In its latest business venture the Snoqualmie Tribe is looking all the way to Fiji.

The Fijian government announced Tuesday its decision to grant the nation’s first-ever exclusive gambling license to One Hundred Sands, which has announced plans to build a $290 million, five-star luxury casino resort on Denarau Island, in a partnership with the Snoqualmie Tribe.

“One Hundred Sands has taken care to strategically partner with the Snoqualmie Tribe from Washington State and Seventh Generation LLC, a Native American company with demonstrated excellence establishing new casinos,” said Larry Claunch, chairman of One Hundred Sands, in a news release issued by the prime minister’s office.

In a telephone interview, Claunch said he and the tribe have been talking for about five months, and while the tribe hasn’t yet put any money into the deal, they are negotiating the tribe’s financial stake. The tribe has committed to joining the venture as a partner, Claunch said, and will have ownership in the casino, as well as an active advisory role.

“They are going to be advising us on very aspect of casino management,” said Claunch, a retired developer of retirement homes who moved to Fiji from Salem, Ore., about 10 years ago.

He said the conversations got started with Snoqualmie tribal administrator Matt Mattson first, when Mattson traveled to Fiji and investigated the possibilities.

The new venture is a long way — nearly 6,000 miles — from the tribe’s casino, which opened in 2008 with a $330 million debt. The tribe swung open the doors right at the bottom of the recession and in the middle of one of the worst winters in years. The tribe’s budget, built on rosier expectations, cratered.

The tribe has since restructured its debt, and the casino is doing better, reports by outside analysts show, and its bond rating has improved.

And now the tribe apparently has new business prospects. Fresh from his seaplane, Claunch said Wednesday he would be joining Tribal Chairwoman Shelley Burch and her brother Pat Barker, a hereditary chief for the tribe, for dinner. The two are in Fiji to continue talks about the tribe’s stake in the business, he said. Neither would return calls for comment, and neither did Mattson.

Claunch said he beat out more than 50 other competitors for the sole gambling license granted by the Fijian government, in part he said because of his inclusion of a Native American tribe in the venture. He said that was important to him personally, because he liked the operations tribes run in the United States. Of the Snoqualmies, he said, “I have visited their casino and it’s spectacular, I so admire the work they have done.”

Paxton Myers, chief of staff for the National Indian Gaming Commission, said the federal agency only regulates Indian gambling on U.S. trust land, so the venture is outside of U. S. regulatory purview. The Washington State Gambling Commission has no jurisdiction over the venture, either.

The news, first reported in the Fiji Times, was controversial back in Washington state.

“It’s hurting our tribe; it’s pretty sad,” said Kanium Ventura, elected to the tribal council in September 2007. He was later suspended by the council in an internal dispute, a move later overturned by the tribal court, but then renewed by the tribal council again.

“They are supposed to take this to the membership,” Ventura said. “There is no benefits for us at Fiji; I don’t think it will make much.”

Some Washington state tribal leaders were surprised by the news.

“In Fiji! Wow. That’s interesting,” said W. Ron Allen, chairman of the executive committee of the Washington Indian Gaming Association and chairman of the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe.

“I’m delighted for them. Extending outside your reservation comfort zone is unique.”

He said he had expected the tribe to invest in a resort at its existing casino, not enter a new venture.

Other tribes have looked at gambling operations in other locations, including the Muckleshoot, which for a time looked into partnering in a tribally owned casino in Las Vegas — before dropping the idea.

But the Snoqualmies are believed to be the first tribe in Washington, and perhaps the country, Allen said, to enter into a gambling operation overseas. “It makes you scratch your head a little bit,” Allen said.

Allen said his tribe has successfully launched businesses outside Washington state, including a health- and medical-supply company in California and a construction corporation that works all over the country. But the tribe has never worked up a partnership or investment outside the United States.

“We’d be pretty conservative about that. When you are so far removed, it can cause you some concern.”

The latest move by the Snoqualmies comes at a time when the tribe is struggling with other issues, including an enrollment audit in response to allegations that many tribal members, including some of its leaders, don’t meet the one-eighth blood-quantum requirement in the tribe’s constitution to be Snoqualmie.

The tribe less than a year ago spent $14 million to buy out the contract of its former casino CEO’s employment contract.

The first phase of the Fiji project will include a luxury resort and casino with 500 slot machines, convention center and banquet facilities.

In a prepared statement, Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama said the venture “provides a malleable fusion between the Western ideas of casino gaming with the strong cultural values of tribal and community life.”

Groundbreaking is proposed in March, 2012.

Snoqualmie Entertainment Authority is owned by the Snoqualmie Tribe.

The casino’s credit rating is still relatively low.

The casino’s credit rating had been hurt by its disappointing opening in November 2008 and high debt load, but it has improved since then. It’s last credit upgrade came in December, when Moody’s Investor Services and Standard & Poor’s both raised their ratings for the casino.

“While there remains some uncertainty surrounding the Authority’s longer term development plans, as well as the tribe’s longer term financial policy regarding distributions, we believe Snoqualmie’s credit and liquidity profiles support the higher rating,” Standard & Poor’s credit analyst Carissa Schreck said in the company’s news release.

Concerns persist about the Authority’s “narrow business position as an operator of a single casino property, high debt leverage, and some uncertainty around the tribe’s longer term financial policy and expansion plans. These risks are only somewhat tempered by continued improvement in operating performance, which has resulted in credit measures and a liquidity profile in line with the ‘B’ rating,” according to the news release.

The casino has about $330 million in notes that begin coming due in 2014.

The council passed the resolution in a 4-2 vote as a joke for an upcoming show by country singer and marijuana legalization advocate Willie Nelson at Snoqualmie Casino, which the tribe owns.

In a public statement, Enick criticized the council for using a resolution as a joke. He apologized “to all Native Americans everywhere, and to the public at large for the behavior of this current sitting Snoqualmie Tribal Council…”

The 77-year-old Enick has been at odds with the council since several council members tried to strip him of his title in January. After the council delayed the tribe’s annual general meeting and elections in May, he organized a meeting which passed a resolution removing the tribe’s elected officials, including the council. Enick has not acted on the resolution, saying that he wants broader support from tribal members.

Jon Jenkins has taken over as CEO of the casino, which is owned by the Snoqualmie Tribe. Jenkins began his new job in April.

Jon Jenkins

Among Jenkins’ biggest roles could be ensuring the tribe gets good interest rates when the casino’s debt is refinanced in coming years.

Jenkins has more than 30 years of experience in the gaming industry, according to a news release from the casino. Most recently, he worked at Casino Arizona and Talking Stick Resort, where he spent nearly 14 years as its president and CEO.

Much of his career has been spent with tribal-run entities. Jenkins also has experience with the industry’s marketing and hospitality sides.

In his new role, Jenkins will be responsible for setting the strategic direction for all gaming operations, and representing the gaming operations to customers, employees, government agencies, tribal leadership, and financial and business communities.

Jenkins takes over following the tribe’s hasty buyout of his predecessor, Mike Barozzi. The Snoqualmie Tribal Council caught many tribal members off guard when it voted in February to buyout Barozzi’s contract for $14 million.

A key job for Jenkins will be securing good interest rates when the casino refinances its $330 million in debt in 2013 and 2014.

The season will be shorter; shows will start and end earlier; there will be fewer double billings and the casino will not hold any Friday concerts.

The casino has also started a phone hotline for community members who have questions or comments about the outdoor concerts — 888-HELP (4357).

“Respectful, constructive messages and calls will be addressed in various ways, including callbacks,” Snoqualmie Casino Vice President of Marketing Matt Gallagher said.

In 2010, the casino held 31 concerts from June 17 to Sept. 2, with most concerts ending at 10 p.m., the time in the city of Snoqualmie’s noise ordinance. The speakers from the venue pointed toward the Snoqualmie Valley, and some residents said they could hear it three miles away, and that it kept them up at night.

Other residents applauded the concerts, calling them free shows for the Valley.

This summer, the casino has shortened the season from July to August.

Gallagher explained the reasoning behind the changes.

“After several shows in inclement weather last June, we decided to start our season after July 1 to ensure the best experience possible for our guests,” Gallagher said. “Our decision to end the season prior to Labor Day was a direct result of accommodating the local school schedule to ensure there were no issues on potential school nights.”

Shows held Thursday through Sunday will start earlier and end by 9 p.m. “whenever possible to accommodate neighborhood work schedules,” he said.

The speakers will still face toward the Valley, but the casino has a new, higher stage roof that will allow the speakers to point at a more downward angle, Gallagher said. The plaza’s new bleaches, wrapped in a sound absorbing material, could also act as a sound barrier between the stage and the Valley, he said. The new bleachers will seat about 2,200 people.

As they did last year, casino staff will monitor the decibel levels from each concert. When bands sign a contract with the casino, they agree not to go louder than 95 decibels, a sound about the same intensity as a food blender.

If bands do not comply with the decibel limit, they will not be asked back to perform at the plaza, Gallagher said.

Kit McCormick, an Indian Hill resident who protested against the outdoor shows in 2010, said she was “cautiously pleased” to hear about the changes.

“The casino seems to have considered the feedback from the local community and made a number of significant changes in response to the concerns,” she said. “We look forward to a summer that is more relaxed and one that offers all residents of the Valley the tranquility that many of us seek.”

Before administering the changes, casino administrators heard feedback from King County and Snoqualmie representatives, including county Regional Relations Director De’Sean Quinn, Snoqualmie Mayor Matt Larson and Snoqualmie City Administrator Bob Larson.

Matt Larson said his was just one more voice expressing the concerns of Snoqualmie citizens to the Snoqualmie Tribe, which has sovereign status.

“I think it was the tribe primarily wishing to be more responsive to the community,” Matt Larson said.

The casino will learn the community’s response to its changes as soon as its first concert, when the Little River Band plays July 7.

“A number of the changes were in response to our ongoing commitment of being a good neighbor,” Gallagher said.

Schedule announced

Snoqualmie Casino unveiled its 2011 summer concert series last week. The lineup features 20 events in July and August.

Performers include Loretta Lynn and the 2010 ACM Male Vocalist of the Year Blake Shelton. Rumble on the Ridge 19 is expected to draw a big crowd again this year.

Festivals will be in full swing this summer. Snoqualmie Casino and KJAQ will team up July 9 to produce the Vodka Rocks Music Festival, featuring Toad the Wet Sprocket, Seattle’s own Candlebox and The Verve Pipe. On Aug. 6, it’s Hippiefest presented by KZOK, featuring legends of classic rock, including Dave Mason, Grand Funk Railroad’s Mark Farner, Felix Cavalierie’s Rascals, Gary Wright and Rick Derringer.

Summer lineup

• 6:30 p.m. July 7: Little River Band
• 4 p.m. July 9: Vodka Rocks Music Festival
• 7 p.m. July 10: Paul Rodgers
• 6 p.m. July 17: Eric Burdon
• 6:30 p.m. July 28: Ronnie Dunn
• 6 p.m. July 31: Kansas
• 6:30 p.m. Aug. 4: The Beach Boys
• 5:30 p.m. Aug 6: Hippiefest
• 5 p.m. Aug 7: Blues Traveler
• 6:30 p.m. Aug 11: Phil Vassar
• 6 p.m. Aug 14: Loretta Lynn
• 6:30 p.m. Aug 18: Blake Shelton
• 6 p.m. Aug 20: Marty Stuart
• 6 p.m. Aug 21: Gallagher
• 3 p.m. Aug 27: Rumble on the Ridge 19

Tickets to all shows (except Rumble on the Ridge) go on sale at noon March 19 at all Ticketmaster outlets, the Snoqualmie Casino Box Office and online at www.ticketmaster.com.

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

Performers include the 2010 ACM “Male Vocalist of the Year,” Blake Shelton and Loretta Lynn. Rumble on the Ridge 19 is expected to draw a big crowd again this year.

Festivals will be in full swing this summer. Snoqualmie Casino and KJAQ will team up July 9 to produce the Vodka Rocks Music Festival, featuring Toad the Wet Sprocket, Seattle’s own Candlebox and The Verve Pipe. On Aug. 6, it’s Hippiefest presented by KZOK, featuring legends of classic rock, including Dave Mason, Grand Funk Railroad’s Mark Farner, Felix Cavalierie’s Rascals, Gary Wright and Rick Derringer.

The Snoqualmie Entertainment Authority and the casino have worked with Snoqualmie and King County to revamp Mountain View Plaza, reducing sound noise emissions for neighboring homes. The changes for 2011 include:

• Reducing the length of the season from four months in 2010 to two months in 2011.
• Reducing the number of events from 30 in 2010 to a maximum of 20 in 2011.
• Earlier start and end times for Thursday and Sunday shows, with most shows ending by 9 p.m.
• Elimination of Friday shows
• Fewer double billings
• A new, higher stage roof, which will allow for a directional change in the speakers.
• New bleachers, measuring 100-feet wide by 25-feet high, which will be wrapped in a sound absorbing material, should provide more bodies in direct line of sound to absorb and deflect sound waves.
• A hotline for comments regarding outdoor concerts, 888-HELP (4357).

Tickets to all shows (except Rumble on the Ridge) go on sale at noon March 19 at all Ticketmaster outlets, the Snoqualmie Casino Box Office and online at www.ticketmaster.com.

The decision caught many members off guard because it came only two months after the council had voted to maintain casino CEO Mike Barozzi’s contract. The experienced casino manager had been an integral part of the tribe’s pitch to investors when they put together the casino’s financing.

Losing Barozzi could affect the interest rate the tribe gets when it has to refinance the casino’s debt in a couple years.

The controversy is the latest episode in a long series of internal troubles for the insular, tight-lipped tribe.

The council didn’t offer any explanation for its Feb. 13 vote. 

The decision to buyout Barozzi, which passed 4-3, was a compromise between council members who “wanted to run him off so the tribe could get more control, operationally (and specifically over hiring and firing decisions related to native employees) and some on the council that wanted to support Mr. Barozzi unequivocally,” Tribal Administrator Matt Mattson wrote in an e-mail to the Star.

However, Councilwoman Maryann Hinzman offered a different view.

“It was his decision to leave,” she said.

Some tribal members filed an emergency injunction in tribal court following the vote, claiming that the council couldn’t spend more than $2 million without approval from the general membership.

Mattson said he could not comment on ongoing litigation.

Barozzi had originally asked for $19.5 million, which the council decided was too much at a Dec. 19 meeting.

However, at least one councilman — Ray Mullen — was absent from the meeting and brought the matter up again at the February meeting.

This time around, Barozzi and the council settled on $14 million.

The motion was introduced in council by Hinzman and Mullen. Their council seats are up for election this year, and they have come under criticism in recent months from many in the general membership.

Both members declined to comment on the matter.

Long-term effects

After Barozzi’s last day Feb. 18, the casino’s chief financial officer, James McDermott, has been serving as the interim CEO.

The tribe is conducting a nationwide search for a new director. Among the candidates are Jon Jenkins, who has extensive experience in Arizona.

Jenkins did not return phone calls.

While Jenkins is qualified, “…there will most assuredly be other candidates,” Mattson said.

Whoever the tribe picks to take over at the casino could affect interest rates when it refinances its $330 million debt in 2013 and 2014, after its bonds mature.

Barozzi had been key to the good interest rates the tribe secured and the casino’s success after a lackluster opening in November 2008. He offered investors the knowledge that the casino had stable, experienced leadership.

Financers will want to know how much of his management team is still in place when the tribe goes to refinance its debt, according to W. Ron Allen, chairman of the Jamestown S’Klallam tribe and chairman of the Washington Indian Gaming Association’s executive committee.

“If they’re still in place, then there’s confidence that the decisions that are being made are consistent with past patterns,” Allen said.

The management team that Barozzi put in place has proven its ability to succeed, he said.

The casino could suffer if important jobs become political bounty for council members.

While that has been a “historic concern” for tribal casinos, most have a buffer between the council and the casino to prevent political spillover, Allen said. “I haven’t seen it seriously affect” a casino’s operations.

The tribe is trying to train members to become experienced gaming managers. It recently started a management internship program at the casino for tribal members.

Buying out the final eight years on Barozzi’s contract also reduced the amount of equity the tribe has in the casino. That will hurt the refinancing terms, which has some tribal members upset.

“They’re spending the tribe’s money!” said Pat Barker, one of the tribe’s two sub-chiefs.

The full cost, he noted, will be felt for years in larger interest payments.

Dan Catchpole: 392-6434, ext. 246, or editor@snovalleystar.com.

A statement from the tribe praised Barozzi’s accomplishments running the casino, which opened in 2008.

The tribe’s chairwoman Shelley Burch said Barozzi “has been integral to the development and operation of the Snoqualmie Casino.”

Snoqualmie Valley groups received more than $350,000 from the Snoqualmie Tribe in its first disbursement of mitigation money from the tribe-owned Snoqualmie Casino.

The payments were based on the casino’s proceeds from its opening in November 2008 through 2009. They are required as part of the tribe’s compact with Washington state.

Representatives from the tribe, Snoqualmie, King County and the state evaluated the applicants.

The tribe was able to provide money to all of the groups that applied, according to Tribal Administrator Matt Mattson.

The payments were audited by the Washington State Gambling Commission.

The following organizations received money: Encompass ($40,000), Mount Si Food Bank ($20,000), Mt. Si Senior Center ($59,638), Snoqualmie Valley Community Network ($35,200), Snoqualmie Valley Transportation ($85,243) and the future Snoqualmie Valley YMCA-operated community center ($116,667).

The tribe will likely have more money to pay out next year. The casino’s first year was hurt by the bad economy.

“The recession impacted projected revenue substantially and that, by extension, reduced the amount of mitigation money available for distribution,” Mattson said. “We are doing better than last year, but we do not have estimates.”

Regardless of the difference between actual and projected revenues, officials with the recipient groups are grateful for the money.

“We really appreciate the support of our local community partners, such as the tribe,” Encompass Director Gregory Malcolm said.

The support will help Encompass continue to provide services, which have been in greater demand during the recession. In 2008-2009, the organization served nearly 4,300 individuals and families, an increase of more than 1,500 from the previous year.

The money will support programs including Encompass’ accredited preschool program, Latino-specific services and therapy for children with developmental delays, according to Malcolm.

The application process was similar to applying for a grant, he said.

In addition to the mitigation money, the tribe also donated money to the following groups: Carnation Farmers Market ($10,000), the Sammamish-based Chris Elliott Fund ($85,000) and the Carnation-based Snoqualmie Valley Senior Center ($15,000). The tribe gave $15,000 to support fundraising for the future YMCA. The Festival at Mount Si, Issaquah Salmon Days and Snoqualmie Railroad Days also each received $5,000.

The Snoqualmie Tribe is dedicated to being a good neighbor, and the donations are indicative of that, Mattson said.

This fall, the tribe will take applications for 2010 mitigation funds, which will be given out in mid-201l. For information, call 425-888-6551 or visit www.snoqualmienation.com.

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

Snoqualmie Valley groups received more than $350,000 from the Snoqualmie Tribe in its first disbursement of mitigation money from the tribe-owned Snoqualmie Casino.

The payments were based on the casino’s proceeds from its opening in November 2008 through 2009. They are required as part of the tribe’s compact with Washington state.

Representatives from the tribe, Snoqualmie, King County and the state selected the recipients. Payments were audited by the Washington State Gambling Commission.

The following organizations received money: Encompass ($40,000), Mount Si Food Bank ($20,000), Mount Si Senior Center ($59,638), Snoqualmie Valley Community Network ($35,200), Snoqualmie Valley Transportation ($85,243) and the future Snoqualmie Valley YMCA-operated community center ($116,667).

In addition, the tribe also donated money to the following groups: Carnation Farmers Market ($10,000), the Sammamish-based Chris Elliott Fund ($85,000) and the Carnation-based Snoqualmie Valley Senior Center ($15,000). The tribe gave $15,000 to support fundraising for the future Y. Festival at Mount Si, Issaquah Salmon Days and Snoqualmie Railroad Days also each received $5,000.

The Snoqualmie Tribe is dedicated to being a good neighbor, and the donations are indicative of that, Tribal Administrator Matt Mattson said.

This fall, the tribe will take applications for 2010 mitigation funds, which will be given out in mid-201l. For information, call 425-888-6551 or visit www.snoqualmienation.com.

As musician Peter Frampton twanged on his guitar at Snoqualmie Casino, about 2,000 fans cheered at the casino’s outdoor Mountain View Plaza, about 10 protestors picketed outside the casino’s entrance and people across Snoqualmie Valley either opened or closed their windows, so they could either hear or block the music wafting from the concert July 15.

Some Snoqualmie residents said they are unhappy with the noise from the casino’s outdoor concerts, calling the noise disruptive. Casino staff said they had voluntarily implemented a sound curfew and decibel limit, and might make changes to the venue next summer.

Snoqualmie residents protest Snoqualmie Casino’s outdoor concert series, which they say is too loud. (By Dan Catchpole)

When the casino opened in 2008, it had two concert venues: the Snoqualmie Ballroom, seating 1,000 people, and Sno Lounge, seating 250 people. Last year, casino staff found they could transform the performers’ parking lot into a concert venue they named Mountain View Plaza, seating about 2,000 people.

“Once we started outdoor shows, we knew that sound was going to travel,” said Snoqualmie Casino Vice President of Marketing Matt Gallagher, explaining why the casino has a 10 p.m. curfew, the same as the city of Snoqualmie’s noise ordinance, and a 95 decibel limit.

Snoqualmie Tribe Administrator Matt Mattson said the tribe supported the decisions.

“The tribe, generally speaking, defers to our own management experts,” Mattson said.

“The management thought that the outdoor concerts would be an added amenity that would drive traffic through the casino, and the tribe deferred to that and thought it was a good recommendation.”

Last summer, the casino held seven outdoor concerts at the plaza. This summer, the casino has 31 shows, holding between one and four concerts per week June 17 – Sept. 2.

The city offered the nearby Snoqualmie Point Park, seating 5,000, as another possible venue for the outdoor concerts, but Mattson said it wasn’t feasible for the casino to hold concerts there because of infrastructure and parking needs.

Two sides to the story

Ron Sorenson, who has lived in Snoqualmie for 40 years, said he and his wife can hear the concerts from their home in downtown Snoqualmie.

“It’s like somebody is playing loud music in their backyard, loudly amplified. You can’t hear every word,” Sorenson said. “It just blares, because it’s going out in this huge, vast sound blast.”

He said the music affected people and children who go to sleep before 10 p.m. and others who don’t like the noise.

“You have to look at that to decide what your schedule is going to be,” he said. “Would you want to have a barbecue? Could your children sleep?”

“It’s affected my well being,” Mike Askers, who lives on Indian Hill, said. “Owning a small business, I go to bed early and it’s affected me.”

A number of people have contacted local representatives, including King County Councilwoman Kathy Lambert, State Reps. Glenn Anderson and Jay Rodne, U.S. Congressman Dave Reichert, Snoqualmie Mayor Matt Larson and the state Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs.

Not everyone minds the music, however.

During the performance July 15, Bruce and Kathy Stevenson sat on their front steps with their two dogs and a couple of beers listening to Yes play up above them.

“It’s wonderful. We love it. It’s like having a stereo in my yard,” Bruce Stevenson said.

Some have asked the casino to reverse the plaza’s configuration, so the speakers would face away from the Valley, but the casino has no plans to do so, Gallagher said.

The stage’s placement allows it to be near the loading dock and the dressing rooms; if it were reversed, the main entrance would be behind the stage, making the flow of foot traffic in and out difficult. And the noise from the back of the stage could be potentially worse than the music from the front of the stage, Gallagher said.

Just how loud is the music?

The casino contracts with sound engineers to enforce its decibel policy. The plaza has a limit of 95 decibels. To put that in perspective, breathing is 10 decibels, a conversation in a restaurant is 60 decibels, a food blender is 90 decibels and a chainsaw is 110 decibels, according to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.

Listeners could get ear damage if they listened to 90-decibel noises for about eight hours and could get serious ear damage if they listened to 100-decibel noises for the same amount of time, according to the OMSI.

If a band’s sound engineers go above 95 decibels, Carlson Audio Systems Chief Engineer Allan Bagley said he asks them to turn it down.

During every show, casino Marketing Director Dana Nelson said he drives through Snoqualmie, taking measurements with a decibel reader. Background noise from cars and airplanes registers on the reader, along with noise from the concert.

On top of Indian Hill and later near the Snoqualmie Valley School District office in downtown Snoqualmie July 15, the decibel reader gave a measurement of about 40, some of it from ambient noise.

“We’re definitely not saying you can’t hear it three and a half miles away at Indian Hill,” Gallagher said. “It’s audible. It’s consistent with a radio being put on at its lowest level in a car.”

At those decibel readings, it is unlikely anyone’s hearing would be damaged, though it could be irritating, said University of Washington Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences Professor and Chair Richard Folsom.

“It doesn’t take an expert in hearing to say some sounds are annoying, and if I lived in a house nearby, I would be annoyed if I couldn’t fall asleep at night,” he said.

The casino and the community

The concert noise is not the first time the casino’s neighbors have complained. Some people were uneasy when the casino built its employee parking lot near their houses, Gallagher said. In response, the casino planted trees to shield the houses from the parking lot’s lights and put up a fence to address safety concerns.

Since then, the casino has not heard any complaints from those neighbors, he said.

The evening of July 15, Gallagher said the casino had received three calls asking it to increase the sound during the sound check and one call complaining about the noise.

Since the 2010 outdoor summer concerts began, he said the casino had received noise complaints from 25 people, one anonymous caller and three anonymous e-mailers.

In fact, the publicity from the outdoor concert noise disagreement has increased the casino’s ticket sales by 50 percent, Gallagher said.

After the concert season ends, he said the casino would evaluate the plaza from a business perspective. For example, many concerts were held in the rain in June. Next year, the casino might not schedule concerts in mid-June to avoid potential bad weather, Gallagher said.

KZOK FM radio personality Bob Rivers, who lives in North Bend and has participated in several charity casino shows, said the culture and jobs the casino brought to the Valley were a good tradeoff for any inconveniences that came with it.

“I know these guys are doing everything they can to mitigate the noise,” Rivers said. “I do feel for you if you feel inconvenienced,” but he said Interstate 90 was noisy too, and he didn’t see anyone protesting it.

Craig Bill, director of the state Office of Indian Affairs, said the office would help resolve the issue only if the tribe asked.

“If requested, we’ll try to help get the right people in the room,” Bill said. “We respect the tribe’s sovereignty of the issue and its jurisdiction.”

Although they don’t like the noise from many of the concerts, Sorenson said he and his wife paid $75 apiece for tickets to The Beach Boys at the plaza, but left because it was too loud. He said he wanted to find a peaceful solution with the casino, and soon.

“They’re using us to promote their casino,” he said. “Our views, our mountains. They’re polluting it.”

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

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Snoqualmie residents protesting Snoqualmie Casino’s outdoor concert series say their summer nights are ruined by garbled bass from the shows. (Dan Catchpole)

ALSO SEE: Noise dispute rocks ’n’ roils: Snoqualmie Casino says it’s a good neighbor despite protests

A handful of Snoqualmie residents protested the July 15 show of Snoqualmie Casino’s summer concert series. While Peter Frampton and Yes played on an outdoor stage overlooking the Snoqualmie Valley, the residents, who say noise from the concert series is a nuisance, blasted air horns, and demonstrated with signs and shouts at the casino’s entrance.

The protestors were targeting concertgoers as they drove in, asking them to boycott the casino.

The garbled bass from the shows aggravates those who live nearby, the protestors said.

“You can’t sit in the yard and relax,” Kit McCormick said. “It’s as though someone is blasting a stereo with just the bass in your yard.”

Like some other protestors, McCormick lives with her husband and son on Indian Hill on the opposite valley wall. She and other Indian Hill residents said on concert nights they can only hear an incessant, throbbing bass in their yards and even inside their homes.

She and her husband, Dave Eiffert, came to the Valley to get away from that kind of noise.

“We moved here to listen to the wind whistle through the trees, the pileated woodpeckers and red-nape sapsuckers,” Eiffert said.

The protestors say they plan to continue demonstrating during the summer outdoor concert series, which runs through Sept. 2, until the casino offers a solution.

Until then, they are targeting the casino’s bottom line by asking people to boycott the shows and the casino, said Jason Weatherholtz, who lives on Indian Hill.

Since the story of the noise became public last week, ticket sales have increased, said Mike Gallagher, the casino’s vice president of marketing.

Concertgoers had mixed reactions to the protest.

“If I lived next door, I might be protesting, too,” said Donna Padilla, of North Bend, adding that she would have been OK with an indoor venue. It was the second show in the series she has attended.

The casino held seven indoor shows last year, but its largest indoor venue has half the seats as the outdoor setup.

Fred Dandrea, of Tacoma, was less sympathetic.

“The neighbors can always move,” he said.

The casino will re-evaluate its speaker configuration at the end of the year, and it will take a decibel reading in anyone’s yard upon request, Gallagher said.

“We’re going to take a look at the end of the summer from a business perspective,” he said. “This year is a learning year.”

Jon and Maureen Whitney, who live in downtown Snoqualmie, have learned to dread concert nights. The indistinct, bass-heavy noise drives them and their neighbors inside, they say.

“We don’t want the casino to close, we just want them to work with us,” Jon Whitney said.

At McCormick’s and Eiffert’s house on Indian Hill during the July 15 show, it sounded like any other summer night in the Snoqualmie Valley.

“It’s weird that you can’t hear it,” Lucas Eiffert, the couple’s son, said. “Usually you have to have the TV on” to drown it out.

Dan Catchpole: 392-6434, ext. 246, or editor@snovalleystar.com.

The protestors were targeting concertgoers as they drove into the casino, asking them to boycott the casino.

Snoqualmie Casino says that it carefully monitors its concerts to ensure that they are do not exceed the city’s sound ordinances. The casino doesn’t have to follow the ordinances; it sits on the Snoqualmie Tribe’s reservation, making it sovereign land.

But the casino wants to be a good neighbor, says Mike Gallagher, Snoqualmie Casino’s vice-president of marketing.

To do that, decibel levels are monitored at the show and in Snoqualmie during the show.

The level at the show peaks at 95 decibels, according to Gallagher. Ninety-five decibels is slightly louder than a lawn mower.

On the valley floor, the noise is much quieter, but it is the bass that is the aggravating part, several protestors say.

“You can’t sit in the yard and relax. It’s as though someone is blasting a stereo with just the bass in you yard,” says Kit McCormick.

Like some other protestors, McCormick lives with her husband and son on Indian Hill on the opposite valley wall. She and other Indian Hill residents said on concert nights they can only hear an incessant, throbbing bass in their yards and even inside their homes.

She and her husband, Dave Eiffert, came to the Valley to get away from that kind of noise.

“We moved here to listen to the wind whistle through the trees, the pileated woodpeckers and red-nape sapsuckers,” Eiffert says.

The protestors say they plan to continue demonstrating during the summer outdoor concert series, which runs through Sept. 2, until the casino offers a solution.

Until then, they are targeting the casino’s bottom line by asking people to boycott the shows and the casino, says Jason Weatherholtz, who lives on Indian Hill.

Since the story of the noise became public last week, ticket sales have increased, Gallagher says.

Concertgoers had mixed reactions to the protest.

“If I lived next door, I might be protesting too,” says Donna Padilla, of North Bend, adding that she would have been OK with an indoor venue. It was the second show in the series she has attended.

The casino held seven indoor shows last year, but its largest indoor venue has half the seats as the outdoor set up.

Fred Dandrea, of Tacoma, was less sympathetic. “The neighbors can always move.”

The casino will reevaluate its speaker configuration at the end of the year, and it will take a decibel reading in anyone’s yard upon request, Gallagher says.

“We’re going to take a look at the end of the summer from a business perspective,” he says. “This year is a learning year.”

Jon and Maureen Whitney, who live in downtown Snoqualmie, have learned to dread concert nights. The indistinct, bass-heavy noise drives them and their neighbors inside, they say.

“We don’t want the casino to close, we just want them to work with us,” Jon Whitney says.

But not all residents are bothered by the concerts.

Bruce and Kathy Stevenson sat on their front steps with their two dogs and a couple beers listening to Yes play up above them.

“It’s wonderful. We love it. It’s like having a stereo in my yard,” Bruce Stevenson says.

At McCormick’s and Eiffert’s house on Indian Hill, it sounded like any other summer night in Snoqualmie Valley.

“It’s weird that you can’t hear it,” Lucas Eiffert, the couple’s son, says. “Usually you have to have the TV on” to drown it out.

Dan Catchpole: 392-6434, ext. 246, or editor@snovalleystar.com.

A handful of the residents asked the Snoqualmie City Council at its July 12 meeting to take up their case. Council members did not take sides in the matter.

The city has said that the casino, on the Snoqualmie Tribe’s reservation, is not subject to city noise ordinances.

Casino officials have previously said that while the casino is not under the city’s jurisdiction, it does follow the city’s ordinances in hosting its summer concert series and has planted tree screens to lessen the noise. The stage for the concerts overlooks downtown Snoqualmie.

No one from the tribe or casino could be reached for comment.

“As I understand it, from a legal point of view, we don’t have anything we can do to stop it,” Councilman Charlie Peterson said.

He said can hear the concerts from the backyard of his home in downtown Snoqualmie.

“Noise pollution — that’s what I think it should be called,” he said.

“It’s so loud at our home that it rattles our windows and walls,” said Snoqualmie resident Jason Weatherholtz, who lives about three miles away.

He and others said they have approached U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert (R-Auburn), King County Councilwoman Kathy Lambert and the city of Snoqualmie, and have gotten almost nowhere with anyone.

To draw attention to their message, the group of residents plan to protest the next concert at the casino July 15. Weatherholtz said he expects more than 100 people to show up.

The tribe said that it is committed to being a good neighbor but will continue the concert series as scheduled.

“Following this summer’s concert season, the casino will evaluate the concert venue and schedule to determine if changes need to be made to next summer’s events,” the tribe said.

The tribe said that following city ordinances, it ends the concerts by 10 p.m. and takes decibel level readings.

Dan Catchpole: 392-6434, ext. 246, or editor@snovalleystar.com.

Snoqualmie Casino’s one-year anniversary passed quietly in November, met with none of the fanfare that accompanied its opening in 2008.The Snoqualmie Tribe had hoped the casino would bring in an influx of money to the tribe and an elevated standard of living for its 600 Native American members. But the casino’s revenue has been much lower than anticipated, and it has been marred with setbacks, conflict and controversy.

In September, The Seattle Times reported it had obtained an internal memo from a financial consultant for the casino, alerting the tribal council that revenues were a quarter of what was projected.

Snoqualmie Casino’s first anniversary passed quietly in November, after falling short of the tribe’s hopes for financial prosperity. (File photo)

“The adopted budget for 2009 … has proved to be wildly inaccurate. Gaming revenue is $250,000 a month instead of $1,000,000 a month,” said the memo, obtained by The Seattle Times and written by Henry Flood, hired by the casino as a grants and contract consultant. “A combination of cutbacks and loan funding is imperative to avoid financial collapse.”

Flood, who advises several non-profit groups and Indian tribes from his business in Florida, could not be reached for comment.

Matt Mattson, the Snoqualmie tribal administrator, said the memo was inaccurate, as were other reports that the casino is not doing well.

“[The memo] is an internal issue, I don’t know how it was released and Mr. Flood no longer works for the tribe,” he said.

When asked if the casino’s revenue was indeed at one-fourth of the projections for 2009, Mattson said he could not comment on the figures in the memo.

“The numbers aren’t entirely accurate. In some months that has been the case, but not all months. It’s much more complicated than that,” Mattson said.

Casino spokeswoman Gina Brodie said that no one—including Chief Executive Officer Michael Barozzi—was willing to comment on its financial performance or future predictions.

Mattson said that the down economy has affected its performance but business is increasing.

“Just like all industries over the past year, the global recession has certainly hurt us, but we’re on an upward trajectory,” Mattson said. “Overall, the tribe’s pleased with the casino’s first year.”

None of the 1,100 casino workers have been laid off, he said.

“At this point, the tribe is trying to stabilize its business, become more efficient and increase its market share. It’s tough work,” Mattson said.

Ron Allen, president of the Washington Indian Gaming Association, said that some of the casino’s problems spring from its high debt. The association consists of tribes who own casinos.

The Snoqualmies borrowed $375 million to build the casino through a seven-year loan. The short term and high amount makes it hard for the casino to stay afloat, because more of the casino’s revenue has to pay interest on their loan than if they had a longer-term loan, he said.

“Part of their challenge is that they have a larger than normal debt load that they are trying to handle,” Allen said. “The financial environment forces the tribe into the short term lending structures with a higher debt load schedule.”

Weather and economic circumstances also impeded a fast start.

“They opened at a very bad time, in the middle of winter, then they got burned by a nasty storm which hurt them a great deal. By the time spring hit, their numbers were creeping up because weather wasn’t an issue,” he said.

The recession has caused a dip of 5 to 15 percent in some establishments, while other have remained steady, according to Allen. The affect depends on the location and the tribe. Snoqualmie Casino is at a disadvantage by being several miles from a major a population center and not having a resort onsite, he said.

Meanwhile, intertribal conflict about the casino and tribal leadership continues.

In April 2008, nine tribal members, including former tribal-council members and the former tribal chairman, were banished from the tribe over an election dispute but also in part, the nine members say, due to disagreements over the casino and use of money.

Since the attempted banishment, a new tribal council has been established, and about 65 of the tribe’s 140 employees have been laid-off, according Mattson.

It amounts to a purging in the eyes of Carolyn Lubenau, a former council member and one of the nine members banished in 2008. She said that she and others warned Mattson and the administration of the high debt and untrustworthy financial backers but their calls fell on deaf ears.

“I have never been inside Snoqualmie Casino and I will never go there until the wrongs that have been done to our tribal people are corrected and the land re-blessed,” Lubenau said, adding that she’d originally been excited about the possibilities of improved healthcare and education for the Snoqualmie people, but hasn’t seen the promised fruits.

The banishment, which a federal court overturned last spring on the grounds that it was a violation of civil rights, has been re-established, according to Lubenau and another banished member, Sharon Frelinger, former tribal treasurer who raised questions about the tribe’s audits and expenditures. The two received a letter that the banishment was re-established and would be in place for seven years. During that time, Frelinger said, the banished members could not attend tribal events or talk to the media.

Mattson said that the tribe’s woes—financial and otherwise—should not be construed with the casino’s status.

“The amount of money that’s available to run the casino is a separate issue from the money to run the tribal operations,” said Mattson.

Not long after, a white male wearing a jogging suit handed the ticket for his car to a valet and waited beside the victim. According to police, surveillance video showed the man had been following the victim inside the casino

A valet told police that when the victim’s car pulled up, he saw the second man get into the passenger side and point a handgun at the victim. The valet went into the casino to report what he had just seen to security.

The suspect, a 45-year-old Seattle man, told the victim to drive ahead, according to police.

About 75 yards past the valet area he allegedly took the victim’s winnings and exited the car.

In the meantime, another valet had retrieved the car of the suspect, who he was trying to find in the valet waiting area. He was about to return the car, a white Lexus, when he saw the suspect standing next to the victim’s car, he told police.

The victim drove away, and called the casino later to report the robbery. He told police that he was initially too scared and traumatized to report the robbery after it happened.

The suspect got into his own car and left the casino.

The suspect was arrested on Sept. 9, according to Sgt. John Urquhart, spokesman for the King County Sheriff’s Office.

Michael Bayless Rowe: mrowe@snovalleystar.com or 392-6434, ext. 248. Comment at www.SnoValleyStar.com.

What started off as an evening out with family before heading back to Montana, turned into a life changing moment with the spin of a reel. While playing Million Degrees, Washington’s only million dollar payout machine, Barbara Phillips lined up nine symbols at Snoqualmie Casino and is now taking home a jackpot worth $250,000.

Phillips had been playing the machine for less than an hour, before the jackpot occurred. Had she been playing the maximum amount on the machine, $3.00 per spin, and lined up the same symbols, the top award payout would have been over $1.1 million.

Since Nov. 6, 2008, Snoqualmie Casino has paid out nearly $1 billion.

A leading bond rating agency downgraded the rating of a family of companies that control the Snoqualmie Casino on Feb. 20. The rating is a signal to investors that the financial outlook for the casino is negative. 

Moody’s Investors Service downgraded Snoqualmie Entertainment Authority’s rating to denote that its bonds have a higher risk of not being repaid. The entertainment authority is the organization that built and operates the tribe’s casino between Snoqualmie and North Bend. 

The authority was rated a B3, which means that its bonds were considered speculative and of generally poor credit quality. The recent move by Moody’s lowered the authority’s rating to Caa1. A bond with a Caa1 rating is deemed to be in poor standing and to be a high credit risk. 

A Feb. 20 press release from Moody’s stated that the casino had a weak opening after heavy snows and floods in the Valley. The press release also noted that the casino has been hurt by the deteriorating economic conditions in the first months of 2009. Other factors that may bode ill for the casino include major layoffs at the area’s large employers, Boeing and Microsoft, according to Moody’s press release. 

The rating was determined based on the chance that the entertainment authority might not be able to fully cover interest payments on loans, and tribal distributions in 2009. A residual interest reserve is expected to cover approximately half of the next senior interest payment on Aug. 1, 2009, but according to Moody’s press release, the casino’s cash balance will not fully cover the remainder of the interest payment. 

The entertainment authority’s ability to meet short-term debt service obligations relies on its ability to generate cash from the casino. The press release states that the rating agency is uncertain about whether the casino can comply with the financial covenants in its loan agreements. 

A phone call for comment was made to Snoqualmie Casino Spokeswoman Gina Brodie on March 2, but was not returned as of press time. 

More details are available in Moody’s credit opinion available on-line at www.moodys.com.

Four men face federal charges related to a casino cheating scam that hit the Snoqualmie Casino just days after it opened.

On Nov. 10, 2008, three men were caught by casino security attempting to cheat at a roulette table, and police indicated that they believed others were involved.

Since the alleged crime occurred on Indian Country, the Federal Bureau of Investigation took over.

A criminal complaint filed in the Western District of Washington names Marcos Peynado, Jorge Acosta, Federico Fermin and Joan Manuel Jimenez Cordero as the four men involved in the alleged scam. Acosta, Fermin and Cordero remain at large.

Peynado, 27, of New York, is being held pending a detention hearing. The other men failed to appear at court after bonding out of the King County jail in November shortly after the incident. 

The complaint said that the men had stolen $1,440 from the Snoqualmie Casino. The men have also been accused of perpetrating the same scam at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma and the Clearwater Casino near Bremerton. The complaint alleges that $11,520 was taken from the Puyallup Tribe’s Emerald Queen Casino over the course of four days, beginning Oct. 25, 2008. 

The men allegedly tried to switch $1 roulette chips for $25 roulette chips. Chips at roulette gaming tables do not have a set dollar amount, unlike the chips used for blackjack or poker. When a new player enters the game, the dealer sets the value of their chips.

One member of the group of would-be cheaters would buy $1 chips from the roulette table, and pocket some of the chips. That member would then pass the pocketed chips to a second player who would buy chips of the same color for $25, and then attempt to cash in the pocketed chips for the greater amount.

Snoqualmie police recently arrested a man and a woman allegedly involved in the theft of a truck from a guest at Snoqualmie Casino and tools from a construction zone.

On Dec. 28, Snoqualmie police responded to a reported fight near the intersection of Southeast Ridge Street and Eagle Lake Drive. When police arrived at the scene, a white 1990 Toyota truck sped away.

The responding officers were flagged down by two construction workers at the intersection who reported that the people in the truck had just stolen construction tools from a work area in the 7000 block of St. Andrews Lane SE. The two men who flagged down the police were identified as Cary Allen Ross and Robert Joe Dunning in a police report on the incident. 

According to the police report, Ross and Dunning chased down the Toyota truck after observing the truck backed up to a garage at a residential construction site. Ross and Dunning told police that the truck sped away from the construction site with tools falling out of the back of the vehicle. Ross and Dunning pursued the alleged thieves in their own truck and tried to stop the fleeing truck by boxing it in at the intersection.

Dunning and a man later identified as Michael Lawrance Lizotte Jr. got into a fistfight in the intersection. During the fight, the driver of the truck who was later identified as Melizza Rose Zubal, unloaded the stolen tools and put them into Ross and Dunning’s truck. Zubal and Lizotte left the scene of the fight as police arrived. 

After learning what had transpired, police located the Toyota truck in a dead-end cul-de-sac on Heather Avenue near a green belt that leads to a wooded ravine.

Snoqualmie police requested a K-9 unit from King County.

A Snoqualmie police officer and a King County Sheriff’s deputy eventually located Zubal and Lizotte in the ravine. Police determined the identities of the two suspects and learned that both had outstanding warrants. Both were taken to the King County Jail and booked for residential burglary and attempted first-degree theft.

According to the police report, Zubal claimed that the vehicle belonged to a friend who had worked at the construction site and wanted her and Lizotte to collect tools from the site. However, police learned that the truck had been stolen from the parking garage at the Snoqualmie Casino on Dec. 27 and had not been reported stolen yet. The owner of the truck did not know Zubal or Lizotte.

Near the site where police found the abandoned truck, a Toyota Camry was also found. The owner of the Camry told police that the vehicle had been stolen on Dec. 26. A key in Zubal’s possession when she was arrested started the engine of the Camry.

Police also discovered that the tools allegedly taken by Zubal and Lizotte came from two sites on St. Andrew’s Avenue. A pawn slip found in the truck links the two to another alleged construction site theft. 

Lizotte and Zubal face two counts of residential burglary, one count of attempted theft in the first degree, one count of attempted theft in the second degree and three counts of possession of stolen property in the second degree. The charges are being reviewed by the prosecutor’s office. 

Reach reporter Michael Bayless Rowe at mrowe@snovalleystar.com or 425-392-6434 Ext. 248.

The new year promises to bring many new faces to Snoqualmie Casino — quite a few of them famous.

The casino has a long list of events already scheduled for 2009, starting off with a January packed with everything from fights and acrobats to singers and musicians.

Jewel is scheduled to perform at Snoqualmie Casino on March 7.

On Jan. 8, country music artist Kellie Pickler is scheduled to perform. Pickler was a sixth-place finisher on the fifth season of American Idol and has already produced a gold album.

Jan. 10 will debut the casino’s first mixed martial arts fight with the “Rumble on the Ridge.” That will be followed by a comedy routine from Terry Fator on Jan. 15.

Grammy nominees Wilson Phillips will perform Jan. 16, with Grammy-nominated R&B quartet En Vogue taking the stage the following night.

The Chinese Acrobats of Hebei will perform their daring maneuvers with Chinese poles, incredible hand balances and feats of strength Jan. 25. The comedy, theatre, music and juggling team known as The Flying Karamazov Brothers will perform Jan. 29.

Country pop singer and songwriter LeAnn Rimes will play at the casino Jan. 30, followed by country singer Ronnie Milsap on Feb. 13, Debra McClinton Feb. 18 and Little Big Town Feb. 19.

Pop rock band Smashmouth will perform on Feb. 20. The next night, comedian Bob Saget — who was a cast member on the television show Full House and the host of America’s Funniest Home Videos — will take the stage.

March begins with a performance on the 7th by singer-songwriter and actress Jewel, who has been nominated for three Grammy awards and sold more than 27 million albums during her career.

Tickets to all of the performances are available through Ticketmaster.

Immediately after the SnoValley Star began publishing in March, the Snoqualmie Valley provided many interesting stories to report on.

Just in the first month, there was another run made at a second high school, a debate over a soccer field, an agreement signed that ended a long-awaited moratorium and a heated public discussion over a hospital.

From a state playoff run by the Mount Si football team to a bizarre robbery at a local fast-food chain, the year continued to provide intriguing story lines. Five, however, stood out among the rest. Here is a run-down of the top five stories of 2008.

While the Rev. Ken Hutcherson and others came to Mount Si High School to protest the Day of Silence April 25, others were on hand to support it.

March – School bond

fails again

For the third straight time, a bond put forth to voters that would have provided a second high school in the Valley failed. And, once again, it was close — less than 2 percent shy of the 60 percent super majority needed to pass.

The district was asking for $189.6 million to fund land and construction costs for a new high school. The total also would have funded a sixth elementary school, roofs and heating systems for several existing schools and a new school bus parking facility.

In the end, 58.6 percent (4,510 voters) voted for the bond, while 41.3 percent (3,178 voters) rejected it.

In 2009, the district will attempt a much smaller bond. The $27.5 million they’ll ask for this time around will not include plans for a new high school.

March 13 – North Bend ends building moratorium

After almost a decade-long ban on building, the city of North Bend worked out its water problems and ended a self-imposed moratorium.

The problem began in 1999 when North Bend learned municipal pumps were drawing down the nearby Snoqualmie River. As a result, the city imposed upon itself a moratorium on new construction.

Eight years later, North Bend reached a deal with Seattle that would allow the city to access 1.1 million gallons of water a day, paving the way for the ban to be lifted. But an appeal to the agreement was filed by local rancher and tree grower Ewing Stringfellow, who was concerned the new operation would lower the water levels on his property. To avoid a months-long court case with Stringfellow, the city decided to pay him $40,000 to end his appeal.

In November, North Bend officially lifted a portion of the moratorium and began accepting plans for development.

April 25 – Day of Silence

gets noisy

The Rev. Ken Hutcherson and about 100 members of the Antioch Bible Church converged at Mount Si High School to protest the school’s annual Day of Silence.

The Day of Silence, held at 255 middle schools and high schools across Washington on an annual basis, is an event meant to draw attention to the harassment gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people face. Participants remain mute throughout the day.

About 40 parents and 30 counter-protestors arrived opposite Hutcherson’s group to show their support for the event. Many of them held signs either in support of the event or in opposition to Hutcherson’s group.

Five Snoqualmie police officers were on hand to watch over the groups, but no incidents were reported. More than 600 students, however, were absent from class.

Earlier in the school year, Hutcherson arrived at Mount Si to speak during a Martin Luther King Jr. Day assembly. He was booed by one teacher and questioned publicly by another for his opposition to gay rights. Hutcherson later requested both teachers be fired.

May 15 – John McCain

visits the Valley

Republican nominee John McCain made a campaign stop in North Bend to talk about environmental issues at the Cedar River Watershed Education Center.

McCain was joined by a panel of environmentalists and business leaders. He pushed the need for clean energy, specifically nuclear energy, and criticized his Democratic rivals for their “never having written” pro-environmental legislation.

Republican nominee John McCain traveled to the Cedar River Watershed in North Bend on May 15 to discuss global warming.

McCain talked about environmental issues for more than an hour.

“I’m not new to this issue,” he said, “but I’m always learning.”

In November, McCain lost his bid for president to Barack Obama.

Nov. 6 – Snoqualmie Casino’s grand opening

After much planning, construction and the spending of $375 million, Snoqulamie Casino finally opened its doors.

Included in the casino are 170,000 square feet of space, 1,700 slot machines, a cigar lounge, a ball room, a night club, a fine dining restaurant and much more. The casino, owned by the Snoqualmie Tribe, also employs 1,300.

Jessica Simpson performed for a small crowd on opening night and then again for a larger crowd the following night. Lots of other entertainment, including boxing matches, have been planned at the casino, located right off I-90 at exit 27.

The Snoqualmie Casino and other Valley businesses are gearing up to usher in 2009.

A variety of New Year’s Eve entertainment options in Snoqualmie Valley are available for visitors and residents. The new Snoqualmie Casino is offering four New Year’s Eve events that they describe as “spectacular,” and two Snoqualmie pubs are also preparing to celebrate the new year with special events.

Snoqualmie Casino’s New Year’s Eve Extravaganza begins at 9 p.m. in the Snoqualmie Ballroom, with gourmet cuisine, chilled champagne, glittering party favors and live entertainment by two of the Seattle area’s favorite party bands, the Afrodisiacs and the Spazmatics. Tickets for the casino ballroom event are $175 per person.

Younger crowds who prefer to rock in the new year can do so with American Idol star Blake Lewis and DJ SupaSam at the casino’s Club SNO. The casino expects Lewis to keep the excitement alive with his unique sound and electrifying stage performance. Doors will open at 8 p.m., and tickets for Blake Lewis’s New Year’s Eve performance are $75.

Tickets for both the New Year’s Eve Extravaganza and the Blake Lewis performance are available through Ticketmaster by calling 206-628-0888, or online at www.ticketmaster.com, or at the Snoqualmie Casino Box Office.

Gourmands might prefer checking out the casino’s Terra Vista Restaurant, which is offering an exquisite five-course menu. The Prix Fixe menu includes a champagne toast and begins at 9 p.m. Tickets for the Prix Fixe are $125. The restaurant will also feature its regular menu offerings from 4 to 8 p.m. Reservations are available through www.opentable.com or by phone at 425-888-1234.

The casino’s fourth and final offering for New Year’s Eve is in the LIT Cigar Lounge. The exclusive event will feature cigars, a champagne toast and hors d’oeuvres. Tickets for the LIT event are $100, and can be purchased at the Snoqualmie Valley Casino box office.

If the casino is not your scene, a couple of other Snoqualmie businesses are offering New Year’s Eve parties. The new Woodman’s Lodge at 38601 SE King Street in Snoqualmie is hosting Swingtime Express with singer Janet West. The band will play swing music from the 30s and 40s from about 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.

The full event at the Woodman’s Lodge begins at 8 p.m. and costs $75 a person, which includes a four-course dinner with champagne toasts as guests arrive and at midnight.

Woodman Lodge owner Peter LaHaye said that tickets for the New Year’s Eve celebration are almost sold out, but if there is room in the lodge, people without tickets will be allowed in after 10 p.m. to join the swing dance and ring in the new year. 

If you do not want to buy tickets for an event, then Finaghty’s Irish Pub and Restaurant on Snoqualmie Ridge might be the place for you. Finaghty’s will offer live music and fun without a cover charge. The pub plans to host the music of Johnny Smokes. 

Reach reporter Michael Rowe at mrowe@snovalleystar.com or 392-6434.

Although the myths and legends that inspired their artwork are intangible, their artwork — ranging from totem poles to beaded regalia — is not.

About 20 Snoqualmie Valley and Native American artists will showcase their creations at the exhibit, “A New Moon is Beginning to Appear,” which will be held in the ballroom of Snoqualmie Casino, 37500 S.E. North Bend Way, Snoqualmie from 1-7 p.m. Dec. 14.

Artist John Romero holds up one of his paintings. He and other artists will have work on display at an exhibit at Snoqualmie Casino on Dec. 14.

Because the art show will be held in the casino, guests must be at least 21 years old.

The store manager of Paddle, Jamie Sportsman, explained the title of the show.

“The theme for the art how is it’s a new moon. Everything is kind of new with the new casino going on — providing new jobs, providing new relationships. We’re entering into a new season, a season of growth and progression.”

Paddle, which celebrated its first-year anniversary Dec. 8, held a smaller art show Aug. 30. Sportsman hopes this show will draw a larger crowd, with Flutist Peter Ali and other Native American musicians and dancers performing in the ballroom alongside the art.

Artist John Romero already has his work on display in Paddle and its satellite store in the casino. An Eastern Shoshone Native American from Wyoming, Romero joined the navy after the Vietnam War and now lives in Tukwila where he incorporates narratives into his artwork.

“I’ve been painting my whole life,” Romero said. “When I was young, I used to put drawings in the state fair and win ribbons. It’s all self taught.”

Using colored pencil and oil and acrylic paints, Romero illustrates tales he hears or creates.

“I outline what I’m going to do in my mind that best represents that story,” Romero said. “I paint that story right onto the canvas.”

His subjects have changed since his move from Wyoming, where he drew horses and dancers. Now, he frequently paints water creatures and canoes.

“Since I came out here, I’ve been introduced to a whole new culture,” Romero said.

Carnation artist Fred Fulmer spends much of his waking hours carving wooden totem poles and masks and molding clay and concrete masks and figurines. 

His mother’s family, Tlingit Indians from Alaska, exposed him to native culture and art. One of his yellow cedar totem poles that will be at the art show tells the story of Gonakadet, a man who has difficulties with his nagging mother-in-law. 

There are many variations of the legend, and Fulmer told the story of how Gonakadet catches a sea monster and dons its magical pelt. When he puts on the pelt, Gonakadet transforms into the sea monster and is able to catch seafood for his people in a time of famine.

But Gonakadet’s mother-in-law takes credit for the food, which Gonakadet mysteriously leaves at the entryway of the longhouse. She assumes the role of shaman and begins making blatant predictions of what food she would discover next.

When the mother-in-law says she foresees two whales on the beach, Gonakadet does his best to wrestle the two beasts ashore — a feat that kills him when he is unable to remove the magical pelt before the first raven crows in the morning. When his people see a strange sea monster lying next to the two whales on the beach, Gonakadet’s wife breaks down crying and tells her people her husband’s secret.

The mother-in-law dies of shame and the wife joins her husband, who comes back to life but must remain a sea monster.

“The people in the village never saw her again, but they say that when you go outside on a beautiful sun-shiny day and you catch a glimpse of these nice shimmering silvery colors — their children — in the water, you’ll become very rich,” Fulmer said.

In addition to totem poles and paintings, there will be beaded merchandise, from earrings and pens to bracelets to moccasins.

Sandy Phillips and her daughter Lakota, who works at Paddle in Snoqualmie, will sell a variety of their beaded ornaments at the show. Lakota Phillips said she learned beading from her mother as a teenager.

“You got to have a lot of patience to do it,” Phillips said. “When I did it first, I said, ‘Yeah I know how.’ It gives you bragging rights from female native to another.”

All of the artists said the show would help expose their art and get ideas for future creations.

“I think it’s important to get to be known within all of the different communities as an artist,” Fulmer said.

Phillips agreed.

“This is the stuff I’ve grown up around,” Phillips said. “Going to powwows to look at other artists.”

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