It’s a crappy deal. We have all heard the jokes, or relayed the jokes, from North Bend’s recent sewer spillage at their treatment plant along the South Fork of the Snoqualmie River.

But for many in the community, it’s no joking matter.

The North Bend Youth Activity Center has been a hub for all things youth group for many years, and now it’s not usable.

I have heard the city is working hard to find alternative locations for the various groups that use the Youth Activity Center, but my biggest fear is that the process of fixing or replacing the center will take a year or even two. There is already a shortage of things for kids to do in Snoqualmie Valley, and pulling one more piece out of the equation for groups such as Cub Scouts or Girl Scouts further complicates the situation.

Maybe we need a grassroots group to take on the rebuilding of the Youth Activity Center, or the Si View Metropolitan Parks District needs to consider going to the voters for a new facility, big enough to house such groups, on the grounds of Si View. With insurance money and the sale of the land to the city for treatment plant expansion, maybe we can get an updated building at Si View.

I urge the Council and the parks district to come together to come up with a solution. It seems that a commonsense approach to building a small new facility would get voter approval.