Editorial: Fear doesn’t justify stripping civil liberties
May 19, 2010
NEW — 6:19 p.m. May 19, 2010
In wake of the attempted terrorist attack in Times Square, the cry has increased to prevent people on the government’s terrorist watch list from buying guns. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., is pushing a bill to close what he calls the “terrorist loophole.”
The scary, sound byte phrase doesn’t hold up to scrutiny and glosses over a real concern — some lawmakers may be trying to deny people’s Constitutional rights.
Regardless of how we feel about guns, the Constitution shouldn’t be rewritten based on misguided fears.
Loading ...The Second Amendment, as currently interpreted by the U.S. Supreme Court, permits citizens and legal residents to own guns.
Lautenberg’s bill (S. 1317) would give the Justice Department the discretionary authority to stop people on the terrorist watch list from buying guns and explosives.
Seattle-area ranks high and low
May 19, 2010
Do you want the bad news first? Or the good news?
The Seattle area recently made its way onto two widely publicized lists for two very different reasons. Seattle is the worst city in America for sports, but the area also has the best economy of any metropolitan area in the country.
The first superlative comes from Forbes. In 109 combined sports seasons, Seattle has managed only one national title, the Supersonics’ NBA championship in 1979.
Also, Seattle teams have teased their fans by getting close to winning it all on several occasions but coming up short, the article noted.
While Forbes counted the Mariners (MLB), the Seahawks (NFL) and the now-departed Sonics, it did not consider the very successful Sounders F.C. (MLS) or Storm (WNBA). The Storm won a national championship in 2004.
The sting of Forbes ranking was dulled by a very rosy picture of the Seattle area as the nation’s strongest metropolitan economy. A Florida research firm, Policom Corp., released a study ranking Seattle’s economy as the most robust of 366 metropolitan areas in the U.S.
For the study, Policom included all of King, Snohomish and Pierce counties as part of the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metropolitan area.
School district seeks to improve vertically and horizontally
May 19, 2010
Every year, Snoqualmie Valley schools make a school improvement plan. Now, the school district is forming a districtwide improvement plan that will affect all grades and all 10 schools.
“We have this notion institutionalized in our schools — we are always looking for a better way and a steady continuous improvement over time,” Superintendent Joel Aune said at the May 13 school board meeting.
The plan, the Intervention Program Review, would target special-education students, struggling learners and highly capable students.
Programs involved in the review also include the Learning Assistance Program, Title I Program (for students from low-income families), English Language Learners, intervention programs for struggling students, the K-8 Highly Capable Program, and the high school Advanced Placement and honors program.
Student Services Director Nancy Meeks said she was excited that the review might lead to a more incorporated special-education department.
“Special education needs to move from being a silo, a standalone, to being part of general education,” Meeks said.
Snoqualmie voters to decide on car tab tax for transportation projects
May 19, 2010
Snoqualmie City Council members voted to send a proposal to create a transportation benefit district to voters later this year.
If voters approve the measure, an independent taxing district will be created for the sole purpose of raising revenue for local transportation improvement work within the district. The district’s boundaries would be the same as the city limits.
Money would come from a $20 fee on a vehicle registration.
The city has the authority to enact the district but opted to send the decision to voters.
A public hearing on the proposal is scheduled for May 24 at Snoqualmie City Hall.
Only six cities in Washington have enacted transportation benefit districts since the law was enacted in 2007, according to the Washington State Department of Licensing’s website. They are Des Moines, Edmonds, Lake Forest Park, Olympia, Prosser and Shoreline.
For information on which vehicles are exempt, visit www.dol.wa.gov/vehicleregistration/localfees.html.
Salish Lodge & Spa receives audit to reduce environmental impact
May 19, 2010
Hotels have been largely left out of the green movement but now environmental auditors are finding ways to reduce impact and save money
The green movement has become so pervasive that almost no aspect of life goes unexamined.
Consultants, or green auditors, can calculate carbon footprints, measure water-flow rates, compare the efficiency of light bulbs and even see whether cups are disposable or reusable.
Green auditors from Cascadia Consulting Group turned their magnifying glasses onto Salish Lodge & Spa May 7.
The inspection was paid for with a grant from the Washington Department of Ecology to the Washington Lodging Association, which then selected Columbia Hospitality, which manages the Salish, as one of two companies to receive the audit.
Those at the Salish were thrilled to learn they were selected for the grant, said Columbia Hospitality Vice President of Operations Lenny Zilz. He said the Salish had already started making environmental changes, but that “there is so much room to improve.”
King County Council sets priorities
May 19, 2010
Officials want county government to protect public health and safety, enhance residents’ quality of life and earn the trust of constituents, King County Council members decided last week.
The council has adopted a “21st Century Governance” motion to track 45 actions the county plans to complete or begin by December.
Find the progress report at www.kingcounty.gov/council.
Councilwoman Kathy Lambert — who represents Snoqulamie, North Bend and other parts of the Eastside on the council — cosponsored the motion.
Teens get a place of their own at Space8036
May 19, 2010
Until he discovered Space 8036, Austin Wilder said his after-school afternoons were fairly uneventful. He would log into Facebook to chat with friends, eat dinner and do homework.
Now, Wilder walks down the street from Snoqualmie Middle School to Space8036, where he can hang out with his friends, eat snacks in the kitchen, do homework, watch music videos or play video games on a large-screen TV.
The Church on the Ridge opened the space as a teen center in April.
“This age group is the only group where nobody is taking care of them,” Youth Director Kristi Wood said, adding the space was “for everybody. It’s an outreach for the community.”
Though Space8036 is paid for by the Church on the Ridge, it is a nonreligious center when students come to hang out after school.
Mark Starr
May 19, 2010
Mark Starr, of North Bend, died April 26, 2010, at Medina Heights Adult Care Home in North Bend. He was 89.
At his request, a private family memorial will be held.
Mark Starr
Mark was born July 8, 1920, in Yakima, to John and Henrietta Starr. He attended Yakima elementary, junior high and high schools. He furthered his education at Gonzaga University. Read more
Russell Dee Peery
May 19, 2010
Russell Dee Peery, of Snoqualmie and formerly of Issaquah, died suddenly May 11, 2010, at his home. He was 54.
Louis O’Callaghan
May 19, 2010
Louis O’Callaghan, of Fall City, died April 30, 2010, in Surprise, Arizona. He was born July 10, 1937, in Seattle, to Neil and Gladys O’Callaghan.
Louis and his wife, Irene, were married Feb. 27, 1959, and they made their home in Snoqualmie. He worked at Todd Shipyards and later Weyerhaeuser, where he retired after 30 years of service.
Louis O’Callaghan
Louis was a member of the Boilermakers Union and belonged to the Washington Alpine Club.
Louis had many hobbies and interests, including mountain climbing, skiing, hiking, coin collecting, Husky football, auto racing and boating.
