By Gloria Vazquez

Carl Heine, I imagine, would be proud.

The Seattle postman was also serving as the director of Valley Camp in the 1960s when he began challenging youths to climb the mountain in the “backyard” of the Lutheran Camp Facility. Heine placed a mailbox at the summit and tucked a notebook into the box for the youths to sign when they reached the top.

The summit became known as Mailbox Peak.

Each year, thousands of hik-ers deliver their own notes or mementos to the famous mail-box.

The original mailbox has been replaced many times over the years, however, the mountain’s reputation of being a thigh-burning, endurance-testing climb remained. The steep grade and at times sketchy trail has long posed challenges for serious hikers, as well as for search and rescue teams that have often been called out to locate lost or injured climbers.

Outdoor groups got the mes-sage.

The trail, which wound

around tree roots, mudslides and was difficult to follow, needed a face lift.

The process required four years and more than 12,000 hours of volunteer labor. The project was spearheaded by the efforts and partnerships of the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust, Washington State Department of Natural Resources, Washington Trails Association and EarthCorps.

The result: a safer and more accessible route to the mailbox.

The cost was more than $500,000, much of it paid for by federal grants.

My daughter, Rebekah Pickering, and I volunteered for trail work Sept. 27 and joined the enthusiastic group that gath-ered for the 8:30 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Sept. 27 was also National Public Lands Day and officials and volunteers from Mountains to Sound, DNR, REI and a lot of local hikers were on hand to work and celebrate at the new trailhead parking lot near the Middle Fork Road.

“This iconic trail is a shining example of what can be accom-plished through the works of many different individuals and

entities all working together,” Peter Goldmark, the Washington Commissioner of Public Lands, said.

The new trail is well laid-out.Mark Stenger, former trail

program manager for Mountains to Sound, had spent consider-able time on the mountain, mapping out an ideal trail that eliminates some pitfalls of the original boot track. Over the

years, erosion and increased use had left the trail potentially haz-ardous for hikers.

The original route was a steep, close the 3-mile trek with an elevation gain of 4,000 feet. It could be brutal, particularly if hikers weren’t prepared. The trail was not only difficult to climb, it was hard to follow, which is why

By Sherry Grindelandeditor@snovalleystar.com

Dan Whitney never misses a Larry the Cable Guy show.

Larry, the stand-up comedian dressed in a shirt with cutoff sleeves and camouflage Huskers baseball cap who delivers one-liners in a Southern good-ol’ boy accent, makes him laugh from the minute he gets onstage to the minute he leaves.

Whitney knows Larry the Cable Guy well.

He is Larry.“I think everyone has it fig-

ured out that the Cable Guy is

a character I’ve created,” Whitney said in a tele-phone inter-view from Nebraska. “He’s prob-ably America’s longest run-ning piece of performance art around.”

Whitney was an actor first — if you don’t count growing up in a family where jokes and wise comments were the norm.

“My mom’s funny, my sister’s funny and my brother is a lot funnier than I am,” he said.

In high school and college, he performed in traditional musicals and plays, such as “South Pacific” and “Arsenic and Old Lace.”

But during college, Whitney tried comedy and liked it, par-ticularly the laughter from the audience. That’s one of the 51-year-old preacher’s son’s favorite things about live appearances — watching people laugh at his jokes.

“Comedy is such a wonder-ful thing,” he said. “It makes us laugh and laughter is healthy. It makes us all feel better.”

For Whitney, the pleasure is doubled — he writes most of his own material. For special projects, he leans on a couple

Mount Si bittersweet over blowout victory

Page 6

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serving North Bend and Snoqualmie,

Washington

October 2, 2014

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Larry the Cable Guy

Mount Si High School will be hosting its third annual college and career night from 6-8 p.m. Oct. 7 on the main campus.

The event is designed to help students and families with questions about edu-cation after high school. Attendees will have access to representatives from many different colleges. Students in grades eight through 12 and their parents are encouraged to attend.

There will also be several workshops about various top-ics related to higher educa-tion, including how to pay for college, tests such as the SAT and ACT and how to prepare for them, and how to apply to colleges.

The following colleges and military groups will be represented at the event: University of Washington, Western Washington University, Washington State University, Central Washington University, Seattle University, Seattle Pacific University, Linfield College, Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, Renton Technical College, Oregon State University, University of Oregon,

University of Montana, Montana State University, University of Arizona, University of Colorado Boulder, Navy, Army, Marines, Digi-Pen, Academy of Interactive Entertainment and Simon Fraser University — B.C.

Learn more by emailing Kellie Essig, the Mount Si career specialist, at essigk@svsd410.org, or call 831-8116.

Mount Si hosts annual college, career fair Oct. 7

New Mailbox Peak trail delivers a welcome message

By Gloria Vazquez

Rebekah Pickering, a sophomore at Mount Si High School, poses at the summit of Mailbox Peak.

If you go

Larry the Cable Guyq 7 and 9 p.m. Oct. 2q Snoqualmie Casinoq Tickets $35 to $90q www.snocasino.com

Plugged in to what makes people laugh

See CABLE GUY, Page 5

See TRAIL, Page 3

PAGE 2 SnoValley Star OCTOBER 2, 2014

2

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Valley girls’ choir welcomes more voices

New singers are needed for the Snoqualmie Valley Girls’ Choir.

The group is beginning its 11th season and has a new director, Julie Parsons, this year.

Activities this year include the Seattle Sings Big

Sing show, an appearance on the Argosy Christmas Ship during the holiday sea-son and two concerts.

The Choir is open to girls in grades four through 12.

Grades four and five rehearse from 4:30-5:30 p.m. and grades six through 12 rehearse from 5-6:30 p.m. Thursdays at

Mt. Si Lutheran Church, 411 N.E. Eighth St., North Bend.

Learn more at www.sno-qualmievalleygirlschoir.org.

Human Services funding available

The city of Snoqualmie Human Services Committee is accepting

application requests for funds for human service programs for 2015.

Each year the city assigns 1 percent of its general fund to commu-nity and human service organizations that serve the greater Snoqualmie Valley and provide ser-vices that benefit children, seniors, individuals and families in need.

The application is posted on the city website, www.cityofsnoqualmie.org.

Applications are due no later than 5 p.m. Oct. 8.

The Human Services Committee will review the applications and make fund-ing recommendations to the Snoqualmie City Council.

Contact Debra Vigil at dvigil@ci.snoqualmie.

wa.us or 888-1555.

Free PSAT tests for Mount Si High School juniors

Mount Si High School juniors will be able to take the PSAT test for free from 7:40-10:40 a.m. Oct. 15 at school.

Juniors need to sign up at the school’s online registration site, https://user.totalregistration.net/PSAT/480797.

Students who have already paid the registra-tion fee will get a refund.

Practice booklets are available in the school’s counseling center.

Freshmen and sopho-mores may take the PSAT

from 9 a.m. to noon Oct. 18 for a fee of $20. Register online at www.svsd410.org/Page/4124 or at the finance window at the main high school campus or the freshman campus.

Construction slows traffic in downtown

Sewer and storm drain construction in downtown Snoqualmie will continue to close one lane of traffic until approximately Oct. 10.

Only one lane is open on Railroad Avenue Southeast.

Traffic flaggers will man-age the flow of vehicles.

Bicyclists should fol-low the same rule as other vehicles, waiting for a sig-nal from the flagger before proceeding.

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Wayne S. SharonWayne S. Sharon, of

North Bend, was born Oct. 5, 1942, in Lake City, Iowa, to Ralph and Alice Sharon.

He passed away on Sept. 17, 2014, at 71 years of age, at his home in North Bend, with his family all around him.

He moved to Washington state in 1959 at 17 years of age and started his first job, horse logging, for two years. In 1961, he worked for Lewis Scott for two years; in 1962, for Highlanders for one year; in 1963, with Scott Paper for two years; and then by 1966, he started working for Weyerhaeuser, from which he retired after 32 years of falling trees.

He was a member of the Moose Lodge, Post Snoqualmie Valley Lodge 1666, since 1983, and the Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie 3529.

Wayne was a simple man’s man. He loved working in the outdoors with his cattle, projects on

his backhoe and long walks in the woods on his property. Everywhere Wayne went he didn’t know a stranger. He had a contagious smile and a laugh wherever he went. He would always say, “Enjoy a little bit every day” and “Have no regrets and go forward.”

Wayne is survived by his fiancé Kay Webster, of North Bend; his four children, Allan “Al” Sharon and wife Linda, of North Bend, Dave Sharon and wife JJ, of Douglas, Wyoming, Jeff Sharon, of Fall City, and daughter Jennie Koplin, of Bellevue, Nebraska; stepchildren Russell (Lori) Webster, of Easton, and Robert (Kim) Webster, of Covington. He also had many nieces and nephews. He had six grandchildren and six stepgrandchildren.

He will be sadly missed by all who new him.

A celebration of Wayne’s life will be held at a later date at the Eagles’ Hall in Snoqualmie.

Obituary

Wayne Sharon

Local students make OSU honor roll

These local students made the scholastic honor roll for the summer term at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon.

From North Bend:

Molly E. Cordell, a junior majoring in zoology, and Shanna L. Howland, a junior majoring in exercise and sport science.

From Snoqualmie: Joely F. Hannan, a sophomore majoring in biochemistry and biophysics.

people got lost.The newly created

trail climbs 3,800 feet in approximately 4.7 miles. The grade is significantly gentler. The wider, less steep trail allows for more hikers to access the trail, as well as providing less impact to the knees com-ing down.

The new trailhead pro-

vides parking for approxi-mately 50 cars and there are bathroom facilities as well.

Let’s hope this new and improved trail will take some of the boot traffic off Mount Si and allow hik-ers who were previously intimidated by the climb, to leave their notes in the mailbox as well.

Goldmark summed it up well.

“This is the final seg-ment of a much-loved trail for mountain climb-ers and hikers alike,” he

said at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “Whether you’re preparing for Mount Rainier or just enjoying a stroll through a beautiful area, the new trail offers something for everyone.”

Driving directions:Drive east on I-90.

Take exit 34. Turn left onto 468th Street. Turn right onto Middle Fork Snoqualmie Road (Forest Road 56). Continue on Middle Fork Snoqualmie

Road until the end of the pavement.

The new parking area is on the right, up a hill. The trail and parking area is clearly marked.

A Northwest Forest Pass is required.

Learn more about the project at mtsgreenway.org/our-work/middle-fork-snoqualmie-river.

Note: The new trail is only open on weekends through the end of October, due to construction on Middle Fork Road.

TrailFrom Page 1

and they have tried valiantly to turn squash into an edible dish. To do this, they take one-tenth of a portion of squash, boil as much of the squashiness as they can out of it, then immerse it in nine-tenths something that tastes good and hope no one will notice. You know, stuff like chili, mutton, edible vegetables, nuclear waste, cottonwood bark and even choco-late. Then, when you can’t taste the squash in it, and most of the slime has settled to the bottom, they smile and ask, “How do you like my ‘Squash Cannelloni ala Hershey con Brio?”

They even try to fool people who might consider buying squash into thinking it tastes like something else. Something like butter. Or acorns. Or crooked

necks. Hey, I’ll take a crooked neck over a squash any day.

Makes you wonder what crime against mankind Mr. Zucchini committed to be for-ever more squash-damned in the history books.

Let’s face it: Squash is an unwanted growth on an oth-erwise perfectly good vine. It starts with a pretty little blossom that inspires Navajo jewelry and attracts bees. Then, it begins its insidious malignancy into some-thing that should probably be surgically removed.

But it’s fall now. Autumn, that time of year when children play in the lazy sunshine and squash vines go belly up. And when we enjoy our pumpkin pie and jack o’lanterns, we’ll smile quietly, knowing we’ll once again be squash free for a few blessed months.

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OpinionPAGE 4 OCTOBER 2, 2014

Give Mount Si sports teams another look

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Home Country

Slim RandlesColumnist

Thank goodness! Squash season finally ends again

WEEKLY POLL

Go Wildcats! Our high school sports teams deserve our support because these athletes work hard. Have you been to a game yet?

A. Yes, I go to all the football games.B. Yes, I go to foot-ball, soccer and vol-leyball games.C. I plan to go to a home game soon.D. No. I don’t like sports.

Vote online at www.snovalleystar.com.

There’s excitement around the Valley on Fridays as people wonder how our Mount Si High School football team will do. Few things pull the Snoqualmie Valley’s communities together like Mount Si High School sports.

Concerts and plays and other activities keep the com-munity active and involved, but high school sports are fun and exciting.

Adding to the excitement is a new level of competition. We’ve moved up to KingCo 4A so our teams are facing opponents that are long-established powerhouses on the football field, soccer pitch and tennis courts.

Wildcat football is great fun to watch even though the team has struggled the past two weeks against a couple of the best teams in the state. Our football team draws big crowds, particularly for the home games. But if you only go to football games, you’re missing a chance to see some dynamite local athletes in action.

The Mount Si volleyball team has been hitting it big. Boys tennis is underway.

While golf and cross country aren’t typically specta-tor sports, check out how well these young athletes do by hanging around the golf course or the cross country course at the end of a match.

Our fledgling swim team is making a big splash at TPC Snoqualmie.

If your family is young and you’re still schlepping your children to youth soccer games, then the Wildcat girls soccer team should be a must on your to-do list.

The high school girls soccer team has speed, scoring stars and a strong defensive field — all things you want your young soccer players to see.

The student athletes are great role models and you can bet your child will aspire to join the team when he or she reaches high school.

Be sure to stay after a game long enough to congratu-late the players. Telling them they played a good game means a lot to these students. While you’re at it, give the coaches a thumbs-up, too.

These teams wouldn’t be as good as they are without solid coaches helping them hone their skills and teach-ing them the right way to play the games, and without parents who provide the opportunity and encourage-ment.

We are grateful we have prep sports as a way to cheer our local youths and to bring the Valley together.

Go, Wildcats!

We can blame it all on water-melon and pumpkin pie. Both are delicious and American, and both come from gourds. That’s the prob-lem, you see. Cooks all over the world therefore think that other gourds can be made edible, too.

Gourds, for example, like squash.

Squash. One of the English language’s most painful words, along with maim and trauma and rend and okra and Liberace. Why would anyone want to eat something that sounds as though someone sat on it?

The bottom-line truth is, cooks all over the place love a challenge,

Joe Heslet General manager

Kathleen R. Merrill Managing editor

Sherry Grindeland Editor

Sam Kenyon Reporter

David Hayes Page designer

Michelle Comeau Advertising rep.

Restore mental health funding instead of adding gun controls

We have had the privilege to live our lives with exceptional liberty in the wealthiest nation in history. Our experience is an exception, not the rule.

What is normal in history is dictatorship, slavery, starvation and turmoil, more like what we see in Africa, North Korea, and the Middle East, and the world will always be that way.

We owe our experience in part to our unique rights: spe-cifically, our right to privacy and our right to bear arms.

These rights have created

an assumption that your fel-low American may be armed. It prevents rampant pickpocket-ing, which is common overseas, it makes burglary a more risky adventure and it keeps us civil.

This effect is subtle, but it is very important that what we own does not become a recorded list. When our possessions of any kind are stored in a list, the list will be surely be stolen and used for any purpose by any per-son in the world. Our security remains in the assumption that we are presumed to be armed.

We can reduce violent crime in more effective ways than passing a law impotent to stop determined criminals yet makes an accidental felon of you, your neighbor or your niece for fail-ure to report a transfer.

The proposed law is well-

funded by billionaires and law-yers, yet they could have had more impact spending the same money to buy gun safes for 10,000 homes in Rainier Valley.

What if we restore funding for mental health facilities rather than creating new government processes to keep track of inno-cent gun transfers?

Despite what you see on TV, violent crime in America is not rampant. By the numbers it is rare and generally isolated to neighborhoods that struggle with poverty. We need to address these issues in a differ-ent way and preserve our rights long enough for our children to enjoy the way of life that we have known.

Please vote no on I-594.David McRae

North Bend

Helmet laws cost moneyWearing a helmet may be of

some benefit. Helmet laws on the other hand, cost the health budget money, increase disease and shorten lives. That’s because most Americans die from not

From the Web

4

getting enough exercise, and riding a bike without a helmet improves your health (benefits exceed risks by at least 20:1). Helmet laws reduce cycling, and the overall effect is negative.

So, it’s better to have some-one riding a bike without a hel-met, than have them take the car or transit.

Nik Dow

OCTOBER 2, 2014 SnoValley Star PAGE 5

5

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of friends in Colorado — they work by bounc-ing quips off one another until they’re all laughing.

The comedian leans on his acting ability for his stage routine.

Onstage and in front of television cameras, he becomes the good ol’ boy with the Southern accent, developed thanks to his college roommates.

As Whitney, he’s pure Midwest in voice, and pas-sionate about his family and the charities he sup-ports.

Television fans who caught him on the History Channel show “Only in America” got a little of both as he traveled around the country trying dif-ferent things. He worked out with Marines at boot camp, he did sniper train-ing, he visited weird places.

“I did a lot of really cool things and got to be myself, Dan, and Larry both,” Whitney said.

Some of it wasn’t exactly fun, he added. Like the time he was crawling

through an obstacle course that was part swamp and filled with snakes or dur-ing a survival course when he was served nutria — swamp rat — at a meal.

“I couldn’t get over the fact I was supposed to eat a swamp rat,” he said.

Whitney said he nor-mally leads a pretty rou-tine and boring life. He and his wife Cara have two children. After Wyatt and Reagan leave for school in the morning, the couple saddles their horses and go for a ride.

“Plus, I’m constantly on a quest to get thin,” Whitney said. “I work out for a bit and then walk the golf course.

“My life is not glamor-ous. We wouldn’t make a reality show. We’re just average.”

Whitney describes himself as a homebody — a homebody who isn’t happy over the state of journalism today.

“There’s too much wor-rying about the almighty dollar, so newspapers and television put the bad news on and keep talking about it long after the story is over,” he said. “Journalists should take responsibility to print things that bring people together instead of

dividing us.“I look at the news and

everybody is being pulled apart.”

Whitney commented that it would be fun to get clips from all the differ-ent networks that pretend to be broadcasting news, have an independent panel of fact checkers, and then bring the commenta-tors together and show them the facts.

“We’d see if what they said was accurate,” he said.

While it is fun to fanta-size, Whitney said, people probably wouldn’t want to come on the show and be wrong.

Anyhow, he’d rather make people laugh.

That’s one of the great things in this day and age, he said.

“There are different kinds of comedy acts for different kinds of people,” Whitney said. “If you’re a stand-up and find some-one who likes you and likes your kind of humor,

Cable guyFrom Page 1

you’re lucky.”And critics don’t bother

him.“Joan Rivers used to

get a lot of flak from a lot people about what she

did,” he said. “Those same people who gave her all the flak praised her when she died.

“Comedy is good,” he added. “Laughing keeps us

healthy.”

Sherry Grindeland can be reached at editor@snovalleystar.com or 392-6434, ext. 246.

King County wants your advice on children and youth

King County is invit-ing Snoqualmie Valley residents to help set youth priorities at 10:30 a.m. Oct. 4 at the Fall City Library, 33415 S.E. 42nd Place.

The county is seeking input from residents of all ages to develop a Youth Action Plan, to help chil-dren thrive and succeed.

Meetings are being held throughout the county so citizens can participate.

Youth are also encour-aged to go the King County website at http://1.usa.gov/1rDGW9w and take a survey about what they would like to see offered or call 206-477-1001 for more information.

Input from the meet-ings and the surveys will be used by the county to develop the Youth Action Plan.

Cougar defense, allowing their offense to start on the 58-yard line. On the next play, Bothell ran it 40 yards for another touch-down.

The Bothell crowd was wild and loud while the Mount Si crowd struggled to find reasons to cheer. The one-sided game was never in question as the Cougars continued to dominate. Hillel managed to throw two touchdown passes in the fourth quar-ter for the Wildcats’ first scores of the game, but it was far too little, too late.

With the game over, Kinnune and the team are more than ready to move on to their next opponent and shake off their poor performance.

“We’ve flushed the neg-ativity and we’re just super excited about this week and showing our improve-ment,” Kinnune said. “We have to become a better practice team. Until we prove to ourselves that we can get better every day, then we’re not going to be able to perform to our full-est on Friday night.”

He said they will focus on their defensive cover-

age and tackling, as well as their special teams. Both punting and receiving need to improve.

“It’s such an emotional part of the game that we have to get better at that,” he said.

The Wildcats host Inglemoor High School Oct. 3. Kinnune suspects his team will come out with some fire after two

painful losses.“I would imagine we

will be a much more improved team,” he said.

Suffering two defeats back-to-back is not cus-tomary in the Wildcat football program.

“We haven’t lost two games in a row in quite some time and that’s exactly why we got into this league,” he said. “We

got into this league for the competitiveness and the challenge of it all.”

For the week of practice leading up to their next game, Kinnune will be focused on improving the team.

“We’ve got to grab our lunch pail and our hard-hat and get to work,” he said. “That’s what’s really important.”

SportsPAGE 6 OCTOBER 2, 2014

6

By Sam Kenyon

For the Mount Si boys golf team this season, the home course advantage has meant everything.

The team is 3-3 after a victory over Bothell on Sept. 25. Like all their other matches this year, the team played excellent when on its own course.

“It was a pretty domi-nant performance,” coach Brandon Proudfoot said.

Juniors Alex Nelson and Jimmy Jacobson shared the low score of the day, both shooting an impres-sive 37 on the front nine of the Mount Si Golf Course. Senior Wildcat Joe Steenvoorde was one stroke up, shooting a 38. Three Wildcats — juniors Mitchell Dover and Jake Karavias and sophomore Gavin Gorrell — shared the next lowest score, 39.

Proudfoot said the team is really starting to improve and working out the early-season kinks that were apparent in some of their first few matches. There were only a few practices before the season matches began, so the team has had to improve on the fly, which it has.

“We’re kind of hitting

our stride at the right time, so I think we’re going to be playing our best golf going into the postseason, which is what you want,” Proudfoot said. “So, I’m pretty excited for it.”

One of the main issues the team is dealing with is the jump from KingCo 3A to 4A. Not only is the competition stiffer in the bigger league, but the courses are new to many of the Mount Si players. In years past, only incom-ing freshman would play on a course they had never seen during a league match. Now, most of the Wildcat golfers are playing on courses that are unfa-miliar.

“I’ve only had maybe one or two kids on the team that have ever played the course before,” he said. “That’s been an issue that we haven’t had to deal with in the past.”

Proudfoot knew going in to the season that this would be an issue, but he didn’t appreciate how big of an issue it would be.

“It’s affected the scores more than I thought it would,” he said. “But I’ve been happy with the way the team in general has handled it.”

This season so far, Mount Si is undefeated at home. The team’s losses have all come on away courses that most of its golfers haven’t played on before. The team’s scores at home are significantly lower than during away matches.

In golf, familiarity with the course is paramount, and because they are new to the league, the Wildcats are at a significant disad-vantage.

The problem is exacer-bated by another factor, private courses. In the 3A league, only two schools had home courses on private golf clubs. In 4A, many schools use courses that are private, so the Wildcats can’t practice on them outside of official matches.

“Now that we’re trav-elling to a lot more pri-vate clubs, there’s not even opportunities to get those practice rounds in,” Proudfoot said.

But the team isn’t feel-ing sorry for itself. In fact, the coach said this is one of the most talented teams he had seen. Six scores per team are used in each match, and the Wildcats have enough talent to put

up impressive scores with all six golfers, as they did in their last win where all six shot under 40.

Part of the team’s suc-cess this season came in the off-season. Many of the golfers spent the sum-mer practicing with each other. Proudfoot would often see them at the Mount Si Golf Course, where he works. He pushes all of the members of his team to use the off-season to work on their game.

“As a team, doing that off-season practice that we stress every year has definitely helped,” he said. “Without that we’d be probably struggling to even win some of those home matches.”

The jump from 3A to 4A hasn’t been easy so far, but the team is taking the chal-lenge in stride. Its sights are set on the post-season, where Proudfoot hopes the team can realistically send four or more players. Even with unfamiliar courses, or maybe because of them, the team is sharper than ever. The more challenging 4A league forces them to be better.

“In the long run, it’s going to be good for the kids,” Proudfoot said.

Contributed

Gem among the DiamondsJaclyn Huntzinger, of Snoqualmie, helped her 12-and-under Elite Diamonds Fastpitch Softball team, based in Woodinville, finish second out of 13 teams in the 12-and-under Gold Bracket at the recent Acers Fall Championship Tournament in Federal Way. The team competes Oct. 4-5 in the Northwest Ladysharks Mike Richdale Memorial Tournament that will be held at various venues in the Kent and Des Moines area.The team is (back row, from left) coaches Ryan Ellis, Mike Pluschke and Adam Eaton; (middle row, from left) Jaclyn Huntzinger, Jordan McCannon, Kaitlynn Bridgwater, Emma Jacobs, Camille Eaton and Penny Walker; (front row, from left) and Mackenzie Burke, Payton Pluschke, Reagan Ellis, Eliotte Wood and Lilly Zwiefel.

By Sam Kenyon

The Mount Si football team suffered its second painful loss in a row Sept. 26 against the Bothell Cougars.

The 43-13 blowout in Pop Keeney Stadium was the first time that the Wildcats have lost two games in a row in years.

“What we weren’t happy with was the way we performed on Friday night against Bothell,” head coach Charlie Kinnune said. “It really left a bad taste in our mouth.”

Bothell’s senior run-ning back Sam McPherson carried in a whopping five touchdown runs for the night. The Wildcat defense struggled to con-tain the Cougars’ well-oiled machine. Finishing tackles was a huge point of emphasis for Kinnune, whose team allowed sev-eral big plays by Bothell because the defense couldn’t properly wrap up its target.

“There were times last Friday night where we

had kids at the point of attack, we had the ball car-rier dead to rights and we couldn’t finish,” Kinnune said.

The scoring started early for Bothell and con-tinued all night. It kicked a field goal with about seven minutes left in the first quarter to open up the lead. Mount Si responded with a short four-down possession. The Cougars ran the ball to the end zone for their first touchdown as soon as they got it back.

Later in the quarter, Wildcat senior quarterback Jonathan “Jo Jo” Hillel threw an interception that led to another Bothell touchdown. By the second quarter the score was 17-0, and it only got worse.

The Wildcats were over-matched, and it appeared their spirit was a bit bro-ken. Bothell scored anoth-er touchdown on their next possession.

Then, after another four-down possession, the Wildcats’ punt was blocked by the harsh Mount Si golf takes advantage of home turf

By Calder Productions

Jonathan Hillel, Mount Si High School senior quarterback, stretches out the ball to the one yard line on the Wildcats’ first scoring drive late in the game Sept. 26 against Bothell.

Mount Si bittersweet over blowout victory

OCTOBER 2, 2014 SnoValley Star PAGE 7

TUES

7

q Adult and Senior Tap, 1:15-2 p.m. Tuesdays through Dec. 16, Si View Community Center, 400 S.E. Orchard Dr., North Bend, $30/five class-es or $7/drop in

q First Tuesday Book Club, ‘Sycamore Row,’ by John Grisham, 7 p.m., North Bend Library, 115 E. Fourth St., 888-0554

q Vox at the Box, vocal jazz, 7 p.m., Boxley’s, 101 W. North Bend Way, North Bend, 292-9307

q Karaoke Tuesday, 9 p.m., Finaghty’s Irish Pub and Restaurant, 7726 Center Blvd., No. 110, Snoqualmie, www.finaghtys.com

MON

6

q Young Toddler Story Time, 11 a.m., North Bend Library, 115 E. Fourth St., 888-0554

q MSHS Vocal Workshop, 7 p.m., Boxley’s, 101 W. North Bend Way, North Bend, 292-9307

q Volunteers needed, Snoqualmie Valley YMCA, 35018 S.E. Ridge St., Snoqualmie, email volunteersnoq@seat-tleymca.org or go to http://bit.ly/1t85VAL for a list of volun-teer opportunities

SUN

5

q ‘Cedar River Salmon Journey,’ see spawning salm-on at five sites along the river, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekends through October, Meadowbrook Farm, 1711 Boalch Ave., North Bend, 831-1900, free

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

q Terry Fator, 7 p.m., The Ballroom at Snoqualmie Casino, 37500 S.E. North Bend Way, Snoqualmie, $25 to $75, www.snocasino.com

SAT

4

q ‘Cedar River Salmon Journey,’ 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Meadowbrook Farm, 1711 Boalch Ave., North Bend, 831-1900, free

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

q The Poindexters, 7:30 p.m., Black Dog Arts Café, 8062 Railroad Ave. S.E., Snoqualmie, 831-3647

q Karaoke, 8 p.m. to midnight, Mt. Si Pub, 45530 S.E. North Bend Way, North Bend

FRI

3

q Mt. Si Artist Guild Fall Art Show, on dis-play through Oct. 18, North Bend Library, 115 E. Fourth St., 888-0554

q Oliver Groenewald Newnet, 7 p.m., Boxley’s, 101 W. North Bend Way, North Bend, 292-9307

q John Hoover and the Mighty Quinns, 8 p.m., Black Dog Arts Café, 8062 Railroad Ave. S.E., Snoqualmie, 831-3647

WED

8

q Creating Cosplay Costuming, 3-5 p.m., Snoqualmie Library, 7824 Center Blvd. S.E., 888-1223

q Future Jazz Heads 5 p.m.; Jazz Heads 7 p.m., Boxley’s, 101 W. North Bend Way, North Bend, 292-9307

q Open Mic Night, 7 p.m., Black Dog Arts Café, 8062 Railroad Ave. S.E., Snoqualmie, 831-3647

q ‘Successful Trekking,’ 7 p.m., North Bend Library, 115 E. Fourth St., 888-0554

q Geeks Who Drink Trivia Night, 7 p.m., Snoqualmie Falls Brewery and Taproom, 8032 Falls Ave. S.E., Snoqualmie, 831-2357

THUR

9

q Game Night, 4-9 p.m., Snoqualmie Falls Brewery and Taproom, 8032 Falls Ave. S.E., Snoqualmie, 831-2357

q Diana Page Duo, 7 p.m., Boxley’s, 101 W. North Bend Way, North Bend, 292-9307

q Veils of the Nile Belly Dancers, Black Dog Arts Café, 8062 Railroad Ave. S.E., Snoqualmie, 831-3647

THE CALENDAR FOR OCTOBER 3-9 Send items for the calendar to newsclerk@isspress.com by noon Friday.

7

I T ’ S T I M E TO “ G I T - R - D O N E ! ”LARRY THE CABLE GUY is back and ready to tell it like it is. The popular member of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour and one of the top comedians in the country takes the stage in his flannel cutoff shirt to give his hilarious redneck perspective on life. With two performances on Thursday, October 2nd at 7pm and 9pm, there’s no reason to miss this rough and tough country funnyman!

SEATTLE’S CLOSEST CASINO | 1-90 E, EXIT 27 | SNOCASINO.COM

LARRY THE CABLE GUY

TWO SHOWS

THURSDAY | OCTOBER 2 | 7PM & 9PM

PAGE 8 SnoValley Star OCTOBER 2, 2014

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The days of needing a mouthful of metal brackets and wires to straighten your teeth may be coming to an end. These days many teenagers and adults are opting for Invisalign treatment, a product that uses a series of clear removable trays (aligners) to straighten teeth and correct bites. Dr. Mark Nelson and Dr. Todd Steinhart of Sammamish Orthodontics have seen a dramatic increase in the number of patients seeking Invisalign treatment.

“The technology has come so far that it has really become a viable alternative to traditional braces,” said Nelson. “There’s no doubt that our Invisalign patients are the happiest patients in our practice.”

Invisalign treatment has been available since 1998, but recent innovations now allow orthodontists to treat a wider range of cases.

“We’re offering many of our new patients the option of traditional braces or Invisalign treatment and educating them that the end result will be the same,” said Steinhart, “it becomes a patient preference decision.” While the end result between braces and Invisalign treatment may be similar, the path to get there is different.

“The main advantage of Invisalign over traditional braces is that the aligners are much less noticeable than braces,” said Nelson.

Other advantages include improved hygiene during treatment, fewer and shorter office visits (two to three months between appointments), and a more comfortable process without the change in diet that most braces patients face.

“Our Invisalign patients never have a pokey wire or a loose bracket,” explains Steinhart, “it’s really a treatment that fits the “on the go” lifestyle we see here in Sammamish.”

So who is choosing Invisalign? The biggest increase has been among teenagers. The aligners are removed for eating and brushing, but can remain in the mouth during sports and most other activities. Blake, a teenage Invisalign patient says, “As a singer-songwriter I love the fact that I can still do what I love with Invisalign trays in my mouth, and I still feel confident smiling in them.”

Carol-Ann, a current Invisalign patient who had braces as a teenager, says there’s no comparison between braces and Invisalign, “I would have never gone back into braces at my age, but I’m so happy with my Invisalign treatment. Most

people don’t even realize I’m wearing the aligners.”

One of the Invisalign technologies Dr. Nelson and Dr. Steinhart are most excited about is their recent purchase of an Itero scanner, which eliminates the need for impressions. “We’ve had the scanner for a couple of months now and patients absolutely love it, it’s an amazing technology,” said Nelson. The scans are 100% accurate and allow immediate transmittal to Invisalign for aligner fabrication. The scanner also has a treatment simulator application, which gives the patient a sneak preview of their final result within two minutes of completing their scan.

“It’s exciting for patients to be able to see the end result before they even start treatment, they love this feature,” said Steinhart.

The Itero scanner and Invisalign treatment are just two of the many ways Sammamish Orthodontics tailors their practice to the lives of their patients.

“People are busy, so we are constantly

looking for ways to seamlessly fit orthodontics into their lives,” explains Nelson.

Email and text appointment reminders, 24/7 emergency care, and same-day retainer delivery are just a few of the many ways the office caters to patients. But what is really creating buzz on the Plateau is the complimentary Ortho Shuttle service that takes middle and high school students to and from their appointments.

“Kids think it’s cool to get the VIP service from school, but their parents love it even more. It’s really convenient for those families where both parents work,” said Nelson.

For more information on Sammamish Orthodontics, visit sammamishortho.com or call 425-369-0366 for a complimentary consultation.

Sammamish Orthodontics Named Invisalign Premier Provider

October 2, 2014 Prepared by SnoValley Star advertising dept.

“The main advantage of Invisalign over

traditional braces is that the aligners are much less noticeable

than braces.”

Sammamish Orthodontics sees increase in Invisalign treatment, especially among teenage patients

Itero scanner eliminates dental impressions for Invisalign patients.