snovalleystar.com

City set to subsidize community center

2008-10-14T23:43:02Z

The city of Snoqualmie is prepared to subsidize the YMCA up to $2 million over the course of 20 years if voters approve a $10 million bond to construct a community center on Snoqualmie Ridge.

The council voted unanimously Monday to approve a tentative “memorandum of understanding” that promises $100,000 to the YMCA annually for the first three years of the agreement, with the proceeds coming to the city from Snoqualmie Casino revenues, with the YMCA eligible to receive a like amount for the life of the contract, as long as gambling funds continue to the city.

The agreement states the city will “not be obligated” beyond the third year “if funds are not received” from tribal gaming revenues, but will continue making the payments to the YMCA so long as the Snoqualmie Tribe makes “human services mitigation payments” to the city over the full 20-year term of the deal.

City Attorney Pat Anderson told the council the agreement before them was merely a preliminary pact with the YMCA; a formal contract would not be presented until voter approval of the bond measure was attained.

Still, Anderson said, the particulars of the memorandum of understanding were those that would be included in the formal contract, including the promise to pay the YMCA $100,000 a year over the full 20 years of the agreement.

The council vote came, despite Councilman Bryan Holloway’s assertion that the deal was “a change” from what the council was earlier told would be the terms with the YMCA, who will manage the $14 million, 30,000-square-foot center that would be built at Snoqualmie Community Park on Snoqualmie Ridge.

Following the vote, Holloway initially issued a “no comment” as to why he voted in favor of the agreement if it was different than his expectations.

Holloway later said, however, that “sharing the risks” with the YMCA to the tune of $100,000 a year over the life of the contract was “acceptable” to him.

Holloway noted that the subsidy would be coming from tribal gambling proceeds, and not the city’s general fund, but acknowledged that as a non-profit agency, the YMCA would also be eligible to apply to the city for additional funding from a human sources fund established by the city that does include general fund contributions.

Holloway also acknowledged that committing the gaming revenues for the 20 year life of the agreement does remove such resources from other areas in the community to which it could be otherwise allocated, but said he hoped that should the YMCA’s membership prove to be self-sustaining, the tribal money could eventually be allocated elsewhere.

The vote was held, despite one citizen’s plea to delay the matter for two weeks to allow for greater study of the agreement.

“This is a boondoggle to build a country club on the Ridge, and for the five council members living on the Ridge,” said Gene Pollard, a frequent council critic, who lives on the outskirts of the city.

“This affects everybody and (this vote) should be tabled,” Pollard said.

According to city records, five council members – Holloway, Kingston Wall, Bob Jeans, Maria Henriksen and Jeff MacNichols – reside on Snoqualmie Ridge, as does Mayor Matt Larson. Former mayor Charles Peterson and Kathi Prewitt live in the downtown Snoqualmie area.

Two previous bond attempts have failed at the ballot box, largely because of opposition by downtown Snoqualmie residents. Ridge residents have overwhelmingly voted to approve the funding.

A super-majority of 60 percent is required to approve the bond measure.

Pollard acknowledged that, because he lives outside the actual city limits, he would not be allowed to vote on the bond question Nov. 4, but as his home is within the city’s Urban Growth Area and has already been identified for future annexation, the matter was of importance to him and his neighbors.

Rather than dun all city residents, Pollard suggested the council instead create a special tax district, whereby only those who benefit from a project are subject to paying for it.

“Let them build their own country club,” Pollard said.

The city money, according to the terms of the agreement, will be used to “subsidize the YMCA’s cost of maintenance, operation and repair.”

Mayor Larson said the subsidies were offered, in part, to give the YMCA “assurances” of city support.

Larson also noted the “YMCA didn’t want to commit” to certain maintenance and operations costs, such as HVAC and pool pumps, hence the subsidy was critical to securing the partnership with the non-profit group.

Councilwoman Henriksen said the subsidy would, in part, be used to defray the costs of using the center for low-income residents. But when asked by why the agreement did not specify the money would be used to provide such assistance, Henriksen said it was “not necessary” because the YMCA considered low-income assistance “as part of its operations.”

The council also balked at formalizing a last-minute agreement among themselves that would have guaranteed property owners that they would not begin seeing the bond payments on their property taxes until 2010.

The city has calculated that taxes on a $400,000 home would increase by $120 a year if the bond issue is approved. Given the current state of the economy, however, city officials admitted that trying to sell the bonds quickly, in a wildly fluctuating market, could cost the city higher interest rates, which could, in turn, mean higher annual payments by property owners.

YMCA officials have said it is their intent to waive “joining” or membership fees to city residents who will be subjected to the bond payments.

Waving membership fees amounts to a one-time savings of $25 for youths to as much as $125 for families.

All users of the Y will still pay dues, however, which run as much as $93 a month, or $1,116 a year for a family that intends on using the center regularly.

When combined with the additional property tax payment, a city of Snoqualmie family, living in a $400,000 home, would pay as much as $1,236 to use the facility on a regular basis, not including some programs which may have additional user fees.

In return, the YMCA has said it will offer such residents “discounts” in the form of Y-Bucks, of as much as $25 to $50 a year which can be applied to off-set costs.

Non-city residents would be subject to full membership and monthly dues, as well as any special program fees that might be applicable.

Sound Transit’s Proposition 1 will have little impact on Valley

2008-10-14T23:42:22Z

Laura Hernandez, 25, waited for her local bus at the Issaquah Highlands Park-and-Ride Sept. 25. Every day she takes Sound Transit’s 554 express bus to and from Bellevue Community College, then hitches a ride on the King County Metro Transit’s 269 bus back to 228^th Avenue. Then she walks to her home in the Summer Ridge neighborhood.

“It requires a lot of planning to take the bus,” Hernandez said. In the winter, the waits for each bus can be excruciating with the rain and wind.

“Then I’m cold, wet and cranky,” she said.

Hernandez said she hasn’t studied up on Sound Transit’s Proposition 1, and doesn’t know which way she’ll vote, but in general, she’s in favor of more bus service.

“I’m always waiting for buses. If there’s more of them out there, that gives me more options,” she said.

Sound Transit’s plan does seek to offer Hernandez and Eastside riders like her more options. For an estimated $17.9 billion over 15 years, the plan would use taxpayer dollars to fund light rail construction from Seattle to Bellevue and Redmond; it would also pay for expanded bus service around the Eastside, including Redmond and Issaquah.

The proposition, also known as Sound Transit 2 or ST2, will appear on county ballots Nov. 4 for voters in King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties.

The math

Sound Transit’s estimated $17.9 billion would be spent from 2009 to 2023 and would include capital costs, operations and maintenance fees, reserve funds, bond payments and inflation, according to Geoff Patrick, a spokesperson for Sound Transit.

Taxpayers would continue paying the increased sales tax after the 15-year period. Sound Transit’s projections include an additional $4.9 billion accumulated in interest fees from bonds.

Patrick said there is a rollback provision that would cause the sales tax to return to its pre-Proposition 1 status after the projects had been completed and paid off. Sound Transit estimates the rollback would take place around 2038.

Taxpayers would pay for the $17.9 billion from a sales tax increase of about five cents added to each $10 purchase. For the typical adult, the increase would be about $69 per year, according to Patrick.

The organization’s definition of “typical adult” assumes that the median income for a taxpayer in the Sound Transit District is $64,405. The district includes urban areas of Snohomish, Pierce and King counties.

Of course, the cost varies depending on spending.

“People who spend more, pay more,” Patrick said.

Patrick said increased bus service is one difference from last year’s failed Sound Transit proposition.

About 26 percent, or $3.5 billion, of the $13.4 billion in capital costs would go toward expanded bus service, whereas less than 5 percent was allotted for the same purpose last year, according to Patrick.

What would change for the Valley

Passage of Sound Transit 2 would not bring more buses to Snoqualmie and North Bend, but would provide for additional connections for King County Metro Transit riders to the Sound Transit system.

On Sept. 22, Metro kicked off Route 215 bus service to Snoqualmie Ridge, offering for the first time direct access to Seattle and other Metro and Sound Transit service locations.

Route 215 runs from the Mt. Si Senior Center in North Bend to Olive Way and 5^th Avenue in Seattle.

The route also offers connections to the Sound Transit system, including a stop at the Issaquah Park & Ride, Eastgate Park & Ride in Bellevue and the I-90/Rainier Avenue connector locations, all of which, if SR2 is approved by voters, will see additional service from Sound Transit buses.

Potential problems

Some critics say Sound Transit 2 doesn’t benefit Eastside voters enough to justify its cost.

Jim Horn, Chairman of the Eastside Transportation Association, is one of those critics.

“It costs too much. It does too little. It is too late. And there is a better solution,” Horn said.

Horn levels many criticisms at the proposition, but one is that there should be more bus service and no light rail on the Eastside.

“The amount of bus service increases that they’re offering is minimal. Why don’t we just do the bus service and forget the light rail?” He said.

Horn is a former city councilman for Mercer Island and a former state representative for the 41^st District.

Part of his association’s solution for providing Eastside commuters better transportation across the 520 and Interstate 90 bridges is carpooling.

“We can have people carpooling for virtually a one-tenth of the cost and we can carry 50 percent more riders than the light rail does,” he said.

The key to increasing carpool numbers across the region is in aggressive advertising, Horn said.

Horn added that he believed the light rail portion of the proposition would have negative environmental impacts to the area, would be logistically challenging to design and implement over Lake Washington, would be too expensive and would not offer enough ridership capacity to commuters.

Reporter J.B. Wogan can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 247, or jbwogan@isspress.com.

North Bend would not have to change much for I-985

2008-10-14T23:40:11Z

The city of North Bend anticipates little, if any, financial impacts to result if Initiative 985 is approved on Nov. 4 ballots.

The initiative would open all carpool lanes during non-peak hours to all traffic. During peak hours, the use of carpool lanes would be limited to vehicles carrying two or more persons, or motorcycles carrying one or more people.

Initiative 985 would requires cities and counties to synchronize the traffic lights on heavily traveled arterials and streets within their jurisdictions to optimize traffic flow, while state and other local governments would be required to synchronize traffic on heavily traveled arterials and streets within their jurisdictions.

North Bend does not control any High Occupancy Vehicle lanes, does not use cameras to collect stop-light fines and faces only the potential cost of synchronizing its three traffic lights, according to City Administrator Duncan Wilson.

“We really have no idea as to what the costs may be,” Wilson said. “We haven’t done an analysis.”

Wilson said efforts are already underway to synchronize the city’s three signal lights, all located on a stretch of Bendigo Way.

A portion of the revenues collected through the levy of the state sales tax (15 percent of the amount of sales tax revenue collected from the sale of motor vehicles, except for retail car rentals) would be placed in a Reduce Traffic Congestion Account established by the measure. In addition to the sales revenues, the following revenues would be placed in the new account: certain tolls and charges; revenue from certain infractions dedicated to reducing traffic congestion; and one-half of 1 percent (.05 percent) of the money appropriated for any transportation-related public works project.

Proponents of I-985 say that signal synchronization alone could reduce traffic congestion by 6 percent to 7 percent, while opening carpool lanes during nonpeak hours also would reduce congestion.

Opponents argue that I-985 shortchanges taxpayers across the state by concentrating resources in congested areas in and around Seattle. They also say that opening HOV lanes to single-occupant vehicles would create safety hazards and thereby make congestion worse.

Thumbs down on Transit’s Prop. 1

2008-10-14T23:35:10Z

Proposition 1 on your November ballot will get you a half-penny-per-dollar increase in sales tax. That’s for sure, and immediate.

Along the way, a new bus route or another bus for an existing route might come your way and hopefully will be going the way you want it to. Of course, you’ll have to take a bus to Redmond or Issaquah to catch one of these additional bus trips. And someday far, far away — maybe in 20 years — you might live long enough to take a bus from there to Bellevue where you can catch a ride on a light rail train to Seattle.

While there are no direct benefits to Snoqualmie and North Bend, more bus connections further down the road do have merit. Voters must decide if that’s enough to justify a sales tax increase, a continuation of the existing 0.4 sales tax and three-tenths of a percent increase to the motor vehicle excise tax — to raise $17.9 billion for the bus/light rail package.

It just may be that the notion of light rail in the Puget Sound region is too late. The only traffic solution we envision is one that gives drivers the option to use their very own driveway as a personal park & ride. We need collector buses that go into neighborhoods, then connect to larger buses to take people where they need to go when they need to get there. Unfortunately, Proposition 1 will only put 20 percent of its tax collections toward more buses.

The cost is too great — King County would have one of the highest sales tax rates in the nation — and the wait too long for light rail to kick in.

Another traffic related ballot issue is I-985. The initiative seeks to open carpool and bus lanes to all traffic except during peak hours of 6-9 a.m. and 3-6 p.m. weekdays. While it’s a tempting notion, the change comes with a price tag and there is no clear evidence that it would make much difference in drive times. Vote no.

Letters to the Editor

2008-10-14T23:35:28Z

I have just finished reading another article written by your columnist Judy Halone and wanted to thank you for having her write for you. I always enjoy reading her touching articles. This week’s was about her mother having Alzheimer’s and it truly touched my heart. I had a grandma with Alzheimer’s also and felt a lot of those same emotions.

Just wanted Judy to know that she is appreciated and I look forward weekly to reading her column. She has made me laugh with her looks back to her childhood school days or her stories of her family. I hope she continues the column, because it is my favorite part of your newspaper.

Cindi Robel,

Snoqualmie

Too often the dedicated service of our public officials goes unnoticed. As the new school year begins, I would like to thank Representative Glenn Anderson for his tireless service to ensure WA children receive a world-class education.

Rep. Anderson is a well respected education leader in the Legislature and after working with him to improve math, I know why. Two years ago when parents became alarmed about the ineffective math programs in our schools, Rep. Anderson listened. In fact, not only did he listen, but was the first legislator to take action. He wrote an initiative that led to a statewide bi-partisan coalition resulting in a comprehensive rewrite of WA math and science standards to bring them up to world-class standards. And he’s still working diligently to make sure that effort bears fruit in the classroom.

Glenn’s expertise in education issues provides critical guidance to other policy makers in Olympia as they develop solutions. We in the 5^th District are fortunate to have such a committed advocate for our children in the State Legislature.

Bob Brandt

Sammamish

Mount Si golfers capture league championship

2008-10-14T23:31:22Z

When the boys golf season began for Mount Si this fall, a Wildcat team with plenty of veterans made plenty of goals for itself.

That’s why, even after winning the league title, Mount Si wasn’t satisfied — it wanted to win the league tournament, as well.

The Wildcats made good on their wish, posting a 382 to defeat all other KingCo 3A teams at the league tournament in Snohomish Monday. Mount Si was 22 shots ahead of runner-up Mercer Island, while third-place Bellevue was 31 shots backs of the champs.

“The kids are just playing consistently,” Wildcat head coach Mike Johnston said. “One of our team goals before the season was to win the league title, but we still have a lot of other goals out there. We still want to get as many qualified for state as possible.”

Mount Si will now head off to districts. The Wildcats hope to get as many qualified — qualifying estimates are top 20, although official allocations have not been set — at Harbour Pointe Golf Club in Mukilteo on Monday.

Mount Si will enter districts on a high after rolling through the league tournament. Bradley Harrelson won medalist honors for the Wildcats with a 72, while teammates Jack Kelly and Mike Rutledge weren’t far behind, taking second and third with scores of 76 and 77.

In all, Mount Si had six individuals qualify for districts, as Luke Dietsch was sixth with a 78, Matt Prewett eighth with a 79 and Bryce Karalus 11^th with an 82.

“For all six of them to qualify is really pretty awesome,” Johnston said. “There were 16 spots to qualify, so they really all had to stay on top of their game’s to make it through.”

The league tournament followed a dramatic win against Skyline last week that clinched the league title for the Wildcats. Needing a win to claim a tiebreaker in the league against Redmond, Mount Si found itself in a tie with Skyline after nine holes. That meant the two had to go to a playoff.

The Wildcats ended up winning the playoff, 21-23. They got two birdies, a par, a bogey and a double-bogey on the first playoff hole, while the Spartans had three pars, a bogey and a double-bogey.

Mount Si finished league play in the KingCo Crest Division with an 8-1 match record.

“They all felt pretty good. They were pretty happy,” Johnston said of his team, which was second in both the league and the league tournament last season. “There were a lot of close matches. There were difficult matches to get through. We had five or six teams in our league that were pretty quality teams.”

The next test will be a big one, as a quality lineup of teams awaits at districts. They include defending state 3A champion O’Dea, as well as defending state runner-up Bainbridge.

“It’s going to be tough for the kids to get through. They’ll probably have to be right around the top 19 or 20 players (to qualify),” Johnston said. “Certainly, the top three have the caliber of game to get through. For the other three to get through, they’ll have to make sure they’re at the top of their games.”

Reach editor Ryan Piersol at editor@snovalleystar.com or 392-6434.

Glass ornaments benefit cancer research

2008-10-14T02:11:35Z

Nine-year-old Natalie Smith of North Bend has well-wishers across the county, but the roots of her support group began in Snoqualmie Valley.

Smith is an athletic girl, who enjoys running around the soccer field. Now, she is stationed in a hospital bed recovering from a bone marrow transplant she received to help her battle acute myelogenous leukemia.

Natalie Smith gets a hug from her big sister, Anna.

Leukemia occurs when the bone marrow produces abnormal cells that crowd out normal red and white blood cells and platelets. About 12,000 cases of acute myelogenous leukemia are diagnosed in America annually, with about 10 percent of these cases occurring in children, according to the National Marrow Donor Program.

Friends for Life, a Children’s Hospital guild, is holding a pediatric oncology research benefit at Finaghty’s Irish Pub & Restaurant from 11 a.m. — 2 a.m. Oct. 18 at 7726 Center Blvd. SE, Suite 110, Snoqualmie. At the event, guild members will sell glass ornaments for $25 and hold a live auction from 7-9 p.m. Participants can also auction their services and donate the proceeds to the guild.

The Steve Bell Band will play after the auction, until closing.

Finaghty’s is sponsoring another donation attraction. For every Guinness ordered at the event, the pub will donate $1 to the guild.

The guild hopes to raise more than $16,000 — the amount they raised last year — for the hospital. Research in pediatric oncology will help not only Smith, but also children experiencing other cancer-related diseases.

Doctors diagnosed Smith with leukemia when she was 6-years-old. Her cancer went into remission for 18 months following treatment, allowing her to pursue soccer, lacrosse and basketball.

“She came back to school with her full head of hair, and much taller and wiser, of course,” said Teri Negrin, secretary at St. Joseph School in Issaquah. “But she was still our same, old Natalie.”

The leukemia returned in June, prompting more radiation and chemotherapy. Finally, Smith learned an anonymous 44-year-old American male donor had a matching bone-marrow type.

The marrow arrived at midnight Sept. 25 and doctors began the operation immediately. The primary results have been promising; Smith’s white blood cell count is up, a sign the bone marrow is engrafting in her body. But her condition varies constantly.

“She’s taking it day-to-day,” said her mother Dene James. “They’re watching her closely.”

Smith will live in a transitional house following her stay at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. To keep up with her schoolwork, she will use PEBBLES, a robotic duo enabling teleconferencing. One robot will stay with Smith. The other robot will sit in her fourth grade classroom at St. Joseph School in Snoqualmie.

The robots transmit visual and audio from both ends. The classroom-based robot even has a swiveling monitor and a robotic hand. With PEBBLES (Providing Education By Bringing Learning Environments to Students), made by Canada’s Telbotics, Smith will be able to interact with her teacher and friends from afar.

Using a federal grant, the Learning Collaborative, a U.S. group, has 40 Telbotics robots on loan, making the service free for Smith.

As she recovers from her operation, Smith’s friends are offering support. Negrin praised Natalie and her family for handling the crisis so well.

“Natalie has got a curly mop-top and the most infectious smile,” Negrin said. “She’s extremely artistic and athletic and everybody’s best friend.”

Negrin called Anna, Smith’s 11-year-old sister, “Natalie’s biggest cheerleader. She’s the world’s best big sister.”

Since Friends for Life began in 2006, it has selected an annual poster child. This year, 13-year-old Anelia from Yakima, a patient with osteosarcoma, is helping the guild raise awareness about pediatric oncology.

For those who can’t attend the fundraiser, the hand-blown glass ornaments will be available at most Snoqualmie Ridge stores. Buyers will receive a coupon they can redeem at Finaghty’s for the three-inch pink, purple and teal ornaments — made by Uptown Glassworks in Renton.

The ornaments can be purchased by e-mailing info@friendsguild.org.

Reach reporter Laura Geggel at 392-6434 .221 or lgeggel@snovalleystar.com.

Forum allows candidates to showcase differences

2008-10-14T02:08:44Z

There were few sparks, but noted differences on the Mt. Si High School stage Oct. 9 as all six Legislative District 5 contestants united for a candidate forum.

Incumbents Sen. Cheryl Pflug and Reps. Glenn Anderson and Jay Rodne and challengers Phyllis Huster, Jon Viebrock and David Spring fielded questions from both panelists and audience members before an audience of about 50.

The six candidates await questions at the Oct. 9 forum at Mount Si High School.

Candidate also greeted constituents before and after the forum, co-sponsored by the Snoqualmie Valley Chamber of Commerce and Snoqualmie Valley School District,.

On several occasions the incumbents and challengers split clearly across party lines as the Republicans praised each other’s efforts in Olympia, while the three Democrats openly questioned the opposing party’s effectiveness.

Questions focused on business and economic development, transportation, taxation, growth management and education. In some cases, the polarity of positions was evident; in others, the candidates offered nearly identical responses.

Among the most divided, however, were Rodne and challenger Viebrock, who clearly differed when asked what they would do to “help schools raise educational standards.”

Viebrock advocated revamping the Washington Assessment of Student Learning, or WASL, tests, while Rodne argued that a standardized test proving a mastery of basic skills was essential.

“The WASL must be seriously reworked,” Viebrock said. “Dumping a high-stakes exam on (students) at the end of their (high school) careers is terribly unfair.”

Viebrock also called for more school facilities to relieve overcrowding, and diversified education.

Rodne countered that Washington is currently “importing a lot of our brainpower,” and legislators need to “restore the alignment of our priorities.”

Greater emphasis on math and science were needed, Rodne said, calling such subjects “the bedrock of our economy.” He urged more support for early childhood education.

When asked to address future economic development in the Valley, Anderson and Spring offered different viewpoints.

Citing Seattle and Bellevue where more jobs are located, Anderson asked if Snoqualmie Valley residents “want that kind of growth? Large factories and strip malls are not what most people want,” he said. He said changes in zoning may have to be made for new industries to come here.

Spring countered that one key to a healthy community “is providing local residents with better job opportunities. We can keep our rural character and have highly-trained workers with good paying jobs.” Spring also supports work training via university satellites located here.

Pflug said her experience has led her to understand “there are tradeoffs,” in areas such as economic growth and the environment but that her constituents determine what they want in terms of that tradeoff. Her role is to “help them find (state) funding.”

Pflug said state officials need to “look closely at the science,” but she is always willing to listen, even if she finds herself at odds with the environmental community.

Huster proclaimed she has “spent my entire lifetime hiking,” and offered she has a problem with urban sprawl. Huster pledged she would ensure impact fees are spent locally, and offered examples, such as tax credits for telecommuting, as ideas she would back in Olympia.

“I’m not going to let real estate developers and big business rape our land,” Huster said.

Both Huster and Pflug agreed that a state income tax is not the way to go in Washington, at least not in the short-term future.

“Not yet,” Huster responded to a question of whether she supported such a move. “Let’s first fix what’s broken,” adding that “big business is not paying its fair share.”

Creative new ways “to tax higher-income people” must be found, Huster said, adding the current crop of legislators “are leaving a lot of tax revenue on the table.”

Pflug offered that she flatly opposed a state income tax, adding she was convinced the legislature could not pass such a provision.

“We don’t have a revenue problem,” Pflug said, “we have a spending problem.”

Rodne and Viebrock found common ground in opposition to the state’s Growth Management Act and local critical area ordinances that sharply restrict development in rural areas.

Such regulations, Rodne said, “add a couple thousand dollars to the cost of a new home,” and that “there must be a way to balance robust environmental stewardship with a thriving economic base.”

Viebrock said while he felt King County had “overstepped its bounds” with its critical area ordinance and that “affordable housing programs need to be continued and expanded,” he countered that some environmental issues, such as “problems with the Issaquah aquifer” were clearly development-related.

Of all the contenders, however, Anderson and Spring seemingly could find little in common.

When Anderson acknowledged a lack of expertise in the field of health-care coverage and deferred to Pflug as a knowledgeable source who had offered a plan he could support, Spring said he felt health care “is a basic human right,” and that greater governmental control was key to containing continued health care costs.

“Deregulation has led us to financial disaster,” Spring said.

Spring and Anderson exchanged heated barbs regarding the state’s role in funding a new high school, with both challenging the other’s grasp of the figures as well as each other’s integrity.

Anderson charged that his opponent’s calculations about state contributions toward school construction were “categorically false,” and only served to make a confusing subject more so.

“The public trust is fragile,” Anderson said. “We need to get that high school built, and Mr. Spring is making it a lot damn harder.”

“My opponent is a corporate lobbyist,” Spring told the audience, while proclaiming that as a political newcomer he himself took his responsibility for telling the truth “very seriously.”

Wildcats trounce Mercer Island in football

2008-10-11T05:28:35Z

With the race for postseason spots heating up, the Mount Si football team is taking nothing for granted.

For the second straight week, the Wildcats took the field against an outmatched opponent. And for the second straight week, Mount Si drilled them early and often.

The Wildcats rolled up 325 yards in the first half and scored six unanswered touchdowns in a 41-16 beating of Mercer Island at Mount Si Stadium Friday night.

After starting out 1-3, Mount Si is now 3-3 overall, 2-1 in the league and reminding everyone why it was selected as a contender in KingCo 3A/2A before the season.

“Sometimes you play to the quality of your opponent, and that’s not a good thing. So, I’m proud of the guys for coming out and playing hard,” Wildcats head coach Charlie Kinnune said. “We’ve been guarding against (playing down to the opponent). Our practices have been really hard. Our practices have been tougher than our games on Friday night.”

Mercer Island, 1-5, forced Mount Si to punt just once in the first half. On four other first-half possessions, the Wildcats had little trouble finding the end zone, including a possession that went 96 yards in 10 plays.

Sean Snead had another big night running the ball for Mount Si, as he finished with 180 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries. The Wildcats led 41-0 before Mercer Island finally scored. All of it came one week after pasting Evergreen, 55-0.

“It was a good night for us,” Kinnune said. “Our offense is really running on all cylinders right now. Our defense, for the most part, is doing a good job with the big plays. People are testing our young corners.”

Mount Si scored first when it went 57 yards on six plays for a 2-yard touchdown run by Snead. The Wildcats’ second drive was 96 yards and included a 31-yard run by quarterback Tyson Riley, who finished the possession with a 2-yard touchdown dive to make it 14-0.

On Mount Si’s third drive, Snead had a 21-yard run, Brandon Smith had an 11-yard run, Riley completed a pass to Robert Sharps for 13 yards and Matthew Bankston scored a touchdown on a 1-yard run to make it 21-0.

With 7:34 left in the half, Snead scored again — this time from 7 yards out — to make it 28-0. Then, on the Wildcats’ first drive of the second half, the senior running back broke loose for a 50-yard gain to set up an 8-yard scoring run by Bankston that made it 35-0.

Mount Si can now turn its attention to a late-season stretch that includes three straight contests against league foes. They travel to Sammamish Friday night, before playing host to Juanita and playing at Liberty.

“We knew we had a tough, early schedule. But, we’re 3-3 now, so we’re back to even,” Kinnune said. “Our goal has always been to play a meaningful 10^th game and get into the playoffs.”

Reach editor Ryan Piersol at rpiersol@snovalleystar.com or 392-6434.

Council to vote on YMCA contract

2008-10-10T19:29:42Z

The Snoqualmie Finance and Administration Committee Wednesday agreed to forward to the full City Council a tentative agreement with the YMCA to provide operational and maintenance services for the proposed Community Center on Snoqualmie Ridge.

The document, a memorandum of understanding, has been scheduled as an action item for Monday’s City Council meeting, according to City Clerk Jodi Warren, meaning the council can formally adopt the agreement without further action.

City Attorney Pat Anderson told the committee Wednesday that the document is not the formal contract the city will enter into with the YMCA, which has been selected by the city as a “partner” in the proposed facility that is slated to be built on a 9-acre portion of Snoqualmie Community Park.

The formal detailed agreement will not be prepared, Anderson said, unless voters approve a $10 million bond question Nov. 4. It is the city’s third attempt to solicit public funding for the facility. Attempts in 2002 and 2006 were defeated largely, according to city officials, because of overwhelming opposition from residents who live in the historic, downtown area of the city. In both prior bond questions, Snoqualmie Ridge residents voted in support of measures to publicly fund the project.

The document projects the formal contract will be for a 20-year period.

In addition to the bond proceeds, the city has agreed to commit $1 million in Real Estate Excise Tax, or REET, proceeds to the project, along with $3 million being held by Quadrant Homes, which the developer collected as mitigation fees per its agreement with the city.

The $14 million facility will include a regulation-size gymnasium and an indoor swimming pool.

The agreement to be discussed by the Council Monday includes a provision that the city will pay the YMCA $100,000 a year for three years “to subsidize the YMCA’s cost of maintenance, operation and repair,” and promises that additional revenues could be made available under terms of an agreement between the city and the Snoqualmie Tribe, which is required under their gambling compact with the state of Washington to provide a percentage of gaming proceeds to local communities and non-profit groups.

The wording seemingly contradicts earlier statements by both city and YMCA officials that such payments would be used to provide scholarships and subsidized rates for lower-income city residents.

“After three years, this sum will be solely payable from human services mitigation payments to the city from the Snoqualmie Tribe’s impact mitigation fund,” the document states, but adds “the city will not be obligated if funds are not received from the Snoqualmie Tribe.”

As a non-profit organization, the YMCA will also be allowed to apply for additional city funding annually from a human services account the City Council established that is seeded by 1 percent of the city’s overall general fund revenues, Anderson said. That fund totaled $68,000 in 2007, but increased to $97,500 in 2008 following the new 1 percent dedication. Estimated fund totals for 2009 are not available.

The city agrees to “design, construct and finance” the center — and will retain ownership of the building. The agreement states the city will “consult with the YMCA as to design requirements to accommodate YMCA programming and operation.”

If approved by the voters, the $10 million, 20-year bond will add 30 cents per $1,000 valuation to the property tax bill of every homeowner within the official Snoqualmie city limits.

That amounts to $60 a year for a $200,000 home, $90 year for a $300,000 home and $120 a year for a $400,000 home.

Over the life of the bond, the owner of a $400,000 home would pay about $2,400.

The YMCA has pledged that city of Snoqualmie residents would not have to pay one-time membership or “joining” fees, which range from $25 for youth to as much as $125, but all users of the facility, including city residents, would still be subject to monthly YMCA dues of as much as $93 a month for a family.

With a bond obligation of $120 annually, a family living in a $400,000 home within the city limits would still be subject to $1,116 in monthly dues a year to use the facility, according to figures provided by the YMCA, placing the actual cost to use the YMCA on a regular basis for such a family at $1,236 a year, not including additional special program charges.

In return, YMCA officials promised city residents could receive discounts, called Y-Bucks, of as much as $25 to $50 a year that could be used to offset fees.

Non-city residents would have to pay full membership, full dues, and any additional fees for select programs. All current YMCA members, however, regardless of where their home facility is, would be allowed to use the Snoqualmie Ridge center without additional charges, officials said.

YMCA officials said non-members would be allowed to purchase day passes at $8 a day for use of the facilities, such as the swimming pool.

Second meeting for community center has different tone

2008-10-09T23:03:30Z

The differences in two “Root Beer Float Socials” hosted by the Snoqualmie City Council were both subtle, yet telling.

The meetings, split into a “state of the city” presentation followed by an information session geared at addressing a proposed Community Center to be built on Snoqualmie Ridge, differed primarily in location and audience size.

Unlike the first meeting — held on Snoqualmie Ridge literally in the shadow of the dedicated site for the $14 million center, and which featured a large number of attendees wearing T-shirts in support of a $10 million bond needed to build the facility —Tuesday’s session was held at Snoqualmie Middle School, about five miles away from the proposed site, and far closer geographically to the residents who have overwhelmingly voted against two prior community center bonds.

Only a handful of attendees were wearing the blue “Vote Yes on the Community Center Nov. 14” shirts that were paid for by a private support group without financial assistance from either the city — which is forbidden by law to engage in either support or oppose a bond issue — or the YMCA, which has been identified by the city as the “partner” that will manage and maintain the proposed center.

Such attire was the predominant choice at the first meeting, which featured more than a third of the audience wearing the shirts.

The lightly attended second session did offer subtle differences, however.

Issues that sparked questions at the first meeting were addressed differently at the second, and while YMCA officials had yet to offer a formal rate schedule for the new facility, they did announce the city was ready to formalize the management contract with the YMCA.

Mayor Pro-tem Jeff MacNichols officiated at Tuesday’s meeting in the absence of Mayor Matt Larson, who had a family emergency.

MacNichols confirmed that the council’s Finance and Administration Committee was to have discussed the YMCA contract Oct. 8 with the full City Council voting on the contract at its Oct. 13 meeting.

The YMCA’s presentation did differ during the second meeting.

A previously offered chart, which included a graphic showing how much square footage would be allocated to certain activities, was presented Tuesday without the specific allocations.

The earlier presented chart had sparked a number of questions by audience members who questioned why so much, or so little, area was proposed for various activities.

YMCA officials during the first meeting responded that such specifics were only examples and were subject to change, and Tuesday’s altered presentation sparked no such questions from the audience.

Al Frank, the city’s parks director, did offer a comment that seemed to catch the audience by surprise, and perhaps undermined much of the city’s efforts to diffuse concerns that the center would primarily benefit residents of Snoqualmie Ridge rather than the community as a whole.

When an audience member asked Frank about parking at the center – which will be located on a residential subdivision street with only one traffic lane in each direction and limited parking – Frank stated that it was his expectation that “a lot of people will walk” to the center, but that the city had an agreement with the Snoqualmie Valley School District to allow parking at the nearby elementary school.

A 2006 survey – commissioned by the city in the wake of the second failed bond effort – showed just how split the community is, or historically has been, regarding the center, the genesis of which stems from the 1997 development agreement between the city and Quadrant Homes, which marketed both its residential and commercial sales with the promise that such a facility would be built.

In the 2002 bond effort, according to statistics provided by the city, 86 percent of downtown residents voted against the measure compared to 52 percent of Ridge residents who voted for the bond.

Similarly, in 2006, 79 percent of downtown residents cast “no” votes compared to 57 percent of Ridge residents who voted in favor of the bond.

Such results, declared Mayor Larson, represent a “split personality” in the community.

Candidate forum tonight at Mount Si

2008-10-09T22:36:55Z

A candidate forum, featuring all six District 5 Legislature contenders, will be held at 6 p.m. Oct. 9 at Mt. Si High School in Snoqualmie.

The forum is being jointly sponsored by the Snoqualmie Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Snoqualmie Valley School District.

Candidates scheduled to attend include all three incumbents – Senator Cheryl Pflug, Representative Jay Rodne and Representative Glenn Anderson – and challengers Phyllis Huster, Jon Viebrock and David Spring.

All candidates will be available from 6 to 6:45 p.m. in the Commons area of the high school. At 7 p.m., the forum, moderated by Kevin Kalberg, will begin in the Auditorium.

Panelists include Debbie Berto, publisher of the SnoValley Star; Fritz Ribary, former mayor of North Bend; Larry Brown, CPA and attorney with Smith Brown Sterling in Fall City; and two speech/debate club students from Mt. Si. High School and one leadership team student from Two Rivers High School.

Reach reporter Ed Farrell at efarrell@snovalleystar.com or 392-6434.

Snoqualmie to discuss YMCA contract for management of community center

2008-10-08T21:08:56Z

NEW

The Snoqualmie City Council’s Finance and Administration Committee will discuss a Community Center management contract with the YMCA tonight at 6 p.m. at the Snoqualmie City Hall, 8020 Railroad Ave. SE.

The full City Council will vote on the contract Monday, Oct. 13, at 7 p.m., according to Mayor Pro-Tem Jeff MacNichols.

MacNichols said Tuesday, at the second of two town hall meetings regarding the Community Center, that the council will vote on the contract in order to have a finalized agreement with the YMCA prior to the Nov. 4 general election, in which Snoqualmie voters will be asked to approve a $10 million Community Center bond.

“It is my understanding we will vote on the contract,” MacNichols told The Star at the conclusion of Tuesday’s meeting.

YMCA officials said Tuesday that the contract will be for 20 years, but offered no details of the pending document.

Marcia Isenberger, Eastside Regional Executive for the YMCA of Greater Seattle, said Tuesday that estimated proposed fees for the Community Center “did not include” the management contract with the city.

Isenberger said if voters approve the $10 million bond, the YMCA will waive “joining fees” for Snoqualmie residents. Such fees range from $25 to $125 depending on the membership plan.

Snoqualmie residents would still have to pay monthly dues to use the facility, as Isenberger said all users “must be members of the YMCA.”

While Isenberger did not disclose the actual monthly dues schedule that will be in place for the Community Center, she said they will be similar to those currently in place for the YMCA of Greater Seattle.

Those dues are as follows:

Youth — $25

Teen — $27

Adult — $55

Adult Couple — $85

Senior — $47

Single Adult Family — $68

Family — $93

In response to a question from an audience member, Isenberger acknowledged the YMCA offers no dues schedule for a Senior Couple.

Such cases, she said, typically involve one senior and one adult, therefore, the YMCA has not included such a category into its dues schedule.

Under the offered dues schedule, a married senior couple would presumably have the option of paying two “senior” fees of $47 each, or a total of $94, or as an “adult couple” with dues of $85.

Cross country runners face tough competition

2008-10-08T21:29:33Z

Alex Rudd was able to stay with Jillian Altizer for one-fifth of the race.

Mount Si’s Alex Rudd heads toward the finish line during her top-five performance at a meet at Beaver Lake State Park in Sammamish Oct. 1.

That by itself was good enough for a top-five finish.

Rudd started out strong, leading a pack of cross country runners at a meet at Beaver Lake State Park last week. Altizer, who placed 12th for Newport as a sophomore at last year’s 3A state meet, easily pulled away from the pack later on to win a meet amongst Issaquah, Eastlake, Mount Si and fellow Newport runners.

Even though Rudd wasn’t happy with her time, she still managed a top-five finish with a 20:57.

“I knew the Newport girls were good and it would be really good competition. I just wished I would’ve finished a little stronger down the stretch,” the Mount Si junior said. “I stayed with Jillian for about 1,0000 meters. I run with her a lot, and that’s just kind of her style. She runs for a while and then decides she wants to take off. She’s a great runner.”

Rudd had turned in a 20:28 just a week earlier at the Bellevue Invite. Before that, she won a meet at Sammamish between Lake Washington and Sammamish and took 10th at a meet between Eastlake and Newport.

Rudd’s top time in the 5K last season was a 20:17. She placed 21st at the Class 3A state meet, a finish that still annoys her a bit.

“I was so close to the top 20,” she said. “So, I want to get back to state, because I’ve been there the past two years, and I want to finish in the top 20.”

Megan Past had the next-best time for Mount Si with a 21:33. Freshman Kendall Maddux also turned in a solid 22:13, while freshman Katie Rylands had a 22:40.

The boys meet was dominated by Issaquah, which took the top four spots and five of the top six. Jon Wallis won the meet with a 16:50, while teammates Chris Brasino and Isaac Robinson were six and seven seconds behind.

Max McDevitt led all Mount Si runners, clocking a 17:30 for 10th place. He said he’d hoped to finish a little higher, but was impressed with the contingent of Issaquah runners.

“I was thinking I would finish a little better, but I hadn’t run against Issaquah yet and they have an amazing team,” McDevitt said. “My time wasn’t bad, because of the hills out here, but I could’ve been a little faster.”

McDevitt said his goal for the season is to make the state meet. He’ll have to finish in the top 25 at districts to do so.

“I really want to try to get to state this year,” he said.

“I think my chances are pretty decent. Getting to districts should be too bad, but getting through districts could be tough.”

The next Wildcat after McDevitt was Michael Blackmon with a time of 18:17. Teammate Zaz Pearlstein was one second behind him, while Richard Carmichael turned in a 19:20.

The Wildcats were scheduled to run against Bellevue, Woodinville, Liberty and Lake Washington on Wednesday.

Community still split over center?

2008-10-08T20:29:08Z

For Barb Pexa, the road from her birthplace on the island of Guam to her current home in downtown Snoqualmie has been an amazing journey, one that includes swimming for Guam in the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain.

This is park area on Snoqualmie Ridge would be the site of a new community center, should the effort gain approval during a Nov. 4 vote.

Decked out in a blue “Vote Yes Community Center” T-shirt, and alongside husband Sean Quinn – himself a former U.S. Olympic soccer player – Pexa hopes she represents a fundamental shift in what Snoqualmie Mayor Matt Larson referred to Oct. 7 as the city’s “split personality” evidenced by two previous failed attempts to pass a bond issue to build a community center.

In 2002, 86 percent of downtown residents voted against the city’s first attempt to build a center on Snoqualmie Ridge, while 52 percent of Ridge residents favored the bond. In 2006, 79 percent of downtown residents rejected a similar measure as 57 percent of Ridge residents were in support.

“We’re still seeking that 60 percent super-majority,” Larson said during the first of two town hall meetings, held at Cascade View Elementary on Snoqualmie Ridge, in which he outlined both the city’s financial picture and the upcoming Nov. 4 $10 million Community Center bond question. A second meeting was held Tuesday at Snoqualmie Middle School.

Both were billed as Root Beer Float Socials, with free refreshments courtesy of the Snoqualmie Falls Brewing Company.

Larson shared the stage with representatives from the city’s parks department, as well as the YMCA, which has been selected as a partner, and which will operate and manage the community center should voters OK the bond issue.

For supporters like Pexa and Quinn – and about 40 other similarly attired proponents – it is hoped that the third time is, in fact, a charm.

“We are downtown residents,” Pexa said, “and it’s true, there is a bit of division in Snoqualmie. But the fact is Quadrant (Homes, the primary developer of Snoqualmie Ridge) has collected $3 million for this Community Center … a center everybody in Snoqualmie will use. This is a great thing for this community, and it’s great that the YMCA is involved.”

During a prolonged question-and-answer session, which stretched the scheduled two hour meeting to close to three, many questions still remained, including the all important one: How much is it going to cost to use a YMCA-managed facility.

“The answer today is: I don’t know,” said Marcia Isenberger, the Eastside regional executive of the YMCA of Greater Seattle.

Isenberger said the Y is in the process of conducting a user survey of 400 random residents to determine the needs of the community. The results, however, will not be available until Oct. 10 – three days after the final townhall informational meeting.

What is known, according to Larson, is that a $10 million, 20-year bond would add 30 cents per $1,000 valuation to every homeowner’s annual property tax in Snoqualmie.

That amounts to $60 a year for a $200,000 home, $90 a year for a $300,000 home and $120 a year for a $400,000 home. Over the life of the bond, the owner of a $400,000 home would pay $2,400.

Bob Gilbertson, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Seattle, said it was hoped the results of the user survey would be available before the second town hall meeting, but that he was “reasonably sure” Snoqualmie residents would be offered Y memberships with no joining fee.

Currently, the YMCA charges as much as $125 for a family membership, with monthly dues also required, as well as additional charges for certain programs.

Users from outside Snoqualmie would have to pay full YMCA membership fees, as well as fees for any programs they wish to participate in. The exception to that would be that current YMCA members, regardless of their location, are always allowed at other YMCA facilities, Gilbertson said.

Larson attempted to keep the meeting light, particularly when he dubbed his “state of the city” portion of the meeting “the good, the bad and the ugly,” replete with pictures of Clint Eastwood and Ennio Morricone’s haunting score to the historic spaghetti-western movie of the same name.

The ugly, Larson said, focused mainly on the troubling global, national and regional economic outlook, as well as construction inflation costs of as much as 12 percent a year.

The bad, he said, was that new housing sales in Snoqualmie – long the city’s economic motor – were down 70 percent from last year. The result of that, Larson said, would ultimately be some staff reductions, as well as likely increases in city water and sewer rates.

“Snoqualmie has been in a slow, downward spiral for many years,” Larson said.

The good, Larson said, is based largely on the city’s success in sensing difficult times coming, and taking proactive steps to address them.

“We’ve been preparing for the cliff, and when the cash disappears,” Larson said.

Among those preparations, Larson said, was beefing up the city’s reserve fund, which now stands at about 30 percent of the city’s general fund.

Larson said the city’s reserves were only about 1 percent of the general fund when he became mayor.

Another was Larson’s announcement that utility increases – of as much as 6 percent a year for each of the next three years – would be required to keep up with the city’s infrastructure demands.

“If you want a good infrastructure, you must tend to it,” he said.

Larson used his portion of the meeting as a springboard for the community center presentation, and outlined the city’s efforts to understand the cause of defeat in the two previous bond attempts.

The mayor also insisted the city must move forward with the bond effort, even if it conflicted with another school bond proposal, which has been repeatedly cited by some residents as being a higher priority for the community.

“We’ve waited through three attempts,” Larson said of failed school bond votes.

At the same time, Larson produced figures that he insisted proved Snoqualmie residents would support both a community center and a school bond vote.

In the last three school bond contests, Larson said, Snoqualmie residents voted in favor of each by at least 70 percent.

With construction costs increasing monthly, Larson said the city could not afford to delay.

“Why wait for a school bond when these cost increases are killing us,” he said.

The YMCA’s Isenberger said she viewed the proposed partnership with the city as having “the potential to be a home run for everyone.”

And, she said, the YMCA was the logical choice to operate the center for the city because “we’re good at this.”

County puts an end to hospital deal

2008-10-08T20:27:23Z

The effort to relocate Snoqualmie Valley Hospital to a 72-acre site at state Route 18 and I-90 in Snoqualmie is dead.

In a 5-3 vote — in which Council member Kathy Lambert, who represents the parcel in question, was absent — the King County Council declined to expand Snoqualmie’s Urban Growth Area to include the parcels necessary to allow the hospital to move forward with its relocation plans.

Council members Reagan Dunn, Jane Hague and Pete von Reichbauer voted in favor of the expansion, while Council members Bob Ferguson, Larry Phillips, Dow Constantine, Julia Patterson and Larry Gossett were opposed.

Hospital officials had previously stated they feared such a vote was possible, and have already shifted their focus to alternate sites, including the Snoqualmie Business Park on Snoqualmie Ridge, in part because of mounting expenses involved with the I-90 location.

The council vote, part of that body’s quadrennial update of the Comprehensive Plan, leaves the parcels at their current rural residential zoning of one home per five acres.

It also effectively eliminates any plans for other potential uses, such as a possible move by Bellevue Community College to place a satellite campus on the site, for at least four more years.

King County Hospital District No. 4, which operates the hospital, as well as Snoqualmie Mayor Matt Larson, who had asked for UGA expansion to be approved regardless of the hospital’s plans, had aggressively sought the UGA expansion.

Concerns regarding environmental impacts had prompted County Executive Ron Sims to impose a 4:1 Transfer of Development Rights, or TDR, requirement on any such UGA expansion, meaning the hospital would have been required to purchase and dedicate four acres of preservation land for every acre it wanted to develop.

A preliminary deal that would have allowed the district to purchase $1 million in credits from the county’s TDR bank – an agreement hospital officials previously said virtually guaranteed the UGA would be expanded – apparently dissolved once the district concluded it could not afford to move forward at the desired location.

The district had already planned to spend up to $24 million to purchase the necessary land, and had intended to resell portions to BCC and other prospective partners, such as a hotel and a residential care facility.

A recent cost analysis reportedly unveiled unexpected costs to the district due to the need to enter into a late-comer’s agreement with the city of Snoqualmie, which would have required the district and other potential partners to pay a fair-share cost of already installed infrastructure to the 72-acre site.

The district has already sold its existing hospital and 50-acres of land to the Snoqualmie tribe for $30 million in an agreement that gives the tribe up to two years to pay off the balance. The tribe intends on using the former hospital, which is located near the tribe’s reservation and casino property, as a regional Native American healing center.

Hospital officials have previously stated their commitment to building a new facility in Snoqualmie, and identified the business park location as their new desired location.

Mayor Larson, in a previous interview, said such relocation would be allowed under the park’s development plans, but was not as desirable as the I-90 site.

Hospital legal counsel Jay Rodne declined to comment Tuesday morning on the council decision, referring all questions to hospital director Rodger McCollum, who was unavailable for comment. Mayor Larson was also unavailable Tuesday for comment.

Reach reporter Ed Farrell at efarrell@snovalleystar.com or 392-6434. Comment on this story at www.snovalleystar.com.

Soccer field case headed to Superior Court

2008-10-08T20:26:27Z

After a volley of appeals on both sides of a case involving a North Bend soccer field, an appeal hearing has been scheduled at the Superior Court for Jan. 6.

The soccer field at the center of the case was built on Southeast 150th Street in 2004. Peter Fewing, a former soccer coach at Seattle University, and his wife Patty hoped to use the field during the annual summer camps they host. Their neighbors challenged that the soccer camp was inappropriate for a residential neighborhood.

The neighbors, Pete Glover, Dan Wilbert and Chris Scoones, began their case by telling the county Department of Development and Environmental Services that the Fewings may have moved more dirt during construction than their permit allowed.

In a 2004 permit, the Fewings wrote that they would only move 490 cubic yards, 10 cubic yards less than the amount that would trigger a State Environmental Policy Act review.

The department conducted an independent evaluation of the dirt moved and estimated that about 2,100 cubic yards of excavation and fill volumes had been used in the field’s construction. Because the amount of dirt seemed to have exceeded 500 cubic yards, the department asked the Fewings to obtain a valid grading permit by July 10, which would cost about $1,045, plus hourly billings.

But when July 10 came, the Fewings chose to appeal the violation notice.

“We didn’t do what they said we did,” said Patty Fewing.

Fewing said they had engineers design the field, hired a company do the work and passed King County inspections 4.5 years ago.

“If something was horribly wrong, they would have picked up on it then,” Fewing said.

The soccer camp ran for 4.5 weeks this summer, and the Fewings have a conditional use permit to operate the camp 130 days per year. The Fewings, who have operated soccer camps for 29 years, also run camps in other areas, such as Everett and Federal Way.

They have already received a conditional-use permit to expand their soccer camp to include cabins for 96 campers and staff, a house for the Fewings, a dining lodge, a swimming pool and a 58-car gravel parking lot.

Fewing said she and her husband were flexible with removing some of the above structures from their list, if the neighbors objected.

“We’re going to make changes and work with them,” Fewing said.

The Fewings are not the only party appealing. The neighbors are appealing against the department’s decision to allow a soccer camp.

The neighbors contested that because the Fewing field is on a RA5 property, which only allows one house on a five-acre parcel, the camp should not be allowed. The department sent the Glovers a letter Aug. 12, stating they did not dispute the Fewings’ use of the field. If the Glovers disagreed, they could appeal the department’s decision, wrote Randy Sandin, division director for the land use services division.

After reading the letter, the neighbors decided to appeal.

“Everything is back on the table,” Scoones said.

Scoones said that the camp’s traffic is disrupting the neighborhood.

“Most of the issue is when the parents start drop off,” Scoones said. “There’s a sudden influx in traffic. It’s not just some kids using the soccer field.”

A pre-hearing conference for the two appeals was held Sept. 22.

Biodiesel network meets in Snoqualmie for first time

2008-10-08T20:23:17Z

The initial meeting of the Eastside chapter of the Northwest Biodiesel Network resembled more of a preaching to the devoted choir Monday as all 12 visitors to the North Bend Railroad Depot were self-professed converts to the alternative fuel and its associated technologies.

When the plethora of expertise became evident — much of the two hours was spent exchanging detailed tips on how best to use, and make, biodiesel — representatives of the Seattle-based group scrapped most of their introductory presentation and allowed the group to engage in a free-flow of ideas and suggestions.

All present were long-established veterans of biodiesel — a source, advocates say, of cleaner burning renewable fuel for diesel engines made from oilseed crops and even their derivatives, such as used vegetable oil — and some had traveled as far as Ellensburg and Cle Elum to participate in the first meeting of the Network’s newest chapter.

The goal of the group, which plans to meet the second Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Depot, is to espouse the use of the biodiesel in all its forms, as a fuel for personal vehicles, tractors and even home-heating purposes.

Future meetings promise to focus on home-brewing of biodiesel, how to use the alternative fuel, the best vehicles to purchase and other uses for the organic-based mix that advocates say can free the U.S. from the bounds of foreign oil production.

“I’m very concerned about what’s going on with the economy,” said Stephen Kangas, a biodiesel advocate and volunteer responsible for creation of the new chapter of the network.

“It has become apparent that the cost of petroleum is one of the principal drivers of where we are right now,” he said, noting that most economic challenges, ranging from home heating to keeping food on the table, could be traced to America’s insatiable demand for foreign oil.

“Biodiesel is the thing that makes a lot of sense right now,” Kangas said.

A reliance on foreign oil, he said, is “damaging the local, U.S. and global economy, polluting the atmosphere, water and soil, and impeding farming business success.”

And, he stressed, “the supply is limited.”

Biodiesel – an alternative fuel source made up exclusively of renewable sources such as canola or soybeans – could free America from the bounds of foreign control, as well as bolster the local economy.

“Washington is No. 14 in the U.S. in oil consumption,” Kangas said. “We’re not saints here in this state.”

The manufacture and use of biodiesel, Kangas said, could result in independence from foreign control. It represents a cheap energy source with near-zero emissions, is sustainable and convenient to use and could be a huge source of economic growth to the state’s economy.

While most commercially available biodiesel is in blends of organic and petroleum diesel ranging from 5 to 50 percent, many of those in attendance Monday said they use B-99 – an almost purely organic fuel that contains only 1 percent fossil-based petroleum.

A major thrust of the network is to advocate both the manufacture and use of biodiesel, which users call “an easy to use, drop-in substitute” for petroleum diesel, that can be used in virtually any diesel-powered vehicle manufactured after 1985, and even older vehicles with some modifications.

Not only does it burn cleaner – producing as much as 78 percent less carbon dioxide if the source is soybeans, even cleaner with other materials – biodiesel could go far to rejuvenating the state’s economy, Kangas said.

Snohomish County, he said, recently embarked on a program geared at offering local farmers an alternative to selling their land to developers by producing crops that the county would purchase to produce the alternative fuel, which would, in turn, be used to fuel the county’s fleet of vehicles.

For more information on biodiesel and the Northwest Biodiesel Network, see nwbiodiesel.org.

Reach reporter Ed Farrell at efarrell@snovalleystar.com or 392-6434. Comment on the story at www.snovalleystar.com.

Calendar

2008-10-08T20:16:16Z

Events

Snoqualmie photographers Greg Schatzlein and Dusty Cavaliere will exhibit their work in a show called, “Wild Things,” through Oct. 25 at Pogacha restaurant in Issaquah. The photographers take photos of the outdoors and adventure sports, including an up-close-and-personal look at animals and nature. Pogacha is located at 120 NW Gilman Blvd. in Issaquah. For more information, call 392-5550 or go to www.pogacha.com.

Square dancing for all levels will be 6-8 p.m. Oct. 11 in Preston at The Center for Dance, 30540 SE 84th St. Casual clothes and comfortable shoes are encouraged. Cost is $7 for adults and $3 for teens. For more information, call 281-3317. For directions, go to www.thecenterfordance.com.

The Issaquah Thunder Baseball Club will hold tryouts for its 2009 13U Sandy Koufax boys teams from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Oct. 11 at the Field of Champions in Preston, 8118-304th Ave. SE. E-mail issaquahthunderbaseball@comcast.net for more information and to register.

The fifth annual Dreams of Hope Ladies Auction, benefiting Seattle Children’s Hospital, will be from noon to 3 p.m. Oct. 12 at TPC at Snoqualmie Ridge. For more information, call 443-6714 or e-mail dianareul@hotmail.com.

The Eastside Job Fair will be from noon to 5 p.m. Oct. 16 at the Pickering Barn in Issaquah. The event is hosted by the Issaquah Chamber of Commerce. Businesses expected to attend are Ninetendo, Edwad Jones and UPS, among others. Job Seekers should come prepared with a resume and ready to fill out a job application. There will be an interview room available for on-the-spot interviewing. There also will be a free career corner where job seekers can get interviewing tips. Job seekers who are unable to attend should e-mail their resume to eastsidejobfair@comcast.net. For more information, contact the Issaquah Chamber of Commerce at 392-7024.

Art classes for children ages 6-14 began Sept. 20 and will last until Oct. 18 at Si View Community Center. Cost is $45 for children ages 6-8, who meet from 9-9:45 a.m. Cost is $50 for children ages 9-14, who meet from 10-11 a.m. For more information, call 831-1900 or e-mail jsteinborn@siviewpark.org.

An alumni dinner for Mount Si High School will be from 5-6:15 p.m. Oct. 24, the night of the Homecoming football game. Dinner will be provided by the Culinary Arts Department of Mount Si and entertainment will be handled by the Mount Si Vocal Jazz Ensemble, the Mount Si Dance Team and the Mount Si Cheer Squad. Cost is $20 per person. Tickets must be purchased in advance by contacting Mount Si High School or going to www.mountsihighschool.com.

From Oct. 3-31, Encompass and the Great Outdoor Clothing Company will combine efforts to host a coat drive. Those interested can drop off coats and jackets at the Great Outdoor Clothing Branch in the factory store outlet in North Bend. Those who bring clothes will receive a voucher worth 20 percent off the regular price of a single purchase at Great Outdoor Clothing, redeemable through Nov. 14. Donors also will receive records for their taxes. For more information, call 888-2777 or 888-410-5905 or visit www.encompassnw.org.

A chess tournament for all Snoqualmie Valley youths under the age of 18 will be from 1-4 p.m. Nov. 9 at Si View Community Center. Cost is $10 and participants must register by Nov. 5. Each participant will play five official games during the day and will be divided by age and skill level. Snacks and beverages will be provided. For more information, call 831-1900 or e-mail jsteinborn@siviewpark.org.

“Cartooniversity Workshop,” a teaching session on cartoon drawing with editorial cartoonist Jeff Johnson, will be from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Nov. 15 at Si View Community Center. The class is for children ages 9-14 and costs $44. For more information, call 831-1900 or e-mail jsteinborn@siviewpark.org.

Movie Times

North Bend Theatre show times for this week are as follows:

Thursday — “Beverly Hills Chihuahua,” 7 p.m.

Friday — “Beverly Hills Chihuahua,” 2, 5, 8 p.m.

Saturday — “Beverly Hills Chihuahua,” 2, 5, 8 p.m.

Sunday — “Beverly Hills Chihuahua,” 2, 5 p.m.

Monday — “Beverly Hills Chihuahua,” 7 p.m.

Tuesday — “Beverly Hills Chihuahua,” 7 p.m.

Wednesday — “Beverly Hills Chihuahua,” (Mommy Matinee) 10 a.m.; “The Sting,” (Adult Matinee) 1 p.m.; “Expiration Date,” (Fall Classic Film Series) 7 p.m.

Classes

Free sessions of SAT preparation classes will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 11 and 18 at the North Bend Library. Practice exams will be scored and returned to participants, along with an analysis. Participants also will receive a copy of the College Board’s Official SAT Study Guide and information about KCLS resources that can help with the SAT. Registration begins Sept. 1 and participants must attend all five sessions. To register, go to the information desk at the North Bend Library or call 888-0554.

Improvisation classes for adults will be from Oct. 7-Nov. 11 at Valley Center Stage in Snoqualmie. Cost is $150. Young actors workshops for ages 9-11 will be from Oct. 10-Nov. 14 at the SVA Youth Center, 8032 Falls Ave. in Snoqualmie. Cost is $100 for six classes.

Spanish classes are held every Thursday, 3:30-4:30 p.m. at the Sno-Valley Senior Center. Open to the community. $5 per class, drop-in basis, taught by Celide Rivero.

Food Addicts Anonymous meets at 7 p.m. every Thursday in North Bend. For more information, please call 888-0314.

Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteers are needed to help create the Si View Community Center haunted house in North Bend. The haunted house will be open to the public Oct. 25, but setup has already begun. All levels of support are welcome. For more information, contact Michael Csendes at 888-2902 or mcsendes@yahoo.com.

Adopt-A-Park with yourself, your family, neighbors or club. Adopt-A-Park is a volunteer program for Snoqualmie residents willing to help improve and enhance public parks and trails. Volunteering requires an application and a one-year commitment. Call 831-5784.

Be a Study Zone tutor and give students the homework help they need. Study Zone needs volunteers to tutor elementary through high school students in math, science, English, social studies and study methods. A two-hour weekly commitment and flexible substitute scheduling are available. The Study Zone program is a free service offered by the King County Library System. For more information, call 369-3312.

Share your love of books and make new friends by becoming a Friend of the Library in either Snoqualmie or North Bend. Annual memberships cost $5 for individuals and $10 for families and help expand opportunities for children, families and seniors around the community. To learn more, call 888-0554.

Volunteer for the Needle Arts Mentoring Program in coordination with the KCLS Snoqualmie Public Library. Adult mentors are needed to bring the fun and creativity of knitting to youths in the community. Mentors do not need to be experts. For more information, call 396-7836.

North Bend Library

Snoqualmie Valley Chess Club, for adults, children and families, meets at 7 p.m. Thursdays.

Game On, for ages 12 to 18, meets 3- 5 p.m. Fridays to play XBox 360, Playstation, Nintendo DS, Guitar Hero and DDS. Board games also are available.

English as a Second Language classes meet at 6:30 p.m. Mondays.

Toddler Story Time, for ages 2 to 3 with an adult, meets at 9:30 a.m. Tuesdays.

Preschool Story Time, for ages 3 to 6 with an adult, meets at 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays.

Evening Family Story Time meets at 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays.

Snoqualmie Library

Young Toddler Story Time, for age 12 to 24 months with an adult, is at 9:30 a.m. Wednesdays.

Preschool Story Time, for ages 3 to 6 with an adult, is at 10:30 a.m. Wednesdays.

Anime & Manga Club, for middle and high school students, meets at 3 p.m. Wednesdays to watch anime movies, eat popcorn and practice manga drawing.

Evening Family Story Time, for all young children with an adult, is at 6:30 p.m. Thursdays.

Clubs

Rotary Club of Snoqualmie meets at 7 a.m. every Thursday at the Snoqualmie Ridge Golf Club. E-mail SnoqualmieRotary@yahoo.com.

Post No. 79 of the American Legion and the American Legion Auxiliary meets on the second Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. at the American Legion Building at 38625 SE River St. in Snoqualmie. For more information, call Steve Fenton, Post Commander, at 396-6100 or Kathy Kerr, Unit President, at 831-5133.

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

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

The Snoqualmie Valley Youth Hub provides cultural, athletic, recreational and educational opportunities to more than 4,000 young people in the valley. Call 831-5543.

Loyal Order of Moose is located at 108 Sydney Ave. in North Bend. Men meet at 6 p.m. the first and third Mondays of the month. Women meet at 7 p.m. the third and fourth Tuesdays of the month. Call 888-0951.

Washington Freemasons meet at 7:30 p.m. the first Wednesday of each month at Unity Lodge #198 in North Bend. Call 888-5779.

The MOMS Club of North Bend, a social group for at-home mothers, meets at 10 a.m. on the first Wednesday of every month at the North Bend Library. Children are welcome at all MOMS Club activities. Call 888-1387 or visit www.momsclub.org for more information.

To submit an item for the community calendar, send to editor@snovalleystar.com or via www.snovalleystar.com.

Issues still being sorted for teen health center in Valley

2008-10-08T20:15:11Z

The opening of a teen health center in the Valley may be one to two months away, as administrators are still hammering out the particulars.

Once complete, the center will be housed at the Snoqualmie Valley Hospital medical clinic in North Bend.

The pilot program will provide confidential, age-appropriate health and counseling services one night or afternoon a week, said Debby Peterman, the contracted teen health center coordinator for Snoqualmie Valley Community Network.

Some of the organizations involved — the Snoqualmie Valley Community Network, the Snoqualmie Valley Hospital and Friends of Youth — are holding meetings to determine the following logistics:

• Research funding sources that could provide for both services not covered by insurance and children without insurance. Funding would also pay for medical supplies and staff salaries.

• Day(s) of operation and hours.

• How the referral process would work and if physicians and counselors would hold both scheduled and drop-in appointments.

• What type of information to include on wallet-sized cards they could distribute to students.

Peterman said the center could get partial funding from the Department of Health. The Snoqualmie Valley Community Network initially started investigating the need for a teen health center after it received a $20,000 planning grant from the DOH in March for a school-based health center. Because the center will not be school-based, it is not eligible to apply for the entire $75,000 DOH grant.

The center’s coalition plans to meet with Snoqualmie Valley high-school students and staff before finalizing any logistics, Peterman said. One issue has already arisen: Friday would be a better day for Mount Si students because they have early release, but it would be inconvenient for Two Rivers School students, who do not have school on Friday.

Snoqualmie Valley Hospital Clinic Operation Administrator Kris Haight may have found a way around this problem.

“We are considering afternoon hours and considering whether we could do it two days (a week),” she said. “We’re just really excited about this service. We have a couple of staff who have worked in other teen health clinics.”

Once the center is up and running, Peterman said the coalition plans to educate school staff and the Mount Si Natural Helpers how to refer students to the center.

“(The Natural Helpers) are the kids in school that other kids go to when they have problems,” Peterman said. “We want them to be aware of our services.”

Betsy Gudz, substance abuse treatment coordinator at Friends of Youth, is alerting Two Rivers School students about the health center, as well.

“I’ve already sent a couple of kids over there,” Gudz said. “They said the kids could come in if they needed services before the opening.”

At first, the clinic proved controversial when the coalition planned to house the clinic in Twin Falls Middle School. A Washington state law, stating that minors 13-years or older can receive outpatient mental health treatment without the consent of a parent or guardian, caused some parents alarm.

Yet, Peterman emphasized counselors would encourage minors to inform their parents.

With the center’s target audience of high school students, both the school district and the business community are stepping up to support the pilot program.

Snoqualmie Valley School District Public Information Coordinator Carolyn Malcolm said the district supported the center.

“In general, having more services for youth in our Valley is a good thing, especially for students who don’t have health insurance,” Malcolm said.

Peterman said business leaders and community members had contacted her with positive messages.

“They’re saying ‘Yes, we support this,’” Peterman said. “The whole community is coming together around this.”

Alpacas on the loose

2008-10-08T20:31:24Z

North Bend farm recently added 19th alpaca to its herd

From spinning fleece to birthing babies, the alpaca business is booming for the Clark family in North Bend. Their front yard, dubbed Clarkshire, is now home to 19 alpacas. The newest addition, Pippin, a little white alpaca with spindly legs and a pink nose, joined the Clarkshire herd Sept. 29.

Alexandra Clark gets a kiss from her alpaca, Felicity.

Pippin stays close to his mother as she inspects the grass on the Clark’s lawn. Alpacas are great lawn mowers, but they also eat hay and pellets, said Alexandra Clark.

The Clark family transformed their yard into an alpaca haven in 2004, shortly after a flurry of moves. The family relocated from Seattle to Samoa in the South Pacific to Snoqualmie Pass to North Bend.

Once settled, they wanted something to fill their five-acre property. The solution found them when they saw some alpacas at the King County Fair in Enumclaw.

“I got a bee in my bonnet,” said Clark. “I wanted to get alpacas.”

After much research, the family bought two pregnant females. They dubbed their lot Clarkshire after watching the Lord of the Rings.

“We have a hobbit-sized tree out front,” said Clark’s daughter Kira. “A shire tree.”

Aside from feeding and cleaning up after, alpacas are low-maintenance creatures.

“The primary work is babies,” Clark said.

Alpacas gestate for 11.5 months and only need to wait three weeks before their next pregnancy. After buying a few more sires and dams, the Clarks had a farm on their hands. They hired a professional shearer to annually cut the alpaca’s fleece.

As the bags of fleece multiplied, Kira had the idea to turn it into gold — monetarily speaking.

While in Samoa, she had learned to knit. At age 13 and post-alpaca sheering season, Kira bought a spinning wheel and turned the fleece into yarn, which she then knitted into scarves, booties, headbands, purses and shawls. Kira used the profits from her sales to fill shoeboxes she sent to underprivileged children around the world through the Operation Christmas Child program.

Last year, she filled 100 boxes with dolls, hair accessories, school supplies and hygiene products. Her goal this year is 150 boxes.

Kira doesn’t fleece her customers, but she does make a profit. By selling 36-yards of fleece-yarn at $11 and scarves and shawls ranging from $22 to $60, she sold $130 worth of products at the family’s annual Alpaca Farm Day in September.

Alpaca fleece is lighter than wool and doesn’t have that itchy allergen called lanolin. To place an order, e-mail Kira at kiramclark@gmail.com.

Good fleece comes from good breeding. Breeders prefer offspring to have a finer fleece than their parents, so the mother and father’s fleece must both be of premium quality.

“People will ship animals across the country or across the state for breeding,” Clark said.

At annual alpaca competitions, owners enter their animals into contests. In May, one of their dams named Alleluja won a medal for best white coat.

Dams like Alleluja can sell for more than $24,000. Females are generally more expensive than males, but a top-end male can also break the bank.

Most of the alpacas at Clarkshire are dams, which are friendlier than sires, Clark said.

“They’ll let you pet them and kiss you,” she said. But, despite their fluffy fleece, alpacas are known for being aloof and shy of people.

Buying pet dams and sires costs between $150 and $1,000. People should buy alpacas in pairs because the animals become depressed when they don’t have company, Clark said.

There are three other alpaca farms in the area — Daisy Hill Alpaca, Panamichi’s Alpacas and Twin Peaks Alpacas. If she needs advice, Clark gives them a call.

“The people who do alpacas are nice and friendly,” she said.

To view Clarkshire alpacas photos and prices, visit http://www.alpacanation.com and type Clarkshire into the search bar.