Year in Review: Top Valley Record stories of 2021

It has been another busy year for news in 2021, with new COVID-19 variants, a busy election season, challenges faced by local businesses, proposed developments and all the other interesting things happening around the Snoqualmie Valley.

The staff at the Valley Record is both honored and humbled to be able to provide readers crucial information during this unprecedented time. As we head into the new year, here is a look back at our top 15 most read, interesting and notable stories from 2021.

■ Man killed by Snoqualmie Police was homeless, living in car: On Nov. 17, Snoqualmie Police Officer James Aquirre shot and killed a 33-year-old man in North Bend’s Torguson Park, after the two allegedly got into an altercation when Aquirre asked the man to leave. The man was found to be homeless and living in his car. The shooting is still under investigation by the King County Independent Force Investigation Team.

■ If the Tolt Dam breaks, these place are at risk of flooding: Through a public records request, the Valley Record found that if the Tolt River Dam were to break, flooding would be widespread throughout the Snoqualmie Valley, stretching all the way from Fall City to Snohomish County.

■ North Bend Water Plan draws concern from Tribes, Orca groups: In February, The Orca Conservancy, alongside the Snoqualmie and Tulalip Tribes, sent letters to the North Bend City Council criticizing its water plan for failing to protect the health of the Snoqualmie River. In November, a lawsuit filed by the Friends of the Snoqualmie Valley Trail and River seeking to block the Department of Health’s approval of the water plan was dismissed in King County Superior Court.

■ Why the small town of Snoqualmie has a mine-resistant vehicle: The Valley Record looked into why the Snoqualmie Police Department has a mine-resistant BAE Caiman tactical vehicle that has only been used a handful of times since its purchase in 2014. Both the mayor and police said it is a necessary tool. The city was allowed to keep the vehicle, despite a state ban on military weapons for police.

■ Should EJ Roberts Park be renamed? This North Bend veteran thinks so: North Bend resident and Vietnam War veteran Jim Curtis pushes North Bend to rename EJ Roberts Park over its namesake’s racist history. EJ Roberts was responsible for developing the Silver Creek housing tracts, which barred people of color from living there. The city said it is not considering plans to change the name.

■ ’These lands are being loved to death’: This summer, the Snoqualmie Tribe launched its Ancestral Lands Movement to educate its neighbors about how they can practice respectful habits when recreating on the Tribe’s ancestral lands. The movement received support from the cities of Sammamish and Issaquah, but did not receive support from Snoqualmie or North Bend.

■ Snoqualmie Police Association rejects city vaccine mandate: A day after Snoqualmie Mayor Matt Larson issued a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for city staff, the Snoqualmie Police Association posted a memo to the department’s Facebook page that rejected the mandate and pushed COVID-19 conspiracy theories. The city ended up firing eight staff members due to the mandate, including three police officers.

■ Fall City farmer opens forest school: Fall City farmer Christina Lathrop opened a forest school at her farm in hopes of educating children through play, exploration and hands-on activities. Lathrop said she is hoping to inspire the next generation of children to be environmentally conscious.

■ Snoqualmie Mill Site possesses high risk to human and environmental health: A report by the Washington state Department of Ecology finds that pollution of the Snoqualmie Mill Site poses a high risk to human and environmental health, ranking it among the most polluted sites in the state. The report states that the site could require years of clean-up and officials are unsure if all pollutants can be removed. The city released a final Environmental Impact Statement for the Mill Site in December.

■ North Bend zoning change to pave way for new hotel: After nearly a year of deliberations, the North Bend City Council unanimously passed a zoning code change to allow for a hotel that’s 65 feet tall in the city’s outlet mall. The change comes after residents and businesses owners have been advocating for a new hotel in town for nearly two decades.

■ Fall City charity raises funds for Snoqualmie family, pediatric cancer research: In a touching story of community support, Fall City resident Summer Stumpf’s charity, Give Gray’s Way — named in honor of her son Grayson — sold Christmas ornaments and raised over $24,000 for pediatric cancer research and for the Wainhouse family, whose 13-year-old son was also diagnosed with cancer.

■ After doubling down on “racist” flyer, Lambert apologizes: After initially defending herself, King County Councilmember Kathy Lambert, a 20-year member of the council, apologized for a flyer that depicted her Democratic opponent, Sarah Perry, as a “socialist puppet.” The flyer was widely condemned by county and local officials for being divisive, racist and antisemitic. Lambert later lost her reelection bid to Perry.

■ Lack of transit, housing crisis, and pandemic fuel local labor shortage: The lack of transit between South and East King County, high housing costs and the pandemic all work to fuel a local labor shortage across the Snoqualmie Valley, leaving nearly 3,000 vacant positions and many businesses struggling to find enough staff to remain open.

■ Snoqualmie resident produces new Bigfoot movie: Snoqualmie resident Taylor Guterson’s new film, “Hunting Bigfoot,” premiered Aug. 6 at the North Bend Theatre. The film is Guterson’s fourth and follows the story of a man on a quest to find Bigfoot. The film’s cast is almost entirely made up of Snoqualmie Valley residents.

■ Exit interview: Snoqualmie Mayor Matt Larson leaves office after 16 years: After 16 years as Snoqualmie’s mayor, Matt Larson steps down and reflects on his two decades in public service. Larson led the city through some of the most challenging and transformative years in Snoqualmie history. He will be replaced by Katherine Ross, who was elected in November.

Christmas carolers, led by Valley Center Stage, sing to Zander Wainhouse and his family outside their house in Snoqualmie on Nov. 29. Zander was diagnosed with brain cancer in Dec. 2020. Photo Conor Wilson/Valley Record

Community leaders gather outside Encompass Northwest’s new Child Development Center on Aug. 19 for the building’s grand opening. From left: State Rep. Bill Ramos, Snoqualmie Mayor Matt Larson (back), Encompass Executive Director Nela Cumming, Snoqualmie Tribal Chairman Robert de los Angeles, King County Councilmember Kathy Lambert, State Rep. Lisa Callan, Issaquah Mayor Mary Lou Pauly, North Bend Mayor Rob McFarland. Photo by Conor Wilson/Snoqualmie Valley Record