Aug. 18, 2021 North County Outlook by The North County Outlook

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August 18, 2021 - August 24, 2021 NORTH COUNTY OUTLOOK

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August 21 & 22 /10am-5pm  Port of Everett Marina, at the base of the New Grand Avenue Pedestrian Bridge

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Painter Hung Pham creates a beautiful landscape at his booth during the 2019 Fresh Paint Festival.

Fresh Paint celebrates 25th Anniversary By Nathan Whalen Nathan@northcountyoutlook.com

Artists will spend Aug. 21-22 demonstrating their technique and selling their creations during an art festival in Everett. For the past 25 years the Fresh Paint Festival for Artists at Work has been a summertime mainstay at the Port of Everett highlighting the creative process artists use to produce their work. “It’s a beautiful festival

that will be featuring more than 85 artists at the Port of Everett,” said Abby Powell, marketing and communications manager at the Schack Art Center in Everett that organizes the festival each year. Fresh Paint takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug. 21 and 22 at the Port of Everett Marina on W. Marine View Dr.. After being canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19, the 2021 version will be more compact and slightly moved. The festival will

____

“

It's a beautiful festival that will be featuring more than 85 artists at the Port of Everett.

____

Abbey Powell

”

be held at the base of the recently completed Grand Avenue pedestrian bridge, along the boardwalk and over to the Pacific Rim Plaza. In addition to artists

selling their jewelry, painting, glass, ceramics and more, festivalgoers can also watch artists work during the festival. Powell said all the booths this year will be facing the water. Two musical groups, The Porters and Alex Johnston, are slated to perform and four food trucks will be on hand during the festival. People can park downtown and ride a free shuttle that goes from the Schack Art Center on Hoyt Avenue to the Pacific Rim Plaza at the Port of Everett. Powell said that after disembarking from the shuttle, riders can enjoy an art stroll featuring work produced by justice-involved youth. Due to the pandemic, the juried festival is pared down from previous years. Powell said there are around 30 fewer artists, and the two musical acts and the glass blowing demonstrations at Fresh Paint have been moved to the Schack Art Center. Festivalgoers can take the shuttle back to the Schack Art Center to watch the glass

Fresh Paint

See FRESH PAINT on page 6

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MARYSVILLE • ARLINGTON • SMOKEY POINT • LAKEWOOD • TULALIP • QUIL CEDA VILLAGE

ASD students receive supplies at back-to-school event By Christopher Andersson christopher@northcountyoutlook.com

Community groups helped provide backpacks and more to Arlington students at a back-to-school event on Aug. 14. Backpacks and other supplies were provided to students and activities were set up for kids as well. “We just want to gather the community together and provide them resources to get them get ready for school,” said Taunya Sanchez, children’s director for the Arlington Assembly church and one of the organizers of the event. Local parents said they enjoyed the event. “I didn’t even know they would have so much going See SUPPLIES on page 2

PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER ANDERSSON

Work on a new State Avenue bridge, seen here on Aug. 11, has continued throughout the summer.

State Ave. bridge work completes milestone By Christopher Andersson christopher@northcountyoutlook.com

PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER ANDERSSON

Alison Johnson, center left, and mother Kristin Johnson, left, receive a backpack from volunteers Anthony Ruiz and Erica Rogers, right, at a community back-to-school event at the Arlington Assembly church on Aug. 14.

Marysville’s State Avenue bridge construction passed some major milestones recently as work on the project continues. The project from 100th Street to 104th Place is one of the last areas of State Avenue that is constrained to three lanes and has been an

occasional bottleneck for Marysville traffic. “We are widening the existing lanes in the corridor,” said Pat Gruenhagen, senior project engineer. It will be increased to five lanes when the project is completed. “That will make it consistent with what we have to

See STATE on page 3

AFD becomes part of North County Fire By Christopher Andersson christopher@northcountyoutlook.com The Arlington Fire Department has now officially been annexed into the North County Fire and EMS Regional Fire Authority. Rather than being managed and paid for by the city of Arlington, fire services in the city will be operated by North County Fire and EMS Regional Fire Authority, which also covers areas northwest of Arlington's city limits and areas around Stanwood. Voters approved the merger in February during a special election where 89.33 percent of voters approved the measure. The annexation became official and complete on Aug. 1. No changes to staffing or the available fire stations have been made. “We have a minimum staffing of 14 now,

with additional staff above and beyond that for busy times,” said North County Fire and EMS Chief John Cermak. Previously, both the Arlington Fire Department and North County Fire and EMS had a minimum staffing of 7, so the level has not decreased. The two groups are now combining firefighter and promotional tests, as well as working through HR contracts. “Our crews are intermingling amazingly,” said Cermak. Arlington residents will notice that their Ambulance Utility Fee has now been discontinued on their utility bills. The Arlington City Council also plans to reduce their property tax collections in 2022. See MERGER on page 2

PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER ANDERSSON

Timothy Coleman, part-time firefighter/EMT with North County Fire and EMS, practices at a training exercise in Arlington by hooking up a hose to a fire hydrant on Aug. 13.

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MERGER Continued from page 1

These reductions in taxes are meant to offset the Regional Fire Authority’s tax collections, which will begin for Arlington residents in 2022. North County Fire and EMS also worked with the Arlington firefighters union and reached an agreement before Aug. 1. Cermak said that sometimes during annexations the labor negotiations don’t take place until later, but he said they wanted to get started right away. “It will be a three-and-a-half year collective bargaining agreement, which helps save us some time in the long run to get that done now,” said Cermak. Officials promised before the special election that response times and services would not decrease in the city of Arlington, and Cermak said so far that has been the case. Eventually, because of efficiencies of scale, Cermak said that services will increase. “There is an efficiency and strength that comes from this,” he said. Soon the Regional Fire Authority will have command staff on duty 24 hours a day. “Previously, command staff would have to respond from their homes

SUPPLIES Continued from page 1

on, but this is a great way to welcome back the community. We’re so excited to be back in school,” said parent Kristin Johnson.

PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER ANDERSSON

North County Fire and EMS firefighter Sam Johnston holds a fire hose during a training exercise in Arlington on Aug. 13. sometimes,” said Cermak. Although that staff lived in the community and was therefore responsive, having command available at all times is still an improvement, said Cermak. They are also looking into adding a data analyst. “That will help us to make more qualitative decisions in response to our data moving forward,” said Cermak. Another group of staff they hope to add is a peak activity unit. “That will help offset some of those daytime calls that are created by clinics

Sanchez said they hoped to provide a family-safe environment for local community members to gather. “It’s going great. We’re super excited that people are trickling through. It’s a great turnout,” she said.

that are open during daytime hours,” said Cermak. Many of those positions could be added soon if North County Fire and EMS receives grant funding. “As soon as we knew we were going to merge we applied for a SAFER grant,” said Cermak. “That is federal funding that will hopefully set off our agency on a very strong footing." Even if they don’t get that grant funding, Cermak said they plan to add some of those positions in 2022. “We could do it a year earlier if we get the grant though,” he said.

Arlington community members used to organize a school supply giveaway each year at the end of summer but stopped when the Arlington School District began providing supplies to all students.

A new back-to-school event was started to fill in the gaps however. “The school district does provide supplies to students, which is really helpful, but there are some gaps such as backpacks,” said Ilsa Chigbrow, outreach director for LifeChurch 360 and one of the organizers of the event. “Getting those to the kids, and extra supplies as well,” she said. Giving that extra boost to students who need help is important, said Sanchez. “I think it’s a huge need. That’s a huge impact for a child to be able to take their own backpack to school,” she said. “When they have ownership they’re excited and it helps give them a jumpstart." In addition to activities for children, a number of community organizations were at the event. “We just want to give them an opportunity to have fun while they’re out here getting backpacks and to find out some other resources that are in the community for them,” said Chigbrow. “They’re just a bunch of different vendors coming together, from medical to insurance to laundry services and clothing services,” said Sanchez. Chigbrow said she enjoyed seeing community members coming out to events again. “It’s been great to see the vendors who are coming out here, but also to see the families that are turning up and getting backpacks for this,” she said. “We’re looking forward to doing it again next year."

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Masks required in indoor public spaces By Christopher Andersson christopher@northcountyoutlook.com Snohomish County has a new mask mandate requiring all individuals, even those who are vaccinated, to begin wearing masks indoors again while in public spaces. “I am issuing a new masking directive, effective Aug. 12, that everyone age 5 and up must wear a mask in indoor public spaces,” said Snohomish Health District Health Officer Dr. Chris Spitters during an Aug. 10 press briefing. “We need to be thinking in terms of vaccination and masking instead of vaccination or masking." Recent estimates from the University of Washington said rapid adoption of statewide masking measures now could save up to 1,500 excess deaths from COVID-19 between now and Dec. 1, said Spitters. Individuals are supposed to wear masks when in grocery stores or any business where members of

STATE Continued from page 1

the south,” he said. The work completed some big parts of the project recently, including the pile driving for the bridge. “The pile is being put more than 100 feet in the ground to build what will be the foundation of the bridge,” said Gruenhagen. A crane was brought in on Aug. 7 to 9. “This last Monday we put in a set of girders, which is what we build the bridge deck on that the cars will drive on top of,” said Gruenhagen. The work created more traffic impact during the time, although not as much as predicted. “We had anticipated that we would have to dismantle the crane on Tuesday, but we were actually able to finish that work on Monday,” said Gruenhagen. The contract for the project requires efforts to reduce traffic impacts caused by the work. “We’ve taken a phased approach to minimize our impact on the traffic,” said Gruenhagen. He said there weren’t too many significant traffic impacts left due to the project, although northbound traffic will have to be re-routed for at least one day. That is likely to occur in the first couple of weeks of September, he said. The bridge construction Sure, you love our paper... but don’t forget to

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the public can freely enter. “This does not apply to outdoor spaces, although I strongly recommend wearing a mask in situations where a distance of six feet or greater cannot be maintained,” said Spitters. All other health districts in the state have made similar recommendations. Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers said residents followed masking orders before and believes they will again. “We had pretty good compliance. I think people are paying attention, seeing the news not only from Snohomish County but around the nation,” he said. The new mask mandates come as the state is seeing a fifth wave of COVID cases. The week of Aug. 1 to 7 saw 1,310 new cases in the county, increasing the two-week daily case rate average per 100,000 people to 279. “This trajectory is as fast as any

project began in March of 2020 and is expected to be completed by the end of the year. It is funded by a $5 million grant and is currently on budget, said Gruenhagen. In addition to a bridge,

of the previous waves,” said Spitters. The Snohomish County case rate is now higher than at any point during the first, second and fourth waves. During the third wave in December of last year, the local case rate reached its high point of 462 per 100,000 people. “We’ve gone for about six weeks with reduced prevention measures,” said Spitters, and the reduced masking, increasing gatherings and reduced worries about spending time around unvaccinated individuals has likely contributed to the spread. The local hospital system continues to strain because of the recent wave. COVID-19 hospitalizations are about 50 to 65 percent of what they were at their highest in the county, said Spitters. “The additional challenge at this time, making the current numbers worse, is that prior to

construction will add roadway lighting, as well as sidewalks on both sides of the street for better pedestrian access, and a new traffic signal at 100th Street. Utility lines will also be moved underground. “We have been able to

this wave local area hospitals have been having a non-COVID medical surge just due to a variety of needs for acute care,” he said. “Some of that was made worse by COVID leading to delays in people seeking care or being able to obtain care." That additional stress is causing local hospitals to approach capacity. “There’s other things going on in the world. There’s other diseases, there’s heart attacks, and if our facilities are full or if they’re challenged by high numbers then that starts affecting other people and their ability to get healthcare,” said Somers. Vaccination remains one of the strongest tools of protection for the community to avoid hospitalizations. “There seems to be a consensus that if you haven’t had COVID-19 yet and you’re not vaccinated, you will probably get it,” said Somers. Last week saw an increase of

team with private utilities, such as Comcast, to move the utilities lines there underground,” said Gruenhagen. “That will really improve the cosmetics of the area,” he said. The current road is also

new vaccinations, with 4,500 individuals in the county starting the process. “That is up from about 3,000 per week over the preceding several weeks, but we need to go faster than that. I encourage all eligible people to start and finish vaccination as soon as possible,” said Spitters. There are still about 250,000 people in the county who need to start or finish their vaccination. Spitters recognized that the pandemic has put a toll on many over the last 16 months. “One of my greatest concerns is our collective exhaustion with this pandemic. I’m tired of it … it’s exhausting and we all want it to be over, but it’s not,” said Spitters. “We all want this thing, whether it is the delta strain or this fifth wave, to be the last thing between us and freedom from the virus, but history is teaching us that is not the way it goes. We all have to collectively adapt to a new normal."

built on top of a culvert, which are often detrimental to fish habitats. “There will be some creek restoration work as well in removing a culvert that the Quil Ceda Creek currently moves through,” said Gruenhagen. “That will

open up the creek channel considerably so that it should improve the fish passage." The culvert removal may need to be finished next summer depending on the timeline of the work, he said.

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Painter Hung Pham creates a beautiful landscape at his booth during the 2019 Fresh Paint Festival.

Fresh Paint celebrates 25th Anniversary By Nathan Whalen Nathan@northcountyoutlook.com

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Artists will spend Aug. 21 and 22 demonstrating their technique and selling their creations during an art festival in Everett. For the past 25 years the Fresh Paint Festival for Artists at Work has been a summertime mainstay at the Port of Everett highlighting the creative process artists use to produce their work. “It’s a beautiful festival that will be featuring more

than 85 artists at the Port of Everett,” said Abby Powell, marketing and communications manager at the Schack Art Center in Everett that organizes the festival each year. Fresh Paint takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug. 21 and 22 at the Port of Everett Marina. After being canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19, the 2021 version will be more compact and slightly moved. The festival will be near the base of the recently completed Grand Avenue

____

“

It's a beautiful festival that will be featuring more than 85 artists at the Port of Everett.

____

Abbey Powell

Pedestrian Bridge, on W. Marine View Dr., along the boardwalk and over to the Pacific Rim Plaza. In addition to artists selling their jewelry, painting, glass,

”

ceramics and more, festivalgoers can also watch artists work during the festival. Powell said all the booths this year will be facing the water. Two musical groups, The Porters and Alex Johnston, are slated to perform and four food trucks will be on hand during the festival. People can park downtown and ride a free shuttle that goes from the Schack Art Center on Hoyt Avenue to the Pacific Rim Plaza at the Port of Everett. Powell said that after disembarking from the shuttle, riders can enjoy an art stroll featuring work produce by justiceinvolved youth. Due to the pandemic, the juried festival is pared down from previous years. Powell said there are around 30 fewer artists, and the two musical acts and the glass blowing demonstrations at Fresh Paint have been moved to the Schack Art Center. Festivalgoers can take the shuttle back to the Schack Art Center to watch the glass blowers. People can sign up to make a glass float with one of Schack’s professional glassblowing teachers.

See FRESH PAINT on page 6

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August 18, 2021 - August 24, 2021 NORTH COUNTY OUTLOOK

August 21 & 22 /10am-5pm  Port of Everett Marina, at the base of the New Grand Avenue Pedestrian Bridge

Local artists make their mark at Fresh Paint By Nathan Whalen Nathan@northcountyoutlook.com

Arlington painter Ann Davenport will make her fourth appearance at the Fresh Paint Festival for Artists at Work that takes place Aug. 21 and 22. She

will be demonstrating how she creates her paintings while selling her paintings to festivalgoers. She is one of the north Snohomish County-based artists who successfully applied to participate in the

annual art festival that is returning after being canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic. “I like the feeling of the marina and all the people it attracts,” Davenport said. “Different artists are paint-

PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVE COX

Tulalip resident Steve Cox works on one of his wall hangings he will bring to Fresh Paint Festival for Artists at Work that takes place Aug. 21 and 22 at the Port of Everett Marina.

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ing and that draws more people.” Davenport has been painting for around 45 years. She uses oils, pastels, pen and ink, and watercolors to paint local landscapes. “I like details and fine art rather than abstract,” Davenport said. She will be joining more than 80 of her fellow artists participating in the two-day festival that takes place Aug. 21 and 22 at the Port of Everett Marina. 2021 marks the 25th Anniversary of the festival. The festival takes place near the recently completed Grand Avenue pedestrian bridge om W. Marine View Dr. and goes along the boardwalk and over to the Pacific Rim Plaza. Fresh Paint will also have musical performances and food trucks. The popular glass blowing demonstrations have been moved to the Schack Art Center located on Hoyt Avenue in downtown Everett to spread out the crowds and

PHOTO COURTESY OF SCHACK ART CENTER STAFF

“Village from the Sea,” a painting created by Arlington artist Ann Davenport, will be one of the pieces she will bring to Fresh Paint Festival for Artists at Work.

help keep everybody safe, said Abby Powell, marketing and communications manager for the Schack Art Center. A free shuttle will go from Fresh Paint to the

Schack Art Center during the festival weekend. Tulalip resident Steve Cox will make his first ap-

See ARTISTS on page 6

August 18, 2021 - August 24, 2021 NORTH COUNTY OUTLOOK

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August 21 & 22 /10am-5pm  Port of Everett Marina, at the base of the New Grand Avenue Pedestrian Bridge

ARTISTS Continued from page 5

pearance at Fresh Paint, which will be the second time he participated in an art show. He took part in Sorticulture that took place last June in downtown Everett. He makes grid-based wall hangings that use recycled materials, glass, grout, steel and LED lights. Cox said he has been producing his art for about 15 years before getting involved in art shows. He applied and

was accepted to Fresh Paint. He said he applied because he is “just getting more interest out there and get more exposure.” He hopes to continue producing his wall hangings. Powell said the 2021 version of Fresh Paint is pared down from previous festivals. There are around 30 fewer vendors and will feature two musical acts. For more information about the Fresh Pain Festival for Artists at Work, go to www.schack.org/events/ fresh-paint.

COURTESY PHOTO

Arlington artist Ann Davenport will bring her painting skills to the Fresh Paint Festival for Artists at Work.

FRESH PAINT Continued from page 4

PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER ANDERSSON

Watercolor artist Mike Biskup paints in his booth during the 2019 Festival.

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She said artists will have credit card readers available for people wishing to make a purchase and people are encouraged to bring face masks and wear them whenever they encounter large crowds. The annual Float Find, which normally takes place on Jetty Island during the weekend of Fresh Paint, will be different in 2021. Throughout the month of August, volunteers from the Schack Art Center will go to an Everett-area park on Saturday and hide 200 orange Frisbees. People finding a Frisbee (no digging) can bring it to the Schack Art Center and redeem it for a hand-blown glass float. Youth can enjoy a variety of hands-on exposure to the arts at an activity booth. Some of those activities are based on an educational program the Schack has used to help bring art to children. Over the past 18 months, the Schack Art Center’s educational programs have blossomed, Powell said. The Center instituted the Schack Sparks program, where 250 bags full of art supplies and lessons were provided to elementary school children along with links to video lessons. The Schack Art Center provided an additional 250 bags to several elementary schools, which helps remove barriers children. “It’s gotten huge support,” Powell said. She added organizers are excited to hold the festival to celebrate its 25th year. Fresh Paint is a great family friendly event where people can enjoy a nice summer visit to the marina, listen to music and see art. “I can’t think of a better way to spend a weekend,” Powell said. “It’s almost like visiting a museum.” For more information about Fresh Paint, go to www.schack.org/events/ fresh-paint.

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ASD approves 2021-22 budget Changing enrollment numbers and other pandemic variables make the budget difficult to project By Christopher Andersson christopher@northcountyoutlook.com The Arlington School District approved an $88.8 million budget on Aug. 9 for their 2021-22 school year. During the 2020-21 school year the district had budgeted $86.9 million in spending with $85 million in revenue. At the end of the school year the district had a remaining balance of $11.6 million. “That is still a very healthy fund balance. It is over our minimum fund balance,” said Gina Zeutenhorst, executive director of financial services with the Arlington School District. The district had an influx of money from the McCleary decision, she said, and has been building budgets to spend down some of that excess money in recent years. Next year’s spending will also outpace revenue, with $88.8 million being budgeted to spend and $85 million in estimated in revenue. “Future year spending will need to come down a pretty significant amount, unless other factors change. If enrollment increases it will really help reduce the need to cut costs,” said Zeutenhorst. The district predicted 5,715 students for their 2020-21 budget but saw a big decrease last year to

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5,237 students. Districts across the state are seeing similar decreases in enrollment, likely because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Salary increases were projected into the new budget, although those are not final yet until the Arlington teachers union finalizes a deal with the district. “That is just estimated because we are still working together with our teachers group,” said Zeutenhorst. The amount budgeted for employee benefits has gone down for the district in the 2021-22 budget, largely due to decreased requirement from the state. “The amount that we are required to set aside for retirement by the legislature has decreased a tiny bit this year, so when you apply that across our whole staff it does generate a little less costs,” said Zeutenhorst. Federal emergency funds are continuing to come to the district next year and will add about $4.9

million to the budget that is not normally there. Those funds will help continue food service programs. The capital projects fund continues to receive revenue from a levy passed by the voters. “Thank you to voters and all involved in that initiative,” said Zeutenhorst. In the 2021-22 budget those funds will help pay for classroom additions, floor coverings and maintenance, and safety and security improvements such as locks and cameras. The district’s transportation vehicle fund will continue receiving funds from the state. “They provide us an amount of funds each year with where the bus is on its depreciation schedule with the idea that will eventually be used to replace that bus,” said Zeutenhorst. The budget was passed unanimously by the Arlington School Board during their meeting.

COURTESY IMAGE

This chart shows the projected breakdown of the Arlington School District’s 2021-22 general fund budget.

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MSD looks at proposed 2021-22 budget ____ By Christopher Andersson christopher@northcountyoutlook.com

Marysville school staff presented a draft of their proposed 2021-22 budget to the school board on Aug. 11. The proposed budget for 2021-22 is up to $188 million for the district, up from $176 million last year. The biggest cause of the increase to this year’s budget is ESSER funds (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund), which are federal dollars coming to help school districts recover from the pandemic. Those funds will continue to pay for food programs. “This year we were doing the summer program where we were able to feed everyone,” said David Cram, executive director of finance. “We’ll be continuing that model this school year." Free school lunches has been a policy some have pushed at the federal level for a while now, and how long that will continue remains to be seen. “I really love free lunches for students across the district,” said school board member Jake Murray. “If that is something we can maintain, that is something I would want to see. It is a very big boon for a lot of kids." The school district will not collect lunch fees like normal, however Cram thinks it is likely the federal funds will make up for that. “The federal reimbursement rate is very competitive,” he said. The district’s ESSER funds are also going toward other projects such as HVAC maintenance and upgrades. Those dollars are only currently scheduled to be received for the 2021-22 year, although the timeline to use them is longer than that. Any staffing improvement or ongoing cost would have to be paid some other way in future years though. Other revenue sources for the district include the voter-approved Capital Projects and Technology levy. “About half of those funds will go to technology and the other half will go to capital projects,” said Cram. Next year those pur-

“

If we see our enrollment pop up, that's going to see our revenue go up, as well as some costs that go up. We try to project out next year, but there are always unknowns.

____ chases will likely be new Chromebooks and some roofing maintenance for schools. The district also receives state funds given for the depreciation of buses and are predicting about $730,000. “The only thing we can do with that money is buy yellow buses,” said Cram. The biggest source of funds for the district is tied to their student enrollment. Enrollment has been dropping for several years in the district, although Marysville saw an even larger drop than normal last year as they had 400 less students. That drop has been fairly common for other school districts during the COVID-19 pandemic. “The other districts I’ve been in have been in the exact same situation with a pretty significant loss of enrollment,” said Cram, who is a recent addition to the Marysville School District. “We’re hoping that the more normalcy we’re seeing in the fall, the more comfortable people will be bringing their kids back to school." Cram and other staff are building next year’s budget under the assumption that another big drop in enrollment is coming. “If we see our enrollment pop up, that’s going to see our revenue go up, as well as some costs that go up,” he said. “We try to project out next year, but there are always unknowns." There are contingency funds built into the budget if enrollment has a bounce back. School districts get paid from the state and federal government based on their enrollment numbers. “We get a limited amount of revenue we can use as a district,” said board member Chris Nation, however, increased enrollment

Cram

”

means increased flexibility with funds. Even before the pandemic, Marysville schools enrollment numbers were decreasing and the board has been attempting to find out why. “We just continue to see the numbers go down every year,” said Nation. However, the cause may be something out of the district’s hands. “This could be just a case that we don’t have ample housing here,” he said. Nation also said he hopes that the state legislature will make changes to help equalize district funding across the state. Because districts rely on local tax funds for a large portion of their funding, the wealth of a school district is often directly dependent on the wealth of the district’s residents. Marysville is “property value poor” compared to districts such as Bellevue or Lake Washington, said Nation. “They are able to afford a lot more than we can,” while maintaining tax rates of less than half of Marysville’s, he said. “These are the things that need to be changed and addressed … and I know it’s a big talk in Olympia." The school board will consider and may approve the budget during their Aug. 18 meeting.

COURTESY IMAGE

The enrollment numbers for Marysville for the past three years and the projected 2021-22 budget enrollment. Marysville staff are using a conservative estimate with enrollment dropping again.

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I like to make root beer floats!

I love ice cream sandwiches!

Newspaper Fun! www.readingclubfun.com

Kids: color stuff in!

What’s the Scoop?

What’s your favorite frozen dessert? Ice cream is one of the world’s most popular treats. Read my clues to find out the history of ice cream and to fill in my crossword puzzle:

The Sweet History of Ice Cream

6 C

S C S

S C C C S C S C S C C C S C S C S C S C S S C C C S S SC C S S C C S S S C S C S C S S S S C S

C C S C C C S C S C S C S C S

C S S S C S C S C S C S C S

C C C C S S S C S S S C S S S C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C

S C C C S

carts

eggs trucks

China

waffl

C C C C C S C C S C C C S S C C C C C C C C C C C C S C C S C C C S C C C C C C C C

C S S S C

What Kind of Treat?

C C C C C S C C S C C C S C C C C C C C C

colder

I Scream . . . You Scream . . . We All Scream Today, there are a lot of different kinds of cold or frozen treats. The U.S. for . . . government has regulations that tell manufacturers what they must have in their ice cream to be able to market and sell a product as “ice cream.” At home, families can make their own treats using any ingredients that they like. Read the descriptions in the clues below. Fill in the crossword puzzle with the item being made:

C C C C S S S C S S S C S S S C C C C C C

erve

ice crea

she

rbe

urt frozen yog

t low-fa

eam ice cr

1. smooth, sweet frozen dessert made of cream, sugar, eggs and flavorings 2. sweetened, frozen, has no more than 3 grams of fat per serving 3. mostly made of water, sugar, flavoring and a small amount of milk 4. like a custard, it is made from milk; it has a slight sour-sweet taste

Astronaut Ice Cream! V

V V

V V P P P P P P

V P P

Even astronauts want dessert! A sweet, freeze-dried ice cream treat was developed S = strawberry (pink) P = purple (grape) for them. This ice cream doesn’t need refrigeration and can be taken on a hiking or C = chocolate (brown) V = vanilla (yellow) camping trip. Follow the color key to see where astronauts take it: P P P P P C P P S P P P C P P P V P P P V S S P S P P P S P P V V P P C C P V P P P P V V P P S P P P P P P P P S P P C C P P P P P P V V P V V V P P P V S C P V V C S S P V V V V V P S C C S C S P C P V S V C S S S P P P P P CC P S V C P C P V V V P P P P P P P P P P S S P P PV P C C P C P PP P P P P P P V P C P P S P C S P V V V V P V S S C P P C C P P P P P P P P P P

14 13

S = strawberry (pink) C = chocolate (brown)

S S S C S S

soft-s

17 18 19

During summer vacation we keep a lookout for cool treats. We ride our bikes or walk together to the stores with this sign on it. Follow the color key to see the sign:

According to a letter written by his daughter, Mr. Marchiony started to make ice cream sandwiches 1. The ancient Greeks of Athens enjoyed _____ mixed with honey and fruit (400 B.C.). so that grown-ups wouldn’t have to be seen 2. Some people think that the Emperor Nero licking cones in public. ordered ice to be brought back from the mountains and mixed with _____ or juice and fruit for banquets (Rome, 54–68 A.D.). ae sund 3. “Ice cream” in _____ during the Tang Dynasty (618–907 A.D.). 3 13 crea had milk mixed into it and maybe even some rice. Some stories m say Marco Polo may have brought fruit ices from China to Italy. 6 4. The popularity of “ice cream” moved throughout Europe with the French people adding _____ to make the ice cream richer tasting. patent 2 5. Making ice cream was simple at first – sweetened cream in a bowl or 10 9 pot was put into ice to cool. The _____ it got, the more solid it became. 7 6. In 1843, Nancy M. Johnson of Philadelphia got the first _____ for a small hand-cranked ice cream freezer. It made smoother ice cream. cones ice 7. Some newcomers to America, like Italo Marchiony from Italy, sold lemon ices and CHOCO ice cream from _____ in little glasses that people often would walk away with or break. 1 LA SYRUP TE 8. He started to make little _____ bowls by hand, which was a lot of work. He invented 8 a machine that could make 10 waffle cups at a time and got a patent for it in 1903. 11 9. In 1904, Mr. Marchiony sold ice cream at the World’s Fair in St. Louis. He ran out of waffle cups and began to roll up waffles from a waffle maker into _____ and filled them with ice cream, starting “walk-away” ice cream cones. 14 10. In 1920, Good Humor sold their ice cream from white _____ driven through neighborhoods. rs 11. The _____ - _____, a favorite ice cream, was first sold by J. F. McCullough in 1938. refrigerato flav 12. In 1983, Ben and Jerry’s ice cream was used to build the world’s largest ice cream _____. or 13. Thanks to the invention of _____ most people have ice cream in their homes. 4 14. Vanilla is the most popular _____ followed by chocolate!

Cool Treats!

August 18, 2021 - August 24, 2021 NORTH COUNTY OUTLOOK

Opinion

August 18, 2021 - August 24, 2021 NORTH COUNTY OUTLOOK

Our Favorite Quotes

n BEING FRANK

Lorraine Loomis, NWIFC Chairwoman, walks on

Lorraine Loomis, Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission chairperson and Swinomish fisheries manager, passed away Aug. 10 at the age of 81. Loomis became fisheries manager for the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community after the 1974 Boldt decision that reaffirmed tribes’ treatyprotected fishing rights. She began working in fish processing in 1970, and thought fisheries management would be easier than working 14 to 15 hours a day, seven days a week. She was wrong. For the rest of her life, Loomis worked tirelessly to fight for treaty rights, not only for the Swinomish Tribe, but for all of the treaty tribes in western Washington. Loomis served as NWIFC commissioner for more than 40 years. She served as vice chair from 1995 to 2014, when she became chairperson following the passing of Billy Frank Jr. “I love fisheries management,” she said at the time. “When we have a fishery opening – and salmon fishing is not open a lot these days – you see the happy faces of the tribal fishermen.

Lorraine Loomis

You know you have done your job. I live for that. It’s my life.” In October 2020, Loomis was honored with the Billy Frank Jr. Leadership Award for her decades of work defending treaty fishing rights. The award recognizes initiative, commitment and accomplishment in protecting tribal sovereignty and natural resources in western Washington. “Our hearts are heavy with the loss of Lorraine Loomis, who dedicated her life to defending tribal treaty rights,” said Justin Parker, NWIFC executive director. “Our thoughts are with the Wilbur family and the entire Swinomish Indian Tribal Community. She also was the matriarch of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission family, leading us for decades in fisheries management.” In addition to being the lead negotiator for tribes in the North of Falcon salmon fisheries

planning process with the state of Washington, Loomis was involved in developing and implementing the U.S./Canada Pacific Salmon Treaty and served on the Fraser River Panel that manages sockeye and pink salmon. “We have been rocked by another tremendous loss,” said Stillaguamish Chairman and NWIFC Vice Chair Shawn Yanity. “Prayers for the family and all of us. Her powerful leadership, guidance, friendship and presence will be missed.” “I can’t put in words how much I’m going to miss her spirit in my world,” said W. Ron Allen, Jamestown S'Klallam Tribal Chairman/CEO and NWIFC commissioner. “She made a difference for all of us just like Billy. Now we have both their spirits to keep us moving forward to protect and restore our salmon.” In her first Being Frank column after becoming NWIFC chairperson, Loomis wrote: “None of us tribal natural resources managers are working for today. We are all working for tomorrow. We are working to make certain there will be salmon for the next seven generations.”

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"Empathy is choosing to see ourselves in another despite our

differences. It 's recognizing that the same humanity - the same desire for meaning, fulfillment, and security - exists in each of us, even if it's expressed uniquely."

Author — Vivek Murthy

Submitted by North County Outlook editor Scott Frank.

RAVE RAVE: A big thank you to all of the organizers and volunteers of the back-toschool event in Arlington. It was a great event that will definitely benefit local children and their families. It's just another example of how this wonderful community comes together to help each other. RAVE: It's unfortunate to see that the local COVID case rates continue to increase causing the return of some man-

dates and restrictions. Please, be safe and follow the guidelines to help keep others safe. And, please continue to support our local businesses, they are an important part of our community.

RAVE: Just a reminder — the 4th Annual All Marysville Garage Sale will return Aug. 20 to 22.For more information about the All Marysville Garage Sale, go to www. marysvillegsale.com.

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Publisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sue Stevenson Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scott Frank Staff Writers . . . .Christopher Andersson, Nathan Whalen Display Ad Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carole Estenson Graphic Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christina Poisal Office Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Leah Hughes-Anderson Contributing Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Steve Smith

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August 18, 2021 - August 24, 2021 NORTH COUNTY OUTLOOK

Lakewood students in need can Legal Notices receive assistance on Aug. 24 NOTICE LEGAL LEGAL NOTICE

Students who need free supples or services can receive them on Lakewood's Student Support Day

SUPERIOR COURT OF WASHINGTON FOR SNOHOMISH COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF DEANNA DEA ZIMMERMAN, Deceased, NO. 21-4-01246-31, PROBATE NOTICE TO CREDITORS, RCW 11.40.030

By Christopher Andersson christopher@northcountyoutlook.com Lakewood School District students who need help with supplies or services can receive assistance at the district’s second annual Student Support Day. “Lakewood School District is hosting a student support day this August,” said Amie Verellen-Grubbs, director of teaching and learning with the district. “It’s an opportunity for them to come out and pick up a backpack as well as some school supplies,” she said. The day will be held on Aug. 24 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The event is outside at the bus loop at Lakewood Middle School at 16800 16th Dr. NE, Marysville. “We’re really targeting our students who are in our district and dealing with homelessness,” said Verellen-Grubbs. In addition to free school supplies, a number of free services will be available at the event. The local Lions Club will be providing vision screenings. Lakewood’s Faith Lu-

PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER ANDERSSON

The Lakewood Middle School bus loop where the district’s Student Support Day will be held on Aug. 24. theran Church will be providing free sports physicals as well as COVID-19 vaccinations for those 12 years of age or older. Free hair cuts will also be available at the event. Verellen-Grubbs hopes that the district can connect with families in need during the event. “This is an opportunity for us to give some information out to our families and find out what they need as well,” she said. This is the second year for the Lakewood Student Support Day. “We started this last year but we expanded it to include more services this

What’s the Scoop? During summer vacation we are keeping a lookout for cool treats. We ride our bikes or walk together to the stores with the sign:

time,” said Verellen-Grubbs. The district had helped students before that, but only if they came to local counselors and sought help themselves. “We found at that time we would provide services and supplies as they were asked for,” said VerellenGrubbs. “But we talked to our counselors and we decided we wanted to take a more proactive approach." Sometimes students can be hesitant to ask for help and creating a dedicated event can help overcome that barrier. It is also meant to help students in need start off the new school year on the

The Sweet History of Ice Cream

right foot. “So they can just stop by the event and then start that first day of school as prepared as all the other students,” said VerellenGrubbs. She said last year’s event went well and 75 students were helped. This year the event has expanded with support from LifeChurch 360, the Everett Clinic, the Lakewood Faith Lutheran Church and the Lions Club. “This has become a very nice community collaboration,” said Verellen-Grubbs. “We hope to continue to expand this event next year,” she said.

3 C

13 R

H 6 P A T E N I F 2 9 N 10 C R E I 7 C A R T S G O R E N U R E 1 I C E A S 8 K

T A M 5 C

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W 11 S O F T S E R V E O A R 14 F L A V O R S F

2 L O W F A T I C E C R E A M

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: August 4, 2021 Personal Representative: Debbra J. Bartley Attorney for Personal Representative: Steven J. Peiffle, WSBA #14704 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. 21-4-01246-31.

SUPERIOR COURT OF WASHINGTON FOR SNOHOMISH COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF: JUTTA MARIE FLOOD, Deceased, NO. 21-4-01343-31, 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: August 18, 2021. Personal Representative: Paula Anderson 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. 21-4-01343-31.

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LEGAL NOTICE SUPERIOR COURT OF WASHINGTON FOR SNOHOMISH COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF BURTON L. ESTES, Deceased, NO. 21-4-01245-31, 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: August 4, 2021. Personal Representative: Judy L. Ginnis Attorney for Personal Representative: Tanner K. Olson, WSBA #52879 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. 21-4-01245-31.

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August 18, 2021 - August 24, 2021 NORTH COUNTY OUTLOOK

Communities

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n WHISTLING GARDENER

Johnny's fig comes marching home When I puron Camano Island where they chased Sunnyside eventually retired Nursery in the to and had estabfall of 1989, there lished a substanwas a large fig tree tial garden, with (actually a bush) a cutting from growing in the By Steve Smith the original fig back yard next to the old carriage house. At from the nursery of course. the time I didn’t think much A young boy by the name of about it and over the next Tim Gray (the current ownseveral years of remodeling er of Pacific Stone in Everett) and relandscaping, the old hung out with some of the fig got uprooted and rel- seven Holtum children and egated to the compost pile. became smitten by John and Little did I know that a cut- Genny’s garden. Accordting from that very same fig ing to Tim, “Their terraced would find its way back to the westside Camano home and nursery almost 25 years later. garden was almost a SevThe original owners of enth Wonder of the World to the nursery, John and Genny this fledgling horticulturist. Holtum, had planted that fig I’d never seen such garden way back in the 1950’s and spaces, so varied and beauover the years had taken tifully maintained. Very inmultiple cuttings and shared tensely planted. John started them with fellow gardeners. giving me plant starts to take The Holtums had a home home. One of them was a fig.

In many ways the life John and Genny lived made them superstars in my young eyes”. Tim took his fig start home in 1983 and planted it in front of his mobile home, where it lived until 1994, at which time it got transplanted into a 24-inch tree box during construction of his new home. In 1996 it finally settled into its permanent home, where over the years Tim has given away many young fig trees, keeping on with Johnny’s tradition. Several years ago, Tim contacted me to let me know that he had a fig start he wanted me to have that had come from the original nursery plant. Not having a sentimental bone in my body, my first thoughts were something like, “what do I want with a darn fig plant and where on earth am I go-

ing to plant it”. Never the less, I feigned interest and graciously accepted Tim’s generous offering. Like a lot of plants that gardeners obtain, that fig start stayed stuck in its one-gallon pot for several seasons until I finally took pity on it and planted it in my neighbor’s front yard (with his permission of course). It is now almost 8 feet tall and has produced delicious crops of figs for several seasons in a row. While not planted in the exact spot where it originally grew, I suspect it still feels at home and somehow it is comforting to know that I was part of this whole reunion. Damn, maybe I am getting sentimental in my old age. This tale of sharing plants and gardening passion is proof that we can actually

COURTESY PHOTO

Ready to eat figs from Steve Smith's yard and John Holtum's tree. grow figs in the northwest. We carry a half dozen or so varieties in the nursery that should perform well in our cooler maritime climate and while they are not the same variety as Johnny’s (reported to be an Italian Everbearing), you should still be able enjoy the same success and have years of yummy figs to enjoy

in August and September. If you’ve never tried growing a fig, maybe now is the time to try. I know Johnny would agree. Stay safe and keep on gardening.

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