Valley Record SNOQUALMIE
Wednesday, sept. 12, 2012 • Daily updates at www.valleyrecord.com • 75 cents •
Swift graffiti response is new law
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North Bend code change calls for vandalism cover-up within two days By Carol Ladwig
SPORTS
Staff Reporter
Athlete profiles, schedule for new season at Mount Si, Cedarcrest HS Pages 11-15
North Bend’s City Council adopted an aggressive stance on graffiti and tagging Tuesday, Sept. 4, when it approved a new code for the city’s books. Chapter 8 of the North Bend Municipal Code will require property owners to paint over any graffiti on their properties within 48 hours of its appearance, in accordance with a National Crime Prevention Council finding that graffiti removed with in 48 hours is unlikely to re-occur. “The studies have shown that the • According to the North most effective way Bend city codes, graffiti is to deal with graffiti a public nuisance. is to expeditiously • Property owners must remove it,” said paint over or cover publicly City Administrator visible graffiti within 48 Londi Lindell. hours of its occurrence. Toward that end, • The city can cover public the new code also graffiti on non-city propsets a civil fine of erty with permission. $75 per day that graffiti remains visible after the initial two-day period. Londell did not anticipate ever fining a residential property owner, however, because public properties and abandoned buildings are the most common targets of graffiti artists. Also, she said the code includes an appeal process for property owners. A more important element of the code will be the city’s ability to remove graffiti from such public or abandoned properties, she added. At its own expense, North Bend can paint over graffiti that’s visible from public streets or rights-of-way. That includes other public entities’ properties, such as bridges, provided the city has permission from the entity.
Erasing a mess
Line-dancing landscapers spice up lawn duty at Mount Si Senior Center Page 4
Index Letters 6 On the Scanner 17 Classifieds 18-20 22 Calendar 22 Movie Times Back To School 23
Vol. 99, No. 16
Kids or dogs? City tries not to choose Carnation soccer proposal may move off-leash park, starts talk about growth By Carol Ladwig Staff Reporter
A proposed soccer park in Carnation is getting initial support from city officials, but a mixed reception from residents. Carnation’s City Council voted Aug. 21 to send a letter of support to the Snoqualmie Valley Youth Soccer Association, which proposed building a two-field, lighted soccer park on eight acres. See PARKS, 7
Carol Ladwig/Staff Photo
Carissa Allik, 5, eyes the ball fetched by her pup Ranger at the Carnation off-leash dog park. Now that school has started, she and her mom Stacy come to the park nearly every day to give Ranger some exercise. The Entwhistle dog park may shrink under plans to build two soccer fields.
See GRAFFITI, 7
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Carol Ladwig/Staff Photo
Charlene Noto, a Carnation resident and member of the Valley Off-Leash Association, rests on the bench in the garden area created by Boy Scout Michael Fisher at the Carnation off-leash dog park. Noto is opposed to playfield plans for the currently wide-open space. She hopes the non-profit association will educate people about the value of off-leash parks, and host a fundraiser to reimburse Fisher, who spent his own funds.