Snoqualmie tribe participates in historic kokanee fry release
April 20, 2011
Jessica Leguizamon, 10, watches kokanee salmon fry swim away from her Dixie cup into Laughing Jacobs Creek as her sister Sabrina, 5, waits her turn and their grandfather, Gary Smith, looks on. County environmental scientist Hans Berge makes sure the release is done properly. By Greg Farrar
Every season, the kokanee salmon returns to the creeks and streams after its journey to Lake Sammamish.
At the second annual kokanee fry release in Issaquah April 18, Matt Baerwalde, a representative of the Snoqualmie Tribe, recounted the relationship between the fish and the tribe, explaining how they relied on the fish for sustenance.
Governor approves math bill to streamline testing
April 20, 2011
Graduating from high school with sufficient math credits just got easier. Gov. Chris Gregoire approved a bill that would allow students in the 2013 and 2014 graduating classes to pass only one mathematics end-of-course exam, instead of two.
The state House of Representatives passed the legislation in a 96-1 vote on March 4. State senators passed a companion bill in a 47-0 vote on March 29. Gregoire signed it into law April 11.
State Superintendent Randy Dorn had championed the legislation.
“Plain and simple, this is a win for fairness,” Dorn said. “In a tough legislative year, this is one law that directly impacts the lives of students in a positive manner. I’m pleased that state legislators and the governor did the right thing for students.”
Eventually, the math section of the High School Proficiency Exam — which is administered to sophomores — will be phased out, and two end-of-course exams, in algebra and geometry, will take its place.
Statewide traffic deaths reach historic low
April 20, 2011
The number of deaths on Washington roadways reached a historic low last year: 448, a decline from the 492 deaths in 2009.
Washington Traffic Safety Commission officials said 2010 marked the safest year ever on Washington roads. The number of deaths could increase slightly as the commission continues to receive reports.
Under a highway safety plan called Target Zero, the state aims to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries in Washington during the next 19 years. Officials set a goal of zero traffic deaths by 2030.
“The lives saved are a true testament to the effectiveness of Washington’s comprehensive and integrated approach to traffic safety: the Target Zero plan,” commission Director Lowell Porter said in a statement released March 30.
Target Zero also includes public education, safety engineering to improve roadways and vehicles, timely response by emergency medical personnel, and strong enforcement of traffic safety laws.
“Troopers will continue to take swift action on the three violations that we know take the most lives: speeding, impaired driving and the failure to wear seat belts,” Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste said. “Eliminating those three violations would, just by themselves, get us most of the way to Target Zero.”
North Bend hotel project stalls due to financing setback
April 20, 2011
Second project experiencing less problems
Financing problems have stalled one North Bend hotel project but another one appears ready to go ahead.
North Bend city officials hope that a hotel in the city will bring in revenue and help the city’s branding campaign.
Snoqualmie Valley resident George Wyrsch wants to develop a hotel near Interstate 90’s Exit 31, but has had difficulty securing financing.
“I’m waiting for the financial markets to loosen up some,” he said.
He last tested the water in November.
“It’s still anybody’s guess” when the markets will improve, he said.
Wyrsch has never developed a hotel, though, which could be making it more difficult for him to get financing.
Letters
April 20, 2011
Now’s the wrong time for a school bond
This is not the time to increase our homeowner’s taxes by passing another school bond. Snoqualmie Ridge has a higher rate of distressed properties than the rest of the county. It is a burden with one-third of the Ridge trying to even make the mortgage payments. New Ridge home building is mainly on hold. Current home prices are still falling.
The proposed new middle school will not improve test scores. But it is going to add between $600,000 and $1 million in annual maintenance costs. Our governments’ spending is out of control and they are bankrupt. We, and the generations to come, have to pay the bill. Reality dictates that adding more property taxes is a luxury we can’t afford now.
Reading letters and mailers in support from school administration and board is like letting the cookie monsters guard the cookie jar. The expense of these specials elections, recounts, ads and signs in our face could be better used for our daily school expenses.
Charles Zeder
North Bend
State extends studded tire deadline again
April 20, 2011
Motorists can now keep studded tires on vehicles until April 25, because forecasts call for possible wintry driving conditions across mountain passes and in higher elevations, the state Department of Transportation announced last week.
Motorists failing to meet the deadline could face citations from law enforcement.
The announcement marked the third extension for studded-tire removal. Motorists usually need to remove the tires by April 1.
Travelers not using the mountain passes should remove studded tires now.
State law allows motorists to use studded tires from Nov. 1 until March 31, unless the state changes the deadline.
Transportation officials do not anticipate any further extensions.
Springtime brings warmer weather, new household pests
April 20, 2011
It is spring. Time to break out of your winter slumber and wake up.
But humans aren’t the only living things shaking off winter’s sedentary ways. Insects and rodents are waking up, too, and they are hungry.
Their search for food and warm spaces can take them into your house.
The carpenter ant can cause many headaches for homeowners. The insects begin swarming in spring, as they search for new nesting sites. Contributed
Alan LaBissoniere, owner of Frontier Pest Control in North Bend, has already been out on several calls dealing with springtime pests.
The main culprits people need to be wary of are carpenter ants, odorous house ants and wasps, according to LaBissoniere.
The animals — like carpenter ants — perform useful jobs in their natural habitat, which help dead wood decompose faster. But inside or around your home, wasps and ants can become pests. Carpenter ants are especially troublesome, because they can cause structural damage.
Make a difference on Earth Day
April 20, 2011
A few decades ago, being called “green” was often derogatory. Today we hold high respect for those who live their life “green” — contributing to a healthier world.
Earth Day — celebrated April 22 around the globe — is a reminder that supporting a healthy environment depends on individuals. One person can seem pretty insignificant when it comes to things like species extinction and climate change, but individuals hold real power when it comes to the environment.
While many trees will be planted for Earth Day, that’s not really what it’s all about. It’s about individuals taking action to change their lifestyles, from unplugging unused appliances to fixing leaking faucets to bringing reusable bags when you shop.
In the coming decades, we face great environmental challenges — and great opportunities to improve the environment. It is time to turn American ingenuity toward the environment. People around us are already finding innovative solutions.
In the Snoqualmie Valley, residents are finding new ways to reduce consumption with the help of Transition Snoqualmie Valley, a sustainability group.
Local wildlife biologists have been studying how animals get across Interstate 90, to design safer highways for both animals and people. Businesses participate in waste audits, volunteers pull noxious weeds in weekend parties and more families are creating compost from kitchen scraps to use in their gardens.
Drink a lot of water? Refill your own bottle instead of buying individual ones. Need groceries? Consider organic foods that keep unnecessary chemicals out of ground water and locally grown food that does not come with extensive shipping. Doing laundry? Cold water gets clothes just as clean. Going somewhere? Pump up the tires on your old bicycle.
Believe it — we can change the world.
Clearing clutter is tough but worthwhile work
April 20, 2011
With so many demands on people’s time nowadays, it isn’t easy to keep a house or apartment in order.
With small spaces, it only takes a little clutter to make it look messy. Sometimes, people find themselves overwhelmed by clutter, and they need help in sorting through it.
Cleaning up the clutter can give a living room a well-organized look. Contributed
Enter Shannon Guild, owner of TruSimplicity, a North Bend-based professional organizing service.
Guild says organizing space boils down to three key steps:
- Eliminate the clutter: Purge unneeded things until only items that are necessary or loved remain.
- Define the space: What is the purpose of the room? What is going to happen in this room? What things live in this room?
- Create storage space: Use functional, aesthetically pleasing storage. Storage systems should make it easier to put things away.
Of course, applying those three steps are often easier said than done. That is especially true with the first step.
Children dive into water safety on April Pools Day
April 20, 2011
It’s the circle of life. Only this time, the circle is inflatable like a floating ring.
In the Si View pool, a mass of children, including 6-year-old Haley Hand and 11-year-old Bryson Hand, learned about pool safety.
At the edge of the pool, sitting on bleachers, their dad, Scott Hand, watched them play.
Children and grown-ups splish and splash during April Pools Day in North Bend. Photos by Sebastian Moraga
“There’s a long history here for me,” Hand said. “I learned to swim in this pool and then I became a lifeguard and swimming instructor at this pool.”
With his days on the tall chair and in the red shirt behind him, Hand brought Haley, Bryce and a few nieces and nephews to April Pools’ Day, a daylong course about pool safety for children April 16.
Students learned about reach-and-throw, the technique used to help someone from the edge of the pool, and building a human chain to save a stuffed animal. They learned from Eastside Fire & Rescue firefighters about in-line stabilization and life jackets.
