“People think they are not human,” said Ron Sauer, a Transport For Christ chaplain at Country Pride Truck Stop in North Bend. “They don’t see the driver, they see the truck.”

Transport for Christ ministry’s Tom Kemp (left) chats with a visitor to the Trucker Appreciation Day Aug. 28. By Sebastian Moraga

Transport for Christ organized Trucker Appreciation Day at the truck stop Aug. 28. The celebration was a welcome break in the tough lives of the men and women behind the wheel of some of the largest rigs on our nation’s highways.

“Truckers have a lot of spiritual and emotional needs,” said Tom Kemp, lead chaplain of Transport For Christ’s mobile chapel in North Bend. “They tend to be lonely people and sometimes they just need to talk. They may be far from home 300 days a year.”

Missing birthdays, anniversaries, funerals and other milestones is not uncommon for truckers, who sometimes spend as few as four days a month at home.

“My daughter’s birthday is Sept. 4,” said Ken Graff, a truck driver from Stanhope, N.J., “Chances are I won’t be there.”

Truckers don’t get enough recognition for the sacrifices they make, so a day like Trucker Appreciation Day is great, said Larry Martinez, manager of the restaurant at the truck stop.

Christian bands provided music and Midnight Cry Community Fellowship Church helped make food.

“Truckers got nobody,” said Dean Ekloff, pastor of Midnight Cry. “We want them to know we love them and appreciate what they do.”

Sauer agreed.

“When they are on the highway, they don’t get too many good thoughts,” he said. “This lets them know they are appreciated.”

The food, mostly picnic goodies, had so much acceptance, it was probably going to run out before the event was over, said Bill Scribner, who worked the grill.

What made the day great for truck drivers was not the food, the music or all the well-wishers, but the fact that they happened to be in North Bend on Trucker Appreciation Day.

“I found out about it 20 minutes before it started,” Graff said. He later said, “I’ve heard of other driver appreciation days, but the chance of you ending up at that truck stop on that day is kind of rare.”

Ed Waple, a truck driver from Boston called the day refreshing. It doesn’t happen at every truck stop and it’s a break from the negativity surrounding truck drivers, he said.

“I’ve heard people say trucks don’t even belong on the road,” Waple said. “I wonder how they get their groceries or their clothes at Wal-Mart.”

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

The volunteers, members of the North Bend ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, trimmed trees and brush, mowed grass, and sanded and varnished all exterior wood doors.

Rebecca Houldridge, Phil Garding, Sam Houldridge and Kari Houldridge (from left) sand down a door from the Encompass building so that it may be refinished. By Dave Cousins

Encompass is a local nonprofit organization that works with all families in the Snoqualmie Valley, Issaquah, Sammamish and the greater Eastside.

Encompass offers programs on speech, physical and occupational therapy for young children, parenting classes and one-on-one coaching, family support, preschool and summer camps.

According to North Bend Bishop Mark Whiteley, many of the members of his congregation have benefited either directly or indirectly from the Encompass organization, through the services that Encompass provides, employment or opportunities to give community service.

“This was a time for our members to give back to an organization that well deserves our support,” he said.

The effort was a part of an areawide initiative from the Bellevue South Stake, designed to partner each of the 10 congregations that comprise the stake with a local nonprofit.

Stake President Robert Johnson said he felt impressed to have church members go out and serve the community.

“Efforts like this give us a chance to help those in our community on a level that is meaningful,” he said.

“I’ve told all my kids, when you want to feel better, go do something for someone else,” Scott Moore, longtime North Bend resident and church volunteer, said.

Gregory Malcolm, executive director at Encompass, said the generosity of local families made it possible for Encompass to continue offering high-quality services and programs that nurture children, enrich families and inspire community.

“The volunteers joined with Encompass to make dreams come true,” he said.

Comment at www.snovalleystar.com.

Reviewed by Sarah Lynch,

North Bend branch of the King County Library System

Jack (of beanstalk fame) is always trying to set things right, even when it involves stealing from the rich and powerful to teach them a lesson.

He’s been in his fair share of trouble, especially when he decides to break into a certain giant’s house and steal some golden eggs.

Calamity Jack

One tiny bean turns into a giant green tower, and Jack turns into a wanted man.

He’s forced to leave his hometown and his mother, and ventures into the Wild West, where he is reunited with Rapunzel.

Years pass, and Jack returns home, only to find the giant has taken over the town, and is holding his mother prisoner.

Jack and Rapunzel join forces, and with the help of magic pixies, justice may finally be served.

“Calamity Jack” is a great retelling of “Jack and the Beanstalk,” with an added punch of adventure and a surprising love triangle.

Shannon and Dean Hale also wrote “Rapunzel’s Revenge,” another awesome fairy tale twist.

Vine grew up in Issaquah, where her parents, Milt and Janet Vine live.

Katy Vine and Matthew Bowers

She graduated from Issaquah High School in 2004. She earned her Master of Arts in accounting from the University of Washington in 2009.

Vine currently works as a certified public accountant for KPMG.

Bowers grew up in North Bend, where his parents Mark and Jane Bowers live.

He was home schooled and earned his GED in 2004.

He earned his Bachelor of Arts in communications from the University of Washington in 2007. Bowers currently works as a program manager for Zillow.com.

The fashion show represents a stunning milestone for Jackson, a South African-born Texan who grudgingly moved to Seattle in October 2009, when her husband got a job at Amazon.

A month later, she began drawing designs, making her first necklaces using things like Scrabble tiles and guitar picks.

Anne Jackson smiles next to some of her creations. The South African-born, Texas-raised, Snoqualmie resident is a talented jewelry designer whose first-ever art show is next week in Seattle. By Sebastian Moraga

She then took a handful of necklaces to boutique owners in the area. Two shook their heads, but the third one nodded: Allie Wieseler, from Snoqualmie.

Jackson sold four necklaces at Wieseler’s store, Head Over Heels.

“I said to myself, ‘If I can get into her boutique, I must really have something,’” Jackson said.

She made more necklaces and friends nudged her into selling those.

In February, she returned to Wieseler’s boutique, with more necklaces.

“I sold a ton,” she said.

Eight months later, her hobby has become a job, and her first fashion show is next week.

She describes the fun/work split as 70/30. She said she’s happy and the customers are happy.

“It’s fun, it’s unique, it’s not overpriced,” customer and friend Jennifer Crosser said.

Crosser met Jackson in December 2009.

“Hopefully, this fashion show is going to help her a lot,” Crosser added.

Lizzie Parker, a clothing designer from Issaquah and creative director of the show, praised the necklaces.

“It’s very unique, with very unique taste and I like that she has her own unique ideas,” Parker said.

Jackson said she first looks for people not wearing necklaces. Second, she thinks of a necklace that would go with that person’s outfit.

Third, she draws it up.

“Sometimes on grocery store receipts or at church, which I know is terrible,” she said.

Fourth, she finds the material online. Fifth, she makes the necklace, by hand.

“I love doing it,” she said. “I love seeing people wearing my stuff.”

On Sept. 16, a select group of people will wear her stuff: models, at Fashion First Seattle, a fundraiser to benefit Rise ‘n’ Shine, a nonprofit organization that provides mentors for children and teenagers with AIDS.

The show is a platform for independent, smaller designers from the Seattle area who could otherwise not afford a fashion show, Parker said.

The show will feature seven designers other than Parker and Jackson.

“I’ve looked at what I created and I can’t wait to see it on the models,” Jackson said.

The success of her brand, Simply Anne, makes Jackson — a one-time school teacher — question whether she’ll ever teach again and wonder what will happen if the brand grows too much for just one person.

Her husband Justin was supportive from the start, if a little hesitant, she said.

“I think at first he was like, ‘Honey, good for you. Now, you have a hobby.’ Now, he’s blown away,” she said.

Justin’s eye for fashion is the butt of a few jokes.

The necklaces he dislikes sell like poinsettias in December, while the ones he likes don’t.

“He keeps asking, ‘When do I need to quit work?’” Jackson said of her success. “We’re not there yet.”

With the show days away, she said how quickly it all happened amazes her.

She said much credit goes to the boutique owner who said yes after two said no.

If Wieseler had said no, Simply Anne would have never happened.

“She’s really the person who if she hadn’t pulled $40 out of her cash register, I wouldn’t have done it,” she said.

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

On the Web

Find Anne Jackson’s jewelry at www.simplyanne.com.

If you go

• Fashion First Seattle
• 7 p.m. Sept. 16
• Ticket prices range from $50 to $500.
• www.fashionfirstseattle.com

Ann Heideman, an art teacher at Mount Si High School, stands next to one of her paintings. Heideman will show her work every Sunday morning in September or by appointment at Seattle’s University Unitarian Church, 6556 35th Ave. N.E. (Photo by Sebastian Moraga)

For years, artist Inger Heideman told her daughter Ann she should show her own work at the Unitarian church on 35th Street Northeast in Seattle.

The years passed and Ann, an art teacher at Mount Si High School, never did.

Then, this year, she submitted 30 pieces and the church said yes to 14 of them.

Starting Aug. 29, the younger Heideman has had her own exhibit at University Unitarian Church.

“I would like to think she had something to do with it,” Ann said of Inger, whose funeral was held at the same church last year.

Heideman will exhibit her paintings until Sept. 30.

Most of the 14 paintings in the exhibit combine her passion for painting and fly fishing.

Many paintings are of fishing spots she likes.

To Heideman, the two hobbies have a lot in common.

“You have to focus on what happens now,” she says. “You can’t think too much.”

Putting on an exhibit requires a lot of thinking and a lot of work, though, she said.

For the exhibit, Heideman opened a website, www.annheideman.com, and pulled 8- to 10-hour days working on her latest painting.

Pam Belcher, co-chair of the church’s art committee, said the church puts on two painting exhibits each month during the rest of the year. Only during summer do exhibits last longer.

Heideman’s work will hang in the sanctuary. Seattle artist Teresa Burrelsman’s drawings will hang in the church’s Gilmartin Room.

“The sanctuary is for the big pieces. The entrance to the sanctuary, the Gilmartin Room, is for the small pieces,” Belcher said.

Despite a 25-year career as an art teacher, this is only Heideman’s second exhibit and the first one of her landscapes. Two years ago, she exhibited her portraits of airplanes at the Arlington Fly-In, an air show in northwestern Washington.

She had tried to exhibit her landscapes in Seattle before, but the Seattle art community is filled with politics, she said.

“There’s a lot of ‘who-do-you-know,’” she said.

Besides, she did not have as many paintings as she does now.

Heideman’s work will be open to the public every Sunday at 9:30 a.m. until Sept. 10 and at 11:30 from Sept. 12 on.

“The chapel is not open all the time,” Belcher said.

People attending other days must contact her beforehand at pam@pamelabelcher.com.

Heideman is optimistic about the exhibit. She wants to make connections, get good feedback and, if possible, sell a painting or three.

Even if she does not sell paintings, Heideman knows she is fulfilling a family dream. Once upon a time, an artist named Inger Heideman exhibited her work at the same church.

And because of that, Ann is ready to roll.

“It’s not going to be a failure. It looks damned good,” she said. “People are already saying it looks exciting, so it’s already a success.”

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

Snoqualmie Valley student drama shows may sparkle with ideas from Broadway, now that drama teachers Dean and Kim Snavely have completed the Broadway Teachers Workshop.

In New York, the Snavelys rubbed elbows with Broadway stars and participated in dozens of workshops, including ones detailing stage makeup, sound, lighting and higher education.

“It exceeded both of our expectations inexplicably,” said Dean Snavely, Snoqualmie Middle School music director and Mount Si High School musical theater director.

The Snavelys learned about the workshop through their licensing company, Music Theatre International. Every time a play is performed, a school must receive permission from a licensing company. The company told the Snavelys about the New York workshop, but they balked at the price.

They spoke with students, other teachers and administrators, and heard encouragement from every angle.

“Everybody said this is a really amazing opportunity for you guys to get training and to learn what is happening in the world of high school theater,” Dean Snavely said.

The couple used about $4,000 of Associated Student Body money to go to New York, and scrimped wherever they could.

“There was no extravagance,” Dean Snavely said. “We sucked the marrow out of New York City.”

They both said they would share their newfound knowledge with other drama teachers in the Snoqualmie Valley district. Dean Snavely said he would also work to bridge the gap between middle and high school drama productions.

The Broadway Teachers Workshop held two full days of workshops, with participants seeing Broadway plays at night. On the third day, they saw back-to-back plays, a theater teacher’s delight.

In the end, the Snavelys saw “Memphis,” “Million Dollar Quartet,” “American Idiot” and “Promises Promises,” with star Sean Hayes, who played Jack on the TV show “Will and Grace.” At the end of the show, Hayes spoke with the 50 teachers in the Broadway Teachers Workshop

“We got to talk to him as teachers,” Dean Snavely said, “and he got to talk to us about what in school made him want to stay with acting. That was amazingly helpful.”

The Snavelys learned that Hayes appreciated his drama teachers and engaging yet challenging productions.

When they weren’t at shows, the Snavelys attended workshops. Mount Si music and drama director Kim Snavely said she wanted to help students pursue theater in higher education, so she went to a workshop with directors from seven theater schools. The directors reviewed what they look for in prospective students, giving Kim Snavely ideas for helping students apply to college.

The couple both attended a makeup workshop, learning from the artist who worked on shows like “Young Frankenstein.”

“I can’t wait to get back to my theater class, because we do a makeup unit and I can really coach kids to be more effective,” Kim Snavely said. “It’s all about playing with shadow and light and playing with effects, especially with wrinkles.”

Dean Snavely said his favorite workshop was “Die Vampire Die,” taught by the creator of the musical “Title of Show.”

During the workshop, Dean Snavely had to find and kill his vampire — basically the clog that blocks creative people’s bursts of inspiration.

“Your vampire is the thing that gets in the way,” Dean Snavely said. “It could be your seventh-grade choir teacher telling you you couldn’t sing, and that’s your vampire.”He destroyed his vampire, but because of a pact he made with the other teachers in the workshop, he said he couldn’t reveal what it was.

“What I found when I walked out of there was I killed my vampire,” Dean Snavely said. “I have enormous creative material not only for drama, but also for choir and band. I couldn’t wait for school to start. I love my summer, but I can’t wait to try some ideas. We’re going to talk a lot about vampires.”

Laura Geggel: 392-6434, ext. 221, or lgeggel@isspress.com.

Surely, Tom Stapleton would have appreciated it.

A man whom his friends say thrived on making you smile would have loved seeing his fellow firefighters smile during his life celebration Aug. 17.

A man whom his friends say loved helping others would have loved seeing firefighters help firefighters attend the ceremony at Pickering Barn.

Stapleton, a cancer survivor and longtime Eastside Fire & Rescue firefighter EMT, husband and father, died in his sleep Aug. 10. The North Bend resident was 52.

Seven days later, crews from around the area filled in for EFR crews so they could honor their comrade.

Firefighters from Duvall worked in Carnation; firefighters from Snoqualmie filled in at North Bend; firefighters from Fall City filled in at the EFR station on the Sammamish Plateau, and Mercer Island firefighters worked in Issaquah.

The city of Seattle provided the Seattle Firefighters’ Pipes and Drums; the city of Bellevue provided an honor guard to go along with Eastside Fire Pipes and Drums.

Volunteers from EFR replaced paid personnel.

All of the replacement crews received large pizzas from EFR.

“We purchased pizzas as a small token to say thanks for letting us spend time with Tom and his family,” said Greg

Tryon, battalion chief for EFR.

Since their friend had not died in the line of duty, there was no parade of fire trucks on Gilman Boulevard on the way to Pickering Barn.

Instead, the trucks wore a dark diagonal stripe on their logos and firefighters wore a black “shroud” across their badges.

Above the badges, most firefighters wore something else as they reminisced about Stapleton.

“To know Tom was to smile,” said Tryon, who knew Stapleton for 17 years.

Smiling was a way for the firefighters to get a handle on the death of a man who had received a clean bill of health just a few months ago.

Anecdotes about how some people likened Stapleton to Cosmo Kramer mixed with tales about him and a fellow firefighter wondering how to split a stick of string cheese.

“Me being a nice guy,” EFR firefighter Rick Scriven said in a speech, “I gave him one-third of it.”

The crowd laughed.

On the next sentence, Scriven’s voice broke and he had to stop talking.

“We’d love to know why he’s not with us, but we don’t, and that’s equally hard,” Tryon said.

The celebration of life was an opportunity to reassure not just Stapleton’s family, but the families of other firefighters, too, said Jon Parkinson, a lieutenant with EFR who called Stapleton the best guy he had ever known.

“It’s a way to let other people in the department know that if something tragic happens to them, these very people will be behind you,” he said.

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

The picturesque surroundings of downtown Snoqualmie will get even more so come Aug. 28. And if not picturesque, at least painting-esque.

The second annual Snoqualmie Plein Air Paint Out will gather some of the finest painters in the West, as they each start and finish a painting in seven hours, all in the open air.

The contest will last from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., with a showing scheduled for 5 p.m. at Isadora’s Café, 8062 Railroad Ave. S.E.

People at the show will vote on the best painting, which will be featured on the 2011 Plein Air Paint Out’s poster. The painting on this year’s poster is last year’s winner, a painting of the downtown gazebo by Petra Fursman.

Jeff Waters, chairman of the Snoqualmie Arts Commission, said 28 painters showed up last year. Registration is still open for this year’s contest. People can still sign up the day of the contest at the gazebo.

Anyone can participate, Waters said. The only rules for the event are:

q Painters must work on site: No fair showing up with a painting you have already started.

q Painters must paint. No fair just showing up to sell your stuff. You can sell your stuff, but you must also paint a new piece. “We’re not trying to run a street fair,” Waters said.

q Painters may only enter the painting they did at this Plein Air Paint Out into the contest. No fair using your best work from years ago.

To avoid tricks, everyone will start the Plein Air Paint Out with a stamped canvas. That way, people will know the painting is from Aug. 28, 2010.

Although most people will likely paint, other art forms are accepted.

“I won’t turn a sculptor away if one shows up,” Waters said.

The charm of the Plein Air Paint Out is that it takes the artist out of his or her studio and into the streets.

A press release from Snoqualmie stated that “plein air” means “in the open air” in French. (Plein rhymes with “Glenn.”)

“We have the benefit of the views of Mount Si and the Snoqualmie Falls to name a few,” Consy Malasoma, a member of the arts commission, wrote in an e-mail.

Painting in the middle of a street with someone’s eyes drilling holes in your canvas is not easy, Waters said.

“The first time you do it, you feel like an idiot,” he said. With time, it gets more fun, particularly when people begin dropping the classic onlooker line, “I’ve always wanted to do that, but I don’t have any talent.”

Waters said he always responds the same way: It’s not about talent. It’s about repetition. People don’t play great melodies the first time they sit in front of a piano. Painting is the same.

“The whole point is to encourage people to be interested,” Waters said.

Fee for the contest is $20, which will go toward street maintenance. Artists who sell paintings will pay no commission to the city.

“Artists love that,” Waters said.

Painters can paint from anywhere in the Valley, Malasoma said, but they must return downtown by 4 p.m.

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

Every year around July, Nancy Flanagan and Jan Van Liew wonder if they will meet the needs of children in the Valley.

And every year so far, the same answer arrives in late August: “Yes, by the grace of God,” Flanagan said.

Parents and children showed up Aug. 18 and 25 at the Mount Si Helping Hand Food Bank in North Bend for the annual school supply and shoe drive.

Backpacks filled with basic supplies for grades K-12 and boxes of new shoes waited for the children, who in turn could hardly wait to open their new possessions.

“Don’t be excited,” Janardan Dave told his daughter Datta as she tore the tape off her shoebox.

While the backpacks for kindergartners had things like crayons and glue sticks; backpacks for high-schoolers had pens and binders and stacks of paper.

One hundred and fifty-eight children were signed up in July for this year’s drive. That surprised Flanagan, who organizes the supply drive.

Last year, the drive helped 170 children, and since the economy is still weak, she said she expected a higher number.

Nevertheless, both Flanagan and Van Liew — who organizes the shoe drive — said they relished helping the community.

Flanagan called participating in the drives a blessing. Van Liew called it the highlight of her year.

Van Liew’s church, Snoqualmie Valley Alliance, began holding the shoe drive five years ago. Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church and Mount Si Lutheran Church have worked together for more than a decade on the supply drive. Flanagan has participated for seven years.

“I thought ‘I want to make this my last year,’ but I’ve become pretty attached to it,” she said. “If I could find someone to share the responsibility, it would be awesome.”

Flanagan is more attached to the drive than some of the children are to their new goodies. A girl asked Flanagan if she could trade her new backpack for another one. Flanagan said no — once she picked a backpack, it was hers.

“If we had a pile of backpacks and a pile of supplies, maybe we could allow some trades,” she said.

All of the backpacks had been filled with grade-specific items.

Children get choosy sometimes, though most are thrilled.

“I like it,” Datta Dave said of her new backpack, while holding a folder. “I like this folder. It has designs on it.”

Filling more than 150 backpacks took 40 minutes. Last week, volunteers set the supplies on a table, and then walked around it like on an assembly line.

For the supply drive, some people donated money and businesses like Costco donated 160 backpacks. Used items were accepted, but they had to be in great shape.

For the shoe drive, the church made cards with the ages, gender and shoe sizes — no names — of the children who signed up.

Members of Snoqualmie Valley Alliance picked as many cards as they wanted. The rules were: No child gets more than one pair of shoes, to avoid inequality, and the shoes had to be brand new.

“People asked me, ‘What do I get?’ I told them ‘Get what you would buy for your own children,’” Van Liew said.

Some children got more than they expected, as some people bought socks. Someone even bought tiaras for the kindergarten girls.

Once school starts, the need does not disappear, so Flanagan hopes to put on a “refresher” school supply drive in January.

“It’s probably one of the more successful community outreach drives,” Van Liew said. “It’s Valley people helping Valley people.”

Meg Wolf reached through the green leaves toward a plump blueberry at Bybee Blueberry Farm, looking for the perfect berry to fill the cobblers at her wedding.

“I look for big, firm blueberries,” Wolf said. “You don’t want it to be too mushy.”

She and her fiancé Seamus Kelly had recruited 20 of their wedding guests to come to the North Bend blueberry farm to pick blueberries for cobblers that would feed 125 people.

Like many Bybee pickers, the Seattle couple had made a tradition of blueberry season.

“We come out here every year,” Kelly said. “Picking blueberries is one of our favorite things. We’ll keep picking until our fingers turn blue.”

Bybee Blueberry Farms attracts thousands of sweet- and tart-toothed people every summer. The family that owns the farm has roots as deep as their blueberry bushes. Steve Bybee’s father bought the property in 1946, two years before Steve’s birth. Steve and his sister purchased it from their parents in 1980, and Steve bought his sister’s portion from her this year.

“Dad was going to sell it and move away. When we bought it, he got to live here and not do any of the work,” Steve said, laughing.

Nowadays, he manages the farm with his wife, Jayne. After graduating from Mount Si High School, Steve served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War. He met Jayne when he returned to the Valley, cruising from one end of North Bend to the other in his Volkswagen Beetle.

“We’d graduated and he had already been in the service and back,” said Jayne, who was 17 when she met her 20-year-old beau. 

Plants almost care for themselves

Now, the Bybees tend to their farm, and the Valley has a number of elements that help the blueberries flourish. The bushes thrive in the acidic soil, the high water table means they don’t need a sprinkler system and mulch from the grass and plants fertilize them.

“We haven’t fertilized in 20 years,” Steve said. “If you just let these plants exist, they take care of themselves.”

They do take one precaution: spraying the twigs and ground to prevent fungus. The mummy berry fungus makes the berries look like white mummies, ghosts of their blue selves. One year, the Bybees lost three-fourths of their crop because they didn’t spray, a mistake they don’t plan to make again.

Some plants are 60 years old and still generate blueberries. Steve called pruning the secret to blueberry longevity, cutting old branches and encouraging new growth.

In the winter, the bushes are bare, making them easier to prune. By early spring, the bushes blossom and then ripen into blueberries by summer, if the weather permits. The Bybees have opened their farm as early as July 7 and as late as Aug. 1, depending on the weather. One year, they stayed open until Oct. 14.

On a cloudy day in August, Kristen Gehrett, of Sammamish, asked Steve where she could find the best berries.

“Go to the middle of the row,” Steve said.

Pickers tend to start at the entry point and work their way to the end, but they should venture further into the rows, where six varieties of blueberries dangle in the breeze.

“Dig in,” Steve said.

“You really have to spread the branches apart or just get low,” Jayne said.

The Bybees said blueberry pickers serve another purpose, in addition to buying their crop, “the more where people go, the more they scare the birds,” Steve said, asking people to shield his bushes from starlings, crows and robins.

Less bird interference means more berries for pickers. The little blue fruit is full of vitamin C and E, and antioxidants, which destroy free radicals.

While the Bybees built a fence to keep out bears and elk, they do welcome bees. Honeybees are poor pollinators, but mason and bumblebees get the job done, buzzing toward flowers, spreading pollen in their wake.

Katherine Staberow, of Monroe, visited the farm with her infant son, Kelton. She planned to puree her blueberries into baby food. Her mother, Debbie Cernick, of Cle Elum, had other plans.

“I like a real strong flavor,” Cernick said. “I like to freeze them and eat them like marbles.”

New growth

The Bybees have more than blueberries on their plate. In 2008, they built a wedding venue, so lovebirds could get married at the base of Mount Si, amid sweet smelling fruit. In 2010, 15 couples got married there. Wedding season ends in mid-September, before the weather turns.

“To make a living farming, you have to have something else besides crop,” Steve said.

The family also plans to start a vineyard, planting grapes in their acidic soil. If all goes well, they could produce pinot noir.

Some changes are less welcome. Jayne’s father, Bob Vezzoni, known for playing loud Italian music for the blueberry pickers, died in May. Almost every day, people ask Jayne about his whereabouts.

“It’s been tough,” she said. “I think next summer will maybe be better.”

The Bybees have two daughters — Michelle, a nurse, and Kelli, who plans to take over the farm when her parents retire. Their daughters help them pick custom orders, which they fill at the beginning of the season when the blueberries are more plentiful.

Meanwhile, as the wedding party concluded its picking for its cobblers, Aidan Kelly, father-of-the-groom, gazed beyond the blueberries at Mount Si.

“It’s just amazing with the background,” he said. “We don’t have anything like this in Iowa.”

Laura Geggel: 392-6434, ext. 241, or lgeggel@isspress.com.

A youth performs during the 72nd Annual Railroad Days. (Photo by Kirsten Johnson)

The smell of corndogs, kettle corn and curly fries filled the air of downtown Snoqualmie as folks came out Aug. 20-22 to enjoy the 72nd Annual Railroad Days.

While the festival began Friday and carried into Sunday, Saturday featured the most packed day of events. With temperatures at a comfortable 70 degrees that afternoon, fairgoers picked an ideal day to enjoy the fun.

Morning attractions included a pancake breakfast served by the Snoqualmie Firefighters Association, the morning Fun Run, and the Grand Parade. The parade included crowd-pleasers like a bagpipe player and the Seafair Pirates.

This year was the Pirates’ first time visiting the festival since 1997. Mike “Sparrow” Knowlton, captain of the Seafair Pirates, originally hales from Snoqualmie. He said he was excited to return to his hometown for the festival.

“I was born here in 1960,” he said. “I’ve been all over the world, but nothing compares to here. Where else can you see a mountain shaped like an Indian?”

All throughout the day, food and vendor booths lined the streets selling artwork, crafts, and practically every kind of fair food.

A Seafair pirate roams the streets of Snoqualmie during the 72nd Annual Railroad Days. (Photo by Kirsten Johnson)

Kathy Miles, from Maple Valley, manned a vendor booth called Country Miles. She sold a variety of joke and toy gifts, attracting all types of people, but especially children. Each weekend in the summer, she travels to festivals all over Washington. This was her fourth year at Railroad Days.

“I have kids who look for me every year,” she said.

Ron Payne, of the Snoqualmie Fire Fighters Association, was attending a booth set up by the firefighters, beside Seattle’s first fire engine, a 1930’s antique. The firefighters had it set up as an attraction for children to play.

“Kids love to crawl all over this,” he said. “If you were a kid, wouldn’t you like to?”

Music from the Mainstage could be heard from all over the fair. Over the weekend, more than a dozen talented performers took the stage.

Rosalba Pantoja brought her entire family on Saturday to see all the attractions. They sat and enjoyed a plate of curly fries while watching Cascade Jazz Quintet perform that afternoon.

“We’ve been to the garage sales, my son and I did the run, and now we’re enjoying the fun music,” Pantoja said. “The kids are having a great time. It’s been a lot of fun.”

The railway museum gave train rides throughout the afternoon as well as performed railroad demonstrations for spectators.

The museum sponsored the event for the second year in a row. Susan Hankin, president of the museum, said that she believes the festival is an ideal opportunity to expose children to history of the Valley.

“Teaching kids about railroads is essentially teaching them about the history of the Valley,” she said.

The Kids Training area, set up behind the museum, was a popular stop for children. It featured a banana boogie race, a rootbeer garden and a stage full of fun acts, including a puppet theater.

Mike McRitchie, of Snoqualmie Ridge, came with his son Dmitri and daughter Isabella to enjoy the festival. His children especially enjoyed climbable amenities in the children’s play area.

“The kids love to play with all this stuff,” McRitchie said. “Dmitri loves to hear the big train passing by the museum blast the whistle.”

The picturesque surroundings of downtown Snoqualmie will get even more so come Aug. 28. And if not picturesque, at least painting-esque.

The second annual Snoqualmie Plein Air Paint Out will gather some of the finest painters in the West, as they each start and finish a painting in seven hours, all in the open air.

The contest will last from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., with a showing scheduled for 5 p.m. at Isadora’s Café, 8062 Railroad Ave. S.E.

People at the show will vote on the best painting, which will be featured on the 2011 Plein Air Paint Out’s poster. The painting on this year’s poster is last year’s winner, a painting of the downtown gazebo by Petra Fursman.

Jeff Waters, chairman of the Snoqualmie Arts Commission, said 28 painters showed up last year. Registration is still open for this year’s contest. People can still sign up the day of the contest at the gazebo.

Anyone can participate, Waters said. The only rules for the event are:

q Painters must work on site: No fair showing up with a painting you have already started.

q Painters must paint. No fair just showing up to sell your stuff. You can sell your stuff, but you must also paint a new piece. “We’re not trying to run a street fair,” Waters said.

q Painters may only enter the painting they did at this Plein Air Paint Out into the contest. No fair using your best work from years ago.

To avoid tricks, everyone will start the Plein Air Paint Out with a stamped canvas. That way, people will know the painting is from Aug. 28, 2010.

Although most people will likely paint, other art forms are accepted.

“I won’t turn a sculptor away if one shows up,” Waters said.

The charm of the Plein Air Paint Out is that it takes the artist out of his or her studio and into the streets.

A press release from the city of Snoqualmie stated that “plein air” means “in the open air” in French. (Plein rhymes with “Glenn.”)

“We have the benefit of the views of Mount Si and the Snoqualmie Falls to name a few,” Consy Malasoma, a member of the arts commission, wrote in an e-mail. “I don’t believe Kirkland, Everett or other municipalities have such a unique outdoor area.”

Painting in the middle of a street with someone’s eyes drilling holes in your canvas is not easy, Waters said.

“The first time you do it, you feel like an idiot,” he said. With time, it gets more fun, particularly when people begin dropping the classic onlooker line, “I’ve always wanted to do that, but I don’t have any talent.”

Waters said he always responds the same way: It’s not about talent. It’s about repetition. People don’t play great melodies the first time they sit in front of a piano. Painting is the same.

“The whole point is to encourage people to be interested,” Waters said.

Malasoma agreed.

“The purpose for hosting a Plein Air event is to have artists set up their easels and work/paint while the public is observing and asking questions,” she wrote.

Fee for the contest is $20, which will go toward street maintenance. Artists who sell paintings will pay no commission to the city.

“Artists love that,” Waters said.

Painters can paint from anywhere in the Valley, Malasoma said, but they must return downtown by 4 p.m.

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

The sun came out to play for the Festival at Mount Si weekend, bringing with it scorching heat and wind.

Children slathered in sunscreen ran around with ice cream dripping down their hands, anxious to get their faces painted or run through sprinklers. Dogs and their owners sought shady havens in which they could take in all of the excitement, live music and events with a cool breeze.

Seafair Pirate Mike ‘Sparrow’ Knowlton shows that even pirates smile sometimes as he sits in the group’s vintage fire engine. By Dan Catchpole

Jill Massengill, committee president for the festival, said the events were successful despite the high temperatures.

“Most people were down at the river in the middle of the day on Saturday,” she said. “But, the parade had a bigger attendance than I had ever seen before.”

The seventh annual Cherry Pie Eating Contest brought spectators of all ages, ready to watch the brave contestants inhale as much homemade pie from Twede’s Café as possible.

Restaurant owner Kyle Twede laid out the rules: There weren’t any.

“You can use your hands, feet, toes, nose, whatever,” he said.

Two groups of participants competed, with the 12-year-old and under group allowed five minutes, and the older group allowed three minutes to consume pies weighing about three pounds each.

The mother of one of the younger participants, Erica vanWagoner, said she was excited to have her son, Gabe, participate under the pseudonym of “The Pit of Despair.”

“Not many 11-year-olds get to say they entered a pie-eating contest,” she said. “It is cool whether he wins or not.”

It was a close competition, but the winner became clear, as “Messa Tessa” ruled the competition. When asked if she would ever eat cherry pie again, Tessa responded, “Maybe tomorrow.”

Twede said he saw the contest as an opportunity to give back to the community, and as a fun way to do so.

For those not in the mood for stuffing themselves with pie, there were many other options for food. The vendor area made decisions difficult with possibilities including pizza, tacos, fried rice and burgers. Refreshments were covered as well, with all of the ice cream that could possibly be consumed and lemonade options lining the strip.

Another food opportunity at the festival was the quilt cake, which contained more than 20 cakes donated and decorated in honor of the Veteran’s Memorial Foundation.

A trip through the rest of the vendor area brought an interesting combination of opportunities. One could find things from puzzles to lawn mowers, jewelry to bedding, balloons to cooking spices, and homemade soap to compact fishing rods. Highlights in the area were the face painting, henna tattoos and crazy hair booths, evident from the number of blue- and green-haired children running around the fields.

Other events included a demonstration by the Society for Creative Anachronism, an educational society focused on researching and recreating pre-17th century European art and skills, according to Squire Heinrich Wilhelm. The group showed the crowds medieval fighting techniques, using no choreography and real wooden swords.

The Arts in Festival Hall brought a wide range of exhibits, such as photography, textile work and paintings from local artists. Young local singers showcased their talents, and artists demonstrated production of their work. Student artwork from the SnoValley schools was also displayed, including a painting of the Mad Hatter from “Alice in Wonderland” by a fifth-grader, and several paintings of giraffes.

Sunday’s events were very successful, Massengill said, with the highlights being the ninth annual Chili Cook-off and the Tour de Peaks Bicycle Ride. An estimated 20,000 people attended the festival throughout the weekend, she said.

Marty and Chris Fagan at the Arkansas Traveller 100-mile race, where Chris took second place. Contributed

Chris Fagan, 45, and husband Marty, 47, come from a mountaineering background. When they decided to have a family, however, they turned to a sport that would give them more time at home.

“We were looking for something to enjoy the mountains,” Chris said.

They began doing shorter trail runs, and then gradually worked their way to ultra distances, or distances over 50 kilometers.

“We live in the perfect place to train for this running,” Chris said.

The couple chose to live in North Bend, because of its proximity to training trails including Mount Si, Little Si, Rattlesnake Ridge, and Cougar and Tiger mountains.

Now, they’re gearing up for the most challenging run they’ve attempted: the 100-mile North Face Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc race, which has a 30,000-foot elevation gain. Runners begin in France and cross into Italy and Switzerland as their course circles Mont Blanc, the highest peak in Western Europe.

The race is Aug. 27, so they are in their final week of peak training, Marty said. This consists of running a 50-mile race one day, and running the Wonderland Trail, a 93-mile trail around Mount Rainier, over the course of three days.

“To keep going you have to get smart,” Chris said.

She explained that discipline, smart training and mental fortitude are at the heart of success in an ultra marathon. She and Marty have geared their diets, exercise training and lifestyles around these races.

“You train your mind as much as you train your body,” Chris said.

She said that not only is diet and training important before a race, but during, because of the length of a run.

The Fagans expect to run their upcoming race in 30-32 hours, so eating and staying hydrated during the run is very important. Chris said she eats every 30 minutes, drinks water regularly and takes a salt tablet hourly.

“You would think you have a lot of down time, but in these races your mind is constantly checking in on how you’re doing,” she said. “I oftentimes get into a bit of a running trance, a groove. You hit that sweet place and you can enjoy the environment.”

Marty added: “I tend to get happier after mile 50 or 60. After the halfway point, I start to imagine myself finishing or doing well. At about 80 miles, tears come up in my eyes and I know I’m going to make it.”

“Any huge goal that seems challenging has the parts that aren’t always that fun,” Chris admitted.

But the Fagans insist that anyone can succeed in the sport if they are determined.

Even their son Keenan, 8, has done a few 5K runs, and can’t wait to get trail running, they said.

“This sport does not take any particular wonder gene — anyone can do it,” Chris said. “It really starts with deciding mentally that you want to try this.”

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

The Friends of the North Bend Library holds its annual book sale through Aug. 28 at 115 E. Fourth St., North Bend.

Most items cost between 25 cents and $1. Bags of books will sell for $1 each Aug. 28. The sale is open during regular library hours.

Proceeds benefit the Friends of the North Bend Library, which pays for library improvements as well as support programs for children, teenagers and adults.

The programs are free, open to the public and held at the North Bend Library.

Sometimes, being pint-sized can be a good thing.

Like on Aug. 25, when a pint-sized donation of blood can get you a free pint of ice cream.

Mix It Up! Ice Creamery and the Puget Sound Blood Center are holding a blood drive that day between 10 a.m. and noon and 1 and 4 p.m.

People who sign up to give blood will get the free ice cream in the flavor of their choice.

“We wanted to do it since we opened,” said Shelagh Macaulay, an employee of Mix It Up! Ice Creamery, which first opened in 2008. “We wanted to be community superheroes.”

The blood donations will happen inside a bus parked outside the ice creamery, Macaulay said.

“Nobody is going to see people with needles,” she said.

People will enter the bus and give their information. At that point, they will get the free ice cream.

That way, the incentive is not for donating blood, but for trying.

Chelsea Page, a donor group representative with the blood center, wrote in an e-mail that the center hoped to have 32 donors at the blood drive.

“Nearly 900 people must donate blood through Puget Sound Blood Center every day to meet the needs of local patients,” she wrote.

Macaulay herself will not be able to donate blood this time. She leaves for college Aug. 20.

And even if she weren’t leaving, she would probably pass on giving a pint to get a pint.

“I’m terrified of needles,” she said. “If they let me do it while unconscious, I would, but they won’t.”

Donors need to be 18 or older and need to weigh at least 110 pounds.

Sixteen- and 17-year-olds may donate with a consent form signed by a legal guardian. Find the consent form at www.psbc.org/programs/ permission.pdf

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

Get involved

• To donate blood, call Mix It Up! at 396-3020 or e-mail the ice creamery’s owner Kimberly Millan at kimberlymillan@comcast.net.

The Haitian Arts and Crafts Display and Sale at Isadora’s Café is scheduled to run Aug. 20-25. It will include paintings, carved stones and metal sculptures.

Ten percent of sale prices will go to redevelopment projects. All profits from sales will go to the Haitian artist.

The sale and display is sponsored by Snoqualmie United Methodist Church with the help of Ten Thousand Villages, which sells artwork from nearly 40 countries.

Isadora’s Café is at 8062 Railroad Ave., Snoqualmie.

The committee is accepting proposals for tourism-related services to be provided during the calendar year 2011. Local organizations that provide activities for tourists and benefit the tourism industry in the upper Snoqualmie Valley are eligible to apply.

The committee will make recommendations for funding to the Snoqualmie City Council, which has the final say.

Guidelines are available on the city’s website — www.cityof-snoqualmie.org.

Applications are due by 5 p.m. Sept. 15.

Tour de Peaks needs volunteers to distribute flyers and posters, man water stops, handle course management, and work at the start and finish lines Aug. 15. For information, call Dave Nye at 425-831-3444 or e-mail davenye@nyecoinc.com.

Spanish Academy invites volunteers fluent in Spanish to participate in summer camps on their three-acre farm-style school. Must love kids and nature! Call 425-888-4999.

Senior Services Transportation Program needs volunteers to drive seniors around North Bend and Snoqualmie. Choose the times and areas in which you’d like to drive. Car required. Mileage reimbursement and supplemental liability insurance are offered. For more information, call 206-748-7588 or 800-282-5815 toll free, or e-mail melissat@seniorservices.org. To apply online, go to www.seniorservices.org and click on “Giving Back” and then on “Volunteer Opportunities.”

Mount Si Senior Center needs volunteers for sorting and sales in the thrift store, reception and class instruction. The center is at 411 Main St., North Bend. Call Ruth or Janet, 425-888-3434.

Hopelink in Snoqualmie Valley seeks volunteers for a variety of tasks. Volunteers must be at least age 16. Go to www.hope-link.org/takeaction/volunteer.com or call 425-869-6000.

Adopt-A-Park is a program for Snoqualmie residents to improve public parks and trails. An application and one-year commitment required. Call 425-831-5784.

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 King County Library System. Call 425-369-3312.

Montgomery helped steer the city through difficult financial times, Mayor Ken Hearing said.

“During the decadelong moratorium, the city survived because of her willingness to think outside the municipal finance box,” he said.

The North Bend City Council honored Montgomery at its Aug. 17 meeting.

MaryAnn Nelson has been hired by the city to fill Montgomery’s position. She is the former president and CEO of Eastside Commercial Bank.

The North Bend Chess Club meets every Thursday from 7-9 p.m. at the North Bend Library, 115 E. Fourth St. All ages and skill levels are invited.

Sallal Grange meets the first Friday of each month for a potluck and open mic with our local musicians. The potluck starts at 6 p.m. with the music from 7 p.m. – midnight. Open to all and all ages, 12912 432nd Ave. S.E., North Bend. Visit www.sallalgrange.org.

Snoqualmie Valley Rotary Club meets at 7 a.m. every Thursday at the TPC Snoqualmie Ridge Golf Club Restaurant. All are welcome. Visit www.snoqualmievalleyrotary.org.

American Legion Post 79 and the American Legion Auxiliary meets at 6 p.m. the second Thursday at 38625 S.E. River St., Snoqualmie. Call Rich and Pam Collingwood at 425-888-1206.

Snoqualmie Valley Garden Club meets at 6:30 p.m. the second Thursday at the Mount Si Senior Center, North Bend. Call Linda at 425-453-8630

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

Snoqualmie Fraternal Order of Eagles Women’s Auxiliary meets the first and third Tuesday at 7 p.m. The Men’s Aerie meets the first and third Wednesday at 7 p.m. Meetings are held at 108 Railroad Ave. Call 425-888-1129.

A cancer survivor group meets 9 a.m. the second Saturday at Sawdust Coffee in the North Bend Factory Stores mall. Email Lisa Newell at newellvl@yahoo.com.

Snoqualmie Valley Youth Hub provides cultural, athletic, recreational and educational opportunities to more than 4,000 young people in the Valley. Call 425-831-1900.

Loyal Order of Moose, 108 Sydney Ave., North Bend. Men meet at 6 p.m. the first and third Monday. Women meet at 7 p.m. the third and fourth Tuesday. Call 425-888-0951.

Mount Si Fish and Game Club meets at 7:30 p.m. the first Thursday of the month at the Fall City Firehall.

Washington Freemasons meet at 7:30 p.m. the first Wednesday at Unity Lodge No. 198 in North Bend. Call 425-888-5779.

Held at Si View Park, the festival incorporates the community center for an art show, the senior center for a pancake breakfast, and is the start and finish location for the Tour de Peaks bicycle ride, according to Minna Rudd, recreation coordinator for Si View Metro Parks.

“There is a lot of community activity planned around this festival,” she said.

Activities for the weekend begin at 6 p.m. Aug. 13, with rock ‘n’ roll bands on the main stage, folk music on the second stage, and vendors and arts for both children and adults.

Saturday’s events begin with the Grand Parade at 10:30 a.m. and end with a fireworks show at 9:45 p.m. with plenty of other action in between. It will be the day to show-off your best blueberry dessert in front of the judges, to put in your vote for the prettiest dog at the Dog Beauty Pageant and to eye the Amazing Animal Talent Show. Children and adults alike will find themselves face first in cherry pies at 2:15 p.m. All day, live music will be available on the main stage.

Sunday morning is for bicycles and chili, with check-in for the Tour de Peaks beginning at 7 a.m. and the ninth annual Chili Cook-off beginning at 8:30 a.m. to allow time before the judges arrive at 2:15 p.m.

The festival committee has done its best to provide for easy methods of parking and transportation to the events, Rudd said. A shuttle will be available during all festival hours from the Mountain View Shopping Center, where Safeway is located, and from the Factory Stores at North Bend. It will run approximately every 15-20 minutes from each location. There is a suggested donation of $2 per person to ride the shuttle.

Traffic in North Bend will be redirected during the festival, as Orchard Drive will be partially closed to through traffic. Similarly, during the parade, part of North Bend Way will be closed.

“We’re looking forward to a beautiful weather weekend,” she said.

On the Web

Get a complete schedule and list of events, as well as driving directions and shuttle schedules, at www.festivalatmtsi.org/index.php.

Many of the following services are free. The center’s address is 400 Main Ave., North Bend.

Wellness nurse

• The nurse provides assistance with diet and nutrition, blood pressure screening, exercise programs and health care monitoring.
• When: By appointment, from 9 a.m. – noon Thursdays. Drop-ins will be taken if there is an opening.
• Cost: Free

Mammograms

• A mobile mammography unit that is handicapped-accessible will be available.
• When: Sept. 29 by appointment. Call 888-3434 to schedule a screening.
• Cost: Free with Medicare; variable cost with insurance or for low-income patients

Stroke and diabetes support group

• Get support and advice in this group facilitated by a nurse.
• When: 11 a.m. Aug. 24, Sept. 14 and 28
• Cost: Free

Blood pressure monitoring

• Local firefighters check your blood pressure.
• When: 11 a.m. Tuesdays
• Cost: Free

Dental care

• Have your teeth and dentures cleaned by Healthy Smiles Inc., a dental hygiene service company.
• When: Aug. 26 and Sept. 23 by appointment. Call 888-3434 to schedule a cleaning.
• Cost: $75

Foot care

• Keep your feet fit and trim with nail clippings by a registered nurse.
• When: Thursdays by appointment. Call 888-3434 to schedule.
• Cost: $28

The North Bend Chess Club meets every Thursday from 7-9 p.m. at the North Bend Library, 115 E. Fourth St. All ages and skill levels are invited.

Sallal Grange meets the first Friday of each month for a potluck and open mic with our local musicians. The potluck starts at 6 p.m. with the music from 7 p.m. – midnight. Open to all and all ages, 12912 432nd Ave. S.E., North Bend. Visit www.sallalgrange.org.

Snoqualmie Valley Rotary Club meets at 7 a.m. every Thursday at the TPC Snoqualmie Ridge Golf Club Restaurant. All are welcome. Visit www.snoqualmievalleyrotary.org.

American Legion Post 79 and the American Legion Auxiliary meets at 6 p.m. the second Thursday at 38625 S.E. River St., Snoqualmie. Call Rich and Pam Collingwood at 425-888-1206.

Snoqualmie Valley Garden Club meets at 6:30 p.m. the second Thursday at the Mount Si Senior Center, North Bend. Call Linda at 425-453-8630.

Snoqualmie Fraternal Order of Eagles Women’s Auxiliary meets the first and third Tuesday at 7 p.m. The Men’s Aerie meets the first and third Wednesday at 7 p.m. Meetings are held at 108 Railroad Ave. Call 425-888-1129.

Tour de Peaks needs volunteers to distribute flyers and posters, man water stops, handle course management, and work at the start and finish lines Aug. 15. For information, call Dave Nye at 425-831-3444 or e-mail davenye@nyecoinc.com.

Spanish Academy invites volunteers fluent in Spanish to participate in summer camps on their three-acre farm-style school. Must love kids and nature! Call 425-888-4999.

Senior Services Transportation Program needs volunteers to drive seniors around North Bend and Snoqualmie. Choose the times and areas in which you’d like to drive. Car required. Mileage reimbursement and supplemental liability insurance are offered. For more information, call 206-748-7588 or 800-282-5815 toll free, or e-mail melissat@seniorservices.org. To apply online, go to www.seniorservices.org and click on “Giving Back” and then on “Volunteer Opportunities.”

Mount Si Senior Center needs volunteers for sorting and sales in the thrift store, reception and class instruction. The center is at 411 Main St., North Bend. Call Ruth or Janet, 425-888-3434.

Hopelink in Snoqualmie Valley seeks volunteers for a variety of tasks. Volunteers must be at least age 16. Go to www.hope-link.org/takeaction/volunteer.com or call 425-869-6000.

Adopt-A-Park is a program for Snoqualmie residents to improve public parks and trails. An application and one-year commitment required. Call 425-831-5784.

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 King County Library System. Call 425-369-3312.

Snoqualmie artist Jill Saitta calls her painting “Hope,” and like many of her other acrylic pieces, it bursts with color. This painting, as well as one of a geometric tribal mask, will be auctioned at the third annual Project Grace Guild fundraiser, which benefits Seattle Children’s.

Jodie Toney, a guild member, met Saitta during a spin class and learned about her passion for painting. Toney asked her if she would donate artwork to Project Grace, a guild of 18 Snoqualmie women whose children have received care from Children’s. Proceeds from the guild’s auction benefit children whose families cannot afford medical care.

Snoqualmie artist Jill Saitta shows some of her miniature paintings of flappers. Saitta is donating two of her paintings to Project Grace, a guild that raises money for Seattle Children’s. By Laura Geggel

“She does great artwork and is a wonderful artist,” Toney said. “She uses a lot of bright colors. It’s very pretty.”

The California native began showing her artwork in public in June at Steve’s Doughnuts on Snoqualmie Ridge. In July, a Snoqualmie friend, LuAnne Somers, held an art show for Saitta at her house.

“She always uses very vibrant colors,” Somers said. “It’s her own unique art. It speaks Jill. I think it’s just amazing. She does this all freehanded and through the thought process in her mind.”

Saitta always enjoyed drawing and painting, but never pursued it as a youth.

“When I was a child, I used to draw Garfield,” Saitta said. “At school, my friends used to ask me to draw their names in bubble letters.”

Saitta worked a number of odd jobs, including a stint as a florist in high school, where she arranged flowers and admired their artistic form.

In the mid-1990s, Saitta took an art class at Michael’s and spent three hours oil painting a mountain scene littered with peaks and pine trees. She was the only student there, and received a one-on-one lesson, leaning how to wield her pallet knife and paintbrush.

“Colors bring out emotions,” Saitta said. “If I could describe painting in one word, it’s passion.”

Saitta so enjoyed painting, she enrolled in Art Instruction Schools, a program allowing its students to work from home, a perk that allowed Saitta to stay at home with her children.

Halfway through the program, she called her instructor to ask what he thought of her work. He said she had skill beyond most college graduates, she said, smiling, still proud of his praise.

She put her art knowledge to use, instructing a class of third-graders for one year in California.

In spring 2008, her family moved to Snoqualmie, where Saitta home-schools her two younger children. Once her children are studying, she uses her afternoons or evenings to paint scenes from her imagination. In one painting, a Spanish dancer wearing a black dress with red fringe dances while a mustached man in blue watches from behind her. Saitta said Ridge Fitness instructor Kelly Saunders inspired the painting through her zumba classes.

It’s a miracle Saitta can paint at all, after her accident in winter 2008. One night, when Saitta was working out at home, a piece of exercise machinery fell on her head. Her son heard her cry out and got help.

The accident left her with bruises on her brain and damage to her occipital nerve. Now, she finds it hard to focus her sight on one thing, and sometimes she sees double or just black.

Support from her family and friends and her faith have kept her going, Saitta said. She is happy to support others too, which is why she is donating two of her paintings to the Project Grace auction.

“It’s my way of giving,” she said.

Laura Geggel: 392-6434, ext. 221, or lgeggel@snovalleystar.com. Comment at www.snovalleystar.com.

Tickets cost $5, with profits going to the Mt Si Helping Hand Food Bank.

“Hopefully, we’ll sell 1,000 tickets and we can raise close to $4,500 for the food bank,” Walker said.

He said he got the idea from Fall City Days’ Duck Derby. After reading the SnoValley Star’s profiles of people who use the food bank, Walker said he decided to combine the two, turning the derby into a benefit for those in need.

Cindy and Jim Walker, owners of the North Bend Theatre and Emerald City Smoothie in North Bend, are holding a Duck Derby fundraiser to support the Mt Si Helping Hand Food Bank. By Katelyn Walker

“I think it’s an important time to help an organization that extends out and reaches out to so many people in the community,” Walker said.

Tickets for the derby are being sold at North Bend’s Emerald City Smoothie, George’s Bakery and Deli, Birches Habitat, New Dawn Espresso and at the parade during the Festival at Mount Si. Cash and checks are accepted.

The race, sponsored by North Bend’s Emerald City Smoothie, begins at 11:30 a.m. Aug. 15 on the South Fork of the Snoqualmie River at the park across from Si View Community Center during the Festival at Mount Si. It ends at the 202 bridge that crosses over the river, between the Factory Stores at North Bend and the Mt. Si Senior Center.

Walker will award about 35 prizes to the winners. But first, he has to do a test run with his ducks.

“I’m going to do a 25-duck test run this week,” Walker said. “I got a lot of friends out there with nets.”

Laura Geggel: 392-6434, ext. 221, or lgeggel@snovalleystar.com. Comment at www.snovalleystar.com.