Calendar
January 26, 2011
Public meetings
- North Bend Economic Development Commission, 8 a.m. Feb. 17, 126 E. Fourth St.
- Snoqualmie City Council, 7 p.m. Feb. 14, 38624 S.E. River St.
- Snoqualmie Community and Economic Affairs Committee, 5 p.m. Feb. 15, 38624 S.E. River St.
- North Bend City Council workshop, 7 p.m. Feb. 22, 211 Main Ave. N.
- North Bend Parks Commission, 6 p.m. Feb. 23, 126 E. Fourth St.
- Snoqualmie Finance and Administration Committee, 5 p.m., Feb. 8, 38624 S.E. River St.
- North Bend Planning Commission, 7 p.m. Jan. 27, Feb. 10, 211 Main Ave. N.
Events
- Travis Ranney Duo, 7 p.m. Jan. 27, Boxley’s, 101 W. North Bend Way, North Bend. Ranney brings his smooth and melodic style to Boxley’s for an evening of intimate sax melodies.
- Take Shape for Life program presentation, 7-8 p.m. Jan. 27 at Si View Community Center, 400 S.E. Orchard Drive, North Bend. Lose two to five pounds a week through a physician-led and clinically proven program. Take a health evaluation at www.drwayneandersen.com/quiz/ draa1.php and bring your results.
- Bryant Urban’s Blue Oasis, 7 p.m. Jan. 28, Boxley’s, 101 W. North Bend Way, North Bend. Bryant Urban is a guitarist and vocalist with smooth Brazilian rhythms and lyrics, with Chris Symer on bass and Jose Martinez on drums.
- North Bend Elementary School Book Fair, Jan. 28 to Feb. 3, 400 E. Third St.
- Teen hockey trip, 5:30-10 p.m. Jan. 29. Si View invites teenagers to the Thunderbirds’ hockey match. Staff will drive participants once the $45 fee for a ticket and snack is paid. Call 831-1900 or go to www.siviewpark.org.
- Paper Crafts, with your photos, 10-11:30 a.m. Jan. 29, Si View Community Center, 400 S.E. Orchard Drive, North Bend. For $15, participants can make scrapbooks. Supplies included. Call 831-1900 or go to www.siviewpark.org.
- Learn to Hoop Dance, 10:30 a.m. to noon, Jan. 29 at Si View Community Center. For $12, participants can learn the core moves of hoop dance. Call 831-1900 or go to www.siviewpark.org.
- Tracy Knoop and Bill Ramsay CD release party, 7 p.m. Jan. 29, Boxley’s, 101 W. North Bend Way, North Bend. Saxophonist Knoop recorded his new CD Live at Boxley’s last year, and bring the band back together for a romp through some of his favorite material.
- Afternoon Preschool Story Times, 1:30 p.m. Jan. 31, Snoqualmie Library, 7824 Center Blvd. S.E. Ages 3-6 accompanied by an adult.
- Seventh annual SnoValley Idol Junior Auditions, noon to 3 p.m. Feb. 12 at Si View Community Center, 400 S.E. Orchard Drive, North Bend. Singers must be 14 or younger as of April 1. Pre-register for $5 by calling 831-1900 or going to www.siviewpark.org. SnoValley Idol Junior Finals are from 6-8 p.m. April 1. The winner of the contest receives a $50 gift card donated by North Bend Premium Outlets and invitations to perform at the North Bend Block Party and Si View Holiday Bazaar.
Volunteer opportunities
- Mount Si Senior Center’s Elder and Adult Day Services needs volunteers for its new program on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call BJ Libby at 206-859-5705 for position description and application forms.
- The Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust needs volunteers to plant native trees and to pot seedlings at its nursery. Upcoming dates include Jan. 29 at Tollgate Park in North Bend. No experience required. Full- and half-day shifts available. Get dates and information at www.mtsgreenway.org/volunteer, or call 206-812-0122 or e-mail volunteer@mtsgreenway.org.
- Elk Management Group invites the community to participate in elk collaring, telemetry and habitat improvement projects in the Upper Snoqualmie Valley. Project orientation meetings are at 6 p.m. the third Monday of the month at the North Bend City Hall, 211 Main St. E-mail research@snoqualmievalleyelk.org.
- Snoqualmie Valley Hospital is accepting applications for ages 16 or older to volunteer in various departments of the hospital. E-mail volunteer coordinator Carol Waters at carolw@snoqualmiehospital.org to arrange an interview.
- Spanish Academy invites volunteers fluent in Spanish to participate in summer camps on its three-acre farm-style school. Must love kids and nature! Call 888-4999.
- Senior Services Transportation Program needs volunteers to drive seniors around North Bend and Snoqualmie. Choose the times and areas in which you’d like to drive. Car required. Mileage reimbursement and supplemental liability insurance are offered. Call 206-748-7588 or 800-282-5815 toll free, or e-mail melissat@seniorservices.org. Apply online at www.seniorservices.org. Click on “Giving Back” and then on “Volunteer Opportunities.”
- Mount Si Senior Center needs volunteers for sorting and sales in the thrift store, reception and class instruction. The center is at 411 Main St., North Bend. Call 888-3434.
- Hopelink in Snoqualmie Valley seeks volunteers for a variety of tasks. Volunteers must be at least 16. Go to www.hope-link.org/takeaction/volunteer.com or call 869-6000.
- Adopt-A-Park is a program for Snoqualmie residents to improve public parks and trails. An application and one-year commitment are required. Call 831-5784.
- Study Zone tutors are needed for all grade levels to give students the homework help they need. Two-hour weekly commitment or substitutes wanted. Study Zone is a free service of the King County Library System. Call 369-3312.
Classes
- S.A.I.L. (Stay Active and Independent for Life) exercise class meets Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the Mount Si Senior Center, 411 Main Ave. S., North Bend. Led by certified exercise instructor Carla Orellana. Call 888-3434.
Clubs
- Sno-Valley Beekeepers meets the second Tuesday of the month at the Meadowbrook Interpretive Center, Meadowbrook Farm, 1711 Boalch Ave., North Bend. Go to www.snoqualmievalleybeekeepers.org.
- Elk Management Group meets at 6:30 p.m. the second Wednesday of the month at the U.S. Forest Service conference room at 130 Thrasher Ave., behind the visitors’ center on North Bend Way. Interagency committee meetings are at 1:30 p.m. the first Monday of the month at the North Bend City Hall annex, 126 Fourth St. Both meetings are open to the public. Go to snoqualmievalleyelk.org.
- Trellis gardening club meets at 10 a.m. the third Saturday of each month, at Valley Christian Assembly, 32725 S.E. 42nd St., Fall City. Trellis is an informal support group for the Snoqualmie Valley’s vegetable gardeners, who have special climactic challenges and rewards. New and experienced gardeners are welcome.
- Mount Si Fish and Game Club meets at 7:30 p.m. the first Thursday of the month, October through May, at the Snoqualmie Police Department.
- Mount Si Artist Guild meeting, 9:15-11 a.m. third Saturday of each month, Mount Si Senior Center, 411 Main Ave. S., North Bend, www.mtsiartistguild.org
- Snoqualmie Valley Chess Club, 7 p.m. Thursdays, North Bend Library, 115 E. Fourth St. Learn to play chess or get a game going. All ages and skill levels welcome.
- The North Bend Chess Club meets every Thursday from 7-9 p.m. at the North Bend Library, 115 E. Fourth St. All ages and skill levels are invited.
- Sallal Grange meets the first Friday of the month for a potluck and open mic with local musicians. The potluck starts at 6 p.m. with the music from 7 p.m. to midnight. Open to all people/ages, 12912 432nd Ave. S.E., North Bend. Go to www.sallalgrange.org.
- Snoqualmie Valley Rotary Club meets at 7 a.m. every Thursday at the TPC Snoqualmie Ridge Golf Club Restaurant. All are welcome. Go to www.snoqualmievalleyrotary.org.
- American Legion Post 79 and the American Legion Auxiliary meet at 6 p.m. the second Thursday at 38625 S.E. River St., Snoqualmie. Call 888-1206.
- Snoqualmie Valley Garden Club meets at 6:30 p.m. the second Thursday at the Mount Si Senior Center, North Bend. Call 453-8630.
- Snoqualmie Valley Kiwanis Club meets at 7 a.m. every Thursday at the Mount Si Golf Course restaurant in Snoqualmie. E-mail snovalley@member.kiwanis.org.
- Snoqualmie Fraternal Order of Eagles Women’s Auxiliary meets the first and third Tuesday at 7 p.m. The Men’s Aerie meets the first and third Wednesday at 7 p.m. at 108 Railroad Ave. Call 888-1129.
- A cancer survivor group meets at 9 a.m. the second Saturday at Sawdust Coffee in the North Bend Factory Stores mall. E-mail newellvl@yahoo.com.
- Snoqualmie Valley Youth Hub provides cultural, athletic, recreational and educational opportunities to more than 4,000 young people in the Valley. Call 831-1900.
- Loyal Order of Moose, 108 Sydney Ave., North Bend. Men meet at 6 p.m. the first and third Monday. Women meet at 7 p.m. the third and fourth Tuesday. Call 888-0951.
- Washington Freemasons meet at 7:30 p.m. the first Wednesday at Unity Lodge No. 198 in North Bend. Call 888-5779.
- Moms Club of North Bend meets at 10 a.m. the first Wednesday of the month at the North Bend Library. Children are welcome. Go to www.momsclub.org.
Submit an item for the community calendar by e-mailing editor@snovalleystar.com or go to www.snovalleystar.com.
Rains to bring moderate flooding to Valley, county says
January 21, 2011
A King County press release indicates heavy rains have brought the Snoqualmie River to a Phase III flood level, with moderate flooding possible throughout the Snoqualmie Valley.
As of 3:30 a.m Jan. 21, the sum of the Snoqualmie River’s three forks was at 20,100 cubic feet per second (CFS), just past the Phase III flood alert threshold of 20,000, the release stated.
North Bend resident killed near Carnation
January 20, 2011
Bill “Bud” Rhynalds loved his job and helping people. He was doing both on state Route 203 south of Carnation at about 9 p.m. Sunday when a falling tree killed the Washington State Department of Transportation worker.
Rhynalds, a member of the department’s road maintenance crew based in Preston, had been called out to help close roads due to flooding in the Snoqualmie Valley. The 12-year veteran of the department had gone to set up traffic cones to keep drivers away from downed power lines when a cottonwood fell and hit him in his truck.
By Steve Ringman/The Seattle Times Billy ‘Bud’ Rhynalds (right), a Washington State Department of Transportation worker, clears a fallen tree that blocked traffic on Northeast North Bend Way near Interstate 90 after a storm Oct. 26, 1999.
“I am so proud of him, because all he ever wanted to do was help other people,” his sister Candi Smith said. “That’s what he was out doing last night.”
Snoqualmie City Council eyes raising tax rates
January 19, 2011
Snoqualmie City Council is considering raising utility tax fees and rates to pay for a backlog of infrastructure maintenance work and help pay off debt owed from the construction of City Hall.
The city owes $3 million from City Hall, which cost $7.34 million and was finished in 2009. The note, held by Cashmere Valley Bank, is due in June. The city will use $1 million from reserves to pay down the debt and cover the rest with a 10-year loan.
To service the loan, the council is considering raising utility rates from 6 percent to 9 percent.
Future of ninth-graders does not hinge on bond vote
January 19, 2011
It’s not a matter of if, but of when.
Regardless of the Feb. 8 outcome of the vote on the school bond, Snoqualmie Middle School will become an annex for ninth-graders.
More freshmen than the district would like struggle with the transition to high school, Snoqualmie Valley Schools Superintendent Joel Aune said.
A freshmen-only building would allow more thorough peer-to-peer monitoring and strengthen the connection between teacher and student, while preserving the variety of program options of a regular high school.
Position open on city parks board
January 19, 2011
The City of Snoqualmie is taking applications for its parks board. There is one position open. Mayor Matt Larson is make a recommendation for the appointment, to be confirmed by the City Council.
Members of the board are appointed to three-year terms. The board has seven members and meets on the third Monday of each month at 7 p.m. at Snoqualmie City Hall, 38624 S.E. River St.
To apply, contact Jodi Warren, Snoqualmie City Clerk at jwarren@ci.snoqualmie.wa.us or (425) 888-1555, ext. 1118.
tate recycling rate holds steady
January 19, 2011
Evergreen State citizens recycled more than residents in other states in 2009, but fell short of a state goal.
Overall, the statewide recycling rate hovered at 45 percent last year, the state Department of Ecology announced last week.
The statewide recycling goal — established in a 1989 state law — is 50 percent. The national recycling average in 2008 hit 33 percent.
Read more
County executive touts successes
January 19, 2011
After his first year in office, King County Executive Dow Constantine says his reform agenda has put the county on a path to financial stability, while juggling problems that have popped up along the way.
Constantine credited the help of his leadership team and King County employees in a public statement.
Among the accomplishments he touted are creating a regional partnership with cities for animal services; reaching consensus with regional leaders regarding reforms to Metro bus service; completing and adopting the first countywide strategic plan; and reforming the permitting pay model for the Department of Development and Environmental Services.
Weather causes minor problems in wet upper Snoqualmie Valley
January 19, 2011
Snow and then rain caused minor problems earlier this month in the Snoqualmie Valley and around Western Washington.
Early forecasts of a colossal snowstorm were downgraded before the Valley received a few inches Jan. 11-12.
By Dan Catchpole A road-closed sign rests in receding floodwater along Southeast Mill Pond Road in Snoqualmie.
But the wet snow caused no serious problems.
A King County Metro bus did slide off the road early the morning of Jan. 12 on North Bend Way north of Bendigo Boulevard. However, Metro quickly got the bus back on track.
Progress can be a wonderful thing
January 19, 2011
You’d think winter would give Sarah McKinley a bumper crop of readers down at the Read Me Now bookstore. You’d think.
But for some reason, she finds the need each winter to have some crazy promotion to peddle books. Last year, it was celebrating President James Monroe’s wedding anniversary (120 years now, and they said it wouldn’t last!) We’ve come to speculate (our No. 1 indoor sport around here) on what her promotion would be this winter. Right after that cold snap, we found out.
On a big banner taped up in the front window, we saw: “Help Celebrate Orf Day! Come in and see the specials.”
