Snoqualmie Valley Transportation (SVT) now has regular bus service in Wilderness Rim for $1 per trip. The new Cedar Falls Loop Service will pick up residents along the main WR loop six times per weekday.  The bus also travels to Rattlesnake Lake during the summer. Please check out the newly updated www.svtbus.org website for more information and route timetables.  Morning routes arrive here at 7:14, 8:14 and 9:14 and in the afternoon at 1:14, 2:14 and 3:14 stopping first at the fire station and then at the Chalet five minutes later.

One of the best things about living in Wilderness Rim is enjoying the quiet.  One of the greatest frustrations is listening to barking dogs—especially now, as the weather warms and windows are open and people are out walking.

Sometimes Wilderness Rim residents come to the WRA Board of Trustees for help with getting relief from their neighbor’s barking dogs.  The Board does not have any power to intervene.  Dealing with barking dogs is a legal action that is handled by King County.

Your neighbors have a right to live in peace.  If a neighbor comes to you to complain, be considerate.  They, and probably many others, have probably put up with the problem a long time before working up the courage to say something.

If your dog barks at everyone who walks by, or for no reason at all, it is a “nuisance”.  Whether it is disturbing just one person or your entire neighborhood, you are responsible for solving that problem.  If you ignore your neighbor’s complaint, you are inviting legal action.

If you have a dog that barks, here are some ideas from the county about solving the problem:

http://kingcounty.gov/~/media/safety/regionalAnimalServices/documents/BrochureBarking.ashx?la=en

There are also various devices that can be used to train dogs not to bark.  For example:

http://www.ultimatebarkcontrol.com/a/ultrasonic-dog.htm

If you have a neighbor who has a dog that barks, first go to your neighbor and tell them.  Often dogs bark while their owners are at work and the owner may not be aware of the extent of the problem.  If, after making an effort to get relief by asking, you have the option of filing a complaint.

Here is how to file a complaint:

http://www.kingcounty.gov/safety/regionalAnimalServices/~/media/safety/AnimalServices/files/complaintform%20pdf.ashx

The applicable laws are clear and have significant penalties:

From: http://www.kingcounty.gov/council/legislation/kc_code/14_Title_11.aspx

11.08.160  Dog control zone – Wilderness Rim community.  Under the provisions of this chapter, there is created a dog control zone in the following described area:  Wilderness Rim Division No. 1 (Vol. 82, pages 48, 49 and 50); Wilderness Rim Division No. 2 (Vol. 84, pages 95, 96, 97 and 98); Wilderness Rim Division No. 3 (Vol. 90, pages 60, 61 and 62), all recorded in volumes of Plats, Records of King County, Washington.  (Ord. 4909 § 1, 1980: Ord. 4385 § 1, 1979).

11.04.230  Nuisances defined.  For purposes of this chapter, nuisances are violations of this chapter and shall be defined as follows:

…

1. Any animal that howls, yelps, whines, barks or makes other oral noises to an unreasonable degree, in such a manner as to disturb a person or neighborhood;

11.04.190  Violations – misdemeanor – penalty.  Any person who allows an animal to be maintained in violation of this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by fine of not more than two hundred fifty dollars and/or imprisonment for a term not to exceed ninety days.  (Ord. 1396 Art. III § 3, 1972).

11.04.200  Violations – civil penalty.  In addition to or as an alternative to any other penalty provided in this chapter or by law, any person whose animal is maintained in violation of this chapter shall incur a civil penalty in an amount not to exceed one thousand dollars per violation to be directly assessed by the manager of the animal care and control authority plus billable costs of the animal care and control authority.

We all have a right to a peaceful neighborhood.  Please help keep Wilderness Rim a wonderfully quiet place.

Thanks to the inspiration of one of our neighbors, two shining beacons of light greet residents of Wilderness Rim each day.  Art Farash, long-time Wilderness Rim Association member, had a revelation when driving by a home with a large flag waving in the Uplands.  “I saw their beautiful flag and thought, ‘why couldn’t I do something like that?”  He searched on Google and found deals for flags, flagpoles, and lights for under $100.

Farash served in the US Army for over a quarter-century and also flies the black US MIA-POW and Retired US Army flags.

Several years ago, Art noticed that the flag at the Wilderness Rim Fire Station 88 was not being lowered to half-mast during certain observances. “I called the station headquarters, and they said there wasn’t anyone there to lower it.”  Art volunteered to assist with that duty and now makes certain that proper flag lowering and raising occurs.  He also installed a flag pole at a neighbor’s home and offers flags to homes who have poles without the American Stars and Stripes.

Across the street from Farash is Fred Lang, another Rim resident inspired by Old Glory.  His son had given him a flagpole, and Art gave him the idea for the light on top.  The flags are parallel to each other and impossible to miss at night – all because of one man’s passion for our nation’s flag.

Do you have a compelling story about one of our neighbors?  Email communications@wildernessrim.org.

The routine scheduled maintenance for our jointly owned Rattlesnake water storage tank is occurring today. Chlorine is used to sanitize the tank during the process. You may smell or taste traces of chlorine in your water this week (April 27-30, 2016) and it will dissipate rapidly.  The water is safe to drink.   Please contact the WRA Office if you have any questions.

One of WRA’s members captured these beautiful scenes outside his home on December 31.

Do you have photos you would like to share with your neighbors?  Just email them to office@wildernessrim.org.

Snoqualmie Valley Transportation (SVT) has expressed interest in adding weekday bus service into Wilderness Rim.  The possibility of having two established bus stops in the Rim is in part dependent on the amount of ridership and interest shown by community members.  Wilderness Rim residents have the opportunity to voice their opinions and possibly obtain regular route service around the main loop multiple times per day during the week.  Please check out www.svtbus.org and take the survey ASAP at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CederFalls to make your priorities known.  Also please Facebook or email the office@wildernessrim.org if you are interested in or support this possibility so that the Board can share data with SVT.