Sept. 8, 2021 North County Outlook by The North County Outlook

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Districts prepare for new school year By Christopher Andersson christopher@northcountyoutlook.com

PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER ANDERSSON

Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring speaks at the groundbreaking on Aug. 30 for Housing Hope’s 60 new units of housing for low-income and homeless individuals.

Housing Hope breaks ground on new project By Christopher Andersson christopher@northcountyoutlook.com Local nonprofit organization Housing Hope broke ground on Aug. 30 on what will become 60 new units of housing for low-income and homeless people in Smokey Point. The Snohomish County organization focuses on building housing for low-income and homeless families. Half of the 60 new units

are planned to go to families with children dealing with homelessness and other the half are planned to go to low-income families with children. The $19.2 million Twin Lakes Landing II project is an expansion of a previous Housing Hope project that opened in late 2017. “This is a critical partSee HOUSING on page 2

As local school districts begin classes, officials encourage safety around buses and prepare to enact bus COVID prevention measures again. Full-time school will return for students, and school staff will keep in place a number of precaution for school buses. “Basically we’re going to be operating the same way as last year,” said Brian Lewis, executive director of operations at the Arlington School District. Masks will be the biggest prevention measure for the districts. In the Marysville School District “bus drivers and students are required to wear masks and students will have assigned seats,” said Kim McAbee, director See SCHOOLS on page 4

PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER ANDERSSON

Peter Anderson, an Arlington School District mechanic, works on one of the district’s vehicles on Sept. 3.

Community donates to Afghan refugees By Christopher Andersson christopher@northcountyoutlook.com

COURTESY PHOTO

Supplies donated to the Marysville drop off location for the western Washington Afghan supply drive.

Marysville locals helped fill a truck-full of supplies for Afghan refugees as part of a regional supply drive last month. The supply drive happened over five days in late August across western Washington and was organized by Q13 News and World Relief Seattle. “We were absolutely overwhelmed by the outpouring,” said Brandi Kruse, one of the organizers of the supply drive and a Q13 correspondent. They received more than 10,000 items during the supply drive. “That is enough necessities for about 500 refugees,” said Kruse. Kruse said she was surprised at how well it went.

“Given how last minute it was put together I did not expect this many donations to come in,” she said. “You had cities like Marysville or Lakewood that filled an entire box truck full of supplies." The supplies are being given to World Relief Seattle for welcome kits they create for refugees. “They gave us a list of items that they needed,” said Kruse. “It’s really all of the basic household necessities.” Those kits include items such as pillows, bedsheets, comforters and shampoo. Six cities and a brewery offered up space to collect supplies during the supply drive. “So we had drop off locations from Marysville to Bonney Lake,” said Kruse. “We started an Amazon wish list as well

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HOUSING Continued from page 1

nership for the city of Marysville,” said Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring. “Four years ago we had the thrill of participating in the first phase." Housing Hope provides housing at below-market rates to help families get on their feet. “This really helps lowincome families transition into a home where they’re safe and secure,” said Nehring. The organization also provides support services, especially for those who are

looking to escape homelessness. “I love the way Housing Hope wraps services around them,” said Nehring. Mel Simpson, a Housing Hope board member and former resident, said the housing she was provided helped her in many ways. “I was a residence at Maple Leaf. I was a single mom in a dark place in my life and Housing Hope gave me an opportunity to do better,” she said. During her time as a residence she was able to put herself through college. “Now I’m a proud owner of my own house and my own business and I’m hon-

Communities ored I get to give back what I got,” she said. Affordable housing continues to be a need around Marysville. “We’re still one of the fastest growing cities in the state and this problem will continue to come up,” said Nehring. “We need more and more of this." The housing crisis extends to all areas of the state and country, as well. “There aren’t many issues I can point to across the five counties that I represent that are common, but affordable housing is one of those issues,” said U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen. “There’s not enough affordable housing

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in the county and across the northwest." Housing Hope CEO Fred Safstrom said the local housing market continues to squeeze low-income families out of stability. “Our creation of new housing stock is not keeping up [with population growth] and, in fact, in six of the last seven years we have seen a decline of the housing stock in that we are losing more houses than we are creating,” he said. Safstrom noted that house prices going up for homeowners is a cause for celebration, but is making life for renters increasingly untenable. “That’s great if you’re a homeowner. Because if you’re a homeowner your cost of housing is fixed,” he said. “But what if you’re not? What if you’re one of the one-third of Snohom-

ish County residents who rent?” About 22 percent of Snohomish County residents pay more than half their income in rent, he noted. Funding for the project came from a variety of sources, including state of Washington, Snohomish County and federal funds meant to support homeless individuals. The state provided $5 million to the project. “There was $4 million from the Housing Trust Fund, and also a $1 million award that allows us to design a passive house project [meant to reduce carbon usage],” said Bobby Thompson, chief housing officer for Housing Hope. The city of Marysville also waived half of their traffic impact fees for the project. “We see the impact of the

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to many of them for the supply drive. “I sent Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring a message on Twitter actually, and he replied right away with ‘anything we can do to help,’” said Kruse. “We’re incredibly grateful for the cities that helped,” she said. Marysville Communications Administrator Connie Mennie said city officials were glad to help with the event. “When Q13 asked us to provide a drop-off site at City Hall for people arriving in our region with next to nothing, we were happy to make that happen. Marysville is a caring community and the overwhelming response in just a few short days proved that once again,” she said. An estimated 1,200 refugees could be coming to Snohomish County in the coming months, according to Kent Patton, communications director for the Snohomish County Executive Office. “Snohomish County is a welcoming community, and we want to make sure

Continued from page 1

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and it sold out three times,” she said. Kruse has contacts with many officials in western Washington cities because of her job and reached out

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housing credit on projects just like this one because it’s created the financing that allows projects like this to move forward,” said U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene. She said the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, a federal tax credit meant to create affordable housing, is one of the main funding sources and they hope to expand the money provided by the program. “We’ve been pushing the housing credit,” said DelBene, including with a new proposed bill that could create more than 2 million affordable housing units in the U.S. over the next decade. “Around the country, especially in our region, finding a safe, affordable home is becoming increasingly difficult for low-income families and for middle-income families,” she said.

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Given how last minute is was put together I did not expect this many donations to come in. You had cities like Marysville or Lakewood that filled an entire box truck full of supplies.

____

Brandy Kruse

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that those who helped keep Americans safe in Afghanistan can now be safe here as they get settled,” said Patton. “Refugee and Immigrant Services Northwest is the primary organization that we are working with, and they have been doing this important work since refugees from Southeast Asia arrived in the region,” he said. The biggest current needs for Afghan refugees are housing, job training, food and clothing, said Patton.

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September 8, 2021 - September 14, 2021 NORTH COUNTY OUTLOOK

M'ville plans online 9/11 ceremony By Christopher Andersson christopher@northcountyoutlook.com Marysville fire and city officials will gather again on Sept. 11 to hold their annual ceremony which will be provided virtually this year for the public. This is the second year that the event will be held privately, but with a public broadcast online. “This year, similar to last year, we will be holding a virtual 9/11 ceremony,” said Christie Veley, public education and information specialist. Because of the pandemic and high level of COVID-19

cases in the county, organizers of the event opted for an online event. “It’s important for us to continue holding this ceremony, but at the same time we understand that COVID is really spreading around the community right now,” said Veley. “So we opted to hold a virtual event again this year." On Sept. 11, at 8:30 a.m., the ceremony will be broadcast live on the city of Marysville’s YouTube page. “We thank the city for partnering with us for that,” said Veley. A recorded version of the event will also be avail-

able later that day on the Marysville Fire District’s Facebook page. The Marysville Fire District and city of Marysville have partnered on the event for almost two decades now. “This year marks 20 years since 9/11,” said Veley. As in years past, local officials will give brief speeches about the day. “Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring will be speaking, as well as chaplain Dan Hazen,” said Veley. The Marysville Honor Guard will present the colors and a local firefighter will play ‘taps,’ the bugle call used during ceremonies.

Local officials continue to hold the ceremony “because of how 9/11 impacted our community, state and country,” said Veley. “And also because there is a personal connection for us,” she said, because Jeff Thornton, a beloved longtime Marysville firefighter, also passed away because of cancer on the same day. Thornton is typically recognized at the ceremony as well. “It’s a special day for the firefighters here in the Marysville Fire District and for the Thornton family,” said Veley.

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This year, similar to last year, we will be holding a virtual 9/11 ceremony.

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Christie Veley

Veley said local officials were happy with how the virtual event went last year. “We’re glad we’ve found a way to continue this event,” she said. The online engagement seemed to increase the number of people able to view the ceremony, she said.

”

“It was kind of a good thing because last year more people were able to see the event than normally attended the event in-person,” said Veley. “We saw a much larger attendance." Viewing of the event live is available at www.youtube. com/c/CityofMarysvilleWA.

Art program comes to Marysville Opera House By Christopher Andersson christopher@northcountyoutlook.com Works from local artists will be on display and opportunities to participate in making art will be offered during Marysville’s free “Passport to the Arts.” The event is on Sept. 16, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., at the Marysville Opera House at 1225 Third St., Marysville. “This is a brand new program that we’re really excited about,” said Chris Taylor, cultural arts supervisor with the city of Marysville’s Parks, Culture and Recreation Department. “Everyone who wants to can come down to the Opera House for a night where you can experience many different mediums of arts." On the lower levels of the building will be opportunities to create your own art in a number of different mediums. “On the main floor we will have some live music or poetry, something you can just take in,” said Taylor. “And on the upper floor we will be displaying art from a number of local artists." Some food will be available at the event. “You’ll be able to come in for free, buy some cheese and wine if you want to, and take in some of the local art,” said Taylor. COVID-19 safety measures will be in place for the event with staff members and police on site. “And of course because of Governor’s mandate, any indoor event requires face masks,” said Taylor. City staff hope that the event can continue to bring different types of events to the Opera House.

Taylor said ‘Passport to the Arts’ could be similar to the Outdoor Speaker Series in that the city hopes it becomes a regular feature. The city could potentially run it for three months in a row a couple of times each year, he said. “We’ve had the building for a few years now and we want to maximize our investment. We really want Marysville to become a cultural and arts hub,” said Taylor. Taylor said city staff have really improved the upper floor earlier this spring, adding track lighting, re-

moving carpet and putting in a fresh coat of paint on the walls. “Thank you to the facility team who did a great job renovating the third floor,” he said. He also wanted to thank staff at the Schack Art Center in Everett who are helping to curate the event. Registration is not required for the event, except for those who want to participate in one of the masterclass painting sessions on the lower level. More information about that registration can be found at marysvillewa.gov.

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September 8, 2021 - September 14, 2021 NORTH COUNTY OUTLOOK

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Meeting addresses upcoming widening of SR-531 ____ “ By Christopher Andersson christopher@northcountyoutlook.com

The widening of Arlington’s SR-531 (172nd Street) could still begin on schedule in 2023, although COVID has made the situation less clear. The Arlington City Council has invited Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Assistant Regional Administrator Chris Damitio to give a briefing and update of the project during their next meeting on Sept. 13 at 7 p.m. The transportation proj-

ect to expand the lanes on 172nd Street from 43rd Avenue to 67th Avenue was funded by the state legislature in 2015. “We have been working on this project for years and it’s still on its original game plan,” said Jim Kelly, public works director for Arlington. “It goes out in 2022 to get a design build and should begin construction in 2023." Because of the pandemic there could be delays in the future. “Right now, we just don’t know,” said Kelly. The initial designs for

the project were to be completed in-house at WSDOT. “WSDOT lost engineers during that time who were working on this project,” said Kelly. “So we lost a little time with COVID." Funding, supplies and staffing concerns could all affect the timeline. “With the delta variant are we going to get shut down again? We just don’t know right now,” said Kelly. “It’s possible it could be delayed until 2024." The area of 172nd Street is one which frequently has high amounts of traffic. “This is a very important

project for Arlington. The city has been growing and it is only going to continue to grow,” said Kelly. The road is also important for the Cascade Industrial Center, which has begun to attract businesses such as Amazon and big business park developments. “SR-531 goes right through the heart of it, and it has been developing,” said Kelly. “That means workers will be going and leaving, as well as freight movement that we have to accommodate." As part of the project, all four traffic signals on 172nd Street between 43rd Avenue

SCHOOLS Continued from page 1

of transportation services at the district. Arlington schools are prepared to work with students who are not using a mask, said Lewis. “We’ll still give them a ride to school that day but we will work with the parents and students so they understand the need for masks,” he said. “Anything further than that will be addressed on a case-by-case basis." There are certain populations of students who will not be able to wear a mask, although the district is already aware of those students, said Lewis. “Those are students that have a cognitive or physical disability that bars them from being

We've been working on this project for years and it's still on its original game plan.

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Jim Kelly

”

and 67th Avenue will be replaced with roundabouts. “That will increase mobility so the cars will move through the roadway faster,” said Kelly. “Signals can facilitate traffic movement, but they can create backups,” he said. The first roundabout installed by the city is actually just to the east at the intersection of SR-531 and Highway 9.

“They are now becoming more of a common intersection mechanism in this state,” said Kelly. The public can email questions to administration@arlingtonwa.gov by 5 p.m. on Sept. 13 to be addressed by the WSDOT representative. Only questions about SR-531 will receive a response at this meeting.

able to use a mask." Parents who think their student falls under that category must have medical documentation to back up that claim, said Lewis. “Besides masking, the primary safety measure for schools will be students and staff not coming to school if they are ill,” he said. He recommends talking to your primary care provider or getting a COVID test if you have symptoms such as a sore throat or runny nose. “With the delta variant we are finding that sometimes it presents as the same symptoms you may get from allergies,” said Lewis. Consider that those symptoms may actually be COVID-19, he said. Other prevention measures being used by the dis-

trict include cleanings. "Buses will be disinfected by the drivers daily,” said McAbee. State health guidance says to keep windows open. “Buses will be running at full capacity with windows down for extra ventilation,” said McAbee. Lewis said state guidance says to close windows only in extreme cold weather, so they are expected to be open often. As buses return to the roads, local school officials also encourage drivers to obey the law. “Really, the biggest safety issue is those who are running the stop paddles,” said Lewis. “In 2019 we had state patrol shadow our buses for one day,” and during that day they caught eight people violating the law. “It puts our students in great danger … they may be crossing the lane in front of the bus,” he said. By state law, both directions of traffic must stop on a two-lane road, while only cars traveling the same direction as the bus must stop on a road with three or more lanes. This year Arlington schools sent out a letter encouraging families to know the difference between bus number and route number. “Look for the route number next to a placard on the loading door,” said Lewis. Your bus number may change, for example, if a bus needs to be taken out of the rotation for maintenance, but your route number may not. “That is the biggest cause of confusion for some students,” said Lewis. The first couple of weeks may be a little unusual as well, as sometimes students show up that the bus driver was not expecting. “Folks should be patient while our routes get nailed down,” said Lewis.

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September 8, 2021 - September 14, 2021 NORTH COUNTY OUTLOOK

County's COVID rate increases again By Christopher Andersson christopher@northcountyoutlook.com

Local hospital and county officials talked about the situation at Providence Regional Medical Center as COVID-19 case numbers remain high in the county. A total of 2,042 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the county from Aug. 22 to 28, the most recent week with data counted. That represents a very small increase of the twoweek daily case rate to 446 cases per 100,000 residents. “That's the second highest two-week rolling case rate we’ve ever had, almost the highest ever,” said Snohomish Health District Health Officer Dr. Chris Spitters during an Aug. 31 press briefing. The increase from the previous week was only 2 cases per 100,000 residents. “I hope that is the top, but I don’t think it would be safe to bet on that or that it is safe to let your guard down. What we need is more people putting their guard up,” said Spitters. Other COVID-19 indicators are also approaching all-time highs for the county. “Approximately 15,000 tests were done last week, with about 12 to 15 percent being positive,” said Spitters.

Obituaries Layla CyAnn Pineda

Layla CyAnn Pineda, beloved daughter, sister, girlfriend, and auntie passed peacefully July 21, 2021, at the age of 39 after a courageous, but short, battle with cancer. The daughter of Roger and Teresa Pineda, Layla was born July 8, 1982, in Cour d’Alene, ID. In addition to her parents, Layla is survived by her sister Alyse and brother Paden, as well as a multitude of family including aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. All that knew her would agree that she lived a full and active life. Her loyalty and friendship will be missed greatly. Family and friends are invited to attend a Celebration of Life gathering on Saturday, September 11 at 11:00 at LDS Church, Cultural Hall located at 8351 Arlington Heights Road, Arlington, WA with a reception to follow.

“That’s the highest positivity rate we’ve seen since April 2020,” he said. About 96 residents were in local hospital being treated for COVID-19 and nine of those required ventilators. “Without the benefits of vaccination by the roughly half million residents who have lent their arm to the movement, our health system would be completely overwhelmed,” said Spitters. In the month of August Providence Regional Medical Center admitted more than 300 patients with a diagnosis of COVID-19, according to James Cook, chief medical director at the Everett hospital. Of those, about 75 percent were unvaccinated. In the intensive care unit, 76 patients were admitted with COVID and about 96 percent of those were unvaccinated. “I think that illustrates very clearly the point Dr. Spitters was making about the vaccine being very important in preventing infection and more importantly preventing severe in-

fection,” said Cook. Many workers have had to deal with additional stress knowing that, unlike previous waves, the current COVID-19 wave could have been better handled. “Most healthcare providers feel like this one could have been prevented or much decreased if more people were vaccinated or follow the very simple public health guidelines we’ve been given for the past few months,” said Cook. The hospital has seen staff leave, either from burnout or other reasons. “It is challenging as they see more and more folks come in who have chosen not to protect themselves, their families and, frankly, the caregivers who treat them, by being vaccinated,” he said. Cook said vaccines and prevention measures are important so that the hospital does not reach a crisis point where they have to limit care. “Along with other hospitals in the state of Washington, Providence Everett is preparing procedures for so called ‘crisis-standards

of care,’” he said. Those standards are put into place when a resource such as hospital beds, staffing or medicine becomes scarce enough that they are not able to properly care for any additional patients. “In essence, you have to figure out a way to help the patient when you have nothing left to give,” said Cook. “This is something that is very complicated. It has a large ethical and moral dimension,” he said. The hospital hopes to never have to use those

standards, he said. “We always want to hope for the best and prepare for the worst,” said Cook. Vaccines and proper following of prevention measures are the best way to turn COVID-19 case numbers back down, said Spitters. “We need much more complete vaccination coverage, plus other prevention measures,” he said. “I want to plead with the 200,000 eligible and yet still unvaccinated to go get your vaccination series started

as soon as possible, if not today,” he said. Locally, Spitters also mentioned the 3-on-3 basketball tournament in Arlington and encouraged testing for those involved. “All participants and attendees should still consider seeking testing, and if you are contacted by public health, please return calls that same day, if not immediately,” he said. “Remember that cooperating with public health is good for your neighbors and required by Washington state law."

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September 8, 2021 - September 14, 2021 NORTH COUNTY OUTLOOK

Opinion

n GUEST OPINION

Dealing with nuisance properties As I have written before, public safety is the paramount responsibility of local government. While Snohomish County government has broad jurisdiction over many topic areas and issues, keeping our communities safe is, as it should be, our number one priority. I have had the opportunity in the past month to join our law enforcement professionals in the field on a couple of occasions to get a better understanding of the work they are doing and the challenges they face. In this month’s column, I will highlight some of these challenges and work that must be done to keep our communities safe. One issue I hear about often from constituents is nuisance properties in their neighborhoods. These properties are often host to many illegal and unhealthy activities that affect neighboring residents. This might include squatters who have taken over abandoned properties, drug activity, prostitution, property crimes, junkyard conditions, and rodent infestations. Our Nuisance Properties Team, which includes staff from the Sheriff ’s Office, Code Enforcement, and the Health District, does a phenomenal job working with limited resources to bring resolutions to these neighborhood blights whenever possible. One of my recent ridealongs was with the Nui-

Nate Nehring

sance Properties Team and we visited a home on Larson Road just off of Pioneer Highway. This property has been a long-time nuisance with squatters, drug activity, abandoned vehicles, and multiple health code violations. As a bank-owned property, traditional efforts of notice of violation and fines have not resulted in changes to these conditions. Currently, the Snohomish Health District is going to court to seek an injunction against this property. If granted, an injunction would allow for the team to get the property cleaned up and arrest trespassers in the future. Bank-owned properties are one of the biggest challenges our Nuisance Properties Team faces. Because of federal finance laws, these big banks are able to transfer properties, forcing the Nuisance Team to start the lengthy process over on these locations. It would take changes to federal law to make it easier for our local efforts to rid neighborhoods of these issues. I have raised this issue

with our federal congressional delegation and will continue working with our local team on this moving forward. Another opportunity I had to get boots on the ground was with a team of our Snohomish County Sheriff ’s Office personnel on a graveyard shift ridealong in North Snohomish County from 8:30 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. I was so impressed by the integrity and professionalism displayed by our officers, from the compassion they showed toward a victim of domestic violence on our first call of the evening to their commitment to keeping our community safe when we responded to a call of a suspect fleeing a stolen vehicle with a firearm in the early hours of the morning. Law enforcement perform what is very often a thankless job, and one that is growing increasingly difficult. My experiences from these recent ride-alongs made me grateful for their hard work and proud to be a resident of Snohomish County. 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 425-512-4810.

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RAVE RANT: I have a major Rant that I would like published. It has to do with the Mayor paving our city park for a pickleball court. Jennings Park is the jewel of Marysville and the Mayor and some people think that its a good idea to pave the park for recreation. In my view that's a major violation of the park's green space. The community heavily used the field for picnics, volleyball, baseball and soccer. That availability is now gone with this idea that we need to pave our park for recreation. It cost

$236,000 the article says. Well that money could have gone a long way in helping to repair the infrastructure of the park which has been neglected for years. The dock for the pond is no more, the bridge that the Eagle Scouts built lays in rot due to the city's neglect. The trails that were once wide and barked are now nothing more than rabbit trails and mud slides. It's a real shame the stewardship that this city has been taking with the care of Jennings Park. We don't want a blacktopped park.

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n WHISTLING GARDENER

Vacation is over, time to get back to work In a normal Garden centers time, all of us are well stocked with these beauwould be sendties and if planted ing our kids back now they will take to school and off like rockets returning to the come spring. This office to our rou- By Steve Smith is also a good time tines, but we all know these are not normal to divide perennials as well times. It remains to be seen and share them with friends. Bulbs: As crazy as it if our kids will be able to stay in the classrooms and who might sound, this is the knows when most of us will month that spring bloomstart commuting back to our ing bulbs arrive at the garjobs. That being said, it is den center. Tulips, daffodils, highly likely that many of us crocus, hyacinths, and many will continue to work from other minor perennial bulbs home (with or without our are all available to plant now. kids) and consequently be It takes a bit of faith to plant forced to look at our gardens a homely, mostly dead-look24/7. Whether you view ing brown bulb, but it is truly this as a blessing or a curse a lesson in delayed gratificaof course depends on how tion and one you will totally much you love to garden. appreciate come late winter For those of you who still and early spring. Veggies: As you harvest find pleasure in toiling in the dirt and fresh air, here are your summer veggies, work some tasks to fill your day some more compost and that will improve the looks fertilizer into the soil, and of your landscape immedi- replant with some fall crops. ately and into the future. The Botanical Interest Seeds Lawns: Don’t wait for company offers 10 varieties Mother Nature to resurrect of veggies that will mature your lawn. It will naturally from seed within 60 days, wake up as the nights grow which is plenty of time for longer and the tempera- us northwest gardeners. You tures grow colder, but help- can also plant transplants, ing this process along with which will mature even some supplemental water sooner. If you are not going and a bit of food will go a to plant a fall garden then at long way to getting it healthy least spread a layer of comagain and ready for winter. post over the soil to keep Don’t put this chore off. Aer- the weeds down, or if your ate, dethatch, reseed or start garden is large and you can all over but get it done this rototill it come spring, then month. Working on your sow a cover crop. lawn now will make a huge Containers: My pots that difference come spring. I planted back in May are Perennials: Mums and starting to look pretty tired, asters always come to mind so it is time to rip out the when I think of fall bloom- plants, work in some new ers, but there are many oth- fertilizer, top off the soil and ers that will bloom far into plunge in some fall color that the fall such as Japanese an- will last the winter. There is enomies, toad lilies, kafir lil- a huge palette of plant maies, ornamental grasses, and terial that is appropriate for sedums, to name just a few. late summer planting into

containers — herbs, grasses, evergreen perennials, and small conifers are all finding their way into beautiful winter containers. Think about using foliage and texture rather than just flowers. Containers planted in September will look fabulous all the way into April or May. Planting: While we can plant year around in the northwest, fall is one of the best times, so get your hardscaping done and your grading finished, and get those plants in the ground before Old Man Winter arrives. Roses: If you deadhead and fertilize, you should be able to coax one more flush of blooms before winter. Morning dew spells mildew on roses, so stay ahead of diseases with timely applications of either natural or synthetic fungicides. Weed Control: I sub-

scribe to the philosophy that if my ground is covered with plants there will be no room for weeds. For the most part this technique works pretty well. I am also a big fan of applying a one-to-two-inch layer of compost in the fall, which will cover any weed seeds that are just waiting to germinate. Follow these methods and come spring you will have very few weeds to deal with. Fall is a glorious time to be in the garden. Long shadows, glistening spider webs, rich autumn colors, and sparkling drops of dew all add to the beauty of this time of year. Vacation is over. Get out there and make the most of the season. Steve Smith is the owner of Sunnyside nursery in Marysville and can be reached at sunnysidenursery@msn.com.

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September 8, 2021 - September 14, 2021 NORTH COUNTY OUTLOOK

Legal Notices LEGAL NOTICE

LEGAL NOTICE

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

SUPERIOR COURT OF WASHINGTON FOR SNOHOMISH COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF WALLACE T. DUNN, Deceased, NO. 21-4-01465-31, 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

THE PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE NAMED BELOW has been appointed as personal representative of this estate. Any person having a claim against the de-cedent 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 representa-tive’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 repre-sentative 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: September 1, 2021. Personal Representative: Steven P. Dunn Attorney for Personal Representative: Breanne W. Martin, WSBA #44519 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.

Court of probate proceedings and cause number: Snohomish County Superior Court, Cause No. 21-4-01465-31.

LEGAL NOTICE

SUPERIOR COURT OF WASHINGTON FOR SNOHOMISH COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF AILENE HEATHER SMALE, Deceased, NO. 21-4-01522-31, PROBATE NOTICE TO CREDITORS, RCW 11.40.030

SUPERIOR COURT OF WASHINGTON FOR SNOHOMISH COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF SYLVIA VIOLA CHARLESTON, Deceased, NO. 21-401523-31, 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: September 8, 2021. Personal Representative: Christine A. Evans 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: September 8, 2021. Personal Representative: Judith Lynn Camp 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. 21-4-0522-31.

Court of probate proceedings and cause number: Snohomish County Superior Court, Cause No. 21-4-01523-31.

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September 8, 2021 - September 14, 2021 NORTH COUNTY OUTLOOK

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Marysville Pilchuck rolls over Shorecrest By Nathan Whalen Nathan@northcountyoutlook.com A stout defense and more than 350 yards on the ground helped Marysville Pilchuck defeat Shorecrest 52-7 during its season opener on Sept. 3 at Quil Ceda Stadium. During Shorecrest’s first drive of the game, Marysville Pilchuck recovered a fumble and shortly thereafter running back Gaylan Gray scored on a 12 yard to go up 7-0. MP’s offense sputtered through the remainder of the quarter, but its defense held the Scots scoreless. “It started out a little rough with first-game jitters,” Marysville Pilchuck head coach Bran-

don Carson said. At about halfway through the second quarter, Gray scored on a 60-yard run and kicker Ashton Wolff closed out the first half with a 45-yard field goal and MP was ahead 17-0. On the first play after Marysville Pilchuck received the opening kick-off of the second half, running back Dylan Carson scored on a 63-yard run and, after the kick by Wolff, MP was leading 24-0. Carson’s run was the first of five MP scores in the second half. The third quarter saw Carson score on additional runs of 16 yards and 14 yards and quarterback Jace Luton threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Lucian Curtis. Running back

Michael Bejar added another touchdown in the fourth quarter. Marysville Pilchuck rushed for 360 yards with Carson running for 210 yards on 12 carries and three touchdowns. Gray had 88 yards on eight carries and two touchdowns. Luton was 5-7 passing for 62 yards and one touchdown pass. “I thought the defensive line did a great job,” Coach Carson said. The defensive line had four sacks. He added the team needs to clean up its penalties and they need to start earlier. The majority of MP’s scores took place during the second half. Marysville Pilchuck heads north to play Stanwood, Sept. 10, at Bob Larson Stadium. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

PHOTO BY NATHAN WHALEN

Marysville Pilchuck running back Gaylan Gray runs against Shorecrest. MP defeated the Scots during its opener Sept. 3 at Quil Ceda Stadium.

Local volleyball teams gear up for season By Nathan Whalen Nathan@northcountyoutlook.com With the prospects of a regularly scheduled season coming up, volleyball teams at high schools in Marysville, Lakewood and Arlington are looking to field experienced, competitive squads this fall. The 2021 season comes after the previous season was delayed until March, had a limited schedule, and lacked post-season play. Lakewood’s volleyball team is returning to the Northwest Conference after spending last season competing in Wesco Conference. “We are still in the midst of building a more successful program,” said Alyssa Conn, who is starting her third year as head coach of the Cougars' volleyball team. Two years ago the team went winless during the season

and last spring the Cougars won one game. Lakewood is returning seven seniors for the season that begins Sept. 9 with a trip to Meridian in Bellingham. Key returners for the team include Kalei Greenman, McKenna Slusher, Lydia Hots, Natalie Krueger and Avalon Kummer. Newcomers on the team are Megan Omlid and Gabriella Kinsland. “I think it’s going to be a fantastic season this year,” Conn added. The Cougars are fielding a varsity, junior varsity and freshman team for the fall. Last season saw the school field varsity and junior varsity squads. She added the team is looking forward to competing against Northwest Conference teams and bigger games for the season include Lynden Christian and Burl-

PHOTO BY NATHAN WHALEN

Lakewood’s Mika Goodwin works on her serve during a recent practice.

ington-Edison. “We’re just happy to be back in our own conference and pick up where we left off,” Conn said. Arlington is also fielding a senior-heavy, volleyball team where four players competed on the team in 2019 that placed sixth in state. “Our focus is to have a championship season,” Arlington head coach Kelly Pederson said. Taylor Pederson, Emily Mekelburg and Malia Shepher previously have earned all-league and all-state recognition and have colleges interested in them, Pederson said. The trio, along with Brookelynn Ramey were part of the 2019 team during

their sophomore year. All players on the roster have experience playing in clubs. During the truncated season last school year, the Eagles finished 6-2. She said Stanwood always plays Arlington strong as well as Monroe and Cascade. “We are approaching this season with everyone will be a challenge,” Pederson said. “We’re taking nothing for granted.” Arlington opened the season Sept. 7 after press time against North Creek and plays Lake Stevens on Sept. 9 Marysville Pilchuck is fielding an experienced team for the upcoming season. “We’re excited about this season,” Marysville Pilchuck

head coach Nathan McClellan said. With 10 athletes on varsity and a couple players switching between junior varsity and varsity, Marysville Pilchuck has five seniors including four-year, letter-winner Carly Scallan and Ari Turner being the team captains. “We’ve got some good, solid players coming back,” McClellan said, adding MP is shooting to be over 500 this season. Marysville Pilchuck kicked of their season Sept. 7 against Mariner and is hosting Kamiak on Sept. 9. Marysville Getchell also has several seniors returning this season.

“We have 11 returning varsity players so we’re looking to be competitive this year,” Charger head coach Kristina Klinginsmith said. Eight seniors are returning including four-year varsity play Kerragyn Heacock and three-year varsity starter Bri Sawyer. After going 2-7 during the previous season, Klinginsmith said the team hopes to make the playoffs this year. She said Arlington, Stanwood, Snohomish, and Marysville Pilchuck, which is scheduled for the Chargers’ senior night, are tough games. “Most of the conference is pretty competitive,” Klinginsmith said.