Weyerhaeuser mill site annexation schedule set
August 24, 2011
Ross Bentley, the soft-spoken former professional driver and current president of DirtFish Rally School, wants someone to tell him what to do.
“What we want is someone to tell us what we can do and what we can’t do. Right now, it’s a bit vague,” Bentley said. “Tell us what the regulations are, tell us what we can and can’t do, and we’ll operate that way.”
DirtFish sits on land in unincorporated King County, but Snoqualmie is considering annexing the site, which until 2003 was a working Weyerhaeuser wood mill. The site is still dominated by former mill buildings.
The Snoqualmie City Council set a schedule for moving forward with the proposed annexation at its Aug. 22 meeting. The nonbinding timeline would have the annexation completed by November.
While the council has not voted in favor of the annexation, several of its seven members have spoken favorably about the proposal. Still, all members have said they want more information before they commit the city to anything.
Many local residents are hoping to slow the annexation process down or stop it altogether. The proposal’s opposition has raised a broad range of concerns, many of which have nothing to do with DirtFish directly. But some residents do want to shut the business down because, they say, it hurts residents’ quality of life and home values in the area.
Voters overwhelmingly renew veterans levy
August 24, 2011
King County voters overwhelmingly supported renewing the Veterans and Human Services Levy until 2017 in the Aug. 16 election. Money collected by the levy supports social services in and around the Snoqualmie Valley.
The measure, Proposition 1, garnered 69 percent of the vote in early returns released by King County Elections. By Aug. 22, more than 332,000 ballots had been counted. That is about 30 percent of registered voters.
The levy renewal is expected to generate $100 million for a wide range of social services through 2017. The money will be split 50-50 between programs for veterans and for King County’s neediest residents.
Organizations operating in the Snoqualmie Valley and the surrounding area, such as Friends of Youth and Hopelink, receive money from the existing levy.
Schools face another lean budget year
August 24, 2011
The Snoqualmie Valley School District is getting less money this year from the state and federal governments.
The district’s budget is about the same as last year, but its enrollment is expected to grow by about 2 percent. That leaves fewer dollars to spend per student compared to last year.
The biggest cuts are in money for a classroom size reduction program for kindergarten through fourth grade, federal stimulus funds and salary reductions. Despite the tight budget situation, the district’s proposed plan does not include any layoffs. It actually adds the equivalent of three and a half full-time teaching positions to handle the expected enrollment growth.
The district’s board of directors asked for a balanced budget that did not dip into its roughly $3.6 million in reserve — about 8.7 percent of the overall budget. The district might have to use that money depending on the outcome of ongoing negotiations with the Snoqualmie Valley Education Association, the teachers’ union.
Grappling with a looming budget shortfall, the state cut the money given to districts for teacher salaries by 1.9 percent — or the equivalent of five work days — for the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 school years.
“They basically say ‘We’re going to pay less, and let you deal with it,’” said Ryan Stokes, the district’s director of Business Services.
The district has proposed making up the difference for this school year. The district has not decided what it will do about the state’s decision to cut pay for administrative and classified staff by 3 percent, Stokes said.
DirtFish president pens eighth book on racing
August 24, 2011
Ross Bentley, president of DirtFish Rally School, has had his eighth book about automotive racing published.
The book, “Ultimate Speed Secrets: The Racer’s Bible,” was recently released by Motorbooks.
A longtime racing enthusiast, Bentley’s first guide to driving came out in 1998.
His latest work is aimed at helping novice and experienced racers improve their performance on the track.
“My main goal is to help you learn more in a shorter period of time,” Bentley writes in the book’s introduction.
Many racers focus on making their cars go faster, rather than making themselves better drivers, according to Bentley.
Snoqualmie is currently considering annexing the property occupied by DirtFish Rally School.
Bentley also runs a consulting firm focused on improving business performance. He and his family live in Issaquah.
Apply now for tourism grants in Snoqualmie
August 24, 2011
The city of Snoqualmie’s Lodging Tax Advisory Committee is accepting applications for grants to support tourism-related services provided in the city next year.
Local organizations that accommodate activities for tourists and positively impact tourism in the upper Snoqualmie Valley are eligible to apply.
The money to support the grants comes from the city’s share of the 2 percent lodging tax levied in Snoqualmie.
The grant awards support to eligible organizations or groups that are encouraging tourism, and for certain capital, operating and maintenance expenses for tourism facilities.
See city government from the inside
August 24, 2011
Snoqualmie is offering a free seven-week course for citizens to get a first-hand look at how the city’s government works.
The sessions will be led by Snoqualmie city leaders, officials and department heads.
The course’s sessions are designed to be informal, interactive and fun. Some sessions will include tours of city facilities.
“The Citizens Academy is a terrific way to get to know your city and its inner workings,” Trapper Bailey, a Citizens Academy graduate, said in a news release from the city. “We all deserve to understand how our government works, and this course is a great way to get up to speed. I especially enjoyed touring the city facilities and learning the history of our city.”
The course begins Sept. 14 with a look back at Snoqualmie’s history and a look to the city’s future.
Over the course’s seven weeks, participants will learn what a mayor-council form of government is, where city revenues come from, where property taxes go, who is responsible for capital planning, how public safety programs are enacted, how citizens can be more involved in the decisions that influence their quality of life and more.
The sessions are from 6-8:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Sept. 14 through Oct. 19, at Snoqualmie City Hall, 38624 S.E. River St. There is also a session from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 8, at the Snoqualmie Police Department, 34825 S.E. Douglas St.
The course is open to 30 residents. Get an application at the city’s website, www.cityofsnoqualmie.org. Click on the “Citizens Academy” link beneath “Community Activities.” Applications are also available at City Hall.
New fire station opens at the pass
August 24, 2011
After more than a decade of work, Snoqualmie Pass has a new fire station.
Snoqualmie Pass Fire and Rescue had been trying to find land for a new station since the mid-1990s. But the mostly-volunteer fire department made little headway.
In 2009, the department was given three acres of U.S. Forest Service land by a federal land conveyance act. The bill was backed by Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-WA, in the Senate.
“For too long, Snoqualmie Pass Fire and Rescue has served one of the most traveled mountain passes in the nation out of a 1920s era Forest Service maintenance shed that was never intended to house a fire station,” Cantwell said in a news statement. “This new station will enable faster response times, greater emergency preparedness, and allow the volunteer fire fighters to more safely and efficiently respond to emergencies.”
Fire Station 291 was built with a federal stimulus grant of more than $4 million. The station opened in July.
Editorial
August 24, 2011
Compromise legislation worked, more is needed
Last week, government worked, and it was amazing to behold.
The King County Council passed bipartisan, compromise legislation creating a $20 car tab fee to keep Metro bus service at current service levels.
This is the way our elected leaders are supposed to work.
We in this state and region have become accustomed to holding a referendum on just about everything, sending every little tax to the voters. Fear of voters blaming state legislators and County Council members keeps them from making the tough decisions.
For all our throwing around of the word democracy, we don’t live in one. This is a republic. The citizens are supposed to elect leaders to actually lead. And if you don’t like what they did, don’t vote for them in the next election.
Evidence shows county’s new life vest rule is ineffective so far
August 24, 2011
Betsey Brocco was enjoying the Snoqualmie River recently when she saw what she called a “party barge” — a collection of inner tubes and rafts lashed together — float down the river between Snoqualmie Falls and Fall City.
The people of the barge were clearly drinking and not wearing life jackets.
The marine unit of the King County Sheriff’s Office cruised past the collection of inner tubes and rafts, Brocco said.
It left her with one question: Why did the King County Council pass a measure requiring life vests to be worn by anyone swimming, floating or boating on major rivers in unincorporated areas of the county if it isn’t enforced?
“It makes you wonder, what’s the point?” said Brocco, who lives near Fall City.
King County officials say that it is being enforced but anecdotal accounts offer a mixed picture.
Since the ordinance became effective July 1, the sheriff’s office has issued more than 100 written warnings, but not a single $86 ticket, according to information released by the county.
Part of the problem has to do with where the enforcement is taking place, according to Sgt. Rodney Chinnick, a sheriff’s office spokesman.
“Their No. 1 priority is life safety, and that includes operating their vessel safely,” he said.
On rivers and lakes, sheriff’s deputies can’t always stop to enforce an infraction.
Eastside Fire & Rescue offers water safety tips
August 24, 2011
As the temperatures reach summer levels, Eastside Fire & Rescue has released some safety suggestions for those looking to enjoy local rivers.
Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional deaths for children younger than 18, according to information supplied by the fire service. Further, most drownings occur in outdoor settings, such as lakes, rivers and ponds.
EFR offers the following suggestions when participating in recreational activities on local rivers.
- When possible, swim where lifeguards are present. Children who are in or near water should be supervised by a sober, attentive adult.
- Stay within designated swimming areas. Swimming beyond designated areas in lakes and rivers is a factor in the drowning deaths of Washington teenagers and adults. Be cautious of sudden drop-offs. Because rivers are constantly moving, they can carve new channels, bring trees down into the river and create new drop-offs.
- Many rivers and lakes remain cold all summer, even if they are warm on the surface. It’s hard to swim in cold water, especially when one is tired. Hypothermia can set in quickly.
- Know your limits; stop before you are too tired.
- Weather and water conditions can change quickly. Check weather forecasts and be prepared for adverse conditions.
- Set limits with your children: when they can go in the water; where they can go; who needs to be there; and what they should have with them.
Learn more at www.cdc.gov/Homeand-RecreationalSafety/Water-Safety/waterinjuries-factsheet.html.
Learn more safety tips from Eastside Fire & Rescue at http://www.eastsidefire-rescue.org.
