Unsung singerLocal man updates story of composer/musician Steve Goodman.

Page 2

Got shots?Snoqualmie Valley hospital offers free vaccinations.

Page 3

Help the homelessLocal group supports those in need.

Page 6

Personal victorySwimmer takes home top honors in the pool.

Page 8

Fore!Caitlin Maralack takes second in state.

Page 8Police blotter

Page 10

August 2, 2012

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By Michele Mihalovich

For some, the morning com-mute out of Snoqualmie was an even bigger drag than normal.

The Snoqualmie Police Department heard from mul-tiple citizens about the dan-gerous driving conditions on Snoqualmie Parkway as folks waited in line to get onto the westbound ramp of Interstate 90.

After checking out complaints about speeding drivers and “line cutters,” officer Nigel Draveling decided a bit of enforcement and education was in order.

He explained that sometimes at least 50 vehicles would be lined up in the right-hand lane, waiting to get onto the inter-state. In the other lane, vehicles would race over the hill at 50 mph or more, when the speed limit is 30 mph, and then force their way into the lane at the bottom of the hill, jockeying for a better position to the interstate ramp.

Draveling said the aggressive

Aggressive drivers ticketed on Snoqualmie Parkway

By Michele Mihalovich

A proposed affordable hous-ing project in Snoqualmie Ridge will not go in front of the City Council again until early 2013.

A Kirkland organization proposed an affordable, rental housing project to the City Council on June 11, and asked the city to waive property taxes for 12 years, but neighbors were not sold on the idea.

Imagine Housing wants to build 160 apartment units on a 12-acre property that snuggles up to mid-sized Craftsman-style homes in the upscale neighbor-hood of Eagle Pointe.

“There are a number of issues between Imagine Housing and the city that needs to be resolved,” Snoqualmie City Administrator Bob Larson said in a recent phone interview.

He said the biggest factor is actually the Snoqualmie Valley Hospital’s new facility that’s being constructed near the pro-posed housing complex.

“That project will be install-

ing sewer lines and drinking water pipe to that area,” Larson said. “The housing project really can’t go forward without those services … Imagine was hoping to get started this year, but obviously, it will have to wait until sometime next year.”

But Ann Levine, executive director of Imagine Housing, said the response from the community who had turned out for the City Council meet-ing has a lot to do with the delay.

“We have received a lot of input from the community regarding our proposed afford-able housing community. We are going back to our design team to explore ways that we can improve our design con-cepts based upon the commu-nity members’ input,” she said.

“We also want to conduct more analysis into the vari-ous impacts that community members have raised ques-tions about. This is a complex endeavor with lots of alterna-tives and considerations to evaluate,” Levine said, adding that after the re-design effort,

Imagine will hold community meetings for further input.

“Following this outreach, we would anticipate filing our for-mal application to the city for review. The first part of 2013 is a reasonable estimate for this process.”

The residents who spoke out against the project June 11 said they had concerns about the tax break the city was considering. Imagine is asking for an exemption on the prop-erty taxes for the new build-ings, expected to range from $765,000 to $890,000 in the 12-year period.

Property taxes would still have to be paid for the land itself, and the city expects about $3,000 annually at the current levy rate of $2.73 per $1,000 of assessed value, according to documents pro-vided by the city. Levine told the Star that the multifamily tax exemption is an important tool for local governments that the state Legislature provided to cities to facilitate affordable

Affordable housing project is on hold

By Michele Mihalovich

A contractor’s bulldozer offi-cially broke ground for North Bend’s new fire station July 11, but that did not dampen the spirits of dignitaries who showed up for the ceremonial digging of dirt July 25.

“This is huge,” North Bend City Councilman Alan Gothelf said. “It’s been a long time in coming, but I’m glad we finally broke ground.”

North Bend Mayor Ken Hearing went so far as to describe the groundbreaking as a “landmark in the history of North Bend, in particular, the successful collaboration with so many different entities.”

Dignitaries dig in dirtGroundbreaking is held for North Bend’s new fire station

By Michele Mihalovich

Snoqualmie Police Officer Nigel Draveling points his radar gun at possible speeders cresting the hill at Snoqualmie Parkway just before the Interstate 90 exit. Police set up a traffic emphasis for speeders and tailgaters July 25-26. See STING, Page 2

See HOUSING, Page 3 See FIRE, Page 3

hundreds of times for Martin during the peak of Martin’s success in the 1970s. He also wrote songs about his beloved Chicago Cubs that fans still sing today.

“He did more in his 36 years than most of us will if we are lucky to live twice as long,” Eals said.

Colwell, who performed with Goodman once in Chicago, called him a fabulous guitarist and “an absolute delight.”

“His playing ability was unreal, his feel with the guitar was very high,” said Colwell, who played with Goodman in 1977. “What most of us remember was his performance energy, he could put out more energy into a space than any one of us had ever seen.”

First diagnosed in 1969, Goodman died in Seattle after a last-ditch bone marrow transplant failed.

Eals, a journalist at the time, wrote his obituary. Eight years later, he began researching Goodman’s

life in earnest.“I wanted to know if

Steve was Steve before the leukemia diagnosis,” Eals said. “And he definitely was. He was driven from the start.”

Before Goodman’s book, Eals wrote a bio of actress Karolyn Grimes, from the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life.” The sub-

ject of that book was and

PAGE 2 SnoValley Star AUGUST 2, 2012

2

driving practices of speed-ing, following the car in front too closely and the line-cutting amounts to road rage.

On July 25, he and three other officers con-ducted an early-morning traffic emphasis, where Draveling pointed his radar gun at drivers cresting the hill, and alerted the others when he observed speeders and tailgaters.

He said during the two-hour patrol, officers stopped and had a chat with 15 drivers — seven of those received speeding tickets for driving at least 20 mph above the 30 mph speed limit and one driver was cited for driving with a suspended license.

One driver, who was traveling 57 mph, received a $298 ticket.

“This is all about safety,” Draveling said. “We explained to drivers we spoke with about how dangerous these driving conditions are. If someone is driving 50 mph or more in a 30 mph zone, they are not going to be able to stop in time if a deer runs out in front of them, or a car brakes.”

Just to make sure every-one had learned their lesson about safe driving, Draveling and another offi-cer showed up for a second patrol the next day.

He clocked several driv-ers cresting the hill at 42 mph.

“We know people are going to push it a little bit, but anyone going 20 miles over deserves a tick-et,” he said.

Just then, a maroon Honda crested the hill at 54 mph, and Draveling raced to catch up with the driver.

A quick check of the woman’s driving record from his in-vehicle com-puter came back clean, so he decided to cut her some slack — issuing her a $154 ticket, which printed out from the passenger headrest, for driving 15 miles over the speed limit.

Turns out, according to Draveling, that was the first ticket the woman had ever received in her life.

More than likely, she’ll pay more attention on her next commute.

Draveling said emphasis patrols, or even just police being visible in problem areas, can modify people’s driving behavior.

Unfortunately, he said, that only lasts for about three weeks.

By Sebastian Moraga

To Clay Eals, there are two kinds of people in this world: People who ask “Steve who?” and people who say “Steve Goodman!”

Eals, the author of an 800-page biography of Goodman, said the folk singer who died in 1984 never felt shortchanged by his career.

Goodman shared stages

with Johnny Cash, Steve Martin and Willie Nelson while waging a private 15-year battle with leuke-mia.

Yet, despite writing songs like “City of New Orleans,” he never reached the fame of Cash or Martin or Nelson.

“Steve flew under the radar of the mainstream,” said Eals, communications officer at North Bend’s Encompass family services,

and whose book’s third edition came out in June. “He was not a household name.”

Seattle musician Tom Colwell, a contemporary of Goodman, agreed.

“Within the commu-nity of musicians he was incredibly famous and well-known,” Colwell said. “But among the public, not so much at all. The public who loved him loved him deeply. The

numbers weren’t there.”At 5 feet, 2 inches,

Goodman did not have magazine-cover looks, Eals said.

He was an eclectic songwriter, and record stores struggled to place Goodman’s songs in a spe-cific section.

“Where do you put him?” Eals asked. “Folk, country, show tunes, he was everything.”

Still, Goodman opened

If you goq Musical tribute to Steve Goodman and reading from Clay Eals’ “Facing The Music”q 7 p.m. Aug. 5q Performances by Tom Colwell, Bruce Hanson, Mark Myers and surprise guests.q The Nursery at Mount Si, 42328 S.E. 108th St. q No entry fee, but donations to the nurs-ery are welcome.q Picnic dinner avail-able for purchase starting at 6 p.m.

Words, songs bring folk musician back to life

StingFrom Page 1

See GOODMAN, Page 3

is alive, so the Goodman book was harder.

“It really forced me to dig deeper,” he said, but that made the book better. The fact that Goodman was not a superstar also appealed to Eals.

“Who wants to write the 51st book about Elvis?” he asked.

One thousand inter-views later, including one with Goodman’s high school classmate Hillary Clinton, Eals’ Goodman research continued.

“I didn’t know it was going to take that long,” said Eals, who never met Goodman, but saw two of his shows.

Finally, in 2007, after more than 70 rejection letters, a Canadian press released “Facing The Music” in a 5,000-copy edition.

“It was the biggest manuscript I had ever seen,” said Jack David, head of Toronto-based ECW Press, which pub-

lished the book. When he received it,

David said he wondered who would want a book about an obscure singer with one hit record, and then who would write 800 pages about him.

The first chapter, a detailed play-by-play of one of Goodman’s last shows, hooked him, David said.

“I thought, ‘If the first chapter is that good, maybe the rest of the book is that good,’” David said.

It took him four days to read the book.

“I thought it was a great book,” he said, later adding, “What I found out was more entertain-ing than I thought it was going to be.”

Enthusiasm aside, he still wondered how many copies would sell. Since Eals had interviewed more than 1,000 people, that might mean some sales.

“Just by getting the word out, we might be able to sell copies,” David said.

The first edition sold out and so did a second, 2,000-copy edition. Now, a third edition has come out.

Each addi-tion has brought new mate-rial to the story.

The fact the book kept selling out surprised him, David said.

“When we took this book to Barnes & Noble and Borders, they didn’t go, ‘Oh great, this is what we are waiting for,’” he said. “We had trouble getting enough copies in bookstores.”

Nevertheless, the book has hit a nerve, never receiving a bad review, David said.

More than a book about music, Eals said, it’s a book about mortality, and not just Goodman’s.

“We don’t think much about it, we live as if we are not going to die,” Eals said. “He did not have that luxury.”

He later added, “50, 100 years from now, when we are both gone, someone’s going to be reading this book. How good does that make you feel?”

AUGUST 2, 2012 SnoValley Star PAGE 3

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housing investments in their communities.

“It is a mechanism that is in place in the Eastside cities of Kirkland, Bellevue, Issaquah and Mercer Island,” she said. “We hope that the city of Snoqualmie exercises its right and decides to acti-vate this tool. We do not plan to drop our request for a property tax exemp-tion.”

But, she added, “The city also could elect to shorten the extension, so we are incorporating this possibility into our analy-sis. As you can imagine,

our development of differ-ent scenarios to create this affordable housing com-munity is a dynamic eco-nomic exercise with many variables that factor into the equation, of which the implementation of a multifamily tax exemption is just one piece, albeit an important one.”

There was no doubt that the area needed a new building. Firefighters with Eastside Fire & Rescue, and paramedics from the Bellevue Fire Department’s Medic One, sleep in a building downtown built in the 1940s, and contend with rats and occasional sewage backups, EFR Deputy Chief Bud Backer has said.

He also pointed out that there’s no sprinkler system, the sleeping areas are separated with office dividers and the building isn’t structurally sound enough to withstand earthquakes.

So North Bend and King County Fire District No. 38 entered into an

By Michele Mihalovich

Dignitaries dig in with shovels for the new North Bend Fire Station groundbreaking July 25. From left are North Bend Councilman Alan Gothelf, Fire District 38 Commissioner Ron Pedee, Mayor Pro Tem Jeanne Pettersen, Councilman Ross Loudenback, Mayor Ken Hearing, Councilman Ryan Kolodejchuk, Bellevue Battalion Chief Mark Moultan , Eastside Fire & Rescue Lt. Chris Loken and EFR Chief Lee Soptich.

interlocal agreement to pursue a $5 million bond to construct a new facility.

And in a special elec-tion in February 2011, voters overwhelmingly approved the bond, with 73.21 percent approv-ing the bond in North Bend, and 62.01 percent approving it in the fire district.

The new 13,166-square-foot fire station, on the corner of East North Bend Way and Maloney Grove Avenue Southeast, will house a minimum of three firefighters and two para-medics, with bay space to support a ladder truck, engine, aid car, water ten-der and two paramedic

units, according to an EFR press release.

Kirtley-Cole Associates was awarded the nearly $4.1 million contract and is expected to complete the building by this time next year.

Hearing, with shovel in hand, told the crowd gath-ered at the work site that the new fire station will be an “important fixture in our city as it grows.”

He thanked everyone involved in the project, “particularly the volun-teers who helped get the bond passed. With such overwhelming support at the polls, we knew we were doing the right thing for this community.”

FireFrom Page 1

HousingFrom Page 1

GoodmanFrom Page 2

Hospital offers free whooping cough vaccinations

Snoqualmie Valley Hospital is offering free whooping cough (pertus-sis) shots for those with-out health insurance.

Those with no health insurance or insurance that does not cover the whooping cough vac-cination (and are age 19 and older) may get a free whooping cough vaccina-tion at the Snoqualmie

Valley Hospital or any of its four clinics, according to a press release from the city of Snoqualmie. Call 831-2333 for an appoint-ment.

Those with health insurance that covers the whooping cough vac-cination may also go to the Snoqualmie Valley Hospital or one of its four clinics. Call 831-2333 for an appointment.

More than 3,000 cases of whooping cough have been diag-

nosed in Washington so far in 2012, accord-ing to data compiled by the Washington State Department of Health, compared to 219 cases at this time last year, according to the press release.

Vaccinations (Tdap shots) are the best way to prevent the spread of the disease. It is recommend-ed especially to those who have any exposure to infants and young children.

Steve Goodman

and there. “Olympic

athletes?” Bernie said, looking down on us from on high. “You sure don’t want them here. Ain’t safe.”

Okay, so someone had to ask him why not.

“Aliens,” he said. “Ain’t human. This is just their way of taking over our way of life. You know, get themselves on TV and first thing you know …”

“Taking over …?” “Sure,” Bernie said. “You

see those pole vaulters? Those high jumpers? It’s from training where there isn’t as much grav-ity. And where would that be? Aha … you see now?

“And those little girls who go flippity flippity? You think real girls can do that? Not on your tintype, boys! Just ask Doc here. Doc, can a human being do flippities like that?”

“Well …” “See what I mean. You don’t

want to invite them to come here and flippity flippity, guys. First thing you know, our kids will be wanting to do that and they can’t, of course, and that will give them inferiority com-plexes and once we’re inferior …”

He looked up toward the ceiling as if he were searching for spacecraft.

There didn’t really appear to be anything to say to logic like that.

Brought to you by the new book “Home Country,” at www.slimrandles.com.

OpinionPAGE 4 AUGUST 2, 2012

Vote yes for the new juvenile justice center

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Home Country

Slim RandlesColumnist

Look out for them thar Olympians

WEEKLY POLLWhat is left of Ichiro’s career?A. He will go into the Hall of Fame as a Mariner, but will get his 3,000th hit as a Yankee.B. He will retire at the end of the season — no 3,000th hit for him.C. He will not go into the Hall of Fame.D. He will win the World Series this year. E. Nothing of importance will happen; his best years are behind him.

Vote online at www.snovalleystar.com.

At first glance, the Aug. 14 ballot request to build a new King County Juvenile Justice Center might seem overly expensive at $200 million. While pricey, the proposed levy represents a good deal for King County taxpayers.

The Juvenile Justice Center is where we hope few North Bend and Snoqualmie families ever have to go. The center houses courtrooms where minors are tried, and a jail for underage offenders.

Calling current conditions poor is an understatement. The existing building is cramped. Designed decades ago, the courts and conference rooms are small and don’t meet today’s needs.

Often, people on opposite sides of a hearing are in close quarters, and that can make for a powder keg. Conference rooms are small, forcing private conversations into public.

And the place is falling apart. The water is brown, ven-tilation systems don’t work, and it costs $1.5 million each year for maintenance.

The proposed facility is an opportunity for a redesign. The number of courtrooms will go from seven to 10, and spaces will accommodate modern needs.

The extra courtrooms will move family law courts from the county courthouse, creating efficiencies by bringing family law and juvenile law together. It will also free up space in the main courthouse, staving off a potential space crunch as the population grows.

The new center will be designed with growth in mind. Typically 60-80 juveniles are held in the jail there — most youths are placed in alternative sentencing programs. The new facility will hold about 150 inmates, leaving space for a growing population of worst-offending juveniles.

The county hopes to leverage the sale of some of the land where the center sits — on 12th Avenue in Seattle’s Central District — to defray costs. And by using a short-term levy, instead of a longer-term bond, the county can take advantage of historically low interest rates.

Yes, the center is expensive, but it’s necessary, well-con-sidered and worth the price. Vote yes on Proposition 1.

Snoqualmie Casino’s lack of consideration continues unabated

So it has been three years since the noise, traffic conges-tion and ditch stink have come to my neighborhood.

There continues to be no con-sideration regarding any of these issues.

Has raising the bleachers at the site quieted my backyard or neighborhood? Did not hap-pen.

Has anyone checked my backyard for the inability to hear anything, if I were to have a party on the only two days of the week when a barbecue could include any of the people who actually work for a living? No again.

Has the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe, King County or city conducted any follow-up or

repair to the reported effluent stench that permeates the ditch at 378th Avenue Southeast on the reservation’s east boundary where the casino waste connects with the city sewer system? Apparently not.

The roundabout traffic con-gestion at the entrance to the casino is a constant reminder of how money intersects with people who have to work for a living.

Whether onstage or in the bleachers, no one can enjoy any view of Mount Si from the Mountain View Plaza. Reversing the stage and bleacher locations at the “plaza” would drastically lower the emissions entering my backyard and allow paying guests the possibility to view the mountain.

Whether any of the above ever occurs would rely on whether the dominion is actu-

ally a good neighbor. As in the past, I remain

surrounded by the constant reminders that the Snoqualmie Indian Reservation can do exact-ly as it pleases.

I have been told repeat-edly that Native Americans still need compensation for the past wrongs done to them.

I do not dismiss any indi-vidual, and I do not deserve disrespect for another’s past wrongs.

Knowing I do not have to answer to the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe council, managers or money, I will continue my writing as a free American.

The lessons the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe should have learned from bad treatment in the past are not apparent to this neighbor today.

Jenny BardueSnoqualmie

By Slim Randles

Whenever Delbert McLain — our chamber of commerce here — gets a new idea, he gen-erally shows up at the Mule Barn for coffee. He likes to try the ideas out on bonafide members of the world dilemma think tank before springing them on the world.

“What I’m thinking, guys, is this,” he said, “we need to bring the Olympic Games here to the valley!”

You could almost hear his balloon of happiness pop when we reminded him of a few draw-backs to his plan: It would cost millions to build all the neces-sary facilities, there is no place to put all the athletes and the Olympic parade could march from one end of town to the other in 10 minutes. He sulked in his coffee and then ordered a sweet roll to take the sting out of reality.

But just about the time Herb mentioned there not being a place for all the athletes to spend the night, Bernie was walking behind us, headed back to his table.

According to Bernie, he won the European war almost sin-gle-handedly, with just a little help from General Patton here

4

AUGUST 2, 2012 SnoValley Star PAGE 5

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communityPAGE 6 AUGUST 2, 2012

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By Sebastian Moraga

All it takes is two words and Patricia’s heart cringes.

The words are as harmless as they come, but they remind her, a grown woman not using her real name, of her situation. She’s homeless. So when people she meets during the colder months tell her to stay warm, “it hits me right in the heart,” she said.

“I don’t know what they should say instead, what I do know is I see my brothers and sisters out there in the cold,” she said.

Homeless for months. Janie has struggled to make ends meet. Starting in 2011 she lived in downtown Seattle homeless shelters for a year after she lost her job.

Her homes have included the YWCA, the Union Gospel Mission, Share Wheel and the Snoqualmie Valley’s River Outreach.

She has found help through the River Outreach, which fights

homelessness in the Valley.To the outreach’s Brian

Busby, the question of what Jesus would do does not belong on a wristband. In fact, it’s not a question at all for him.

“For us, it’s about Christ, No. 1,” he said. “Jesus told us we should love God and love oth-ers, and this is the way we do it.”

Busby has spearheaded the outreach’s search for toiletries, clothes and food for homeless people for months.

“It’s been amazing to see God’s work,” he said.

The work continues from noon to 4 p.m. Aug. 4 with a free barbecue for customers of the Mount Si Helping Hand Food Bank. It will give those in need a chance for a free meal, Busby said.

He added that he knows that eradicating homelessness in the world is a nearly impos-sible task. He said that’s not his goal. Changing one person’s life would be gratifying enough, he

added. Sometimes, homeless people

appear in his neighborhood near the South Fork of the Snoqualmie River. Their pres-ence made his commitment more urgent, he said.

“I can’t really sit in my home, when it’s right underneath my nose,” he said.

The homeless population fluctuates in the Valley, given its nomadic nature, so it’s hard to know if the work is making an impact.

“They may be passing through, they may be resident homeless people, they may have just lost their jobs,” he said. “We don’t get specifics. If there’s a need and it looks justified, that’s what we do.”

Owen Rooney helps the out-reach discern whose needs are real, Busby said.

“Some of these guys are rough customers, some of them are legit, some of them just take the stuff and sell it,” Rooney said. “That’s where it’s been a

bit of a challenge to be not judg-mental.”

As time goes by and faces become more familiar, the out-reach tries to establish trust with its visitors.

That trust needs to expand into the community, Busby added.

“People might be a little bit uptight about helping someone who is on drugs or someone who might not need it,” he said. “My thought is, ‘If they are cold and they need a coat, let’s give them a coat. If they are drunk, let’s come back later and talk to them, and maybe steer them in the right direction.’”

Patricia agreed. “We are human,” she said.

“We do judge.” More so in the Valley than in

Seattle, she added.Sometimes that steering in

the right direction never hap-pens. Most homeless keep mov-ing, if they are not from the area, so there’s no time to estab-lish a relationship.

Furthermore, there’s only so much a church, a police beat, a community or an outreach like his can do on its own, Busby said.

Change happens when every-one does a little bit.

“Homelessness is solved when people stop looking the other way,” he said, or stop at offering comments like stay warm.

“You know you need more than that,” Busby told Patricia, and she agreed.

“Is that selfish? Absolutely,” she said, her voice breaking. “But I’m scared to go out into beautiful North Bend and sleep on the bench across the street, ‘cause it’s cold and dangerous out here nowadays.”

On the other hand, people’s generosity makes it easy to remain hopeful.

“It’s been a blessing for me to see God provide these items,” Busby said. “I barely have to ask and these things just come in. This tells me we are doing good and it’s the right thing to do.”

Valley group fights to help feed and shelter homeless people

By Sebastian Moraga

To math wizards, 3.14 equals pi. To computer wiz Aaron Roberts, pie equals inspiration.

Standing in a checkout line at Costco the day before Thanksgiving 2010, Roberts looked at the serpentine queue in front of him, looked at the two huge pumpkin pies in his cart and thought there had to be a better, quicker way to get the pies to his wife.

Enter QThru, a phone appli-cation coupled with an in-store kiosk that allows shoppers to scan products as they shop.

“It’s a downloadable applica-tion for smartphones,” Roberts said of his invention. “If you download it, you enter your cred-it card information by scanning the credit card. Then you enter the CVV number, once that’s entered they can begin to shop.”

The CVV number is a card security code located in the back of credit and debit cards.

After entering the CVV, cus-tomers may scan products as they shop. If they decide they don’t want to buy the item after all, they swipe again and delete it. They may also drop an item quantity down to a zero.

For alcohol purchases, the application suspends approving the purchase until an attendant verifies age. Once he or she does, the attendant enters a sep-arate barcode, which approves the transaction. For products that don’t have a scanable code

on them, like produce, shoppers may print a separate barcode at another kiosk, Roberts said.

When they finish, Roberts said, they check out at a kiosk by entering a personal identifi-cation number that secures the credit card information. After scanning a quick-response code (also known as a QR code), their

card gets charged.An attendant then compares

their receipt with what they carry, the way they do at Costco exits, and then the customer goes home.

He added that the product is still in its pilot stages.

“We will remain in a beta period for the next few months and will open it up to general

availability,” he wrote in a sub-sequent email.

The application is available to some smart phones like iOS for Apple, but not for Android yet. The application is free, but the stores are still testing the feed-back they get from consumers.

“We have had lots of custom-ers asking about it, since the kiosk

is right up front,” said Jessica Brookman, manager of the IGA supermarket in the Snoqualmie Ridge neighborhood. “Everyone is wondering what’s going on.”

QThru, Brookman said, has selected people in the area who have shown interest in the application. It’s not available for customers yet.

“We’re making sure all the kinks are worked out,” she said.

Brookman said she did not think the QThru application meant a threat to the livelihood of checkstand cashiers.

“There’s always going to be people who want to go through the line,” she said. “There’s always the comfort of dealing with a live person. There’s also people who want to get in and out, and that’s who this application is for.”

Roberts praised Snoqualmie’s IGA store owner Tyler Myers for his willingness to try out QThru.

“The toughest part is getting people to believe in the idea, to embrace the idea,” Roberts said. “We were lucky to find the owner of the IGA supermarket on Snoqualmie Ridge. Lots of grocery owners are risk-averse.”

The store’s size, its proximity to many users of mobile technology and the owner’s willingness to try the application made Snoqualmie a prime location, Roberts said.

The goal is to make QThru a pivotal part of a more complete shopping experience, he added, teaching shoppers about nutri-

Snoqualmie supermarket is launching pad for phone app

By Sebastian Moraga

QThru, a downloadable application that scans products as you shop, is being tested at the IGA supermarket on Snoqualmie Ridge. Computer expert Aaron Roberts developed the idea to help customers avoid long lines at check stands.

See APP, Page 7

BirthAndrew Peter Heuser

Andrew Peter Heuser was born to Michael and Cristen Heuser, of North Bend, on June 17, 2012, at Overlake Hospital, Bellevue. He weighed 7 pounds and 6 ounces, and measured 20

inches in length.He joins big sister Anna

Sofia. Grandparents are Duane

and Colette Johnson, of Snoqualmie, and Pete and Nyra Heuser, of Sammamish.

Cristen is a 1991 gradu-ate of Mount Si High School. Michael works at the North Bend QFC.

AUGUST 2, 2012 SnoValley Star PAGE 7

7

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Craig Thompson LaBelle

Sept. 30, 1958 — July 20, 2012

Craig’s passions in life were fishing, hunt-ing, baseball, watching NASCAR and Raiders foot-ball, and cooking! He was the former owner of Tall Chief Golf Course.

Preceded by parents Alice and Richard LaBelle;

survived by sons: Kenny (Megan), of Buckeye, Ariz., son David (Melissa), of Fall City, grandchildren Brayden and Brody, and many loving family.

Per Craig’s request there will be no services.

Flintoft’s — 392-6444

Leo Chester Strange Sr. (Zeke)

Feb. 16, 1936 — July 25, 2012

Leo was the ultimate

provider, teacher and care-giver. He was a dedicated employee, driving trucks and hauling goods for more than 60 years.

He is survived by his sister Barbara Hall; daugh-ters Rose Janikowski and Wendy Ludeman; son Bud Strange; and many loving grandchildren.

A memorial service will begin at 3 p.m. Aug. 5, 2012, at the Strange residence in Fall City. Flintoft’s 392-6444.

Obituaries

tional information, and offering coupons.

“We will help shoppers make smart choices about

what they are purchasing,” he said.

He predicted that within five years technology like QThru will be common-place. The technology is already there, said Roberts, who worked for 10 years for Research In Motion,

the developers of the BlackBerry smartphone.

“We see this as a funda-mental change in the way people work and play,” he said. “If we can give people 10 minutes of their lives back, that’s a great thing for us.”

AppFrom Page 6

Andrew Peter Heuser

Valley students earn dean’s list spots across the nation

Ten Valley students at four universities and two colleges earned end-of-year honors for their aca-demic performance.

At the University of Oklahoma, Stephanie Rehm, of North Bend, earned a spot on the spring honor roll. Rehm

earned a 4.0 grade point average, one of nine Washington students at UO with that GPA.

At Eastern Washington University, Cooper Helm and Nicholas Saty earned a place on the dean’s list.

At Wake Forest University, in North Carolina, North Bend’s Katherine Franklin made the spring dean’s list.

At California’s Azusa Pacific University,

Brittany Whims, of Snoqualmie, and Alexander Bolves and Brooks Malberg, of North Bend, made the dean’s list.

At Connecticut’s Fairfield College, Nicole Stanton, of North Bend, made the dean’s list.

Lastly, at Oregon’s Linfield College, Katricia Stewart and Cody Tipton, of North Bend, made the dean’s list.

SportsPAGE 8 AUGUST 2, 2012

8

By Sebastian Moraga

Almost a decade ago, Franchesca Havas some-times watched her daughter Alexandria sleep and she day-dreamed alongside her.

Franchesca dreamed of Alexandria. Of Alexandria read-ing, playing, kicking a ball. Swimming, laughing, riding a horse.

Alexandria fell off a slide while at daycare in Texas 14 years ago, suffering a trau-matic brain injury. Yet, her mother’s wishes did come true. Alexandria attends Mount Si High School, plays the piano, rides horses and can swim a bit, too.

At the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Alexandria earned gold medals in the regional Special Olympics in April.

Two months later, she earned a silver medal at the Special Olympics state competition.

Franchesca and one of Alexandria’s two siblings watched from the stands.

“It was incredible,” Franchesca said. “To see her just dive in and just go, go, go,

and then to see three lengths between her and the next per-son, it was like, ‘Oh my God.”’

Watching Alexandria swim is more than a Kodak moment to Franchesca.

The brain injury weak-ened muscles on one side of Alexandria’s body, harmed her balance and left Franchesca fear-ing a grim future for her daugh-ter.

Swimming helped fix all that.When Alexandria swims,

Franchesca said she real-izes her daughter will have a future nothing like the one she feared back in Texas, where she thought Alexandria might have to be institutionalized.

She realizes the nightmarish days of Alexandria on the wrong medication, ripping dolls apart and throwing screaming fits have disappeared.

At one point, Alexandria was on eight different medications. Now she’s down to two.

“It makes me feel like there’s definitely something for her out there,” Franchesca said. “We see now that she can go to college, there are resources and there are programs out there that she can go to.”

Alexandria has big plans for her own future, too, wanting to study music. Nothing wrong with her self-esteem, either.

“I’m a multitalented person,” Alexandria said.

Speaking in a soft monotone and mostly short sentences, Alexandria displays a matu-rity uncommon in teenagers. Franchesca said “not appropri-ate” is her daughter’s favorite phrase, which she tosses at her girlfriends when they try to get away with something.

Still, teenagers will be teenag-ers, Franchesca said.

“She doesn’t like cleaning her room or doing the dishes,” she added.

Swimming practice is not her favorite either, particularly if it’s in the morning.

Reading, though, is another matter. It’s not just a hobby, it’s a triumph. Alexandria learned how to read four years ago.

After trying several cocktails of medications, the family found the right one and Alexandria began reading, almost instantly, Franchesca said.

“All of a sudden this little

Mount Si High School swimmer wins silver at state competition

By Sebastian Moraga

Mount Si High School student Alexandria Navas shows off her bounty from regional and state Special Olympics. The 16-year-old from Fall City has become an accomplished swimmer, much to the delight of her fam-ily who nursed her back to health from a traumatic brain injury at age 2.

See SWIMMER, Page 9

By Michele Mihalovich

Caitlin Maralack, 13, of Snoqualmie, came away from her first state golf championship with a second-place finish.

She won the Washington Junior Golf Association district tournament to qualify for the state competition July 23-27 at the Meridian Valley Country Club in Kent.

The Snoqualmie girl has been playing since she was 5, and started tournament play at 8, but said competing in her first state competition was “hard to describe.”

“The experience of the first time making it to state, and then to be able to qualify for the final round in state, it was shocking to me,” Maralack said.

Ashley Fitzgibbons, 13, of Sammamish, ran away with the first place title in the 12-13 age category, winning the top spot in all three rounds.

Maralack scored a 77 in the first round, 80 in the second and 85 in the third.

She and Rachel Fujitani, 13, of Bellevue, tied for the second spot with an overall 242 score. Fitzgibbons’ final overall score was 223.

“I learned a lot watching Ashley,” Maralack said. “She’s consistent in all her shots, while I was making little, silly mis-takes, especially with putting.”

She said the last hole of the final round was a three-putt, but she ended up four-putting it

because she was rushing rather than really taking her time with the shot.

Maralack, a freshman this fall, will join the Mount Si High School golf team next spring. But she doesn’t plan to stay idle between now and then.

She said competing at the state level has taught her “that you really have to work hard at it. The only way to improve is to work hard, practicing and play-ing more competition golf.”

Maralack said playing a nor-mal round of golf helps you work on your game, but compe-tition golf adds pressure to really help you focus.

Maralack plans to continue to hone her skills by competing in tournaments, one in August and three in October.

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

By David Maralack

Caitlin Maralack, 13, of Snoqualmie, took second place in the 12-13 age category at the Washington Junior Golf Association state tourna-ment at the Meridian Valley Country Club in Kent.

Caitlin Maralack gets second-place trophy in state golf tournament

“You really have to work hard at it. The only way to improve is to work hard, practicing and playing more competition golf.”

— Caitlin MaralackGolfer

AUGUST 2, 2012 SnoValley Star PAGE 9

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girl who liked Barbies and playing with horses and going swimming now liked to read, then go swimming and go play with horses,” she said. “Now she’s locked up all her Barbies and has books everywhere.”

The Havas girls are still waiting for some other milestones to happen. Alexandria struggles when telling time from an ana-log clock.

On the other hand, she has a driving permit, plays two musical instruments, has played golf, tennis and soccer, and has enough swimming medals to give her neck a cramp.

“It felt really good,” Alexandria said of her time in the Federal Way pool. “Even though I got second place, I did not discourage myself. I enjoy it because it’s fun. I don’t really care about winning or losing.”

Franchesca listened to her daughter and smiled.

“I just knew that one day I would have a nor-mal child,” Franchesca said. “That she was in there, and she was going to come out at some point. Just had to be patient.”

SwimmerFrom Page 8

By Michele Mihalovich

The 24th annual Tour de Peaks bike ride is set for Aug. 12.

Three different routes are being offered, depend-ing on a rider’s skill or adventurousness, and all of them begin and end at the Festival at Mount Si in North Bend.

The 100-mile route heads from North Bend to Snoqualmie, Fall City, Carnation and then Duvall via Kelly Road and Cherry Valley Road.

After looping around Duvall and Fall City, riders return to North Bend via the Snoqualmie Falls Hill on Highway 202.

The 50-mile routegoes from North Bend, to Snoqualmie, Fall City and

By Michele Mihalovich

Elliot Cribby, Mount Si High School’s base-ball coach who led the team to the school’s first state championship title in 2011, announced he has accepted a position with Abilene Christian University in Texas.

He starts his job as the college’s pitching coach and recruiting coordina-tor in three weeks.

Cribby, who was just 25 years old when hired to coach the Mount Si Wildcats two years ago, said the experience at Mount Si has been incred-ible.

“I learned just as much as my student-athletes,” he said, referring to fun-draising, building a team and getting the commu-nity involved. “The whole

culture of the program could not have been done without the community’s support.”

Cribby, who became nationally known for his “Trio of Arms,” represent-ing recent graduates Reese Karalus, Trevor Lane and Trevor Taylor, had two winning seasons at Mount Si.

His second year, with a Wildcat 20-4 record, did end with the team heading to the state championship, but not coming home with a title after losing to Kelso, 5-2.

“The future is bright for Wildcat baseball and it has truly been an honor to coach such wonderful student-athletes,” Cribby said.

Before joining Mount Si, he coached baseball

as an assistant at Eastside Catholic High School in 2010, graduated from the University of Washington in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociol-ogy, and received his mas-ter’s degree in intercol-legiate athletic leader-ship from the UW in 2009, while also playing base-ball professionally for one year.

While at the UW, Elliott was All Pac-10 in 2006 and was on the All Pac-10 Academic Team in 2008. From 2005-2008, he led the Huskies in saves

and appearances, while ranking second all-time on the Huskies appear-ances list and fifth all-time for saves in a career.

He was nomi-nated for the Brooks Wallace Award, which goes to the top collegiate baseball

player in the country, and also being nominat-ed for the Roger Clemens Award, which honors the top collegiate pitcher in the country.

Cribby said his goal has always been to coach at the college level, and he’s very excited about

his future with the Abilene Wildcats.

“This is a great oppor-tunity for me,” said Cribby, who worked part time with Mount Si and as a lighting sales-man.

“I’m finally going to be working full time doing something I love,” he said.

As for the future of the local Wildcats, Mount Si’s assistant princi-pal and athletic direc-tor, Greg Hart, hadn’t responded to email and phone requests before press time.

But Cribby said he hopes the school will hire the new coach from the existing assistant coach talent.

“Any one of them would be a valuable asset to the team,” he said.

Mount Si head baseball coach leaving for Texas

There’s still time for riders to register for Tour de PeaksTolt-McDonald Park in Carnation, and then back to North Bend.

The 25-mile route runs from North Bend to Fall City, and back to North Bend.

According to the organization’s web-site, the Snoqualmie Chamber (that was before the North Bend and Snoqualmie cham-bers combined) in 1988

decided to commemorate the city of Snoqualmie’s Centennial with the centennial bike ride, and Tour de Peaks was one of the first organized rides in the northwest.

Register at www.tourde-peaks.org.

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

“The future is bright for Wildcat baseball and it has truly been an honor to coach such wonderful student-athletes.”

—Elliot Cribby Former Mount Si coach

Write to usSnoValley Star wel-

comes letters to the editor on any subject, although we give priority to local issues.

Letters should be no more than 350 words.

The deadline for letters is noon on the Monday before the publication.

Send letters to:SnoValley Star, P.O. Box

1328, Issaquah, WA 98027 or email to editor@snoval-leystar.com.

PAGE 10 SnoValley Star AUGUST 2, 2012

10

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North Bend

Bogus bail callA North Bend woman

received a call July 12 from a man pretending to be her grandson. The man told the woman he was in jail in Mexico City and needed $1,500 wired to a Walmart in order for him to get out. She wired the money and then learned her grandson is not in Mexico City.

AssaultTwo fathers got into a

physical altercation July 13 over how one of the parents disciplined his child after the child pulled the hair of and threw rocks at the other child. The father who phoned the police declined to press charges.

That’s not your sinkOn July 13, police were

called to investigate con-struction material that had been moved from a Southeast Cedar Falls Way construction site to a near-by residential property. A North Bend man who lives at the residential property was arrested for possession

of stolen property.

BMX getawayOn July 14, police

were called to the North Bend Block Party, where a witness reported see-ing a young male on a BMX bike grab a fish bowl full of money from the Snoqualmie Valley Hospital Foundation booth. The fish bowl, which contained about $200 in cash, was found in some bushes, but all the money was gone.

Melee results in cutOn July 15, police were

called to an apartment complex on Healy Street, where about 15 males had gotten into a fight. One woman tried to break up the fight, and was cut on her hand by what she believes was a knife. Police were unable to locate the suspect with a knife.

Counterfeit $20On July 15, police

responded to a counterfeit-in-progress call at Volcom Store. A manager tested a $20 bill and found it to be counterfeit. One of the women suspected of pass-ing the bad bill turned out to have a warrant for pos-session of stolen property.

Jaala A. Johnson, 33, of North Bend, was arrested on the warrant and trans-ported to the Issaquah Jail.

Hey, where’s my grill?

A woman reported to police July 17 that some-one had stolen her grill, valued at $200.

Shoplifters with exquisite taste

On July 17, police responded to a call from the manager of the Coach store, 461 South Fork Ave. S.W. She reported she had video footage of three teenagers stealing $2,228 worth of goods from the store.

Snoqualmie

VandalismPolice responded

to a vandalism call at

about 7 a.m. July 20 at Village Foods on Center Boulevard. An officer found extensive damage to two vehicles parked in the lot, and multiple plants and flowerpots were taken from the outside area of the grocery store and thrown into the street.

Buses, or grasshop-pers, make me mad

The YWCA manager reported to police July 20 that during the night a metal grasshopper sculp-ture had been thrown through the window of a bus parked in the lot.

DUIAt 10:20 p.m. July 21,

police spotted a vehicle on Snoqualmie Parkway Southeast drifting repeat-edly over the fog line. Matthew S. Bunker, 34, of Kent, was arrested for driv-ing while under the influ-ence of alcohol and taken

to the Issaquah Jail.

Da bearsPolice received a call at

about midnight July 23 about a bear in the alley eating garbage.

AccidentOfficers responded to a

non-injuring vehicle acci-dent at 6:37 p.m. July 24 on the corner of Railroad Avenue Southeast and Southeast Millpond Road.

Fire calls from Eastside Fire & Rescue in North Bend

Five fire engines responded to a vehicle accident with injuries at 4:20 p.m. July 22 in the 43000 block of Southeast 174th Street.

One fire engine responded to an unauthor-ized burning call at 2:59

p.m. July 23 in the 44000 block of Southeast 161st Place.

Five fire engines responded to a vehicle accident with injuries at 10:06 a.m. July 24 in the 6500 block of Railroad Avenue Southeast.

One fire engine responded to an electrical wiring problem at 2:48 p.m. July 24 in the 800 block of Snoqualmie Place.

The Star publishes names of those arrested for DUI and those charged with felony crimes. Information comes directly from local police reports.

Police blotter

Have a story idea?

Call us at 392-6434,ext. 246

Snoqualmie Library

Events are at 7824 Center Blvd. S.E., unless otherwise noted. Call 888-1223 for more information.

� Pajama Story Time, 7 p.m. Aug. 2, 9. All children welcome with adult. Wear your pj’s if you like. Enjoy stories, songs and surprises.

� Drop-in eReader assis-tance, 11 a.m. Aug. 9. Learn how to download KCLS eBooks to an eReader or computer dur-ing a digital download demon-stration.

� Preschool story time, 1:30 p.m. Aug. 6, 13; 10 a.m. Aug. 8. Share the world of books with your child. Enjoy stories, songs and surprises.

� Night Lanterns Art Workshop, 2 p.m. Aug. 7. Make a whimsical lantern to guide you through your dreams or keep as a nightlight. For children and families.

� Young Toddler Story Time 9:30 a.m. Aug. 8, 15. Ages 6-24 months, with adult. Younger children and siblings are wel-come.

� Spanish-English Story Time, 10:30 a.m. Aug. 11. All welcome with adult. Enjoy sto-ries, songs and fun activities in Spanish and English.

� In the Garden With Eric Nelson, 3 p.m. Aug. 11, work-shop on ornamental grasses

Churches� Our Lady of Sorrows

Catholic Church’s preschool is holding a fundraiser by gather-ing used ink cartridges. Leave them in the blue-and-yellow containers in the parish hall of the church, 39025 S.E. Alpha St., Snoqualmie.

The church also has a dona-tion box for the school supply drive, which are due Aug. 5. Supplies will be distributed in mid-August at the Mount Si Helping Hand Food Bank,126 E. Third St. North Bend.

Supplies needed include back-packs, crayons, glue sticks, pen-cils, colored pencils, spiral note-books, erasers, scissors, three-ring binders, notebook paper, gender-neutral pencil pouches or boxes, rulers and blue or black ballpoint pens.

� Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church also collects items for the Mount Si Food bank’s “Summer Cupboard” pro-gram for children. Bring break-fast items like instant oatmeal, healthy cereal, raisins, dried fruit, granola, juice boxes, and low-sugar canned fruit.

Bring lunch items like pea-nut butter, jelly, child-friendly soups, meal-in-a-can, macaroni-and-cheese, and shelf-stable milk. Bring snacks like healthy snack bars, fruit cups, cheese and crackers, dried fruits and

nuts, fruit leather, cereal bars, granola bars and ready-made pudding. Take items to the church on Sunday.

� River Outreach barbecue for customers of the Mount Si Helping Hand Food Bank, Aug. 4, noon to 4 p.m.

Clubs � Snoqualmie Fraternal

Order of Eagles Women’s Auxiliary, first and third Tuesday, 7 p.m. Men’s Aerie, first and third Wednesday, 7 p.m., both at 108 Railroad Ave., 888-1129

� Cancer survivor group, 9 a.m. second Saturday, Sawdust Coffee, North Bend Factory Stores mall, 461 South Fork Ave. S.W., Unit K. newellvl@yahoo.com

� Loyal Order of Moose, 108 Sydney Ave., North Bend; men at 6 p.m. first and third Monday; women at 7 p.m. third

and fourth Tuesday; 888-0951� Washington Freemasons,

7:30 p.m. first Wednesday, Unity Lodge No. 198, North Bend, 888-5779

� Mental illness support group, 7-8:30 p.m. Fridays, Snoqualmie Fire Station, 37600 S.E. Snoqualmie Parkway, free for anyone with a mental illness or who has a family member with a mental illness, 829-2417

� Mount Si Artist Guild meeting, 9:15-11 a.m. third Saturday, Mount Si Senior Center, 411 Main Ave. S., North Bend, www.mtsiartistguild.org

� SnoValley Beekeepers, 7 p.m. second Tuesday, Meadowbrook Interpretive Center, Meadowbrook Farm, 1711 Boalch Ave., North Bend, www.snoqualmievalleybeekeepers.org

� Trellis gardening club, 10 a.m. third Saturday, Valley Christian Assembly, 32725 S.E. 42nd St., Fall City, new and experienced gardeners are wel-come

� Moms Club of North

Bend, 10 a.m. last Monday, Totz, 249 Main Ave. S., Suite E, North Bend, children welcome, www.momsclub.org

� Snoqualmie Valley Chess Club, 7 p.m. Thursdays, North Bend Library, 115 E. Fourth St.

� Survivors of the Snoqualmie Valley School District, third Monday 7 p.m. at Snoqualmie Valley YMCA, 35018 S.E. Ridge St., Snoqualmie. Third Tuesday, Si View Community Center, 400 S.E. Orchard Drive, North Bend, 292-7191

� Snoqualmie Valley Rotary Club, 7 a.m. Thursdays, TPC Snoqualmie Ridge Golf Club Restaurant, 36005 S.E. Ridge St. Snoqualmie; all are welcome; www.snoqualmievalleyrotary.org

� American Legion Post 79 and the American Legion Auxiliary, 7 p.m. second Thursday, 38625 S.E. River St., Snoqualmie, 888-1206

� Snoqualmie Valley Garden Club, 6:30 p.m. sec-ond Thursday, Mount Si Senior Center, North Bend, 888-4646

� Snoqualmie Valley Kiwanis Club, 7 a.m. Thursdays at the Mount Si Golf Course restaurant, 9010 Boalch Ave., Snoqualmie, snovalley@mem-ber.kiwanis.org

Volunteer opportunities

� The Festival at Mt. Si in

North Bend is looking for vol-unteers to help in all aspects of the festival.

Volunteers may work behind the scenes prior to the event or in three to four hour shifts dur-ing the festival. The festival is held Aug. 10-12. Learn more or get a volunteer application at www.thefestivalatmtsi.org or call 888-1406.

� The Mount Si Helping Hand Food Bank is looking for volunteers to help unload food at noon Mondays, sort food at 9 a.m. Tuesdays or pass out food on Wednesdays. Call 888-0096.

� The food bank is seek-ing candidates to serve on its board for a three-year com-mitment. Appointments for interviews will be set up in October. The food bank seeks a skilled bookkeeper to help as it reorganizes its bookkeeping pro-cedures. Contact Karen Birzell at kbirzell@yahoo.com or 831-7062.

� The Boeing Classic golf tournament seeks volunteers for its 2012 edition. Tournament is Aug. 20-26 at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge. Volunteers receive two golf shirts, a jacket, headwear, admission passes, meal vouch-ers and more. Learn more at www.boeingclassic.com.

Events� U-Pick blueberries at

Bybee-Nims Blueberry Farm. 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Sept. 16. Call 888-0821 to confirm the farm is open. Farm is at 42930 S.E. 92nd St., North Bend. Blueberries are $1.95 per pound, cash or check only.

� Summer matinees at the North Bend Theatre — “The Wizard of Oz,” rated G (noon, through Aug. 2) and “Flubber,” rated PG, (noon Aug. 7-9). Free.

� Guided hike up Rattlesnake Mountain with barbecue after the hike, Aug. 4. Register at www.mtsgreen-way.org. Fee of $25 includes shuttle and barbecue. Meet at Snoqualmie Point Park, 37580 Winery Road S.E. at 8:30 a.m.

� Snoqualmie Parks and Recreation will host the Dog Days of Summer event at Snoqualmie’s Three Forks Off-Leash Dog Park, 1-2:30 p.m. Aug. 5. 39912 S.E. Park St. Pets and their owners get to com-pete in contests, watch demos have their photos taken, browse booths and more.

� The Valley Kids Showcase, 1 p.m. Aug. 12, is looking for performers. Acts could include dance, song, music, drama, jug-gling, standup comedy, martial arts, gymnastics, magic, hula-hoop, jumping rope or what-ever could be entertaining to a crowd of local fans. Register at www.cityofsnoqualmie.org. Call 831-5784.

� Tap Water Tours to the Cedar River Municipal water-shed, 9:45 a.m. most Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays until Aug. 26, tour lasts two and a half hours and it costs $10 for adults, $5 for seniors. Children 10 or older accompanied by an adult pay $5 as well. The tour occurs by foot and by bus into the river-fed watershed. See the source of your tap water and hear stories of this unparalleled watershed.

� The Snoqualmie Valley Museum presents: “Beyond Smokey: The USFS In The Snoqualmie Valley,” 1-5 p.m. Saturdays through Tuesdays, 320 Bendigo Blvd. S., North Bend

� North Bend Farmers Market, 4-8 p.m. Thursdays through Sept. 13 at Si View Park, 400 S.E. Orchard Drive

Submit an item for the community calendar by emailing smoraga@snovalleystar.com or go to www.snovalleystar.com.

Rockers help talkers

CalendarAUGUST 2, 2012 PAGE 11

The Speech and Debate program at Mount Si High School will host the second annual Rock For Talk fundraiser. The Black Dog will welcome rock bands at 7 p.m. Aug. 11. The café is at 8062 Railroad Ave. S.E. in Snoqualmie.

11

August 2012

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PAGE 12 SnoValley Star AUGUST 2, 2012

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