Volunteers unearth four cars, trash on riverbank
June 1, 2011
The four cars, rusted and caked with moss and dirt, had cluttered the banks of the Snoqualmie River for decades, along with piles of beer cans, old shoes and broken appliances.
Enter Wade Holden: the man who makes trash tremble.
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[Click on photo to go to slideshow.]
 Jeff Moe, owner of Triple J Towing, pulls an abandoned car out of a ravine near the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River. (Photo by Laura Geggel) |
After Holden and his wife moved from Texas to North Bend in 1992, the two were astounded by the amount of garbage in the city’s woods and rivers. Undeterred, they founded the nonprofit Friends of the Trail and they have scoured the Snoqualmie Valley and neighboring areas for trash ever since, making the outdoors cleaner, one garbage bag — and even one bullet-riddled abandoned refrigerator — at a time.
The morning of May 24 was no different, but this time Holden was working with a crew: King County Solid Waste Division, Triple J Towing, three volunteers and his good friends Jeff Martine and Martine’s grandson Max Karlinsky.
After moving to North Bend in 1997, Martine said that he found that the ravine near his house, the beautifully green embankment that was home to ferns, evergreens and underbrush, had so much discarded junk strewn about that it almost rivaled the Cedar Hills Regional Landfill. And all of it was just a stone’s throw from the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River by Southeast Lake Dorothy Road, just east of Twin Falls Middle School.
He told Holden about the mess, who in turn reported it to the King County Solid Waste Division.
Someone from the division called Jeff Moe, owner of Triple J Towing, who has a contract with the county.
“Anything off-road, we’ll work with Jeff,” Morgan John, program manager of King County Solid Waste Division, said. “He seems to enjoy getting grubby.”
By the end of the day, Moe had pulled four cars, a troublesome tree stump and various appliances out of the ravine.
“This is a fun one,” Moe said.
Championing the green movement might be considered cool and progressive today, but back in the 1970s and 1980s, not everyone felt that way.
“Back in the day, I think a lot of the folks who worked in the logging industry felt like the environmentalists were pushing them off,” Holden said.
There are many reasons for why people would litter, dumping things such as old mattresses or toilets in the woods. Holden offered three reasons: people felt the woods were theirs, and they wanted to stick it to the man; they didn’t want to drive to the junkyard and pay the processing fee; or they just didn’t care.
If people want to legally dispose of trash, they can take it to the King County transfer station, including the Cedar Falls drop box, at 16925 Cedar Falls Road S.E., North Bend, where it costs $102.05 per ton to dispose of garbage.
What to knowVolunteer with Friends of the Trail by calling Wade Holden at 831-5486 or by emailing friendsot@centurytel.net Taking out the trashReport trash on public land by calling the King County Solid Waste Division’s Illegal Dumping Hotline at 206-296-SITE (7483) or online at http://your.kingcounty.gov/solidwaste/cleanup/report-dumping.asp |
Paying the cost is better than dumping eyesores and harmful chemicals into the woods.
“Sometimes, the thing Wade cleans up is just a bag leftover from a fishing trip,” John said. “But sometimes, it’s like a paint store has gone out of business because there’ll be paint cans everywhere.”
Cars, appliances and paint containers rust over time, allowing liquid to leach out and contaminate nearby soil or water.
Besides, taking trash to the dump is cheaper than having to clean it up with tax dollars. Removing vehicles and large appliances from a ravine can cost about $1,200 per day, money that pays for staff members, dumping fees and a tow truck, John said.
A site without a steep bank would cost about half that, he said.
North Bend volunteer Bob Kaake said he enjoys cleaning sites with Friends of the Trail, especially since he lives on the Middle Fork and wants to restore the surroundings to their natural beauty. He collected countless bags of trash, including a forlorn disco shoe, at the site.
“It’s like an archeology dig,” Kaake said.
Chuck Leinas, of Issaquah, and Saleem Juma, a senior at Eastlake High School, also volunteered.
“I just really like cleaning up the environment,” Juma said.
Police divers recover man’s body from river
June 1, 2011
Divers with the King County Sheriff’s Office recovered a missing man’s body from the Snoqualmie River on May 25, three days after he had last been seen.
The divers recovered the body shortly after 3 p.m. in about four feet of water more than 50 feet from shore, close to where the man disappeared.
The missing man was last seen when he and his fiancée were playing with their two dogs near Fall City. The Bothell couple had been throwing sticks for their dogs in the river in the 37200 block of Southeast Fish Hatchery Road below Snoqualmie Falls, when one of the dogs began struggling in the water.
The man and woman went into the water, but quickly found themselves in trouble because of the current’s strength and the water’s cold temperature, according to Sgt. John Urquhart, spokesman for the sheriff’s office.
School board passes district redraw 4-0
June 1, 2011
The Snoqualmie Valley School Board voted 4-0 to pass a proposal that redraws the board member seats within the board, and which had irked a vocal group of citizens.
Board member Scott Hodgins did not vote, but prior to the vote board President Dan Popp read a statement from Hodgins supporting the proposal.
Opponents to the proposal had assailed it, since under it Snoqualmie seats won’t be up for re-election until 2013.
Board member Craig Husa said the community’s input had been “tremendously valuable.”
Still, opponents to the proposal said they were disappointed.
Laurie Gibbs said that under the proposal, eight homes in her neighborhood would be in one district and 30 would be in another. She reiterated her disappointment at having no Snoqualmie seats up for grabs for two years.
“There will be 7,000 people with no chance to run for two more years,” she said. “I am disappointed because it’s a disenfranchising of 7,000 voters.”
She said that no member of the current board represents Snoqualmie.
State seeks residents for hatchery advisory group
June 1, 2011
Nominate Snoqualmie Valley residents as the state Department of Fish and Wildlife seeks members for the Puget Sound Hatchery Action advisory group.
The agency is accepting applications through June 3 for the new board. Officials plan to appoint as many as 12 people.
The advisory group is responsible for developing recommendations for potential modifications to the state’s hatchery programs. The state operates 87 hatcheries, including one near the Tokul River in the lower Valley.
The program releases millions of fish each year to support the state’s recreational and commercial fisheries. During the 2009-2011 biennium budget, it had an operating budget of $64.6 million.
State seeks National Trails Day volunteers
June 1, 2011
The State Department of Natural Resources is sponsoring six work opportunities in Washington, including one on the Little Si Trail, as part of the 19th annual National Trails Day on June 4.
Volunteers can help repair, relocate or refurbish trails on department-managed lands.
The work on Little Si Trail is being organized with help from the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust.
Volunteers will help build rock retaining walls to stabilize the trail, and build rock turnpikes to repair muddy sections of the trail and improve drainage.
North Bend council approves personnel restructuring
June 1, 2011
The North Bend City Council voted to reorganize the city’s administrative and financial departments at its May 3 meeting.
The reorganization met with stiff opposition when first proposed in April. In a rare sign of dissension, the council voted 4-3 to have an ordinance drafted for the reorganization.
But the council unanimously supported the finished ordinance a few weeks later.
The reorganization was written in part to retain Cheryl Proffitt-Schmidt, who until April 1 had been city clerk. To keep her from leaving, the administration offered her a new position as director of administrative services.
But the position didn’t exist until the City Council approved it.
In her new role, Proffitt-Schmidt will oversee the city’s financial and administrative operations.
Assistant Finance Director Stan Lewis will become the city’s finance manager. Deputy City Clerk Susie Oppedahl has taken over Proffitt-Schmidt’s former position. Snoqualmie has used a similar structure for at least six years. The proposal eliminates the city’s finance director position.
Letters
June 1, 2011
Baseball champs thank fans for their support
Fans, I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you followers of the baseball program this year!
These young men achieved something that has never been accomplished in 60 years at Mount Si High School. They may only be young men, but they will go down as Legends in the surrounding community.
It has been my pleasure in my first year as head coach at Mount Si to bring a State Championship to the Valley for all to enjoy. This is not just a feat for the baseball program, but for the entire Wildcat Nation!
This was not just a team, but rather a family that bonded together to achieve a goal that not many can say they have done before. These young men have earned the credit they so rightfully deserve!
It is amazing what can be achieved when no one cares who receives the credit. Hard work always prevails. Please join me in congratulating these young men on their historical season — 2011 KingCo 3A Regular Season Champions, 2011 KingCo 3A Tournament Champions and the 2011 3A State Champions!
Elliott Cribby, head coach
Mount Si baseball
State championship holds life lessons for all
June 1, 2011
The Mount Si High School Wildcats’ spectacular rally against the Shorewood Thunderbirds to take the 3A state baseball championship holds important lessons for all of us.
It is easy to dismiss sports as mere games. To be sure, they are games. But they are games that can teach us valuable life lessons.
Down to their last out and trailing 4-2, the Wildcats could have tucked tail and folded. Other teams might have done so. When facing similar long odds in life, many people would give up.
But Mount Si’s ballplayers and coaches refused to go quietly from Tacoma’s Cheney Stadium. They drew on their skills and training, honed during countless hours of practice. Championships are not built in a moment. They are the product of long hours of hard work — with a bit of luck for good measure.
Success is not seized in a single stroke. It comes by being prepared to act when opportunity presents itself.
That is what Mount Si did by chipping away at Shorewood’s lead. The Wildcats got batters on base and moved them around to tie the game, and then to win it.
Police & Fire
June 1, 2011
Snoqualmie police
Lost dog
At 10:13 a.m. May 21, police responded to a call from the 39000 block of Alpha Street. A caller said a black dog was behaving aggressively toward people. Officers located the dog, which was not aggressive at all toward the officers. Apparently he had escaped from his yard.
No driving for you, really
At 9:10 p.m. May 21, police stopped a black Volkswagen Jetta near the intersection of Snoqualmie Parkway and Southeast Swenson Drive. A status check showed the registration had expired. The driver had no license, but did have an ignition interlock installed on the dashboard. A second check showed the driver had a suspended license. Police told him he would receive a citation and told him not to drive until his license was reinstated. He was released to await a licensed driver to pick up the car.
Craigslist ad highlights marijuana growth
June 1, 2011
Looking for a large home on a quiet street with a greenhouse for growing marijuana?
Well, one house in North Bend has everything you’re looking for, according to a listing on craigslist.
The ad highlights the traditional selling points of the property — four bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms, 3,500 square feet — and some less traditional attractions, like growing marijuana.
The home’s greenhouse is set up for growing marijuana, flowers or veggies, according to the ad.
It could even support a lucrative home business. “(Growing) 45 plants at a time, you can easily grow over $125,000 in crop per summer and take the winters off or grow indoors during the winter,” the ad reads.
The listing, which doesn’t give an address, is asking $500,000 to start a short sale.
