But local law enforcement wants residents to know that although there may have been a connection in one break-in, not all door-to-door solicitors are thieves.

“It’s nice that people are letting their neighbors know on these groups when something doesn’t look right in the neighborhood,” Snoqualmie Police Captain Steve McCulley said. “But you really should be calling 911 if you see something suspicious.”

McCulley said there seems to be a “hiccup” in Snoqualmie, where people don’t call 911 because they don’t think it’s important enough or they don’t want to bother police.

“But you people live there in the neighborhood, you know when something doesn’t look right,” he said. “If they don’t call us and let us know, we’re not going to know about it. If a door-to-door salesman is trying to sell you something, and then you see that same person at your neighbor’s house shaking doorknobs and looking in windows, we want to hear about that.”

One alert neighbor in Snoqualmie’s Deer Park did notify police at about 7:45 p.m. May 2 that she saw a strange male, who had tried to sell her something earlier, leaving her neighbor’s house and getting into a blue pickup.

A press release said that another caller reported seeing the same subject in another neighborhood.

The home in Deer Park suffered a broken window, but nothing was taken, according to the press release.

McCulley said that because of those calls, police were able to identify a 35-year-old subject and residential burglary charges have been filed with the King County Prosecutor’s Office. Becky Munson, with the police department, said they aren’t going to release the suspect’s name because they are still trying to locate the van driver.

A local blogger said the total number of recent Snoqualmie break-ins is at four, but Snoqualmie Sgt. Robert Keeton disputes that number.

He said there were two break-ins, where someone forced their way into a home.

“The other two were thefts, where the thief walked into open garages and took items,” Keeton said. “Those are not considered break-ins.”

North Bend Police Chief Mark Toner said only two North Bend homes experienced a “forced entry” all year.

One happened Jan. 4, where the suspect broke into a window and stole casino chips and prescription medications, he said. The other happened April 23, where tools were stolen out of a shed in a backyard.

Toner agrees that if neighbors see solicitors acting suspicious, he wants to hear from them.

North Bend and Snoqualmie have city ordinances requiring a business license for door-to-door solicitors.

Toner stopped a young woman who was peddling magazines in a North Bend neighborhood without a license May 21.

He said the woman, and five others, work for P.S. Circulation and are all out of Pennsylvania.

“She told me they were all staying at a hotel in Tacoma and a supervisor dropped them off in North Bend,” Toner said. “I said they needed to get out of town and I notified Snoqualmie Police.

“But not everyone selling goods is a thief,” he said. “If someone comes to your door trying to sell you something, and you don’t want to be bothered, don’t answer the door. But if you see them walking around your house or coming from your neighbor’s backyard, I want a call.”

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

Duncan Wilson, North Bend city administrator, attended his final City Council meeting May 15.

Wilson received the evil moniker soon after he started with the city on Nov. 1, 2006 — the Day of the Dead.

He told the Star that just five days after he started his new job, North Bend experienced massive flooding.

“We had to open the Emergency Operations Center for the first time in years,” Wilson said. “It was my first week and we were dealing with trapped citizens, significant property damage and impassable roadways. Five weeks later, we had massive wind storms that took down transmission lines throughout Western Washington.

“Most of North Bend was without power for six days,” he added. “We had to get emergency generators. We had to move elderly residents out of retirement homes to beds at the hospital. Communications were sketchy and cell service was lost. We opened the EOC again … the second time in six weeks.”

Wilson said that when he showed up at the next council meeting, Councilman Jonathan Rosen had taped the “Prince of Darkness” moniker on the back of his nameplate.

“It has been there for five years. Privately, he begged for me to spare the citizens of North Bend from further destruction,” Wilson said.

The friendly ribbing between Wilson and the city’s staff and elected officials lightened things up at many council meetings.

Deputy Chief Bud Backer, with Eastside Fire & Rescue, couldn’t say goodbye without one last jibe at the outgoing administrator.

Backer said he and the crew wanted to give Wilson a firefighter’s challenge coin.

“There are four qualities you must meet before you can receive this coin: leadership, integrity, dedication and service. But we’ve decided to give it to you anyway.”

Several councilmembers told Wilson that they’ve appreciated his one-liners and snarky comments, which helped keep their spirits up during difficult decisions.

“You have a great sense of humor that cuts through everything,” Rosen said. “But you also kept the momentum going on projects and you always put the city first.”

Councilman Ryan Kolodejchuk described Wilson as inspiring and “passionate about this city.”

Mayor Ken Hearing said that Wilson was instrumental in getting the park & ride and roundabout projects finished, as well as securing water rights and ending the city’s moratorium on development.

“You will be missed,” he said.

Quite a few tears were shed on Wilson’s last night, including his own, when he told the council and staff, “This is the best job I’ve ever had. We’ve had the highest quality of individuals on the council and the staff does an absolutely miraculous job. They made me look good … Think about how dire it looked in 2006. Now, a hotel and houses are being built. The turnaround has been amazing.”

Since learning of Wilson’s approaching departure to be the town administrator of Friday Harbor, Hearing announced at each City Council meeting how many more “wake-ups” until Wilson was gone.

On Tuesday, he announced that they’d hit ground zero on wake-ups.

Londi Lindell, Wilson’s replacement, officially started May 1 — and has already caused giggling episodes with the council and staff.

“You guys are so lucky to have Londi,” Wilson said to the gathering. “I’m very happy knowing I’m leaving the city in such capable hands.”

This is in addition to the railroad’s usual weekend train schedule. To commemorate the holiday, the museum will offer $5 round-trip train fare May 26-28 to anyone with a valid current military ID card. The museum offers scenic train excursions aboard its antique train, through the Cascade foothills of the Upper Snoqualmie Valley, including a ride to the top of Snoqualmie Falls.

Trains depart every 90 minutes beginning at 11:01 a.m. from the Snoqualmie Depot at 38625 S.E. King St. and at 11:31 a.m. from the North Bend Depot at 205 McClellan St. Regular round-trip fares are $10 for children ages 2-12, $15 for adults, and $12 for those 62 and older. Call the Northwest Railway Museum at 888-3030 or go to www.trainmuseum.org.

Visitors to the museum experience the excitement of a working railroad while learning about the important role railroads played in shaping the character of the Pacific Northwest. The Snoqualmie Depot, exhibits and Depot Bookstore are open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

The period for candidates to enter races up for election on the August and November ballots ended May 18 in a buzz of activity.

Local voters face choices in countywide, legislative, statewide and federal offices.

Voters pick the top two candidates, regardless of party affiliation, Aug. 7 in the all-mail primary election. The top vote recipients then advance to an all-mail general election Nov. 6.

Elections officials attributed the intense interest among candidates in part to the presidential contest on the ballot, and the expectation of high turnout as voters choose between President Barack Obama, a Democrat, and the GOP challenger, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

“The voters I’ve met as I traveled around the state in the past month are very enthused about this election, and you get the sense that it is a generational or ‘change’ election coming up,” Secretary of State Sam Reed, the top elections official in the state, said in a statement. “When you add the presidential election and potentially some very volatile ballot measures, we may see record voter registrations and record turnout.”

The timing of candidate filing is earlier than in previous years because state officials shifted the primary election to early August to accommodate mailing military and overseas ballots in time for Election Day.

County-wide, voters must decide on 115 elected positions. Statewide, 344 positions came up for grabs, including a high-profile race for governor.

“This year, there are 115 open elected offices for which candidates may file,” county Elections Director Sherril Huff said in a statement. “This being a presidential year election, we are anticipating extremely high voter turnouts.”

Besides the presidential election and a U.S. Senate race, open positions elsewhere on the ballot attracted attention from candidates during the filing period. Voters must also choose a secretary of state, attorney general and state auditor, state and federal lawmakers, plus numerous judges and local officials.

The list of local officeholders in the race for a higher post is sizable.

King County councilmen Reagan Dunn, a Republican, and Bob Ferguson, a Democrat, top

the list of candidates for state attorney general. The incumbent attorney general, Republican Rob McKenna, is running for governor against former U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee, a Democrat, and a field of lesser-known candidates. (Dunn represents rural areas of south of Issaquah on the County Council.)

Issaquah School Board President Chad Magendanz, a Republican, is running for a 5th Legislative District seat in the state House of Representatives. Another candidate in the race, Democrat David Spring, ran unsuccessfully for the seat in 2008 and 2010. Independent candidate Ryan Dean Burkett is also running.

Magendanz is running to succeed state Rep. Glenn Anderson. The longtime lawmaker and Fall City Republican is leaving the House to run for lieutenant governor. The field includes the incumbent, Democrat Brad Owen, and others.

The other 5th District seat in the House, occupied by North Bend Republican Jay Rodne, is not being contested, so he appears poised to cruise to re-election.

Issaquah Councilman Mark Mullet, a Democrat, opted to run against incumbent Republican Cheryl Pflug for the 5th District seat in the state Senate. The race also includes Republican Brad Toft, a Snoqualmie businessman.

However, Pflug dropped out of the race for another legislative term May 22, after Gov. Chris Gregoire appointed her to a state growth board.

Gregoire appointed Pflug to a six-year term on the Washington Growth Management Hearings Board, the panel responsible for mediating disputes about planning and development issues in municipalities throughout the state. Members earn $92,500 per year.

Members cannot serve simultaneously on the board and in the Legislature. The appointment as a board member starts July 1, about six months before Pflug’s Senate term expires.

Under state law, the King County Council is responsible for appointing a successor to the Senate seat after Pflug resigns. The law calls for GOP officials to submit three candidates to the council for the open seat. Then, the council must make a selection within 60 days after Pflug’s resignation.

Pflug, a 13-year legislator, ascended to the Senate through the same process, after then-Sen. Dino Rossi resigned to run for governor. Before the Senate appointment in 2004, Pflug represented the district in the state House of Representatives since 1999.

“Cheryl is well-respected by both sides of the aisle as an effective problem solver and has served her constituents well,” Gregoire said in a statement. “Her legislative experience and commitment to serve will be a great asset to the work of the board and I welcome her to this new role.”

In the neighboring 41st Legislative District — post-Census 2010 redistricting divided Issaquah between the 5th and 41st districts — Mercer Island Democrat Judy Clibborn faces no opposition as she runs for another term as a state representative.

Republican Tim Eaves is challenging Renton Democrat Marcie Maxwell, the incumbent representative in the other 41st District House seat.

Incumbent 41st District Sen. Steve Litzow, a Republican, faces a challenge from another Mercer Island resident, Democrat Maureen Judge.

Most candidates for prominent offices started organizing, fundraising and campaigning months before the filing deadline.

Washington voters must also select political party precinct committee officers.

The officers serve as local party representative in neighborhoods. In the role, the officer helps register people to vote and drums up party support by handing out campaign material and encouraging neighbors to vote.

King County mails voter registration cards

King County Elections is mailing updated voter registration cards to all King County voters.

The elections office started sending the cards May 21. The cards identify a voter’s precinct, and congressional, legislative and King County Council districts. Many districts changed late last year due to post-Census 2010 redistricting.

The recent redistricting affected more than 600,000 of the 1.1 million registered voters in the county.

Officials plan to mail ballots for the Aug. 7 primary election July 18, so mailing the voter registration cards in May allows time for the county to update records before the primary.

Voters can reach the elections office at www.kingcounty.gov/elections. Or call 206-296-VOTE. Visit elections headquarters at 919 S.W. Grady Way, Renton.

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

The city of Snoqualmie Public Works Department recently won an award for its Town Center Infrastructure Improvement Project Phase I, according to a May 11 press release.

The American Public Works Association Washington State Chapter award is for chapter project of the year for the category Transportation Less Than $5 Million, and recognizes excellence in management and administration to successfully complete public works projects. 

“This project will attract visitors, support local merchants and improve the vitality of our historic downtown,” Director of Public Works Daniel J. Marcinko said in a press release. “It was a great team effort on a job well done by everyone involved.”

The Public Works Fleet division also received certification as an Evergreen Fleet with a three-star rating from the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency program. The Evergreen Fleet’s Star-Rating System recognizes and rewards fleets that are taking significant steps to incorporate green initiatives into their everyday operations. Snoqualmie’s Fleet division rating is on par with King County, Snohomish County and Waste Management.

“Public Works is what makes this city run,” Mayor Matt Larson said in a press release. “Our Public Works staff contributes directly to the high quality of life in Snoqualmie and the public’s safety, as well as successfully accommodating community growth we will continue to experience for many years to come.”

The Public Works Department has many significant projects in the planning stages, such as the Town Center Infrastructure Improvement Project Phase II, the Falls Avenue Southeast and Southeast Cedar Street Rehabilitation and Infrastructure Improvement Project, the Tokul Roundabout and other general street improvements, according to the press release.

New funding gives

clean water and salmon recovery projects a boost

The King County Flood Control District board of supervisors approved $3 million in funding May 14 for a range of projects to improve water quality, protect and restore habitat, and support salmon recovery efforts, including the Snoqualmie Watershed.

The board’s action will boost the efforts of local organizations by providing funding grants in the following areas: $1.2 million for Water Resource Inventory Area 8, $1.2 million for Water Resource Inventory Area 9 and $600,000 for the Snoqualmie Watershed, according to a press release.

“Restoring and protecting our watersheds is critically important to the ecological health of our region and the food chain that supports our ecosystem — from the mountain tops to the shores of Puget Sound,” Flood Control District Board Chairwoman Julia Patterson said in the press release. “Those are values we all embrace in the Pacific Northwest.”

“Numerous local organizations are making great strides to restore and protect our natural areas, recover salmon and keep our water clean,” Supervisor Reagan Dunn said in the release. “This funding will ensure they can keep up their great work that benefits both the environment and our economy.”

King County will administer the grant allocation process with the Flood Control District executive committee overseeing project selections. The funding is allocated for 2012 only. The Flood Control District board intends to pursue ongoing funding for future watershed management actions given the relationship between flood control and stormwater projects and cooperative watershed management.

Vendors and volunteers are still needed for farmers market, concerts

The North Bend Farmers Market and Summer Concert series, which begins June 14, still has vendor openings.

Limited space is available for new vendors with specialty items like eggs, cheese, seafood, and arts and crafts.

Booth space can be reserved on a weekly or full season basis.

Market applications are available at www.siviewpark.org/farmers-market.phtml.

Organizers are also looking for a youth group, service organization or a local business to offer children activities at the farmers market. This is an excellent opportunity to connect with the local community. Learn more by calling 831-1900.

Si View Metro Parks is hosting the North Bend Farmers Market and Summer Concert series at Si View Park. The 2012 season opens June 14 and runs weekly through Sept. 13. Market hours are from 4-8 p.m. and the live concerts are from 6-7:30 p.m.

Carport theft

A man who lives in the 700 block of Pickett Avenue Northeast reported that someone entered his carport and stole his motorcycle helmet and a generator.

He believes it happened between April 29 and May 6.

Need glasses

Someone used a vehicle to knock down nine North Bend signs — including stop signs, speed limit signs, parking restriction signs and directional warning signs — along Southeast 140th Street and Southeast Middle Fork Road.

Police believe the incidents happened between May 4 and 6. Police did find a tire tread mark and the incident is still under investigation.

A simple ‘I’m sorry’ would have sufficed

A 23-year-old pedestrian told police a vehicle struck him while it was backing up on Bendigo Boulevard on May 7.

He said the driver got out of the pickup and he thought the man was going to apologize to him for backing into him. Instead, the driver punched him in the face and then drove away. The accident is still under investigation.

DUI

At about midnight May 9, a police officer noticed a driver heading eastbound on East North Bend Way, revving his engine, speeding, swerving in his lane and then driving up on a sidewalk.

The officer stopped Justin R. Beck, 25, of Covington. Beck was arrested for drunk driving and was released to a friend.

Shoplifting

A Famous Footwear employee reported that at about 10:30 a.m. May 10, a white male, wearing a black hoodie, baggy blue jean shorts and old white tennis shoes, hid a pair of Nike Air Max Torch shoes under his hoodie and left the store. The clerk tried to stop the suspect, who ran from the store.

Trust no one

A 62-year-old woman reported to police May 15 that a man saying he was with the U.S. Treasury told her she won a grant.

He asked for her checking account routing number so he could deposit the money. She gave it to him, but then later regretted it and closed her account. The case is still under investigation.

Snoqualmie

Bear escapes

At 4:35 a.m. May 11, a person living in the 34000 block of Southeast McCullough Street reported that a bear was in a trap, but had managed to get out and then went through a garage.

Burning bushes

Officers responded at about 2:30 p.m. May 11 to the 8600 block of Railroad Avenue Southeast to a report of a landscaper burning bushes. Officers contacted the subject and advised him to put out the fire.

Rascally raccoons

A homeowner in the 7000 block of Huckleberry Way Southeast phoned police at 10:41 p.m. May 14. She said she heard noises and thought someone might be in her house. Police did not find anyone suspicious in the home, but did locate a group of raccoons.

Traffic control

Police helped with traffic control at 7:15 a.m. May 16 at Southeast Snoqualmie Parkway and Railroad Avenue Southeast. A school bus had broken down. The students were removed and moved to a new bus.

Fire calls from Eastside Fire & Rescue in North Bend

At 1:23 p.m. May 11, one engine responded to a mistaken report of smoke or gas in the 900 block of Quartz Drive Southwest.

The Star publishes names of those arrested for DUI and those charged with felony crimes. Information comes directly from local police reports.

So Art Bergschlawiner, sergeant of arms with the legion, figured Flag Day on June 14 would be a fitting time to educate folks about the process, and is telling people where they can bring retired flags.

The legion hall, at 38625 S.E. River St., set up a red mailbox labeled “flags,” where people can drop off any flags — now and long after Flag Day.

Bergschlawiner said few people know that unserviceable and worn out flags need to be disposed of in a reverent manner.

According to the U.S. Code, Title 4, Chapter 1, also known as the Flag Code, “The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.”

If you would like to dispose of a flag yourself, then the most fitting way is to hold your own, private ceremony, he said. After your flag has been burned, the ashes should be buried.

But new concerns about the toxic smoke emitted from burning nylon flags has many patriotic Americans wondering what to do.

That’s where the legion and local Boy Scouts come in.

Bergschlawiner the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts have been collecting old, worn out, nylon flags and taking them to a funeral home so that they can be burned in a safe and controlled manner.

He said anyone can drop off any kind of flag at the legion. The Boy Scouts will take care of the nylon flags and the legion will take care of the others. And he said he anticipates Post 79 will hold a flag disposal ceremony in the future.

You didn’t? Here, have another glass of swamp water.

What? You don’t drink swamp water? Well, these people have to.

Contributed photo. Kimberly Calhoun hugs Dativa, a Ugandan girl Calhoun and her husband John sponsor.

Welcome to Uganda, a country like many others in Africa, attacked by the triplets of poverty, ignorance and the scourge of AIDS and HIV.

Uganda also houses the hopes of a local couple, insistent on improving the lives of children there.

“Their level of poverty is something I had never seen before,” said Kimberly Calhoun, whose husband John talked her into going to Uganda five years ago to help install a sand filter for clean water. She balked and promised to go on the second trip if he survived the first one.

He did, so she did.

“I just fell in love with the people there,” she said.

They began raising money to build wells. It took years of gathering cash and finding tools, but the drill trucks finally arrived in the mountainous village of Rwenjiri in 2009.

Kimberly calls that day one of the best of her life. It took three tries, but clean water finally arrived.

“There were people celebrating something that we take for granted, just go and turn on the tap,” she said. “They had been getting water out of a swamp for years.”

The Calhouns also helped build an elementary school and housing units for teachers, who had lived in mud huts until then.

More than 400 children attend that school. Ugandan children aren’t expected to stay in school after age 11, according to the CIA’s World Factbook.

“The only way these kids are going to get out of the poverty cycle is if they have an education,” Kimberly said. “If you live out in the boonies, there’s no reason to get one because, where are you going to go?”

The Calhouns want to help bring the basic necessities of health, education and shelter to areas of Uganda, she said. Their latest project entailed buying 25 acres of land an hour northwest of Kampala, Uganda’s capitol.

“We built a storage facility with a caretaker room and a bathroom, and just finished building a clinic,” she said. “It’s not up and running yet, we’re raising funds for it.”

Kimberly said she wants Ugandans to take ownership and care of what’s being built, the clinic now and a second school later.

The 25 acres will have crops planted, and children attending the new school will work each day for 30 minutes, weeding or planting.

“We want it to be self-sustaining,” she said. “We want them to take ownership. We don’t want a bunch of people here sending money every month to keep it going.”

The clinic will charge those seeking help.

“It’s important that everybody pays a fee when they come,” Kimberly said. “If they can’t pay a fee, they need to bring a chicken or something.”

The only time the clinic will open for free is when American doctors, particularly dentists, work there. Kimberly and her husband will try to take American doctors there twice a year, she added.

The U.S. has an estimated 3.1 hospital beds and 2.6 doctors per every 1,000 people. In comparison, Uganda has 0.3 hospital beds and 0.1 doctors, according to the factbook.

“We had a friend there who went to the dentist because he had a tooth hurting,” she said. “And the dentist pulled the wrong tooth.”

Furthermore, some Ugandan parents Kimberly has encountered see teeth care as “an American thing,” and some Ugandan children have never seen a toothbrush.

“They have a lot of issues,” Kimberly added.

Kimberly sees no end to their work in Uganda. And that’s the way she likes it. Once terrified of the idea of going to Africa, she dreams of seeing 25 acres of self-sustaining land become 25 more. And then 25 more.

Encouraging signs exist, like Ugandans using bricks instead of mud. Discouraging signs exist, too, like the firm belief that if you’re white you are rich, or if you sleep with virgins, certain things happen.

The key, she said, is in turning Ugandan children into self-reliant, educated adults.

“When you bring hope to a place where there is no hope,” she said, “that’s an amazing thing to watch.”

By Mary Miller Photographer Mary Miller, of North Bend, organized a heart-shaped community photo May 5 at Centennial Fields in Snoqualmie. She said 200 people from the Snoqualmie Valley showed up for the photo, and brought along their dogs and chickens.

When you put a call out to the Snoqualmie Valley to show up for a community photo, you never know who or what’s going to show up.

Such was the case May 5, when several people brought their dogs, and a couple of families brought their chickens.

“I couldn’t believe it — chickens,” said North Bend photographer Mary Miller, who organized the community photo. “But it was great. I loved it.”

Miller said the original intent for a community photo was to be a part of a table book she’s creating called “Life in the Upper Valley.”

“But then I thought it would also be a great way to bring back the celebration of this community in the midst of such tragedies we’ve faced recently,” she said.

The tragedies were a plane crashing into Mount Si, a home invasion where a man had to shoot and kill a man who broke into his home, a Mount Si High School student who killed himself and the killings of Lynnettee and Kaylene Keller.

“I personally felt there was a bit of a pall in the Valley,” Miller said.

She said 200 people turned out at Centennial Fields in Snoqualmie for the heart-shaped group shot.

“Everybody was in a party mood,” she said. “You could just tell they felt great getting out and participating in this as a community.”

Miller directed people from three stories up on an industrial lift while giving direction from a megaphone to helpers Danny Kolke and Rene Schuster.

When the shot was done, Miller said several people came up and thanked her, and told her the experience felt like a community hug.

“The intent was for us to remember our neighbors and to be there for them,” she said.

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

Hospital administrators had hoped to get an approved Certificate of Need, which costs $34,457, from the state’s Department of Health in April.

But a backlog in applications and appeals is holding up the process, said Mark Thomas, analyst for the Certificate of Need program.

State Rep. Jay Rodne, who also serves as attorney for the Snoqualmie Valley Hospital district, said a letter of intent was mailed to the state in October, and the application for the certificate was received by the state in November, with hope that the state would make a decision in early April.

But the state has asked for two extensions since that time, he said.

“We’ve tried to stress to them that we have a small window of opportunity to build because of a short construction season,” said Rodger McCollum, the hospital administrator.

The district sold the current hospital building and land to the Snoqualmie Tribe in July 2008 for $30 million, and the tribe is allowing the hospital to continue to operate in the building. The tribe is currently paying $100,000 a month and will pay the remaining balance in a balloon payment May 1, 2015, expected to come in at about $29 million.

“Under our agreement with the Snoqualmie Tribe, we can occupy the current hospital until our new hospital is completed,” Rodne said.

He said hospital administrators had expected an expedited process.

Thomas explained that Washington law allows some applications to get done faster than others.

For instance, if two kidney dialysis centers applied for an application in close proximity to each other, both of the applications would be considered at the same time, rather than on a first-come, first-served basis, and an analysis would be determined to see if that area needed two kidney dialysis centers, he said.

“With the Snoqualmie Valley Hospital, the timeline is shorter because I don’t have to do a need analysis, and the public comment period is 20 days, rather than the standard 30 days,” Thomas said.

While Thomas said he couldn’t discuss the merit of the application, he did say he received several positive comments supporting the new hospital, and two negative comments — one from a community member and one from a Snoqualmie Valley Hospital board member.

Commissioner Gene Pollard wrote in his March 1, seven-page letter to the state, that the hospital is not necessary because of duplicated services with nearby Swedish/Issaquah, lack of community support and that the hospital isn’t financially able to take on such debt.

Thomas said the hospital was given 14 days to rebut the negative letters, which it did.

The remaining board commissioners — Dick Jones, Kevin Hauglie, David Speikers and Joan Young — responded March 14 with a 12-page letter with supporting documentation that refuted Pollard’s claims.

Thomas said he would take all of the comments into consideration when he conducts his analysis.

He said backlogs occurring in his department occasionally do happen with the small staff — four analysts and a supervisor, “but we fully expect to have a decision by the end of the month.”

The just released 32nd annual Crime in Washington 2011 statistics show a 5 percent decrease from 2010 in violent crimes statewide, a 3.3 percent decrease in property crime offenses and a 3.6 percent decrease in domestic assault crimes.

Since 2010, the crime rate is up 2.8 percent per 1,000 people from last year in North Bend, compared to Snoqualmie, which is showing a 32.2 percent decrease.

North Bend experienced an 87 percent increase in violent crimes, but North Bend Police Chief Mark Toner said the numbers needed some context.

There were 2.3 incidents in 2010, compared to 4.3 incidents last year.

“Now, if we had 100 incidents in 2010 and we experienced an 87 percent increase, then that number might mean a lot more,” Toner said. “But taken into perspective, only having a couple more incidents from the previous year isn’t indicating a significant increase in violent crime.”

The violent crime rate looks at incidents of murder, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault.

In North Bend, no one was murdered in 2010 or 2011; there were two robberies in 2010 and one incident last year; eight cases of aggravated assaults in 2010 compared to 17 in 2011; and there were three forcible rapes in 2010, compared to seven last year.

Toner said that if North Bend had actually had seven forcible rapes, “then seven would be a big number for our area.”

But he said North Bend didn’t have any stranger rape cases.

Toner said there were two arrested and charged with rape or sexual assault in North Bend last year.

The other instances involved women who live in North Bend, but the reported rapes happened elsewhere, he said.

There was one incident where a woman reported a rape that happened by a family member “a long time ago,” but that woman stopped communicating with police, so the investigation ended, he said.

The two other reports were unfounded, Toner said.

In Snoqualmie, the violent crime rate decreased 35.7 percent from 2010 to 2011.

Snoqualmie also had no murders during the study period; zero forcible rapes were reported in 2010, but one was reported in 2011; 2010 saw two robberies, but zero were reported last year; and while there were five aggravated assaults reported in 2010, four occurred last year.

Property crimes decreased overall in North Bend. There were seven fewer burglaries in 2011 compared to 2010 and six fewer vehicle thefts.

There were, however, seven reports of arson in 2011, compared to three in 2010, and 11 more reports of larceny in 2011 compared to 2010.

In Snoqualmie, property crime decreased 32 percent.

The report shows instances of arson went from two cases in 2010 to one in 2011, and larceny dropped significantly, from 173 cases in 2010 to 112 last year.

However, burglary and vehicle theft increased. There were 10 burglary reports in 2010, compared to 19 last year; and seven vehicles were stolen in 2010, compared to 13 last year.

Snoqualmie Police Capt. Steve McCulley agrees with Toner that the statistics can be somewhat misleading.

Seeing that Snoqualmie experienced a 90 percent increase of burglaries in 2011 from 2010 sounds like a significant increase, “but in reality, it was only nine more in a year,” he said.

But he did say Snoqualmie saw a “rash of vehicle break-ins last year.”

“Word was getting out to the criminal world that it was easy pickings in Snoqualmie,” McCulley said. “But then we did an education campaign with the public, that they needed to lock their car doors and bring their valuables into the house. And now we don’t have as many as we were seeing before.

“We really are lucky because North Bend and Snoqualmie are inherently safe places to live,” he said. “But we do need to take some precautions, like locking our doors.”

On the Web

Read the entire Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs report at www.waspc.org, under the “Crime Statistics” tab.

Alan Painter — Constantine’s former adviser on human services, health and housing policy — will now serve as manager of the community service areas program.

Painter told the Star he is working with King County departments to see what they have under way in unincorporated areas.

“We’re looking at the full scope of county services: transportation, parks, crime prevention, zoning regulatory issues, community health and disaster management,” he said.

Painter’s plan is to collect information about key players, organizations and interests in the area over the summer, and then schedule a meeting with area communities to get feedback.

“We’ll be identifying issues for 2013 and beyond,” he said.

Similar groups exist in unincorporated areas across King County, outside Issaquah and from Vashon Island to urban Highline between Burien and Seattle.

Plans call for interdepartmental teams to hold public meetings at least once per year in each community service area.

“This reform will harness the work of county employees who already have good connections with residents in the unincorporated areas, so that residents can have a single staff link to specific projects in parks, roads, land use, public health and public safety,” Constantine said in a statement.

County Council members approved the community service areas program last year.

Unincorporated area councils do not represent all rural and unincorporated residents — one reason why county leaders adopted another option for outreach.

Next, Constantine plans to send legislation to the council to set boundaries for community service areas. The boundaries should encompass all of unincorporated King County, including areas without any unincorporated area council representation under the existing arrangement, such as Preston and the Snoqualmie Valley.

Under the community service areas program, community organizations in each area can apply for grants of up to $5,000 to promote the engagement of local residents in community or civic activities.

“I look forward to listening to residents, solving problems and help them to play an active role in shaping the future of their communities,” Painter said in a statement.

A public open house about the Vashon-Maury Island community service areas was held April 10 on Vashon Island, and Painter said it was a “good turnout, with about 35 to 40 people showing up.”

While a meeting in the Snoqualmie Valley hasn’t been scheduled yet, “We’re taking lessons from the Vashon Island meeting, and will apply it to other area meetings in the future,” he said.

A resident of Fall City and a principal at Carnation’s Stillwater Elementary School, Wright has accepted the job as principal of North Bend’s Opstad Elementary School.

“Opstad has a tradition of great things happening,” she said. “To follow in Mr. Jester’s footsteps, it’s an opportunity I could not pass up.”

Longtime Opstad Principal John Jester will retire June 31.

Amy Wright

Prior to her six-year tenure at Stillwater, Wright spent a year in a principal internship at Snoqualmie’s Cascade View Elementary School and 15 years teaching first and fourth grades at Fall City Elementary School.

“The Snoqualmie Valley School District is a place I consider home, both professionally and personally,” she said. “I have two children who attend Mount Si High School. I have lived in the Valley my whole life.”

Snoqualmie Valley School Board President Dan Popp praised Wright’s hiring.

“My children were students in her class,” he said. “I could not be more pleased.”

Wright beat about 40 other candidates for the job, SVSD Super-intendent Joel Aune said.

“We look forward to the vision, the creativity and passion she will bring,” Aune said. “We know Amy extremely well. We have confidence she is the perfect match for the community, the district and the school.”

At Fall City Elementary, Wright worked for three principals, including her last year with current Principal Dan Schlotfeldt and before for 11 years for current SVSD Assistant Superintendent Don McConkey.

“I attribute a lot of my success as an administrator to the 11 years I worked with him,” she said.

She said she misses the classroom sometimes, but as an elementary school principal she gets daily interaction with children.

A graduate of Seattle Pacific University, she earned her superintendent credential in 2006 from Seattle University.

“It’s not necessarily my ultimate goal,” she said of being a superintendent.

Though she said she liked the classes, she likes being a principal better. Being a superintendent, she added, would be another step away from the students.

Wright said she hopes to see student success not just on standardized tests but in day-to-day skills.

“We want to make sure we are offering students a well-rounded program with rigorous academics and with other activities that create a whole person,” she said.

At Stillwater, third-grade reading scores in the state’s standardized tests went from 72.7 percent her first year of 2006-07 to 75.4 percent in the 2010-11 school year. Fourth-grade scores went from 80.7 percent to 71.4 percent. Fifth-grade scores went from 78.4 percent to 83.8 percent.

Third-grade math scores went from 78.4 percent to 69.6 percent. Fourth-grade scores went from 74.7 percent to 61.0 percent. Fifth-grade scores went from 71.6 percent to 83.8 percent.

Fourth-grade writing scores went from 75.9 percent to 63.6 percent. Fifth-grade science scores went from 47.3 percent to 85.1 percent

Her first day at Opstad is July 1. She returns to a district in its fourth year of budget cuts.

Tight budgets have become the new normal for administrators everywhere, she said.

“All of us in public education have become really good at delivering quality products to students with fewer and fewer resources,” she said. “Not the optimal way, but keeping the students’ needs at the center, we do what it takes to make it happen.”

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

Graffiti

Someone broke into a vacant building in the east 500 block of North Bend Way and spray- painted graffiti on walls, including a Nazi symbol inside a circle. A neighbor reported seeing an open window on the building April 28, and that’s when the graffiti was discovered.

Popular building

A witness called police April 29 to report that she watched two juvenile males crawl into an open window of a vacant building in the east 500 block of North Bend Way, while a third juvenile male watched the area.

The three left the building together, and police report they were unable to locate the youths.

Vehicle violence

A man reported that he parked his vehicle behind a building in the 400 block of Mount Si Boulevard at 10 a.m. April 29.

When he returned to his vehicle at 3 p.m., he found his front, passenger window smashed and his coat on the ground.

My name is John

On May 1, a 16-year-old girl reported to police that a drunken man approached her at 3:25 p.m. in front of Jay Berry’s Gourmet Pizza & Pasta, 456 S.W. Mount Si Blvd. He told her she smelled good and looked nice, and he tried to “high five” her. When she refused, she said he grabbed her arm and forced her to “high five” him, and then he tried to hug her.

The girl and another witness saw the man drive off in a Ford Taurus. Police spoke with the owner of the vehicle, a friend of the suspect, who said the two of them had been at the Snoqualmie Casino and came to town to eat pizza and drink a beer.

The man called the suspect’s cellphone and handed his phone to the police officer. The officer asked the suspect to come back so he could talk to him. The suspect refused.

The officer asked the suspect what his name was.

The suspect said his name was John, and that his last name was John. Later, he said his name was JohnJohn, and later, he changed it to John Littlejohn. Police located the 41-year-old man and arrested him for fourth-degree assault and took him to the Issaquah jail.

Look out!

A police officer heard a revving engine and squealing tires at about 4:40 p.m. May 1 while parked at the 76 gas station.

He then saw “a middle-aged couple run away from the side of the road to get away from the vehicle” and watched several vehicles swerve to avoid the speeding 2005 Honda, which was heading eastbound onto Mount Si Boulevard from Bendigo Boulevard.

The officer pulled over the car and arrested a 20-year-old Prosser man for reckless driving and transported him to Issaquah Jail.

Hey brother, can you spare a dime?

A 6-foot, 4-inch tall man, weighing 200 pounds, has been banned from the 76 gas station for repeatedly showing up intoxicated and aggressively panhandling. He was warned again April 29.

Animal abuse

Police found a bird in a Torguson Park bathroom that looked like it had been beaten to death with an AriZona iced tea can April 27.

Snoqualmie

Napping males

At about 11 a.m. May 9, a caller told police there were two males inside a vehicle with the seats lying back. Police determined the males were there to work with a landscaping company.

Fire calls from  Eastside Fire & Rescue in North Bend

q At about 6 p.m. May 4, EMS responded to a motor vehicle accident with injuries in the 15000 block of Highway 18.

q At 11:20 p.m. May 8, one fire engine responded to a vehicle fire in the 34000 block of westbound Interstate 90.

q At about 1:30 p.m. May 9, two fire engines responded to a gas leak in the 42000 block of Southeast 172nd Place.

The Star publishes names of those arrested for DUI and those charged with felony crimes. Information comes directly from police reports.

The Mount Si High School Wildcats baseball team, which had been battling it out with Lake Washington for a first place standing, has finally reached the coveted position.

They ended the season with a 12-2 conference record, compared to Lake Washington’s 10-3.

Mount Si won its first KingCo 3A tournament game, 6-1, against Liberty High School on May 10. And on May 11, the Wildcats scored another win, taking Lake Washington, 3-2.

Upsets in other 3A districts moved Mount Si, with an overall 19-3 record, to the top spot in rankings this week.

The undefeated Seattle Prep lost its last two games and Mount Vernon, which started the year 20-0, suffered its first loss in a game against Mountlake Terrace in the Northwest 3A District title game.

The Wildcats are heading to their second straight trip to the state playoffs, and the defending champions will play at 11 a.m. May 19 at Wheeler Field, 500 Pioneer Way in Centralia.

Softball report

The softball team ended the season with an impressive 11-2 conference record, and is No. 2 on the leader board, right under the undefeated Juanita Rebels.

The Wildcats won their first KingCo 3A tournament game, 7-1, against Liberty High School on May 10.

The second game didn’t go so well. The Wildcats lost to Lake Washington, 4-2, on May 11.

But they did make it to districts and will face off against West Seattle at 2 p.m. May 17 at the Lower Woodland Park ballfields, 5900 W. Green Lake Way N. in Seattle. That is a must-win match. If the Wildcats lose, they will not be going on to the state tournament.

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

Donald R. Jones, a 52-year-old North Bend man, died in a single-vehicle accident at about midnight May 12 on Interstate 90, according to a press release from the Washington State Patrol.

The state patrol said the vehicle, a turquoise 1994 Jeep Wrangler, was traveling west on the interstate near Exit 31 when it veered right and struck a tree.

According to the press release, drugs or alcohol may have been a factor and the accident is under investigation.

The Snoqualmie Fire Department will have two engines on site during the display, according to a press release from the city of Snoqualmie.

The press release also noted that within Snoqualmie city limits, fireworks may be discharged only on July 4 from 6 – 11 p.m. The Snoqualmie Tribe is recognized by the federal government as a sovereign nation and, therefore, is not subject to the Snoqualmie Municipal Code.

Reservations with Snoqualmie Casino’s Terra Vista restaurant are available online at http://snocasino.com/dining/terravista for those interested in a meal and a show the night of the event.

Call the tribe at 292-3759 for information about the fireworks.

Contributed by Julie Michelle Moshay Julie Michelle Moshay, 55, of North Bend, stands in front of the MS Paul Gauguin in Tahiti. She was invited to give a series of lectures about Gauguin’s life and artwork aboard the ship.

There is more than meets the eye when you look at Julie Michelle Moshay.

If all you see is a waitress at the Country Pride Restaurant in North Bend’s “Truck Town,” then you’re missing a lot.

She’s the landscaper at the restaurant, and her co-workers call her the hummingbird whisperer because of her ability to feed the skittish birds right out of her hands. She also organized North Bend’s recent first cash mob.

But Moshay’s ability to see more than meets the eye is what landed her on an all-expense paid voyage on the luxury liner MS Paul Gauguin in Tahiti, where she gave a series of lectures on Gauguin’s life and artwork.

Gauguin, who was born in Paris in 1848 and died in French Polynesia in 1903, is famous for his vibrantly colored paintings of Tahitian women, and some art historians consider him to have been an early influence on Pablo Picasso. Plenty has been written and documented about the post-impressionist artist — except for one little detail — hidden faces in many of Gauguin’s paintings, according to Moshay.

She does not have any formal training in the arts. Moshay said she used to work as an advertising sales representative at a newspaper in California. One day in 1997 a co-worker, Peter Teekamp, confided to her that he’d discovered hidden faces in Gauguin’s artwork that no one else had found, and he asked for her help in validating the discovery.

“Well, if you make a statement like that, you can bet I’m going to look into it to see if it’s true,” she said.

Moshay, 55, got her hands on everything she could read about Gauguin and his paintings, a collection of about 100 books, and couldn’t find any references to the hidden faces except for a few noted “obvious faces.”

Moshay and Teekamp worked together for years to document the findings, which can be viewed at               www.PassItOnArtHistory.com. In 2007, they were invited to lecture about Gauguin on the ship named after him.

Moshay said that most recently, she’d been goofing around on Google and saw that the boat had new owners who lived in Bellevue, so she contacted them and submitted a proposal for a lecture series.

Moshay’s two-week trip to Tahiti occurred in April.

“It was the highlight of my life,” she said. “If you’re going to talk about a misunderstood artist, who I am passionate about, what could be more fitting than sailing on a ship named for him, on an island where he painted many of his pieces, and encouraging people to take a closer look at his work?”

Workers from the state’s Department of Natural Resources and King County Parks destroyed the multilevel, 30-foot deep bunker on Rattlesnake Ridge that Keller killed himself in on April 28.

Photos contributed by Washington’s Department of Natural Resources Workers from King County Parks and the state’s Department of Natural Resources spent May 1-2 dismantling Peter Keller’s 30-foot-deep bunker, located on Rattlesnake Ridge.

Doug McClelland, assistant region manager for the department, said that after law enforcement collected all the evidence needed from the bunker, such as guns and ammunition, workers started bagging up everything else May 1.

He said about 25 black plastic garbage bags filled with plastic bottles, plumbing pipes, clothing, food, bedding and oils were removed from the bunker before workers started demolishing the structure.

Workers used chainsaws to cut logs supporting the bunker into 2- and 3-foot long sections and tossing them and dirt into the hole, McClelland said.

He said the inside of the bunker looked like you were standing in a log cabin, it just happened to be encased in soil except for the opening and a small section of the roof.

The standoff between law enforcement and Keller, accused of shooting his wife, daughter and pets, and then trying to set the house on fire to cover up the killings, made national news.

McClelland said the bunker had to be destroyed because its history would have made it an “attractive site that people would have wanted to hike to.”

“It was a public safety issue,” he said. “But also, it was located in a Natural Resources Conservation Area and we want to keep the area natural. I think we can agree that a bunker doesn’t fit that criteria. Now it’s all filled in and can start going back to its natural state of trees and ferns.”

The National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C., elected 84 new members and 21 foreign associates from 15 countries in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.

Those elected bring the total number of active members to 2,152, according to a press release from the nonprofit organization.

Contributed Evan E. Eichler reviews some scientific information in a laboratory.

An Act of Congress, signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 at the height of the Civil War, called upon the academy to provide independent advice to the government on matters related to science and technology.

Eichler, 43, wrote in an email that his appointment was based primarily on his work on human genome “hotspots,” regions of instability in our genetic code that could predict diseases such as developmental delay, autism and epilepsy.

“Our work suggests that about 10-14 percent of these diseases are caused by mutations that arise specifically in these hotspots — this is significant because it is thought that 1 out of 50 births in the U.S. suffer from one of these diseases,” he wrote. “Our lab has identified six new syndromes where recurrent gains or losses of DNA … lead to children with autism and developmental delay. “

Eichler’s wife Marla said her husband received a 6 a.m. phone call May 1 from colleague Mary-Clair King, who nominated him in 2009.

“He was shocked and honored all at the same time,” she said. “A smile and a look of amazement and disbelief were on his face … He was bombarded with emails immediately from colleagues, so we realized that it really had to be true, even before the official announcement.

“He is very honored and humbled by this recognition and appointment from fellow scientists,” she added. “He has spent his life, his interest in genetics began at age 12, being dedicated to helping others through his work, and I am very pleased that he has been recognized for all his hard work.”

Evan and Marla Eichler, originally from Canada, moved to North Bend in 2004 after living in Texas, California and Ohio.

They have four children: Matt, a Mount Si High School senior; Ehren, a sophomore at Mount Si; Teresa, a seventh-grader at Twin Falls Middle School; and Jacob, who is in preschool.

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

North Bend Police Chief Mark Toner said his deputies collected 68 pounds, while Snoqualmie Police Chief Jim Schaffer said his officers collected 87 pounds.

Contributed by Snoqualmie Police Department Snoqualmie resident Betty Morgan drops off medication to Snoqualmie Police Officer James Sherwood at the April 28 drug collection site.

The one-day effort was intended to bring national focus to the issue of increasing pharmaceutical controlled substance abuse while giving the public the opportunity to safely dispose of medications without contaminating the environment or water systems.

Toner previously said the service is offered as a public safety measure because prescription drug abuse is a serious and growing problem in the area.

The majority of overdoses, a leading cause of accidental deaths in Washington, involve prescription opiates.

Toner said having those kinds of drugs in your home that aren’t being used “may be a driver behind some burglaries, when suspects target homes with the knowledge that the occupants are likely to have them.”

Three out of five teens report that prescription pain pills are easy to get from their parents’ medicine cabinets, and that it’s surpassing marijuana as a teen’s drug of choice, Toner said.

Extra medicine lying around the home may be “shared” with other people that could have adverse effects, or they could be stolen by houseguests or an intruder and used to facilitate illegal drug use, he said.

Last year, law enforcement officials in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington collected 21,500 pounds of unused pharmaceuticals that homeowners didn’t quite know what to do with.

Toner and Schaffer said this year’s numbers are still being tallied, so the total pounds for the entire region won’t be known until later.

If you weren’t able to make it to the collection sites April 28, you can drop off unused or expired medications to either police department during business hours.

The King County Sheriff’s Office in North Bend is at 1550 Boalch Ave. N.W. It’s open from 8:30 a.m. to noon, and 1-4:30, Monday through Thursday, and from 8:30 a.m. to noon on Friday.

The Snoqualmie Police Department is at 34825 S.E. Douglas St., and the hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Come explore the topic of “Generations in the Workplace” with Kim Arellano at the Snoqualmie Valley Chamber of Commerce’s next Education Series program from 7:30-9:30 a.m. May 10 at the DirtFish Rally School Conference Room, 7001 396th Drive S.E., Snoqualmie. The cost is $10 for members and nonmembers. Register online at www.snovalley.org or by phone by calling 888-6362.

Arellano is a chamber member, human resource consultant, facilitator, keynote speaker and radio host.

“We’ll look at the generational differences, challenges and how different perspectives and stereotypes influence collaboration and productivity in the workplace,” Arellano said. “You will leave with a better understanding of how your coworkers, employees and clients think, and what things you can do to communicate and partner better.

“Each generation brings a wealth of different perspectives and talents that are a culmination of experience gained by living through the times.”

Afterwards, Mayor Ken Hearing read a proclamation, naming 2012 as the Year of the Girl.

Contributed by city of North Bend North Bend Mayor Ken Hearing (left), presented Natalie Brookes (center) and Taylor Wiles (right), from Girl Scout Troop 442, with a proclamation naming 2012 as the Year of the Girl.

The proclamation read:

“March 12, 2012, marks the 100th anniversary of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America, which began in 1912 when Savannah, Ga., native Juliette “Daisy” Gordon Low gathered 18 girls to provide them the opportunity to develop physically, mentally and spiritually;

“For 100 years, Girl Scouting has helped build millions of girls and women of courage, confidence and character who act to make the world a better place;

“Today, more than 50 million American women are Girl Scout alumnae, 3.3 million girls and adult volunteers are active members and Girl Scouts is the largest member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, a global movement comprised of more than 10 million girls in 145 countries worldwide;

“394 girls from our local Service Unit 442, comprised of Snoqualmie, North Bend and Fall City, and more than 100 dedicated adult volunteers, are proud to be a part of the Girl Scout tradition in our community;

“The Girl Scout Leadership Program helps girls discover themselves and their values, connect with others and take action to make the world a better place;

“Our community has benefited significantly through countless troop community service activities and the major project efforts of individual girls pursuing their Girl Scout Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards.”

Hearing proclaimed 2012 as Year of the Girl and applauded the Girl Scouts of the United States of America for their 100 years of leadership and expertise as the voice for and of girls, the Girl Scouts of Western Washington for providing the local support for Girl Scouting in the community and the Girl Scouts of Snoqualmie Valley for their courage, confidence and character to act to make the world a better place.

You get on outta here

A clerk at Edgewick Inn asked police on April 24 to get two transients sleeping in the staircase at the hotel to move along.

Daylight theft

A man who lives in the 4000 block of Southeast Tanner Road reported to police that power tools had been stolen from his fenced-in shed in his backyard at about 2 p.m. April 23. The man’s neighbor saw a man and woman, in their 20s pull up in a blue Honda, go into the backyard and then leave.

Up to no good

A resident at the Mount Si Trailer Park told police that he heard noises outside his trailer at about 4 a.m. April 22. When he went outside to investigate, a 6-foot-tall, heavy-built man was standing by his tile saw. The man ran off.

Wannabes

The director of the Northwest Railway Museum called police to report graffiti on a train bridge. The graffiti occurred between April 22 and 25. The incident report read, “Unknown if this graffiti was created by real gang members or gang wannabes.”

Snoqualmie

Anti-bullying protestor

At 2:23 April 27, police were called to Mount Si High School to warn a person that he or she would be removed from the school if he or she continued to randomly confront people about bullying. The person was not there when police arrived.

Mud pies

Unknown children threw mud on the side of a home located at the 6000 block of Salmon Berry Court Southeast on April 27.

Fire calls from Eastside Fire & Rescue, North Bend

At 9 a.m. April 27, EMS responded to a medical call in the 1300 block of La Forest Drive Southeast.

At 9:37 a.m. April 27, a fire engine responded to a smoke scare in the 46000 block of Southeast Mount Si Road. It was a false alarm.

At 4:33 p.m. April 28, a fire engine responded to a smoke scare in the 100 block of Southeast 140th Street. It was a false alarm.

At 8:50 p.m. April 28, five fire engines responded to a vehicle accident with injuries in the 43000 block of Southeast 177th Street.

The Star publishes names of those arrested for DUI and those charged with felony crimes. Information comes directly from local police reports.

The Falls Avenue Southeast and Southeast Cedar Street Rehabilitation and Infrastructure Improvement Project is on the horizon. Local residents and businesses are invited to view and discuss project plans at an open house from 6-9 p.m. May 16 in the Snoqualmie City Hall Council Chambers at 38624 S.E. River St.

The locations of general infrastructure improvements currently proposed are as follows:

• Southeast Cedar Street from Silva Avenue Southeast to Southeast Fir Street
•  Southeast 90th Street from Railroad Avenue Southeast (state Route 202) to Falls Avenue Southeast
•  Entire width of Falls Avenue Southeast from Southeast 90th Street to the intersection of Southeast Beta Street
•  Southeast Epsilon Street from Schusman Avenue Southeast to Falls Avenue Southeast
• Southeast Beta Street from Schusman Avenue Southeast to Railroad Avenue Southeast (state Route 202)

During the project, the existing roadway, including curb, gutter, planter and sidewalks, will be removed and replaced. Sidewalks, sidewalk ramps and street signs will be evaluated for compliance, constructed and installed per standards and guidelines. The storm drainage, water main and sanitary sewer lines will be evaluated and replaced where needed.

Preliminary designs will be displayed at the open house for viewing. City staff members from the Planning and Public Works departments will be available to discuss design plans, as well as designers from KPG, which worked on Phase I of the recent Town Center Infrastructure Improvement Project and will continue work on Phase II in addition to this project.

Questions may be directed to Kamal Mahmoud, city of Snoqualmie project engineer, at 831-4919 or kmahmoud@ci.snoqualmie.wa.us.

Contact the city’s Public Works Department at 888-0486.

By Michele Mihalovich A memorial of flowers and balloons (above) was placed in front of the Keller family’s rental home in rural North Bend on April 24.

Peter Alex Keller ended his 22-hour standoff with police April 28 when he put a pistol in his mouth and pulled the trigger. But with his death goes any possible explanation as to why he shot his wife, daughter and pets.

“I don’t think we’ll ever have a satisfying answer as to why Keller killed Lynnettee and Kaylene,” King County Sheriff Steve Strachan said. “You’d be trying to apply logic to a totally illogical set of actions.”

Strachan said investigators will continue to look at Keller’s possible intent and motivation for shooting his wife, Lynnettee, 41, and his 18-year-old daughter, Kaylene, but he admits they may never find an answer.

The saga that unfolded in front of the nation this week began as a house fire in rural North Bend on April 22.

Eastside Fire & Rescue soon discovered the women inside the rental house, at 47227 S.W. 159th St., not too far from Interstate 90’s Exit 34.

But it became clear that the women did not die in the fire, and that Keller, 41, who also lived at the home, was missing.

Court documents say that Lynnettee, who had been married to Peter for 21 years, was found in her bed with a gunshot wound to the back of the head.

Kaylene was discovered in the top bunk bed of her bedroom, also with a gunshot wound to the back of her head. Documents from the King County Prosecutor’s Office, charging Keller with the killings while he was still missing, said witnesses described Peter as a “doting father.”

Strachan said it’s a small consolation for such violent deaths, “But I’m not aware of any evidence that would suggest they were aware of what was coming.”

Also discovered in the home was the family cat, found shot under the kitchen table, and dog, found shot on the living room couch. Court documents said that Peter rarely went anywhere without his dog.

Police issued bulletins, asking the public for help in locating Keller, who had been described as a person of interest who frequently hiked trails near North Bend. But he was not named a suspect until April 25.

Keller was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, and one count of arson for trying to cover up his crime by setting the house on fire, and bail was set at $10 million.

Charging documents said Keller had placed several plastic cans of gasoline around the home, including one directly set on a flaming burner in the kitchen. Those documents also illuminated Keller’s background, describing him as a gun enthusiast, computer repairman and survivalist preparing for the “end of the world” who had a problem with authority and spent eight years carving out a fortified bunker on Rattlesnake Ridge.

Finding that bunker became the main focus of King County law enforcement.

Sgt. Cindi West, spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office, said photos of the bunker were recovered from a computer hard drive inside the house. Hikers alerted law enforcement that Keller’s red pickup truck had been seen often at the Rattlesnake Ridge trailhead parking lot. Trackers posing as hikers April 26 found fresh boot tracks about 800 yards from a trail that indicated the person walking had been carrying a heavy load.

Strachan said SWAT teams started searching the steep terrain with lots of deadfall at about 5:30 a.m. April 27.

They located the heavily-camouflaged bunker that afternoon and were fairly certain Keller was inside because officers heard movement inside and smelled smoke from a wood-burning stove, he said.

Law enforcement officers used tear gas to try to flush Keller out, and spoke on a megaphone, hoping to get him to come out of the bunker.

Both attempts failed, and SWAT teams, who were surrounding the bunker, hunkered down for the night.

Strachan said officers reported occasionally seeing lights go on and off in the bunker throughout the night, and at one point, heard a popping noise, which they believe was Keller shooting himself.

Officers used explosives to loosen the ceiling of the bunker and were able to peer inside, where they saw Keller’s body, 30 feet below at the foot of the bunker, in a pool of blood with one hand clutching a radio and a pistol nearby, Strachan said.

Inside the bunker, officers found multiple guns, ammunition, bullet-proof vests, water, soda, beans, a generator, fuel and a little trailer.

Strachan said officers will continue to go through the items found in the multilevel bunker.

“We will be doing some follow up,” he said. “We just need to make sure the prosecutor is comfortable with the evidence we have indicating that Keller did commit these murders.”

Go to www.snovalleystar.com to see more photos of the bunker and its contents.

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

That’s why wildlife biologists are asking climbers to avoid the popular Deception Crag Wall just off Interstate 90’s Exit 38 until the end of June.

By Michael MacDonald This female peregrine falcon is not one of the nesting falcons biologists are asking climbers to avoid at Deception Crag Wall just off Interstate 90’s Exit 38. But her expression is a good example of a mother bird’s protective instincts.

Sonny Paz, with the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, said a climber with the Washington Climbers Coalition alerted him to a nesting pair on the steep rock face.

He said peregrine falcons will view climbers near the nest as predators and fly toward them or dive-bomb them, which keeps the birds away from the nest.

If they are away from eggs that need to be incubating, the eggs could fail, Paz said. Or if the adult has to leave hatchlings alone in the nest to fend off predators, then they aren’t getting the attention, food or protection they need.

That concern for the nesting pair is why Paz spent April 26 posting signs asking climbers to avoid the popular climbing spot until the end of June, which is when the young birds should be ready to leave the nest.

Paz said the last time he checked, the eggs hadn’t hatched yet, but that could change any day now.

He said state park officials have said that up to 200 people try to climb the wall each weekend, and he hopes that climbers will comply with the request in order to give the falcons a chance to nest successfully.

The peregrine is no longer considered endangered, but is designated a sensitive species, which requires the U.S. Forest Service to protect its breeding habitat.

Two King County Sheriff’s Office detectives gave an update of the case to the North Bend City Council at its April 24 workstudy session.

The detectives gave a breakdown of everything that happened the night that led to the death of 30-year-old Joshua Henderson. They also played three 911 tapes and shared details not previously released.

Detective Jim Belford said Henderson had been out drinking with friends and family in Kirkland and Issaquah, and had become so aggressive, the group had been asked to leave both establishments.

On the drive home back to North Bend, Henderson’s aggressive behavior escalated and the people in the vehicle feared for their safety and kicked him out of the car near Exit 31, Detective Jesse Anderson said.

A clerk from the Shell gas station on Bendigo Boulevard spoke on a 911 tape, describing a “dude” who was being rude and verbally abusive to customers.

But when deputies responded to the scene, Henderson, described as standing 6 feet tall and weighing 220 pounds, was gone.

A homeless man named Bradley, who had been sleeping in Si View Park, reported to police the next day that on that evening, he awoke to a man brutally beating him with his fists. He said the man, believed to be Henderson, eventually stopped and left.

Police also discovered a Subaru with a bashed-in front window parked in a residential neighborhood near where the shooting happened. Belford said they know it was Henderson’s handiwork because they found his shoes and wallet near the car.

At 11:30 p.m., King County dispatch received another 911 call, this time from a woman in the 300 block of Fifth Avenue.

Detectives played the 911 tape of the woman’s terrified voice as she described how a man she didn’t know was beating on her front door, trying to get in.

She told the dispatcher she was alone with a sick child, and, “Please, please get here quick. He’s trying to get inside.”

By the time deputies got to her house, Henderson was gone.

Belford said one deputy drove around trying to find the suspect, while the other gathered details from the woman. Moments later, both deputies heard a crash and shattering glass and started moving toward the sound.

That’s when dispatch received the third 911 call, from a woman who told the dispatcher in a hushed, yet calm, voice that an intruder was in her home.

The detectives said “Ken and Lisa” had been sleeping in the master bedroom of Ken’s rental house at the 400 block of Southeast Orchard Drive, when they heard crashing glass and a person in the home.

Henderson had apparently picked up a propane tank and tossed it twice at a sliding glass door of Ken’s living room, shattering it on the second throw.

Lisa, Ken’s girlfriend who was visiting from Oregon, ran through a walk-in closet that led to the master bathroom, where she called 911 on her cellphone.

Detectives say the house was dark, but Ken looked down his hallway from a bedroom and saw a “huge” silhouette of a man walk from the living room to the kitchen.

That’s when Ken screamed at the intruder, telling him he had a gun and for the man to get out of the house.

Detectives say Henderson started walking toward the hallway and Ken, 46, slammed shut his bedroom door, locked it and repeatedly told Henderson that he had a gun and would shoot.

Henderson went into a spare bedroom and started tossing things around, then he walked into another room used as an office and removed his pants. Detectives said Henderson kept yelling, “Where are you? I’m going to kill you.”

Henderson had been involved in a similar incident in 2003 in Prosser when he was 21.

In that incident, Henderson broke into a couple’s home through an unlocked window, stripped off his clothes and wiped excrement throughout the home. He walked out of the home without incident and was arrested later, pleaded guilty and served six months in jail.

The detectives told the City Council that Ken waited in his bedroom with the handgun pointed toward the door and continued to shout for the intruder to leave, warning him he had a gun.

Henderson kicked open the bedroom door and Ken fired four shots from his pistol, all hitting Henderson, who collapsed in the hallway.

Anderson said the prosecutor declined to press any charges because the gun was legal and Ken showed great restraint, and didn’t shoot Henderson until it was absolutely necessary.

He said Ken has never returned to the house, and that friends and family moved his furniture out of the home into a new place.

The investigation is still open, however. The detectives said they are still waiting on the toxicology report, which might take another month. But they do know that Henderson’s blood alcohol content was .240 percent that night.

They are also conducting a DNA test on blood found on Henderson’s pants, which he wasn’t wearing when he was shot. They believe the blood belongs to the homeless man that Henderson beat up earlier that evening.

Michele Mihalovich: 392-6434, ext. 246, or editor@snovalleystar.com. Information from The Seattle Times archive was used in this story. Comment at www.snovalleystar.com.

On March, 1,550 firefighters representing 291 departments from 24 U.S. states, Canada and Germany, competed in the timed race up 69 flights of stairs of Columbia Center in Seattle, each in full gear and self-contained breathing apparati. The event is the largest individual firefighter competition in the world, according to the Stairclimb website.

For three years in a row, Local 2878 firefighters raised more funds than any other team to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, this year raising $39,700.

This year, the event raised more than $1.2 million for the mission of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life for patients and their families.

Go to www.llswa.org  and click on “Scott Firefighter Stairclimb” for more information and to see photographs of this year’s event.