On Earth Day, give a nod to the planet
April 11, 2012
Even though Earth Day is April 22, the entire month has turned into an opportunity to show our appreciation for the third rock from the sun.
People all over the world demonstrate their appreciation for the planet and demand its protection, as well as organize events to clean her up.
Washington is no different.
Opportunities abound this month with special projects to do your part, like the Washington Coast Cleanup 2012, which happens April 21.
According to the Coast Savers website, 8,246 volunteers collected 277 tons of trash from our coastline between 2000-2010.
Figuring an average contribution of five hours per volunteer, that’s a total of 41,230 volunteer-hours contributed. If that’s the route you’d like to go for the 42nd Earth Day, go to www.coastsavers.org/washington.html.
But there are plenty of opportunities right here at home.
Letters
April 4, 2012
Freshman campus a bad choice
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
There was a shooting, but you are still safe
April 4, 2012
It’s easy to go into panic mode when violence occurs in a community.
A North Bend man shot and killed an intruder, a stranger, after the guy broke through his sliding glass door and threatened to kill him and his girlfriend March 30.
We panic because our homes are our sanctuaries, our safe places. It’s where we conduct rather mundane, routine activities. We wake up, race to get ready for work and feed the kids before school. We watch TV, play video games, mow the lawn, host barbecues, relax by the fireplace or Facebook our friends. And then we settle in for a good night’s rest so we can do it all over again the next day.
We don’t expect to wake up at midnight to the sound of shattering glass and a stranger in our home threatening to kill us.
The thought that the suspect could have chosen our house rather than the one on Southeast Orchard Drive is terrifying, and shakes the foundation of feeling safe in a small town.
North Bend Police Chief Mark Toner points out in a press release that this is an unusual situation for the city.
“This was a random event that could not have been predicted,” he said.
And it is the randomness of the event that is so frightening.
But the chief also highlights that the town has not had a murder since 2004. And that is a good point.
According to NeighborhoodScout, which compiles crime rates from FBI data, the chance of a North Bend resident becoming a victim of a violent crime, such as rape, murder or armed robbery, is one in 944, compared to state numbers, which are one in 318.
In Snoqualmie, those chances go down even more — one in 1,524.
So yes, the randomness of the break-in and the shooting is scary. But the truth is, violent episodes in our community are rare.
You don’t need to panic, but you do need to be smart about eliminating opportunities for becoming a victim. And sometimes, sadly, like last Friday, there is nothing you can do to stop it.
Letters
March 28, 2012
Thanks for the help
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
Closed meetings are never the right choice
March 28, 2012
The North Bend City Council decided to handle a controversial issue behind closed doors rather than face the public.
State law says all meetings of governing bodies, even informal sessions, should be open and accessible to the public, with only a handful of specific exceptions.
North Bend is claiming that it fell into one of those exceptions on March 20 when it met secretly (no public notice was given) before a public meeting to discuss citizen appeals to being placed in a sewer district.
Duncan Wilson, North Bend’s city administrator, said public notice wasn’t necessary because the councilmembers, city staff and an attorney were discussing a quasi-judicial matter, and not a legislative matter.
Even if North Bend was following the letter of the law, government should always err on the side of the public’s right to know.
Being a city councilmember comes with responsibilities to the public. And yes, sometimes it’s messy, unpopular and uncomfortable.
But councilmembers were elected to represent their constituents. They are answerable and accountable to them.
And that is why they did a grave disservice to the public…and to the 10 property owners who deserved to hear how the council came to make their decision about the appeals.
The back door meeting may have been within state law guidelines, but it was a bad choice for people elected to serve the public.
If nothing else, this meeting certainly circumvents the intent of the Public Open Meetings Act.
Valley community knows no city limits
March 21, 2012
When community members are in need, borders do not matter.
That is what happened last weekend, when two mayors put aside their friendly rivalry, and helped an elderly couple who own Mountain Creek Tree Farm in Snoqualmie, which was damaged by a flash flood.
North Bend Mayor Ken Hearing and Snoqualmie Mayor Matt Larson enjoy ribbing each other. They make jokes about the other town at City Council meetings. If Snoqualmie gives a citizen a key to the city, North Bend will give the citizen a bigger key. And so it goes.
But this weekend they put aside any differences, real or in jest, and picked up rakes and shovels and helped dig out 500 of the 1,000 Christmas trees that had been buried by a flash flood in February.
They were also joined by their family members, several Boy Scout troops and Venture crews, and friends and neighbors who live near the Christmas tree farm.
Letters
March 15, 2012
Thanks for the caucus support and coverage
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.
Liquor service hours could get flexible
March 15, 2012
There’s a little city 15 miles west of here that wants to change state law — a change that would affect businesses in North Bend and Snoqualmie.
Seattle wants the Washington State Liquor Control Board to approve a resolution to allow for extended liquor hours. If approved, Valley cities would be able to dictate opening and closing hours for the service of alcohol at bars, restaurants and clubs or entertainment venues.
Seattle’s goal is to extend liquor service hours, but it could choose to go the other way. Seattle’s mayor has suggested that staggered closing times could help with public safety concerns.
While the Valley doesn’t have a major late-night rush of drinkers hitting the streets at the current 2 a.m. service cut-off time, that doesn’t mean it won’t ever. And here where the nightlife is virtually asleep by midnight, city leaders could choose to cut off liquor service even earlier. Eleven p.m. on weeknights and midnight on weekends would not be unreasonable.
If the Liquor Control Board agrees to the change Seattle wants, cities could create their own framework to license and monitor the late-night venues, once the change is approved by the state.
For example, cities might choose to impose shorter service hours on those bars that have serve patrons who leave drunk and end up with DUI charges, have problems with assaults among clients, or are cited for noise or serving minors. Cities could ostensibly put businesses with violations on probation, ultimately asking for suspension of their alcohol permit.
We’re sure that small cities have enough on their plate without dealing with new ordinances effecting liquor sales. Keeping the status quo will be most likely. But down the road, the ability to do what’s best for their city might become attractive to local police departments and city leaders.
It might be worthwhile for city leaders to weigh in now, while the liquor board to taking testimony.
DUI crackdown need not wait for holidays
March 7, 2012
St. Patrick’s Day could be unlucky for impaired motorists. But getting drunk drivers off the road would be lucky for everyone else.
Statewide, law enforcement agencies and the Snoqualmie and North Bend police department plan to embark on a campaign to nab drunken drivers before, during and after the St. Patrick’s Day holiday.
The effort starts March 9 and runs through March 18. The campaign means beefed-up DUI enforcement on King County roads, as local police officers and other law enforcement agencies join the crackdown.
Washington law enforcement officers advise all holiday partygoers to designate a sober driver, call a cab or choose not to drink alcohol.
Officers in King County on routine and extra patrols arrested 310 people for DUI during the St. Patrick’s Day enforcement effort last year.
In addition to North Bend and Snoqualmie police and the Washington State Patrol, officers in nearby Bellevue, Issaquah, Newcastle, Renton and Sammamish will participate in the extra DUI enforcement.
The anti-DUI effort is organized under the aegis of the King County Target Zero Task Force, a regional effort to crack down on unsafe driving practices. Target Zero managers coordinate the extra patrols.
Target Zero’s goal is to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries statewide by 2030.
It seems like an unachievable goal, but certainly a worthy one. Both alcohol and drugs are the cause of numerous traffic accidents, many of which end with someone in the morgue.
We all need to take the challenge of the Target Zero group. Don’t drink and drive, don’t let friends drive drunk — whether it’s a holiday or not.
Letters
March 1, 2012
Thank you for approving Proposition 1
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
