Warm up the holidays with gingerbread cookies
December 21, 2011
What would the holidays be without gingerbread boys?
Sugar, spice and everything nice… We could all use a little more of these things in our lives.
Start celebrating today with these cookies, which win in the category of “Most likely to make someone smile.”
Neighborhood can’t leave school district
December 21, 2011
The Snoqualmie Valley School District denied a petition from Sammamish neighbors to leave and join the Lake Washington district.
On Dec. 1, two Sammamish residents, speaking on behalf of their neighbors told Valley school board members that they liked the education their children received, but the schools were too far from their homes. Schools like Eastlake High School, they said, were much closer.
Members from both districts met Dec. 12 and decided that the petition hurt more than helped both districts.
Police Blotter
December 21, 2011
Snoqualmie police
DUI
At 5:59 p.m. Dec. 10, police traveling north on Snoqualmie Parkway saw a car travel in the same direction without lights on. The car had no taillights, dim front driving lights and was traveling at about 10 mph under the speed limit.
When the vehicle stopped, just south of Fisher Street, the driver rolled down the window and the smell of marijuana emanated from the car. The driver had red, watery eyes and constricted pupils.
He told police he had a license, he just did not know where and identified himself with his passport. Police told him they could smell the pot and asked him where it was.
The driver, 42-year-old Travis Boothe, handed police a small container with about one gram of marijuana and a pipe.
Letters
December 21, 2011
Heartfelt thank you to Snoqualmie Valley residents
With the demand for toys increasing since 2009, the kindness and generosity of the people in the Snoqualmie Valley has shown brightly this holiday season. The Snoqualmie Valley Toy Drive doubled the toys received from the past two years combined! Hundreds of terrific new toys were collected including four brand new bicycles to benefit the Kiwanis Giving Tree.
A special thanks goes out to Deputy Amy Jarboe for all her hard work in expanding the toy drive to the King County Sheriff’s Office in North Bend and hosting a special visit from Santa Claus.
We appreciate the Sheriff’s Office allowing her to use their facilities to collect so many toys.
Eric Thies earns Eagle Scout award
December 21, 2011
Eric Thies, of Sammamish Troop 571, received his Eagle Scout Award in a Court of Honor ceremony Dec. 11 at the Skyline High School Theater.
For his Eagle project, Thies led a crew of volunteers in the construction of stairway railing and installation of pathway lighting at Valley Camp in North Bend. The planning and completion of the project took almost 125 hours.
On the road to Eagle Scout, Thies earned 28 merit badges, hiked more than 350 miles, spent 75 nights camping and provided more than 160 hours of community service.
New Mount Si Senior Center director is earning rave reviews
December 21, 2011
One month into the job, with the paint on her new office’s walls still looking immaculate, Mount Si Senior Center Director B.J. Libby lets out a sigh that is three parts contentment and one part impatience.
“I can’t wait for the honeymoon to be over,” she said, “so I can engage in the work of the center.”
Center members and visitors seem to think Libby is already plenty engaged and engaging.
Bus driver teaches safety with a beat
December 21, 2011
School bus driver Chuck Smith in what he calls his 'office.' Smith has become a celebrity of sorts among his student-passengers, who love how Smith gives his safety lecture as a rap song. By Sebastian Moraga
Portly and with a long white beard, Chuck Smith resembles someone he’s quite familiar with, Santa Claus.
Add his red cap to the picture and he resembles Denver Pyle, the actor who played Uncle Jesse in the old “The Dukes of Hazzard” TV show.
County offers stress relief tips
December 21, 2011
Feeling stressed by the holidays?
King County has some helpful suggestions for managing stress.
Stress is a natural part of daily living, but when it is not addressed, it can affect many parts of a person’s life, including productivity and performance on the job.
Workplace stress causes about 1 million U.S. employees to miss work each day, according to the county’s Mental Health, Chemical Abuse and Dependency Services Division’s website.
More importantly, stress impacts a person’s health. Chronic stress weakens the immune system, which can cause fatigue and leave a person more vulnerable to colds and flu, according to the agency.
What will you do with your Christmas tree?
December 21, 2011
When the holidays have come and gone, here are a few options for disposing of live trees.
- Drop off at the corner of Snoqualmie Parkway and state Route 202, Dec. 27 through Jan. 15. Flocked trees and those with tinsel, decorations and tree nails will not be accepted. This service is provided free of charge by the Snoqualmie and King County Solid Waste Divisions.
- Pick Up by the Boy Scouts, Jan. 7. Local Boy Scout troops will collect Christmas trees left at the end of your driveway by 8 a.m. Jan. 7.
Flocked trees and those with tinsel, decorations and tree nails will not be accepted.
A donation of $10 is suggested with checks made payable to BSA Troop 425. Place the donation in an envelope and attach it to the base of the tree with a rubber band.
Boy Scouts will distribute envelopes to residences in mid-December.
- Recycle trees. The King County Tree-Cycling webpage has a list of options for recycling your Christmas tree on the Eastside. Go to the page at http://1.usa.gov/5byOmR.
Nature Conservancy says real trees make for a greener Christmas
This Christmas season, the Nature Conservancy in Washington is telling people to go with real trees and not artificial ones.
“If you choose a real Christmas tree over an artificial one, count yourself among the ‘greener’ holiday makers,” said Jon Hoekstra, science director for The Nature Conservancy in Washington.
Each year, only about 10 percent of trees being grown for use at Christmas are cut down, according to a news release from the Nature Conservancy. In the U.S., people use about 30 million out of 350-500 million trees being grown on tree farms across the country, including several in the upper Snoqualmie Valley.
At the same time, about 10 million artificial trees are purchased each year, with most coming from China, according to the Nature Conservancy. Most artificial trees are not recyclable.
Using real trees helps keep more land covered by trees.
There are other ways to have a greener holiday:
- Use LED lights;
- Use garland made from popcorn or cranberries, rather than tinsel, which can’t be recycled; and
- Use (and re-use) heirloom ornaments.
Grade-schoolers learn lessons “en Español”
December 21, 2011
Emily Dann (left) listens as instructor Kimberly Houde teaches her and the rest of her after-school Spanish class about the solar system and the universe. Dann joined a handful of grade schoolers at Cascade View Elementary School to learn the basics of the language. By Sebastian Moraga
Some things don’t change, even if the language does.
Seven grade-schoolers played bingo in Spanish. Dec. 14 at Cascade View Elementary School.
The mechanics of the game stayed the same. Listen for the number to get called and drop a marker on your card.
The mechanics of the children also stayed the same.
After losing the first two games, second-grader Jordan Raybon asked instructor Kimberly Houde, “Can we play until I win?”
