Mount Si takes to the air in win at Interlake
September 30, 2011
 Mount Si quarterback Ryan Atkinson looks for receivers during the Wildcats' 26-14 win at Interlake on Friday, Sept. 30. Atkinson had two touchdown passes. |
Mount Si started strong, wavered and refocused to win 26-14 at Interlake.
The Wildcats dominated the first half, taking a 17-0 lead into halftime. The offense faltered in the second half, but still managed to tack on another 9 points.
Despite the school’s reputation for smash-mouth football, the team wasn’t afraid of putting the ball in the air.
“In our attempt to diversify our offense, which means passing for us, you know, it would be second and four, and we’d pass the ball,” Wildcats head coach Charlie Kinnune said. “So, normally, a Mount Si offense would be second and four, and we’d jam it down their throat.”
Mount Si leads Interlake 17-0 at half
September 30, 2011
Mount Si has dominated the first half against Interlake, taking a 17-0 lead into the locker room.
The Wildcats’ offense has been running smoothly down the field on the ground and in the air against the Saints’ defense.
Snoqualmie Valley’s Elk Management group begins study
September 28, 2011
Elk cross 428th Avenue Southeast in North Bend as a school bus picks up children for school. Elk and humans often cross paths in the Snoqualmie Valley. By Danny Raphael
With 31 elk tagged in the Snoqualmie Valley, the Upper Snoqualmie Valley Elk Management Group has now been able to commence its first scientific studies of the massive animals. Read more
King County officials want to know what you think about local rivers
September 28, 2011
By Dan Catchpole
From babbling Ribary Creek to the placid Snoqualmie River to roaring Snoqualmie Falls, rivers crisscross the upper Snoqualmie Valley — and King County, as well. They are a defining feature of the local geography.
With that in mind, King County is conducting a survey this month to gather residents’ opinions about rivers, how they are used and how they are managed.
The goal is to improve the county’s river management and communication practices.
“There are often tradeoffs for how rivers are managed, and we would like to have a sense of how familiar people are with those tradeoffs and how they prioritize them,” said Saffa Bardaro, the spokeswoman for King County’s River and Floodplain Management Section.
The survey is focused on the county’s management of its six major rivers: the Snoqualmie, Tolt, Raging, Cedar, Green and White rivers.
In managing the rivers, the county has to balance four major concerns: flooding, environmental protection, recreational access and safety.
The county wants “to improve the way we communicate about the work we are doing on rivers — such as flood risk-reduction projects, habitat restoration and recreational safety programs such as the recent lifejacket ordinance — and how that will impact rivers in the near and long term,” Bardaro said.
In an effort to bolster safety on the river, King County Council passed an ordinance in June that requires life jackets be used on rivers.
The ordinance expires Oct. 31, but it could be extended.
The ordinance prompted a great deal of public comment, both positive and negative.
The county’s flood management has drawn criticism from some Snoqualmie Valley residents who don’t like its let-it-flow approach, which tries to minimize how much the river is forced into an artificial channel.
In addition to people’s attitudes about river management, the survey will also collect information about how residents value rivers and their opinions about river recreation opportunities.
A local research firm will conduct a random telephone survey of 700 residents across the county during a two week period. Participation is anonymous.
Residents can also take the survey online at www.kingcounty.gov/rivers, where it will be posted for one month.
“We’re looking for feedback from a countywide perspective,” Bardaro said. “We’ll use the data to focus on where we can improve our communication about what we do; to identify barriers to lifejacket usage and how we can remove them; and to help base our decisions on a wider perspective that represents King County.”
On the Web
Survey: www.kingcounty.gov/rivers
King County information
River and Floodplain Management Section: Go to www.kingcounty.gov/environment/wlr, click on ‘Sections and programs’ in the left column, click on ‘River and Floodplain Management Section’
Flooding programs: www.kingcounty.gov/flood
River safety: www.kingcounty.gov/riversafety
Dan Catchpole: 392-6434, ext. 246, or editor@snovalleystar.com. Comment at www.snovalleystar.com.
Snoqualmie City Council race: insider vs. outsider
September 28, 2011
The race for Snoqualmie City Council’s Position No. 2 is another version of this election’s common theme: outsider versus insider. Like all races, it has a twist on the theme.
The outsider, Kevin Ostrem, thinks it’s time to bring new ideas to the council. The insider, Jeff MacNichols, thinks the city needs experience on the council. Both men say the city faces difficult financial times ahead, and must work to attract businesses and jobs to the area.
King County proposes no-cuts budget
September 28, 2011
For the first time since 2009, King County’s budget proposal has no cuts in it. Efficiencies and cost savings are to thank, County Executive Dow Constantine said when he presented his 2012 budget proposal to the County Council on Sept. 26.
“My proposed budget is balanced, with no further cuts to services in the General Fund, by working with employees to make this government more efficient,” Constantine said. “Surrounded everywhere by seas of red ink, we have made King County an island of relative stability.”
Constantine’s budget is $5.3 billion, with $648 million in the General Fund.
Editorial
September 28, 2011
Funds for county roads require local solution
On Monday, King County Executive Dow Constantine presented his proposed 2012 budget — with no cuts.
No cuts.
It is almost hard to believe in this era of seemingly endless budget crises, when every year seems to require another round of fiscal triage.
Letter
September 28, 2011
Business shouldn’t forget about the community
I am not truly sure what you meant by “business folks.” My childhood was explained in terms of finances from a father who has a PhD. in economics. I have successfully been in sales most of my life, and enjoy reading books about behavioral economics.
Furthermore, I am pro-business, providing it is bridled with a social conscious. It is not a straight matter of bringing in commerce for the local economy. It’s incorporating merchants whose values are congruent with our ideals. It’s incorporating merchants without forgetting about the people of the community.
By allowing this annexation to proceed it permits our City Council to say that business is more important than the people in Snoqualmie.
The site has already been assessed positive for toxic waste and flood mitigation, both of which were to be moderated upon annexation by Weyerhaeuser. The council and mayor know this and are trying to circumvent these obligations.
In the interest of business I find it interesting that no one has proposed the idea of forcing Weyerhaeuser to clean up the mill site. That would take several years with hundreds of workers and would leave behind viable parcels of land.
In addition, with the area returned to flood storage, our schools will not have to front $2 million per flood event. By the way, remember this figure when the schools ask for money or can’t expand because of finances.
Chris Schotzko
Snoqualmie
Share your views
Citizens can make a difference by contacting their elected representatives.
State — 5th District
Sen. Cheryl Pflug (R), 415 Legislative Building, P.O. Box 40405, Olympia, WA 98504-0405, 360-786-7608; 413-5333; pflug.cheryl@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Glenn Anderson (R), 417 JLOB, P.O. Box 40600, Olympia WA 98504-0600; 360-786-7876; 222-7092; anderson.glenn@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Jay Rodne (R), 441 JLOB, P.O. Box 40600, Olympia, WA 98504-0600; 360-786-7852; rodne.jay@leg.wa.gov
Toll-free Legislative Hotline: 800-562-6000.
County
King County Executive Dow Constantine, King County Chinook Building
401 Fifth Ave., Suite 800, Seattle, WA 98104; 206-296-4040; or kcexec@kingcounty.gov
King County Councilwoman Kathy Lambert, District 3. King County Courthouse, 516 Third Ave., Room 1200, Seattle, WA 98104; 206-296-1003; 800-325-6165; kathy.lambert@king- county.gov
North Bend
Mayor Ken Hearing, mayor@northbendwa.gov
Councilman and Mayor Pro Tem Dee Williamson, dwilliamson@northbendwa.gov
Councilman Jonathan Rosen, jrosen@northbendwa.gov
Councilman Chris Garcia, cgarcia@northbendwa.gov
Councilman Alan Gothelf, agothelf@northbendwa.gov
Councilman Ross Loudenback, rloudenback@northbendwa.gov
Councilman David Cook, dcook@northbendwa.gov
Councilwoman Jeanne Pettersen, jpettersen@northbendwa.gov
Write to the mayor and City Council at City of North Bend, P.O. Box 896, North Bend, WA 98045. Call 888-1211.
Snoqualmie
Mayor Matt Larson, 888-5307; mayor@ci.snoqualmie.wa.us
Councilman Robert Jeans, 396-4427; bjeans@ci.snoqualmie.wa.us
Councilman Jeff MacNichols, 396-4597; macnichols@sbmhlaw
Councilman Bryan Holloway, 396-5216; bholloway@ci.snoqualmie.wa.us
Councilman Kingston Wall, 206-890-9125; kwall@ci.snoqualmie.wa.us
Councilwoman Maria Henriksen, 396-5270; mhenriksen@ci.snoqualmie.wa.us
Councilman Charles Peterson, 888-0773; cpeterson@ci.snoqualmie.wa.us
Councilwoman Kathi Prewitt, 888-3019; kprewitt@ci.snoqualmie.wa.us
Write to the mayor and City Council at City of Snoqualmie, P.O. Box 987, Snoqualmie, WA 98065. Call 888-1555.
Snoqualmie Valley School Board
President Caroline Loudenback, District 2, clouden8@comcast.net
Vice President Dan Popp, District 5, danpopp@microsoft.com
Craig Husa, District 3, craig@husas.com
Marci Busby, District 4, mbusby2831@aol.com
Scott Hodgins, District 1, gscott.hodgins@comcast.net
Write to the School Board at Snoqualmie Valley School Board, P.O. Box 400, Snoqualmie, WA 98065. Call 831-8000.
Home Country
September 28, 2011
Slim Randles Columnist
It wasn’t long at all before just about everyone in the valley knew about Dewey’s dream girl, Emily Stickles, she of the county office in charge of keeping an eye on things.
It wasn’t long at all because Dewey told everyone about it. Somewhere, deep inside him, was this urge to court this young lady successfully. So strong was this urge that Dewey set out to glean every scrap of advice from almost everyone he knew. It was as though he thought if he could just come up with an amalgam of methods, Emily would almost have to be his.
Redistricting could mean a more conservative 8th
September 28, 2011
Snoqualmie and North Bend could see their congressional district — the 8th — become more conservative based on plans released Sept. 13 by the panel responsible for redrawing Washington’s political map.
Three of the four plans unveiled by members of the Washington Redistricting Commission moved the 8th Congressional District to the east and across the Cascade Mountains.
