A swastika and other white supremacist graffiti were drawn in spray paint on the side of the Church of the Nazarene in Snoqualmie June 9. As shocking as that may have seemed to some, however, the act is actually anything but unusual. According to officials in the Valley, church vandalism is running rampant this summer….
Category: Local News
Arson scars Snoqualmie Depot, City Hall
Officials say three downtown Snoqualmie fires in one night were the work of an arsonist. The fires were reported in the early morning hours of June 30. The first fire was reported just after 2 a.m. at the Snoqualmie Depot of the Northwest Railway Museum on Railroad Avenue. The fire was set inside a plastic…
Major project to start at the falls
Puget Sound Energy is planning a major update to Snoqualmie Falls Park that will focus on education and interpretation, but the work will force closures of the popular tourist site beginning in September. PSE does not have the dates set for when the park will be closed. When a construction contractor is selected for the…
Railway Museum set to break ground on its train shed
The Northwest Railway Museum will break ground soon on its train shed, the museum’s newest and largest facility. Pending receipt of a notice to proceed from the county, Wick Constructors of Seattle will begin work on a 25,000-square-foot exhibit building within a week. A formal groundbreaking will probably be scheduled for August, Museum Director Richard…
Changes coming to Snoqualmie Falls plant
Puget Sound Energy received approval of an amendment on June 1 to its operating license for the 111-year-old Snoqualmie Falls hydroelectric generating plant that will allow the utility to undertake a substantial upgrade of its facilities. “Snoqualmie Falls is a scenic and cultural treasure that’s also been giving our region clean, renewable, carbon-free energy for…
Snoqualmie Valley schools cut nine teachers
Snoqualmie Valley School District issued cuts to nine teachers May 13. The district’s expenditure reduction plan, a blueprint for the 2009-2010 budget, required that the district shave 19.5 certified teachers, but attrition lowered the number the district had to release. Of the nine teachers, two of them were part-time. The district would not say how…
Suburban Cities Association stays neutral on I-90 tolling
To toll or not to toll? That was one of the questions facing the Washington State Legislature that was not answered when it adjourned April 26. The Legislature approved a plan to toll the State Route 520 floating bridge over Lake Washington, but it avoided making a decision on tolling the Interstate 90 bridge. This…
Judge rules for banished tribe members
A federal-court judge ruled on April 30 that the Snoqualmie Tribe violated the right to due process of nine tribe members that it banished last year. “I’m very grateful for Judge Robart. He handled the issue very well for both Indian sovereignty and for individual Native American civil rights,” said Carolyn Lubenau, who was a…
School district weights potential I-728 cuts
The Snoqualmie Valley School District may have to sack teachers if the state Legislature does not fully fund Initiative-728. At a public hearing March 12, district administrators reviewed Initiative-728 funds and showed three options available to the school board regarding how to handle Initiative-728 money. The district is required to have an Initiative-728 hearing every…
Snoqualmie Valley full of stories in 2008
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…