It had been been nearly eight years since North Bend law enforcement investigated a suspicious death within city limits, until last Friday, when a North Bend resident shot and killed a man who’d broken into his home.
In last Friday’s tragedy near Si View Park, law enforcement found a “clear case of self-defense,” but on Oct. 28, 2004, they investigated a murder-suicide that claimed the lives of the owners of Happy Sushi and Teriyaki on Southwest Mount Si Boulevard.
It took a while for someone to work up the courage to ask, but Seattle restaurateur and award-winning chef Tom Douglas, was ready for the question.
He was standing in the Wildcat Cafe at Mount Si High School Thursday morning, a visiting celebrity for the 30-some culinary arts students watching—a rock star—when senior James Hustad asked point-blank, “Are you hiring?”
The answer, before the laughing had died down was, “We are. We are always hiring.”
You’ve probably seen her at many local events, but didn’t recognize her behind a camera. A North Bend resident for 20 years, Mary Miller loves photographing the Valley and its residents, and has recently written her first in a series of books, capturing the images of the area.
Miller is the owner and operator of Mary Miller Photography, with a studio in ZO home, downtown North Bend, and she is the Valley’s choice for Best Photographer.
Three months into the year, Carnation has committed to a 2012-13 contract for police services, which slightly reduces the city’s overall coverage.
The City Council voted 4-1 on March 6 to approve a contract that eliminates one full-time officer from the city’s police rotation, but allows for an additional few hours of “flex time,” for officers to respond to emergencies outside of scheduled hours.
“It provides roughly 50 percent coverage during the week… The actual times may vary,” said City Manager Ken Carter, when he presented the new contract.
Within a few weeks, the Snoqualmie Valley School District should be on the same calendar page with Snoqualmie and North Bend, ending a two-year discrepancy with the cities. The district’s board of directors voted Thursday, March 22, to adopt a contract amendment that added new language, holding each city harmless from litigation in its collection of school impact fees for the district.
The contract amendments will be forwarded on to the two city councils for review and adoption. The Snoqualmie City Council approved the amendment to the contract unanimously on Monday, March 26. North Bend will discuss it Tuesday, April 3.
New partners, new programs, and the tale of a 1920s movie dog were highlighted at the Snoqualmie Valley Schools Foundation’s annual fundraising luncheon Thursday, March 22.
Cake, balloons, and a video camera coming through her classroom door were enough to make fourth-grade teacher Elizabeth Cronin pause a beat, but not enough to throw her off the day’s subject matter.
He says it in such a matter-of-fact way, you might think you misheard Dave Bettine, talking about an after-school project some of his eighth graders are working on.
“We’re trying to launch this thing into space,” says Bettine, a math teacher at Twin Falls Middle School.
Only slightly breathless, an intent little girl explains to Tina Longwell in great detail how she scraped her knees at recess, and exactly why she needs not one, but two bandages. As the child zips around the corner to the nurse’s office, Longwell lets out the smile she had to suppress during the retelling.
It’s a skill she’s had to learn during her four-plus years as the Secretary/Registrar at Opstad Elementary School, not letting on how cute — and funny — kids are when they’re being so serious.
Brass notes blast out the just-opened door at Boxley’s Place on a snowy Friday. Snow has cancelled school for the day, but it hasn’t stopped the music for some 30 student musicians, who are all assembled for one reason.
The reason is Wycliffe Gordon, a famed and acclaimed trombonist, composer, and educator, who is visiting the Valley specifically to instruct the Mount Si High School Jazz I students in the art of “the greasy blues.”
Gordon is one of three judges of the Swing Central Festival in Savannah, Georgia, which Mount Si was selected to compete in this year. Only the top 12 bands who audition for the festival are chosen, and Mount Si, in its first year to audition, was among them.
Creativity, dedication, intelligence, discipline, and love. Each of these qualities is embodied in the Snoqualmie Valley Schools Foundation’s 2012 selections for Educators of the Year, to be honored Thursday, March 22, at the foundation’s annual luncheon.
Tina Longwell, the secretary/registrar at Opstad Elementary School feels lucky to come to school, where she says the children teach her something new every day. For the 2012 Classified Employee of the Year, the best part of her job is everything, even the challenge of not laughing at some of the things her 540 kids say.
North Bend residents will be asked in April for their opinions on a potential change in police services for the city.
The city currently has a contract with the King County Sheriff’s Office for police services, as well as the sheriff’s substation located on Boalch Avenue, but for financial reasons, is considering a proposal to share police services with the city of Snoqualmie.
People she doesn’t even know are helping to fund Denise Paulette’s dream. It’s part of the magic of Zelda, if you ask her.
“A lot of the people have seen the show,” said the Snoqualmie actress, in explanation of why they’re helping her fulfill her goal, to perform her one-woman show ‘Zelda’ at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland.
“It’s just a fascinating story that’s not very well known,” she said.
Zelda is the story of Zelda Fitzgerald, wife of F. Scott Fitzgerald, and accomplished artist. Like most of her audience members, Paulette was unfamiliar with Zelda’s illness and struggles.
