.3 million. Under the proposal, deputies would receive their full 5 percent raise in 2012, and the contract would be extended to 2013, when they would get a 2 percent raise and keep their existing medical benefits. King County Executive Dow Constantine must now decide whether or not to send the proposal to the County Council. Constantine has asked the King County Police Officers’ Guild, which represents the deputies, to discuss the proposal, according to his spokesman, Frank Abe. In a statement, Constantine said his office has tried to work with unions representing county employees to get wage concessions “so that we could preserve services in their respective work groups – within the means available and in a way that is financially sustainable.” But it isn’t clear that the deputies’ proposal with its extension will actually save the county much money in the long run, according to Jeff McMorris, chief-of-staff for County Councilwoman Kathy Lambert, who represents Snoqualmie Valley. If the proposal is sent to the council, it would probably be considered in January, McMorris said. When the contract was originally negotiated, its defenders said it brought deputies’ wages up to the middle of the field. Critics said the contract had become too expensive, given current economic reality. The proposed concession will mean some savings for North Bend, but City Administrator Duncan Wilson said he expects it to be less than $10,000. The proposal does not do enough in 2012 and 2013 to reduce the city administration’s concerns about the rising cost of its contract for police services. “We still have not reached a point where it’s sustainable,” Wilson said. The guild did not reply to requests for comment. Comparing costs By the time the contract expires, the lowest pay rate for deputies will have gone from about $47,200 to $60,273. In 2010, the lowest rate is $54,671. The highest rate for patrol officers will similarly have climbed from about $66,450 to just under $84,400. In 2010, it is
Voters to decide on bond for new fire station Voters in North Bend and Fire District 38 will decide whether or not to pay for a new fire station in February. North Bend’s City Council and
King County Sheriff's Office Bellevue Bothell Carnation-Duvall Clyde Hill Hunts Point* Issaquah Kirkland Medina Mercer Island Redmond Renton** Snoqualmie Yarrow Point***
Lowest $54,671 $55,240 $57,564 $53,437 $53,412 $59,947 $58,260 $57,984 $59,947 $56,472 $63,324 $54,216 $52,584 $53,412
DECEMBER 16, 2010
Highest $76,551 $76,530 $74,676 $66,432 $67,740 $74,061 $71,856 $75,612 $74,061 $75,483 $73,368 $72,552 $70,284 $67,740
* Hunt's Point contracts for police services from Medina ** Renton is currently negotiating a contract for 2010. The 2009 rates are used. *** Yarrow Point contracts for police services from Clyde Hill
WEB EXTRA
> > www.snovalleystar.com Compare pay rates for Eastside police departments.
Contract cities Twelve cities in King County contract with the King County Sheriff's Office for police services.
$76,551. These wages are not that far from the median pay rates for Eastside police departments in 2008-2010. Higher-ranking officers, such as sergeants and lieutenants, are paid more. Given the difference in command structures and responsibilities between departments, it is difficult to compare pay for those officers. Most of the Eastside police departments are in the process of negotiating new labor contracts. Three cities have contracts with their police officers unions through 2011; no city has a contract for 2012. Contracts negotiated in the midst of an economic recession tend to use deferred compensation rather than wage increases, according to Ken Smith, a labor specialist and professor at the University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Administration. Comparing pay rates offers a limited view, because salary is only one part of an employee’s overall compensation, Smith said. Nonetheless, Snoqualmie’s preliminary cost estimate of a joint police force was about $250,000 less than North Bend’s current contract with King County, according to North Bend officials. This year, the lowest negotiated rate for Snoqualmie police officers is $52,584 and the highest rate is $70,284. “We’re certainly going to look at what Snoqualmie has to
More than money Money isn’t all that matters, though. Benefits, opportunities for advancement, personal ful-
the district’s board of directors both approved sending to voters a $5 million bond measure. After years of negotiations, North Bend and Fire District 38 reached an agreement in July for a new station.
If the bond is approved by voters, it would pay for a new station southeast of downtown North Bend, replacing the existing nearly 70-year-old station. The bond issue will be on the ballot for the Feb. 8 election.
Beaux Arts Burien Covington Kenmore Maple Valley Newcastle North Bend Sammamish SeaTac Shoreline Skykomish Woodinville Other contracts: King County International Airport MetroTransit Muckleshoot Indian Tribe
offer,” North Bend Councilman Chris Garcia said. Some city officials have expressed frustration with their lack of influence on the deputies’ contract negotiations, which are handled by the county and the deputies’ union. “It’s a big part of it,” North Bend Councilwoman Jeanne Pettersen said. “Personnel costs are one of the highest costs in your budget.” Currently, the city is considering layoffs or furloughs to close a $100,000 budget shortfall.
By Mary Miller
Tree touchup A North Bend Public Works employee decorates the city’s holiday tree downtown. The city held several tree-lighting celebrations this year, for which it shut down one block of North Bend Way.
fillment and other factors all influence a person’s decision to take a job. “Salary is not the most important factor for most employees,” Smith said. Police Chief Mark Toner agreed. “If money were the big issue, I’d go be a doctor,” he said. He took a pay cut when he left his career as a machinist to join the sheriff’s office. Like the rest of North Bend’s police force, Toner is a sheriff’s deputy. His assignment is acting chief of police for the former logging town. When he applied, Toner also applied to work for a smaller department, which offered better pay, but he was attracted to the diverse assignments available with the sheriff’s office. The sheriff’s office also offers more opportunity for advancement than smaller departments. In his more than 25 years as a deputy, Toner has worked in rural assignments (including North Bend), urban settings, as a SWAT member and in the department’s Major Crimes Unit. “Show me another job where you can have such a huge impact just by being there,” Toner said.
Ownership of the new station would be evenly split, but the district would pay for 57 percent of construction costs. North Bend owns the land that the new station would be built on, and the district would reimburse
Hard pill to swallow Eliminating the increase would encourage North Bend to stay with the sheriff’s office for police services, city officials said. As it is, the contract’s rising costs are a “hard pill to swallow,” North Bend Mayor Ken Hearing said at a county budget hearing in October. “We need to take a hard look at police services.” The city told the county later that month it is considering other options and might want to end the contract, an 18month process. The county came back by lowering the cost of the proposed 2011 contract by nearly $200,000. The savings will come from different service levels and the county picking up part of the North Bend police chief’s salary. “It’s a step in the right direction,” Garcia said. The contract’s cost will still continue to rise in 2012, because of wage increases and North Bend’s annexation of the Tanner area, which means more ground to patrol. Dan Catchpole: 392-6434, ext. 246, or editor@snovalleystar.com. Comment at www.snovalleystar.com.
the city for the cost of the land. Both the city and the district belong to Eastside Fire & Rescue. A King County Medic One aid car is also located at the current fire station and would be at the future site.
SnoValley Star
APRIL 1, 2010
By t he number s
Downtown facelift
Photo by Dan Catchpole
City officials and merchants hope a $3.6 million facelift will breathe new life into Snoqualmie’s historic downtown
1) King Street lot: City officials want to sell the lot at the corner of King Street and Railroad Avenue for redevelopment as a two- or three-story, mixed-use building with retail space.
“Our streetscape is so tired, it doesn’t attract people.”
❑ Mount Si: It is one of the state’s most popular hikes, and draws more than 500,000 visitors each year, according to the state’s Department of Natural Resources. Snoqualmie could face more competition from North Bend for these visitors in future years.
❑ Northwest Railway Museum: Located in the center of historic downtown, the museum has more than 88,000 visitors each year. Several events, such as Thomas the Tank, attract big crowds to downtown. City officials expect the museum’s popularity to grow in coming years as it builds its new exhibition building and adds new features.
2) Planning office: The building, which is an historic landmark, will serve as the project contractors’ headquarters during construction and eventually be sold.
N
Lant er ns t o lam ps Project designers tapped into the city’s railroad heritage for inspiration in the design for new streetlamps. The lamps’ design draw on railroad lanterns, which once were ubiquitious to the industry. The new lamps look very similar to ones currently outside Snoqualmie’s Northwest Railway Museum (pictured left).
Several new touches are meant to integrate the look and feel of downtown Snoqualmie.
❑ Reconfiguring parking on Falls Avenue Southeast ❑ New street lamps ❑ Reconstructing sidewalks on Railroad Avenue Southeast ❑ Removing utility poles and undergrounding of utilities ❑ Replacing sewer lines and storm water pipes
❑ Identity columns (tentative) ❑ Sidewalks paved to resemble railroad depot planking ❑ Street trees (Autumn Spire Maple and Japanese Stewartia) ❑ Decorative tree grates ❑ Landscape planters ❑ Pedestrian seating ❑ Custom street name signs
Identity columns
Snoqualmie River
— Wendy Thomas Business owner Carmichael’s Hardware
The project includes major infrastructure improvements to downtown Snoqualmie:
3) Former city hall: The two-story building which was the city hall before the new one opened will be leased out for mixed use, including retail.
Falls Avenue
reet
See FACELIFT, Page 6
City pr oper ties
❑ Snoqualmie Falls: Each year the falls draw nearly two million visitors, but the only place for visitors to eat is the upscale Salish Lodge & Spa. Snoqualmie is hop-
ing to entice some of those visitors to take a short car ride down the road to its historic downtown.
River St
Walking along Railroad Avenue in Snoqualmie’s historic downtown, it is hard to not notice the web of cracks in the asphalt or the narrow sidewalk, which quickly becomes clogged when a woman with a stroller goes into a café. On the street, most cars zip past without giving the tired stores a second glance. “Our streetscape is so tired, it doesn’t attract people,” Wendy Thomas said. She owns Carmichael’s Hardware on the next street over, Falls Avenue. Snoqualmie city officials have set their sights on using the city’s natural attractions and small-town, rustic charm to turn it into a tourist destination. Right now, city officials acknowledge, the downtown is more rustic than charming. To make downtown more attractive, the city began giving the area a facelift, starting with a $3.6 million revitalization project. It is the first — and most visible — phase in the city’s rough plan. “The area has a worn, tired look,” Snoqualmie Mayor Matt Larson said. The current phase, expected to be finished in October, will create an integrated, pedestrian-friendly downtown center and replace old infrastructure, such as sewer lines. It will clean up what Larson calls the area’s “visual pollution” by removing utility poles and the electric, cable and phone lines running between them. The end product will be another key part of Snoqualmie’s development as a live/work/play community, he said. “It’s not just about tourists. It’s a quality-of-life issue for the whole town,” Larson said.
An investment in the future A refurbished downtown will even bring nonretail businesses to the city, such as to the Snoqualmie Ridge Business Park, city officials said. While city officials are hopeful of attracting new businesses, existing ones downtown are worried they might not be around to see the work’s end result. The construction comes during peak season for several of them, and they’re worried it will keep customers away. Many of the businesses are already suffering from the economy’s slow recovery from the recession. “It’s going to be tough to get through, especially with the timing,” said Jody Sands, the owner of Isadora’s. But, she said, it will be better for downtown merchants in the end. “It’s going to put Snoqualmie on the map,” she said. However, there could be growing pains for some merchants, she said. “Snoqualmie tends to have an attitude of ‘take us as we are or leave us.’ That’s got to change,” she said. Businesses will have to match the city’s investment with their own. “They’re investing with the expectation that we’re going to invest,” said Richard Anderson, executive director of the Northwest Railway Museum. The museum, which draws more than 88,000 visitors each year, is a key piece of the city’s strategy of attracting visitors to downtown. The work is critical for the museum’s future, Anderson said. “We can’t have a successful museum in an unsuccessful community,” he said. The museum’s already making an investment in down-
Snoqualmie city officials are hoping to tap into Snoqualmie Valley’s many attractions, especially its three largest. Themes from the largest attractions were used as design motifs in the project.
PAGE 9
N e w t ouc hes
reet
-By Dan Catchpole
Themes
❑ 150: Total working days the project is expected to take to complete. ❑ $3.6 million: Total project cost ❑ $2.2 million: Construction cost ❑ 10: Expected construction workers on project at any one time ❑ 2,570: Linear feet of new pipes ❑ 11,000: Linear feet of underground utility conduits ❑ 40: Lampposts being put in ❑ 30-40: Trees being planted along streets
The city’s revitalization project includes plans for three downtown properties it owns.
SnoValley Star
APRIL 1, 2010
King St
PAGE 8
The city is considering adding “identity columns” as visible markers of downtown, placed at intersections on the edge of the downtown core. The columns would be inspired by Mount Si and Snoqualmie Falls. In one design, one face of the stone is polished smooth to resemble flowing water. The picture below is an example of identity columns.
Railroad Avenue Illustration by Dan Catchpole
A r iv er r uns t hr ough it
Walking in t he pas t Downtown Snoqualmie’s sidewalks are being repaved to resemble the wooden platform of the city’s railroad depot. (Sidewalks being repaved are in beige above.) Photo contributed
Stretches of meandering of blue grating flow down one block of South King Street and South River Street. The design feature is in homage of the Valley’s
most defining feature — the Snoqualmie River. Photo contributed
Your news comments welcome!
Wher e t o par k Work crews will be tearing up downtown Snoqualmie’s streets, but plenty of parking will be available. All of Falls Avenue between South River Street and South King Street will be unavailable for parking. Available parking areas are marked in red below.
SnoValley Star
APRIL 1, 2010
Roll
Call
Y = Yes, N = No, E = Excused, X = Not Voting Senate Bill 5899, which passed the Senate 44-0, provides a credit against the state's business and occupation tax for businesses with 20 or fewer employees that create a new position for which a health care plan is offered. It’s before the House. 5th Sen. Cheryl Pflug, (R-Maple Valley) — Y Senate Bill 6444, which passed the Senate 25-19, would make modifications to the state’s operating budget. The Senate’s supplemental budget proposal attempts to close a $2.8 billion budget gap by reducing spending by approximately $829 million. It also incorporates the use of about $582 million of approved or anticipated additional federal relief to the state and transfers $501 million from other funds to the state general fund. In addition, the bill assumes collections in new revenues of $918 million from increased taxes. It’s before the House. 5th Sen. Cheryl Pflug, (R-Maple Valley) — N Senate Bill 6503 passed the Senate 30-11 directing state agencies to achieve a reduction in employee compensation costs through mandatory and voluntary furloughs, leave without pay, reduced work hours, voluntary retirements and separations, and layoffs. It has been passed to the House. 5th Sen. Cheryl Pflug, (R-Maple Valley) — N House Bill 2561, which passed the House 54-39, would authorize the state to issue $861 million in general obligation bonds. The bonds
would be used to invest in capital improvement projects on public schools, state colleges and universities, and other public facilities with the purpose of stimulating job creation. It’s before the Senate. 5th Rep. Glenn Anderson, (R-Fall City) — N 5th Rep. Jay Rodne, (R-North Bend) — N House Bill 2416, which passed the House 59-35, would establish a minimum efficiency standard for certain consumer products, such as, televisions, compact audio products, certain external power supplies, and DVD players and recorders. It’s before the Senate. 5th Rep. Glenn Anderson, (R-Fall City) — Y 5th Rep. Jay Rodne, (R-North Bend) — Y Senate Bill 6143, which passed the Senate 25-18, would impose an additional .02 percent state sales tax and use tax. The bill, which is estimated to raise as much as $800 million in revenue through increased taxes, also includes several measures that would eliminate Business and Occupation tax exemptions for several business sectors, as well as a sales tax exemption for out of state businesses. It was amended by the House 53-42, removing the sales and use tax increase proposed by the Senate. Instead, the House tax package, estimated at nearly $800 million, relies on new B&O tax increases, as well as eliminating B&O exemptions and sales tax exemptions. It’s being negotiated by Senate and House leaders. 5th Sen. Cheryl Pflug, (R-Maple Valley) — N Senate Bill 6143, ESSB 6143 – Raising taxes and eliminating business tax exemptions 5th Rep. Glenn Anderson, (R-Fall City) — N 5th Rep. Jay Rodne, (R-North Bend) — N SOURCE: WashingtonVotes.org, a free, nonpartisan Web site to find plainEnglish explanations of bills and a record of each legislator’s votes.
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Facelift From Page 8 town. It partnered with the city to construct new public restrooms on its site. Even before the work began, times have been hard on downtown businesses. “Right now, we have some vacancies in the downtown area, whereas two years ago, we didn’t,” the city’s economic advisor Bob Cole said. While downtown business owners readily see the importance of private investment, getting loans isn’t easy for most small retail businesses now. “Cash flow is always an issue for small businesses,” Cole said. Commercial loans are not readily available for small retail businesses, so he is working with a local bank to set aside $500,000 for façade improvement loans. The city is pushing to have low interest on the first $10,000 of a loan with normal rates applying to the rest. Plan is to expand, enhance City officials hope that the project will help expand, as well as enhance, the existing downtown commercial area. The current area is largely limited to one side of one block on Railroad Avenue. The current project is intended to encourage the commercial area’s expansion by better integrating Falls Avenue, King Street and River Street, which will, city officials said, spur infill on partially empty lots between Railroad Avenue and Falls Avenue. Snoqualmie city officials also want to encourage more anchor stores to downtown to attract more shoppers, which currently only has one — Carmichael’s Hardware, Cole said. City officials hope to sell or lease city-owned properties in the area in the next couple years — and in doing so, increase city
Councilwoman proposes labor changes to save county cash County Councilwoman Kathy Lambert has proposed policies to reduce labor costs — the largest expense category in the budget for cash-strapped King County. The proposal includes elements to reduce labor costs during a recession. Lambert — who represents Issaquah, Sammamish and large swaths of unincorporated King County — proposed legislation to add requirements to the county labor bargaining authority. Her proposal lowers the minimum to zero, but keeps 6 percent as the maximum. The existing policy requires a 2 percent minimum cost-of-liv-
Photo by Dan Catchpole
Snoqualmie’s downtown currently has plenty of people pass by, but has been seen increasing vacancies in recent years as merchants struggle in a tough economy. City officials hope a $3.6 million revitalization project will ensure the area’s future vibrancy.
revenue. “The main point is to get this property back out on the tax rolls and let businesses occupy them,” Snoqualmie Planning Director Nancy Tucker said. The biggest piece is the empty lot at the corner of King Street and Railroad Avenue. City officials want to sell it for redevelopment as a two- or three-story, mixed-use building with retail space on the ground floor. The city might try to swap the property with land located north of Sahara Pizza, to extend Falls Avenue in the future, according to the latest draft of the city’s Downtown Master Plan. The city will lease out a twostory building that served as City Hall before the new one opened. Also, the city owns the brick building at the corner of River Street and Falls Avenue. The building, which has served as a bank, City Hall and planning office, will serve as the project contractors’ headquarters during construction, and will eventually be sold, Tucker said.
Since the building is registered with King County as a historic structure, it cannot be torn down unless it has no viable use.
ing adjustment, regardless of whether the Consumer Price Index rises by the same amount. Lambert also proposed to include a re-opener clause if projections forecast county revenues to remain flat or decline in the next calendar year. The proposal also outlines strategies to cut dollars in a recession, like increased employee contributions for health-care benefits, reduced wages and salaries, and unpaid furloughs. “Currently, our labor contracts are for terms up to six years, which results in county employees receiving raises during economic recessions, when most citizens are forced to cut back,” Lambert said in a news release. “With more than 80 percent of King County’s labor
force represented by unions, it is important to build flexibility and responsiveness into our labor contracts.”
‘Don’t redo us’ With shovels in the ground, downtown merchants must now simply wait to see how they fare during construction. “We want to make sure they don’t redo us when they redo the streets,” Thomas said. If they survive, several business owners said, they are sure the end result will be for the better. As the economy continues its sluggish recovery, city officials don’t expect to see changes overnight, but they are hoping for the best. “There are always pockets that are exceptions. And I think we have the potential to be an exception,” Cole said. Dan Catchpole: 392-6434, ext. 246, or editor@snovalleystar.com. Comment at www.snovalleystar.com.
Remove studded tires by April 1 — or face fine State Department of Transportation officials remind drivers to remove studded tires by April 1. Otherwise, the Washington State Patrol will enforce a $124 against motorists caught with the winter gear after the deadline. State law allows studded tires between Nov. 1 and March 31. Extended weather forecasts call for typical late March and early April conditions, with snow possible at higher elevations.
Your locally-owned newspaper, serving North Bend and Snoqualmie, Washington
January 13, 2011 VOL. 3, NO. 2
Homes on the way Michigan builder buys Snoqualmie Ridge lots. Page 6
Mount Si upsets ninth-ranked Sammamish 53-46 Page 12
Officials say a new middle school a must for district By Sebastian Moraga
Police blotter Page 6
Does Dickens know? Singer reworks classic tale into ‘7 Deadly Sins’ Page 8
If the $56.2-million school bond passes Feb. 8, a new middle school will be built, although calling it new won’t tell the whole story. It would be a new building, complete with that fresh-paint smell, but much of it would have a familiar look. First, the building would retain the name, colors and mascot of the one it would replace:
Snoqualmie Middle School, home of the Eagles. Second, the new middle school would be on property the school district purchased years ago, under the administration of former Valley schools superintendent Rich McCullough. Third, the building would be very similar in design and construction to what today is newest school in the Valley, Twin Falls Middle School. This measure, current super-
intendent Joel Aune said, saved the district $400,000, which would otherwise have gone to designing a new building from scratch. With the vote three weeks away, members past and present of the Snoqualmie Valley School District insist that what hangs in the balance is not just the whim of a few but the future of many. “People will realize we defi-
Your money: 2011 School Bond
Part 2
The Snoqualmie Valley School District is once again asking voters for money to help solve crowding. In this part, district leaders explain the desperate need for a new middle school.
See BOND, Page 6
‘Ridiculous’ theft leaves school staff, students perplexed
Growing awareness Valley entrepreneur touts power of calenula flowers. Page 8
By Sebastian Moraga
Wildcat Idol Students perform their best in talent competition. Page 10
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By Dan Catchpole
Hilary Shemanski makes a drink for a customer at Koko Beans in Snoqualmie. Despite the tough times other food service businesses have endured in Snoqualmie, Shemanski is confident she can succeed.
Small businesses feeling squeezed By Dan Catchpole Lunchtime at Isadora’s Café in Snoqualmie was busier than usual the week after Christmas. Regulars pulled up chairs on the restaurant’s well-worn wood floors to get a last meal before Isadora’s closed with the new year. For the owners, Jody and Michael Sands, the decision to
close the doors after two years was a long time coming. “It was heartbreaking, absolutely heartbreaking,” Jody Sands said. She had learned a lot about the restaurant business while waiting tables at the café in the mid-‘90s. Owning Isadora’s had been a dream come true for the Snoqualmie native. Like several other indepen-
dent owners of food service businesses in the Valley, Sands endured the economic recession in 2008 and 2009, but couldn’t overcome the lagging recovery in 2010. Squeezed by anemic revenue, rising costs and no available credit, these merchants either closed or sold their businesses. See SQUEEZED, Page 3
Snoqualmie police have arrested an 18-year-old male and a 19-year-old male in connection with the Jan. 6 break-in at Mount Si High School. A press release from the city of Snoqualmie stated that police recognized one of the two teenagers in a surveillance tape from the break-in. Officers then obtained a search warrant for the suspect’s Snoqualmie home and gave the suspect a call. The suspect then agreed to turn himself in to police. At the suspect’s home police located an Xbox that officers said had been stolen from the school. The day of the theft, Mount Si High School principal Randy Taylor said the Xbox and a TV set had been reported missing the day before. The second man arrested is from Auburn, the release said. The two men will be booked into the King County Jail and See THEFT, Page 2
SnoValley Star
JANUARY 13, 2011
Idaho car accident kills North Bend woman
Squeezed
A North Bend woman was killed in a single-car accident Jan. 2 in Idaho. The woman, Gina Wiley, died from injuries sustained when the car she was riding in rolled over on Interstate 15 near Spencer, Idaho, at about 10:45 p.m., according to an Idaho State Police news release. The car, a 1996 Pontiac Grand Am, was headed south on the highway, which was covered by snow and ice. The car went off the right side of the road, hit a post and flipped over, according to the release. While the driver had a seatbelt on, none of the three passengers did. The 23-year-old Wiley died before emergency responders could reach the accident. The driver and passengers were taken to Madison Memorial Hospital in Rexburg, Idaho, with non life-threatening injuries.
From Page 1
North Bend man injured in crash on Interstate 90 A North Bend man was taken to Harborview Medical Center after a crash on Interstate 90 six miles west of Cle Elum on Wednesday afternoon, the Washington State Patrol reported. Joseph Magnuson, 21, was being treated for cuts to the head and neck, and back pain, according to a patrol news release. The other driver, Roy K. Walker, of Washougal, Wash., was not hurt, troopers said. Magnuson, driving a Toyota pickup, and Walker, driving a Kenworth tractor and trailer, were both headed west about 2:30 p.m. Magnuson lost control and went sideways, then was hit by the semi, troopers said. Magnuson was going too fast for conditions, although any charges were pending, according to the news release. A mix of snow and rain was reported throughout the day. Intoxicants were not suspected. Both drivers had their seat belts on.
Clarification The Jan. 6 issue of the Star mentioned Anna Sotelo. She is the current owner of Ana’s Mexican Restaurant.
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Fewer customers Even though the Great Recession technically ended in 2009, the economy has continued to limp along. The recovery so far has been fueled by increased productivity from existing workers, rather than new hires. “Job growth has been slower than molasses,” said Arun Raha, Washington State’s chief economist. For many businesses, that means their customer base hasn’t been growing. In addition, people are still saving more and spending less, especially on nonessential goods and services. That has not been good news for the Snoqualmie Valley’s businesses, most of which offer non-essential goods and services, especially food. Snoqualmie has 37 businesses which sell food, according to Bob Cole, an economic consultant for the city. “From the beginning, I could see we were going to have a problem,” Sands said. When she took over Isadora’s in December 2008, Sands changed the menu — keeping the mainstays, while adding dishes to cater to a wider crowd. Over the next couple years, she worked to increase traffic with more live music, an open mike night and small stage theater. She had enough people coming in through the door to keep the lights on from day to day, but not enough to provide any security for the future.
Several owners of retail and food businesses in downtown Snoqualmie said that customer traffic was down this summer, the peak season for many stores, during work on the city’s downtown revitalization project. The work included tearing up one side of the commercial area’s main street. “Between the economy and all the construction they did last year, we put so much money into it, we just couldn’t keep it going,” said Kathy Twede, who recently sold the Choo Choo Café at the Snoqualmie Falls Candy Factory. Her husband, Kyle Twede, owns Twede’s Café in North Bend. Both Twede and Sands said that the downtown work will benefit the city in the future. The city’s primary role in boosting the local economy is providing and maintaining infrastructure to support businesses, Cole said. “I love this town, this community, and I’m really excited to see it blossom. Unfortunately, we’re going out at the beginning of this,” Sands said. Fewer resources Independent restaurants are having difficulty getting credit to get through the lean times. Twede couldn’t even get overdraft protection for her restaurant. It had been easy to get 10 years before when her husband opened Twede’s Café. “Nobody’s willing to shell out money like they used to,” she said. To maintain a positive cash flow, Twede cut back her employees — from six to two — and increased her own hours. To get credit, businesses have
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PAGE 3 to show that they can make a profit and pay off their debt. For small businesses struggling to stay open in a small market, it becomes a Catch-22: They need credit to keep afloat and eventually turn a profit, but they have to show they are profitable to get credit. “They don’t have the business plans that a banker would be interested in,” Raha said. Typically, smaller restaurants lack resources and expertise available to larger businesses, said Arnold Shain, founder of the Restaurant Group, Inc., a consulting firm. “Smaller restaurants are more on the line of being chef driven, and while that is appealing to many people, it is somewhat one-dimensional in operational knowledge required.” Restaurants must succeed in many areas: cuisine, branding, service and management, atmosphere, and systems and control. “If one or more of these legs is longer, shorter than the other than the chair either leans or falls over,” Shain said. But the state has been seeing some positive signs for restaurants across the state, Raha said. “After two years of eating at home, they’re getting sick of it.” Hope for the future despite obstacles Some business owners see a brightening horizon. A few doors down from Isadora’s, Hilary Shemanski just bought Koko Beans, a struggling coffeehouse, in December. “I feel fortunate, actually,” she said. “It feels like I got in at the right time.” One benefit to her location is its low overhead. Koko Beans is a coffeehouse in a comfortable shoebox with room for a hand-
ful of tables. “As cute as it is, it’s obviously not working because I’m the fourth owner in three years,” said Shemanski, who has lived in the area since 1998. She thinks she has the missing ingredient: high-end beer, which she plans to add by midApril. It will still be a coffeehouse, though. Shemanski hopes that will help her capture more of the tourist market while maintaining the store’s local regulars. But even after the economy recovers and business picks up, Shemanski has discovered a longterm obstacle that business owners must put up with: permits. “Going through the permit process, it almost fizzles out your creativity. You come in with all these ideas, and then you find out there’s a form for everything,” she said. Currently, she is trying to get a license to serve beer and looking into getting a license to serve prepared foods, such as sandwiches. But the costs of permits can add up for small businesses. So can other small costs, like customers using debit or credit cards rather than cash, she said. Each time a customer uses a debit card she has to pay 25 cents. Credit cards with rewards programs are worse; they can cost her up to 7 percent of the total purchase, she said. Despite the obstacles, Shemanski is confident she’ll succeed. “If you do it right, you can make it,” she said. Dan Catchpole: 392-6434, ext. 246, or editor@snovalleystar.com. Comment at www.snovalleystar.com.
Your locally-owned newspaper, serving North Bend and Snoqualmie
Historic ending for Wildcats boys soccer Page 10
May 27, 2010 VOL. 3, NO. 21
Water-logged learning Students from Snoqualmie Elementary School learn about wetlands. Page 12.
Memorial Day events Suggestions for honoring falen service members. Page 4.
Photo by Dan Catchpole
Doug Madden strokes the forehead of his fiancee’s horse Hunter, who was badly burned when their barn burned down May 1, likely due to an electrical problem. Two horses died in the fire. Hunter is recovering well, and Madden hopes to be able to ride him in two months.
A time for healing Valley resident raises money for cancer research through mountain climbing. Page 8.
Barn fire leaves physical and emotional scars on humans and horses
City park for Tanner Annex
By Dan Catchpole
Climbing over cancer
North Bend’s Tanner Annex could get its first city-run park. Page 2.
Doug Madden and Kelly Bolen love horses.
Horses have been a part of nearly every major moment in their lives, including when the two, who are engaged, met last year. They’ve been able to turn that love into a part-time business, Equine Escapes, which helps people connect with nature on horseback. Over the years, Bolen and Madden have come to think of their horses more like 1,000-pound family members than animals. So, it was sheer terror that overtook Bolen
SnoValley Star reporter wins journalism award Prsrt Std U.S. Postage PAID Kent, WA Permit No. 71 POSTAL CUSTOMER
By Warren Kagarise Every year, the regional Society of Professional Journalists chapter invites award-winning journalists to its annual Excellence in Journalism Awards dinner. SnoValley Star reporter Laura Geggel picked up a second-place award for education reporting
for nondaily papers at the dinner May 22. The winning piece detailed how students at Two Rivers School use boomerangs to learn math and science. The Star competed against publications in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington. See AWARD, Page 2
when she woke up in the early morning May 1. The bedroom she and Madden share was bathed in glowing, reddish-orange light. Sitting up, she looked outside to see their horse barn engulfed in flames. Inside were six of their 10 horses. Bolen screamed “Fire!” waking Madden up. Both rushed to do what they could. Racing to the barn, Madden saw its cen-
Quake shakes Valley Some Snoqualmie Valley residents woke up to a 3.4 magnitude earthquake at 5:21 a.m. May 25. The earthquake’s epicenter was near Carnation and almost four miles deep, according to the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network. While the earthquake was small, it was also shallow, which increased its intensity. It “felt like someone kicked our house to the curb…one swift kick,” Pia Larson wrote in an e-mail. Larson added that she was “surprised our animals didn’t warn us…what good are they? Ha!”
See HORSES, Page 3
On the Web ❑ Pacific Northwest Seismic Network: www.pnsn.org ❑ USGS Earthquakes Hazards Program — Pacific Northwest: earthquake.usgs. gov/regional/pac nw
SnoValley Star
MAY 27, 2010
Photo by Dan Catchpole
Madden stops to pick up a piece of hardware from a horse halter (closeup above). Madden and Bolen lost around $50,000 worth of tack and other equipment in the fire.
Photo by Dan Catchpole
Horses From Page 1 tral corridor was covered in roaring flames. “I didn’t see any animals moving. My heart sank, because I thought we’d lost everyone,” he said. Then he saw a horse kicking. It was Lakota, a brown-and-white quarter horse- Bolen had rescued several years before. Madden called the horse, but it wouldn’t come out. Moving closer, he could see Lakota’s leg was broken and his mane was burning. Flames and the heat kept Madden from being able to reach Lakota, and there were other horses in danger. He moved on, helping a houeguest free two other horses. Two more horses had already escaped from their stalls. The last horse, Fancy, which Madden had purchased for his daughter the year before, had already died. With all the horses accounted for, Madden ran to the house, grabbed his rifle and came back, quickly ending Lakota’s misery. While firefighters from Snoqualmie, Fall City and Eastside Fire & Rescue fought the fire, Madden worried that he would have to put down another horse, Hunter. He had been badly burned on his right side, and his eyes were swollen shut from the flames. Madden was concerned the heat had caused internal organ damage. A veterinarian examined the frightened animal and found that, despite suffering serious surface
burns, Hunter was scared but stable. “God, I was thinking if I’d gone through that, I’d be shook up, too,” said Dr. Bob Hogan, the Fall City veterinarian who responded. The couple’s regular veterinarian, Dr. Henry Greenwald, took over Hunter’s case when he returned to town a couple of days later. The horse isn’t out of danger yet, but he is healing as well as can be expected, he said. “He had a large portion of his
body burned, so time will tell,” Greenwald said. While Hunter is recovering, Bolen and Madden are both trying to bounce back from the fire that took the lives of two family members and caused nearly $200,000 in damage. They also have to pay for Hunter’s medical bills. Madden said a fire investigator told them that the fire was sparked by an electrical problem, likely caused by a mouse chewing through a wire. The King County fire investigator could not be reached for comment. The barn and riding equipment account for nearly all of the losses, but it is the two horses that have left the largest hole. “I wouldn’t have taken anything for them,” Madden said, walking through the barn’s charred remnants. Even after more than two weeks, the faint smell of wet charcoal hangs over their property. Madden paused, bent down and picked up a buckle from a horse’s headgear.
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PAGE 3 “We found the silver hearts on my daughter’s head stall that Fancy wore,” he said. He’d bought a special halter decorated with silver hearts for when his 13-year-old daughter, Lucy, would show Fancy in competition. Somehow, the silver didn’t melt in the fire. Madden put the pieces he found in a wooden box for his daughter, who had been in Hawaii at the time. Just a month before the fire, Lucy and Fancy had really connected on a trip to the coast. “They were playing, but it looked more like they were dancing,” Madden said, his voice wavering. Madden had his own connection with Fancy, who he used to ride into Snoqualmie on Sunday mornings to get coffee. Bolen had a deep bond with 7year-old Lakota, who she’d rescued when he was only a few months old from a pregnant-mare-urine farm, which uses horse urine in producing a drug most often used to treat post-menopause symptoms. “Lakota was one you could just fly on,” Madden said. “My sweetie loved to ride him.” Their other horses are also trying to get past the fire. “Dakota’s eyes have softened since the fire,” he said of another horse, which he thinks is suffering from depression. Another horse, Sampson, has become more timid. The strong horse used to love taking the lead on trips, but now, Madden said, his body tenses and he becomes anxious if he is in the lead. The horses were all livelier when they’ve been in the woods. Madden and Bolen took four clients on a trip two weeks after the fire.
Bolen with Lakota
Madden’s daughter on Fancy
Fundraiser A fundraiser is being organized to help Madden and Bolen pay for Hunter’s medical expenses. ❑ What: Bake sale and live auction ❑ When: 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. June 12 ❑ Where: Cedar Grange Hall, 22531 S.E. 218th St., Maple Valley ❑ Contact: Call 206-5512040 or send an e-mail to melnb@comcast.net
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