The Snoqualmie Valley Community Network (SVCN) recently partnered up with the Mount Si PTSA to hold a community meeting designed to raise awareness about youth substance use and to offer concrete skills to parents and community members that can help keep youth safe. More than 75 community members joined together for the Legalized Marijuana and Our Teens event hosted at Mount Si High School. Principal John Belcher was on hand to speak to questions related to what the administration sees happening at the school and how the administration is responding.
The event provided participants with the opportunity to hear directly from a youth panel about any impacts they are noticing now that marijuana use has been legalized for those of over 21. When asked about underage marijuana use, Mount Si Freshman Ellie Stedman shared her thoughts:
“I think that kids who have not used marijuana are not phased by the legalization because either way, it’s still illegal for the kids to use it because they are under 21. I think that kids who smoke weed in high school do it regardless of legality. The legalization of marijuana has not increased or decreased the amount of students using it in a dramatic way at all. The freshman class has had no big impact in that way but I can’t speak comparatively because I’m at the freshman campus.”
Adults in the audience expressed concerns about the new marijuana edibles and how those can be kept out of the schools. Administration and parents acknowledged that this is going to be a big challenge, and parents were encouraged to get out and learn more about what is (or will be) available for purchase. Figure 1 below shows some of the products being sold in medical marijuana dispensaries that are expected to be sold for recreational use as well.
Figure 1: Edibles
Next, the participants learned about marijuana’s impact on the growing brain from Kevin Haggerty, School of Social Work. He noted that the potency of marijuana in the United States is changing (See Figure 2 below) and is not the same marijuana that many people think it is. Additionally, he shared some research on marijuana and teen mental health (See Figure 3 below). The good news is that there are programs that teach specific parenting techniques that are shown to prevent youth from making risky choices related to substances and two of those programs, Guiding Good Choices and Staying Connected with Your Teen, are taught annually in the Snoqualmie Valley. The next Guiding Good Choices class will be held in the fall.
Figure 2: Potency
Figure 3: Marijuana and Adolescent Mental Health
Officer Nigel Draveling from Snoqualmie Police Department spent time reviewing Washington’s medical and recreational marijuana laws. The theme throughout his presentation was that it is still illegal for people under the age of 21 to use marijuana. Use of medical marijuana by someone under 21 requires parental consent.
The evening concluded with a presentation from Parent Educator and Prevention/Intervention Specialist Phoebe Terhaar. She described concrete tools that parents can use within the home to decrease the likelihood that their children will use illegal substances (See Figure 4). Terhaar also identified some of the ineffective approaches that families sometimes resort to using (See Figure 5).
Figure 4: Effective Approaches
Figure 5: Ineffective Approaches
Terhaar’s presentation concluded with a slide of resources that are available for parents and /or teens related to preventing substance abuse (See Figure 6).
Figure 6: Resources for Parents/Teens
he information offered during this particular event related to marijuana; however, please remember that it is important to have ongoing conversations with the youth in your life about any harmful substances that are available to them. Please talk to your kids early and often.
SVCN is also partnering with the Riverview School District PTSA Council to host Community Awareness events in that area. The next event will be held April 18 from 6:30-8:30pm at Tolt Middle School and will focus on drug and alcohol abuse prevention.
To view the slideshows that were part of the Legal Marijuana and Our Teens presentation, please visit here.
Brent has been volunteering with Cascade Covenant Church Youth Ministry for five years. Brent also volunteers at Echo Glen, with Cascade Covenant Church’s “Doorways” ministry (community outreach), sits on the Schools Foundation board and the board for graphic design at the high school. Brent has also volunteered his skill in graphic design, not only to our ministry, but also to multiple organizations in the valley.
During the past 3 years Bruce has been an active member of the Watch Dog program at Snoqualmie Elementary School, with the last 2 years acting as the “Lead Dog” organizing the scheduling of all the Dog Dads. This year, Bruce spends time in Mrs. Orcutt’s and Mrs. Christian’s classrooms 2 days a month with Jake and Katie, my children, and his neighbors. During the past two years, Bruce has volunteered monthly for Rest Stop, at Cascade Covenant Church. This helps provide care for children with special needs and their siblings so parents are able to have a night out. Bruce has made special connections with a couple of the children and he looks forward to going each month. Bruce has also helped on numerous projects around Encompass including: assembly of furniture, painting, and installation of baby stations, wipe boards, and rock walls! Bruce is always willing to lend a hand.
Cindy fell in love with the at-risk kids at Echo Glen Juvenile Detention Center and has rallied a group of 12 to 15 women to ‘adopt’ and spend time with them every month. She goes into a ‘cottage’ (locked down living quarters for 15 to 18 boys) of young boys each month and does service projects with them, or takes in pizza makings and plays games. She and the group she has rallied are like moms (with some dads) to the boys treating them with the respect and love that many may not have ever received before. She has been doing this every month for two years and going!
This group of women over the past three years has single handedly saved our library for our school. When we lost our librarian they networked to schedule volunteers to come in and keep the library open for our students. They inventory books, run our Book Fair, check out and in books, and supervise our students during open library time at lunch.
All 5 nominees were instrumental in the operation of the Snoqualmie Valley Winter Shelter. Upon its scheduled close, these individuals thought that it was not prudent to just turn shelter customers out into the cold with no follow up. They started a hot meals program on Monday and Friday evenings to last until the shelter opens again next winter to show the community’s continued love for these less fortunate people. This program has been successful and of course there are many other volunteers involved but these 5 are the stalwarts and ideas corp. that makes it go.
Deanna is my library angel. For the past six years Deanna has volunteered weekly in my library. She has involved herself in every aspect of the library: checking books in and out, cataloguing, shelving, creating displays, fund raising, 20 min. + 20 days organization. Deanna’s love of reading shines through as she helps students pick out their books. Also for the past three years, Deanna has mentored students in our ARMS reading program. ARMS is an adult mentor program serves students who need a boost in their reading skills. Mentoring one student a week is a time involved task but Deanna chooses to take on anyone that needs help. We don’t always have enough adults for our students and Deanna takes on at least two or three students to mentor.
For over 25 years Dick Monroe has opened up his property and his heart to the youth of Snoqualmie Valley (and beyond). As owner and “Camp Director” of Mountain Meadows – a small 30+ acre camping area back behind Cedarcrest High School – Mr. Monroe has provided a place for Boy Scout, Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts to camp, fish and get close to nature all in the backyard of Duvall. For 10 years now he has organized and run a Merit Badge weekend for Boy Scouts where over 200 Scouts at a time have packed into Mountain Meadows to earn Merit Badges and to get to know one another. This event in recent years has dwarfed the district-wide Camporees and other activities in size. Each year Mr. Monroe pays to restock his small pond with trout so that kids of all ages have the opportunity to try their hand at fishing.
I would like to nominate the key volunteers of the Duvall Farmers Market for which our success was made possible. These volunteers, among others, put in a total of 7,000 volunteer hours to help bring the farmers market to the community. In 2011, the market had four vendors and was not well attended. In two years time, through the hard work and dedication of our volunteers, we’ve managed to grow the market to 24 vendors and are now full in our current location. Our volunteers have consistently gone above and beyond to create an event that strengthens community, provides the freshest food in the valley to our residences, highlights art and music, and assists small business entry into the local marketplace; strengthening our local economy.
Helen has spent endless hours picking up hundreds of bags of trash in Duvall since Feb. of 2013. She took it upon herself to make Duvall the Cleanest Little Town on the East Side. She has climbed steep hills, hiked down ravines, picked up needles and thousands of cigarette butts and battled traffic up Novelty Hill Road, just to clean up Duvall. She has made a visible difference in our town through her efforts. She is HIGHLY allergic to bees and yet she has been out collecting trash while the bees are out.
John is the Volunteer Lead for Fire Station 88 at Wilderness Rim, the top of the Valley. John takes the time to contact current and potential volunteers. He is recruiting and maintaining a volunteer base at his fire station, in order to maintain a community emergency response capability. John’s efforts took a station that only had a few volunteer firefighters, raising the roster to seven current members with another six in initial training now! Taking the response force from 3 to 13!
Katherine has been a long time volunteer at Encompass. She has worked for several years in our Encompass Pediatric Therapy Program – helping with special projects as well as day-to-day office operations. Katherine also serves on the Encompass Board of Directors and serves in the position of Secretary.
Keomany does a ton of random giving to school staff to boost morale, provide encouragement, and build a positive and supportive family feeling amongst school and parents. Perhaps weekly, I see some way that Keomany has made an effort to put a little sunshine in someone’s life. She will bring an assortment of baked goods and coffee for all the staff. Or, she’ll bring flowers for one particular staff member. She buys nice gifts and gives them to new teachers or aids. Basically, Keomany has a habit of ‘random acts of kindness’ towards school staff. She does all of this out of the goodness of her heart, to create a sense of community and encouragement.
PTSA President, numerous PTSA committees. To list a few:
I have yet to meet Kianna personally, however I know two aspects of her story from a Microsoft employees perspective and as a School Board Director of Riverview School District. Kianna’s graciousness towards others makes her very special. Kianna won a computer programming competition – she was given an Xbox. She donated the winning Xbox to Children’s Hospital to be used with children who receive transplants. When others heard this story they also started donating Xboxes. Then she decided to organize a competition at Cedarcrest High School as a fundraiser for freethechildren.org. Her “Be The Change” competition was among all the 6th period classes and whoever collected the most change that period won cookies. Her goal was to raise $500, she raised $1200 in 45 minutes.
Kim Klingenberg has volunteered for many years in many areas. She has been a co-chair for the Cedarcrest High School Student Store. She began by working in the store and then she stepped up to schedule the volunteers to work in the store. Kim also volunteers with the CHS Football Booster Club, Track, and Baseball teams.
In addition to her normal police duties and responsibilities, Officer Stonebraker works very closely with Mount Si High School staff, spending many hours of her own time to provide mentorship and counseling to at risk female students. It is through her hard work and dedication that she is able to improve and enhance the lives of these students and help to ensure they maintain a healthy and positive lifestyle. For the last 10 years, Officer Stonebraker has spent countless hours of her own time and used her own financial resources to support the Animal Talk Rescue as a cat foster care giver. She operates an expansive cat foster shelter at her residence and cares for up to 20 cats on average at one time. Foster care includes close coordination with Animal Talk Rescue for transportation, Veterinary care, vaccinations, testing, as well as spay and neuter surgery.
Kylie has volunteered over four hours per year through high school. She has participated in a coat drive, road clean up, food drive, blood drive, and the annual Pennies for Patients fundraiser, along with raising money for a water well in Kenya. She is actively involved in her church where she has volunteered for Vacation Bible Camp and provided daycare during church events. Kylie’s community awareness and volunteer service has enriched the citizens of Duvall.
Nancy has volunteered this year three days a week from 7:45am -10:36am assisting special education students in their classrooms. She will put in 270 hours by the school year’s end. Working with special education students can be very rewarding and challenging at the same time. Nancy has unique way of working with these students and shows them she cares for them. They have responded to her in such a positive way. The teachers she works with have raved about her dedication and compassion. These students have really benefited by having Nancy work with them.
“Peggy McNamara is the Director of Acres of Diamonds in Duvall. AOD was established in 1995, as a transitional Christian home to provide a loving, safe and nurturing environment for homeless women and their families. For over 17 years, hundreds of women residing at AOD have been given life-altering opportunities – opportunities that allow them to seek heart-felt council, and to receive support and loving guidance on a daily basis through programs that help break the cycles of addiction, poverty and homelessness.
Hazel Pownall stepped outside to take a phone call during her line dancing class. She stooped over and while on the phone, she pulled 15 weeds from the garden. When she finished her call, she said to the group, “Why don’t we take on the project of cleaning up this garden. If we all pulled 15 weeds, we would be done in no time. Word spread, weeds were pulled, and the group which soon grew to more than 25 at various times, not only cleaned around the building, but got donations as well as used their own money and did the entire Mt. Si Senior Center grounds.
SVWS is a warm and safe shelter serving up to 40 community
Watching the news, a person can despair for our country and our youth. But then you meet a young lady like Tabitha Dorn and your heart lifts. Tabitha is all we want our youth to be. She has been volunteering at the Pediatric Therapy office for nearly a year and has given over 100 hours. Tabitha is the smiling, friendly face to the parents and children who come in for therapy and the go-to person for staff who need admin projects. But she also volunteers as a camp assistant for summer camp and is a leader in arts and crafts for family night!
From SVCN: Clare Chapple: creative, sincere, and genuine are three words I would use to describe Clare Chapple. Clare, through her company, Chapplesauce, has used bring some much heart and flair to non-profits in the valley including the Snoqualmie Valley Community Network. Clare’s unique ability to really listen to the “intent” behind a design is a unique gift. We, at the Network, are thrilled to be recognizing her today.
Brittany: When I first met Brittany, she was a middle school student who was happy to share her thoughts, but she wasn’t quite ready to take on leadership roles. Through the last 5 years in the Riverview Youth Council, I have had the honor of watching her grow from that into a committed and organized leader with passion, drive, and enthusiasm. She is the outgoing president, and I know that wherever she goes next, she carry these leadership skills with her and wherever she ends up will be lucky to have her!
Photo: Artwork by Youth Council members. Photos taken at the Be The Change Conference held in Twin Falls Middle School
The Snoqualmie Network Board of Directors is pleased to announce the selection of Laura Smith, M. Ed. as their new Executive Director.
Kristy Trione, the Executive Director of the Snoqualmie Valley Community Network will be starting a new adventure in her life as she and her husband will be practicing organic farming on 30 acres in southern Costa Rica. Kristy will be leaving the Snoqualmie Valley Community Network at the end of January 2012. She is excited to have the opportunity for all things new: a new language, a new culture and an exciting new work experience!
When asked about his work with the Network and Kristy over the years, Riverview School District Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Anthony Smith states, “I have known Kristy since 1994 when we worked together on designing the Cedarcrest High School Advisory Period Curriculum. Aswith that effort, her work with Snoqualmie Valley Community Network has been characterized by making a real difference in our children’s lives. I appreciate all of her hard work aimed at improving the safety and wellness of all of our citizens.”
Past Network Board Member Paige Denison adds, “Kristy is such an extraordinary human being – she has led the Network by selflessly serving, drilled deep to find resources where seemingly there were none and always brought an unparalleled optimism to the table ~ what a gift to have worked alongside her!”
Thank you volunteers, presenters, and participants of the 
