At those levels, emergency departments are required to have protocols in place and meet several performance goals.

Goals include having EKGs completed within 10 minutes and transferring to a higher level facility for a heart attack within a half-hour.

Hospitals must have a full range of specialists, like neurosurgeons, and highly sophisticated equipment available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to earn Level 1 status.

“Snoqualmie Valley Hospital has effectively developed strong collaborative relationships with area hospitals,” Director of Nursing Rachel Weber said in a press release, “to assure that patients receive the right care at the right time regardless of where that care occurs.”

The Middle Fork-South Fork invasive weed project trains volunteers to survey along the trails of the Middle Fork Snoqualmie Valley and in the upper South Fork Snoqualmie watershed.

Help survey the area’s trail system for invasive weeds to stop them before they get entrenched. Workers are surveying trails from Mount Si near North Bend to Dutch Miller Gap in the heart of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

Upcoming orientation:

When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 23

Where: North Bend Ranger Station, Back Conference Hall,

902 S.E. North Bend Way

What: Training and orientation for volunteer weed surveyors including a survey hike in the Middle Fork Valley

Details: Bring water, lunch, hiking shoes and other hiking essentials.

Attendees will carpool from the ranger station and return by 5 p.m.

Sign up or learn more by contacting Sasha Shaw at sasha.shaw@kingcounty.gov or 206-296-0290.

But good things are happening in the Snoqualmie Valley thanks to dedicated volunteers at the Snoqualmie Valley Pet Food Bank.

For the past four years the Pet Food Bank, inspired and started by Snoqualmie resident Louis Oien, has been handing out donated pet food at the Mount Si Helping Hand Food Bank in North Bend the first Wednesday of every month to low-income pet owners in need.

By Sebastian Moraga Tracy Skylstad, of North Bend’s Pooch Play, loads bags of dog and cat food into her truck at The Humane Society for Seattle/King County warehouse. The bags will be donated to the Mount Si Helping Hand Food Bank so food bank customers can feed their pets.

“I’m just thrilled to be part of it,” said Dusty Cavaliere, the current Pet Food Bank director.

Nicknamed “the pet food lady,” Cavaliere took over the program last August and has seen a steady increase in donations and need.

What began in 2008 with just 17 bags and 300 pounds of food has ballooned into 300 bags and roughly 2,300 pounds of food last April.

And the numbers continue to rise.

It is one of the largest pet-food distribution programs on the Eastside, with roughly 1,800 pounds of food — the maximum allowed — donated to the Pet Food Bank each month, according to the Seattle Humane Society.

While the majority of donations come from the humane society, Cavaliere has worked with local businesses, including Pet Place Market and U-Dirty Dog, to set up donation bins to help meet the need.

“No one can do everything, but everyone can do something,” Cathi Linden, of U-Dirty Dog, said. “Whatever we can do to give back, we’re there.”

Cavaliere has taken to Facebook and created a Pet Food Bank website to help increase exposure.

Community support in the Valley has been an overwhelmingly positive thing since the program’s inception.

“Neighbors will drop food off on my porch because they know,” Cavaliere said. “If people give me money, I buy pet food. If they give me food, I hand it out.”

While food is the primary requested item, anything and everything pet related is welcomed and given away. Used toys, dog collars, kitty litter — people appreciate it all, according to Cavaliere.

Still, requests continue to grow for food and the supply doesn’t always meet demand.

“We’re really a supplement. We don’t hand out enough food to sustain them for the month,” she said. “When donations are down, I give out less food.”

Getting the donated food from the humane society in Bellevue to the Pet Food Bank has been a task in and of itself since the program began, but Tracy Skylstad, owner of Pooch Play in North Bend, has been making the trip by truck since 2008.

Skylstad, who originally used her own truck to move the food, quickly switched to the dog bus (a converted King County Access bus she uses for Pooch Play) in order to accommodate the increased load.

Although it can take anywhere from a couple of hours up to four hours to transport, sort and bag the food, Skylstad said she is happy to help in any way she can.

“I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that we are a very pet-friendly area,” she said. “People that have pets care about other people that have pets.”

The mission of the Pet Food Bank is to make a difference in the lives of low-income pet owners by offering food for their pets.

“For a lot of people out there who have lost their job or might be in a tough financial position, having a pet brings comfort,” Skylstad said. “You shouldn’t have to compromise having a pet for that.”

Jacob Rogers is a student in the University of Washington Department of Communication News Laboratory. Comment at www.snovalleystar.com.

How to help

Donate money or food to help low-income pet owners in need at www.facebook.com/svpetfoodbank.

For a fisherman, that’s a frustrating evening.

For the ladies in Casting for Recovery, it’s a step forward.

By Sebastian Moraga Judy Graham, left, trains cancer survivor Jane Gutting how to cast a line on the Snoqualmie River. Graham helps run Casting for Recovery, a fishing-based therapy group for breast cancer survivors.

Casting for Recovery uses fly-fishing as therapy for women recovering from breast cancer.

On April 28, women practiced the casting motion with no hook, but that was almost beside the point for these ladies.

“We use casting as a way to cope with the treatment and the recovery,” said Judy Graham, the coordinator of the Washington chapter of the Vermont-based program.

“The casting motion is also really beneficial” to breast muscles, she added.

On this day, Graham and cancer survivors like Jane Gutting met in Fall City for a casting clinic as part of a two-and-a-half day retreat.

“We talk about how we deal about different aspects of breast cancer,” Graham said.

“Mental and emotional” as well as physical, she added.

On this bright morning, the women enjoyed hours of casting and 15 minutes of fame, as a TV crew from Seattle interviewed Graham and the women.

And while fishing season on rivers was still weeks away, past seasons have turned neophytes into devotees of the activity.

“I just started going to retreats this past October,” Gutting said. “I caught two trout and I was hooked.”

Graham said that instead of a session where people spill their troubles and struggles, the fishing allows people to relax and recharge their batteries, sometimes drained by long sessions of radiation or chemotherapy.

“We’re not just talking about it,” Gutting said. “We are fishing. Every once in a while, we stop and say, ‘So, how are you doing?’”

The retreats leave the women feeling renewed, surrounded by friends, and filled with memories that last a long time.

“It’s so beautiful out here,” Gutting said. “How can you not be happy?”

Sebastian Moraga: 392-6434, ext. 221, or smoraga@snovalleystar.com. Comment at www.snovalleystar.com.

With her son’s home risking foreclosure, she said she felt a responsibility to take herself to the street, sign in hand, and protest the corporate policies that hurt her child.

“He’s gotten the runaround, he’s gotten a lot of harassment,” she said, later adding, “They just don’t want to work with him.”

Her son’s mortgage was with Wells Fargo, but there Krieger stood, outside the North Bend branch of Bank of America with other supporters of MoveOn.org.

By Sebastian Moraga Christopher Chapman, Megan McInnis and Luz Krieger demonstrate outside the North Bend branch of Bank of America. The demonstration, organized by area members of MoveOn.org, sought to protest the corporate policies they see as favoring large companies to the detriment of citizens.

The difference did not seem to bother Krieger, a resident of Duvall. The two banks’ policies, she said, look a lot alike, and Bank of America’s have hurt a lot of people, too.

“I decided it was time to let people know what’s happening to other people and try to affect some change,” Krieger said.

The protest (“demonstration,” Bonnie Lawlor, an organizer of the event, corrected), occurred as a show of solidarity with those demonstrating in North Carolina, site of Bank of America’s shareholders’ meeting May 9.

Hundreds of people protested in Charlotte. On Bendigo Boulevard in North Bend, about 10 showed up. Still, they said, the support was palpable.

Drivers honked their horns or waved. Demonstrator Christopher Chapman, from Snoqualmie, said reaction to the demonstration was positive. No middle fingers or downturned thumbs.

“Nothing hostile,” he said. “Normally there’s more hostility.”

That shows, Lawlor said, that people feel the way the demonstrators feel: like banks and other corporations have not played fair with the American public.

Demonstrator Nance Myhre, of Fall City, agreed.

“That means the 99 percent concept is real,” she said.

Chapman said the demonstrators hoped to engineer more interest in the cause, so that more demonstrations happen in small towns and not just in big cities.

Lawlor said some bigger fish need frying, too.

“The attempt is to hold Bank of America accountable for many corporate abuses it’s perpetrating,” Lawlor said. “They haven’t paid their taxes for several years, they are raking huge amounts of money and they are responsible for more foreclosures than any other bank in the country.”

Bank of America and other corporations, Lawlor said, have shown they do not care.

“I can’t grasp how they cannot care,” she said, “and not do whatever they have the power to do to make things better.”

Krieger said plenty of sin is there to go around. The Obama administration has reacted slowly to corporate predators, she said.

“There’s something deeply immoral about these corporations that caused the meltdown in the first place and then being given bailout money twice,” she said. “Then they turn around, give their CEOs millions of dollars in bonuses, and then they put people on the street. Something is wrong with that.”

Sebastian Moraga: 392-6434, ext. 221, or smoraga@snovalleystar.com. Comment at www.snovalleystar.com.

Two groups of longtime friends, Mount Si Senior Center members and the area’s Girl Scouts, renewed their friendship with an annual afternoon tea in North Bend on April 20.

It was the 11th edition of the tea, where the Girl Scouts prepare and serve food for senior citizens, including B.J. Libby, the center’s director, who is also a Girl Scout.

“Some of the best years of my life,” Libby said of her time as camp counselor for the Girl Scouts.

By Sebastian Moraga Girl Scouts from the Valley hosted the 11th annual Girl Scout Tea with the members of the Mount Si Senior Center. Natalie Brookes and other older Girl Scouts began the tradition more than a decade ago and as they prepare to graduate high school, they passed on the teapot to younger Girl Scouts like Lindsey Flanagan.

Reminiscences aside, a mixture of joy and melancholy reigned during the tea. The first generation of girls to serve the tea 11 years ago is graduating high school this year. This was their last tea.

“They were in the second grade when they started,” said Jo Ann Brookes, troop leader for Girl Scout Troop 41784.

Taylor Wiles, one of the graduating seniors, has participated in the last five teas. She said she likes the camaraderie that builds between women and women-to-be, sometimes standing decades apart.

“They are hilarious ladies,” she said. “They are pretty fantastic. I really would not want to do this tea if it weren’t for them. I wouldn’t keep coming back every year if we didn’t have the same ladies coming back.”

Carmen Krochel highlighted the things she had learned from some of the senior citizens over the years, remembering a chat she had with one of them, a onetime resident of an Issaquah very different from today’s.

“She lived there before there were any stores,” Krochel said. “She had to go to Seattle if she wanted something.”

As the graduating Girl Scouts chatted at one table and the grownups talked at another, younger Girl Scouts looked on, some amused and some awed.

Wiles said younger Girl Scouts should continue with the tradition, even as their schedules get busier and they get older.

“It is a bit of work,” she said, later adding it gives girls a chance to leave their comfort zone.

“Little girls especially, and a lot of teenagers, don’t get the chance to talk to adults outside of their family. That kind of interaction is interesting. It’s rewarding,” Wiles said.

Sebastian Moraga: 392-6434, ext. 221, or smoraga@snovalleystar.com.

Place ingredients for icing in a medium-large bowl and set aside while butter and cream cheese come to room temperature.

Syrup ingredients:

4 ounces cream cheese

4 tablespoons butter

Lemon coconut pancakes with cream cheese syrup

3 cups powdered sugar

Juice of half a lemon

Zest of lemon (optional)

Dash of salt

Few drops of water if needed to reach the consistency you would like

To make these fresh, sweet puffs of perfection, begin by measuring out the dry ingredients and set aside.

Dry ingredients:

1 cup flour

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Place wet ingredients into a medium-large bowl.

Wet ingredients:

1/2 cup milk

2 large eggs

Zest of 1 to 2 lemons

3/4 cup juice from 1 to 2 fresh lemons (Use water to fill 3/4 cup measure to make up for any shortage in the amount of lemon juice.)

Sift all dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir well. Stir in 1 cup of sweetened coconut.

Give your batter a sniff. There it is. That is spring in a bowl. You’re welcome.

Preheat a good quality nonstick pan on just below medium-low heat.  Allow batter to sit while pan preheats and then use a 1/4 cup measure to scoop batter into pan then smooth the pancake out just a bit.

Tips for how to cook a perfect pancake:

Never use a scratched nonstick pan. Keep your nonstick pans in a special location all their own to prevent scratching and only use plastic and wooden utensils when cooking with them.

Don’t use too much sugar. Too much sugar in the batter will make the pancakes burn.

Preheat your pan. If you’re not sure what temperature will work best on your stove, try low and slowly work your way up one smidge at a time until you find a heat that is perfect for pancakes and then remember it for the future. You can’t speed up the cooking time by using a higher heat or they will simply burn.

Low and slow. Cooking at a low heat does two things. It helps the bottom not to burn before the inside finishes cooking and it helps the pancake to rise a bit.

Wait for the bubbles. When the bubbles start to form in the middle of the pancake and start popping around the outer edges, it’s time to flip.

After pancakes are cooked, blend syrup ingredients with hand mixer. Heat the syrup on low heat while continuously whisking until creamy, melted and warmed. If needed, add a few drops of water at a time after it’s cooked to make it the consistency you’d like it to be. Garnish with a fresh sprig of mint or a fresh pansy for a beautiful touch.

This recipe makes four 8-inch pancakes or eight 4-inch pancakes. In my opinion, the eight 4-inch pancakes taste considerably better.

Deanna Morauski owns, operates and cooks at the Old Hen Bed and Breakfast near North Bend with her husband, John. She also blogs about food and cooking at www.thecleverculinarian.com. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/clvrculinarian.

“So far, I’ve only caught rocks and seaweed,” said the 7-year-old from Kirkland.

Two of the three ponds behind the Snoqualmie Police Department on Douglas Avenue were lined with young anglers trying their luck at the May 5 derby.

At stake were prizes, like poles and fishing gear — not to mention bragging rights.

By Michele Mihalovich Doug Turnure (left) watches his son D.J. Turnure, 6, practice casting at the 63rd annual Kid’s Trout Derby in Snoqualmie. The Mount Si Fish and Game Club put on the derby.

Ruby Richter, 9, of Issaquah, came with the goal of winning, like she’d done in years past. But it wasn’t to be.

Prizes were awarded for the four fish that weighed the most for each age category from 5- to 14-year-olds, and her fish got bumped off the board.

The competition began at daybreak, and organizers who showed up at about 5:30 a.m. to set things up found children already casting lines.

Ericka Scholz of Normandy Park, one of the early birds, brought her twin, 6-year-old daughters.

By 9:30 a.m., not one fish had hit the girls’ Barbie and princess fishing pole lines.

“But we remain optimistic,” Scholz said.

Byron Brown, 5, of Snoqualmie, had no trouble whatsoever landing a fish — and not just any fish.

The shy little fisherman hooked a 2-pound, 10-ounce trophy trout, not only winning first place in the 5-year-old category, but landing the biggest fish of the derby.

This is the third year Brown has competed in the derby.

His uncle Chad Charbonneah has been bringing the seasoned pro to the derby to “teach him how to fish and learn values and good sportsmanship.”

It seemed to be working, because Brown left with a bag of fishing gear.

Garry Trussell, president of the Mount Si Fish and Game Club, said the derby is a fun way to get children interested in the sport of fishing.

“These kids are the future of fishing,” said Milton Keizer, a club member. “And it’s a day they will remember the rest of their lives.”

Michele Mihalovich: 392-6434, ext. 246, or editor@snovalleystar.com.

Yes, the “capitalized” game is an Internet craze, with people playing several games at once.

Comouche, an information technology specialist with the Sno Falls Credit Union, said the real charm lies in the “lowercase” version: talking with a friend and playing a game live and in person. No wi-fi, just the occasional high-fives.

Comouche and the North Bend-based Sallal Grange host Community Games Night at 7 p.m. the last Wednesday of every month.

By Sebastian Moraga Tiani Blakely tries to cure Peter Griffin from “Family Guy” of his latest ailment, during a round of “Operation” with her best friend Stephanie Turner. The Sallal Grange has started Community Games Night to get people away from the computer screen and the handheld phone and get them talking face to face again.

April 25 saw about a dozen people show up. Tables, chairs, snacks and a huge pile of games awaited.

“Every game has been donated by the community. That’s pretty awesome,” Comouche said, as teenagers and adults took their seats.

One room was almost full, the other one was almost empty.

“We’re the cool kids,” said Tiani Blakely, sitting with her best friend Stephanie Turner by themselves in the room, playing a “Family Guy” version of the game Operation.

Blakely said she liked the idea of a games night.

“You can come here with your family, but you can also spend time with friends and people you don’t know,” Blakely said.

In the other room, her family mingled, while she and Turner tried being surgeons.

So far, crowds amount to friends and family of Grange members. Comouche said things will change once more people learn about games night.

“I want to keep this going for as long as possible,” he said.

In summer, Comouche said he wants to take games night outdoors.

“Maybe set up some nets, play some badminton, some croquet, maybe a soccer ball,” he said.

The events are alcohol-free and free of charge, though the Grange appreciates donations to help pay for the light and heat bills.

Blakely’s father, Bill, the treasurer of the Grange, said games nights happen on Wednesdays to keep the building available on weekends.

“We kind of leave the weekend sacred for rentals,” he said, “which provide much-needed income to keep the place open.”

Comouche described games nights as family friendly, open to all ages.

Anthony Wallace and his girlfriend Taylor Reeves, both teenagers, put the family friendliness to the test, playing a game called “Dirty Minds.”

The game, clean despite its name, requires contestants to guess something based on clues that sound like double-entendres.

“It looked fun,” Reeves said.

To Wallace, the same could be said of games night.

“It’s a really good idea,” Wallace said. “It’s nice for people to get out from the house and do something face to face.”

Larry Houch, president of the Grange, agreed, saying the idea was not competing with technology, but  offering an alternative.

“I like the concept of an old-fashioned night,” he said. “I got a phone, I got apps. But it’s nice to talk to someone not over a wire.”

If you go

Community Games Night

7 p.m. May 30

Sallal Grange and  Community Hall

12912 432nd Ave. S.E. North Bend

888-0825

Sebastian Moraga: 392-6434, ext. 221, or smoraga@snovalleystar.com. Comment at www.snovalleystar.com.

The family-owned café, at 202 North Bend Way just west of Bendigo Boulevard, will open its doors May 12.

Pioneer’s Wholesale Manager DeAnna P. Haverfield will oversee the opening and direct the daily operation of the café. Haverfield, a longtime North Bend resident, said she believes the new retail location will have a mature feel to it, but will be an enjoyable location for families, as well.

She said that plans for a comfy couch as well as laptop tables and community board are in the works.

There have been no conflicts between humans and bears in Snoqualmie, but you may want to review safety tips for living in neighborhoods with black bears that is posted on the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife website at      http://wdfw.wa.gov/living.

According to the website, the best ways to avoid conflicts with bears are:

Don’t feed bears. Often people leave food out for bears so they can take pictures of them or show them to visiting friends. More than 90 percent of bear/human conflicts result from bears being conditioned to associate food with humans. A wild bear can become permanently food-conditioned after only one handout experience. The sad reality is that these bears will likely die, being killed by someone protecting their property, or by a wildlife manager having to remove a potentially dangerous bear.

Manage your garbage. Bears will expend a great amount of time and energy digging under, breaking down or crawling over barriers to get food, including garbage. If you have a pickup service, put garbage out shortly before the truck arrives — not the night before. If you’re leaving several days before pickup, haul your garbage to a dump. If necessary, frequently haul your garbage to a dumpsite to avoid odors.

Keep garbage cans with tight-fitting lids in a shed, garage or fenced area. Spray garbage cans and dumpsters regularly with disinfectants to reduce odors. Keep fish parts and meat waste in your freezer until they can be disposed of properly.

If bears are common in your area, consider investing in a commercially available bear-proof garbage container. Ask a local public park about availability or search the Internet for vendors.

The Snoqualmie Police Department requests that the public call 911 for each bear sighting. Dispatchers will send Snoqualmie police to the location. The police want to track bear activity and they already work closely with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Office on this issue.

In June, garbage and recycle collection will transition from Allied Waste to Waste Management, and upon request, WM will provide the option of wildlife-proof garbage containers. The container is free; the collection service is $3.13 per month with regular service. WM will provide more information about this service option in May.

In addition to spreading and teaching the Snoqualmie tradition of carving, Mullen also carries on the tribe’s tradition of singing and drumming.

On April 16, he was at Issaquah’s nonprofit Providence Marianwood skilled nursing facility, with his handmade tools, one of his handmade dugout canoes and plenty of stories and talk to share.

By Tom Corrigan During his presentation at Marianwood in Issaquah, John Mullen said one of the traditional Snoqualmie songs he sang was thought to be 800 years old.

Mullen’s visit was part of Marianwood’s marking of April 16, formally Mother Joseph Pariseau Day in Washington.

A member of the Catholic order of the Sisters of Providence, Mother Joseph is credited with building 29 hospitals, schools, orphanages and shelters for the aged or mentally ill in the late 1800s in Washington and surrounding states.

Her influence can be felt as far north as Canada, said Providence Marianwood’s Andrea Abercrombie, who told residents at least part of the story of the Sisters of Providence and Mother Joseph in Washington.

Some 155 years ago, the Sisters of Providence founded what became Providence Health Services, which operates Marianwood. The organization maintains ties to the Catholic order to this day, according to Arlene Carter, executive director of the Providence Marianwood Foundation.

Because Mother Joseph was dedicated to helping others, each year Providence Marianwood commemorates Mother Joseph Day with some kind of charitable drive. This year, residents, staff members and visitors collected several tables full of school supplies for donation to the Snoqualmie Tribe. Mullen was on hand to accept the donation.

During his talk, he showed off his handmade carving tools, some of which are specially designed for a lack of mobility he has in his right hand. And all of his tools are handmade. He even has a carved block of wood with a handle that he uses as a hammer.

While the carving tools are clearly important, the tops of dugout canoes, at least when they are made of cedar, eventually are steamed open. The bottoms of the canoes are filled with water.

Extremely hot rocks are placed in the water to create steam, which in turn spreads out the wood, making the canoe opening larger. The task can take three days to accomplish.

Mullen also had with him several kinds of handmade canoe paddles, including one that early Snoqualmie people could have used as a weapon in a pinch. A river paddle had points on the end for pushing floating obstacles out of the way as well as for potentially spearing fish.

Mullen also used a handheld drum to perform two traditional Snoqualmie songs. Both used more tones than actual words. He said one song was believed to be more than 800 years old.

Mullen has a personal connection to Providence Marianwood. Both his mother and his wife have been employees of the institution. He has volunteered at the facility. The Snoqualmie Tribe recently awarded a grant for upgrading Marianwood’s garden.

Prior to Mullen’s talk, Abercrombie supplied the 25 or so residents on hand with a brief history of Mother Joseph. Along with three other nuns, Mother Joseph arrived at Fort Vancouver in Washington in 1865. Within three weeks, the nuns were taking in orphans. At the time, the area had no hospital and few schools. Abercrombie credited Mother Joseph with changing that, founding dozens of charitable institutions and eventually becoming known as “The Builder.”

Mother Joseph died of a brain tumor at age 79 in 1902. Former Washington Gov. Gary Locke dedicated each April 16 as Mother Joseph Day in Washington beginning in 1999.

On the Web

In 2009 and 2010, The Issaquah Press documented John Mullen’s efforts to carve a traditional canoe for the Snoqualmie Tribe. Read the articles and watch videos of the process at http://bit.ly/I3F58G and http://bit.ly/dv2yyz. 

Comment at www.snovalleystar.com. 

Celebration turned to tragedy

The Fourth of July 2011 started like any other. Families were gathered at Denny Creek for a day of barbecues, hiking and fun.

Four-year-old Ainsley Hewson was walking with her father when he turned and saw she was no longer beside him. The rushing river, full from the spring run-off, masked any sound he might have heard.

By Sarah Gerdes Jason Mark, Lisa Hewson, Ainsley Hewson and Eric Zender pose after Mark and Zender were given the Nature Rescue Award at the Red Cross’ 2012 Heroes Breakfast. The pair rescued Ainsley who had fallen into a river and disappeared.

“I’d never heard a man scream,” Jason Mark recalled from the podium, during his acceptance speech. “I knew immediately what had happened.”

He ran to the bank of the river, along with many others, frantically looking up and down the stream without a sign of the little girl.

“After 10 minutes, people started giving up,” Mark said.

The water was cold and rushing, but Mark and Zender refused.

“I stopped to pray and tried again. This time, I had this impression to turn the other direction, for no reason,” Mark said.

Following the prompting, he walked around a large boulder, put his hand in the water and felt the hair of the little girl.

As Mark’s wife called 911, he felt for her vital signs.

“I was sure she was dead,” Mark said.

He couldn’t feel a pulse or vital signs.

Eric Zender, of Shoreline, an off-duty fireman for the Shoreline Fire Department, began performing CPR.

“He kept going for 10 minutes,” Mark said. “Then 15, then 20.”

Finally, Zender thought he felt a little gasp. Then another.

“With each gasp, came another very softly,” he said.

Finally, at nearly 25 minutes, Ainsley began breathing on her own.

She was taken to Harborview Medical Center and expected to require weeks of recovery, but was back home after only seven days.

“Only the persistence of those men brought our daughter back,” said Ainsley’s mother Lisa.

‘Surrounded by miracles’

When it was Zender’s turn to accept his award, he humbly thanked the Red Cross for its work in preparing and teaching life-saving techniques. Mark echoed that opinion.

“If we are prepared, we will not fear,” Mark said.

Both men also expressed an abiding belief that their actions were what any person would do.

“We were just happy we were at the right place at the right time,” Zender said.

For their part, Ainsley’s parents believe that on that day two very special men were placed in their lives.

“We were surrounded by miracles that day,” her father Darryn said. “We will forever be connected, us to them, and them to us.”

Since that day, the three families have grown close, often getting together.

As Ainsley’s mom Lisa publicly thanked the men once again, she spoke of the impact the event will have on Ainsley.

“Ainsley will be able to go grow up, go to college and live her life thanks to these men,” she said, noting it’s hard to even talk about the events of last July without becoming emotional. “But most of all, she will be able to follow her dreams.”

Sarah Gerdes is a freelance writer. Comment at www.snovalleystar.com.

•  Joan Jett, July 3
•  Smokey Robinson, July 6
•  Bachman & Turner, July 15
•  The Jacksons, July 29
•  Chris Young, Aug. 2
• Roger Hodgson, of Supertramp, Aug. 9
•  Kenny Loggins, Aug. 10
• YES, with special guests Procol Harum, Aug. 12
•  Frankie Valli, Aug. 19
•  War and Tower of Power, Aug. 31
• The Temptations and Four Tops, Sept. 2

The venue is only for people 21 and older. Tickets, available through www.ticketmaster.com, are now on sale.

The state agency responsible for conservation lands and open space needs to fill engine leader and squad boss positions. Department of Natural Resources officials said serving as a member of a handcrew or wildland fire engine crew offers a chance for motivated people interested in a career in natural resource management to gain fundamental experience.

Candidates must be 18 or older.

Individuals must be willing and capable of performing strenuous outdoor work safely and productively. Candidates must also accept direction and act responsibly.

The agency provides safety clothing and training needed for the job.

The duration is usually three to four months. Work starts in about mid-June and ends mid-September.

Candidates can learn more at the Department of Natural Resources employment website, http://www.dnr.wa.gov/AboutDNR/Employment/Pages/Home.aspx. 

A variety of garden plants, decorative urns, craft items, homemade bakery goods, white elephant gifts and the popular garden cart raffle will be available. Sale proceeds go to support the group’s $1,000 scholarship to a graduating Mount Si High School senior pursuing a degree in the medical field.

Learn more by emailing snovalleyhospitalauxiliary@gmail.com.

The Legislature has directed the department to revise the current rule to include some recent changes in state and federal laws, and to improve compliance with the rule. Leaks from underground storage tanks can contaminate groundwater, the source of drinking water for 60 percent of Washington’s residents.

The department will accept comments through May 4. Comments also will be accepted during public hearings in April.

The state’s compliance program addresses the serious threat posed to human health and the environment by leaking underground storage tank systems containing petroleum and other hazardous substances.

The department currently regulates more than 9,500 systems at more than 3,600 facilities throughout the state. A majority of underground storage tank systems are located at gas stations. Others are owned and operated by other businesses and by local, state and federal governments.

Each year, about 50 new releases are confirmed at regulated underground storage tank facilities. The rule changes will help reduce the number and severity of such releases.

Documents related to the proposed rule are posted at www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/tcp/regs/ust/2012/rule-making.html.

The nearest public hearing is at 1:30 p.m. April 26 at the department’s Northwest Regional Office, 3190 160th Ave. S.E., Bellevue.

Submit comments through May 4 by mailing them to Michael Feldcamp, Washington Department of Ecology, Toxics Cleanup Program, P.O. Box 47600, Olympia, WA 98504-7600 or emailing them to USTrule@ecy.wa.gov.

The proposed rule amendments are needed to maintain the department’s federally delegated underground storage tank program and to continue to receive federal funding for the work.

Learn more about the rule suspension on the department’s website www.ecy.wa.gov/laws-rules/rulemaking_suspension.html.

The longtime Snoqualmie residents will celebrate with a reception from 4:30-7 p.m. Friday, April 13. Friends, associates and classmates of the couple are invited to attend.

Charles Peterson was married to the former Carol Jones on Friday, April 13, 1962, by Judge John Malloy, in Washington, D.C.

Contributed Carol and Charles Peterson enjoy a quiet moment together.

After completing Charles’ assignment with the United States Army in Fort Belvoir, Va., the couple returned in 1963 to Snoqualmie, where they still live.

Charles Peterson is a lifelong resident of Snoqualmie and is the city’s longest serving public official. Currently a member of the City Council, Charles was mayor from 1974-1982.

In addition to his dedication to the city that he calls the best place to live, Charles’ professional life started as an electrician in Weyerhaeuser’s local mill.

The couple bought a small house on Delta Street and began raising two children, Julie and Ryan, who both graduated from Mount Si High School.

Charles became a leader in Local No. 1845, Lumber and Sawmill Workers, eventually becoming president of the 11-state Western Council of Industrial Workers.

He retired in 2001 after a career dedicated to preserving jobs that provided secure wages, benefits and safety to thousands of workers and their families.

Carol Peterson became a published author of two books about, and instructor of, herbs after an accomplished career as a legislative assistant to Congressman Don Bonker in the 1970s, administrator to the Snoqualmie Valley Hospital District, team administrator for the Seattle Sounders Soccer Club in the 1980s and manager of a philanthropic foundation in the 1990s.

She founded the Snoqualmie Valley Garden Club, spearheaded the creation of the Snoqualmie Welcomes You/Please Come Again signs in historic Snoqualmie, filled every leadership role as one of the Snoqualmie United Methodist Church’s longest serving members, served as a board member of the SnoFalls Credit Union, was a leader in the League of Women Voters and was a King County food adviser assisting the Mount Si Helping Hand Food Bank.

In addition, she led many of Julie and Ryan’s childhood activities, including coaching Little League, leading the Camp Fire Girls troop and teaching Sunday school.

In 1975, the family moved to former Snoqualmie Mayor Amy English’s home on Maple Avenue, where the couple continues to serve their beloved community, city and church.

“We asked Sheila to use her amazing talents to help us worship Christ through music as a part of our Easter celebrations,” said Lind Stapley, a local church leader who has worked with Bateman in the past.

Entitled “Savior of the World,” the free event is being held at the Bellevue South Stake Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Contributed The Bateman family sings Christmas Carols (in harmony, a capella) at a Christmas concert.

“Her beautiful compositions draw out the very best of the spirit from each piece,” Stapley said.

The work includes choral and orchestral arrangements from classical and contemporary artists, with a focus on the life of Jesus Christ.

That’s exactly why North Bend resident Catherine Pratt signed up as a singer. Pratt has been making the weekly trek to rehearsal for months in preparation. It’s a long drive to Bellevue and back on school nights with kids, but she said she doesn’t mind.

“I’ve never worked with a choir director in my life that has the natural, God-given ability to bring out the best of the singers and musicians,” Pratt said. “I can’t even put into words how she gives life to the music in a way no other director can.”

Asked how she does it, Bateman, the mother of five, offers a laugh and assuming smile.

“Just look at my house,” she replied, giving a more pragmatic answer. “I guess I just chip away at a little at a time.”

A Washington native comes home

Bateman was born in Washington, and lived in Newcastle during her early childhood through graduation. She took up violin in elementary school, and by the time she was in middle school she had started directing choirs. Though she decided to study zoology at Brigham Young University, and earned her master’s degree in ecology, she continued her musical career.

When Bateman spent two years in Denmark serving a mission for her church, she started the Copenhagen missionary choir. She was asked to tour the country with the choir, giving two weekend performances for months. Bateman returned to Washington, settling in North Bend, where she immediately created a chamber orchestra.

“There are times when I will spend eight hours combing through music,” she explained, when her children, ages 7-15, are in school. She will take a piece that “isn’t quite right” and tailor it to the venue and the voices of those who will be performing. Bateman also finds time to teach violin and conduct special events.

Her reputation and talent lure artists from around the area to participate in her productions.

“We have singers and musicians driving from Tacoma to participate,” Bateman said, dismissing that the reason is her abilities. “They do it for the love of the music.”

A prodigy participates

All events given at the LDS church are free, and the musicians are not compensated. The participants are from all different backgrounds, and some are not active in any religion.

Viola player Kristin Tetuan is one of them.

Kristin Tetuan

“I’m the last person any of my friends would expect to do an Easter concert, but my love for playing runs very deep,” she explained.

A prodigy, Tetuan started playing her instrument at age 9, played with vibrato within months, and her public school teacher paired her with a high school teenager as a practice partner. Although she lacked the benefit of formal, private training until her late teens, her gift to playing led to invitations to play with the Seattle and Bellevue Youth symphonies. After graduation, she went straight to professional performances, playing with every major symphony in the area.

Tetuan also echoed Pratt’s admiration for Bateman’s skills as a choral director.

“She is such a talented director, she attracts musicians that are extremely talented,” Tetuan said.

Like Pratt, the busy wife and mother of two drives from North Bend to rehearsals, but she also plays another role for Bateman.

“Sheila asked me to be the chamber coach for her chamber orchestra, which is a privilege,” Tetuan said.

Where the heart is

Included among the adults will be a handful of children singing in the chorus.

“The children have such a purity,” Pratt said. “I love that Sheila is including them.”

Like the adults, auditions were required for the singers, but as Pratt said, “We are all amateurs. We are doing it because that’s where our heart is.”

Pratt said she believes everyone involved in the Easter event makes a big impact because “their heart is aligned with what they are doing.”And for those who fall short?

“The Lord makes up the difference,” she said.

If you go

•  The Savior of the World
• Free and open to the public
•  7 p.m. April 7
• Bellevue South Stake Center
• 15205 S.E. 28th St., Bellevue

(behind the LDS temple)

Sarah Gerdes is a freelance writer. Comment at www.snovalleystar.com.

A weekend in Ocean Shores and 30 minutes of free advice from a Fall City attorney were available as prizes at an auction benefiting the Mount Si Senior Center.

By Sebastian Moraga Chayla Brewster, Beth Elofson, Erica Morin, Connie Rosenberger and Sarah Landry (from left) wait to re-enter the runway at the second annual Mount Si Senior Center fundraising fashion show and auction April 1.

A live auction, a silent auction and a dessert auction bookended a 90-minute fashion show of threads for sale at Valley stores.

Women ages 5 to 80-plus strutted their stuff, wearing everything from cowboy boots to wedding dresses. A four-legged Dachshund model showed off a fancy collar.

It was the fashion show’s second year, but the first time the senior center organized it.

“Last year, Women In Business hosted it and put it together,” Mount Si Senior Center director B.J. Libby said. “But it’s my show now.”

Libby thanked the center’s board members for all of their cooperation, selling tickets, donating items and organizing the event in general.

Jolene Kelly, from the Rotary Club of Snoqualmie Valley, emceed the event. The president of the center’s board of directors, Elmer Sams, registered people at the door. Libby served cake to guests.

“It’s going fine,” Sams said of the turnout. “A little less participation than last year, but we did this one on our own, and we are not unhappy about it. Next year will be even better.”

Sams said raising about $6,000 would make the event a success. Not even halfway through the event, Libby said the show already was.

“Look at the people here,” she said. “They’re here, they are engaged, they are shopping.”

Kelly agreed.

“This is so much fun,” she told the crowd. “I wish we had a fashion show every week.”

The crowd, mostly women, liked the event’s originality, and suggested changes for next year.

“It’s a great event, kind of different,” said Susan Hankins, a member of the center’s board. “It’s better than a pancake breakfast.”

Kathy Riley, of North Bend, said the event could be even better.

“It would be a great idea,” she said when asked about having male models. “No matter how old you are, you can always look.”

Sebastian Moraga: 392-6434, ext. 221, or smoraga@snovalleystar.com. Comment at www.snovalleystar.com.

Ten-year-old Keenan Fagan fell short of his jaw-dropping goal of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, but he achieved a different goal.

With the money raised, Fagan helped build a classroom in Tanzania, the African country home to Mount Kilimanjaro and to Calvin, a 12-year-old boy Keenan’s family has sponsored for years.

Nausea got to Fagan about 4,000 feet short of the summit, so his father, Marty, summitted for the family, while his mother, Chris, and Keenan returned to a safer altitude.

Submitted photo From left, Chris, Keenan and Marty Fagan, with Mount Kilimanjaro in the background. The family climbed Africa’s tallest peak to raise money for a schoolhouse in Tanzania.

The scion of a family of climbers, Keenan’s parents met while climbing Mount Denali. Marty said they have raised Keenan on a steady diet of mental and physical challenges. The fundraising proves his heart is well nourished, too.

Three years ago, the family first traveled to Africa to meet Calvin.

“My son always thinks about him,” Chris Fagan said “seeing how their life is, how much more we have.”

When they decided to return, Keenan said they had to do something for Calvin and the rest of the children.

“We decided to use the climb as a way to raise money for the school,” Chris said. “We raised almost $6,000.”

An organization named Friends of Africa Education found an anonymous donor who matched the Fagans’ amount.

After the climb, Calvin and Keenan got to spend more time together. The $12,000 raised sounded like a huge amount to the Tanzanians, and it was. Calvin and Keenan bonded over games of tag.

“He was very sad to leave,” Chris said. “It created a whole bond and I can see it going on for him for a long time.”

The climb occurred in December, only weeks after Keenan’s 10th birthday — the minimum age to climb Kilimanjaro is 10.

Still, Chris said, anyone reasonably fit can attempt a climb. Both Marty, who has also climbed Argentina’s Mount Aconcagua, and Chris, an ultra marathon runner who made headlines last year by jogging the duration of the Snoqualmie Valley Relay For Life, qualified as such. So did Keenan.

“On this trip, we bicycled through remote villages on single track trails for four days preceding the climb,” Marty said. “Keenan actually went to Kilimanjaro after doing that. He went 12 days straight with six to 10 hours of exercise every single day.”

As a memory for his son, Marty summitted and took a picture of Keenan’s Angry Bird stuffed animal on the summit. It wasn’t the same to summit without Keenan and Chris, Marty said. Still, he can’t hide his pride at his son’s efforts both on and off the mountain.

“My greatest hope was that he would go to the top,” he said. “We never pushed him. He pushed himself and far exceeded what we would ever dream would happen.”

Sebastian F. Moraga: 392-6434, ext. 221, or smoraga@snovalleystar.com. 

Curry, a certified yoga instructor, has been offering “Itsy Bitsy Yoga” classes regularly since 2010, but she started with her own daughter, who is now 8, when she was an infant.

“I have been a practitioner since 1997,” she said regarding yoga. “I kept practicing when I was pregnant. And when my daughter was born, we started doing simple poses. But I didn’t find a structured program until my son was born.”

Curry said her son, now 5, was colicky and had trouble sleeping when he was born. That’s when she came across Helen Garabedian’s Itsy Bitsy Yoga for Tots and Tykes.

By Michele Mihalovich Lindsey Lynd, of Snoqualmie, burrito rolls her 18-month-old daughter Ellie Lynd in a yoga mat, a bonding exercise in Itsy Bitsy Yoga class offered at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge Golf Club in Snoqualmie.

She said she started working simple yoga poses with her son, and his colic and sleepless nights went away.

Curry accepts children into her classes once they start crawling and up to 4 1/2 years old.

The soft lighting and quiet piano music at the TPC clubhouse didn’t have the same effect it might have on adults, but the girls did make an effort to try the poses, although it was rarely on the provided mat.

“Because little kids are going to walk around and explore, I tell the parents that the whole world is their yoga mat,” Curry said.

Ellie Lynd, at 18 months, was the youngest to attend class March 13.

Her mom, Lindsey Lynd, of Snoqualmie, said she started bringing Ellie to yoga class in September.

“We were looking for some activities outside the home where she could use up some of her energy,” Lynd said.

She also said there are additional benefits to yoga poses that she hadn’t anticipated, “like when she’s torturing the cat. We will do Hop Along Yogi, where I bounce her on my lap. She loves it and it’s a great way to distract her.”

Some of the poses in the class utilize poses or other activities not found in an adult yoga class, like Kissy Knee or Sandwich Pose.

Curry also had the girls blow into pinwheels to learn breathing techniques, which parents can use to help calm down fussy children.

Parents are right there with the children, and Curry said the children will watch what Mom or Dad is doing and mimic it.

That bonding process is what attracted Amy Barrysmith, of Issaquah, to the class with her 2-year-old daughter Cooper.

“I wanted to find an activity we could do together,” she said. “I wanted it to have an exercise aspect to it, but also a way for her to socialize with other kids.”

Cooper had only attended two of the classes so far, but she did a perfect Downward Facing Dog pose.

“This is the first time she’d ever been exposed to yoga,” Barrysmith said. “She’s really good at the poses. I was surprised.”

But Barrysmith said she also likes the idea of learning calming techniques, which teaches the children how to deal with stressful situations in a healthy way.

“It’s a very fun class and Trina is a wonderful teacher,” she said. “I also love that she has children. You can really tell that when she’s teaching the class.”

If you go:

• Itsy Bitsy Yoga

• 9:45-10:30 a.m. Tuesdays

• TPC Snoqualmie Ridge Golf Club

• 36005 S.E. Ridge St.

• Contact Trina Curry at 443-6228 or trinayoga@gmail.com.

Ledbetter, longtime parks and recreation director for SeaTac municipal government, earned a supervisor seat on the board of the conservation district — the agency responsible for promoting sustainable use of natural resources, and providing information and technical assistance to landowners.

Landowners fund the district through a $10-per-parcel assessment fee.

In 2011, the district shifted to online elections in a push to boost turnout. King County Elections does not administer district elections.

Instead, the district relied on Bellevue-based Election Trust and Scytl USA to coordinate the balloting.

Though the district encompasses most of the more than 1.1 million registered voters in the county, anemic turnout defined recent conservation district elections.

Ledbetter received 205 out of 216 votes cast during the monthlong election. Other votes went to write-in candidates.

Beware 9-1-1 phone solicitation scam

The Washington State Emergency Management Division reported that residents of Washington, Michigan, Pennsylvania and other states have received calls from someone requesting money for 9-1-1 services.

The caller claims residents must pay a fee to register their house in a 9?1?1 database so that first responders can locate the home in an emergency, according to a press release from the city of Snoqualmie.

The caller also requests names and medical information from the residents.

This is a scam — 9-1-1 services are funded through dedicated 9-1-1 excise taxes on telephone bills and by other local government funds.

Any request for 9-1-1 funds over the phone is a fraud. Residents who receive such calls should hang up and report the suspicious call to their local police department’s nonemergency phone number. The Snoqualmie Police Department business line is 888-3333.

State website is meant to crack down on fraud

Several state agencies have rolled out a tool to help protect consumers from fraud.

The agency encourages consumers to go to www.suspectfraud.com to see if a business is registered and in good standing. In addition, links on suspectfraud.com allow consumers to check to see if a registered business is properly licensed, owes the state taxes, has had complaints filed against it or is the subject of state enforcement actions.

The site is a collaboration among the state departments of Revenue, Labor & Industries, and Employment Security to cut down on businesses operating beyond regulators’ reach and to pursue tax evaders.

Concerned citizens also can use the site to notify the agencies about possible tax evasion or other types of fraud, such as illegally claiming unemployment benefits, billing the state for unnecessary medical services, or evading state taxes on boats, planes and vehicles.

The measure, Senate Bill 5978 or the Medicaid Fraud False Claims Act, aims to create additional tools for the state to pursue Medicaid fraud. Supporters said the effort could raise millions of dollars in fraud recoveries in the years ahead. The legislation is modeled on a longstanding federal program.

The measure relies on whistleblower tips to learn about fraud from health care companies out to defraud the state Medicaid system.

The act encourages health care company employees to alert state regulators to fraud. The legislation then awards a portion of funds recovered during a successful investigation.

Medicaid is health insurance for qualifying low-income and needy people. Experts from the National Conference of State Legislatures estimate the cost of Medicaid fraud accounts for between 3 percent and 10 percent of total expenditures for the program. Washington spent $8.5 billion on Medicaid last year — and recovered less than $20 million in fraud.

Pflug, a registered nurse and a 5th Legislative District Republican, signed on as the bill’s prime sponsor. (The district includes Issaquah and East King County.)

“Without this tough enhancement of our False Claims Act, our state has been almost powerless against the corporate culprits who defraud taxpayers through false Medicaid claims,” she said in a statement. “Fraud only leads to higher health-care costs, and as the Medicaid program grows the need to deter fraud grows as well. This bill also would help take away the incentive to commit fraud — to discourage the egregious corporate schemes that have raked in hundreds of millions of dollars.”

The measure passed 40-9 in the Senate on March 8. The legislation cleared the state House of Representatives, 56-42, the same day. The bill heads to Gov. Chris Gregoire to be signed into law.

Pflug joined another senator, Kent Democrat Karen Keiser, to support the bipartisan bill.

“The bill allows us to be party to over 100 ongoing cases of multistate fraud around the country that already exist and are under way, that we are denied access to right now,” said Keiser, Senate Health and Long Term Care Committee chairwoman. “In the last three years, Washington has missed out on our proportionate share of over $1 billion. Leaving such sums on the table during these difficult times is simply unacceptable. I’m proud that members of both parties were able to come together to enact this legislation.”

Pflug and Keiser joined forces last year to pass a similar measure, but after the bill passed the Senate, the House failed to act on the legislation.

Warren Kagarise: 392-6434, ext. 234, or wkagarise@isspress.com. Comment at www.issaquahpress.com.

•  North Bend Finance and Administration Committee, 4 p.m. April 3, City Hall, 211 Main Ave. N
•  North Bend City Council, 7 p.m. April 3, 17, Mount Si Senior Center, 411 Main Ave. S
•  North Bend Public Health and Safety, 4 p.m. April 10, City Hall
•  North Bend Planning Commission, 7 p.m. April. 12, City Hall
•  North Bend Community and Economic Development Committee, 1:30 p.m. April 17, Community and Economic Development office, 126 E. Fourth St.
• North Bend Transportation and Public Works Committee, 3:45 p.m. April 18, Public Works office, 1155 E. North Bend Way
• North Bend Economic Development Commission, 7:45 a.m. April 19, Community and Economic Development office
• The Snoqualmie Public Safety Committee meeting, scheduled for 5 p.m. March 29, has been cancelled.

Music/entertainment

Gigs for Guatemala fundraiser, dinner, open mic and silent auction, 6-9 p.m. March 29, The Black Dog, 8062 Railroad Ave. S.E., Snoqualmie, 831-DOGS (3647)

Katy Bourne Duo, 7 p.m. March 29, Boxley’s, 101 W. North Bend Way, 292-9307

Tim Hickey and Jazz Strings, 7:30 p.m. March 30, The Black Dog

Frank Kohl Trio, 7 p.m. March 30, Boxley’s

The Left Coast Gypsies, CD release party, 8 p.m. March 31, The Black Dog

Mike Antone, 8 p.m. March 31, The Black Dog.

Dennis Hastings, 7 p.m. March 31, Boxley’s

Ravinwolf, 8 p.m. March 31, Snoqualmie Brewery and Taproom, 8032 Falls Ave. S.E., Snoqualmie

Valley Center Stage presents “Leisure Time Presents The Billy Dupree Show,” 7:30 p.m. March 30-31, Valley Center Stage. The show is a spoof of the old-time radio shows. Tickets are $10 to $12.50.

Danny Kolke Trio, 6 p.m. April 1, 8, 15, Boxley’s

John Hansen, 7 p.m. April 4, Boxley’s

Janette West and Eric Verlinde, 7 p.m. April 5, Boxley’s

Peace Frog, 8 p.m. April 6, The Black Dog

Kareem Kandi Trio, 7 p.m. April 6, Boxley’s

Michael Kirkpatrick, 7:30 p.m. April 7, The Black Dog

Graye and Green Quartet, 7 p.m. April 7, Boxley’s

Jesse Brewster and Cyndi Harvell, 6:30 p.m. April 9, The Black Dog

Darin Clendenin and Friends, 7 p.m. April 11, Boxley’s

Zachary Kellogg 4, 7 p.m. April 12, Boxley’s

Valley Green, 8 p.m. April 13, The Black Dog

Milo Petersen Trio, 7 p.m. April 13, Boxley’s

Jonathan Nicholson, 7:30 p.m. April 14, The Black Dog

Greg Williamson Quartet, 7 p.m. April 14, Boxley’s

Events

• SnoValley Idol Junior Finals, 6 p.m. March 30, Mount Si High School Auditorium, 8651 Meadowbrook Way S.E., Snoqualmie
• International Fly Fishing Film Festival, 7 p.m. March 30, North Bend Theatre, 125 Bendigo Blvd., North Bend. Tickets $10 in advance, $15 at door. Go to www.flyfilmfest.com to purchase.
• Collages by North Bend artists Susan Olds and Audrey Zeder will be on display at the Mount Si Senior Center, 411 Main Ave. S., North Bend, Monday through Friday through March 31, free, 888-3434
• SnoValley Indoor Playground, 9:30-11:30 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays when school is in session, Si View Community Center, 400 S.E. Orchard Drive. A donation of $1 per child per visit is appreciated.
• Meadowbrook 101, learn about the future and past of these unique 460 acres of land between Snoqualmie and North Bend,  10 a.m. March 31, Meadowbrook Farm, 1711 Boalch Ave., North Bend.
• Tree planting at Three Forks Natural Area, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., March 31, 39912 S.E. Park St., Snoqualmie
•  Tween Scene, after-school activities, at Snoqualmie Valley YMCA. Fifth-graders engage in fun and unique activities while remaining physically active, getting homework help and learning leadership skills. Call 256-3115 for more information.
• Kids U Session 3B, after-school activities at the Snoqualmie Valley YMCA focusing on science, arts, reading and sports, challenging children and stretching their imaginations. Call 256-3115 for a list of classes and more information.
•  Sallal Grange Community Games Night, 7 p.m. last Wednesday of each month. Please consider bringing a small monetary donation to help the Grange keep organizing events like this, www.sallalgrange.org.
•  Sallal Grange swap meet, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. March 31, 12912 432nd Ave. S.E. North Bend. Contact rummage@sallalgrange.org to reserve a table or to learn more. Tables are $20 each.
•  Fashion show, 2-5 p.m. April 1, Snoqualmie Ridge TPC, tickets $20 per person, $160 for a full table. All proceeds to benefit the Mount Si Senior Center. For tickets, call 888-3434.
•  Teen Flashlight Egg Hunt, 8:30 p.m. April 6, Centennial Park, 39903 S.E. Park St., Snoqualmie. For children grades 6-12. Free admission. Bring your own flashlight.
•  Easter Egg Hunt, sponsored by the Moose Lodge. 9 a.m. April 7, at Si View Park. Free admission. Pancake breakfast follows hunt, children eat free. For children in fifth grade or younger.
•  Youth Egg Hunt, 10 a.m. April 7, Centennial Park, ages 2-12. Free admission.
• Kids Night Out, crafts, baking, playing games, watching movies, maybe even taking a dip in the pool. All the while giving parents a much deserved break. 6 p.m. April 13. Must register by the prior Wednesday. Call Si View Community Center at 831-1900. $20 registration fee.

North Bend Library

The following events take place at the North Bend Library, 115 E. Fourth St.

•  Snoqualmie Valley Chess Club, 7 p.m. Thursdays. Learn to play chess or get a game going; all ages/skill levels welcome.
•  Tax preparation assistance, 10 a.m. Wednesdays through April 11. Everyone welcome regardless of income and age.
•  Study Zone, 4 p.m. March 29, 12, 3 p.m. April 9, 10, 16, 17, 7 p.m. April 11. Free tutoring for grades K-12.
•  Game On! 3 p.m. March  30, April 6, 13. Play Xbox 306, PlayStation and Nintendo, “Guitar Hero” and “Dance Dance Revolution.” Board games and snacks available.
• Spanish/English Story Time, 11 a.m. March 31. All ages welcome with adult.
•  Special Needs Story Time, 10 a.m, April 14. Targeting ages 3 to 6, children of all ages and abilities welcome.
•  Merry Monday Story Time, 11 a.m. April 2, 16. Newborns to age 3 with adult. Siblings and other children welcome.
• Job Club, 2 p.m. April 2, 9, 16. Connect with fellow job seekers for support and networking.
•  EReader assistance, 6 p.m. April 2, 9, 16. Learn how to download library eBooks to your eReader or computer.
• English as a second language classes, 6:30 p.m. April 2, 9.
•  First Tuesday Book Club, 7 p.m. April 3, discussion of “They Almost Always Come Home,” by Cynthia Ruchti.
• Toddler Story Time, 9:30  a.m., April 3, 10, 17. Ages 2-3 with adult.
•  Preschool Story Time, 10:30 a.m. April 3, 10, 17. Ages 3-6 with adult, siblings welcome.
•  Pajamarama Story Time, 6:30 p.m. April 4, 11, all young children welcome with adult.
•  One-on-one Computer Assistance, 1 p.m April 4, 11, for adults.
•  SnoValley Writers Work Group, 3 p.m. April 8. Join other local writers for writing exercises, critique and lessons on voice, plot and point of view. Adults only.
• Friends of the North Bend Library meeting, 9:30 a.m. April 9.
•  Microsoft Excel classes, level 3, 7 p.m. April 10. Basic understanding of Excel and experience making and saving spreadsheets required.
•  Conducting Effective Interview Conversations in the New Economy, 7 p.m. April 10. Learn what it takes to give a successful job interview nowadays.
• Auntie Lena’s African Stories, 2 p.m. April 14. Auntie Lena and her friend Possum are back to tell more African stories.

Snoqualmie Library

The following events take place at the Snoqualmie Library, 7824 Center Blvd. S.E.

• EReader Assistance, 11 a.m. March 29, April 5, 12. Learn how to download library eBooks to your eReader or computer.
• Preschool Story Times,1:30 p.m., April 2, 9, 16; 10:30 a.m. March 28, April 4, 11; ages 3-6 with adult
•  Study Zone, 3 p.m. April 10, 17. Free tutoring for grades K-12.
• Young Toddler Story Times, 9:30 a.m, April 4, 11, ages 6-24 months with adult
•  Anime and Manga Club, 3 p.m. April 4 and 11. Watch anime movies, eat popcorn and practice anime drawing.
• Pajama Story Times, 7 p.m. March 29, April 5, 12. All young children welcome with adult.
• Purl One, Listen, Too, knitting program, 1 p.m. April 5.
• Friends of the Snoqualmie Library meeting, 6 p.m. April 12.
•  Spanish-English Story Time, 10:30 April 14. All ages welcome.
•  Landscape tree pruning workshop, 3 p.m. April 14.
•  EReaders and Mobile devices workshop, 7 p.m. April 16.

Seventeen years after its inception, wind blew the North Bend Community Church off its blocks. An ironic twist, considering that since then, windstorms have come and gone, but the church has remained.

“Back when they platted the city, a man who owned a lot of the land around here, Mr. Taylor, he designated this spot for a church,” said Peter Battjes, the church’s pastor for the past 13 years.

By Sebastian Moraga. The church steeple is part of the fabric of North Bend.

Battjes’ Mr. Taylor is Will Taylor, the man state historians point to as the founder of North Bend.

Now that once-windswept house of worship is a matriarch that has aged well, better even than Mr. Taylor, who died at age 88 in 1941.

The church turned 115 in late February.

So far, it has survived a fire in its schoolhouse in the 1910s and a change from American Baptist to general Baptist in 1997.

“There was so much liberalism in the American Baptist that they made the change,” Battjes said.

Those are but a few of the many changes the church and its centenarian building have seen. At one point, it had pews facing east. Now it has chairs facing north. The chairs are easier to remove, so the congregation may host banquets and Valentine parties, Battjes said.

“Plus, the chairs are so much more comfortable,” he said.

The erstwhile women’s bathroom is now the janitor’s closet. The onetime men’s bathroom is now the storage room. The current bathrooms are much roomier and nicer, he said.

Certain things have changed, Battjes said, but some have remained the same.

“What has kept this church solid is the conviction to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to the community,” he said.

The community has bonded with the church, with several service groups hosting their meetings at the church, and it also hosts English classes for homeless Latino people by using passages of the Bible.

On this milestone year, church members Fran Knowlden and Nona Weklych will publish a comprehensive story of the church, likely including details how it took 10 years for a certain landowner’s dream church to be built.

The church has had 33 pastors in its history. Battjes is the third longest-serving one, with 13 years at the helm. A former pastor in Seattle, he said he has grown to love the life away from the big city.

“We just love the Valley,” said Battjes’ wife, Vivian. “We love the people and we have bonded with the community.”

Sebastian Moraga: 392-6434, ext. 221, or smoraga@snovalleystar.com.

People in the Valley have many ways to know spring is coming — sunset arriving a teeny bit later than it did a week ago, baseball bats going ping! at the diamond by Mount Si High School, more people wearing Mariners jerseys.

And the folks with the pink ribbons kicking things into high gear.

Relay For Life, the annual fundraising event for cancer awareness, had a second kickoff March 10 at the Snoqualmie Valley YMCA.

The actual relay will happen July 7-8 at Centennial Fields. But until then, there’s plenty of work to do.

By Sebastian Moraga Sarah Yelenich, community relations manager for the Snoqualmie Valley Relay For Life, said this year’s goal is to have 28 teams at the midsummer event. So far, 14 have signed on.

It’s not always easy, not even for a well-known event like Relay For Life. Event chairwoman Wendy Nesland said some still have misconceptions about the relay.

“People think it’s a walkathon,” she said. “A walkathon is where you ask someone to sponsor you per mile. Here, we have everyone on the track for every hour, representing the 365 days a year and 24 hours a day someone with cancer has to live with it.”

At the same time, Nesland said, many people fear the relay is too large of a commitment for them to make. Not true, she said.

“It’s just fundraising until the event and then the event, which is a lot of fun,” she said.

Beverly Jorgensen is a member of the PartyLite team for Relay For Life and says people from places like Federal Way and Kirkland have joined the team.

PartyLite donated 720 tea lights for the Relay For Life’s Luminaria ceremony, she added.

Tea lights lit inside plastic bags line the track during the relay as a tribute to people who have succumbed to cancer.

Besides PartyLite, other teams are organizing dinners, garage sales and bake sales. The goal for this year is to have 28 teams, and $92,000 in money, said Sarah Yelenich, the event’s community relations manager.

Of the 28-team goal, the 2012 relay has 14 so far.

The event wants 60 cancer survivors for the relay’s first lap, known as the Survivors’ Lap. So far, 17 have signed on.

Besides survivors, those in charge of the relay said they want another group to have a strong presence during the relay.

“Caregivers,” Anne Loring, a 12-year cancer survivor, said. “Caregivers are totally, totally important.”

While folks count the days until the relay, they keep busy selling tickets and toppling stereotypes.

The PartyLite fundraiser is an authentic German dinner, so you would think holding it on Cinco de Mayo might hurt ticket sales. Not so, Jorgensen said.

“I even sold two tickets to two Mexican guys the other day,” she said.

Get involved

•  PartyLite Relay For Life authentic German dinner
• May 5, time and place to be determined
• Tickets are now on sale, and cost $15.
• Call Beverly Jorgensen at 922-8645.

If you’re Smokey Bear, a whole bunch of people will.

Smokey Bear, onetime owner of the second-most recognizable image in the United States after Santa Claus, landed at the North Bend Library on March 15 to remind children of his incombustible slogan: Only you can prevent forest fires.

By Sebastian Moraga The legend himself, Smokey Bear, surrounded by a swarm of his shortest, newest and most rabid loyal fans. The bear made stops at the North Bend and Snoqualmie branches of the King County Library System to tell children how only they could prevent forest fires. His Valley tour ends in Fall City in late March.

Smokey’s appearance fascinated local children, who arrived in droves at the library to meet the affable ursine. Smokey posed for photos, led songs and shook the hands of preschoolers and toddlers.

He was not available for comment — he’s a bear.

Most children swarmed Smokey, while some just watched from a distance, and shook their heads when eager parents offered to give them a closer look at the bear.

“Most kids are pretty excited, but some smaller children, once in a while we might have one here that might be a little frightened,” said Teresa Sollitto, visitor services information assistant for the U.S. Forest Service.

Once they see their peers pawing at the bear, they change their minds, Sollitto added, and start exchanging high-fives and posing for pictures for Mom and Dad.

Besides learning the lyrics to the Smokey Bear song and posing for pictures, children watched a movie where they learned they have to put a campfire out before leaving it.

“And you can’t play with matches,” said 4 (and a half!, he said) -year-old Tanner Philbrick, from Mount Si Montessori School.

The bear’s tour of the Valley began March 13 in Snoqualmie and will conclude March 27 at the Fall City library. Besides brushes with beary fame, the children walk away with an important lesson, Sollitto said.

“It teaches children and it helps them teach others,” she said. “That’s the great thing about these education programs. The word spreads.”

• North Bend Planning Commission, 7 p.m. March 22, City Hall, 211 Main Ave. N.
•  North Bend City Council Work Study, 7 p.m. March 27, City Hall
•  North Bend Parks Commission, 6 p.m. March 28, Community and Economic Development Office
•  North Bend Finance and Administration Committee, 4 p.m. April 3, City Hall.
•  North Bend City Council, 7 p.m. April 3, Mount Si Senior Center, 411 Main Ave. S.
•  Snoqualmie City Council, 7 p.m. March 26, City Hall, 38624 S.E. River St.
•  Snoqualmie Community and Economic Affairs Committee, 5 p.m. March 27, City Hall
•  Snoqualmie Shoreline Hearings Board, 5 p.m. March 28, City Hall
•  Snoqualmie Public Safety Committee, 5 p.m. March 29, Snoqualmie Fire Station, 37600 S.E. Snoqualmie Parkway

Music/entertainment

•  Kelley Johnson and John Hansen 7 p.m., March 22, Boxley’s, 101 W. North Bend Way, 292-9307
•  Chris Clark Trio, 7 p.m. March 23, Boxley’s
•  Theatre Black Dog presents “A Man for All Seasons,” 7:30 p.m. March 23 and 24, 8062 Railroad Ave. S.E., Snoqualmie, 831-DOGS (3647)
• Valley Center Stage presents “Murder Medium Rare,” interactive murder mystery theater, 6:30 p.m. March 24, Boxley’s, $65 per person until March 17, $75 after. Call Boxley’s for tickets
• Jason Hill (Extra Sauce), 8 p.m. March 24, Snoqualmie Brewery and Taproom, 8032 Falls Ave. S.E., Snoqualmie
• Danny Kolke Trio, 6 p.m. March 25, Boxley’s
•  Carolyn Graye Vocal Soiree, 7 p.m. March 26, Boxley’s
•  John Hansen, 7 p.m. March 28, Boxley’s
•  Gigs for Guatemala fundraiser, dinner, open mic and silent auction, 6-9 p.m. March 29, The Black Dog
•  Katy Bourne Duo, 7 p.m. March 29, Boxley’s
•  Tim Hickey and Jazz Strings, 7:30 p.m. March 30, The Black Dog
•  Frank Kohl Trio, 7 p.m. March 30, Boxley’s
•  The Left Coast Gypsies, CD release party, 8 p.m. March 31, The Black Dog
•  Mike Antone, 8 p.m. March 31, The Black Dog.
•  Ravinwolf, 8 p.m. March 31, Snoqualmie Brewery and Taproom
• Valley Center Stage presents “Leisure Time Presents The Billy Dupree Show,” 7:30 p.m. March 30-31, Valley Center Stage. The show is a spoof of the old-time radio shows. Tickets are $10 to $12.50.
• The International Fly Fishing Film Festival will come to North Bend at 7 p.m. March 30. Thirteen films of up to 30 minutes in length will show on the theater’s big screen. Tickets are $15 at the door and $10 in advance. Learn more at www.flyfilmfest.com.

Events

•  Collages by North Bend artists Susan Olds and Audrey Zeder will be on display at the Mount Si Senior Center, 411 Main Ave. S., North Bend, Monday through Friday through March 31, free, 888-3434
• SnoValley Indoor Playground, 9:30-11:30 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays when school is in session, Si View Community Center, 400 S.E. Orchard Drive. A donation of $1 per child per visit is appreciated.
• “Itsy Bitsy Yoga for Tots,” 9:30-10:30 a.m. daily through March 29 at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge, membership not required. Email trinayoga@gmail.com or call 443-6228 for more information.
•  “Itsy Bitsy Yoga for Tykes,” 10:45-11:30 a.m. daily through March 29 at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge
•  Mount Si High School Key Club bake sale for Relay For Life, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 24 at Snoqualmie Ridge IGA supermarket, 7730 Center Blvd. S.E.
•  Mount Si High School Cabin Fever Associated Student Body Auction, 5:15 p.m. March 24, Si View Community Center. General admission: $25, includes dinner. Wildcat Club members $75, includes dinner, early admission, two drink tickets, reserved parking and early bidding.
•  Tree planting at Three Forks Natural Area, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., March 24 and 31, 39912 S.E. Park St., Snoqualmie
•  Empty Bowls fundraiser, 4 p.m. March 25, Si View Community Center 400 S.E. Orchard Drive, North Bend. Go to www.mtsifoodbank.org for more information.
•  Tween Scene, after-school activities, at Snoqualmie Valley YMCA. Fifth-graders engage in fun and unique activities while remaining physically active, getting homework help and learning leadership skills. Call 256-3115 for more information.
• Kids U Session 3B, after-school activities at the Snoqualmie Valley YMCA focusing on science, arts, reading and sports, challenging children and stretching their imaginations. Call 256-3115 for a list of classes and more information.
•  Sallal Grange Community Games Night, 7 p.m. last Wednesday of each month. Please consider bringing a small monetary donation to help the Grange keep organizing events like this, www.sallalgrange.org.
• SnoValley Idol Junior Finals, 6 p.m. March 30, Mount Si High School Auditorium, 8651 Meadowbrook Way S.E., Snoqualmie
•  International Fly Fishing Film Festival, 7 p.m. March 30, North Bend Theatre, 125 Bendigo Blvd., North Bend. Tickets $10 in advance, $15 at door. Go to www.flyfilmfest.com to purchase.
•  Sallal Grange swap meet, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. March 31, 12912 432nd Ave. S.E. North Bend. Contact rummage@sallalgrange.org to reserve a table or to learn more. Tables are $20 each.
•  Fashion show, 2-5 p.m. April 1, Snoqualmie Ridge TPC, tickets $20 per person, $160 for a full table. All proceeds to benefit the Mount Si Senior Center. For tickets, call 888-3434.

North Bend Library

The following events take place at the North Bend Library, 115 E. Fourth St.

•  Snoqualmie Valley Chess Club, 7 p.m. Thursdays. Learn to play chess or get a game going; all ages/skill levels welcome.
•  Tax preparation assistance, 10 a.m. Wednesdays through April 11. Everyone welcome regardless of income and age.
• Study Zone, 4 p.m. March, 22, 29; 3 p.m. March 26, 27; 7 p.m. March 28, free tutoring for grades K-12.
•  Game On! 3 p.m. March 23, 30, April 6. Play Xbox 306, PlayStation and Nintendo, “Guitar Hero” and “Dance Dance Revolution.” Board games and snacks available.
•  Special Needs Story Time, 10 a.m. March 17. Targeting ages 3 to 6, children of all ages and abilities welcome.
• Merry Monday Story Time, 11 a.m. March 26, April 2. Newborns to age 3 with adult. Siblings and other children welcome.
•  Job Club, 2 p.m. March 26. Connect with fellow job seekers for support and networking.
• EReader assistance, 6 p.m. March 26, April 2. Learn how to download library eBooks to your eReader or computer.
•  Toddler Story Time, 9:30 a.m. March 27, April 3. Ages 2-3 with adult.
•  Preschool Story Time, 10:30 a.m. March 27, April 3. Ages 3-6 with adult, siblings welcome.
•  Pajamarama Story Time, 6:30 p.m. March 28, April 4, all young children welcome with adult.
• One-on-one Computer Assistance, 1 p.m. March 28, for adults.
• SnoValley Writers Work Group, 3 p.m. March 25. Join other local writers for writing exercises, critique and lessons on voice, plot and point of view. Adults only.
•  Spanish/English Story Time, 11 a.m. March 31. All ages welcome with adult.
• English as a Second Language classes, 6:30 p.m. April 2.
•  First Tuesday Book Club, 7 p.m. April 3, discussion of “They Almost Always Come Home,” by Cynthia Ruchti.

Snoqualmie Library

The following events take place at the Snoqualmie Library, 7824 Center Blvd. S.E.

•  EReader Assistance, 11 a.m. March 22, 29, April 5, 12. Learn how to download library eBooks to your eReader or computer.
•  Preschool Story Times, 1:30 p.m. March 26, April 2, 9; 10:30 a.m. March 28, April 11; ages 3-6 with adult
• Study Zone, 3 p.m. March 27, April 10. Free tutoring for grades K-12.
•  Young Toddler Story Times, 9:30 a.m. March 28, April 4, 11, ages 6-24 months with adult
•  Anime and Manga Club, 3 p.m. March 28, April 4, April 11. Watch anime movies, eat popcorn and practice anime drawing.

Pajama Story Times, 7 p.m. March 29, April 5. All young children welcome with adult.

Purl One, Listen, Too, knitting program, 1 p.m. April 5.

Friends of the Snoqualmie Library, 6 p.m. April 12.

Churches 

St. Clare’s Episcopal Church is collecting cereal for the Mount Si Helping Hand Food Bank. People wanting to donate money instead may write a check to the food bank, P.O. Box 2464, North Bend, WA 98045.

Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church, Faith Formation classes for Pre-kindergarten to fifth grade, 9:30 a.m., March 25 and April 22. 39025 S.E. Alpha St., Snoqualmie

Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church Book Group, 9:30 a.m. April 21, “Our Lady of Kebeho,” by Imaculee Ilibagabiza,

Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church seeks to collect, tarps, candles, duct tape, flashlights, toilet paper, toiletries, hats, gloves, ropes and scarves for the homeless. Bring donations to the church’s parish hall.

Classes

Tween Yoga class at Si View Community Center, 2:30-3:15 p.m. through April 12. No class April 5. $50 fee. Yoga mat, towel and water needed.

Swimming lessons at Si View Community Center, through March 28 Mondays and Wednesdays, $70; through March 29 Tuesdays and Thursdays, $70; through March 31 Saturdays only, $35

Beginning Watercolor at Si View Community Center, 10 a.m. March 24, 31, April 14 and 21; $86; ages 6-10; No class April 7.

Animal Art at Si View Community Center, 11 a.m. March 29, for ages 3-5, $36, 400 S.E. Orchard Drive, North Bend, 831-1900

Learning Cartwheels and Confidence, 9:30-10:15 a.m. Saturdays, March 30-April 28, Si View Community Center. Costs $62.50. Ages 3-6.

Kindergarten Plus at the YMCA, March 5, Snoqualmie Valley YMCA, 35018 S.E. Ridge St. Reinforce your child’s classroom learning with this program based on state and district standards. For members and nonmembers alike. Call 256-3115 for more information.

Volunteer opportunities

The Boeing Classic golf tournament seeks volunteers for its 2012 edition. Tournament will occur Aug. 20-26 at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge. Volunteers will receive two golf shirts, a jacket, headwear, admission passes, meal vouchers and more. Further details at www.boeingclassic.com.

The Snoqualmie Tribe is seeking volunteers to help plant trees, clear brush and lay down cardboard and mulch at Fall City Community Park, 10 a.m. March 24. Contact Tribe ecologist Neal Jander at njander@snoqualmienation.com if interested.

Encompass is currently seeking volunteers to help with our landscape and maintenance at both the downtown North Bend and Boalch Avenue locations along with office help. This can be a weekly or monthly commitment. Email michelle.mccormick@encompassnw.org or call 888-2777.

Snoqualmie Sister Cities Association invites community members to join a newly formed group to support Snoqualmie’s new sister city, Chaclacayo, Peru. The association already has developed a close relationship with sister city Gangjin, South Korea, which more than 30 residents have visited in the past four years. Email maryrcorcoran@gmail.com or call 503-1813.

The Mount Si Food Bank is looking for volunteers to help unload food at noon Mondays, sort food at 9 a.m. Tuesdays or pass out food on Wednesdays. Call the food bank at 888-0096.

The Elk Management Group invites the community to participate in elk collaring, telemetry and habitat improvement projects in the Upper Snoqualmie Valley. Project orientation meetings are at 6 p.m. the third Monday of the month at the U.S. Forest Service Conference Room, behind the Forest Service office, 130 Thrasher Ave. Email research@snoqualmievalleyelk.org.

Snoqualmie Valley Hospital is accepting applications for ages 16 or older to volunteer in various departments of the hospital. Email carolw@snoqualmiehospital.org to arrange an interview.

Senior Services Transportation Program needs volunteers to drive seniors around North Bend and Snoqualmie. Car required. Mileage reimbursement and supplemental liability insurance are offered. Call 206-748-7588 or 800-282-5815 toll free, or email melissat@seniorservices.org. Apply at www.seniorservices.org.

Mount Si Senior Center needs volunteers for sorting and sales in the thrift store, reception and class instruction. The center is at 411 Main Ave. S., North Bend. Call 888-3434.

Hopelink in Snoqualmie Valley seeks volunteers for a variety of tasks. Volunteers must be at least 16. Go to www.hopelink.org/takeaction/volunteer.com or call 869-6000.

AdoptAPark is a program for Snoqualmie residents to improve public parks and trails. An application and one-year commitment are required. Call 831-5784.

Study Zone tutors are needed for all grade levels to give students the homework help they need. Two-hour weekly commitment or substitutes wanted. Study Zone is a free service of the King County Library System. Call 369-3312.

Clubs

Survivors of the Snoqualmie Valley School District. Meets once a month, the third Tuesday of the month, except September, at the Si View Community Center. Please contact 292-7191, for a complete list of upcoming meetings.

Mount Si Fish and Game Club, 7:30 p.m. first Thursday (October through May), Snoqualmie Police Department, 34825 S.E. Douglas St.

Snoqualmie Valley Rotary Club, 7 a.m. every Thursday, TPC Snoqualmie Ridge Golf Club Restaurant. All are welcome. Go to www.snoqualmievalleyrotary.org.

American Legion Post 79 and the American Legion Auxiliary, 7 p.m. second Thursday, 38625 S.E. River St., Snoqualmie, 888-1206

Snoqualmie Valley Garden Club, 6:30 p.m. second Thursday, Mount Si Senior Center, North Bend, 888-4646

Snoqualmie Valley Kiwanis Club meets at 7 a.m. every Thursday at the Mount Si Golf Course restaurant in Snoqualmie, snovalley@member.kiwanis.org

Snoqualmie Fraternal Order of Eagles Women’s Auxiliary, first and third Tuesday, 7 p.m. Men’s Aerie, first and third Wednesday, 7 p.m., both at 108 Railroad Ave., 888-1129

Cancer survivor group, 9 a.m. second Saturday, Sawdust Coffee, North Bend Factory Stores mall, newellvl@yahoo.com

Snoqualmie Valley Youth Hub — cultural, athletic, recreational and educational opportunities for young people — 831-1900

Loyal Order of Moose, 108 Sydney Ave., North Bend. Men — 6 p.m. first and third Monday; Women — 7 p.m. third and fourth Tuesday, 888-0951

Washington Freemasons, 7:30 p.m. first Wednesday, Unity Lodge No. 198, North Bend, 888-5779

Mental illness support group, 7-8:30 p.m. Fridays, Snoqualmie Fire Station, 37600 S.E. Snoqualmie Parkway, free for anyone with a mental illness or who has a family member with a mental illness, 829-2417

Mount Si Artist Guild meeting, 9:15-11 a.m. third Saturday, Mount Si Senior Center, 411 Main Ave. S., North Bend, www.mtsiartistguild.org.

SnoValley Beekeepers, second Tuesday, 7 p.m., Meadowbrook Interpretive Center, Meadowbrook Farm, 1711 Boalch Ave., North Bend, www.snoqualmievalleybeekeepers.org.

Trellis gardening club, 10 a.m. third Saturday, Valley Christian Assembly, 32725 S.E. 42nd St., Fall City, new and experienced gardeners are welcome.

Moms Club of North Bend, 10 a.m. last Monday of the month, Totz, 249 Main Ave. S., Suite E, North Bend, children welcome, www.momsclub.org.

Elk Management Group, 6:30 p.m. second Wednesday, U.S. Forest Service conference room, 130 Thrasher Ave., behind the visitors’ center on North Bend Way; interagency committee meetings, 1:30 p.m. first Monday, North Bend City Hall annex, 126 Fourth St.; both meetings open to the public, www.snoqualmievalleyelk.org.

Pam Dowling was a Girl Scout for about half of her fourth-grade year. She went camping once and that was it.

“I never really thought much about it,” she said.

Contributed From left, Girl Scouts Lindsey Cassidy, Rebekah Lang, Leslie Kolke, Leia Nedblake, Suzy Cassidy, Elizabeth Dowling, Emilie Reitz and Jessi Lelas.

Fast-forward a few decades — she leads two Valley troops of Girl Scouts, the nationwide organization celebrating its 100th anniversary this month.

“It’s been fabulous,” she said of her nine years as an adult member. “I’ve been with these girls since kindergarten, and now that they are almost getting ready to go into high school, it’s wonderful to see how empowered they are.”

Once lampooned as an organization that taught girls how to sell cookies, the Girl Scouts of America have expanded its traditional teachings to train girls in other areas, Dowling said.

“A fourth-grader wanting to join today should be ready to explore opportunities to be more independent,” she said, “and setting the direction in which she wants to go.”

A Girl Scout today may learn things like science, videography, photography, computer technology, cancer awareness and career preparation.

Girls still learn arts and crafts, but starting in the fourth grade, they start taking leadership roles within the organization, running their own meetings, Dowling said.

“I’m more of an adviser than a leader at this point,” said Dowling, who has two daughters in Girl Scouts.

The main goal is ensuring girls grow confident and independent. For Emilie Reitz, a Girl Scout for nine years, it has worked.

“It makes you more confident about yourself,” said Reitz, who joined the Girl Scouts in kindergarten because all of her friends were there.

Most of them still are, the eighth-grader said.

Reitz has earned the Silver Award, a Girl Scout Cadette’s highest honor, after 40 hours of community service work for cancer awareness with fellow Girl Scout Rachel Donka.

Reitz said she wants to continue in Girl Scouts until she graduates from high school, in about four years.

“There’s a lot of opportunities I would not have had, volunteer stuff I would not have done,” she said when asked what she would have missed out by not joining. “It’s opened a lot of doors.”

Two of the last three first ladies, Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush, have been Girl Scouts. Journalist Katie Couric, actresses Dakota Fanning and Reese Witherspoon, and singer Fergie have belonged to the organization.

Still, current and past Girl Scouts’ achievements aside, some perceptions die hard.

“Some people still think we’re a bunch of goody-goody-two-shoes, and that all we do is sew and sell cookies,” Reitz said. “But I have a lot of friends in Girl Scouts and they are all different people. There’s a lot of variety in what we do.”

Dowling agreed, saying many girls have taken on large projects in order to earn either Silver or the Bronze awards.

“I see them understanding how to run a project and how to stick with it,” she said. “But I also see them having experiences in learning something new in all sorts of topics.”

With the organization entering its second century, these are exciting times to be a Girl Scout, Dowling said, both when looking ahead and looking back.

“Being able to see that it has shaped the lives of women over all these years, even if times have changed, it’s inspiring,” she said.

North Bend cook wins Girl Scouts award

Deanna Morauski, a North Bend cook, businesswoman and a cooking columnist for the SnoValley Star won the first Girl Scouts of Western Washington Recipe Contest.

Morauski, a former Girl Scout, submitted a recipe for Savannah Smiles Frozen Lemonade Tarts, made with Savannah Smiles Girl Scout cookies.

“So many memories have been made because of Girl Scouts … so many smiles,” she wrote on her website. “Thus, the Savannah Smiles Frozen Lemonade Tarts are the best way to celebrate.”

Morauski paid tribute to her “girls in green,” who celebrate the organization’s 100th birthday this month.

“One hundred years of building girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place,” she wrote. “Well done, Girl Scouts. Well done. Happy birthday from one of those girls.”

See the recipe and instructions on how to make the tarts at www.theclever- culinarian.com.

Sebastian Moraga: 392-6434, ext. 221, or smoraga@snovalleystar.com.