I just want to comment on how lucky we are to live in such a tight community. I have lived in several cities and neighborhoods in the Puget Sound region and have never experienced the level of friendliness and support that I have seen here.

Our community has been through its challenges over the past few months as described in last week’s SnoValley Star. I know I was feeling a bit down May 5 when my family arrived at Centennial Field for Mary Miller’s heart photo. When we got there, the group was in a celebratory mood, just happy to be together in such a beautiful place. It really was a magical experience!

Thank you to Mary Miller for reaching out to all of us, drawing us in and giving us the gift of time with each other. How wonderful that we can celebrate our community just by gathering together for a photo! What a great lesson for our kids, to know that when times are tough and painful we can come together and lift our spirits just by being community.

Mary is just one of the many community-minded people whose talent and personality reach out and bring us together around here. I, for one, feel very lucky to live among so many wonderful, warm, caring and helpful people.

To all of you who look beyond your own daily lives and spread joy around when we need it most, during times of tragedy, difficult weather conditions or times of celebration, thank you for making it a joy to live in the Snoqualmie Valley!

Ann Landry

North Bend

Plant sale thanks

The Snoqualmie Valley Hospital Auxiliary appreciates the support from the North Bend, Snoqualmie and surrounding-area residents, the North Bend QFC and the many Valley businesses that displayed our publicity flyers for our annual plant sale, held April 28.

Because of the success of the sale, the auxiliary will be able to fund our fifth $1,000 scholarship for a Mount Si High School graduating senior pursuing studies in the medical field. Congratulations to Deanna Hartfield, the lucky winner of our garden cart.

John McLean, secretary

Snoqualmie Valley Hospital Auxiliary

I am dumbfounded by groups in America stating they are suppressed by the government and corporate greed. Gratefulness is being lost to entitlement, compassion to self-absorption. I am asking for us all to take a closer look at what we have here and what suppression looks like outside the comforts of America.

Imagine living in a small town in the mountains where an army comes in and wipes you out. Imagine soldiers taking your house, killing your neighbors, forcing your family into labor, raping your sister. Or maybe your small town is wiped out, everyone who does not run is killed and everything is burned up. You are alone: no family, friends, church, community, and certainly no government to help. That is government suppression.

I’m not sure why, we in America aren’t informed much about these tragedies. Maybe because there’s not enough drama or human lives lost, there is no easy solution or someone has decided it’s not our concern. I have been informed and I can’t ignore it. We have the capacity to create a community for those in Burma whose community has been annihilated.

The Snoqualmie Valley Alliance is financially supporting the Bueng Klueng Hostel in Thailand. The hostel provides shelter, food, clothing, medical care, education, safety and hope to children who have lost their families because they existed in that small town the Burma Army wiped out. Only $18,000 per year is needed to operate the hostel, which can care for 50 children.

Bite of the World is an annual fundraising event showcasing food from around the world, music, and silent and live auctions. This year, 100 percent of all proceeds go directly to the Bueng Klueng Hostel. More information on the Bite of the World and donation opportunities can be found at www.svaonline.org. You can also find more information about Burma from the Free Burma Rangers by visiting their site at www.freeburmarangers.org.

Wendy Eckman

North Bend

Keep playground alive

Sno-Valley Indoor Playground’s annual Safety Fair, held May 4, was a rousing success, if you ask the little folks who lined up to explore a real fire truck and a sheriff’s car! Fifty free bike helmets were distributed to local families, complimentary child car-seat safety checks were provided and there were bags of information and coloring materials for each family.

We’d like to thank the professionals who made it a great experience for the youngest members of our community: Eastside Fire & Rescue, the city of North Bend Police/King County Sheriff’s Office and the “Car Seat Ladies” (Sue Emery and Kathy Kruger).

As the Indoor Playground winds up its season before summer vacation, we are looking for new parents to join our all-volunteer board to keep the nonprofit playground operating. Email us at SVIndoorPlayground@gmail.com if you want to keep this great community organization alive and vibrant.

Jaymie Blatt, president

Sno-Valley Indoor      Playground Board

Too many intruders

On May 5, I was unable to reach my home as I returned from shopping in Issaquah because the Volks March had Reinig Road closed. I wish all these people from the city would just go home and stay out of our Valley.

John Gaines

Snoqualmie

Thank you to the vendors, volunteers and the community for their support and help with the recently held Mount Si Senior Center Fashion Show, Generations of Volunteers.

Creating, planning and implementing any fundraising event are a great deal of work and take the commitment of many people to make it all happen. Everything has to be in place and time-lined so all of the pieces come together.

Without the support of the community and the volunteers, this event would not have happened. We are very fortunate that so many people support the senior center and once again thankful to the Snoqualmie Valley Women in Business who “created the path” for this event last year.

We netted more than $8,500 for this event, and the money will be used to provide more programs and activities for seniors. We are already talking about next year and implementing new ideas. If you would like to serve on the Fashion Show committee, please call the senior center at 888-3434.

BJ Libby, executive director

Mount Si Senior Center

Thanks, SnoValley Star

Thank you for your abundance of information on our 50th wedding anniversary on April 13. Because of your publicity we saw many old friends at our party who would not have known about the event.

Our children — Julie, of Seattle, and Ryan, of Wenatchee — hosted the event for their appreciative parents. Thanks again for your coverage.

Carol and Charles Peterson

Snoqualmie

I have given a lot of thought to the most recent 3-2 vote by the school board regarding the annexation of Snoqualmie Middle School as a freshman campus by 2013. I have received numerous emails and calls from many parents who know of my interest in this topic and who know I attend most meetings. Here is my stock answer: You cannot complain about a decision if you do not become involved.

I also offer everyone a homework assignment. Here it is:

Step one: Research who made the decision to proceed with the plan to annex SMS without a replacement school?

Step two: Find evidence that suggests the plan to proceed without a replacement school was thoroughly researched by any committee or by any committee that was also comprised of SVSD middle school educators.

STEP THREE: Go back and read why the public voted for a third middle school (now known as Twin Falls) and review the district’s rationale behind why we needed that third school.

STEP FOUR: Review the last two bond votes and either agree or disagree with this statement: “The bond votes did support (by a majority of over 50 percent) the public’s approval of the ‘Annexation of SMS with a replacement school.’ The bond language specifically addressed public approval for the funding of a replacement school and the bond did not address public approval of the FLC.”

Once you have completed this assignment, please call me back and advise me if you honestly believe this decision to proceed with the Freshman Learning Center without a confirmed replacement school is the best solution for the education of all of the kids.

Laurie Gibbs

Snoqualmie

Hospital does good work

As a longtime observer, I’ve noticed the Snoqualmie Valley Hospital District has always come back stronger than before from each of its so-called setbacks. During the past six years, the district has transformed itself into a 21st century healthcare institution though its early adoption of electronic medical records, its Critical Access designation, regionally acclaimed Swing Bed program, best in class Rehab Department and upgrade of its urgent care unit to a 24/7 ER.

In fact, those in the know universally recognize the district has achieved medical excellence throughout the entire organization. Amazingly, the district has accomplished all this while also brilliantly navigating through extraordinarily difficult economic times to come up with a viable funding plan for a much-needed new hospital. Please consider that all this has been accomplished without once raising taxes.

I believe the core benefit the hospital district provides the Valley is that of community. It fundamentally helps keep Carnation, Fall City, Preston, the city of Snoqualmie and North Bend from becoming homogenized into just another Eastside suburb of King County. As a former employee who now lives in West Seattle, I know first hand about the professionalism and culture of caring that permeates each of the clinics and all of the hospital departments. If you haven’t done so recently, I’d encourage you to give the Snoqualmie Valley Hospital District a fresh new look.

Scott Scowcroft

Former employee; SVHF Board Member

West Seattle

I know many of you are aware that the city of Snoqualmie is in the process of annexing the old Weyerhaeuser mill site. The King County Council is scheduled to vote on, and likely to approve, the annexation April 23.

What many of you may not be aware of is this annexation is based on an agreement between the city, county and property owners, called an interlocal agreement.

You can read the agreement on www.yoursnoqualmievalley.org. Annexation through an interlocal agreement has only been done one other time in King County. The typical method of annexation is by voting, whereas the citizens get to decide if they want annexation.

Unfortunately, in this case, the citizens have no say. I find this especially troubling considering the amount of opposition expressed by so many people over the past year.

To better understand why the county is interested in annexation, I recently met with King County Council staff members.  The county believes that, in general, annexation is good for the community and will foster growth.

To be clear, it is not annexation per se that is troubling to so many, but rather the use of the old Weyerhaeuser Mill Site after annexation as a motor sports facility, and the disregard in the interlocal agreement of known environmental contamination and known flooding concerns associated with the property.

What I learned is that King County Council members are unaware of these greater issues and are unaware that the overwhelming majority of Snoqualmie residents are opposed to the development of a motor sports facility in Snoqualmie.

To better inform the King County council, I request that you fill out our survey. This is your chance to make your voice heard. Go to www.yoursnoqualmievalley.org for a link to the survey. We will share the results with the King County Council members prior to their vote.

Warren Rose

Snoqualmie

How does one know when one is getting old?

Well, one sure way is when an ex-student retires!

Not too shabby, retiring Snoqualmie Police Chief Jim Schaffer!

Friday night TV might be less exciting than flagging down a DUI, but now you can kick back with a bowl of popcorn and a beer.

And sleep in without guilt.

Way to go!

Peter Melvoin

Emeritus: Bellevue College

North Bend

There’s no logical reason the freshman learning center is a good idea from a financial, logistical or common sense standpoint.

I believe the school district is wasting taxpayer money. Why would you take a recently solved crowding issue at the middle schools and put it back into place to solve the high school’s crowding problems? This decision will require money to build modular classrooms at a brand new Twin Falls, which will then sit empty and wasted when a planned third middle school is opened in three years. What about the cost to bus kids from the ninth-grade campus to sports at the high school? What about the cost of retraining and or hiring new staff for the ninth-grade campus, staff that might have to be let go if this doesn’t work out? What about all the time (and money, because time is money) to plan this new model? What about the cost to remodel SMS into a ninth-grade campus? It’s clear the three board members and superintendent are oblivious to these costs, or don’t care about wasting taxpayers’ dollars.

Principal John Belcher said in the meeting, “Right now, students go from big-dog-on-campus to invisible. With the freshman center, they would then go from big-dog-on-campus to very-big-dog, and we can’t do that in the current format.” What do you think is going to happen to those ninth-graders when they end up at high school? Being “Big Dog on Campus” should never weigh into a decision about education.

Has anyone asked the kids, parents or district staff members what they think? The transition for ninth-graders is going to be even more difficult after having gone from a shared campus to a campus to themselves back to a shared campus. What about the ninth-graders that do sports? What is life going to be like getting on a bus, driving to the high school to participate in sports with high school students that they don’t have any daily social interaction with?

I hope this ninth-grade campus doesn’t happen, because if it does, I believe it will be a failure.

Bradley Johnson

Snoqualmie

School board made a bad call

The recent school board decision to convert Snoqualmie Middle School to a Freshman Learning Center in 2013 is on my radar. My son is a sixth-grader at SMS, and for him, his friends and incoming students, it means moving schools, learning new systems and making new friends right in the middle of their pre-high school journey.

I’ve been told there’s a lot I don’t know about the facts and we have to do this now. I’ve been told the decision is final and there’s no turning back and essentially that my opinion doesn’t count.

This puts me, and other parents, in an emotional place. We feel angry, confused and helpless; deceived by lack of information; and controlled by less than a handful of people. Three people decided our kids’ fate. That is unsettling at best.

The animosity at the school board level is evident. You hear it in discussions at meetings and see it in voting. But shouldn’t this group of five elected board members join together to make the best decisions for our schools? Is a 3-2 vote a true representation of the opinion of voters? How can we have trust and faith in a divided board?

Perhaps a decision of this caliber should not be made by a select few, but instead, through more careful consideration, truthful presentation of facts and big-picture planning. Is it possible that our school board could come together and reconsider its decision? Further conversation and investigation could lead to a solution not even considered before, one that shows business sense and thoughtfulness.

I challenge our school board to do the right thing. First, present clearly and honestly any additional information that is relevant to Freshman Learning Center planning. Second, answer the questions posed by the public clearly, honestly and without defense and emotion. Third, take another look at how this decision negatively affects many students and teachers, and whether the fallout is worth the predicted improvement for ninth-graders.

Finally, take this opportunity to make a positive impact on the divided district, which is ironically coming together against you.

Lori Riffe

Snoqualmie

Mountain Creek Tree Farm and the Kassian family would like to show their appreciation by thanking all the people that came out to our farm and helped after a flood on Tate Creek Feb. 22 that brought hundreds of tons of sands and gravel in over 1,000 Christmas trees.

Seeing the extent of the damage from the flood, our friend Marie Hearing contacted her brother-in-law John Hearing, scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 945 and told him of our disaster.

In turn, he helped organize with Kim Ferree, executive officer of Venturing Crew and Scout Troop 115 to come to our farm on March 17 to help remove the sand and rocks around the trees.

There were about 50 people in all, which included scouts, venturing crews, the Mayor of North Bend, Ken Hearing, his wife, Marie, the Mayor of Snoqualmie, Matt Larsen, his wife, Jenifer, and some parents of the scouts.

The following scout troops and Venturing crews were in attendance: Venturing Crew 115 and Boy Scout 115 of Snoqualmie, with executive officer Kim Ferree and wife Anita, Boy Scout troop 466 of North Bend, Venturing crew 954 of Covington, with advisor John Hearing, Boy Scout Troop 945 of Covington with scoutmaster John Hearing.

Jenifer Larsen and Anita Ferree prepared the food that we provided for lunch. My sister Sharon Posey baked cookies for them and was on hand to help out where she could.

They were a very hard-working crew with shovels, hoes and rakes cleaning the gravel and sand away from the trees, sometimes two to three feet deep.

They pushed wheelbarrow-loads of dirt into one field where the water had washed away the dirt leaving the roots exposed, and covered them with fresh dirt.

They cleaned between 300 and 500 noble and Turkish firs and may have helped to save the Christmas trees for us.

Again, we want to thank all of you that helped and want you to know how much your hard work was very appreciated by this family.

The Kassian family

Marilyn, Bill, Craig, and Cary

On behalf of all of the people of the 5th District, I would like to thank you for your coverage of the caucus, both in getting the word out through the two articles you published before the caucus and your focus on the people who went to vote. It was heart felt. Regardless of which candidate you support, your individual vote does matter.

We are in a year where how we vote will decide which direction our state and nation will move for decades to come.

I hope all of the energy and enthusiasm demonstrated now will continue through the November elections. It is an honor to serve with all the great people of the 5th District.

Bob Brunjes

5th District GOP chairman

School board is losing trust of this voter

While I have lived in Snoqualmie for 13 years, most of the school bonds have failed. Often, it was because taxpayers believed the board was asking for more than it needed.

A few years ago, voters said “yes” and passed a bond to build a much-needed third middle school, Twin Falls.

Last year, voters were presented with another school bond. This time to turn Snoqualmie Middle School into a freshman learning campus and build a replacement middle school, voters said “no.” Twice.

Unfortunately, this week our school board voted to take away our third middle school, turning it into a freshman learning campus anyway.

While I do not oppose the idea of a freshman learning campus, I do not like the idea that they used our money to build a third middle school, only to take it away to create something voters rejected twice.

On behalf of the board of commissioners for King County Fire Protection District 10, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the voters of the fire district for supporting and successfully passing Proposition 1: Construct and Remodel Fire Stations and Acquire Firefighting and Life Saving Equipment proposal.

It was a difficult decision for the board to ask our neighbors for their approval of a revenue bond during these tough economic times. But, the need was there.

The most important need was to relocate Station 78 to a more central location in May Valley to improve response times to a larger portion of the service area. In addition, there is a need to strengthen our volunteer stations in Maple Hills, Tiger Mountain and Lake Joy to aid in accomplishing their mission and attract more volunteers.

When the board considered the favorable bond market and construction climate, the need coupled nicely with opportunity.

The board of commissioners appreciates the trust you have demonstrated in approving Proposition 1 and pledges to not squander that trust and to wisely steward these funds to provide you the best value for your emergency service dollar.

Rick Gaines

Fire District 10 commissioner

There is nothing to fear by expanding marriage

I moved to Washington 16 years ago, coming from a state in the “Bible Belt.”

At that time I thought that it would be destructive for children to be adopted and raised in a home with gay parents. That was before I began to open my eyes and heart and learn different views.

I came to know gay couples who were raising children, and doing a beautiful job. And I began considering the children in heterosexual households where they were raised poorly. And the discord involved in homes where marriages fail and end in divorce.

I came to see that it was a ludicrous notion that children would somehow be harmed by living in a gay household. I have come a very long way since. Now, my best friend is gay and a wonderful mother with a partner who adores her child.

I think the law that would allow gay marriage is the right and fair thing to do. And I don’t think that it will in any way diminish the sanctity and sacredness of my own marriage.

Sadly, we humans feel the need to be exclusive. I believe that God’s capacity for love is endless, and that he will welcome all his children at the banquet table. I believe the Bible is a living word and that if we were not capable of growing in our interpretation of it over time, we would not have adapted away from discrimination against women and people of color. And we would be stuck with the notion that marriage is only viable if couples intend to procreate.

Regardless, the proposed law does not interfere with a church’s prerogative to decide about conducting marriage ceremonies. It is strictly a civil matter. Therefore, I think they should have no role in influencing an outcome that only grants civil freedoms.

I hope that others reading this will challenge themselves, like I did, and realize there is nothing to fear.

Kathy Golic

North Bend

I would like the opportunity to respond to an opinion letter submitted by David Willson regarding the use of technology levy money at North Bend Elementary School. As a colleague of Tom Fladland, as well as a classroom teacher myself, I take offense to the sweeping remarks that we abuse the money so generously provided for us by our community; particularly as these remarks were based on the word of a child.

Please be aware that Fladland’s use of iPads in the classroom is a result of a grant he personally wrote — it was not funded by the technology levy as asserted by Willson. Fladland has been a leader within our school community in educating staff and students about technology. He actively involves students with a multitude of technology sources to prepare them for their future.

Further, Snoqualmie Valley School District employees have spent countless hours learning and researching how technology can be used in the modern classroom to help engage a new style of learner. We use these tools to help our children, not keep them busy. Do they have opportunities to use technology for fun? Sure, occasionally. Is that how they spend the majority of their technology time? Absolutely not.

In my classroom, technology abounds thanks to our community support. We use the interactive white board to engage students in math and reading lessons. We use www.raz-kids.com to offer leveled reading to each student on an individual basis. We use www.ixl.com to extend learning and individualize growth in math concepts. And yes, some are lucky enough to offer iPads to students, giving them the opportunity to explore and learn on a device that is their future.

Children learn by doing. Modern children learn by interacting with technology and the world around them. We are using your money and our time to best incorporate these resources to prepare our kids for the future and we take that very seriously. Please rest assured — we are putting your money to excellent use.

An apology is owed to Tom Fladland for publishing unresearched claims and tarnishing the name of an excellent educator.

Christina McCloskey,

second-grade teacher

North Bend Elementary School

Observe classroom before making claims

This is in regard to the Feb. 16 letter from Mr. David Wilson, who expressed concern about the use of technology at school based on his son’s report that “after he finishes finishing some of his worksheets in class, students are allowed to play ‘Angry Birds’ on one of Mr. Fladland’s classroom iPads at North Bend Elementary School.”

I was fortunate to observe Tom Fladland on numerous occasions during the 2005-2006 and 2007-2008 school years. During that time, I was his computer lab “parent helper” and sat in on numerous classes. It’s my opinion his use of school district technology at the time was effective, creative and appropriate.

It included developing his own weekly status report system that alerted parents early on of potential problems, videotaping all stand-up student presentations and teaching all students basic-to-intermediate skills in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Internet Explorer and how to effectively use search engines.

I’ll admit he did use a few what I initially thought to be unusual techniques to teach, motivate and reward students (elementary school is a lot different now than when I attended). In fact, on occasion he allowed kids to play computer games for a few minutes. But after talking with him I discovered there was always an underlying “method to his madness.” It didn’t take long for him to earn my complete trust. In fact I was so impressed with Fladland’s methods and the results achieved by my daughter that I specifically requested my younger son be assigned to his class.

If your schedule permits, sit in on Fladland’s classroom at least once. If you do, I believe you’ll come to the same conclusion I did: He simply loves kids and teaching, and is a master at educating, motivating, inspiring and yes, sometimes entertaining a roomful of fourth-graders five days a week from September until June, year after year. It’s a tough job. He does it exceptionally well.

Danny Raphael

North Bend

A huge thank you to everyone who braved the snow and cold to attend the Mount Si High School Jazz Band fundraiser at Boxley’s on Jan. 17.

We were able to raise more than $2,000 to help these kids represent Mount Si and the Snoqualmie Valley at the Savannah Music Festival’s Swing Central High School Jazz Band Competition & Workshop in Savannah, Ga., in late March. Earlier in the day, these young musicians spent three hours rehearsing with and learning from Wycliffe Gordon, jazz trombonist and current faculty member at the Manhattan School of Music in New York.

Gordon was sent from Swing Central to do a clinic in advance of the festival. He was a brave soul himself, driving from Battleground to us during Snowpacolypse 2012! A big thank you to him for his gift of time and talent. In addition, and as always, Boxley’s Danny Kolke (and his family) opened their doors not only for the morning session (since the schools were closed) but also for a warm place for good food, good music and fundraising. We are so lucky to have Boxley’s and all that they do as part of our community.

Thanks again to all who supported these kids. This is an expensive trip (roughly $1,000 per person).

If you were unable to make it but would like to support us, you can still make a tax-deductible donation either online via PayPal at www.jazz-attheclub.com (click the “Donate” button on the left menu) or by sending a check payable to MSHS Band Boosters, P.O. Box 92, North Bend, WA 98045. Please put “Swing Central” in the memo line. We have less than a month left to raise funds.

Jane-Ellen A. Seymour

MSHS Band Boosters Board

What a place

It was midnight Jan. 13 when the truck I was driving from Eastern Oregon to Puyallup lost power. I knew I was in trouble and decided to take the next and last exit to North Bend before it completely shut down.

Traveling with a 2-year-old and 5-week-old to visit my folks, this panicking mom called her husband, who she left behind several hours and miles ago. He informed her the alternator was failing and she had better find a hotel fast. Just then the truck died on Main Street near the railroad tracks. Fortunately for me, after Googling lodging on my smart phone I was .1 miles from the North Bend Motel.

The kind gentleman answering the phone told me there was a vacancy and he drove his car to meet me, chauffeuring two crying children and a desperate mom to his motel. He even unlocked the door and turned the heat on for my arrival. A little later I received a phone call from Deputy Tim Langan asking my room information (my husband called police notifying them of the disabled vehicle’s location).

Langan said he would make sure the truck was secured and in a safe place, but to my surprise and overwhelming gratitude, he unloaded my entire truck — suitcases, food, port-a-crib, coats, kid toys, etc. — reloaded them into his patrol car and brought them to me. He said he wasn’t sure what I would need and he wanted my things to be safe. Talk about above and beyond!

The next morning my truck was towed to Ron’s Auto Service, where they thoroughly charged my batteries after replacing the alternator and drove the truck to my location (all before check out time). The town and people of North Bend are amazing. An unpleasant situation was completely turned around because of the kind, caring people I met who went out of their way. Thank you to everyone who assisted me. To anyone who breaks down in the middle of the night on a road trip — make sure it’s near this town!

Leanna May

La Grande, Ore.

A hearty “thank you” to the Snoqualmie Valley YMCA for its generous hospitality in assisting with emergency shelter at the Snoqualmie Community Center during the recent storm and power outage. Our partners at the YMCA welcomed more than 150 people for “day-warming” over the course of the storm and 10 families overnight.

This outage affected our entire community, local businesses and residents of all ages. We have learned in years past that snow, ice, wind and power outages can be a serious disruption to routine life and to our citizens’ well-being and sense of security.

With this in mind, the Snoqualmie Community Center includes capability to be used as a temporary day-warming center and overnight shelter as needed, including installation of an emergency power generator and kitchen facilities.

YMCA staff opened their doors to all residents of the Snoqualmie Valley, not just to YMCA members.

All were welcome to use the facility to get warm, take showers, charge cellphones, have their kids play, and assess their situations in a calm and helpful environment. This allowed them to be close to their homes to monitor their property, check on pets, and get clothing and supplies as needed. People were able to have shelter without leaving town, thus avoiding treacherous roads.

The selfless actions of the Snoqualmie Valley YMCA staff during this event were further confirmation that the YMCA of Greater Seattle is focused on assisting our community in spirit, mind and body.

Mayor Matt Larson

City of Snoqualmie

Nursing home residents are thankful for giving, support over holidays

The Mount Si Transitional Health Center would like to thank the people of the Snoqualmie Valley for all of their wonderful gifts, volunteer efforts and support graciously provided over the holidays.

A special thanks to the Snoqualmie Valley Kiwanis Club that coordinated the giving trees, collected all of the gifts and helped make sure everyone had something to unwrap. Thanks to all of the locations throughout the Valley that hosted the giving trees.

And to the churches, organizations, individuals and families that caroled, volunteered their time and donated gifts. We would also like to thank Gary Weisser, who visits us yearly as Santa, and Snoqualmie Elementary School, which helped brighten our doors with festive posters.

Many things happen to make the holidays a special time at the nursing home. The residents and staff are thankful for being part of such a giving and supportive community. Thank you from all of us at the Mount Si Transitional Health Center.

Carrie Jensen, activity director

Mount Si Transitional Health,

North Bend

We need a new utility around here. Where else in the country do 300,000 customers regularly lose power and heat during a typical weather event? Here, it happens every few years and is considered business as usual by Puget Sound Energy.

We need a utility that performs regular, routine and preventative tree maintenance, to trim and cull potentially harmful branches and limbs to avoid catastrophe. PSE rakes in its profits, waits for a catastrophe, herds in a few extra workers, and expects to be seen as a hero when power and heat finally return to its beleaguered customers.

No doubt PSE will whine to the Legislature for a rate hike due to its “extraordinary” efforts during the storm, and also, ironically, to pay for the ensuing lack of gas and electricity usage by its customers during this time.

Our local co-op, Tanner Electric, as usual, worked most efficiently and admirably. We can always count on it. When we phoned in for updates, we spoke to a human being. PSE could learn a great deal from Tanner’s model.

Kathy Swoyer

North Bend

If the Snoqualmie Valley wants to be on the cutting edge of elk management practices, then why not consider the alternative “herd control” methods tried by our neighboring areas?

The Toutle River Valley successfully relocated 50 elk to the Nooksack Valley. Toutle officials there coordinated with two helicopters and volunteers on the ground to herd the animals into a corral and then transport them to other areas.

The city of Sequim recently received a state grant to fit their elk with GPS collars with “virtual fence” capability. When alerted, volunteers will be called on to drive the offending elk away from designated areas. Sequim is also seeking funds from the state Legislature to purchase high fences that will protect sensitive areas.

If relocation of some of our Valley elk isn’t feasible, why not consider the proven immuncontraception vaccination, which uses PZP proteins to surround and block sperm from reaching the unfertilized egg? According to the Humane Society of the U.S., this contraceptive was developed more than three decades ago and can be administered by hand or in a dart, and it lasts two or more years.

Also, time-released pellets can be given to stimulate annual boosters. This vaccine has reportedly been used to successfully reduce the deer populations on Fire Island, N.Y., wild horse populations in the West and wild elk in Point Reyes, Calif.

Recognizing that elk are a real problem in our Valley, I believe that we must learn how to co-habitat with these magnificent animals — not kill them. If you agree that we need a better plan, contact your local officials and conservation groups about setting up a relocation or immunization program.

Patricia Yolton

Snoqualmie

Thank you, everyone

As members of the Mount Si Helping Hand Food Bank board of directors, we are grateful to the community for your contributions in 2011.

Whether your contribution was as a volunteer, financial gift or food donation, it went a long way to serve our community.

Whether it was a small contribution or a large one, it is appreciated very much.

Thank you.

As a ministry of the Snoqualmie Valley Ministerial Association, the food bank not only is grateful to our community for the generous donations, but we are thankful to God for his great provision.

We look forward to the opportunity of serving our community in 2012. Again, thank you very much.

Mount Si Helping Hand Food Bank board of directors

Great tool to use to teach students bus evacuations!

Suzanne

Re: Memory of police officer’s killing still lingers in Snoqualmie Valley after more than 60 years

I am Leah Fitzgerald’s great-niece and I would like to thank you for the article in your paper. My aunt is 95 years old and one heck of a lady.

We have been going through her old photos and have so many old photos. This story just happened along at the right time.

I just want to say thank you so much. Born and raised in the Snoqualmie Valley, it is nice to see family recognized in its history!

Sincerely,

Christy Charbonneau-Wright

Re: Last Valley stop for a ‘Wonderful’ ride

Of course I loved this article. My daughter got to share her grief with Zuzu. We always watched this movie every Christmas and love it to this day.

Thank you, Zuzu, for giving love to my daughter. Her brother was her best friend.

 Love, Pat Hanner (Matt’s mom)

In an effort to encourage local support for local charities, the SnoValley Star created Fund for the Valley, which began last month.

The annual drive strives to address hunger and emergency financial aid for Snoqualmie Valley families doing their best to get ahead. This year’s recipient is the Mount Si Helping Hand Food Bank.

“The mission of the SnoValley Star is to make a difference in the lives of its readers,” Publisher Debbie Berto said. “Fund for the Valley will make it easy for those who want to join us in making a difference.

“Only 501(c)(3) charities will receive the money, making contributions tax-deductible.”

Many Valley residents contributed to the fund, and we thank you for your support. The fund collected $3,695. It is indicative of the generosity of the Valley.

Thank you to the fund’s contributors:

Deborah Gardner

Marie Williams

C.J. Kusiak

Rebecca Inzerella and Michael

Heidy

Anonymous

Ron Shoff

Hansen Therapeutic Services Inc.

Jane and Edwin Benson

Anonymous

Marc and Rosalie Aikin

Wendy and Keith Hennig

Elsie Graves

Mary and John Knepper

Michelle and Jerome La Rocca

Willie, Peggy and Austin

Wiseman

Paula and Dave Wright

There is still time to contribute to Fund for the Valley. Donate by mailing checks to Fund for the Valley, c/o SnoValley Star, P.O. Box 2516, North Bend, WA 98045.

Web comments

 Re: Redistricting splits Snoqualmie Valley between two

congressional districts

Splitting the Snoqualmie Valley into two legislative districts makes no sense to me either, and neither does including Chelan County in a King/Pierce county district.

We in the Wenatchee area do not share the same landscape, climate or economy as the Snoqualmie Valley, and we sure as hell don’t want to be represented by a Republican from Auburn, either.

The Cascade Curtain exists. Respect it.

Alan Moen

With the demand for toys increasing since 2009, the kindness and generosity of the people in the Snoqualmie Valley has shown brightly this holiday season. The Snoqualmie Valley Toy Drive doubled the toys received from the past two years combined! Hundreds of terrific new toys were collected including four brand new bicycles to benefit the Kiwanis Giving Tree.

A special thanks goes out to Deputy Amy Jarboe for all her hard work in expanding the toy drive to the King County Sheriff’s Office in North Bend and hosting a special visit from Santa Claus.

We appreciate the Sheriff’s Office allowing her to use their facilities to collect so many toys.

Thanks to everyone who contributed wonderful gifts this year. While you couldn’t see the smiles on their faces, you can be certain that you made a little girl or boy happy this Christmas and helped a family in need.

Thank you so much and have a wonderful holiday!

David and Lisa Cook

North Bend

How is killing humane?

The editorial of your last issue (Dec. 15) proclaimed “Hunting elk is a humane solution.” One might wonder just what exactly is humane about killing unsuspecting wildlife. Perhaps gunning them down is more humane than poisoning, strangling, or starvation, but I would think even more humane solutions might include tranquilizing or trapping and relocating.

Alert TPC golf officials declared fence-building impossible when they realized a fence would need gates. But, thankfully, the executions will be left to the elite “Master Hunters” who can shoot straight and have done 20 hours of work to benefit wildlife. These elk must be exterminated, else golf as we know it will reach extinction.

Rev. Jan Larson

North Bend

Hold up the hotel

This is a call for action. Rush hour is coming to North Bend. Sound the alarm for Forester Woods, Uplands, Harmon Heights, Southfork Road.

Let’s boycott that hotel application until we get another access road to the other side of I-90 between Snoqualmie Casino and North Bend. Write to your Congressman.

Stop the project until we can get across the freeway. We already get pinned in because water at Forest Woods floods our sole access road.

One year we had to cut the fence to get out.

Save our children from starving, dying from lack of medical care, getting lackey jobs because of lack of education, due to the lack of transportation.

Flood the hearings with vitriol. Throw it in the face of the developers and the greedy city. Unite ‘Other Side of I-90.’

Sheila Hunter

North Bend

What in the world is the district thinking? The Snoqualmie Valley Hospital, once again, has sign a long-term multimillion-dollar contract. For what? Why a new hospital, of course. All our problems will be solved if we just have a new hospital. Wow! What an easy fix.

I guess I don’t understand. I’ve heard that the hospital is operating in the black. Sounds like the old hospital is perfectly adequate for the services rendered. Other than stiffing the residents for millions of dollars, and guaranteeing the long-term employment of the administrative staff, what is the point?

If the present hospital is operating in the black, sounds like the major problem has always been marketing. Well, the commissioners didn’t ask for the public’s input. Indeed, the contract with the builder has been signed (at 7:30 in the morning last week), so once again, it’s too late.

Guess we’ll have to wait a few years for this hospital to fail, and then the district will ask for more taxes and they’ll be turned down, again.

What a merry-go-round.

Herschel Backues

North Bend

To all of the readers who saw the article in the July 14 Snovalley Star, the walking miracle, Misty Si, the 14-year-old black Lab found after 54 days, is doing great.

Misty Si now weighs 65 pounds, eats regular meals, wags her tail and wants to go on walks with us. In this season of thanks, hope, faith and miracles, she represents the best in all of you. Allan Landdeck found Misty on July 4, and she was near death after walking around lost for 54 days. Allan picked her up and carried her down to a house in North Bend.

A wonderful woman named Jackie cleaned her face and called our home to tell us Misty had been found.

We owe so many people a big thank you for all they did to get Misty healthy. Dr. Winnie Peng, with the Alpine Animal Hospital, gave Misty the first emergency care July 4. Dr. Terry Weronko, with the Snoqualmie Valley Animal Hospital, slowly nursed Misty back to her normal self — day after day with special care.

Jackie still comes to see Misty and brings her special treats. Terry Busby, Diane Pobal and Kim Howard still dog sit Misty when needed.

This Valley is known for many things, but for all of you who looked for Misty, put up signs to help find her and called us to ask about her, thank you — you are the miracles — and this Valley is lucky to have so many good people living here.

I am a Valley girl, with a Valley dog, and I am proud to live here.

Cheryl and Steve Hanson

Snoqualmie

Our thanks are extended to the community for their attendance and for many wonderful event partners and volunteers. Many “invisible hands” were also there to help.

All of the people who helped were part of an event that entertained close to 500 audience members, raised more than $2,000 for the Mount Si Helping Hand Food Bank and started us on the way to a new annual Snoqualmie Valley event. Each one of them made it happen and they are to be congratulated for a job well done.

Mark Hennig

Mark’s Pet Pals, owner

As the executive director of the Snoqualmie Valley Hospital Foundation, and speaking on behalf of the foundation board, we are honored to offer an enthusiastic endorsement of Karyn Denton for hospital commissioner!

Karyn has earned trust and respect of the employees of the district, citizens of the community, as well as the foundation with her professionalism, poise and wise counsel.

The employees, volunteers and citizens of this district deserve a representative that is engaged in positive discussion and direction from the healthcare leadership in our Valley.

Kim Arellano, executive director

Snoqualmie Valley Hospital Foundation

 Recent mailings and editorial letters disparaging Snoqualmie Valley Hospital compels me to respond to the small-minded opinions of Gene Pollard and his election support.

Snoqualmie Valley Hospital is in no way a nursing home! In 2008, I spent five weeks as an inpatient after a life-threatening car accident.

The treatment and physical rehabilitation I received was extremely high quality. It consisted not only of clinical competence, but of genuine care and concern over my well-being and recovery.

Each and every individual with whom I interacted, whether physician or nursing staff, right down to facilities staff, made me feel the patients are the reason they serve at our local hospital.

Without Snoqualmie Valley Hospital, I would have required a long stay in Harborview, which would have been extremely inconvenient for my family, much less personal and resulted in much greater expense.

Snoqualmie Valley Hospital welcomed me on discharge from Harborview, where the trauma surgeons saved my life. I am able to attribute my 100 percent recovery to Snoqualmie Valley Hospital and its excellent team, which includes physicians, nursing staff, physical therapists, occupational therapists, etc.

Snoqualmie Valley Hospital is a vital part of our ever-expanding Snoqualmie/North Bend/Fall City community providing needed healthcare close to home and convenience to numerous Valley residents and their families.

Mr. Pollard conveniently ignores the fact that the hospital is financially healthy and a growing organization that cares deeply about the patients and families it serves.

Apparently, Mr. Pollard is only concerned with hospital finance and not patients, quality patient healthcare or the future needs of our community.

Please join me in voting for Karyn Denton in the upcoming hospital commissioner election.

Barbi Donovan

Snoqualmie

Time to upgrade our school board

In response to certain claims made by Ms. Stedman in her recent letter, it has become clear to our residents that the incumbent school board directors are not representing either all communities across the district, or even their own resident communities.

If our incumbent directors were effective in serving all of our communities at-large, then they would be laser-focused on addressing the most important concerns of our students, parents, teachers and taxpayers districtwide.

This includes halting the increasing class sizes since they’ve been in office; lowering our student drop-out rates (highest of any Eastside district); increasing our on-time graduation rates (lowest of any Eastside district); solving the wide-spread assaults that take place in our schools and buses; increasing the number of students taking the SAT/ACT tests (among the lowest on the Eastside); and joining other school boards who are pressuring the state to restore funding.

They would not be appearing to have private meetings out of the public eye in violation of state law, dismissing student safety incidents, placing bond proposals on the ballot that are so whacky that when defeated they diminish prospects of future bonds passing when we really need new schools built, and residents would not be required to file a Freedom of Information Act to obtain information from them.

The incumbents are not representing their own local area residents, either, as they gerrymandered the school director boundaries to protect their incumbent seats, deny Snoqualmie resident director representation and break up North Bend’s communities of mutual interests.

Yes, it’s time for an upgrade of our school board. We need directors who have time to invest in the role, unburdened by full-time jobs. Directors who are willing to make operations much more transparent, communicate more effectively with us, who can develop a strategic plan whose priorities drive our budget and are focused on stakeholders.

We parents, teachers and taxpayers have an opportunity to add the clarity, candor and competence that Geoff Doy, Peggy Johnson and Carolyn Simpson will bring to the board, so please look at their websites and speak with each of them.

Stephen Kangas

North Bend

Snoqualmie needs representation on the school board

I have heard so many people from North Bend and Fall City say the Snoqualmie Valley School District School Board members represent all of the children in the Valley. I’ve also been told “We don’t need anyone from Snoqualmie on the school board.”

Are your children going to four different elementary schools? The kids in Snoqualmie are. Do you have a middle school? (One that is getting state wide awards to boot.) Snoqualmie’s middle school is being dissolved and we will not have one. The kids in Snoqualmie will be bused to Fall City or North Bend.

Snoqualmie is the fastest growing city in the state of Washington per the 2010 census. Carolyn Simpson has lived here during that growth. She’s had two kids that have graduated from this district and are now at the University of Washington. She knows firsthand what our districts needs are. And she’s willing to fix what’s broken.

I read Mr. Popp’s quote, “I believe the city of Snoqualmie leadership is putting property developers first. They need to put children first.” This couldn’t be further from the truth.

The Snoqualmie City Council is currently working with the school board. And I can assure you, Snoqualmie is a family-oriented city that puts the needs of our children first.

The current SVSD school board members reside in Fall City, Redmond and North Bend (three from North Bend). Carolyn Simpson will help balance our school board, which will be a benefit to our district and our children.

If you’d like to see some balance on the school board, vote for Carolyn Simpson. I’ve known her for years and have personally worked with her on many projects here in the Valley. She’s done amazing things for our SVSD students’ growth, development and academics. She is the only person from Snoqualmie that is running and will definitely work for the best interest of all of the kids in the Valley.

We have an opportunity to have an A+ school board. I am voting for Simpson and Geoff Doy. And trust me — I have done my homework.

Lanice Gillard

Snoqualmie

As a long time resident of the Valley, I have watched the Snoqualmie Valley Hospital deal with the challenges faced by many small hospitals. Few successes, many failures.

We need a change in the public persona and oversight on the board of commissioners. Gene Pollard will give us that change.

Snoqualmie Valley Hospital has a checkered past, to be sure. Going broke and closing the doors on three different occasions. Silly, absurd mistakes has cost and lost millions of our tax dollars.

Opening and closing various medical clinics, attempting to compete with the likes of Overlake, Evergreen and now Swedish was, and is, a fool’s errand.

Where is the common sense? Where is Gene Pollard when we need him? It’s my opinion that if Gene was aboard, this hospital would be more than a nursing home and a couple of medical clinics, as it is now.

There is a serious question as to whether we need this hospital. They are simply hanging on, waiting for a miracle, going further and further in debt. Surviving on our considerable tax dollars. I, for one, would never consider being a patient at SVH with Swedish and Overlake nearby. Swedish and Overlake don’t take my tax dollars.

If Gene was a commissioner, I doubt we would be stuck for a piece of property that the county wouldn’t allow development on. The contract to buy this property was well written.

The hospital couldn’t break it and cost us (the Valley taxpayer) $7 million. I’ve sat in the SVH public meetings. The commissioners refuse to enter into dialog with the public.

If you continue to ask questions, you are considered disruptive. I’ve personally asked for special meetings, question/answer format. I’ve been denied at every turn.

It is past time for the Snoqualmie Valley Hospital to be open, transparent and receptive of public concerns.

It’s time for new perspectives and oversight.

It’s time for Gene Pollard for hospital commissioner!

Herschel Backues

North Bend

School board candidates forum

You have to be kidding me! Cathy Renner says that they declined to have questions from the crowd at the Oct. 13 forum for the school board candidates. This was because, as she states, “it wanted candidates to give good, elaborate answers.” Wow. Remind me to say that to my boss the next time he asks me difficult business/budget questions … I’ll just tell him that you can’t ask me those questions because all my answers must be rehearsed ahead of time.

Then she went on to say that “we weren’t really interested in immediate response.” What? Why did you even have a forum for the public if you did not care about an “immediate response?” That’s exactly what’s wrong with this school board … just beg for more school bond money constantly and let people ask questions later. I don’t work that way.

Candidates for District 2, 3 and 5, I’m not voting for any of you now because Cathy Renner says she’s “really not interested in immediate response.” If it’s all about transparency, Cathy, you are off to a very bad start. How’s that for an immediate response?

Brian Murphy

North Bend

In a recent school board questionnaire, Carolyn Simpson, a candidate running for school board position 3, responded to the question, “What role, if any, do you think the school board has in the Day of Silence?” Mrs. Simpson does not “support designating any school day for any one special cause” and instead wants to establish one day in the fall called the “Day of Respect.” She also stated that the Day of Silence interferes with academics.

The Mount Si Gay Straight Alliance, the student club which runs the Day of Silence, is encouraging both Carolyn Simpson and Valley voters to consider the following:

-As all other candidates indicated, the Day of Silence is legally protected under the first amendment. Mount Si’s own alliance has had support from the ACLU and Equal Rights Washington when the event was threatened in the past.

-The Day of Silence is a nationwide event with hundreds and thousands of participants, organized by students to help raise awareness of the prejudice, harassment and discrimination against gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning LGBTQ students regularly face in their schools and communities.

-The reason LGBTQ students need a day free of harassment and bullying is because they are the most at-risk group for abuse and suicide. At Mount Si specifically, 79 percent of students do not think that the student body is respectful of people’s sexual orientations.

Simpson’s suggestion of A Day of Respect, although convenient, would only sweep important, hard-to-discuss issues under the rug, diluting the importance of this cause and perpetuating the problem the students and staff of Mount Si have been working so hard to address. Furthermore, the belief that the Day of Silence somehow interferes with academics is simply not true. The day occurs without interruption or interference; classes occur just like any other day.

With this in mind, we would like Simpson to reconsider her position and we ask voters to cast an educated vote. Also, we invite Simpson and any other community member to email the alliance at mshsgaystraight@gmail.com if they have any questions.

Mount Si Gay Straight Alliance officers

On behalf of the alliance

The Snoqualmie Education Association has interviewed all school board candidates, attended the PTA candidate forum and interviewed individuals that have worked with all candidates. We enthusiastically endorse Craig Husa, Dan Popp and Caroline Loudenback.

Teachers support Popp as a school board member because he represents our community as a whole. Dan wants our students to be prepared for the future. He has demonstrated a strong ability to collaborate with district administrators, teachers, students and community members.

Husa has earned district teacher support as a school board candidate because he sees the big picture and listens to the views of all community members. Craig continues to demonstrate a team player attitude and depth of compassion.

In her position on the school board, Loudenback has proven to be an effective listener and is thoughtfully able to look at all sides of an issue. Caroline bases her decisions on what is best for all students. She has proven her commitment to the district by working collaboratively with teachers towards a continuous improvement plan in teaching and learning.

What these three candidates bring to the school board is a positive view of the work we have accomplished to better improve teaching and learning along with the commitment for continued improvements. Their challengers are focusing on what is “wrong” with our school district and have offered uninformed easy answers to very complex challenges, such as continued funding cuts from the state and unfunded mandates. There are no easy answers!

I have been a teacher in the Snoqualmie Valley for 32 years, I have encountered many school board members during this time and the present school board clearly are the most professional during my career. All three have proven track records of effective leadership as school board members.

We have much to be proud of with recent school achievement awards, greatly expanded Advanced Placement classes, high school classes with college credit, technology innovation, high number of national board certified teachers and very successful co-curricular activities. We need to celebrate these successes while collaborating on our continuing work to improve teaching and learning.

Art Galloway, president

Snoqualmie Education Association

The third annual Snoqualmie Valley Schools Foundation Phonathon was held at Twin Falls Middle School on Sept. 12 and 13.

Thank you to everyone who donated via phone on those evenings and to those of you who have mailed us your checks or donated on our website, www.svsfoundation.org. Your support encourages and motivates us as the foundation continues its mission to assure opportunities and encourage excellence.

We wish to acknowledge and thank the following, whose contributions helped ensure the success of this year’s event: Pia Larson, for poster design; Jeff Hogan and crew, who set up the phone bank; Twin Fall Middle School, for the use of their phones and library for two days; Elaine Marie Kugen, for signing letters and encouraging her DECA students to participate; Sahara Pizza in Snoqualmie, for providing delicious pizza, salad and pop for all of the volunteers both nights and for donating gift certificates to each student volunteer; Huxdotter Coffee, for providing a free drink coupon to each student volunteer; MyCakes, for providing gift certificates for every student volunteer; Scott’s Dairy Freeze, for providing a free ice cream cone coupon to each student volunteer; the Law Office of Jonathan Pearlstein, for water and snacks during the two nights; and Rhodies BBQ, for the paper cups.

Of course, we couldn’t have done it without the help of 70-plus student volunteers, who made the calls, overcoming their fears and discomfort, resolved to make a difference and continued to “smile and dial.” A special thanks to the Mount Si Cheerleaders, the DECA Club and Ms. Kugen, Mount Si Associated Student Body, the Key Club and Amnesty International.

It’s not too late to add your support for our continuing programs. Please visit www.svsfoundation.org and click on the donate button to make your tax-free contribution today! With your help we can help every student, in every classroom, in every school.

Lorraine Thurston

Even though Snoqualmie is outside of the Si View Metropolitan Park District’s boundaries, I appreciate the services offered by our sister park agency. I sincerely hope that it does not become the next casualty of this economic recession.

In addition to providing recreational programming in partnership with the city of Snoqualmie, the Snoqualmie Valley Metropolitan Park District operates our only swimming pool in the Snoqualmie Valley and offers a wide array of activities for people of all ages and abilities.

Unfortunately, the economic decline and associated drop in property values will make it essentially impossible for the Si View district to operate if voters don’t act on Nov. 8. With the formula in state law that puts the park district at the bottom of the pecking order when levy rates are adjusted, the park district is in very real danger.

The park district will lose 84 percent of its funding without an affirmative vote of the people for Si View Metropolitan Park District Propositions 1 and 2. Clearly, that kind of cut cannot be absorbed by any government agency. Services will cease. The pool will close. Multitudes of Snoqualmie Valley families will suffer. By voting yes on Propositions 1 and 2, taxes will not be increased, but funding can be secured so these negative impacts can be avoided.

Propositions 1 and 2 seek to maintain the current level of funding that support Si View MPD and honor the 71 percent of voters who approved the funding and formation of the park district in 2003.

I urge everyone to support the Si View MPD’s ballot issues in November.

Matthew R. Larson

Mayor, city of Snoqualmie

DirtFish is currently on county land, and the county has allowed it to operate contrary to land-use regulations for more than a year simply because the land may be annexed by Snoqualmie.

In its rush to annex the property, Snoqualmie has proposed language specifically exempting DirtFish and its parent company, Snoqualmie Mill Ventures, from provisions of the city comprehensive plan and current county regulations including land use and flood remediation.

The comprehensive plan states that the land is suitable for a business employing 1,400 people. At last count, DirtFish employed about 25 people, none of which were jobs held by local people paying $30,000 a year with benefits — the type of jobs that would support a family or allow the employee to buy a house.

I am pro business but not for just any business. The Valley needs businesses that provide real jobs that support families and operate within the law. I think Ross Bentley said it best about DirtFish: “Not a single person is satisfied with where we’re at.”

Dave Eiffert

Snoqualmie

Support for MacNichols

I enjoyed your article last week entitled “Snoqualmie City Council race: insider vs. outsider.” Although our city leaders have been able to avoid some of the fiscal problems that plague other cities in the area, we face serious challenges ahead with a down economy, eroded tax base and stressed infrastructure caused by rapid growth.

We need leaders like Jeff MacNichols who have demonstrated leadership with these difficult issues and have the proven experience necessary to make sound decisions for our future. This is not the time for an untested “outsider” like Kevin Ostrem. While I admire Ostrem’s desire to start getting involved in city politics, what is noteworthy about his record is his inexperience and total lack of involvement when our city has faced some tough issues over the years.

Although he has apparently been a resident since 2000, has Ostrem served on a single city committee? Has he been to a single City Council meeting? Sitting on the sidelines while others do the hard work does not qualify him for office. Now is the time to vote for a proven leader like MacNichols, who has been working hard on the ground for years and understands the important issues we face.

Rick Davies

Snoqualmie

Would you please explain why it is that the SnoValley Star, which claims to be a youth-, family- and community-oriented newspaper, would last week feature a two-page tobacco advertisement?

I’m a little confused: Is there a double standard here that we should just ignore?

Bill Hayden

Snoqualmie

Remain vigilant

Gangs have had little effect on the Snoqualmie Valley … yet. Even with a good, proactive police force, the day you decide not to get involved is the day you give up your neighborhood.

Let’s keep looking out for each other, shall we?

L. Silver

North Bend

Re: Civic leader keeps her cool in wake of  identity theft

To me, this is nothing to take lightly.

This very morning, while at a church food bank, one of the volunteers stole my drivers’ license.

I’m fuming mad! People’s lives are completely destroyed by these criminals.

Harry Hughes

Re: North Bend family has three sons in uniform

Thanks to you and your family for serving.

Mike

Re: Sisters triumph the natural way in beauty pageant

Congrats, girls! National American Miss is truly an opportunity for girls to have fun, grow confidence and build skills that will last a lifetime.

See you at Nationals in Hollywood.

You might be driving away in that brand new Ford Mustang convertible.

LaKishia Edwards

Our daughter was in National American Miss as well.

I must say that I was hesitant at first as I was swayed by all the images from “Toddlers and Tiaras” and I thought all pageants were the same. I was wrong.

I checked out National American Miss thoroughly with the Better Business Bureau, the facility where the pageant was to take place, Internet sites, and videos that girls have uploaded about National American Miss on YouTube.

The message was always the same, National American Miss was fun, emphasized life skills and is a very different pageant than the rest.

So we succumbed to our daughter’s pleas, and let her be in National American Miss. Our hope was that it would be a confidence builder for her. And it was.

It was one of the best experiences that we have ever had together as a family.

Scott Barnett

I am not truly sure what you meant by “business folks.” My childhood was explained in terms of finances from a father who has a PhD. in economics. I have successfully been in sales most of my life, and enjoy reading books about behavioral economics.

Furthermore, I am pro-business, providing it is bridled with a social conscious. It is not a straight matter of bringing in commerce for the local economy. It’s incorporating merchants whose values are congruent with our ideals. It’s incorporating merchants without forgetting about the people of the community.

By allowing this annexation to proceed it permits our City Council to say that business is more important than the people in Snoqualmie.

The site has already been assessed positive for toxic waste and flood mitigation, both of which were to be moderated upon annexation by Weyerhaeuser. The council and mayor know this and are trying to circumvent these obligations.

In the interest of business I find it interesting that no one has proposed the idea of forcing Weyerhaeuser to clean up the mill site. That would take several years with hundreds of workers and would leave behind viable parcels of land.

In addition, with the area returned to flood storage, our schools will not have to front $2 million per flood event. By the way, remember this figure when the schools ask for money or can’t expand because of finances.

Chris Schotzko

Snoqualmie

 Share your views

Citizens can make a difference by contacting their elected representatives.

State — 5th District

Sen. Cheryl Pflug (R), 415 Legislative Building, P.O. Box 40405, Olympia, WA 98504-0405, 360-786-7608; 413-5333; pflug.cheryl@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Glenn Anderson (R), 417 JLOB, P.O. Box 40600, Olympia WA 98504-0600; 360-786-7876; 222-7092; anderson.glenn@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Jay Rodne (R), 441 JLOB, P.O. Box 40600, Olympia, WA 98504-0600; 360-786-7852; rodne.jay@leg.wa.gov

Toll-free Legislative Hotline: 800-562-6000.

County

King County Executive Dow Constantine, King County Chinook Building

401 Fifth Ave., Suite 800, Seattle, WA 98104; 206-296-4040; or kcexec@kingcounty.gov

King County Councilwoman Kathy Lambert, District 3. King County Courthouse, 516 Third Ave., Room 1200, Seattle, WA 98104; 206-296-1003; 800-325-6165; kathy.lambert@king- county.gov

North Bend

Mayor Ken Hearing, mayor@northbendwa.gov

Councilman and Mayor Pro Tem Dee Williamson, dwilliamson@northbendwa.gov

Councilman Jonathan Rosen, jrosen@northbendwa.gov

Councilman Chris Garcia, cgarcia@northbendwa.gov

Councilman Alan Gothelf, agothelf@northbendwa.gov

Councilman Ross Loudenback, rloudenback@northbendwa.gov

Councilman David Cook, dcook@northbendwa.gov

Councilwoman Jeanne Pettersen, jpettersen@northbendwa.gov

Write to the mayor and City Council at City of North Bend, P.O. Box 896, North Bend, WA 98045. Call 888-1211.

Snoqualmie

Mayor Matt Larson, 888-5307; mayor@ci.snoqualmie.wa.us

Councilman Robert Jeans, 396-4427; bjeans@ci.snoqualmie.wa.us

Councilman Jeff MacNichols, 396-4597; macnichols@sbmhlaw

Councilman Bryan Holloway, 396-5216; bholloway@ci.snoqualmie.wa.us

Councilman Kingston Wall, 206-890-9125; kwall@ci.snoqualmie.wa.us

Councilwoman Maria Henriksen, 396-5270; mhenriksen@ci.snoqualmie.wa.us

Councilman Charles Peterson, 888-0773; cpeterson@ci.snoqualmie.wa.us

Councilwoman Kathi Prewitt, 888-3019; kprewitt@ci.snoqualmie.wa.us

Write to the mayor and City Council at City of Snoqualmie, P.O. Box 987, Snoqualmie, WA 98065. Call 888-1555.

Snoqualmie Valley School Board

President Caroline Loudenback, District 2, clouden8@comcast.net

Vice President Dan Popp, District 5, danpopp@microsoft.com

Craig Husa, District 3, craig@husas.com

Marci Busby, District 4, mbusby2831@aol.com

Scott Hodgins, District 1, gscott.hodgins@comcast.net

Write to the School Board at Snoqualmie Valley School Board, P.O. Box 400, Snoqualmie, WA 98065. Call 831-8000.

I would like to thank the people in the Valley who donated school supplies and/or money toward the school supply drive at the North Bend Food Bank.

With your generosity, more than 250 students (kindergarten through 12th grade) whose families depend on the food bank were given new school supplies and new shoes. Costco generously donated 200 backpacks and the Snoqualmie Valley Lions Club donated money toward this worthwhile project.

Thank you to those who have volunteered their time to help bring this project together and make it successful.

I would also like to thank the SnoValley Star newspaper for calling attention to this growing need in the Valley in some of your recent papers. Our numbers were amazing this summer, exceeding all previous years with sign-ups at the food bank. Due to your articles, people did take care of their own and made many donations.

The need was met! Thank you for giving 250 students an opportunity to start their school year in a positive way.

Nancy Flanagan

North Bend

Speak up, Snoqualmie

Okay, your signs got my attention. I had seen them down in the valley where residents might be more likely to hear noise (was the mill quiet?), but was surprised to see them on the ridge, where a sizable portion of the residents, I would presume, are business folks and more likely to be pro-business. Yes, I’m a highlander living on the ridge, but renting because I can’t yet afford the home prices.

Like casino noise abatement pleas from the Valley folks, I am puzzled by the crush/limit/reduce business sentiment when the ongoing financial crisis in our country begs for jobs to be had of any kind.

Please let me know your political party affiliation, because I want to steer clear of it.

As one recent opinion indicated, it would be foolish for the city of Snoqualmie to annex the old mill site if pollution responsibility currently belongs to King County. But then again we got more revenue now, so maybe it’s not a problem.

Maybe I’m just missing the point altogether. Maybe the jobs lost at the casino or Dirtfish would have little effect on anyone, except possibly your neighbor, daughter, uncle or the local economy.

Denis Morrison

Snoqualmie

It seems strange that the city of Snoqualmie would be willing to annex the Weyerhaeuser mill site without even evaluating the existing pollution present on the site.

It is well known that the site is polluted, and the county has required that this pollution be cleaned up before the site is developed.

However, the city of Snoqualmie is considering annexation of the site and allowing the present owner to utilize the site without even evaluating the level of pollution or requiring that it be cleaned up.

It sounds like the city of Snoqualmie would assume a great deal of responsibility that King County would be happy to get rid of, and the present owner of the property would gain all the benefits.

Philip Cassady

Snoqualmie

Share your views

Citizens can make a difference by contacting their elected representatives.

Snoqualmie

-Mayor Matt Larson, 888-5307; mayor@ci.snoqualmie.wa.us

-Councilman Robert Jeans, 396-4427; bjeans@ci.snoqualmie.wa.us

-Councilman Jeff MacNichols, 396-4597; macnichols@sbmhlaw

- Councilman Bryan Holloway, 396-5216; bholloway@ci.snoqualmie.wa.us

- Councilman Kingston Wall, 206-890-9125; kwall@ci.snoqualmie.wa.us

- Councilwoman Maria Henriksen, 396-5270; mhenriksen@ci.snoqualmie.wa.us

-Councilman Charles Peterson, 888-0773; cpeterson@ci.snoqualmie.wa.us

- Councilwoman Kathi Prewitt, 888-3019; kprewitt@ci.snoqualmie.wa.us

I can’t thank you enough for saving my great-granddaughter.

You two men were like guardian angels. You were there at the right time to save her life. She is a blonde, blue-eyed beautiful little girl.

I had many people praying for her. Our prayers were answered.

Thank you, God.

Lucy Watts

Lincoln, Neb.

Re: North Bend hydroplane racer is OK despite flipping boat at Seafair

Thanks for this fine article. I couldn’t find any info on Kayleigh’s condition after her flip.

The Perkins’ are a tremendous racing family, and Kayleigh and Brian deserve a better season than this.

Go get ‘em!

Steve Garey

Detroit, Mich.

Re: Letters to the Editor

Last week I noticed the placement of several median postings on the Ridge, encouraging residents to express their opposition to the DirtFish driving facility. From all I’ve read, the primary concern by the opposition seems to be the potential for excessive noise resulting from the use of street mufflers.

Snoqualmie residents living on the Ridge, especially those living anywhere near the Parkway, would prefer that any efforts toward noise abatement be directed toward the control or elimination of the lumber trucks traveling the Parkway five days a week, commencing at 3:30 a.m.

City ordinances appear to effectively manage contractors working in the neighborhood, but little effort is given to quiet the deafening sound of the lumber trucks that awaken all the residents unfortunate to live anywhere near the Parkway.

I support DirtFish and oppose the 3:30 a.m. lumber trucks.

Alan Fletcher

Snoqualmie