snovalleystar121913

EFR may be savedFire service board members finalize deal.

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Trees for sale Group uses tree sales to fund adventures.

Page 3

Give the dog a ballLocal businessmen build a better dog toy.

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Police blotter1

Decadent treatsLearn how to make them in community recipe box.

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December 19, 2013

VOL. 5, NO. 50

Mercer Island stifles

Mount SiPage 14

Your locally owned newspaper,

serving North Bend and Snoqualmie,

Washington

Prsrt StdU.S. Postage

PAIDKent, WA

Permit No. 71

POSTALCUSTOMER

1

By Greg Farrar

The Bush family on the 3600 block of Southeast Woody Creek Lane was the winner of the city of Snoqualmie’s first Christmas lights contest. The contest was sponsored by the city’s parks depart-ment and the Snoqualmie Ridge Homeowner’s Association. Anyone within the Snoqualmie City Limits was eligible. Entries were evaluated based upon creativity, originality, thematic elements, and overall design quality — not just the quantity of lights. For second and third place winners, see Page 6.

Best light show in Snoqualmie

By Sherry Grindeland

North Bend property own-ers may see a drop in their fire insurance premium costs.

The Washington Survey and Rating Bureau recently reclassi-fied North Bend’s fire defense abilities from a Class 5 city to a Class 4.

The nonprofit WSRB evalu-ates risk assessment to property throughout the state. Insurance underwriters use that assess-ment to determine insurance rates for both commercial and residential properties.

Ratings range from 1 to 10. A 10 indicates the highest risk. For

North Bend fire ratings lowered

See RATING, Page 2

By Sam Kenyon

Bill Price tumbled from the window of his fraternity house, breaking his neck in the three-story fall. It happened in October, 1996, during his sec-ond week at the University of Washington.

Next October, Price, now 36, will have spent exactly half his life as a quadriplegic.

“I remember going to sleep and I remember waking up out-side,” he said.

Price grew up in Issaquah and his family frequently went ski-ing locally on weekends. It was common for him to ski 30 to 40 times a year.

After his injury, he didn’t know exactly how he would get back to skiing, but there was no question in his mind that he would.

“Getting back on the ski slopes was a high priority,” he said.

During rehab at the University of Washington Medical Center, Price learned about adaptive skiing. He bought the necessary equip-ment, including outriggers, which are like ski poles except they have small skis on the bot-tom instead of spikes. But his limited hand function prevented him from grasping the peg of the outriggers.

At the time, adaptive skiers used a makeshift solution: duct tape. The skier’s gloves were sim-ply duct taped to the outrigger.

“That just seemed like a ter-rible idea to me,” Price said.

Injury spurs man to invent ski equipment

See SKI, Page 5

By Sam Kenyon

Hillary Robins and Billy Price dem-onstrate the Glove Harness Outer-shell designed by Price and his father. The glove fits on adaptive ski poles, making them easier for disabled people to use.

Insurance premiums may also decrease

SnoValley Star DECEMBER 19, 2013

2

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North Bend Office425-888-1896

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example, property more than five miles from a staffed fire station receives an 8 rating.

Eastside Fire & Rescue, at the request of North Bend officials, asked WSRB for a review. The reassessment of the EFR capa-bilities to suppress fires in the Snoqualmie Valley and other cities in the fire service consor-tium took more than two years.

Evaluation factors considered in classification include such things as water supply, distance from fire hydrants, average response time to an emergency call, and available firefighting equipment.

District 38, which serves the Valley around North Bend and is also part of EFR, was boosted from a Class 6 to a Class 4 dis-trict.

“We are really pleased to have received word of changes coming for the majority of our partners,” said EFR Fire Chief Lee Soptich.

Alan Gothelf, of the North Bend City Council, will become the representative to the Eastside Fire & Rescue board of directors. Councilman Dee Williamson has been the repre-sentative. He will continue as an alternate when Gothelf isn’t available.

Gothelf is familiar with the EFR board. The last two months he worked on the ad hoc com-mittee that hammered out a new funding model and inter-local agreement to keep EFR intact.

Sherry Grindeland can be reached at [email protected] or 425-392-6434 ext. 246.

RatingFrom Page 1

By Sherry Grindeland

The Eastside Fire & Rescue Board did everything except sing “Auld Lang Syne” at its Dec. 12 meeting.

The board unanimously voted to accept proposed fund-ing model changes. That was followed with a unanimous vote to approve a revised EFR governing agreement. They even took a short break during the meeting to celebrate with glasses of sparkling cider and holiday cookies.

After months of vociferous disagreements over funding issues, the group joked and teased one another.

EFR is a consortium of Sammamish, Issaquah, North Bend and Fire Districts 10 and 38 that pools resources to pro-vide fire prevention services.

Sammamish leaders had been exploring other fire ser-vice options, including opening its own fire department.

The main issue was funding, which currently is based strictly on assessed value. Sammamish leaders have said that model leads to them contributing a disproportionate amount toward the partnership.

Sammamish asked the EFR board to change the funding to be based in part on the number of calls for service.

Because meetings became so rancorous, EFR Fire Chief Lee Soptich recommended hiring a facilitator to help the board set goals and priorities.

In November, an ad hoc committee was formed to ham-mer out an acceptable funding model. A second committee was to update the interlocal agreement and clarify details surrounding assets owned by the various members.

The new funding model will be generally based 85 percent on assessed value and 15 per-cent on incidents.

The interlocal agreement largely clarified parts of the exist-ing agreement. Although it still

has to be reviewed by the various entities legal advisors, the board approved the revised document.

Both the interlocal agree-ment and the new funding breakdown will take effect in January 2015.

At the end of the meeting, Sammamish City Councilman Ramiro Valderrama, who rep-resents Sammamish on the EFR board, thanked everyone.

“There will be no surprises from the Sammamish council,” Valderrama said. “All our issues have been addressed.”

Sherry Grindeland can be reached at [email protected] or 425-392-6434 ext. 246.

Eastside Fire & Rescue board members agree to budget, governance changes; agency likely saved

Family day is Dec. 27 for Cedar River Watershed

The annual Wondering About Wildlife Family Fun Day, organized by the Cedar River Watershed Education Center, will be held 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 27. This is a free event for all ages to learn about and explore the local wildlife.

The Center is located on the shore of Rattlesnake Lake. There will be refreshments and crafts available.

The Family Day includes games and exhibits by local wildlife experts, nature walks and stories. Investigate what is inside an owl pellet.

The Cedar River Watershed Education Center is a regional

education facility. It is designed as a gathering place to con-nect people with the source of their water. The Center is an access point to the Cedar River Municipal Watershed, which supplies 70 percent of the drinking water for the greater Seattle area.

Outdoor adventures inspire some great holiday gift ideas

Despite the winter chill, Washingtonians have plenty of reasons to head outdoors dur-ing the holiday season.

Steelhead are surging up coastal rivers, waterfowl hunt-ing is in full swing and birders

are gearing up around the state for the 114th annual Christmas Bird Count.

A fishing license, hunting license or a Discover Pass make for great holiday gift ideas.

Although the new licensing year doesn’t begin until April 1, 2014, many people like to have their license in hand a few months early.

State fishing and hunting licenses are now available for the 2014 season by phone (866-246-9453 toll free), online (https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov) and from licensing dealers around the state (http://wdfw.wa.gov/licensing/vendors).

A Vehicle Access Pass to lands owned by Washington Department of Fish and

Wildlife is free with most types of annual fishing and hunting licenses.

For even broader access to state lands, a $35 state Discover Pass provides access to nearly 7 million acres of state-managed recreation lands, including state parks, water-access points, heri-tage sites, wildlife and natural areas, trails and trailheads.

Get details about purchasing a Discover Pass at http://discover-pass.wa.gov.

Get more information about the full array of fishing, hunt-ing and wildlife viewing avail-able over the next month at http://wdfw.wa.gov/weekender.

Learn more about the 114th Christmas Bird Count at http://bit.ly/VvnLwd.

can have on the local kids. Jake Thompson is an example of a kid who has been involved with the crew for years. He joined at 14. Now, at 21, he is an associate advisor or adult leader.

“It’s like a family,” Thompson said. “This becomes a huge part of your life. It teaches you a lot about life and yourself.

You figure out a lot along the way.”

Crew members work shifts at the lot. They help customers, trim the trees where necessary, and load the trees into people’s vehicles.

“What really makes it shine is our customer service,” Ferree said. “The service is just outstand-ing.”

In addition to service, the trees are premium grade one trees, a higher quality product than found at typical lots.

The Christmas tree lot also plugs the crew into the community. Members who grew up in the pro-gram often come by to buy their tree and visit, often serving as an annual reunion for former crew

members. “Our Christmas tree

lot is really the hub of our program,” Ferree said. “It brings the kids together … It’s also what bonds us together and makes us a

great program.”The annual sales lot is

the primary method of funding the crew’s trips and adventures through-

DECEMBER 19, 2013 SnoValley Star PAGE 3

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By Sam Kenyon

Venturing Crew 115 has nearly sold nearly all their 1,155 Christmas trees. Next year they’ll probably up their order - again.

The local chapter of the teenage co-ed division of the Boy Scouts has set up a tree lot on the corner of Railroad Avenue and Snoqualmie Parkway for the last 11 years, supply-ing the local community with the traditional holi-day symbol of Christmas trees.

Kim Ferree has seen many local youth grow up since he founded Venturing Crew troop more than 20 years ago. The memories he has cre-ated with so many local youths are tremendously rewarding for him.

“That’s what keeps me going,” Ferree said. “I don’t get paid in cash but the benefits … you can’t put a monetary value on it.”

Ferree’s daughters have grown up in the program, and he has seen the trans-formation that the crew

Venturing Crew’s Christmas tree sales fund annual adventures

Five more host families needed

Host families are still needed to provide homes for students from Korea and Peru through the Snoqualmie Sister Cities Association. The students will attend Mount Si High School.

Homes are needed for one student from Gangjin, South Korea for Jan. 3-27. Homes are needed for four participants from Chaclacayo, Peru for Jan. 24 through Feb. 25.

During the exchange, the Snoqualmie Sister Cities group will host field trips during the students’ stay, such as Seattle tours, a Boeing VIP tour, a day in Olympia, and snow tubing. Transportation is provided by the SSCA and sometimes the host family. Weekends are free to be with host families as the exchange students submerge themselves into host family life.

All exchange students will have insurance and spending money.

For more informa-tion, contact Russell Maw at [email protected] about the Korean exchange or Tina McCollum at [email protected] about the Peruvian exchange.

By Sam Kenyon

Stormy WIllard and Mike Willard examine the tree options.

By Sam Kenyon

Joe Keller (left) holds the tree steady as his brother Jarvis Keller trims a bit off the bottom.

See CREW, Page 5

first became Dad’s head elf and wore the green outfit.

And now? Cindy will be there again, of course, even though she has some elves of her own now. Will she be 30 this spring? Whaddya know…

Cindy could’ve passed this job along to others, but she always insists. Says it’s a “daddy-daughter thing.” Herb’s awfully glad about that, too.

Looking at himself in the mirror now with the beard and

cap, he thought he knew at least part of why actors get hooked on their profession. For a time, one small time each year, Herb gets to be someone else. He gets to play someone loved by every-one, someone who does only good things for others all year.

He wouldn’t miss out on this couple of hours in his year. He gets to be part of something special, something based in love, something … magic in the eyes of children.

And that’s worth a Ho! Ho! Ho! in anyone’s book.

Youngsters’ whispers are the best, so let’s take our free hearing test. Beltone. 1-866-867-8700 toll free.

OpinionPAGE 4 DECEMBER 19, 2013

Yes, Virginia,There is a Santa Claus

Published by

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Editorial Letters

Write to usSnovalley Star welcomes letters to the editor about

any subject, although we reserve the right to edit for space, length, potential libel, clarity or political relevance. Letters

addressing local news will receive priority. Please limit letters to 350 words or less and type them, if possible. Email is pre-

ferred. Letters must be signed and have a daytime phone num-ber to verify authorship. Send them by Friday of each week to:

snovalley starP.O. Box 1328 q Issaquah, WA 98027

Fax: 391-1541 q Email: [email protected]

Home Country

Slim RandlesColumnist

Santa refuses to miss magical moments

In 1897, Dr. Philip O’Hanlon was asked by his then 8-year-old daughter Virginia whether Santa Claus really existed. O’Hanlon sug-gested she write to The Sun, a prominent New York City newspaper at the time, assuring her that “If you see it in The Sun, it’s so.”

Virginia’s letter became the introduction to an editorial in The Sun, and is reprinted here. Merry Christmas one and all!

Dear Editor-- I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, “If you see it in The Sun, it’s so.” Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus? - Virginia O’Hanlon

115 West Ninety-Fifth Street.

VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except what they see. They think that nothing can be which is not com-prehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelli-gence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! How dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished. Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fair-ies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch all the chim-neys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that nei-ther children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world. You may tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding. No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and lives forever. A thou-sand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood. — Editorial by Francis Pharcellus Church

Gratitude Month helps food banksNovember was Gratitude Month as part of

DMW Martial Arts in Snoqualmie Character Development program. Students studied, devel-oped and experienced powerful life lessons by par-ticipating in a charity event.

Our students worked very hard to reach a goal of 3/4 of a million kicks for the week. In fact, as a school, they performed a total of 895,600 kicks for the week and raised more than $5,000.

We donated the money to local food banks in honor of Thanksgiving to help those in the Valley who might need additional help.

Each week during the month we concentrated on a different topic including:

Week 1: What is an attitude of gratitude? How can I show that I’m grateful?

Week 2: What do I need and want? How fortu-

nate am I right now?Week 3: Who are my favorite teachers/mentors

and how can I thank them?Week 4: What does “giving” have to do with

gratitude? How can I give?As it turns out; it feels good to give. Studies

have shown that the same brain region that is activated when people win money is activated when they give to charity — there is a kind of “reward” built into the brain that motivates us to give.

A cyclical effect begins; pro social giving makes us feel good, so we give more, and so on.

Starting this cycle early is key! We’re thrilled to help our students and our community thrive and succeed.

Dan CartanDMW Chief Instructor

Herb tried on the Santa suit this morning. Couldn’t button the middle button on the jacket, but fortunately the pants had a drawstring that made allowances for yet another year of good liv-ing and fine food.

To fix the unclosed button situation, Herb thought this Christmas Eve he’d wear this red vest he has under the jack-et, and maybe the kids won’t notice.

They always seemed to pay more attention to his face, anyway, during these annual pilgrimages to that spot on the highway in front of the conve-nience store.

Each Christmas Eve now for how many years? Well, I guess Cindy was maybe six when she

Deborah Berto Publisher

Joe Heslet General manager

Sherry Grindeland Editor

Sam Kenyon Reporter

Ari Cetron Page designer

Michelle Comeau Advertising rep.

4

Citizens can make a differ-ence by contacting their elected representatives.

Federal

U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D), 511 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C., 20510; 202-224-3441; http://cantwell.senate.gov/; 915 Second Ave., Suite 512, Seattle, WA 98174; 206-220-6400

U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D), 173 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510; 202-224-2621; http://mur-ray.senate.gov/; Jackson Federal Building, Room 2988, 915 Second Ave., Seattle, WA 98174; 206-553-5545

U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert (R-8th District), 1730 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515; 202-225-7761; 22605 SE 56th St., Ste. 130,

Share your views Issaquah, WA 98029; 425-677-7414; www.house.gov/reichert

State — 5th District

Sen. Mark Mullet (D), 415 Legislative Building, P.O. Box 40405, Olympia, WA 98504-0405, 360-786-7608; 800-562-6000; [email protected]

Rep. Chad Magendanz (R), 417 JLOB, P.O. Box 40600, Olympia WA 98504-0600; 360-786-7876; 222-7092; [email protected]

Rep. Jay Rodne (R), 441 JLOB, P.O. Box 40600, Olympia, WA 98504-0600; 360-786-7852; [email protected]

Toll-free Legislative Hotline: 800-562-6000.


5

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out the rest of the year.In the summer,

Venture Crew takes out several pygmy kayaks that they have built over the years. They’ll go to the San Juan Islands where Ferree has some property or they’ll make the trek to Priest River in Idaho. Each winter, they take their fleet of more than 25 snowmobiles and go on an annual camping trip, usually about nine days long.

“Snow campout is prob-ably the coolest thing we do,” Ferree said. “We

think we’re the only one in the country that does such a large snowmobiling program.”

They caravan on snow-mobiles to a remote loca-tion and set up a snow camp complete with kitch-ens, fire pits and sleeping areas.

These adventures take intricate planning and can be expensive. But mem-bers don’t pay a great deal for the privilege. Instead they pay in labor at the Christmas tree lot. It’s more than a tradition, said Ferree, it is a crew institu-tion.

“It’s also what bonds us together and makes us a great program,” he said.

CrewFrom Page 3

Over the next 15 years, he and his dad, Bill Price, perfected their own solu-tion. Billy Price designed a glove with a tube inside that he could put his hand around, and the tube slid onto the peg of the outrigger.

Price and a childhood friend, Darin Donaldson, have formed a company and are launching their first product based on Bill Price’s designs. It’s called the GHO solution, which stands for Glove Harness Outer-shell.

On Nov. 28, they began a Kickstarter campaign to raise $7,500 to launch their product.

Donaldson’s sister-in-law, Angela Donaldson of North Bend, put out a plea on Snoqualmie Valley community websites for contributions. Their Kickstarter campaign ends Dec. 23, and they have currently raised nearly $16,000.

“We have been over-whelmed by the generos-ity and support,” said Donaldson, who has founded several compa-nies and considers himself a serial entrepreneur.

Price and Donaldson received help from dif-ferent sources along the way. They’re excited their company doesn’t just sell a product but helps people by empowering their inde-pendence.

Designing the solution

Price remembers the inception of the core concept of his design; it

was nothing more than a casual remark he made to his father. He was working with his dad, trying to fig-ure out a way to secure his arms to his outriggers that was more sophisticated than duct tape. Billy and his dad always enjoyed building things together.

“[My dad] was definite-ly a big part of it, mainly because he was my hands sewing the thing togeth-er,” Billy said.

They were seeking a solution when Billy remarked that it was too bad he couldn’t just hold on to a tube or something inside the glove. That comment led them down a path of tweaking and redesigning the glove over several years and many ski trips.

They test-ed their pro-totype on the moun-tain and then rework the design. Snow would get inside the glove in early pro-totypes so they came up with the outer-shell. It encases the entire structure and keeps snow out.

Anyone who saw the gloves told Price he should manufacture them.

“Which is a much eas-ier thing to say than do,” he said. “I’ve learned there are a lot of steps that go into manufacturing.”

The Prices’ design was ‘garage tech,’ meaning functional but not manu-facturable. The design was too complex, had too many moving parts, and

was not fit for mass pro-duction.

When Billy Price and Donaldson decided to market Billy’s Glove, they upgraded the design from garage tech to manufac-turing quality. Price met with Outdoor Research, a Seattle outdoor apparel company. The glove was too much of a niche product for them to sell. However, they did let a couple of designers work with the prototype to make it more manufactur-ing friendly.

“I can’t thank them enough,” Billy said.

Build On

Price and Donaldson named their company

“Billy’s.” But they also formed a parent corpora-tion that they named “BillDon LLC.” The name is a play on words. BillDon is a combi-nation of their names, Billy and Donaldson, but it has a

deeper meaning, one that speaks to the emotions of going through a tragic accident like Price did.

The two men say the core value of their com-pany is not generating huge revenues; it is about helping people. In the future, they plan to give a percentage of their profits to the UW Medical Center for spinal injury research.

Price created a unique solution to a challenge in

his life, and now he would like to share that solu-tion with whoever finds it helpful.

“[We’re] Just trying to do something good in this world,” he said.

Donaldson said that while working on their company and Billy’s Glove, they have received posi-tive feedback from people who draw inspiration from Price’s story. Donaldson relates to that feeling.

He watched his friend finish his degree in mechanical engineering, get a job with the Federal Aviation Administration, and overcome a barrier that kept him from his passion for skiing.

“It’s just amazed me the positive attitude he’s had,” Donaldson said. “It makes me look at any of the issues that I feel are hard and realize that they’re not anything I can’t overcome, because I’ve seen someone close to

me overcome something much more.”

Billy is slightly uncom-fortable with the notion that he is an inspiration. He is simply living his life for him the best way he knows how. He describes his time in the hospital, with a broken body and a broken spirit, as his rock bottom. The uncertainty ahead of him then was “indescribable.”

“You’re basically only given two options: Either you sink or you swim,” he said. He could have let despair set in and conquer him, or he could choose a different path.

“Instead of focusing on what you don’t have, focus on what you do have, and build on that,” Price said. “Building on what you have. Letting go of what was lost and build on what you have.”

Kickstarted

When Donaldson and Price first decided to form a company, they were going to sell shoes, not gloves.

Donaldson had previ-ously been in the footwear business, and Price had some ideas about shoes. He can dress himself except for his shoes.

First getting into shoes is difficult and laces are impossible. Secondly if someone doesn’t have sensation in their feet, like Price, they still need foot-wear that supports and doesn’t rub.

Price wanted to design a shoe that closes with mag-nets or zippers, not laces or Velcro and one easy to slide a foot into. He and Donaldson decided to start their company to provide accessible shoes.

Shoe production, how-

ever, is tricky and requires a great deal of capital. Because Price and his dad had worked their ski glove for years and already had a working prototype, the partners delayed the shoe project and focused on the adaptive ski glove.

Their plan is to build on the success of the GHO Solution and parlay that into shoes. Although the GHO Solution has a niche market, the impact on those who could make use of the adaptive glove could be tremendous.

“The people that are able to use this glove, their world is going to be abso-lutely rocked in a positive way,” Price said.

Donaldson suggested the crowd funding plat-form, Kickstarter, to raise capital and awareness about their company.

“We have been over-whelmed by the generosity and support,” Donaldson said.

Friends and family weren’t the only people providing some sup-port. The band Pearl Jam donated use of their song “Given to Fly” for the background music of the video on the GHO Solution’s website.

“Words can’t really describe how appreciative and how thankful ... just the generosity of these folks,” Billy said.

So many people who don’t need the gloves have supported them; the two are overwhelmed.

“The network around me is an amazing bless-ing,” Price said. “There is no way I could do this on my own.”

Sam can be reached at [email protected].

SkiFrom Page 1

On the WebFor more infor-

mation about the GHO Solution or to contribute to the Kickstarter campaign visit - http://getbil-lysgoat.com/ or http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1319719415/ski-glove-for-disabled-skiers-with-limited-hand-fu.

Contributed

Price and his partner, Darin Donaldson, have formed a company to manufacture the Glove Harness Outer-shell.


6

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1

Light contest runners up

By Greg Farrar

The second-place winner in Snoqualmie’s light contest was the Dye family, in the 8800 block of McIntosh Court Southeast (above), while third went to the Carnes family in the 6300 block of Silent Creek Avenue Southeast (below).

Nominations are due for annual Give Good Awards

Help recognize people who are making a positive difference in Snoqualmie Valley community by nominating them for the Give Good Awards. The annual awards honor resi-dents, students, employ-ees and volunteers. The purpose is to celebrate and promote community involvement and volun-teerism.

A panel of volunteers will interview the nomi-nees early in 2014 and an awards ceremony will be held Feb. 28. Nominations close Dec. 31.

For more information go to www.givegoodawards.org

Categories include: Arts: A person who

enriches the arts by

spreading enthusiasm for, promoting awareness of, and helping to create a rich cultural environment in our community.

Business: An owner or manager of a Snoqualmie Valley enterprise or non-profit who generously uses their business resources or time to help support the community.

Courage: Someone who overcomes great obstacles to live life to the fullest and inspires others to meet challenges.

Environmental: A per-son or persons who advo-cate for environmental awareness through the use of their time, talent, and resources to help better our natural environment by reducing the carbon foot print, or restoring lands, rivers, & trails in our community.

Educational Excellence:

A person whose enriching and inspiring contribu-tions create a positive environment for students, that stimulates creativity, imagination and enthusi-asm for learning.

Teen Spirit: A Snoqualmie Valley teenag-er who shows a passion for helping others, for giving service to our community, and for being a shining example inspiring his or her peers and younger generations to follow suit.

Inspirational Youth: A Snoqualmie Valley youth (12 years and under) who outwardly displays com-passion, respect and kind-ness, setting a positive example for his/her peers.

Youth Leadership Initiative: A student that does more than expected in the areas of vision, ser-

See GOOD, Page 13


7

Travel Centers of America 46600 SE North Bend Way,

North Bend, WA 98045 425.888.3322

I-90 East Take Exit 34

Kids Eat Free!Best kept secret in North Bend! Try our new menu!

Drawing by Deliah O’Brien, 5th grade, Opstad Elementary

Snoqualmie Ridge Office425-831-0386

Maple Valley Office425-413-2121

North Bend Office425-888-1896

Courtesy of

Drawing by Madison Chambers, 5th grade, Opstad Elementary, Patient of Kirby Nelson Orthodontics

Drawing by Emily Chenn, 3rd Grade, Sunset Elementary

Issaquah

425-392-6421www.holidayinn.com/sea-issaquah

1801 12th Ave. NW Issaquah, WA 98027

Wishing our community the very best

this Holiday Season

Drawing by Wenna, 4th grade, Discovery Elementary

Comfort and Efficiency from Friendly Experts you can Trust.

425.318.1662www.mmcomfortsystems.com

Heating Air Conditioning Water Heaters

Drawing by Srushti, 4th grade, Discovery Elementary Drawing by Lindsey Flanagan

425.392.6434 • www.snovalleystar.com

from the merchants and children of Snoqualmie/North Bend

By Margery CercadoUW News Lab

Being eco-conscious is no longer just for people.

The owners of the North Bend-based com-pany, Ballboy, believe that canine family members can also reduce their car-bon footprint, offering ecological dog toys created from their home.

Founder and owner Kris Reid began the busi-ness three years ago. The former competitive

springboard diver became inspired while recovering from a major injury.

“I was down from my last shoulder sur-gery [with] six months’ recovery and that’s a lot of sitting and watching TV,” he said. “So one too many ASPCA commercials with all the sad puppies that need help and Sara McLachlan, and it hit me one day that I had to make a difference and to try to help some of these animals.”

Originally, Reid and his husband Jim Ellis had a successful painting com-pany in Bellevue, but after moving to North Bend, the two began brainstorm-ing for a new business. One day Reid watched his mother’s dog chew a ten-nis ball to pieces. He got the idea they could make better quality dog toys and give some of the profit to no-kill animal shelters.

Ellis, who is the com-pany’s vice president, described the quality of

most tennis balls made for dogs as: “Imported [and] fake … they come in from China and they’re seamed [instead of sewn], they’re not real tennis balls.”

Reid thought that instead of giving pets cheap, poorly-made imita-tions, they could use recy-cled, high-quality tennis

Photo courtesy of Sarah Bous-Leslie and Pet Connections Magazine

Kris Reid and Jim Ellis show off some of their creations.

North Bend entrepreneurs make eco-friendly dog toys from tennis balls

See TOYS, Page 8


8

Drawing by Kayliann Bush, 4th grade, SES

[email protected] 7730 Center Blvd, Suite D, Snoqualmie, WA

www.stevesdoughnuts.com

Every 6th doughnut

FREE!

Drawing by Bella Golzow, 5th grade, North Bend Elementary

425.831.6300610 E North Bend Way - North Bend www.lesschwab.com

Drawing by Audrey, 5th Grade, Snoqualmie Elementary

118 Downing Ave. N • North Bend (next to QFC shopping center)

425-888-6846 • www.alpinechiropracticcenter.com

Drawing by Mariia Usatenko, 5th grade, Snoqualmie Elementary

Jerry & Michele Pearson

165 NE Juniper St. Suite 200Issaquah, WA 98027

425-831-3100 • 800-423-8473www.pearsonlawfirm.com

Appointments throughout Washington

Expert Intervention Makes a Difference

248 Ballarat Ave. N., North Bend • www.northbendmontessori.com425.831.5766 • Voted “Best Montessori” in the Valley

Drawing by Addison, age 4, North Bend Montessori Preschool Drawing by Tychon Preston, 5th grade, S.E.S Elementary

8353 Meadowbrook Way SE, Snoqualmie

www.sigillocellars.com [email protected]

for more information


balls as dog toys. He conducted some research and, as Ellis explains, found out that “350 million [balls] were looking for new homes after play in tennis centers, universities -- all across the country. And a majority, around 20,000 tons, of that rub-ber was going into the landfill.”

Purchased old tennis balls

They learned they could pur-chase these old tennis balls. With their idea in place the two began their business, converting half of their property’s 1,800-square-foot shop into the manufacturing facility for Ballboy.

At the beginning, the com-pany researched and tested their products over a couple years.

“There are some specific things about product testing that are pretty important [such as making] sure all the balls were clean, and did not have toxins or heavy metals,” Ellis said.

Ballboy uses information from the website healthystuff.org, which conducts research on “toxic chemicals in everyday products.” Healthystuff uses an X-ray Florescence (XRF) analyzer to test products. According to its website, “XRFs are widely used by both product manufacturers and government regulators to screen consumer products for hazardous chemicals.”

On tests conducted on some Chinese-manufactured, tennis ball dog toys, healthystuff.org

found traces of lead, arsenic and bromine. On better quality ten-nis balls tested, no traces were found.

Reid conducted his own research, renting a XRF X-ray machine to test toxicity in the tennis ball brands they use. For some, there were low traces of contaminants.

These balls, as well as ones that are too flat or dirty to be used as toys, are re-recycled and donated to places such as schools or nursing homes. There they are repurposed for other uses. At the latter, they are often put on the bottom of chair legs and walkers.

The company’s first product, three recycled tennis balls in an agricultural-quality, biodegrad-able net bag, or “Replay” as they’re called on the website, has

become the signature product.Currently Ballboy has 14

products. It uses pure raw mate-rials, such as 100 percent hemp for toys, and recycled-paper labels with all soy, non-dye based ink.

Very important testers: Their own dogs

As for testers, the couple has enlisted the help of some very important personnel: their own dogs.

Max, the pair’s big, lovable Lab, was the “original Ballboy,” testing all their products. After Max died at 13, three new “Ballboys” joined the test team. Phoebe, the pug, and Bodhi and Ben, fox red Labs, continue Max’s work.

Reid and Ellis also send test

products around the country for family and friends to try with their beloved canine companions.

Solange Teague is a friend and customer who has pur-chased Ballboy products since the beginning. She wrote in an email why she has remained a loyal customer:

“I am a big supporter of recy-cling and all natural products for animals,” she wrote. “Why should my furry child use prod-ucts that I would not use myself because of chemical content?”

Ellis also added that Ballboy toys are meant to be fun for both the owner as well as their dog.

“Our main goal has been to provide safe, interactive play-toys for pets,” he said.

ToysFrom Page 7

See TOYS, Page 13


9

Drawing by Sarah Berger, 4th grade, S.E.S. Patient of Snoqualmie Valley Kids Dentist

Drawing by David Hernandez, Opstad Elementary

425-831-5511Open 7 Days a Week Open Mic

Every Tuesday

Night137 W North Bend Way North Bend, WA 98045

Drawing by Sophie Himk, 5th grade, Opstad Elementary

106 Main Ave. N., North Bend • 425.888.0781www.chevyoutlet.com

North Bend ChevroletReservations • Take Out • Kid’s Menu • Full Bar

456 SW Mt Si Blvd • North Bend425.888.5501 www.jayberrys.com

Drawing by Mona Thomas, Grade 4, Discovery Elementary

Snoqualmie Ridge Early Learning Center�34929 SE Ridge St. Suite 100�- Snoqualmie, WA 98065

425-396-0656 - www.snoqualmieridgeelc.com

Picture designed by: Pre-Kindergarten class of 2013-2014

Drawing by Ryan, 3rd grade, North Bend Elementary

425.888.4522 www.northbendauto.com 43306 SE North Bend Way

North Bend, WA 98045

Drawing by Madison Zwiefelhofer, 4th grade, Snoqualmie Elementary

8096 Railroad Ave SE Snoqualmie

425-831-1772www.snoqualmieflowers.com

Drawing by Sydney Y., 4th grade, North Bend Elementary

“Happy Howlidays from the Pet Place Market Pack”

213 Bendigo Blvd N #2North Bend, WA 98045

425.888.8828www.petplacemarket.com

Like us on

234 North Bend Way North Bend 425-888-2301

Serving Fast, Good Food for

60 Years

Voted ‘Best Burger’ in the valley since

2004

Drawing by Elizabeth Thurmond, 5th grade, S.E.S



10

Drawing by Sophie Himka, 5th grade, Opstad Elementary

45710 SE North Bend Way • North BendPhone: (425) 888-0623 • Fax: (425) 888-5688

www.tannerelectric.coop/contact.html

Drawing by Lydia Saver, 5th grade, North Bend Elementary

(425) 888-000144800 SE North Bend Way

North BendFamily Owned & Operated Since 1989

Drawing by Lucia Tapia, 4th grade, North Bend Elementary

425.888.0867 421 Main Ave S,

PO Box 372, North Bend, WA 98045

Voted Best Dentist in Snoqualmie Valley in 2013Drawing by Madison Chambers, 5th grade, Opstad Elementary

425-888-4343 • Snoqualmie, WA

Alpine Coachworks


NORTH BEND ACE HARDWARE330 Main Ave S, North Bend(425) 888-1242

Lia C., 5th grade, North Bend ElementaryDrawing by Preston Taylor, 4th grade, North Bend Elementary

www.issaquahpress.com425.392.6434

Located across from Ace Hardware, next to Valley Robotics

425-292-0909 www.swirlnb.com

Drawing by Stormy, S.E.SHappy Holidaysfrom

Drawing by Taylor Flanagan, 5th grade, North Bend Elementary

111 East North Bend Way, Ste # A North Bend

Serving the Snoqualmie Valley and beyond - THANK YOU!


11

North Bend police

Self-Siphon Police responded to

Cascade Heated Self Storage on 1080 S.E. North Bend Way at 12:08 p.m. on Dec. 9 to reports that a U-Haul truck had only a half tank of fuel when it should have had a full tank. Some evidence of a spill was apparent near the gas cap area of the tank.

Problem of portable computers

Police responded to the 1200 block of Mountain Boulevard on Dec. 10, at 11:39 a.m. to reports of a theft. The victim left her house for one and a half hours. Upon return-ing they discovered that two laptop computers had been stolen. The rear slider

door was unlocked and was the likely entry point for the suspect.

MacGyverPolice responded to

the 400 block of Stow Avenue South to reports of an attempted theft. An unknown suspect attempt-ed to steal a vehicle from an apartment parking lot. The unlocked driver’s side door was the likely entry point. The suspect attempt-ed to start the vehicle with a screwdriver.

Staying alertPolice responded to the

1400 block of Bendigo Boulevard North on Dec. 11, at 12:35 a.m. to reports of a hit and run. The suspect was driving southbound on Bendigo Boulevard North and near the intersection at Northwest 14th Street when his vehicle crossed

into the oncoming lane and collided with the vic-tim’s vehicle. There were no injuries.

Hand-deliveredPolice responded to

the 1200 block of Salish Avenue Southeast on Dec. 12, at 9:02 p.m. to reports of vandalism. The victim found a package from Amazon.com that they had ordered on their door step. The package had been torn open but all the items were there.

North Bend fire

Beg forgiveness instead of asking permission

One engine was dis-patched on Dec. 6, to the 14000 block of 468th Avenue Southeast at 3:58 p.m. to reports of unau-

thorized burning.

Unnecessary precaution

One engine was dis-patched on Dec. 7, to the 100 block of East North Bend Way at 10:58 a.m. to a hazmat release investiga-tion that did not involved hazmat.

Don’t breath through your nose, or your mouth

One engine was dis-patched on Dec. 9, to the 1100 block of Forster Boulevard Southwest at 9:38 a.m. to reports of a toxic condition. Firefighters replaced the batteries in the carbon monoxide detector.

Water issuesOne engine responded

on Dec. 9, to the 400 Block of Meadow Drive

Southeast at 10:29 p.m. to reports of a water problem. Firefighters found a water or steam leak.

Snoqualmie fire

Dangerous HooverFirefighters responded

on Dec. 5, to a fire alarm at the Trailside Building. A person had set off the detector while vacuuming.

Infrastructure lacking

Firefighters were called to Southeast 79th Street on Dec. 6, for a water flow alarm. Upon arrival, investigators found a bro-ken pipe in the business. Personnel assisted with water clean-up and shut off.

False showersFirefighters were dis-

patched to the Salish Lodge on Dec. 7, for a fire alarm. Investigation revealed that the alarm was set off by a broken sprinkler pipe. The sys-tem was turned off and drained. A technician was called.

Just a warningFirefighters responded

on Dec. 10, to reports from a citizen whose fur-nace was making loud sounds. Crews shut off power to the furnace and told the home owner to call a technician.

In addition to the above calls, Snoqualmie Firefighters responded to 10 medical aid calls bring-ing the annual call num-ber to 1120.

The Star publishes names of those charged with felony crimes. Informa-tion comes directly from local police reports.

Police blotter

Chamber names new membership and events director

Elizabeth “Lizzy” Billington has been hired as the Director of Membership and Events for the Snoqualmie Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Billington will begin working at the Chamber in January 2014.

She has served in numerous volunteer and leadership positions

including the March of Dimes, a women’s resource center and a support sys-

tem for undernourished

See CHAMBER, Page 15


12

TUES

24

q All Snoqualmie city meetings can-celled

q Christmas Eve Service, 1 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., Church on the Ridge, 35131 S.E. Douglas St., Snoqualmie, 888-7474

q Christmas Eve Masses, 3 p.m., 5 p.m., 8 p.m. and midnight, Our Lady of Sorrows Church, 39025 S.E. Alpha St., 888-2974

q Christmas Eve Service, 5 p.m. and 10 p.m., St. Clare’s Episcopal Church, 8650 Railroad Ave. S.E., 831-6175

q Christmas Classics Series: ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ (1946), 3 p.m., North Bend Theater, free admission

q Mount Si Senior Center closed through Jan. 1

YOUR WEEK

MON

23

q Teen Winter Camp: Service, Shopping and Swimming, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., ages 11-14, $60/com-munity participant or program member, $50/facility member, www.seattleymca.org

q Christmas Classics Series: ‘Miracle on 34th Street’ (1947), 5 p.m., North Bend Theater, free admis-sion

q No School Day Camp, 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Meadowbrook Farm, 1711 Boalch Ave., North Bend, grades K-5, $60/day

q AlpenFolk Christmas Special, 7 p.m., Boxley’s, 101 W. North Bend Way, North Bend. 292-9307

SUN

22

q Salish Holiday Tea, Salish Lodge, 2-4 p.m., 6501 Railroad Ave. S.E., Snoqualmie, every-one is welcome, $35/adults, $15/ages 6-12, call 1-800-2-SALISH for reservations

q Christmas Classics Series: ‘The Polar Express’ (G), 5 p.m., North Bend Theater, free admis-sion

q Danny Kolke Trio, 6 p.m., Boxley’s, 101 W. North Bend Way, North Bend. 292-9307

SAT

21

q Santa Train, hourly departures between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., Northwest Railway Museum North Bend Depot, 205 McClellan St., $20/person, $18/museum members, www.tickets.trainmu-seum.org

q Aging Well with Consciousness Book Club and Conversation: ‘Composing a Further Life: The Age of Active Wisdom’ by Mary Catherine Bateson, 10:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., Snoqualmie Library, 7824 Center Blvd. S.E.

q Dickens Carolers, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., North Bend Library, 115 E. Fourth St.

q Christmas Classics Series: ‘White Christmas’ (1954), 5 p.m., North Bend Theater, free admission

q Kids Night Out Pizza Pre-party, 5:30-6 p.m., Snoqualmie Valley YMCA, 35018 S.E. Ridge St., ages 3-12, $5, register online at www.seattleymca.org

q Greg Williamson Quartet, 7 p.m., Boxley’s, 101 W. North Bend Way, North Bend. 292-9307

q Singer Songwriters Circle, 8 p.m., The Black Dog, 8062 Railroad Ave. S.E., Snoqualmie. 831-3647

FRI

20

q Si View Pool and Community Center closed for maintenance through Jan. 5

q Santa Train, hourly departures between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., Northwest Railway Museum North Bend Depot, 205 McClellan St., $20/person, $18/museum members, www.tickets.train-museum.org

q Santa and Reindeer Engine, 5-9 p.m., visits Forster Woods housing area, Cedar Falls and North Bend Way, bring new toys to donate, meet Santa

q Kid Free Fridays, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Snoqualmie Valley YMCA, 35018 S.E. Ridge St., ages 3-12, $10, register online at www.seattleymca.org

q You Knew Me When (indie folk-rock), 7 p.m., Snoqualmie Brewery and Taphouse, 8032 Falls Ave. S.E.

q Cherlyn Johnson Christmas Special, 7 p.m., Boxley’s, 101 W. North Bend Way, North Bend, 292-9307

q Crud Guns Christmas, 8 p.m., The Black Dog, 8062 Railroad Ave. S.E., Snoqualmie. 831-3647

WED

25

q All Snoqualmie city offices closed

q All North Bend city offices closed

q Christmas Day Mass, 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church, 39025 S.E. Alpha St., 888-2974

THUR

26

q All North Bend public meetings cancelled

q Holiday Hoops Clinic, 9-11 a.m. grades K-2, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. grades 3-6, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. grades 5-8, through Dec. 27, Chief Kanim Middle School, 32627 S.E. Redmond-Fall City Road, Fall City, learn basic funda-mentals of basket-ball through fun games and indi-vidual instruction, $35/grades K-6, $45/grades 5-8. Go to www.siviewpark.org/sports-camps.

q Bill Anschell and Vern Sielert, 7 p.m., Boxley’s, 101 W. North Bend Way, North Bend. 292-9307

The YMCA presents a Kids Night Out Holiday Party, for ages 3-12, from 6-10 p.m. Dec. 21 at their Snoqualmie Valley location, 35018 S.E. Ridge St. Cost of admission is $36/community participant, $20/facility member and $28/program member. Kids will be decorating cookies, playing theme inspired gym games, pinning the nose on Rudolf, drinking hot cocoa and much more. Bring your child’s presents and they will be wrapped by the Snoqualmie Valley YMCA Teen Leadership Board! Wrapping paper will be provided! Register online at www.seattleymca.org.

SCHEDULE THIS:

Send your news

Send items for Your Week

to [email protected] by noon Friday.

THE CALENDAR FOR DECEMBER 20-26


13

StressDepressionLife TransitionsLoss and GriefRelationship Problems

Everyone Needs a Little Help Now and Then...

Patty Groves, M.A., L.M.H.C.Issaquah Creek Counseling Center

545 Rainier Blvd. N., Issaquahwww.issaquahcreekcounseling.com

(425) 898-1700Now accepting most major Credit/Debit Cards

Amy QuilizapaCertified Master Groomer

20 years experiencemention this ad & receive $5.00 off your next groom

Mt. Si Pet Salon

New

OwnerNew Owner

Mon-Tue-Thu-Fri: 9-5 - Wed & Sat by appt425-888-2177 • Mt Si Village (inside Ace Hardware)

Warning: Reserve this recipe for the most special of days, the splurgiest of the splurges, the over-the-top occasions. Like, you know, when you read this article or somethin’.

Afterward, thou shalt eat a large, leafy green salad made of kale – not that fake lettuce – to make up for the indulgence you are about to partake of. For, you see, when one eateth a truffle one must speaketh in King James Bible version of English for awhile to make up for all of thy calories. To hence forth bring balance back into the world once again. Or just simply because it’s so much fun to speak in King James. Amen.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Cake ingredients

4 large eggs1 cup sugar1 cup flour1 cup butter, softened1 tablespoon almond

extract1 teaspoon baking pow-

der1 teaspoon saltFilling and dipping

ingredients1 3/4 cup raspberry jelly 2 cups (or 16 ounces)

high quality semi-sweet chocolate

Place eggs in mixing bowl. Add sugar and beat on high for about 3 min-utes or until well com-bined and frothy. Lower setting on mixer and slowly add the flour.

Add butter. Mix until butter is completely incor-porated into the batter. Add almond extract, bak-ing powder and salt.

Place cake in two 9-by-13 inch baking pans that have been sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake. Check the cakes after 20 minutes. The cakes are done when a fork poked into the cake center comes out clean.

Remove cakes from oven and cool.

Heat raspberry jam for about 45 seconds in

microwave (not necessary but helpful for spreading). Spread jelly evenly on top of the cakes.

Chill cakes in fridge for about 20 minutes to firm up jelly and make cake easier to dip into choco-late.

Line a couple baking sheets with parchment paper while the cakes are cooling. Then, when cool, make mini cakes by cutting with a 1 1/2 inch circle cookie cutter. Push the cookie cutter into the raspberry-topped cake and gently push the cake up through the top of the cookie cutter. This allows you to remove the mini cakes from cookie cutter while leaving the jelly top-ping intact. Place cakes on the parchment-lined bak-ing sheet.

Dip each mini cake into chocolate up to jelly (coating bottom and sides)

using a fork or a chocolate dipping tool. Place dipped cakes back onto baking sheet. When finished, place tray in fridge to set for about a half an hour.

Truffle topping ingredients

2 cups semi-sweet choc-olate chips

1 cup heavy cream1/2 teaspoon kosher sea

salt (optional for sprin-kling)

Melt chocolate and

heavy cream in a double boiler on low heat until melted together and chocolaty. Place choco-late in a shallow dish in fridge or freezer until semi-firm. Place truffle mixture in a large deco-rating bag with a large decorating tip.

Swirl truffle on the top of each cake. Sprinkle each truffle topping with a few grains of kosher sea salt if desired.

So good it should have

been in the Bible. This recipe makes about 60-70 cake truffles.

I beg thy forgiveness. ‘Tis with great gladness I share with thee. I beg thy forgiveness.

Deanna Morauski owns, operates and cooks at The Old Hen Bed & Breakfast in North Bend. Her love for baking and cooking began as she sat upon a baker’s stool as a little girl. Her love for people grew in the midst of church potlucks. Follow her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/theoldhen.

Almond raspberry truffle cakes will test your resolve

Ellis stressed that their toys were not chew toys and are not intended for extreme chewers; “These are fetch toys, toys to play with.”

Hard to keep up with demand

He says it’s difficult to keep up with the demand locally, nationally and internationally, even with five employees creating the handmade toys daily. Recently Ballboy sent out the largest order they’ve ever had went to two loca-tions in Canada.

“The biggest challenge has been … to be timely in production and we’re doing it little by little,”

he said. “To try to get to a profitable place and do all the work yourselves, that’s what a homemade busi-ness is all about.”

However, charity remains one of the biggest driving forces for Ballboy. Ellis explains what he hopes the future will bring.

“Our ultimate goal is to take that very first item, those three balls in the net bag,” he said “[And] when we become profitable as a company, we want to have all the net profit

from that singular item go to non-kill animal shelters and other charities.”

Ballboy continues to expand and garner atten-tion – the company was recently featured in Pet Connection Magazine - and Reid and Ellis are ready for what’s to come, with big dreams for their business at the base of Mount Si.

“We’re right on the caps of explosion,” Reid said. “I see big things for the future; we should

be expanding across the country this next year and hopefully becoming a household brand.”

For merchandise, retail-ers and more information on the company, please visit: http://www.ball-boyshop.com.

Margery Cercado is a student in the University of Washington Department of Communication News Laboratory. She can be reached at [email protected].

ToysFrom Page 8

vice, organization, media-tion, and idealism.

Youth Advocate: A per-son who values and sup-ports Snoqualmie Valley youth, advocating for their needs and interests in the community.

Unsung Hero: A per-son who goes beyond expectations in an inspi-rational and positive manner.

Parent Volunteer: A person who volunteers their time to the children and youth of the valley through schools or orga-nizations that strengthen families, such as PTSA, youth sports, churches and more.

Spirit of the Valley: A

person who embodies the highest level of commit-ment to the community, selflessly giving of their time and talents.

Last year’s winners included: Sue Korol for Arts, Boxley’s Place for Business, Peggy Fursman (posthu-mously) and PJ Duvall for Courage, Nancy Baker for Educational Excellence, Curtis Lily as Youth Advocate, DeAnna Pleasants Haverfield for Parent Volunteer, Noah Riffe for Inspirational Youth, Snoqualmie Middle School Student Body for Youth Leadership Initiative, Conner Skylstad for Teen Spirit, Jan Van Liew was named Unsung Hero and Bev Jorgensen won the Spirit of the Valley cat-egory.

GoodFrom Page 6

SportsPAGE 14 DECEMBER 19, 2013

14

The Mount Si girls basketball team has had a rough season beginning.

The Wildcats lost Dec. 11 to

Cedarcrest in a 64-57 contest. Then Mount Si played against Lake Washington on Dec. 13, losing 53-34. The following

game for the lady Wildcats was a 58- 40 loss to Mercer Island on Dec. 14.

Against Lake Washington, the Wildcats started strong but fell apart in the second half, scoring a total of just 9 points. They had a 5 point lead at halftime. Senior Sally Nelson scored a double double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to

By Calder Productions

Senior Guard Kylie McLaughlin drives to the hoop during Mount Si’s 58-40 loss to Mercer Island Dec. 14.

Mount Si girls hoops loses three straight


Junior forward Madi Bevens (at left) rises up over the competi-tion to take a shot.

See GIRLS, Page 15

The Wildcats lost to Lake Washington on Dec. 13, bringing their record this season to 1-3. Lake Washington outscored Mount Si 27-9 in the sec-ond half which sealed the even-tual 90-67 victory for the Kangs.

Senior Jack Nelson led the team in scoring with 18. Tyler McCreadie scored 11 for Mount Si. Senior Beau Shain scored 10 points and pulled down 8 rebounds in the loss.

Their next loss came at the hands of Mercer Island on Dec. 15. It was a one-sided affair where Mount Si attempted to play catch-up all game. The Wildcats lost 80-49. They opened the game by allow-ing Mercer Island to go ahead 17-2 on a series of runs and key rebounding.

Shain scored 13 points in this

loss and teammate Nelson added 8 points of his own.

The Wildcats previous game was a 66-46 loss at Bellevue. Nelson scored 15 on the night shooting 2 of 3 from beyond the arc. No other Wildcat

scored in double figures as the team shot 31 percent from the field. Parker Dumas and Beau Shain each scored 6 points and brought down 8 rebounds. Tyler McCreadie pulled in 9 boards, the team high.

Mount Si boys basketball team is off to a slow start to season


It’s all flying arms and legs at senior Beau Shain (No. 24) battles with a Mercer Island player for the ball.


Senior Jack Nelson leaps up to take a shot.


15

home services

Elizabeth PrewittJunior, Mt. Si Basketball5’10”Junior Elizabeth Prewitt has been leading the Wildcats on the basketball court.Elizabeth is the point guard but is very versatile and can play power forward, too. She has natural court sense and a beautiful shot.

alter the game in Mount Si’s favor. Wildcat point guard Elizabeth Prewitt scored 8 and Madi Bevens scored 7.

In their game against Mercer Island, the Wildcats lost the game in the third quarter where the Islanders more than doubled the Wildcat’s points.

Nelson again led her team in points and rebounds, post-

ing a double double with 11 and 11. She even added 3 blocks but it wasn’t enough. Teammates Bevens and Kylie McLaughlin each chipped in 8 points.

Their first game against Cedarcrest was a closer affair but ultimate-ly ended the same way.

In that game, Prewitt scored an impressive 19 points along with 9 rebounds in the loss, and Bevens scored 14. Prewitt’s game represents the team’s high point total for an individual scorer this season.

GirlsFrom Page 14

families in Michigan. She and her family moved to the area from Michigan and have embraced the outdoor life style of Western Washington.

“Lizzy rose to the top

of the applicants because of her enthusiastic demeanor and her very relevant career experience working for a member-ship-based organization and having managed events” said Nate Perea, CEO of The Snoqualmie Valley Chamber. “She has a drive to work with people, thrives on build-ing relationships and

has such a pleasant way about her. I think people will really enjoy know-ing Lizzy as she works towards our mission of helping the Snoqualmie

Valley thrive.”For more information

about the Chamber of Commerce and its activi-ties, go to www.snovalley.org.

ChamberFrom Page 11

County offers weather alerts for Metro Transit

King County Metro Transit reminds riders to plan now how they will get around before the snow flurries fly.

By signing up for Metro Transit alerts, riders can receive emails or text messages warning about known significant disrup-tions to Metro bus service. Riders also can preview specific snow routes and review online tips for win-ter travel.

When snowy, icy condi-tions affect travel, Metro buses will go to snow rout-ing as necessary, depend-ing on road conditions in a broad geographic area. All bus routes are assigned into one or more of seven geographic areas within King County.

The service status of each area is color coded and displayed on an online snow map.

Winter-travel tips q Sign up to receive

transit alerts for the routes you use at http://1.usa.gov/17YgY95.

q Check the print and online timetables for snow route maps at http://1.usa.

gov/1hjtTW9.q Pick up the new

Metro Snow & Ice Guide on buses and at Metro lit-erature stands for general tips.

q Check the color-cod-ed status map on Metro Online before you travel at http://1.usa.gov/IkCs4a.

q Be patient. Buses are not always on schedule in snowy or icy conditions. Increased ridership during bad weather can result in crowded buses and a lon-ger-than-usual wait on the phone for the Customer Information Line at 206-553-3000.

q Your favorite smart-phone apps and online trackers may not be reliable when buses are rerouted or significantly delayed.

q Dress warmly for the walk to the bus stop, expect delays and wear appropriate footwear for the weather.

q Head for bus stops on main arterials or at major transfer points such as park-&-ride lots, transit centers or shopping cen-ters.

q Riders should wait at bus stops at the very top or very bottom of hills, because buses are often unable to stop for passen-gers on inclines.

New text message service aids health insurance enrollment

County residents can text “King” plus a ZIP code to “468311” and Public Health – Seattle & King County’s new text messaging program will send information about upcoming health insur-ance enrollment events customized to that ZIP code.

“Now, it just takes a quick text to find the most convenient place to sign up for afford-able healthcare,” King County Executive Dow Constantine said.

For people who would prefer to get in-person assistance signing up for health insurance, the pro-gram eliminates the need to search online or call for convenient enrollment event locations. Every week, subscribers will get local event information customized to their ZIP code.

The new texting pro-gram also sends remind-ers of how to sign up for insurance online and by phone.

Learn more at http://coverkingcounty.com/textup-dates.

I-5 Challenge results in zero Thanksgiving traffic fatalities

Motorists in Washington met the Thanksgiving Weekend I-5 Challenge to “arrive alive” with no traffic fatalities on Interstate 5 during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

Not only did the Washington State Patrol have extra troopers out on I-5, there were extra troopers out statewide. Preliminary data shows the trooper’s efforts state-wide were:

q 268 drivers arrested for DUI

q 8,082 drivers stopped for speeding

q 478 drivers stopped for seat belt violations

The Oregon State Patrol also reported zero fatali-ties on I-5 and California Highway Patrol reported just one fatality during the challenge.

State law enforcement officers from San Diego, Calif., through Oregon, and up to Bellingham, used a mix of education outreach and enforcement to get voluntary compli-ance of traffic laws.

Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel times.


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