Year in review: Fall in the Valley brings school news, sports, festivals and change

Published 12:48 pm Thursday, December 31, 2015

The fall of 2015 was eventful, not just for schools and student athletes, but also for the city of Snoqualmie, which marked a milestone on its Main Street renovations and sparked a protest for its work on a roundabout on S.R. 202. North Bend again drew a crowd for its outdoor festivals — the Blues Walk in September and the 12s Day in November — and readied for change as voters chose three newcomers to fill seats on the City Council.

Here’s a look at the headlines and photos from the last few months of 2015.

Sept. 2: Battle of Snoqualmie

Re-enactors from the Washington Civil War Association presented a full day of living history and battle re-enactments over the weekend at Meadowbrook Farm, before a surprise storm forced the group to cancel Sunday activities.

Confederate artillerymen fire their cannon in the opening volleys of the Battle of Snoqualmie.

Spreading the word about their upcoming battle re-enactment, members of the Washington Civil War Association, from left, Audun Holland, Paul Timmerman, Robert Ballard, Ian Melendez and Jack Parsons acted as  as Union soldiers during Snoqualmie’s Railroad Days.

A soldier gathers a small crowd as he tells of the storm that hit the encampment of Civil War re-enactors Saturday morning.

King County Sheriff’s detectives are investigating the death of a man found on the side of a road in the Edgewick neighborhood of North Bend, Saturday, Aug. 30. The man, later identified as Jarett Van Curen, 40, had significant head trauma. Detectives said a car was involved in his death.

Snoqualmie celebrated the nearly complete Main Street project

Wendy Thomas of Carmichael’s Hardware gets a little help from the audience as she sings “On the Boardwalk” in celebration of Snoqualmie’s nearly complete phase of work on the Historic Downtown infrastructure project, Saturday afternoon. See page 3 for more on the city’s milestone celebration.

Tyrell Oliveres of Snoqualmie earned a gold medal in the skills competition at the state Special Olympics golf tournament.

Sept. 16: Roundabout is under way, over protests

Snoqualmie’s plans to construct a roundabout at the intersection of S.R. 202 with S.E. Tokul Road and S.E. Mill Pond Road, in the works since 2006, are facing opposition from Snoqualmie Tribe members and a “Save Snoqualmie Falls” petition.

Preserving cultural and natural heritage was one of the major themes of the rally and something that many of the supporters felt was important.

Snoqualmie Parkway became a racetrack for a day during the annual Challenge Races.

Amber Thompson and Addison Fischer (left) race Danny Vukovich and Lucy Weed in gravity cars on Snoqualmie Parkway Sept. 16, during the challenge races for developmentally disabled children, organized by Life Enrichment Options.

Twin Peaks film crews visited the Valley.

The intersection of Meadowbrook Way and Southeast Park Street in Snoqualmie was closed the morning of Tuesday, Sept. 22 for filming. Police worked with the production crew to manage traffic.

Sept. 23:  E. coli found in Fall City

Residents of the Riverview Park neighborhood in Fall City are being warned this week to boil their tap water before drinking it. The Fall City Water District reported finding traces of E. coli bacteria in the water supply for the RV park during routine testing last week.

Sept. 23: School bus, car collide on Mount Si Road

At about 7 a.m. Monday morning, Sept. 21, a school bus and car collided on Mount Si Road. A middle school student and the driver, were examined at a hospital as a precaution; the driver of the car, later identified as Zach Solomon, had multiple, severe injuries.

A school bus and car collided on Mount Si Road Sept. 21, damaging the bus and wrecking the other car.

Sept. 23: New gym, condemnation of properties get school board OK

Snoqualmie Valley School District is buying three properties in the path of a planned high school expansion and has begun condemnation proceedings to acquire the other four parcels of land needed for the project. The school board voted 3 to 1 to pursue the condemnation process, which allows the school district to acquire the specified properties via eminent domain and to pay no more than the assessed “fair market value.” School board members also agreed to build a new gym as part of a planned remodel of Mount Si High School, to improve its safety and stability in a major earthquake.

Sept. 23: MVP honors for Josh Mitchell

Former Mount Si High School football player Josh Mitchell was named Oregon State University’s Most Valuable Player following his strong performance on offense against Michigan Sept. 12. Mitchell, a 2012 graduate of Mount Si, is the Oregon State Beavers’ starting center.

Sept. 30: Historic award for Georgia’s Bakery

North Bend bakery owners Steve and Georgia Teodosiadis received King County’s John D. Spellman award for historic preservation, for their restoration of the bakery facade. They removed the ‘70s-era facade after buying the bakery in 2014.

Georgia and Steve Teodosiadis received the John D. Spellman Historic Preservation Award for their restoration of Georgia’s Bakery in North Bend. Presenting the award, center, is Rhonda Berry of the King County Executive’s office.

Sept. 30: Blues Walk brings a crowd

Downtown North Bend hosted its third annual Blues Walk Sept. 26, filling 22 venues with 31 band, plus an outdoor blues stage, and bringing some 1,700 music lovers to downtown.

Septimus guitarists Herman and Coleman Brown of the band Septimus, play a full house at the Moose Lodge during the North Bend Blues Walk Sept. 26.

Sheila and Jerry Miller dance to Lonnie Williams, playing at the Mount Si Senior Center for the Blues Walk.

Randy Oxford puts on a show at Valley Center Stage to the delight of a packed house during Saturday’s North Bend Blues Walk.

Oct. 7:  Small plane crashed in Fall City

A plane crashed early Friday evening, Oct. 2, in a field near the S.R. 202/203 roundabout. The pilot, a 39-year-old Fall City man, was transported to a hospital with significant, but not life-threatening injuries, said Fall City Fire Department personnel. The crash occurred around 6:30 p.m. Friday; the plane came down in the field and reportedly cartwheeled before coming to a stop.

Candidates answered citizens’ questions at a series of candidate forums.

Brenden Elwood, far right, answers a question during the Oct. 7 candidate forum at North Bend Theater, along with candidates, from right, Judy Bilanko, Martin Volken, Ken Hearing and Mary Miller.

Mount Si’s successful debate club enjoyed a growth spurt.

Ruary Thompson explains debate to interested students during a speech and debate camp held this summer.

Oct. 14:  Winter shelter targets November opening

The Snoqualmie Valley Winter Shelter is preparing for another season of providing a place to sleep and a hot meal to homeless people in the Valley. Now in its fourth year of operation, the shelter will be located for no more than six weeks at any site, starting at Mount Si Lutheran Church in North Bend, in November.

Oct. 21:  Sports celebs star at museum opening

The Washington State Ski and Snowboard Museum opened Oct. 10 at Snoqualmie Pass, with 13 Olympians attending a grand opening. The museum features, among other things, digital displays, a ‘40s rope tow running the length of the museum and, president David Moffett’s favorite, a display of awards won by Washington athletes, including Steve Mahre’s World Cup and Debbie Armstrong’s Olympic gold medal.

Oct. 28:  Many hands make a Tiny House

The Sallal Grange worked with volunteers to build a Tiny House for the homeless community known as Nickelsville Village in Seattle. Over the weekend, they built and sealed the 8-by-12-foot, $2,300 home, to be donated to a resident of Nickelsville.

Sallal Grange volunteers Nate Connor and Nels Melgaard work together to build a Tiny House, an 8-by-12-foot home to be donated to a resident of the homeless encampment Nickelsville in Seattle.

Oct. 28:  Homecoming at Mount Si High School

Last Friday, Mount Si High School revived the Homecoming parade tradition, then crowned its royalty, seniors McKenna Esteb and Will Crandell. The football team capped the night with a 24-10 win over Newport.

The freshman float at the Oct. 23 Mount Si High School Homecoming parade featured a massive octopus made of balloons. Below, the Homecoming royalty is crowned.

Nov. 4:  Farmers propose new irrigation district

Snoqualmie Valley farmers are considering the creation of an irrigation district to address flooding, drainage and irrigation challenges. The district got a 94 percent approval vote during the election in November, and board members Siri Erickson-Brown, Jason Roetcisoender, Gary Remlinger, David Andrews and Patrick McGlothlin were elected.

King County Councilwoman Kathy Lambert congratulates the newly elected watershed improvement district commissioners last week. Pictured from left are: Gary Remlinger, Councilwoman Lambert, David Andrews, Jason Roetcisoender, Siri Erickson-Brown and Patrick McGlothlin. Their meetings, open to the public, will be announced on the district Web page, www.svpa.us/watershed-improvement-district.

Nov. 4: Wildland firefighting budget

In a press conference on Oct. 27, Public Lands Commissioner Peter Goldmark planned to request an additional $24 million for the state’s $27 million budget for fighting wildland fires in 2016. Wildfires in 2015 burned a record 250,000 acres and cost the state a record-breaking $160 million.

Public Lands Commissioner Peter Goldmark speaks at a press conference in Issaquah Oct. 29, in which he called for a $24 million budget increase for the state’s firefighting needs.

Fire photos east of Blue Lake on west face of Lamanasky Mountain.

Bark for Life started the Relay for Life fundraising season for Mount Si’s Key Club.

Sprout and his owner, Betsy Carroll, play catch with a tennis ball, during a lull in the rain Saturday at the Mount Si High School Key Club’s Bark for Life event, in support of Relay for Life and cancer research at Snoqualmie Elementary School.

Nov. 11: Election season

North Bend voters chose change this November, voting out Councilmen Dee Williamson and David Cook and voting in  Trevor Kostanich and Brenden Elwood. In Snoqualmie, Councilman Charles Peterson successfully retained his seat, despite opposition from Joe Larson.

Local schools observed Veterans Day.

All the veterans and their children in attendance line up for a picture under the “Thank you Veterans” sign created by Cascade View students.

Nov. 18:  County returns golf course to farm use

King County officials have accepted a proposal from Steve and Janet Keller of Fall City, to bring farming operations back to the 191-acre Tall Chief Golf Course. The sale, for $720,000, was approved by the County Council in early December.

John Taylor re-locks the door to an empty, moss-covered building, marked “Keep Out,” at Tall Chief Golf Course. The property will soon become farmland again.

Nov. 18:  North Bend celebrates 12s Day

Residents broke out their umbrellas to get out to North Bend 12s day, Nov. 14, to celebrate the Seattle Seahawks and support the Snoqualmie Valley Food Bank. The event, with the Wheels of Boom car club brought in more than 7,000 pounds of food donations.

Mr. and Mrs. Seahawk pose for a photo with Wilson the 12th pony in front of a Wheels of Boom truck.

Nov. 18:  Marking up Main Street

Carnation residents got a glimpse of Main Street redevelopment ideas at an open house Nov. 12. Engineers from the Otak design firm were available to answer questions and take feedback; the target date is 2017.

Design team member Windi Shapley, center, discussed design ideas for Carnation’s Commercial Business District and answered questions during a design open house.

Nov. 18:  U.S. Rep talks small business

Minimum wage, small business support and the Affordable Care Act were some of the topics discussed when 8th District U.S. Congressman Dave Reichert visited Snoqualmie City Hall Nov. 12. In addition, Reichert shared his concerns about the trend toward worsening relationships between police and communities and his goal to create a task force to address the problem.

U.S. Eighth District Representative Dave Reichert explained his views on the minimum wage at the Snoqualmie city hall on Thursday morning.

Nov. 25: Flood rescue

Duvall firefighters saved a man from a car sinking into the flooding Snoqualmie River Nov. 18, in the 16500 block of West Snoqualmie River Road. The incident was reported around 6:10 p.m. and firefighters said the man had only a few inches of air space left in the car when they reached him.

Nov. 25: Forum honors photo contest contributors

Local photographers Danny Raphael, Bill Cottringer and Claire Meyer, a Mount Si High School student, were among the honorees at the Snoqualmie Watershed Forum’s Nov. 18 reception for its amateur photography contest winners.

Photographers chosen for the 2015 Snoqualmie Watershed Forum Poster were recognized at a reception last week at Snoqualmie City Hall. Pictured from left are Claire Meyer, Danny Raphael and Bill Cottringer. Raphael’s photo of Mount Si is the featured image on the poster, available free by contacting the Watershed Forum.

Dec. 2:  Fire chief retires

Eastside Fire and Rescue fire chief Lee Soptich officially retired Nov. 30, after 15 years as the fire chief and a 40-year career.

Tim Bennett takes Fire Chief Lee Soptich’s blood pressure during a tour of the fire station at Carnation’s Fourth of July celebration.

Caspar Babypants played a free Beatles concert, attracting hundreds of children and their parents.

A group of children join hands and dance in a circle to Beatles tunes at the Si View Community Center Dec. 10.

Dec. 16:  Students are building with robots

Mount Si High School’s robotics team, the Si-borgs, scored several wins Dec. 12 in the second regional FIRST Tech competition to come to the Valley.

Beau Johnson, Thomas Hedrick, and Rahul Rajkumar make adjustments to their robot during tournament preparation.

School was canceled in the Snoqualmie Valley School District for two days last week as high water from the Snoqualmie River flooded streets, closed roads and knocked out power.

Mikayla Turpin floats on the football field of the Mount Si High School Freshman Campus during the Snoqualmie River flooding Dec. 9.

During a less severe flood Nov. 18, roads were still closed, as seen in this aerial photo of Changing Seasons Farm, from a National Guard helicopter flight.

Dec. 16:  Tribe sues city for discrimination

The Snoqualmie Tribe filed a lawsuit against the city of Snoqualmie Dec. 9, claiming racial discrimination by the city in connection with a dispute over the city’s sewer services to the Snoqualmie Casino. In response, the city said the services had been extended for a year but the tribe wouldn’t discuss a longer extension.

Dec. 23:  Snoqualmie OKs Ridge development

A new 55,000 square-foot full-service grocery store, plus a gas station and drive-throughs are all part of a development agreement between Snoqualmie and EDG Development, approved Dec. 14 by the Snoqualmie City Council.

Dec. 23:  Fire Districts consider combining

Fire Districts 10 and 38 have begun talks about combining, and are planning a series of public meetings on the issue in February. The districts serve the unincorporated areas of Carnation, May Valley, Preston, and Tiger Mountain (10) and North Bend and Snoqualmie (38); their combination would make the two districts more sustainable, officials say. Funding would be through the existing fire services property tax of about $1 per $1,000 of assessed value, plus a fire benefit charge, currently levied in District 10 but not in District 38.