Out of the Past: Two Mount Si teachers in two years win McAuliffe award; North Bend pursues plans for new water source
Published 7:30 am Friday, April 21, 2017
The following stories happened this week, 25 and 50 years ago, as reported in the Snoqualmie Valley Record. From the Record’s archives:
Thursday, April 23, 1992
• As part of the impending closure of Snoqualmie Valley Hospital, announced suddenly this week, the hospital will cut all services to Medicare patients in two weeks. Termination of the hospital’s Medicare agreement was announced by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace, Health and Hospital Services. After midnight on Thursday, May 7, only the Home Health Care program will still be serving Medicare patients. HHS decided to end its contract to lease and operate the hospital because of continuing losses and declining patronage since the facility opened in 1983. It was announced April 13 that patient loads have been only half of what is needed to break even, and that the hospital has lost close to $9 million in nine years.
•Mount Si High School graphic arts and photography teacher Larry Avery was recently awarded the Christa McAuliffe award, part of the Washington Award for Excellence in Education. The award is particularly unexpected because Connie Vanderwood, another Mount Si teacher, received the award last year and there are only five recipients per Congressional District, Principal David Humphrey noted.
Thursday, April 20, 1967
•The North Bend Town Council last week approved the first steps toward a new water system that can eventually deliver some 6 million gallons of water a day to the town from springs at the base of Mount Si. The council directed David Livingstone, consulting engineer, and Terry Thompson, bond counsel, to proceed with plans and specifications and bond preparations. The town hopes to call for bids in late May for construction of a main line to the water source, and for construction of a water intake and pumping station. These initial phases of a comprehensive water development plan will cost the town about $300,000, Mayor John Buchanan said.
•Valley children attending all-white schools may suffer for lack of experience at living with members of minority groups, human rights leaders told an audience of 60 at Mount Si High School. “You don’t have a problem with the presence of minorities — you have a problem because you lack minorities here,” said Edwin Pratt, managing director of the Seattle Urban League. “I suggest your children are all being culturally deprived in attending all-white schools,” he said.
•Some 9,000 pounds of steel will move through Carnation and Fall City material yards, the elements of a 65-mile line of towers from Monroe to Raver as part of an expanded Bonneville Power Administration network. Ferris G. Gilkey, BPA Seattle area manager, said construction of the line towers would begin soon by private contractor, and that this portion of the line should be in operation by late fall of 1968.
