Two candidates on the ballot for Snoqualmie Council

With the race for position four on the Snoqualmie City Council

coming into the home stretch, candidates Carol Peterson and Marcia Korich-Vega

met with residents of Snoqualmie Ridge in a candidate's forum Thursday

night, Oct. 21. Dick Kirby, running unopposed for re-election to position 3,

also participated.

The event, held at the Residents and Owners Association

office, brought out about 20 people from the Ridge and other interested

parties. Using a revolving question and answer format, all three candidates took

advantage of the opportunity to identify the issues facing the community

and what they would do to tackle them.

"I'm not a single issue person," said Peterson in response to one

query. "I've followed every single issue

since 1947.

"The one big issue - several years ago _ was when we started hearing

the animosity (toward the Ridge). I remember when we had the same

animosity with the city of North Bend. It took us 20 years to iron that out.

"When I heard about Snoqualmie Ridge coming in, that

animosity started building again," she

continued. "I've already lived through it once,

and I wasn't going to let I happen again. We're not going to get a lot done

in this city if we spend a lot of time arguing."

In response, Korich-Vega commented, "I look at this more like

you have moved into the city of Snoqualmie, and I felt my job

would be _ as council member _ the same as for those down below.

"If you have an issue, come down to city administration and we'll

work it out there. I don't see a problem in blending, and I don't see it as a

main issue. I see it as being a representative for the city of Snoqualmie."

And so it went through the evening, with each candidate in

turn discussing issues such as the proposed Falls Crossing and Snoqualmie

Ridge Phase II developments. In that area, both agreed the city just "can't say

no," to development, but Peterson declined further comment due to her

position as a council candidate.

"I have my feelings about the (Falls Crossing) proposal, as

planned, because I don't think it fits our character here," said Korich-Vega.

"We're really lucky because we're so close to Issaquah, which is the

biggest screw up in history," added Kirby to laughter from the group. "You

can't just do what Issaquah did, and plop in 10,000 homes on a two-lane road.

It has to be managed."

Other subjects that came up included commercial

development along the Snoqualmie Parkway and in the Ridge complex, the planned

community center, the possibility of a pool, and I-695 impacts. In and around

the comments, the attendees discussed the responses among themselves.

At the end of the evening, each candidate was given a couple of

minutes to make a closing statement.

"I think this has been interesting," said Peterson. "I would've liked

to have seen three times as many people. It's a matter of getting involved, so

we can understand where you're coming from. We're very interested in that."

"If I'm elected," concluded Korich-Vega, "I'm going to do my

best to be a good council member. There are a lot of meetings to attend, and

I hope I see you there."

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