Richard M. Norman
October 27, 2010
Richard M. Norman died peacefully Oct. 18, 2010 in North Bend. He was 77.
Richard M. Norman
A celebration of his life will be at 1 p.m. Nov. 6 at the Eagles Club in Snoqualmie. His final resting place will be at Mount Si Memorial Cemetery.
Mount Si PTA checks progress of bullying talks
October 27, 2010
Tom Boord, co-president of the Mount Si High School PTSA during a meeting of parents, students and staff about bullying. By Sebastian Moraga
It’s a curse.
“Children see it on TV and they think swearing is sophisticated,” said PTSA co-president Liz Piekarczyk. “We need to show them it’s not cool.”
To boot, swearing has become pervasive in society, she said during a meeting of parents, students and staff about bullying Oct. 19 at the Mount Si High School library.
Two Rivers learns the basics of astrophysics with a lump of wood on a string
October 27, 2010
NEW — 6:13 p.m. Oct. 27, 2010
At Two Rivers School’s seventh- and eighth-grade classes, they’ve got the world on a string.
They are not sitting on a rainbow, but they do have the string around their fingers.
Katie Kutner spins her wooden top at Two Rivers School. By Sebastian Moraga
And yes, look at them, they are in love. In love with how tall, pony-tailed teacher Joe Burgener managed to teach astronomy, physics and world history via the spinning top.
Students built some, painted some and spun some to learn about the laws of gravity, the movements of the earth and the cultures of the world that build and use tops.
“I love it!,” said Tanner Nove. “It’s a unique experience, a new experience for me, and Joe has been a great teacher.”
The students stacked wooden discs together, glued them and then drove metal parts right across the centers.
Limber fingers, limber minds at sign language club
October 27, 2010
An index finger across a palm, an arm sticking straight out and a tap of two fingers on one hand against the same two on the other.
Well, since you asked, it’s Sebastian.
Lest you wonder, if you did what the first paragraph of this article said, you just asked someone his or her name in American Sign Language, said P.J. Duvall, a janitor at Fall City Elementary and the sign language instructor at Chief Kanim Middle School.
Students at Chief Kanim Middle School learn the intricacies of American Sign Language after school. By Sebastian Moraga
Classes of what Duvall said is the world’s third-most used language occur after school and the goal is not just to teach children something new, but to bring back something old.
“We used to teach sign language at the high school,” said Renae Gieseke, who organized the class. “We are hoping to spur interest in sign language so we can teach it at the high school again.”
Children in the class, seven girls and one boy, two of them Gieseke’s progeny, learned there’s more to sign language than just finger calisthenics.
Keep on gardening in the fall
October 27, 2010
Clouds are looming, skies are graying, thick sweaters are back in vogue and so is hot cocoa. What’s an outdoorsy person to do?
Well, reach for that spade, of course.
Gardening in the fall differs from gardening during the warmer months and we’re not just talking wardrobe.
We’re talking about how you take care of your plants and flowers, how you water them, how you protect them from frost.
Experts recommend mulching around the base of plants to keep the roots from freezing.
“You really need to protect the plant,” said Kitty Holland, nursery manager at North Bend’s Ace Hardware and Garden.
If the plant is in a pot, mulching is just as important, she added.
Watering is a different story.
Remodels can add value and beauty
October 27, 2010
With the economic recession and sluggish recovery, trends have changed in home remodeling projects in the past couple years.
Many clients of First Choice Carpentry are looking to add value to their homes and improve their energy efficiency, according to Max Capestany, the Issaquah-based company’s project specialist.
First Choice Carpentry founder John Capestany (right) talks with one of the company’s designers while working on a home remodel project. Contributed
The company has worked extensively in the Snoqualmie Valley, including framing houses on Snoqualmie Ridge.
The tight housing market has changed some homeowners’ plans, he said.
“Some had planned on getting a bigger house as their family expanded, but they can’t sell, so they’re adding another bedroom instead,” he said.
Other homeowners are taking advantage of tax credits to improve their houses’ energy efficiency and save on their heating bills. Some are just taking advantage of a buyers’ market.
While it will continue to be a buyers’ market for the near future, tax credits for energy improvements will go away soon. The credits in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2008 expire at the end of the year.
Fall is a good time to make your home energy efficient for winter
October 27, 2010
With the start of fall, Puget Sound Energy reminds customers that now is a good time to prepare homes for colder temperatures and to manage heating costs by taking simple steps to be more energy efficient.
“As the heating season approaches, consumers should consider making any needed repairs to furnaces now, so they are ready and operating efficiently when colder weather arrives,” said Cal Shirley, vice president of Energy Efficiency Services at PSE.
“It also is a good time to take advantage of our rebates for energy-efficient heating systems, such as heat pumps, boilers, natural-gas furnaces, water heaters and insulation products. A few simple measures to save energy will help lower energy costs.”
Cash for Appliances announces last call for rebates on energy-efficient appliances
October 27, 2010
Washington state residents can still save money on appliance upgrades, but time is running out.
Residents can receive rebates for buying energy-efficient appliances through the Cash for Appliances program, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Only completed applications will be processed, according to a news release from the Washington State Department of Commerce, which administers the program.
Applications with missing or incomplete information will be returned. Residents must submit their completed applications before funds run out.
The program has less than 20 percent of its funding still available.
So far, Cash for Appliances has given more than $4 million in rebates to more than 30,000 Washington residents who have purchased new, energy-efficient Energy Star appliances.
Mount Si football falls to top-ranked Bellevue
October 27, 2010
Running back Matt Bankston breaks past Bellevue defenders during the Wildcats 28-21 loss Oct. 22 on the road to the Wolverines. By Calder Productions
The Mount Si High School Wildcats went toe-to-toe against the top-ranked 3A team in the state, the Bellevue Wolverines.
Playing before a home crowd, the Wolverines jumped out ahead, but Mount Si refused to give up, showing the grit and determination the team has demonstrated all season.
Volleyball team wins on Senior Night
October 27, 2010
Halfway through the second set of Mount Si High School’s match against Bellevue Oct. 20, a fan’s whispers prior to a Zoe Gogan kill summed up the night’s theme.
“See ya,” the fan said, as Gogan slammed the ball to give Mount Si a 21-7 lead, en route to a 3-0 win over the Wolverines.
The fan probably meant how the point was a sure thing. He could just as well have been talking straight to Gogan and a handful of other players.
It was, after all, Senior Night for the Mount Si volleyball team.
“This was really important,” senior Molly Hitch said. “Lots of these girls have been playing together since the eighth grade, so we’ve been friends for a long time.”
Back in the day, the quartet of Hitch, Gogan, Stephanie Rehm and Amanda Gates played for the love of playing, without quite understanding how competitive the sport was, Hitch said.
Times have obviously changed, as the foursome took to the court Senior Night not just as teammates, but as newly-crowned KingCo League champs
