Obituaries
September 26, 2008
Kirk Lewis
Kirk Lewis, of Fall City, died Sept. 19, 2008, in Issaquah. He was 49.
A memorial service was will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2008, at the Snoqualmie Valley Alliance Church, 36017 S.E. Fish Hatchery Road, Fall City.
Kirk was born Jan. 21, 1959, in Rochester, N.Y., the son of Peter and Marianne Lewis. He was raised in St. Croix, San Diego and Bakersfield, Calif., and graduated from Auburn High School. He married Sheri Pennington on Sept. 4, 1987, in Bellevue.
He worked for the city of Issaquah Public Works Department since 1989. In his leisure time, he enjoyed paragliding, fishing and working in the yard.
Survivors include his loving wife Sheri; son Croix and daughter Taylor; his mother Marianne Lewis, of Kauai, Hawaii; brother Mark Lewis, of Yakima; three sisters, Lisa Freepartner and Kennedy Knapp, both of Kauai, and Kris Anderburg, of Sweden.
The family suggests remembrances to the Kirk Lewis Children’s Education Fund, P.O. Box 2178, North Bend, WA 98045.
Arrangements are by Flintoft’s Funeral Home and Crematory.
Friends are invited to share memories and sign the family’s online guest book at www.flintofts.com.
Linda Gardner
Linda E. Gardner, 67, of Snoqualmie, died Sept. 4 from complications with kidney failure.
Linda was born Aug. 20, 1941 on Vashon Island to Bill and Dorothy Haack and attended high school in Coos Bay, Ore. She married Jerry Gardner on Oct. 23, 1965 in Reno, Nev.
A resident of the Valley for 25 years, Linda worked as a banker, retail store manager and administrative assistant at the North Bend Outlet Mall. She volunteered at Snoqualmie Valley Hope and also taught craft classes for Washington State University’s extension office. She was known for her Teddy Bears.
After her retirement, she and her husband traveled around the Western states, until illness forced her into medical care.
She is survived by her husband and son, Kelly Gardner, of Kent.
No services are planned.
Editorial
September 26, 2008
Keeping crime low is up to all of us
While it wasn’t that high to begin with, it seems that crime is on the decline in the Valley.
Statistics provided in the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report show that violent crimes fell in both Snoqualmie and North Bend in 2007. In fact, Snoqualmie’s number of violent crimes declined to zero for the year, while North Bend’s fell from 15 to 13.
Property crimes also went down. The number of burglaries in Snoqualmie went from 26 to 16 and from 45 to 19 in North Bend. Motor vehicle thefts in North Bend dipped from 23 to 17 and 20 to 7 in Snoqualmie.
There are many reasons for those numbers, a respectful community and a dedicated police force being chief among them. Yet, as officials at both the Snoqualmie Police Department and the King County Sheriff’s office point out, none of it would be possible without watchful citizens.
Being responsible means making the right decisions regarding the safety of yourself and your family members, but it also means keeping an eye on your neighbor’s well-being. Neighborhood watch programs were created in 1972 by the National Sheriff’s Association and have been successful at lessening crimes in neighborhoods across the country ever since.
You don’t, however, need to be a part of one of these official programs to help your neighbor. Get to know the people on your street, pay attention to the details of everyday life and take note when something is out of the ordinary. It it’s too suspicious, don’t hesitate to call the police. There are a small number of police officers designated to man a large area and they admittedly depend on the help of dependable citizens. They encourage citizens to give them a call and are thankful for it, even when it turns out that the suspicions were wrong.
Of all the great aspects that come with living in the Valley, its low crime rate ranks toward the top. Those responsible for it should congratulate themselves. Now we must all strive to maintain it.
Letters to the editor
September 26, 2008
McCormick leaving
In response to my editorial comment on Kit McCormick, Sue Kauffman felt it necessary to suggest what I meant when I said “…many parents are concerned that some teachers have Read more
NASA astronaut visits Valley
September 26, 2008
Retired NASA Astronaut Wendy Lawrence stands with first-grade student Gabe Chartier and Alysa Lilleberg, a fourth-grader at North Bend Elementary. Photo by Laura Geggel.
First-grader Gabe Chartier is completely engrossed in NASA and the
Crime rates fall in Snoqualmie
September 26, 2008
The top law enforcement officers in both North Bend and Snoqualmie caution against the value of statistics in
Mother of nine retires from district after 20 years
September 26, 2008
Superintendent Joel Aune gives Kim Duvall a certificate recognizing her 20 years in the school district. Photo by Laura Geggel
After raising nine children and working in the Snoqualmie Valley School District for nearly 21 years, Kim Duvall has decided to take some time off — otherwise known as retirement — much to the dismay of school district staff.
At a retirement party Sept. 22, Superintendent Joel Aune presented Duvall with a certificate recognizing her long career and a memory binder from her colleagues.
“She’s a wonderful person,” Aune said. “I come to work fairly early in the morning, but Kim comes to work earlier.”
It’s Duvall’s voice on the recorded phone message sent to families when schools are closed due to hazardous weather. She lives down the street from the district office, which prompted several staff to joke that they might call her from time to time for extra help.
Duvall grew up in Mount Angel, a small city between Portland and Salem, Oregon. She moved to the Emerald City to Read more
Snoqualmie reaches decision on sister city
September 26, 2008
A discussion among the Snoqualmie City Council Monday regarding the city’s role in a
Pour house comes to terms with city
September 26, 2008
After months of negotiations, the city of North Bend and the Pour House restaurant have come
North Bend approves park impact fees
September 26, 2008
When does a city’s effort to make development pay for itself start to impact future development?
According to Read more
Despite nationwide turmoil, city budgets safe
September 26, 2008
Conservative investing helping situation
While the ongoing credit crisis has cost both state and county funds some losses, officials in both Snoqualmie and North Bend say their conservative investment philosophies and Read more
