March

Published 2:23 pm Thursday, October 2, 2008

Preston audit reveals discrepancies

The Feb. 18 release of the King County Water District No. 123

audit turned up several irregularities for the period of Jan. 1, 1996 to Dec.

31, 1998.

County officials determined that the water district, which is in

Preston, complied with state laws and regulations in most cases.

However, they stated that missing and incomplete records made it

difficult to conduct the audit.

Hospital District hears proposals

King County Hospital District officials recently heard

presentations from two organizations that would reopen the Snoqualmie Valley

Hospital.

Cancer treatment Centers of America of Arlington Heights, Ill.

and Northwest Care Management Inc. of Bainbridge Island presented

their plans that could result in one of the companies leasing the hospital

facility and producing a year-end opening.

The hospital has until Dec. 31 to find a partner and reopen, or the

building could lose its hospital status.

School district’s votes tallied

The results of the Riverview School District’s three levies were

finalized March 10.

The maintenance and operations and technology levies passed with

61 and 63 percent of the votes, respectively.

However, the Performing Arts Center levy received only 57.5

percent approval instead of the 60 percent needed to pass.

Homeowners with a $200,000 house can expect to pay $2.88,

which is $2.52 for maintenance and operation and 36 cents for technology,

per $1,000 of assessed valuation, or $576 in 2001.

Schools alarmed by racist mailing

Snoqualmie and North Bend elementary school principals each

received a racist hate mail packet in mid-March.

The packet included a hate letter, an ad for a monthly publication

that touts itself as being “The Most Racist Newspaper on Earth,” and various

pictures of swastikas, racist slogans and negative stereotypical sketches of

ethnic minorities.

A business card was also found in each envelope that contained a

phone number for local racist support groups.

Snoqualmie Department of Public Safety — Police Division

officials handed the materials over to the postal service to conduct an investigation

on whether the anonymous sender violated any regulations.

Tribe expresses interest in Falls Crossing

As the Falls Crossing development proposal and debate continues to

make its way through the Snoqualmie Planning Commission for the second

time, new questions are being raised about future ownership of the 182-acre

site if the project is denied.

According to several sources, the Snoqualmie Tribe has engaged in

discussions to purchase the site.

As strong, vocal opponents of the housing, commercial and retail

development, which would border on the Traditional Cultural Property

grounds considered sacred by the Tribe, exploratory talks and sources for

financial backing are cautiously continuing.

Tribal Chairman Joseph Mullen acknowledged that the

Snoqualmies are interested in purchasing the property.

Mount Si Road receives drainage service

King County crews fixed a culvert and pipe that flooded the Mount

Si Road near North Bend last winter.

The road was closed for two days in November when homes

were flooded. Access to almost 200 homes was restricted in the Middle Fork

Park and Riverpoint neighborhoods and schoolchildren were forced to

walk through knee-deep water to get home.

The culvert repair was a Neighborhood Drainage Assistance project,

and is an example of the type of work funded by the new Surface

Water Management Program that was extended to King County.

`Rempfer Bill’ passes

Bill 6071, also referred to as the “Rempfer Bill,” was signed into

law March 30 in Olympia.

The bill, which was sponsored by Sen. Dino Rossi,

R-Sammamish, places stiffer punishments on hit-and-run drivers who leave the scene

and therefore avoid an immediate determination on their possible substance

impairment at the time of the accident.

Jerry and Charlotte Rempfer, parents of Dane Rempfer — the teen

who was killed during a hit-and-run accident in 1998 — campaigned for

the measure since they realized the man who killed their son would only

serve about six months in jail.

Drivers who flee the scene of an accident that results in

someone’s death will now face up to 12 years in jail and a fine of up to $20,000,

depending on prior criminal history. The minimum jail sentence is 21

months under the new law. The offense is now a Class B felony.