December 9, 2020 North County Outlook by The North County Outlook

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Vol. 13 No. 47 n December 9, 2020 - December 15, 2020

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Christmas on the Farm provides families with some holiday fun By Christopher Andersson christopher@northcountyoutlook.com The Arlington Farmers Market met for their final time this year during their Christmas on the Farm event on Nov. 28 and Dec. 5. Local farmers came out along with crafters, many of them holiday-themed, to sell their wares at the outside market at Legion Park. "Through the chamber we had the opportunity to extend our farmers market," said Tari Dexter, one of the organizers of the Arlington Farmers Market. "With that we could provide a holiday market, especially for vendors who may not be able to go to their inside vending and now they See MARKET on page 6

PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER ANDERSSON

Santa rides on a wagon during this year's socially distanced Arlington Santa Run on Dec. 4.

Socially-distanced Santa Run comes to Arlington By Christopher Andersson christopher@northcountyoutlook.com

PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER ANDERSSON

Simon Fuentes purchases a pastry item from Lauren Hammond, owner of the Hammond Bread Company, at the Arlington Farmers Market Christmas on the Farm event on Dec. 5.

Santa is again partnering with local firefighters to visit Arlington neighborhoods to gather food for the Arlington Community Food Bank this year. The local firefighter's union continues with their annual Santa Run, however it will include new safety measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Santa Run began on

Dec. 4 and will continue until Dec. 13. People who wish to donate food are being asked to leave the food at the end of the driveway and those who want to donate money are being asked to go directly to the Arlington Community Food Bank website. Santa is still riding around for families, however he is not handing out candy canes and will stay in

See SANTA RUN on page 2

Salvation Army begins collecting for holiday season The organization has seen increased need and decreased fundraising because of COVID-19 By Christopher Andersson christopher@northcountyoutlook.com The Marysville-Tulalip Salvation Army kicked off their annual holiday bell ringing campaign on Nov. 30. Volunteers with the organization will again be at stores throughout the community this Christmas season to collect donations. "We weren't sure if we were going to be able to do the bell ringing this year," said Jenny Roodzant, social services coordinator with the local Salvation Army organization. In addition to the physical bell ringing, they will also be hosting a virtual red kettle

bucket at marysvilleredkettle.org. "I encourage people to post it, share it on social media, and all that money donated goes to us locally," said Roodzant. The Marysville Salvation Army has had a busy year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and at the same time has been hampered in their fundraising efforts. "We weren't able to do our fundraiser this August," which usually brings in a large amount of donations to the organization, said Roodzant. The red kettle donations may be fewer this year, as well, because the stores aren't open at full capacity. This is at a time when the organization is providing more assistance than they would in a normal year. "We've had a huge increase in people that See COLLECTING on page 2

COURTESY PHOTO

Local officials and Salvation Army leaders come out to kick off the bell ringing campaign on Nov. 30. From left, Marysville-Tulalip Salvation Army corps leaders Lynn McCoy and Bruce Nelson, Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring and Marysville-Tulalip Salvation Army social services coordinator Jenny Roodzant.

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Communities SANTA RUN Continued from page 1

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a decorated trailer and wave to local families. Organizers had to put in a lot of work to create a safe plan for this year. "We had a plan in place before the Governor put new restrictions, and then we came up with a new plan," said Nich Sacha, an Arlington firefighter and the main organizer for this year's event. "It was challenging. We usually get a bunch of our family members to come out to help volunteer," however this year there is a limit to how many volunteers could be involved. Greg Koontz, a captain with the Arlington Fire De-

partment and president of IAFF 3728, the Arlington firefighters union, said the union still wanted to collect for the food bank this year due to the high need. "We thought it was important to attempt to continue this if we thought we could do it safely," he said. "With the amount of people needing food this year we thought that if we could make it happen it was imperative we do it again this year." He hopes that local families will cooperate with safety measures this year. "We're just asking the public to be compliant with what we are asking with setting the food down and social distancing," Koontz said. This year, the firefighters'

COLLECTING Continued from page 1

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need help with their rent, mortgage or utilities," said Roodzant. The organization typically provides assistance to those who are about to become homeless. There are many people across all demographics who previously thought they were secure coming in for help for the first time this year, she said. "I think with COVID there have been so many people who have lost their jobs or been put on furlough," said Roodzant. "People who thought they would've never needed this kind of help."

annual Arlington Santa Run is in its 28th year. "This is a fun thing. As a newer employee of the fire department, to have this tradition go on for this long and still keep going is pretty amazing," said Sacha. Koontz said there are many Arlington residents who look forward to it. "We have people who have liv3ed in Arlington 25 years or more and they know this is coming and are always out there," he said. Many of the firefighters enjoy volunteering to help each year. "I think it's amazing when you see the little kids," said Koontz. "They 100 percent think it's real and there's this smile on their face." Arlington Fire Department captain Jason Nyblod

For homeless individuals, it's more than just about finances because the Salvation Army has seen an increase in need for case management. "There's a lot more people who want to get off the street, and I think that's because it's scary out there with COVID right now. It has made it a lot harder for the homeless," said Roodzant. Those who want to help the organization can donate in person, online at marysvilleredkettle.org or help the organization's programs. Because of COVID their facility has limited capacity, but those who want to help can provide assistance from their home.

also said he enjoys volunteering for the event. "I like just spreading joy and seeing all the people come out and pitch in," he said. "It kind of sucks this year not giving candy canes out because the kids love that part, but the community still loves this." The local firefighter's union pays for the decorations and brings in the majority of volunteers. "We're part of this community. The union has a very philanthropic approach to what we do in this community," said Koontz. Sacha wanted to thank all everyone who help put on the annual event to benefit the food bank. "A big thanks to everyone in our local who volunteered their time to put it together and the city," he said.

The organization plans to have a socially distanced, outside Christmas dinner for homeless individuals. "If anyone is interested in cooking a meal and bringing that down that would help us," said Roodzant. They also run a toy drive program that picks up additional families after the Marysville Toy Store deadline has passed. So far there have been 500 kids registered for the program. "If anyone is interested in adopting a family," they could help provide gifts to a family in need this year, said Roodzant. More information about the organization's assistance program is available at 360-926-2228.

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December 9, 2020 - December 15, 2020 NORTH COUNTY OUTLOOK

Local officials discuss COVID___response The city of Arlington, Arlington School District and Public Hospital District #1 held a joint meeting on Nov. 30

By Christopher Andersson christopher@northcountyoutlook.com

Officials from the city of Arlington, Arlington School District and the local hospital district responsible for Cascade Valley Hospital met to talk about preparing for disaster response on Nov. 30. The three organizations usually hold a joint meeting at least once a year. At the end of last year they decided they wanted to focus on how the three would work together to respond to emergency situations. At the time the focus was on earthquakes, fire or other weather emergencies, but the COVID-19 pandemic has put an immediate emergency at the forefront of the conversation. “What lessons have we learned and how can we together work through this event that has taken place

and continues?" said Chrys Sweeting, superintendent of the Arlington School District. Agencies talked about their response to COVID so far. “During this time it has been critical for us to advocate for learning and safety,” said Sweeting. She said in-person learning is "almost always better" for students, so the district has had to weigh the benefits of education and safety risks. “We’ve had infections but we’ve been containing them, but it requires contact tracing, quarantine and isolation,” said Sweeting. In November the highest number of positive cases in a week has been three for the school district. The city has also had to rapidly adjust to changing circumstances. “Our IT department worked quickly to upgrade our technology to allow remote access,” and workfrom-home capability has improved as a result, said city administrator Paul Ellis.

The city has also had to learn how to quickly distribute a number of grants from the federal coronavirus relief bill passed in March. “My experience with emergencies has been short-term, like with the Oso landslide," said Arlington Mayor Barbara Tolbert. “And then you move into recovery, which can be multiple years long." With the amount of stress being put on the economy and local organizations, she expects the recovery for the COVID-19 pandemic will also take a long time. Jola Barnett, a commissioner with Public Hospital District #1, which includes Cascade Valley Hospital, said the hospital has faced a lot of concerns throughout the year. “We haven’t had a surge beyond our capabilities as of yet. I say that as I knock on wood,” she said. The supply chain was one of the hospital's biggest problems early on. “While we never ran out of PPE [personal protective equipment] we had some

uncomfortably low safety supplies at times,” said Barnett. Currently the hospital has stocked up on supplies and has more than what they kept on reserve before the pandemic, however because of nationwide increases in COVID, they are seeing orders being rationed again, said Barnett. The three agencies talked about what would be needed going forward. If a COVID-19 vaccine is to be successful it would need widespread public buy-in, which would require trust from the public. One of the biggest needs is “educating people regarding the vaccination and dispelling false narratives about the pandemic,” said Brian Lewis, executive director of operations for the Arlington School District. “How do we rally the

“

What lessons have we learned and how can we work together through this event that has taken place and continues?

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Superintendent Chrys Sweeting

community to combat the COVID stress and how do we develop a unified message to help support the vaccination,” said Ellis. Public buy-in was a worry during most of the agencies' current operations as well, with some of the public skeptical about the dangers of COVID-19 while another group was skeptical that government organizations were doing enough to keep them safe. “That was a concern that some people are questioning whether there is a virus and others are very fearful,” said Sweeting. “There are

”

concerns across the board was community trust." Finally, going forward there were continuing concerns for both small businesses and those who are in precarious renting situations. “What happens when the rent protections are lifted?” said Gary Sabol, director of communications with the Arlington School District. “How can we work together to mitigate some of these things,” he said. The next scheduled joint meeting for the three organizations is in April.

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December 9, 2020 - December 15, 2020 NORTH COUNTY OUTLOOK

Marysville begins another round of business grants The city has provided $1.39 million in funds from the federal relief bill to small businesses this year

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By Christopher Andersson christopher@northcountyoutlook.com The city of Marysville will begin another round of business grants to keep local businesses afloat during the pandemic. The new grant will provide up to $10,000 to businesses that haven't already received a grant. These funds are not loans and therefore do not need to be repaid. Businesses must be located within Marysville city limits, established before Jan. 1, 2020, have a current Marysville business license endorsement, have fewer than 50 full-time employees and experienced loss of sales or other financial hardship because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The money may be used to pay wages, rent, mortgage, utilities, debt, insurance or supplies. The grants will be

awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis and more information about applying is available at marysvillewa. gov/1135. Funds for the city's grant programs so far have come from the federal coronavirus relief bill that was passed in March (the CARES Act). "We've received money from the state and have been sending that out into the community," said Sandy Langdon, finance director with the city of Marysville. "We have done three rounds of grants with that state CARES money so far." The newest round of grants is from about $400,000 that was received by Marysville from Snohomish County and also comes from relief bill funds. So far 176 businesses have received about $1.39 million in funding from business grants in Marysville. Langdon said that most small businesses have been appreciative of the help. "They're amazed. They didn't think that this would be available to them," she said.

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We're received money from the state and have been sending that out into the community. We've done three rounds of grants with that state CARES money so far.

____

Sandy Langdon

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One Marysville employee "actually delivered a check to one of the business owners who started crying," said Langdon. There were some initial challenges in distributing the grants. "So many businesses thought they would have to pay the money back," said Langdon, partially because there were some early federal loan programs that would have to be paid back. "Once we got the word out that this wasn't the case, we got quite a bit more applications," said Langdon. Marysville city staff have been making one-on-one phone calls to help get the word out as well. City officials have been happy to be able to provide some form of assistance for local small businesses. "The mayor was getting calls right after the businesses first shut down asking what the city could do to help," said Langdon. With the funds from the state and county the city has been able to reach out and help. "We thought any opportunity to help out the business community would be great," said Langdon. She said any business that hasn't received funds yet and is struggling is encouraged to contact the city. "Contact us and we will try to find the assistance that can help you," she said. Without a second federal coronavirus relief bill grant programs like this could soon end on Dec. 31. "We don't know what will happen at the end of the year," said Langdon. Federal representatives are currently debating what another round of federal funds will look like. Sure, you love our paper... but don’t forget to

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December 9, 2020 - December 15, 2020 NORTH COUNTY OUTLOOK

Larsen discusses current state of healthcare By Christopher Andersson christopher@northcountyoutlook.com

U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen talked with local and state health officials on Dec. 4 about the current state of healthcare in Washington and the ongoing open enrollment period. Larsen is the U.S. Congressional District 2 Representative, a district which includes Marysville, Tulalip and most of Arlington, as well as much of the Puget Sound area north of Everett. Open enrollment for state healthcare plans is currently underway and individuals are encouraged to sign up by Dec. 15. “Because of the global pandemic and because there are a lot of new offerings on the exchange this year we will have an extension for enrollment until Jan. 15,” said Pam MacEwan, executive director of the Washington Health Benefit Exchange. Those who want their healthcare benefits on Jan. 1 still have to sign up by Dec. 15. The COVID-19 pandemic is having a big effect on this year’s sign ups, said MacEwan. “People are really struggling with affordability because of the economic crisis,” she said. Individuals should make sure to report any change of income to the exchange. Those who are making under certain guidelines are eligible for tax credits to help offset health insurance costs. MacEwan said they are seeing many people who do not realize they can apply for the state’s Medicaid plan, Apple Health, any time.

“If you’ve lost your job, your income, you are eligible for those benefits any time,” she said. New this year are Cascade Care plans, which are meant to be a ‘public option’ plan with premiums that cost less while still providing the same kind of care. Although available in 19 counties in the state, Snohomish County is not one of them. MacEwan said they are working to expand public option plans to the entire state for next year. This year premiums have gone down 3.5 percent, said MacEwan. “Although, as we heard before, premiums were really climbing before that,” she said. Larsen said political interference has caused some problems for the Affordable Care Act. “In my view we’ve hit a four-year bump in the road and will get back to increasing healthcare and making it affordable,” he said. MacEwan encourages those who want to shop for their health insurance to not procrastinate. “Don’t wait until the last minute,” she said. “Take a look now and if you’re eligible for coverage sign up right now." Navigators like Ana Howe, the manage care regional coordinator at SeaMar Community Health Center, are available to provide one-on-one help with the health insurance market. Sea-Mar’s number is 1-855-289-4503, and other hospitals and navigators are available at wahealthplanfinder.org. Howe said they are able to explain benefits and net-

works to Washington state residents. “Network is very important for a lot of the clients that we see,” she said, as people often want to keep the doctors they are familiar with. “We will reach out to the insurance company just to verify that the doctors or clinics are still in-network." Sea-Mar Community Health Center has bilingual navigators for some languages, although Howe said language still remains a big barrier for some minority populations for health insurance in the state. Jane Beyer, senior health policy advisor with the Washington State office of the Insurance Commissioner, also warned residents to be on the lookout for sites pretending to be wahealthplanfinder.org. Some copycat sites look similar but offer plans not approved by the state insurance commissioner, which means they could exclude pre-existing conditions, may only last a couple of months or they could be healthcare sharing ministries. Healthcare sharing ministries are “people who share a faith who share healthcare costs amongst themselves,” and while some are legitimate, some are run by more untrustworthy people, said Beyer. “If you see something that looks too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true,” she said. Health officials on the panel also talked about insurance policy. Beyer said the role of the state insurance commissioner office is in part to ensure insurance companies follow the law. “The health plans that are

offered on the health benefit exchange are reviewed by our office to make sure they comply with all the state and federal laws, including the Affordable Care Act,” she said. Insurance companies send in their proposed rates in May each year to be reviewed before being put out onto the market in November and December. “We’re looking to make sure an insurer doesn’t put too much money aside for profits and their projection of expenses are reasonable,” she said. The office also is tasked with making sure insurers follow the law. Residents who have questions or think that their

health insurance has acted outside of the law can contact the office at 800-5626900, said Beyer. “Consumers call us all the time with all types of complaints, that’s how we find out that health insurers are not doing things correctly,” she said. “Do not hesitate to contact our office with any kind of complaint." Beyer also wanted to point out a state law that went into effect Jan. 1, 2020, the Balanced Bill Protection Act. The Washington state law is meant to prevent ‘surprise bills’ when a patient receives emergency treatment from a doctor outside of their network even when they are in a hospital in their network. Larsen said this is a situa-

tion he has personal experience with. “Our son went to the emergency room in Everett and the hospital was in the plan but the doctor who treated him was not,” he said. “It didn’t occur to us, and it won’t occur to most people, because we were in an emergency situation." That law is something Larsen hopes to expand to the federal level. He also said although the Affordable Care Act is not perfect, he hopes to improve upon it with further legislation, including many bills that were passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. “I’ve taken steps to strengthen the ACA,” he said.

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December 9, 2020 - December 15, 2020 NORTH COUNTY OUTLOOK

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MARKET Continued from page 1

have the opportunity to sell their wares," she said. About 35 vendors were a part of the farmers market's holiday event. "People can come out, hear Christmas music and connect with their friends in the community while still social distancing and support our small businesses and home businesses," said Dexter. Local business owners said it was good to have

Jen Huard, right, and Maya Huard look at some of the handmade Christmas ornaments available at the Arlington Farmers Market Christmas on the Farm event on Dec. 5. PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER ANDERSSON

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Our farmers have been very thankful they have an opportunity to be there. They haven't been able to do a lot of their stand sales.

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owner of the Hammond Bread Company in Arlington. "For my business I can do delivery, but a lot of people like to shop and pick things out themselves." The event also brings people down to Arlington. Jen Huard came from Seattle because she wanted to support a small cookie business she was familiar with. "So we came a long way but we wanted to make a day of it," said Huard. "It's great. There's a lot of handmade stuff here and it's good to support local businesses." The Arlington Farmers Market is one of the few events that has continued as essential this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. They typically provide one of the best ways for small farmers to bring their food to communities. "It's fun to have the community get together and do something because nothing else is happening," said Hammond. "It gives you a little sense of normal." Dexter said it's good to get that sense of community. "We're so disconnected right now and this gives us the opportunity to support those who are really in need," she said. Small farmers have few other places to sell their food, as well. "Our farmers have been very thankful they have an opportunity to be there. They haven't been able to do a lot of their stand sales," said Dexter. She said the market has grown throughout the year and brought in a lot of people. "It has been a big success," said Dexter, who said they started with 12 to 13 vendors but were averaging more than 30 by the end. "We expect next year to be even bigger," she said.

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December 9, 2020 - December 15, 2020 NORTH COUNTY OUTLOOK

Outreach program will continue to provide support to homeless By Christopher Andersson christopher@northcountyoutlook.com The North Snohomish County Outreach will continue their motel program this year to house homeless individuals during cold nights and hopes to obtain funding for a longer-term cold weather shelter solution as well. The group, which provides support and services for local homeless individuals, had tried to secure a facility in Arlington for use of a cold weather shelter last year and early this year but were unable to. The volunteers who run the Marysville Emergency Cold Weather Shelter also had problems last year but were able to use the local Salvation Army's facility. That is not an option this year because that building was too small to safely run during a pandemic, so they are supporting the North Snohomish County Outreach's motel program as well. "We are working on expanding our motel program," said Sarah Higginbotham, executive director of the North Snohomish

County Outreach. The program provides funding for motel rooms and provides dinner and a breakfast bag to participants as well. "We're still working on the contracts with the motels," said Higginbotham. The program supports those in coordinated entry that are waiting for more stable housing and after that supports those that are most at risk: those with medical conditions, the elderly and families with children. Those who want to support the food services can contact Susan Gronemyer at outreachsusan@gmail.com. Monetary donations can be made to the motel program at nscoutreach.org/ cws-motel-program. North Snohomish County Outreach also hopes to fundraise for a pop-up shelter that can house other individuals during cold nights. They are looking to purchase a rapid shelter popup, which look similar to a large tent, but come with better insulated walls, a generator and HVAC to provide heat.

These shelters are often used by first responders setting up field hospitals. "We have a company that we are working with in Eugene, Or.," said Higginbotham. The company's website is at deployedlogix.com. This model for a cold weather shelter would be more flexible. "The nice thing with this tent shelter is that we can set it up anywhere," said Higginbotham. "So we wouldn't be tied to a building or even an area," and they could set up in other parts of the north county area such as Marysville and Tulalip as well." If the organization raises $25,000 they will have enough for a shelter that can accommodate 16 people with pandemic safety restrictions and 32 people without those restrictions. The organization hopes to fundraise quickly because they've can receive funds from the federal coronavirus relief bill to support the purchase if payment is made by Dec. 30. The city of Arlington is working with the organiza-

SUPERIOR COURT OF WASHINGTON FOR SNOHOMISH COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF DANNY LEE GERRER, Deceased, NO. 20-4-01773-31, PROBATE NOTICE TO CREDITORS, RCW 11.40.030

THE PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE NAMED BELOW has been appointed as personal representative of this estate. Any person having a claim against the decedent must, before the time the claim would be barred by any otherwise applicable statute of limitations, present the claim in the manner as provided in RCW 11.40.070 by serving on or mailing to the personal representative or the personal representative’s attorney at the address stated below a copy of the claim and filing the original of the claim with the court in which the probate proceedings were commenced. The claim must be presented within the later of: (1) Thirty days after the personal representative served or mailed the notice to the creditor as provided under RCW 11.40.020(1) (c); or (2) four months after the date of first publication of the notice. If the claim is not presented within this time frame, the claim is forever barred, except as otherwise provided in RCW 11.40.051 and RCW 11.40.060. This bar is effective as to claims against both the decedent’s probate and nonprobate assets. DATE OF FIRST PUBLICATION: November 25, 2020. Personal Representative: Ida Click Attorney for Personal Representative: Bradley E. Neunzig, WSBA #22365 Address for Mailing or Service: P.O. Box 188, 103 North Street, Arlington, WA 98223

THE PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE NAMED BELOW has been appointed as personal representative of this estate. Any person having a claim against the decedent must, before the time the claim would be barred by any otherwise applicable statute of limitations, present the claim in the manner as provided in RCW 11.40.070 by serving on or mailing to the personal representative or the personal representative’s attorney at the address stated below a copy of the claim and filing the original of the claim with the court in which the probate proceedings were commenced. The claim must be presented within the later of: (1) Thirty days after the personal representative served or mailed the notice to the creditor as provided under RCW 11.40.020(1) (c); or (2) four months after the date of first publication of the notice. If the claim is not presented within this time frame, the claim is forever barred, except as otherwise provided in RCW 11.40.051 and RCW 11.40.060. This bar is effective as to claims against both the decedent’s probate and nonprobate assets. DATE OF FIRST PUBLICATION: December 9, 2020. Personal Representative: Ernest Wayne Gerrer Attorney for Personal Representative: Bradley E. Neunzig, WSBA #22365 Address for Mailing or Service: P.O. Box 188, 103 North Street, Arlington, WA 98223

Court of probate proceedings and cause number: Snohomish County Superior Court, Cause No. 20-4-01722-31.

Court of probate proceedings and cause number: Snohomish County Superior Court, Cause No. 20-4-01773-31.

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Legal Notices SUPERIOR COURT OF WASHINGTON FOR SNOHOMISH COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF FRANCES R. SCARFONE, Deceased, NO. 20-4-01722-31, PROBATE NOTICE TO CREDITORS, RCW 11.40.030

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tion to find a suitable location for the program if they are able to purchase the shelter. The North Snohomish County Outreach has an anonymous donor that is providing matching donations up to $25,000 for the program. Donations can be made at nscoutreach.org/cws-shelter-purchase-1. "The earliest we could get this program up is January," said Higginbotham. "Our target date to get our fundraising done is by Dec. 15." Shelters which don't have many restrictions or other barriers are rare in the county and Higginbotham said that they are important to support those in need. "Low-barrier shelters are a need that we have here and we keep running into the problem of not finding a location," she said. She hopes that their temporary shelter can fill some of that need. More information about the North Snohomish County Outreach can be found at nscoutreach.org.

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December 9, 2020 - December 15, 2020 NORTH COUNTY OUTLOOK

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News Briefs Help firefighters keep the wreath green Firefighters need your help to “Keep the Wreath Green” and keep our community safer this holiday season. Through New Year’s Day, a giant wreath covered in green bulbs will hang outside each of Marysville Fire District’s five stations. The green bulbs will change to red whenever there is a structure fire within the fire district. The bulbs are changed to white when a firefighter anywhere in the United States dies in the line of duty. The wreaths will serve as a reminder to everyone to keep this holiday season a safe one. Here are simple steps your family can take to help prevent fires and injuries during the holidays: Stay in the kitchen while cooking. The three leading days for home fires caused by cooking are Thanksgiving, Christmas and Christmas Eve. Unattended cooking is the leading factor in these fires. Blow out lit candles when you leave the room or go to bed and avoid placing candles near decorations or things

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that can burn. December is the peak month for home candle fires. Make sure your Christmas tree is at least three feet away from any heat source (fireplaces, heaters, candles, etc.). A heat source too close to the tree causes one quarter of Christmas tree fires. Always turn off Christmas tree lights before leaving home or going to bed.

A Christmas classic, adapted for this season Red Curtain is excited to offer an original adaptation (by artistic director Scott B. Randall) of "A Miracle on 34th Street," live on your screens. Set during the 2020 pandemic, a group of theatre friends get together online to read their favorite holiday story. Jessie's father has been hospitalized, and she has asked her friends to help tell the story to her 10-year-old daughter to help cheer her up. The actors each take on various roles within the show, similar to a radio-play format. Online performances are set for Dec 11, 12, 18 and 19, starting at 7 p.m. each night. For tickets go to https://bit. ly/36JjPoM. Then watch your email for the streaming code you'll use to log in and watch the performance of your choice (note that the email may go to your spam or junk folder). It's just what you need to get you into the holiday spirit. Cost is $15 for an individual and $40 for a family pack (one screen).

Sno-Isle Libraries services continue under new COVID-19 restrictions

A full-slate of contact-free and online services will continue to be available from Sno-Isle Libraries under the latest COVID-19 restrictions announced by Gov. Jay Inslee on Sunday, Nov. 15. “We know that many of our customers enjoy holding a book while reading and we have procedures in place to help make that possible,” Sno-Isle Libraries Executive Director Lois Langer Thompson said on Sunday, following Gov. Inslee’s announcement. Contact-free services include pickup of physical materials at any of the library district’s 23 community libraries across Snohomish and Island counties. Items such as books, DVDs and CDs may be reserved online and then picked up in a labeled bag at the door of the customer's preferred library location. Other contact-free services include signing up for a library account, remote printing and pick up, checkout of laptops for use within range of a library’s Wi-Fi signal and activity bundles for children and teens. Customers who miss browsing the shelves can get help from library staff through the Library Picks and Quick Picks program. Answering a few questions in an online form puts five items on hold for the customer. In addition, physical materials are quarantined following state guidelines before being made available for further circulation. The library district is also expanding online resources including the digital collection and transitioning many events to online. Available for download are eBooks, digital audiobooks, comics and graphic novels and magazines and newspapers. Movies and TV shows are available for streaming online. Customers can also access a host of learning resources and databases. Online events include storytimes for children, trivia games for families and adults, arts and crafts, book groups and others.

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December 9, 2020 - December 15, 2020 NORTH COUNTY OUTLOOK

Share your customs with friends on video chats!

December is packed with holidays!

Newspaper Fun! www.readingclubfun.com

Kids: color stuff in!

December Days December is one of our favorite months. It is a month with many holidays, special anniversaries and birthdays. Our friends celebrate our holidays with us and we celebrate our friends’ holidays too. It is a good way to learn about other families’ cultures and traditions. The puzzle below is about the special days of December. When you fill in this puzzle, the last day of December will appear! 1. St. _______ Day – celebration of Bishop of Myra of the 4th century, known for his charity, gift-giving 2. First _______ Transplant – (1967) Dr. Christiaan Barnard performed the first successful transplantation at Cape Town, South Africa 3. _______ – a celebration of family and community, heritage and roots in Africa 4. Boston Tea _______ – people angry about taxes boarded a British ship in Boston Harbor to dump tea chests overboard 5. _______ Harbor Day – in 1941 the Japanese attacked U.S. naval forces in Hawaii, drawing the U.S. into WWII 6. _______ – Jewish Festival of Lights – eight-day celebration of the ancient Jews’ victory over the Syrians and the return of their Holy Temple 7. _______ Day – a Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth 8. Las _______ – nine-day celebration in Mexico; processions of people knock on doors, asking for shelter the way Mary and Joseph did in Bethlehem 9. Wright _______ Day – in honor of Orville and Wilbur Wright, who achieved the first controlled, heavier-than-air flight 10. Pilgrim Landing _______ – in Governor William Bradford's writings, the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts on Dec. 21, 1620 11. _______ Amendment – added to the U.S. Constitution, outlawing slavery in the U.S.

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PARTY HANUKKAH HEART THIRTEENTH BROTHERS PEARL NICHOLAS

KWANZAA POSADAS ANNIVERSARY CHRISTMAS

December Birthdays!

I’m flying to Rockefeller Center in New York City to check out the giant Christmas tree.

Do you know anyone who has a December birthday? Can you match up these famous people born in December to their descriptions? 1. Thomas Gallaudet 2. Steven Spielberg 3. Clara Barton 4. "Ty" Cobb 5. Sir Isaac Newton 6. Taylor Swift

A. nurse, founder of American Red Cross B. film director: E.T., Jaws, Jurassic Park C. singer, songwriter D. English mathematician, scientist E. began first school for the deaf in the U.S. F. U.S. baseball player – set 90 records

1. Margaret Mead 2. Ludwig van Beethoven 3. LeBron James 4. Tyra Banks 5. Clarence Birdseye 6. Bingo

A. basketball superstar B. greatest composer of all time C. ha, ha - this is not a person, but a very popular game begun in 1929 D. developed ways to deep-freeze food E. model, actress, businesswoman F. anthropologist – studied cultures

The Month of December: 1. has 22 days

T F

T F 3. is the last month of the year T F 4. has the "shortest" day of the year T F 5. marks the end of summer T F 2. “decem” means "10"

6. begins season of winter

T F

7. sun signs are Sagittarius the

Archer, and Capricorn the Goat 8. flower is the rose

T F

T F 10. has many fun celebrations T F 9. birthstone is the diamond

December

The last day of December is:

December 9, 2020 - December 15, 2020 NORTH COUNTY OUTLOOK

Opinion

n GUEST OPINION

Small businesses are backbone of our community, economy

The holidays are a great opportunity to support local businesses as we shop for friends and loved ones. It is especially important this year to support our local small businesses considering the significant impacts COVID-19 restrictions have had on their operations. Small businesses truly are the backbone of our local economy and our communities. Our local businesses are often owned and operated by fellow community members who give back to local causes and organizations. According to Local First’s “Local Works” study, $68 from every $100 spent at a local business stays in the local economy. That is compared to $43 when spent at a non-local company. This means more money is going to local suppliers, local wages, investments in the community, and other local businesses. While shopping at local small businesses is a great way to support our communities all the time, right now it is especially important. COVID-19 restrictions have closed the doors of many businesses and significantly reduced the customer base and sales for many others. While large national chains have

Nate Nehring

been able to weather the storm better due to their size, small businesses have been hit hardest. If more of us are able to spend our holiday shopping dollars locally, we can help these business owners and their employees keep the doors open for years to come. Snohomish County has been focused on economic recovery and resiliency since the start of the pandemic. We recognized that the statewiderestrictions and reduced consumer confidence would have a significant negative impact on our businesses. That is why we have invested over $40 million of CARES ACT dollars into direct grants and other support for small businesses throughout the county. One new tool that we have recently launched is “Support Sno Co”, a campaign to promote local businesses and increase exposure for their products and services. By part-

nering with local chambers of commerce, cities, and businesses, the County developed and launched https://www.supportsnoco.com/, a website which showcases local businesses and encourages residents to spend their money locally for holiday shopping. The site advertises specific businesses and the products and services they offer. There is a great variety of businesses featured from restaurants and retail to experiences and services. You can certainly find many ways to check off your holiday shopping list with the products available at these local businesses. I hope you will join me in shopping local this holiday season and in the future as we support our local communities and the businesses which support us all. In closing, I want to wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Nate Nehring is a member of the Snohomish County Council and represents District 1 which includes Arlington, Darrington, Granite Falls, Marysville, Stanwood, and unincorporated north county. He can be reached by email at Nate.Nehring@snoco.org or by phone at (425) 3883494.

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Our Favorite Quotes "The friend in my adversity I shall always cherish most. I can better trust those who helped me relieve the gloom of my dark hours than those who are so ready to enjoy with me the sunshine of my prosperity." Author — Ulysses S. Grant Submitted by North County Outlook editor Scott Frank.

RAVE RAVE: Thank you to the Arlington Farmers Market for putting on their Christmas on the Farm event last weekend. And thanks to all the vendors who came out to support the market

helps collect for the Arlington Community Food Bank which serves families in need in our community. And thank you to everyone who donates to the Santa Run. RAVE: Shop Local ... Shop Local ... Shop Local. We can't say that enough. Local businesses need our support now more than ever so when you're doing your holiday shopping, please consider shopping at some of our local stores.

RAVE: It's great to see the firefighters from the Arlington Fire Department out doing their annual Santa Run, albeit with a few changes due to COVID to ensure everyone's safety. It's a fantastic event that

North County Outlook is published every other Wednesday and mailed direct to households and businesses in Marysville, Arlington, Smokey Point, Tulalip and Quil Ceda Village. Letters to the editor, community news and story ideas may be e-mailed to editor@northcountyoutlook.com, or sent to the mailing address below. The Publisher reserves the right to edit material for content, grammar, taste, style or length, and all submitted items are published at the sole discretion of the Publisher. News Deadline: Friday 5PM before publication editor@northcountyoutlook.com

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Weekly Puzzle CLUES ACROSS 1. Skateboarders love them 6. Popular sports podcast (abbr.) 9. Former Ohio State great Michael 13. Not dirty 14. Earth goddess (Greek myth.) 15. A Spanish river 16. Pig meat (French) 17. Famed astronomer 18. Floating ice 19. Broadcast 21. Aquatic mammals 22. Some are bath 23. Hip hop trio 24. NY Giants’ #56 25. Small European viper 28. Neither 29. Multiple Tony-winner Rivera 31. Loud noise 33. Second year high schooler 36. “__ in comparison” 38. Golf score 39. Raise 41. Pastas 44. Easily manageable 45. Fathered 46. Pouch

48. Institute legal proceedings against 49. News organization 51. Unruly group of people 52. Fasten or secure 54. Sheets of glass 56. Doubled 60. Foolish person 61. Rooney and Kate are two 62. Small, rich sponge cake 63. Advice or counsel 64. Large wading bird 65. Famed British physicist 66. Narrow ridges (Swedish) 67. Field force unit 68. Lying face downward CLUES DOWN 1. Proof of purchase (abbr.) 2. Soap ingredient 3. Blackbird 4. Single steps 5. Tin 6. Books have lots of them 7. Made of fermented honey and water 8. You can get it in a bed 9. Room for communal meals 10. Early Syrian kingdom 11. Provokes dry amusement 12. Use with “thou” 14. Mollusk

17. Grain storage units 20. Not a car, not a truck 21. Ooze 23. N. Vietnamese ethnic group 25. Tennis pros group 26. Something that’s not what it’s purported to be 27. E. Indian trees 29. Beloved December holiday 30. Regions 32. Metric unit of length 34. Peter’s last name 35. Beige 37. 18-year period in astronomy 40. Where golfers begin 42. Basketball stat (abbr.) 43. Frocks 47. Soda comes in it 49. On approval 50. Trims by cutting 52. Small finch 53. Language Bura-__ 55. Nothing 56. Imbecile (British) 57. Tropical Asian plant 58. Abba __, Israeli politician 59. Small freshwater fish 61. Indicates position 65. Data processing

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December 9, 2020 - December 15, 2020 NORTH COUNTY OUTLOOK

n WHISTLING GARDENER

Winterizing the garden — Part 2 Here’s a conSo, don’t miss this late fall planting tinuation of last season or you will week’s list of late be forced to look fall chores. Reat ugliness until member what I next May. said, try to acBERRIES: For complish most of raspberries and them, but don’t By Steve Smith beat yourself up if you can’t blackberries, cut the canes get them all done. These are back to 5 or 6 feet tall and suggestions that will help attach them to a trellis, reyour plants survive the win- moving the 2-year-old canes ter and get off to a healthy that produced this year (if you haven’t already removed spring start. BULBS: While I am them). Everbearing raspberpretty sure most retailers are ries can either be completely sold out of spring-blooming cut to the ground or you can bulbs, if you bought yours leave the 1-year-old canes early and still haven’t plant- and they will produce next ed them, it’s not too late. Get season like traditional raspthem in the ground ASAP berries. If your raspberries and they should bloom right are in a wet area, you should consider moving them to on time. FLOWERS: This is a drier ground since they don’t great time of the year to add like wet feet - do it while they some frost tolerant color to are dormant. Blueberries your containers and flower- only need a light pruning to beds. Pansies and violas will remove any dead wood and give you the biggest bang for to shape them. Don’t lime your buck, but there are lots blueberries, they are like of evergreen perennials that rhodies and azaleas and precan add foliar color and tex- fer an acid soil. Strawberries ture all through the winter. need to be rejuvenated every

few years. Use the runners to replace the mother plants for 2 or 3 years and then throw the whole lot away and buy some new ones. Strawberries are prone to virus diseases that will lead to declined growth. GRAPES AND KIWIS: These plants are vigorous vines that need serious pruning every year, once they are established. Your best bet is to visit your garden center so they can show you firsthand how to prune these vines. Basically, you need to remove most of the twiggy growth so that all that is left is the main trunk and short side shoots (laterals), four to six inches in length and spaced every foot along the main trunk. Insufficient pruning leads to small fruit and mildew issues. Home owners rarely prune these vines aggressively enough. ROSES: “Hip high in the fall, knee high in the spring.” This is how you should be pruning most of your roses. In early March, you can fin-

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ish the job by pruning out any dead wood and thinning out the canes to 4 or 5 per bush. Climbing roses need to be secured to their trellis and the long canes shortened up just a little bit. These long canes will produce your first crop of flowers next spring so don’t cut them back too far. After pruning and thoroughly cleaning around the base of the rose, apply some lime and then pile up some mulch about 10 to 12 inches high to protect the graft union from a really ugly winter. A couple of bucks of mulch is a small price to pay for ensuring that your roses are going to survive the winter. A dormant spray of copper and oil is also a good idea to get a jump on insects and diseases. WEED CONTROL/ GENERAL CLEANUP: Where it is appropriate, leave leaf litter on the ground to smother weeds seeds and nourish the soil. Hold back on cutting down perennials/ornamental grasses un-

Call

360-659-1100 today

1. Thomas Gallaudet 2. Steven Spielberg 3. Clara Barton 4. "Ty" Cobb 5. Sir Isaac Newton 6. Taylor Swift

1. Margaret Mead 2. Ludwig van Beethoven 3. LeBron James 4. Tyra Banks 5. Clarence Birdseye 6. Bingo

December: 1. has 22 days T F 2. “decem” means "10"

(31) T F

Pop ! Quiz

6. begins season of winter T F 7. sun signs are Sagittarius the

touch with your garden. It is a living, breathing organism that thrives on our love and attention. When you need help, turn to your local nursery professionals and let them share their passion with you. I promise, they won’t make you feel like a complete nincompoop (although I must admit I do enjoy lightly teasing gardeners now and again). Enjoy the season, stay safe, and keep on gardening!

Steve Smith is the owner of Sunnyside Nursery in Marysville and can be reached at sunnysidenursery@msn.com.

Crossword answers from page 10

utlook

Real People. Real Life.

December Days

December is one of our favorite months. What is the last day of December that appeared below the arrow? N

W A

5 6

7 8

2 3 4

9 11

Archer, and Capricorn the Goat T F

(holly)

3. is the last month of the year T F

8. flower is the rose T F

4. has the "shortest" day of the year T F

9. birthstone is the diamond T F (turquoise)

5. marks the end of summer T F (fall)

10. has many fun celebrations

T F

til February and leave seed heads on dormant flowers and shrubs for feeding the birds. It is great winter time entertainment to watch our avian friends scurry and rustle through the leaves looking for bugs and seeds to feast on. If you must prune and clean everything down to the bare ground, then make sure you spread some fresh mulch over the soil or you will be forever hoeing out weeds come spring. Please remember that gardening is as much an art as it is a science. Don’t just go through the motions, but rather try to get in

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December Birthdays!

Do you know anyone who has a December birthday? Did you match up these people born in December to their descriptions?

COURTESY PHOTO

Containers will add color throughout the winter.

December 9, 2020 - December 15, 2020 NORTH COUNTY OUTLOOK

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AHS boys basketball team helps food bank By Christopher Andersson christopher@northcountyoutlook.com Members of the Arlington High School boys basketball team helped to collect more than 1,800 pounds of food and $3,600 for the Arlington Community Food Bank. The basketball players helped to raise funds during a drive-thru fundraiser on Nov. 14 and presented a check to the food bank on Nov. 30. The goal for the drivethru food drive was to help 50 families, but they raised much more than that. "I loved how everyone from our community came together. People drove through we didn't know and they still talked to us and gave us big contributions," said Arlington High School student Ethan Martin.

"It was a great experience overall. It's always great to give back to the community," said Arlington High School student Luke Brown. The Arlington food bank has seen increased need all throughout the year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. "This money helps real people who are hungry. They are your neighbors and sometimes people who are too embarrassed to say they need help," said Carla Gastineau, director of the Arlington Community Food Bank. "It makes such a big impact in someone's life and you just never know when it could be you." She appreciated the support of the community and Arlington High School at this time. "COVID is a wonderful opportunity to know how you can take something that

is challenging and make something positive," said Gastineau. Students said they were glad to help local families in need. "I think during COVID there has been a lot of struggle for families. People have lost jobs," said Arlington High School student Kaden Davis, who added he wanted to help support those people. "It felt good to help the people in need. It's the holidays so it's good to know that people will have food," said Arlington High School student Gavin Hawthorne. Arlington High School principal Duane Fish said he was thankful for students who demonstrate being "character strong." "We can say all day long that we are a character strong school and we talk about what being kind means, but

COURTESY PHOTO

Coaches and players from the Arlington High School boys basketball program present a check to the Arlington Community Food Bank on Nov. 30. From left, Arlington Community Food Bank director Carla Gastineau, coach Nick Brown, students Ethan Martin, Gavin Hawthorne, Luke Brown and Kaden Davis and coach Nathan Davis. you're not truly character strong until you put in an action," said Fish. The food donated went to support holiday food donations, while the money raised is going to support a food truck project from the food bank.

"When we get this food truck it's going to be so exciting," said Gastineau, who said she thinks they could have enough funds to purchase the truck by the spring. The food truck is meant to help reach out to the more

distant areas of the community. "It will be awesome to see how we can serve out and about all the way up to Whitehorse, Finn Settlement Road, out in Silvana and all over different areas," said Gastineau.