VALLEY RECORD SNOQUALMIE
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2011 DAILY UPDATES AT WWW.VALLEYRECORD.COM 75 CENTS
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Two hotels, True romantic Auditor says city conference overpaid center for engineer North Bend? in Ridge buildup
Bellevue-based developer says timing is right for project
SPORTS SCENE
BY CAROL LADWIG
Senior Night win sends Wildcat girls forward Page 10
Valley nurse looks back on career, role on 90th birthday Page 13
Staff Reporter
INDEX
North Bend could see two new four-story hotels and a restaurant if a land development application now under review goes through. New Sky, LLC, represented by Paul Pong of the Bellevue-based Pong family of hotel developers, seeks to build the hotels, attached conference center and stand-alone restaurant at the northeast corner of South Fork Avenue and Bendigo Boulevard. Also proposed are 204 parking spaces, and trails for public river access. Pong was reluctant to comment on the project, other than to say “I think the timing is right, finally.” The Pong family bought the 393,447 square-foot site in 1995 for $301,000, and began planning for development of the site. But the project soon stalled because of the city’s 1999-to-2009 water moratorium. On January 7, New Sky submitted initial documents including a site plan and details on mitigation of possible environmental effects. SEE HOTELS, 5
OPINION 4 5 LETTERS 6 BUSINESS 8 CALENDAR ON THE SCANNER 11 12 PUZZLES CLASSIFIED ADS 13, 14
Vol. 97, No. 37
Seth Truscott/Staff Photo
Farmhouse Market owner Jay Bluher visits his deli case. Bluher would like to be able to offer a hot deli, but can’t under existing Fall City codes. “It’s just one more piece of the puzzle, that can bring customers in the door,” he says.
BY SETH TRUSCOTT Editor
Seth Truscott/Staff Photo
Penning some 60 Valentine’s Day cards for friends, family and sweethearts in the Valley, Snoqualmie’s DuWayne Bailey gets plenty of hugs in return—and a few jealous looks. See full story on page 7.
The Washington State Auditor says the city of Snoqualmie overpaid its private engineering contractor thousands of dollars during construction on Snoqualmie Ridge. Acting on a citizen hotline complaint made in 2008, auditors found that the city’s contractor, Everett-based Perteet, Inc., charged the city an extra $7,000 over several months for expenses not allowed under its contract. In the report, released last November, auditors said the city failed to detect the extra charges, then passed them on to land developers when it billed them for services. SEE AUDIT, 9
A new vision for Fall City business County, business owners say downtown needs flexibility BY SETH TRUSCOTT Editor
The cold sandwiches are popular, but Jay Bluher would love to someday see fried chicken and corn dogs in his deli case. “It’s something I know we could sell,” the Farmhouse Market owner said. “We’re just not able.”
Cooking and selling hot foods is out of the question at Bluher’s grocery. Like other downtown Fall City entrepreneurs, his options are limited by the King County codes that govern local commerce. “We’re not allowed to do anything hot because our permit doesn’t allow it,” he said. Without a sewer, downtown Fall City businesses rely on septic systems. That makes Fall City different from neighbors like Carnation, which installed a sewer system in 2008. SEE VISION, 3
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Snoqualmie Valley Record • February 9, 2011 • 7
Valley’s Valentine Kickoff for Relay Card writer makes many locals, young and old, feel special BY CAROL LADWIG Staff Reporter
Seth Truscott/Staff Photo
Snoqualmie Valley Relay for Life team members Michelle Trumbull, Pam Klovdahl and Tina Maloney staff the luminaria table at the Relay for Life kickoff party, Wednesday, Jan 26, at Snoqualmie Middle School. The night began the team-building and fundraising season for the cancer-fighting summer walkathon, set for July 9 and 10 at Centennial Fields. Learn more or sign up your team at www.snovalleyrelay.org.
Seth Truscott/Staff Photo
“I’m a little bit of a romantic,” says Snoqualmie resident DuWayne Bailey. For years, he has marked Valentine’s Day by sending dozens of cards to friends, relatives and sweethearts. flowers, too and sometimes, but not often, the list got shorter. “I don’t take anyone off the list,” he explained, but as the children on his list grew up, they also outgrew valentines. There are still lots of people who appreciate—and expect—their valentines, and Bailey has been in trouble more than once for not sending a card in time. “If I miss one, I hear about it,” he said. “’Where’s my valentine?’ they say.” He can handle a little bit of trouble, though. He’s sort of had practice. “Some of the husbands are just downright jealous,” he says, with a bit of mischievous satisfaction. “There are lots and lots of wives who go year after year without any of this kind of stuff.” More than a romantic rival, though, Bailey says his neighbors and friends see him as a father figure, and that’s a role he’s happy to play, with or without his valentine cards. It takes Bailey several days to complete his valentine project, but it’s time well-spent. “You try to make every one a little bit special,” he said.
Salish Lodge & Spa has a new romance package for Valentine’s Day. “A Night to Remember” is an over-thetop experience complete with limousine service, a bottle of Cristal, Chocolate Massage spa treatments, romantic fivecourse dinner for two, and an option to include a 1.25 carat diamond solitaire on a platinum band from Goldfarb jewelers. Salish Lodge staff will be happy to recommend some of the top locations for proposals, including the infamous Table 5 in the Dining Room—the location of approximately 75 proposals in 2010. The offer is good February 11 to 14, subject to availability. The package rate is $2,500. The engagement ring is an additional $10,000.
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DuWayne Bailey sorts through the dozens of Valentine’s Day cards he just purchased, trying to decide which of his valentines will get which cards. “This is a really nice card,” he says, picking up a very pretty red-toned card, for someone who’s very close. Pointing to a couple more, he continues, “This is a funny one, and I got this one for the young at heart.” He flourishes a Mickey Mouse card. It’s the busy season for Bailey, who gives out about 60 valentines every year. Today, he’s getting ready for a quiet evening of writing out the cards, to family, to neighbors, to friends, and, naturally, to girlfriends. “I’m a little bit of a romantic,” said the 70 year-old Snoqualmie man. “I like making people happy... It’s not at all a dirty old man thing.” Bailey’s annual tradition started almost 20 years ago, when he began sending valentines to his grandchildren. “It migrated to the kids in the neighborhood, and they all wanted to get valentines, too,” he said. Pretty soon, the kids’ mothers and other women in the neighborhood started hinting that they’d appreciate cards, and Bailey had to make a list. That list gave one woman in Bailey’s life, his second wife Judy, a twinge of concern early on, he recalled “I first asked her to marry me, and she said ‘Yes, I’ll marry you, but I am worried about you and all your girlfriends.’” Actually, they were all just friends, he assured her, and the couple was happily married until Judy’s tragic death five years ago. “That was a big trauma for me,” Bailey said. Friends and loved ones supported him then, and continue to do so today, he said. “A lot of people take care of me.” He never stopped his Valentine’s Day tradition, and over time, his list grew longer. Not one for Christmas cards, Bailey said he’d use his Valentine’s Day cards to reconnect with people, hand-writing each one. Sometimes, a very special lady would get
‘Engagement vacation’ at Salish Lodge & Spa
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L’amore nell’aria (love is in the air)
Make your reservations for a romantic evening of fine wine and authentic Italian cuisine
Join us for... Tues: Live Music with Tony La Stella starting at 5:30pm
Weds: Wine Night 1/2 off select bottles, wine flights & pairing
Thurs: Family Date Night
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Complimentary gelato for the kiddos & sparkling for you!
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