Globe The Marysville
SPORTS: White Sox show off. Page 9
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Checking out the new high school District shows off progress being made at Marysville Getchell BY KIRK BOXLEITNER kboxleitner@marysvilleglobe.com
SPORTS: Sun shines at Berry Run. Page 9
Kirk Boxleitner/Staff Photo
Marysville School District Construction Manager Mike Brady, right, explains the features of Marysville Getchell’s gymnasium, including its indoor running track.
COMMUNITY:
Thousands turn out for Healthy Challenge Day. Page 2
Index
MARYSVILLE — Students, parents, school staff, district employees and surrounding community members got a third chance to check out the Marysville Getchell High School campus June 12, after previous days of tours through the facility Jan. 30 and Feb. 6. Marysville Getchell Planning Principal Tracy Suchan Toothaker guided tour groups once an hour from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. through the recently completed International School of Communications building, while Marysville School See TOURS, PAGE 8
Demands for Kundu’s resignation increase BY KIRK BOXLEITNER kboxleitner@marysvilleglobe.com
Births 12 Classified Ads 15-18 15 Legal Notices 12 Obituaries 6 Opinion 7 Puzzles 9 Sports 14 Worship
Vol. 118, No. 18 Courtesy Photo
Michael Kundu
MARYSVILLE — During the June 14 meetings of the Tulalip Tribal Board at noon and the Marysville School Board that evening, as well as the joint meeting of the two boards held in between on the same day, the consensus was nearly unanimous in asking for Marysville School Board member Michael Kundu to resign. After speaking at the June 7 Marysville School Board meeting, Snohomish County NAACP President Janice Greene and state Hispanic Commission Chair Lillian Ortiz-Self spoke at the Tulalip Board’s June 14 meeting to reiterate their objections
to Kundu’s June 3 e-mails regarding the academic achievement gap. Frida Takamura, chair of the Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs, joined Greene and Ortiz-Self to echo their calls that Kundu resign after citing research which claimed that race was linked to brain size and intellectual aptitude. All three likewise called upon Kundu’s fellow Marysville School Board members to publicly disavow Kundu’s comments. Rebecca Peck, health and social service director for the Samish Tribe, worried that Samish children who attend Marysville schools would not be best served by school board members who hold such beliefs,
while Darryl Hillaire of the Lummi Nation characterized the results of Kundu’s actions as hateful, regardless of what their intentions might have been. Karina Walters, director of the Indigenous Wellness Research Institute, warned that societal and structural inequalities create “discrimination distress” that can have real impacts on minority students’ well-being, while Dr. Michael Marker, First Nation Graduate Studies Associate professor at the University of British Columbia, dismissed the research that Kundu cited as part of a stereotypical racial narrative. See KUNDU, Page 3
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KUNDU FROM PAGE 1 Not only did Tulalip Tribal Chair Mel Sheldon Jr. and Board member Don Hatch Jr. also call for Kundu’s resignation, but they joined the rest of the Tulalip Tribal Board in meeting with the Marysville School Board, minus Kundu and plus Marysville School District Superintendent Dr. Larry Nyland, at 5 p.m. that day. Hatch served alongside Kundu on the Marysville School Board for four years and argued that his resignation is the only way to begin healing the community’s wounds, while Sheldon noted that the Tribes were exploring the possibility of a recall if Kundu does not step down. Kundu was in Washington, D.C., during these meetings, but in a June 11 interview with The Marysville Globe he declared that he has no plans to step down, even as he apologized for the harm done to minority students by his e-mails, citing research that he himself has since concluded to be racist. In response to Kundu’s accusations of sensationalist tactics on the part of Greene and Marysville School Board President Sherri Crenshaw, Greene noted that Kundu was responsible for writing the e-mails and accused him in turn of attempting
to reframe the issue. Of the remaining four Marysville School Board members, only Darci Becker did not state unequivocally that she would ask Kundu to resign, citing a private conversation she’d had with Kundu whose content she felt uncomfortable disclosing, beyond revealing that she’d been critical of Kundu’s actions when they’d spoken. Fellow Board member Chris Nation proposed a resolution for the Board to apologize for Kundu’s actions which was approved by a 4-0 vote of the board and the request for Kundu’s resignation will be an action item at the Board’s June 21 meeting. The joint meeting of the two boards pushed the Marysville School Board meeting back to 7:30 p.m., at which time Marysville Education Association President Arden Watson condemned Kundu’s “reckless ideas and faulty research.” Reggie Gillins Jr. and Sr. both followed, with the 15-year-old younger Gillins asserting that “an injustice to one race is an injustice to all,” while his father told the Marysville School Board that they need to take a unanimous stand against Kundu’s remarks in order to remain true to their school district’s stated goal of equal education for every student. For many attendees,
The Marysville Globe • June 16, 2010
“People can achieve, and this ‘small brain’ has achieved plenty.” Margie Santibanez arguments which attempt to connect race and intellect have brought up bad memories. Sherry Guzman recalled being one of only two Native Americans in a classroom in which she was told by her teacher that research had “proven” that Native Americans had smaller brains and a lesser ability to learn. She continued to believe this claim for 20 years, but after she believed she could achieve, she earned her master’s degree. Margie Santibanez graduated high school in 1982 in spite of one teacher telling her, “The Mexican in you is too lazy and the Indian in you is too dumb to graduate.” “People can achieve, and this ‘small brain’ has achieved plenty,” Santibanez said, drawing laughter and applause from the audience. Twenty-three state legislators, including Reps. Mike Hope and John McCoy, cosigned a June 14 letter to Kundu, referencing state research that refutes the research claims cited by Kundu. According to the letter, five independent studies in 2008 concluded that the need for
cultural competency training and the lack of multicultural curricula were barriers to learning for children of color, whereas intellectual deficiencies were not. All six state legislators called for Kundu to offer Marysville students an apology at the least.
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Editor’s Spotlight
LETTERS Kundu: ‘I adamantly reject racism’ I firmly believe that all children are capable of learning; I do not believe that any one specific racial group is superior or inferior to any other; I firmly believe that the Marysville School District is, and should always be, committed to all children in our district (including minority and tribal, ESL, special education, and 504 student cohorts, etc.). Most importantly perhaps, I adamantly reject racism and considered prejudice as one of the most destructive forces in global society today. These are my true, personal convictions on the matter – despite what some in the community would suggest. Further, I do now understand that my earlier assertion, that “racial genetics is definitively linked to intellectual achievement,” is incorrect. From my additional research on the issue, I’ve learned that a definitive link has neither been confirmed nor ruled out, so my assumption that the premise was fact, is mistaken. In light of that realization, I willingly retract my statement to that effect, and apologize for presumptively presenting it in board dialogue. I am, however, deeply concerned that some in the community would suggest that one’s constitutional freedom of speech - and the associated freedom to dialogue issues while seeking to better understand what we can do to eliminate the achievement gap – should be restricted or censored. Dialogue is a fundamental path toward understanding – and in some cases, for redirecting, changing, or correcting another’s concerns or perspectives. When political and/or activist groups seek to attack or discipline individuals for expressing that fundamental, constitutional right, then progress, reconciliation, and civility are all diminished. Following the release of my emails on how we could best address and reduce the achievement gap, I received no such invitations for reconciliatory ‘dialogue’ from any of the vocal critics, who instead seemed to prefer to use this matter as a launch point for their own political purposes. My initial objective was only to hold progressive discussion to understand how we can eliminate the achievement gap (data for which, in fact, is segmented by race) in the Marysville School District – a very difficult challenge in a district continually experiencing lower-thanState-average scores in the vast majority of our program and student cohort areas. Now, unfortunately, the focus has changed, and the achievement gap is being overshadowed by attacks on constitutionally protected rights and the very freedom of intellectual perspectives, dialogue and debate. I extend my apologies to the community and express my deepest regrets that, what was originally a ‘positive intent,’ has deteriorated to the direction that this issue now seems headed.
Answers to Puzzle in 06/23 edition.
Michael Kundu Board of Directors Marysville School District
Strawberry Festival offers a tradition of family fun
B
eginning this week I’ll be doing a new column that I’m calling Editor’s Spotlight. In it I’ll be highlighting a person, organization or event which makes our communities such great places. This week the decision of what I should feature in the Spotlight was an easy choice — it’s been providing family fun and promoting Marysville for nearly eight decades. While this will be my ninth year covering the Marysville Strawberry Festival, it’s ties to The Marysville Globe go all the way back to its origin in 1932. In the early 1930s, Leon Stock, owner and editor of The Marysville Globe, wanted to promote Marysville so he suggested a citywide festival to the Commercial Club and in July of 1932 the first Marysville Strawberry Festival was held. Since then, the festival has only gotten bigger and better, and continues to draw visitors from near and far. In fact, it’s estimated that last year’s grand parade attracted more than 30,000 people. Many of those who attend or participate in the Strawberry Festival’s
Scott Frank Managing editor
myriad events are from Arlington who come down to enjoy the festivities and to support the annual festival. In return, Marysville residents attend and support the annual EAA FlyIn at the Arlington Airport as well as the many events during Arlington’s Fourth of July celebration (all of which are great events and will be highlighted in an upcoming spotlight). This is going to be a busy week with lots of events from which to choose. Whether it’s the talent show on Thursday, the Trike Races on Friday, the Kiddie and Grand parades on Saturday, or any of the other events throughout the week, plan on attending — you’ll be supporting an event that has a tradition of providing family fun for the past 79 years. If you know of a person, organization or event that you would like to have featured in the Editor’s Spotlight, give me a call at 360-659-1300 or email me at sfrank@marysvilleglobe. com.
PUZZLE ANSWERS From 06/09
Crossword Answers
From Page 9
From Page 9
The Marysville Globe • June 16, 2010
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Globe The Marysville
SPORTS: Millar shines at Safeco Field. Page 7
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Marysville celebrates Strawberry Festival BY KIRK BOXLEITNER kboxleitner@marysvilleglobe.com
SPORTS: Trike races a hit with competitors, spectators. Page 7
MARYSVILLE — The final weekend of the 79th annual Marysville Strawberry Festival drew large and steady crowds in spite of weather that turned dark and damp on its final day. The Totem Middle School campus proved to be a hotbed of activity June 19, between hosting the “Kids Party in the Park” from noon to 5 p.m. and serving as the staging grounds for the Kiddies Parade that kicked off at 6 p.m. This marked the Kids Party in the Park’s second year, and while it included fewer vendor booths than its first year, it attracted even more than last year’s estimated total of 700 children who stopped by during the course of the day. “The grounds were full with attendees all the way back from the stage,” Maryfest Advertising and Marking Director Genie Brovold said. Kids Party Director Linda See FESTIVAL, PAGE 15
COMMUNITY: Talent
Show draws a variety of performers to Marysville. Page 6
Kirk Boxleitner/Staff Photo
While the skies overhead grew cool and cloudy, the 2010 Marysville Strawberry Festival Traveling Float showcased this year’s theme of “Summertime Fun” through a picnic scene for Grand Parade attendees on State Avenue June 19.
Board asks for Kundu’s resignation BY KIRK BOXLEITNER
Index
kboxleitner@marysvilleglobe.com
Classified Ads 11-14 5 Legal Notices 11 Obituaries 4 Opinion 5 Puzzle answers 7-9 Sports 10 Worship
Vol. 118, No. 19
Courtesy Photo
Michael Kundu
MARYSVILLE — On the same day that Marysville School Board member Michael Kundu suggested that he might be willing to resign his post, his fellow Board members voted unanimously for him to do exactly that. Although Kundu was in Washington, D.C., he spoke to The Marysville Globe by phone June 21 and reiterated his position that “the case is still out” on research he cited in a June 3 e-mail which claimed evidence of a genetically derived link between ethnicity and potential intelligence. “It was wrong of me to say that it was definitive,” Kundu said of the research he cited. “Hearing
that the kids have started questioning whether their potential might be predestined has made me think seriously about standing down because of the impact that my remaining on the Board might have on the students. I don’t want them questioning their own abilities because of this.” Kundu nonetheless noted that his eventual decision, which has not been made yet, would not be affected by any Board vote calling for his resignation and expressed concern about the precedent that his resignation might set in future politically-charged policy discussions. One of Kundu’s only two defenders at the June 21 Marysville School Board meeting, John Campbell,
echoed these concerns in his own remarks. He joined Marysville School District employee Hugh Fleet in suggesting that Board President Sherri Crenshaw bore the blame for circulating Kundu’s e-mails. Tulalip Tribal Board member and former Marysville School Board member Don Hatch Jr. credited more than just Crenshaw with distributing the e-mail and pointed out the public nature of e-mail as a form of correspondence. “Don’t give him a leave or a sabbatical,” Hatch told the Board members, in reference to Kundu’s submitted request. “If he doesn’t resign, it’s just going to escalate and if this Board doesn’t vote 4-0 to call See KUNDU, PAGE 15
www.MARYSVILLEGLOBE.com
FESTIVAL FROM PAGE 1 Farrington credited much of the early turnout to Ronald McDonald and Scott Petersen, the Monroe-based “Reptile Man,” who returned to the Kids Party for a second year with several cases of scaly companions in tow. However, she noted that significant numbers of onlookers stuck around for stage demonstrations by the Marysville Performing Arts Centre, the Marysville YMCA’s Zumba for Kids program, and the instructors and students of Arlington’s Trinity Martial Arts. The Venture Church of Marysville provided the sound system, while Lakewood’s Boston Market Pizza ran
KUNDU FROM PAGE 1 for his resignation then we’ll know there’s more problems.” Not only did all four of Kundu’s fellow Board members vote to censure Kundu and ask for his resignation, but they also voted unanimously to approve a draft of the Marysville School District goals for 2010-14 that included the goal of closing the academic achievement gap for Native American, Hispanic, African American, English Language Learner, Special Education and low income students. Board Vice President Cindy Erickson explained her previous hesitation to approve a draft of these goals that specified the groups in need of achievement gap support. “I wanted to close the achievement gap for all students, but it was explained to me that many times in our nation’s past ‘all’ has not included students of color,” Erickson said of the reversal in her position. Although the Board can ask for Kundu’s resignation, they can’t remove him from office. Unless Kundu chooses
out of its free pizzas early. Home Depot invited kids of all ages to color tiles, even as members of Rising Stars Gymnastics in Marysville demonstrated some moves while they waited to sign up for the Kiddies Parade. Kiddies Parade Director Kim Mease admitted that this year’s turnout for the event was down from the 40 entrants who registered last year, which she attributed to the day’s increasingly cool and cloudy skies. In the costume category, frog prince Gabriel Bacon and his sister, princess Seraphina, took home first place, while first place in the wheels category went to honey bee Isabella Spidell and her wagon of flowers. Junior pirate Logan Smith and his dog Luca took took
honors in the pets category, while Rising Stars Gymnastics danced away with the top prize in the group category. The Marysville Cooperative Education Program’s sunny beach scene was named the best float, while Kaidence and Sequoia Alpine got to ride in the Grand Parade as the overall winners of the Kiddies Parade for their sandcastle float. “We had a little more diversity in our costumes this year,” Mease said. “It’s a good opportunity for kids to show off and dress up when it’s not Halloween.” The Grand Parade on State Avenue boasted more than 120 entrants this year, with the first drops of rain holding off until the fireworks show at 10 p.m. Audrey Charles’ group of
to resign, that would require a recall from the voters. In the meantime, the Marysville School Board heard testimony from educators and civil rights activists from across the state at its June 21 meeting. Retired Tacoma educator Delois Brown, Edmonds educator Sandra Toussaint, Kent’s Ray Lee and Lynnwood’s Tiffany Sims all condemned Kundu’s comments while urging the Marysville School Board to close the achievement gap. “It is unacceptable for someone who holds the views stated in that e-mail to be in a position of power affecting students,” said Sims, a member of the leadership team for Families Advocating for Students of Color. “Whatever his intent, his words have had an impact.” Dr. Thelma Jackson, president of the Washington Alliance of Black School Educators, echoed the calls of her fellow speakers for the Marysville School District to live up to its vision statement of equitable educational opportunities for each of its students, “which must not be implied, but explicit.” Miss Black Washington,
Calista Phair of Renton, contradicted the research cited by Kundu by pointing to the academic contributions of African Americans to America as a whole throughout its history. “It doesn’t sound like a brain infraction to me,” Phair said, before telling the Marysville School Board, “You are failing more Native Americans than any other district in the state.” Oscar Eason Jr., four-state area conference president of the NAACP, returned to the Marysville School Board, the day after the NAACP’s 101st birthday, to repeat his dismissal of the research cited by Kundu as “hundred-yearold pseudoscience with no credibility,” while Monikka Mann, a mother of three students in the Marysville School District, deemed Kundu a “modern-day Machiavelli.” “The ends do not justify the means that he’s suggested,” Mann said. “What he said was fertilizer, but let’s use it to grow some love, by getting more Tribal representation on the Board and more people to show up to Board meetings.”
13, including six grandchildren and their friends, were anxious to see the Seafair Pirates in the parade, and had already gotten their fill of train rides and funnel cake at the Arts and Crafts Market in Asbery Field earlier that day. For the third year in a row, Joey Stokes loaded detached car seats and a small couch onto the back of his pickup truck to give his friends and family an elevated view of the parade. “The best part is just getting together and hanging out here with friends,” Stokes said. “It’s just good times on Main Street.” For photo slideshows of the Marysville Strawberry Festival, go to www.marysvilleglobe.com.
The Marysville Globe • June 23, 2010
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THE PUBLIC FORUM
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Wednesday, June 30, 2010 • The Marysville Globe
The cost of health care reform
L
iberals and conservatives agreed on one thing during the health care debate: the cost of health care in the United States is not sustainable. Last year we spent $2.2 trillion, or 17 percent of the United States’ gross domestic product (GDP), on health care. Without some DR. Roger stark type of reform that number will rise to an unrealistic 30 percent of GDP by 2030. From an economic standpoint, this could never happen. We were assured by the Obama Administration over the past two years that federal health reform would bend the cost curve down and actually decrease the federal deficit. Based on those assurances, Congress passed legislation with narrow partisan support and over the objections of substantial bipartisan opposition. The original cost estimate of the new law was $940 billion over 10 years, which we were told would decrease the deficit by around $100 billion. Over half of the funding would come from Medicare cuts and around $400 billion would come from new taxes. Paying for the Medicaid expansion and funding the government subsidies in the new insurance exchange would each account for roughly one half of the expenditures in the legislation. Unfortunately, but not surprising, the number $940 billion turned out to be wrong. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) re-examined the legislation after it passed into law. The bill is filled with unclear language and on further review, CBO analysts found additional costs of at least $115 billion. This wipes out any deficit reduction promised by health reform and puts its cost over $1 trillion. The CBO went on to say that highly-touted preventive care and pilot projects in the law are unlikely to reduce costs and may actually increase costs. Richard Foster, the federal government’s chief actuary, also examined the legislation after it passed. He reports health care costs will increase from 17 percent to 21 percent of GDP in 10 years and that spending would go up by at least $311 billion. He further says the legislation will cause net federal spending to rise. The new taxes on drugs and medical devices as well as the excise taxes on insurance premiums will simply be passed on to patients. Foster estimates that 14 million people, mostly from small firms, will lose their employer-sponsored health insurance. At least two million of these employees will be forced to enroll in Medicaid, bringing the total of new Medicaid recipients to at least 18 million. However, no one knows the actual number of new Medicaid enrollees or the number of people who will receive taxpayer subsidies in the insurance exchanges. Government estimates are notoriously on the low side and as these programs expand, costs will explode. The cuts to Medicare include $271 billion in lower doctors’ reimbursements over ten years, starting this year. Virtually everyone agrees that Congress will pass a “doc fix” in the next few months and will reinstate this $271 billion. As soon as this goes into law, the budget for the new health care reform will go into the red by another $271 billion. This is the kind of dilemma that arises when doctors are employed by the government, instead of being allowed to practice medicine in a normal, functioning marketplace. By any measure, the true cost of the health care legislation is well over $1 trillion for the first ten years and in no way will it reduce the deficit. The legislation allows for ten years of taxes and Medicare cuts to pay for the first six years of benefits. Cost estimates for the second ten years, 2020 to 2029, run as high as $2.4 trillion, which will most certainly add to the federal deficit. Unless it is repealed or drastically amended, the new federal health care law will cause costs to soar to unsustainable levels, will lead to price controls and benefit cuts, and will lead ultimately to government rationing of our health care.
GUEST OPINION
Dr. Roger Stark is a retired surgeon and a health care policy analyst with Washington Policy Center, a non-partisan independent policy research organization in Washington state. For more information visit washingtonpolicy.org.
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Michael Kundu in perspective T he heat surrounding School Board member Michael Kundu has critics losing sight of the underlying issue. It is as though demands for his resignation generated a great fog diverting attention from the issue he raised to the stuff he quoted. When General McChrystal was fired, the issue of war in Afghanistan stayed as clear as it was before — however clear that was. Let’s hope the underachievement that stirred Kundu doesn’t get lost in the popular outrage calling for his dismissal. It is unfortunate that Michael Kundu’s service to Marysville’s schools will likely end this way. For the main part, he served well. He worked to pass levies, build schools and deal with the policy end of what it takes to run a modern school district. Though critics call for his head, district historians should remember his many contributions. Aside from a few odd moments, Kundu did an outstanding job when tending the flow of MSD business. It was only when he took on the role of activist that he stumbled. An example was his role in the removal of a Confederate flag that was presented only as a historical prop to highlight the Civil War. It was a misguided attempt to sanitize history. In another incident, Kundu was correct in calling for the removal of a document called the Skeptics’ Handbook. He properly took it to be a backlash from disgruntled pseudo-scientists who claimed that Global Warming is nothing more than wild ravings of environmentalists. After following his years of work for the district it appears that, on balance, Marysville profited from Kundu’s dedication to education. But Kundu made a mistake. He shared flawed research claiming that different races with different skull-sizes don’t learn equally well. Results of the study cannot be accepted because it is impossible to eliminate all other variables from the wrong-headed theory of skull-size as a major determiner of achievement. For instance, all tribal children are taught to respect the values and wisdom of their elders.
OPINION
Bob Graef
So they can’t help being conflicted when immersed in a public education system that promotes different values. This and other cultural problems affect schooling around the globe. Kundu’s source, written by John Philippe Rushton, hearkens back to the end of the 19th Century when phrenologists measured children’s skulls with calipers to determine what abilities and personalities they might have. They reasoned like this: Since Africans have compact round craniums and relatively few Africans had held positions in the sciences, people with Africantype skulls lack scientific ability. Hogwash. By this time his resignation is either a reality or being seriously considered. He has lost the trust of the people. He triggered a mini-crisis that, if wisdom rules, will have the Board following the adage, never waste a crisis. Kundu improperly raised a proper issue, addressing the fact of low academic achievement for certain social groups. Unfortunately, their overblown sense of political correctness may have thin-skinned critics feeling that ousting Kundu will solve something. Wrong. The time is ripe to acknowledge differing achievement levels for different races and open the door to understanding the issue. Maybe we can do something effective about it if the Board keeps it on their agenda. The issue turned on two words, CAN and DO. Kundu’s source claimed that different races CAN NOT achieve as well as others in schools. If you replace CAN-NOT with DO-NOT, you describe the slam-dunk reality that every educator knows. It needs to be addressed. Different races and cultures do not achieve equally but not because of skull size or shape. But why the difference? That
question ought to be bothering school board members from coast to coast. It was probably the question that Kundu was wrestling with when he fell victim to that piece of shoddy research published by Western Ontario University. Yet the issue behind it is real. It cannot be laid to rest when Mr. Kundu leaves the Board. Achievement in learning and earning is conditioned by too many factors to connect low grades with brain-size. When one group learns differently than others the reason is often found in cultural roots. Take Israelis and Palestinians for example. No one explained it better than Leon Uris in his book, Exodus, in which a Jew and a Palestinian Arab discuss reasons that Israelis suddenly held the advantage. Arabs were a traditional nomadic people that were content with “enough,” while Israelis were aggressive immigrants that wanted and took much, including control. Achievement levels in Palestinian and Israeli schools still reflect that difference in spite of identical skulls. Though achievement of different races varies in America’s public schools, those differences say little about brain power. The near-equal brain-power of races is suggested by this year’s World Cup competition. The split-second flexing of strategy to play at that level takes brains. Africans outplayed, out-strategized, out-hustled and outscored America’s best. But according to Kundu’s source, Black African players from tiny Ghana shouldn’t knock off teams with better skull measurements. Asians, Africans, Europeans, Latin Americans, Islanders—all are equally pitted against each other in the World Cup. This holds true for music, business, military or other activities. Standout performers prove that success is open equally to every race. Why not in education, too? Now that is a question that deserves the school board’s full attention. Thank you, Mr. Kundu, for bringing it up again. Comments may be addressed to: rgraef@verizon.net
www.MARYSVILLEGLOBE.com
The Marysville Globe • July 21, 2010
Kundu resigns from School Board BY KIRK BOXLEITNER kboxleitner@marysvilleglobe.com
MARYSVILLE — Marysville School District Board member Michael Kundu announced his resignation from the Board of Directors July 12, the same day as the first Board meeting held since his return from Washington, D.C. Kundu sent a letter to The Marysville Globe citing a number of his contributions to the Marysville and Tulalip communities during his seven years on the Board. That list included calling for regular joint meetings between the Tribal and School boards, persuading Don Hatch Jr. to return for his final years of service on the School Board, advocating allowing Tribal students to wear traditional ceremonial regalia during their graduations, and even speaking on behalf of a dedicated Tribal seat on the School Board, the latter of which he noted has not been accomplished yet. Kundu followed this list by challenging the remaining Board members to install a permanent Tribal representative position on the Board, to prove their commitment to improving
the district’s relationship with the community. He also spoke of the need to “aggressively pursue the best available science” to address issues such as the academic achievement gap. Kundu did not attend the July 12 Board meeting, where the remaining Board members voted unanimously to accept his resignation, but several representatives of community groups commented during the meeting’s hearing of business of visitors. Tulalip Tribal Chair Mel Sheldon Jr. supported the request of Tribal Board member and former School Board member Don Hatch Jr., who asked to be part of the interview team for Kundu’s replacement candidates. “The actions you’ve taken have been a tremendous part of our healing,” Hatch told the Board. “If there’s anything I can do in a leadership role to help with staff or students, I’ll stand up and be accountable.” “I want to thank you for standing up and doing the right thing,” Sheldon told the Board. “That took courage. This was a test, and not an easy one, but you passed it.”
Sheldon and Hatch’s defenses of Board President Sherri Crenshaw were echoed by Snohomish County NAACP President Janice Greene. Kundu had previously criticized Crenshaw for circulating his controversial e-mails to members of the public, but Sheldon echoed Hatch’s observation that Kundu’s e-mail had included a request for it to be circulated. Greene explained that she’d obtained Kundu’s e-mail through a public disclosure request and asserted that public correspondence such as school district e-mails should not have the expectation of confidentiality. “This is not a zero-sum game where doing for one child means that you can’t do for another,” Greene told the Board. “I expect you to do the job you were entrusted to do by taking care of all the children.” Just as Sheldon had pledged to continue attending School Board meetings, to contribute to the Board’s problem-solving processes, so too did Greene offer to participate in the district’s decision-making. Sheldon and Greene likewise agreed
that the district is faced with the daunting task of providing for its students’ needs with increasingly limited resources, and both described the weeks since the circulation of Kundu’s e-mail as a learning experience that’s helped the community come together. Monikka Mann, a mother of three students in the school district, had spoken at previous Board meetings regarding Kundu, and warned fellow attendees of the July 12 Board meeting that they shouldn’t see this matter as settled. “The fact that he resigned doesn’t take away the damage that he’s done, with the attitude that he’s flaunted
in the press and public,” Mann said. “I’m still concerned about the 57 percent of our students that have a five-year graduation rate. I’m still concerned that these poisonous ideas still exist, but are hidden underground.” Former School Board member Ron Young concluded the public remarks by attacking Kundu’s record, noting that less than 30 percent of 10th-graders in the district in the 2009-2010 school year met minimum standards in math and science, and the district as a whole is below the state averages in all areas of the WASL. “The resignation of
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Courtesy Photo
Michael Kundu announced July 12 that he would immediately be stepping down from the Marysville School Board.
Michael Kundu is a good start in closing the achievement gap,” Young said.
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July 21, 2010 • The Marysville Globe
www.MARYSVILLEGLOBE.com
School Board looks to fill vacancy BY KIRK BOXLEITNER kboxleitner@marysvilleglobe.com
MARYSVILLE — In the wake of Michael Kundu’s resignation from the Marysville School District Board of Directors, the remaining Board members are now faced with the task of appointing his replacement in the District Director 4 position. Jodi Runyon, executive assistant to MSD Superintendent Dr. Larry Nyland, explained that the Board will be discussing the best ways to advertise the vacancy at their Aug. 2 regular session meeting, after which the remaining four Board members will screen the pool of applicants and interview the candidates. “We still need to plan when we would conduct the interviews, but such interviews are typically conducted during open public meetings,” Runyon said. At the Board’s July 12 meeting, former Board member Don Hatch Jr. volunteered to serve on the interviewing panel, but Runyon noted that the district needs to check with state guidelines
Kirk Boxleitner/Staff Photo Staff Graphic
Michael Kundu’s replacement on the Marysville School District Board of Directors must live within the boundaries of the District Director 4 position. as to whether they would be allowed to include him, since the district’s own policies offer no parameters on the subject. “It’s not a public election, but a Board-appointed succession, which understandably changes some things,” Runyon said.
On that note, Runyon pointed out that the appointed Board member would only serve out the remainder of what would have been Kundu’s term, through November 2011, after which he or she would need to run for election if they wished to be retained in the position.
The Board has 90 days to appoint a new member, who must live within the boundaries of the District Director 4 position. Given the timeconsuming nature of the process, Runyon acknowledged that the position could remain vacant until Oct. 1.
From left, Sound Harley Davidson sales associates Kevin Beach and Jason Cassem, Retail Manager Tricia Kelly, Special Olympics Washington intern Courtney Smith, Bothell Police Capt. Bryan Keller, Special Olympics Washington intern Lindsay Pirson, Sound Harley Rental Manager Thurston Shaffer and Sales Manager Derek Shaffer look forward to seeing bikers turn out for the Aug. 28 Northwest Ride of Dreams and Classic Car Show.
Sound Harley hosts fundraising ride BY KIRK BOXLEITNER kboxleitner@marysvilleglobe.com
SMOKEY POINT — Sound Harley Davidson will be helping bikers and law enforcement pitch in on behalf of some very special athletes. On Aug. 28, Sound Harley will serve as one of five primary starting points for the launch of the Northwest Ride of Dreams and Classic Car Show, presented by Special Olympics Washington and the Law Enforcement Torch Run. Bill Southern, director of outreach and public affairs for Special Olympics Washington, visited Sound Harley July 9 with Bothell Police Capt. Bryan Keller, one of the event’s coordinators. Southern expects more than 4,000 motorcycles will make it to the ride’s final destination at the Rotary Park located at 1200 W. Fifth Ave. in Ellensburg, while Keller sees the event as an excellent accompaniment to the Torch Run’s fundraisers for Special Olympics throughout the year, including its annual Tip-a-Cop event whose locations include the Red Robin in Lakewood. “It’ll be $30 per person to register,” Southern said. “It costs us $600 a year per athlete to send them to their events, and we reach out to thousands of potential athletes in schools and beyond. Special Olympics Washington
actually has a small staff, but we don’t believe that our athletes should have to feel our pain, which is why we want to pay for them to go to their events. All the athletes should need to do is compete and have fun.” “The bikes should be arriving here at Sound Harley between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on the day of the ride, the earlier the better,” Keller said. “Technically, though, they can start just about anyplace, the more riders the better. Our goal is to raise at least $75,000, if not $100,000, for Special Olympics programs through this event.” All proceeds from the event will go toward Special Olympics Washington, and all those who register will receive official Northwest Ride of Dreams and Classic Car Show T-shirts and goody bags. “This is really exciting and I’m thrilled to be associated with such a first rate organization,” Keller said. “It’s wonderful. I’m also quite proud of my fellow officers involved in this campaign. It’s the athletes themselves that makes this all worthwhile, and the joy on their faces confirms that we’re doing the right thing.” To register, donate or learn more about the ride, log onto www.nwrideofdreams.org. For more information about Special Olympics Washington and its programs, visit its website at www.sowa.org.
Globe The Marysville
SPORTS: Lady Cougs get first win over Archbishop Murphy. Page 7
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2010 www.marysvilleglobe.com 75¢ WS
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Firefighter faces toughest battle Coworkers, friends plan Oct. 9 fundraiser
system that control voluntary muscle movement. MARYSVILLE — Life- Hancock’s symptoms to date threatening situations are have ranged from weakness nothing new to Ray Hancock in his arms to the loss of who’s served as a firefighter manual dexterity. Although with the Marysville Fire he’s still able to perform everyday tasks with District for 17 difficulty, he’s been years, but on April pulled from the 6 he learned he fire district’s line of was facing a danger responders and is that’s much harder now on light duty to escape from than status, working in a burning building. the district’s admin“That’s the date istration building. Ray Hancock I was diagnosed,” “I was told I probsaid Hancock, who ably have three to five years,” had served as a driver on said Hancock, a compact, the Ladder 62 crew since its conception. “At first, I muscular man who mainjust felt a pinched nerve in tains a stoic face in spite of my left arm, but it’s gotten his prognosis. “There are cases where people live a lot worse from there.” Hancock was diagnosed longer, but eventually it will with Amyotrophic Lateral take its course.” Hancock has discussed Sclerosis, also known as his situation with his wife Lou Gehrig’s disease. ALS is caused by the degeneration of 24 years, Lisa Marie, of motor neurons, the nerve and their two sons, both of BY KIRK BOXLEITNER kboxleitner@marysvilleglobe.com
COMMUNITY:
Marysville Rotary’s ‘Pumpkins for Literacy’ kicks off Oct. 9. Page 6
SPORTS: Lakewood drops a wild one against Archbishop Murphy. Page 7
Index
cells in the central nervous
See BATTLE, PAGE 10
Courtesy Photo
Ray Hancock has served as a firefighter with the Marysville Fire District for 17 years and as a driver on the Ladder 62 crew since its conception.
Fryberg, Albright appointed to Marysville School Board
Births 5 Classified Ads 12-15 11 Legal Notices 4 Opinion 5 Puzzles 7-9 Sports 10-11 Worship
BY KIRK BOXLEITNER
Vol. 118, No. 34
kboxleitner@marysvilleglobe.com
Wendy Fryberg
MARYSVILLE — Wendy Fryberg and Tom Albright are the newest members of the Marysville School District Board of Directors. Board President Cindy Erickson and
existing members Darci Becker and Chris Nation voted unanimously Oct. 4 to appoint Fryberg as Director District 4 and Albright as Director District 5, after a series of candidate interviews that same evening that pitSee BOARD, PAGE 10
Tom Albright
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October 6, 2010 • The Marysville Globe
BOARD FROM PAGE 1
of a non-profit organization to raise funds for college scholarships in Kenya and of the Board of Directors for ted Fryberg against Sue Deaconess Children’s Home Rasmussen and Albright in Everett. Albright has against Corinne Diteman additionally done stints as a for those positions. Board officer for the Seattle Fryberg serves as com- Goodwill and chair of the pliance manager for the Hotline crisis intervention Tulalip Resort Casino and phone line. He even develsecretary of the Marysville oped a program to address Youth Football League. A issues of race during a busTulalip Tribal ing crisis in member and Pasadena, an alumni Calif. member of Fryberg Leadership and Albright Snohomish cited their County, she respective v o l u nt e e r s accomplishat Tulalip ments when Elementary asked how and Tulalip their backHeritage Wendy Fryberg g r o u n d s High School, Marysville School Board q u a l i f i e d takes part in them for the the Tulalip Ma r y s v i l l e C a n o e S c h o o l Family and developed the Board, especially with Supervisory Enhancement regard to their experiences Course for the Tulalip with cultural diversity. They Resort Hotel and Casino. likewise both described their Albright serves as pas- schedules as flexible enough tor of the Marysville to accommodate Board United Methodist Church responsibilities, although and volunteer chaplain Albright acknowledged that for the Marysville Fire trips to Kenya would likely District and Marysville make him unavailable for Police Department. A three weeks out of the year. When asked to explain member of the Marysville Noon Rotary and city of the responsibilities of the Marysville Library Board, Board, Fryberg asserted the he’s also served as president importance of soliciting
“The Board should strive to carry out decisions as a team for the betterment of all the children in the school district.”
www.MARYSVILLEGLOBE.com
input from parents and stu- anything that provides an dents while sharing infor- opportunity for children to mation with them in turn. learn and grow,” Albright “The Board should strive said. to carry out its decisions as Both Fryberg and a team for the betterment of Albright stated that they all the children in the school expect to do plenty of ondistrict,” Fryberg said. the-job research on subjects “The Board works with ranging from the district’s and for the superinten- branches to its finances. dent to get these children “I’ve never pretended the best education with the to be an accountant, and re s ou rc e s if I was sent available,” to Hell, I’d Albright probably be said. reincarnated Fr y berg as an accounnoted that tant,” Albright she looks said, drawing forward to laughter from working the crowd. with par“But there’s so ents to find much to learn, solutions to and I love educational problems, Tom Albright learning new w h i l e Marysville School Board things.” Fryberg Albright added that pointed to her he’s eager to years as a parencourage greater commu- ent and a volunteer at the nity participation in com- schools as fields in which ing up with creative courses she’s had to communicate of action. When address- effectively, just as Albright ing the responsibilities of touted his 38 years as a pasindividual Board members, tor and his frequent charity Fryberg pledged to commit trips to Africa as activities herself to understanding which also require effective district policies and proce- communication. dures, while Albright prom“I’m self-driven and ised to listen to others and motivated,” Fryberg told the think through the issues Board in her final statement before making decisions. “I’m willing to support to them.
The Board works with and for the superintendent to get these children the best education with the resources available.”
BATTLE FROM PAGE 1 whom are in college. He considers himself lucky that he’s remained physically self-sufficient and that his insurance has covered his medical expenses so far, and he’s focusing on improving the quality of his life rather than trying to extend it. “We’re doing everything we can to enjoy ourselves,” Hancock said. “I’m working with a naturopath to keep my strength up with vitamins. There are other medicines that I could be taking, but those only give you about three extra weeks at the end. In the meantime, I’m fortunate that I can talk and I’m not on feeding tubes. I’m fumbling, but I’m still getting by and doing things on my own. It’s hard to believe I have it sometimes. No one has to help me do things like feed myself yet. That comes later on down the line.” Hancock chuckled as he acknowledged that one of the most challenging aspects of being diagnosed with ALS has been learning what ALS actually is. “You hear the term ‘Lou Gehrig’s disease,’ but you
put it on a mental backburner until you have it,” Hancock said. “There’s still a lot of learning going on. No one can say what my progression of ALS will be like. I’m concerned about respiratory failure, since that’s the leading cause of death with ALS. You’re kind of okay until you’re not,” he said. “That’s good, though, because I can still come into the office and pitch in to help the overall team.” Hancock’s fellow firefighters are reciprocating his support with a fundraiser for Hancock and his family at Boston’s Gourmet Pizza in Lakewood, Oct. 9, from 1-7 p.m. “Our professional firefighters will be assisting Boston’s staff in waiting and busing tables,” said Josh Olsen of the Marysville Professional Firefighters. “All funds collected will go directly to the Hancock family.” “Their support has been overwhelming,” Hancock said of his fellow firefighters. “It just warms my heart. They’re giving so graciously. “We had an elite group in our ladder truck,” he added. “I miss running calls with them. I miss working with those guys.”