Beacon Magazine - Summer 2023

MAGAZINE The Beacon

Summer 2023

INSIDE

FARM FRESH

The benefits of buying from a Snohomish County producer

UNLOCKING THE PAST Genetic genealogy helps solve crimes, but at what cost?

OUT OF THE ORDINARY Forget the park: Try a different kind of day trip this summer

TASTY GIFTS FOR YOU

A local restaurateur shares recipes for two popular offerings

Team

Locally known, internationally recognized for professionalism and integrity in real estate.

Connor

206-214-5609

ConnorDesy@cbbain.com

Team Greene

Chuck Easter 206-396-9070

ChuckEaster@cbbain.com

Stacie Echelbarger 206-719-6212 TeamEch.com

Tyler Echelbarger 206-799-3877 TeamEch.com

Haines Huff Properties

Michaela Greene 425-879-6899

Michaela.Greene@CBRealty.com

Nolan Greene 425-501-2226

Nolan.Greene@CBRealty.com

Patti Greene 206-369-5429

Patti.Greene@CBRealty.com

John Haines 206-854-4403

JohnHaines@cbbain.com

Missi Huff 206-948-2565 MissiHuff@cbbain.com

Jim Hills 425-876-0927

JimHills@cbbain.com

Gvara Kirschner 206-353-1944

GvaraKirschner@cbbain.com

Laura Myers 425-771-6444

LauraMyers@cbbain.com

Forrest Reda 425-470-3672

ForrestReda@CBRealty.com

Principal Managing Broker

Makenna Pellerin 206-327-2648

MakennaPellerin@cbbain.com

Rachel Rowland 206-910-2723

RachelRowland@cbbain.com

108 5th Ave. S. Edmonds, WA 98020 425-771-1000

Jean Sittauer 425-478-7712

JeanSittauer@cbbain.com

coldwellbankerhomes.com/wa/edmonds/agents

Paul Sundberg 425-275-6359

PaulSundberg@cbbain.com

Emma Nolan 425-624-7233

EmmaNolan@cbbain.com

15506 Main St. #101 Mill Creek, WA 98012 425-771-6444

coldwellbankerhomes.com/wa/mill-creek/agents

Desy

Echelbarger

Coldwell Banker Bain - Edmonds

Coldwell Banker Bain - Mill Creek

Summer is here, and The Beacon Publishing team is pleased to present its summer issue. Here’s a peek at what you’ll find inside:

Did you know that the first court case centered on DNA and genetic genealogy happened here in Snohomish County? It involved the horrific murder of a young man and woman whose bodies were found in Snohomish and Skagit counties.

We spoke to the retired county sheriff officer who was instrumental in the case, plus a Pulitzer Prize-winning author who wrote the book on it. By the end of the story, we raise a question about DNA and privacy, and how there are increasing concerns about all of our privacy.

Elsewhere, food writer Maria A. Montalvo explores the history of pizza and where her favorite spots are in Snohomish County, while David Pan takes us on an anything-but-typical day in the life of a wildlife veterinary technician, and Brenda Kohlmyer looks at the growing farm-to-table movement.

Plus, we’ll spotlight an amazing Tulalip Tribes sculptor and share enticing recipes from Feedme Hospitality.

We hope you enjoy our latest issue. We enjoyed bringing it to you!

– Brian Soergel, Managing Editor

PUBLISHING

Beacon Staff

Publisher Jenn Barker

Managing Editor Brian Soergel

Editorial David Pan

Advertising Sales Tina Novak

Administration Martine Grube

Design/Production Debbie Magill

Beacon Publishing, Inc. 728 3rd St., Ste. D, Mukilteo, WA 98275 (425) 347-5634

www.mukilteobeacon.com

www.edmondsbeacon.com

www.millcreekbeacon.com

The Beacon Magazine is a supplement to the Beacon newspapers

So

Are

We’re under new management and excited to show you our fresh approach to serving seniors in Mukilteo. You and your family are in great hands with us.

We provide superior care in a supportive environment where love and respect abound, cultivating true relationships and positive experiences every day.

Schedule a Tour Today. Call (425) 541-7598

Come On In

Solving cold cases

Unearthing DNA can help solve crimes from the The first case to go to trial was here in Snohomish County � But are there overriding privacy concerns that come with the technology?

6

Food writer Maria A � Montalvo shares her thoughts on a few of her favorite places to get pizza� Plus, she shares a little history of the popular pie

Artist’s Corner

Tulalip Tribes member and master wood carver James Madison helps keep his culture alive through his sculptures, which you can see in Mukilteo

12

19

You don’t have to enter a grocery store to find fresh local meat and produce A number of farm-to-table options are available within a short drive �

What does a wildlife veterinary technician do? As you can imagine, no day is the same � Veronica Gordon explains what a typical shift can bring at the PAWS Wildlife Center �

Season to Taste

Delicious recipes from local favorites Bar Dojo

20

Brian Soergel

Brian is the managing editor for Beacon Publishing and has worked for the Beacon since 2015 In addition to overseeing editorial functions, he writes and edits the Edmonds Beacon He previously worked as a reporter, editor, and copy editor at various newspapers and websites He lives in Edmonds

David Pan

David has written for Beacon Publishing since 2015 He has been editor of the Mukilteo Beacon since 2020 The Mukilteo Beacon took home the first-place award in general excellence in the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association’s 2022 Better Newspaper Contest; Pan won four first-place writing awards He lives in Edmonds

Maria A. Montalvo

Maria has served as a columnist for the Beacon Newspapers since 2016, writing two columns, including the Beacon’s biweekly restaurant and art review column, Arts & Appetite Maria also works as a consultant in the nonprofit sector and lives in Edmonds with her husband and beach-loving dog, Lulu

Chris Trujillo

Chris has been a freelance contributor for Beacon Publishing since September 2022 He started his career in journalism at the Mukilteo Beacon 23 years ago while a junior at the University of Washington He lives in Mukilteo

Brenda Kohlmyer

Brenda has been a freelancer for the Edmonds Beacon since 2017 She began her freelance career at the University of Washington After graduating, she continued covering a variety of issues, including housing, transportation, elder care, the timber industry, local government, and business She lives in Edmonds with her cat Cooper and a goldfish named Fish

Our Contributors

An aerial balloon lands on the grounds of Snohomish Balloon Company in Snohomish� Photos of groups landing, in-flight, and inside balloons as they are deflated, are taken by the crew and shared with passengers The chief pilot, Captain Bob, has logged more than 9,000 hours worldwide

– Tina Abedyll Mattson photo

Murderers caught years later, but what about privacy concerns?

C O N V I C T E D by DNA

By Brian Soergel

As a boy, all Jim Scharf ever wanted to be was a police officer. “I wanted to help people and put the bad guys in jail,” he says.

In 2018, Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office cold case detective Scharf was instrumental in convicting one of the baddest: William Earl Talbott II, by all accounts a one-and-done killer.  With the help of advances in forensic genealogy, Scharf – and a used coffee cup – secured the final piece of the puzzle connecting Talbott to the brutal slayings of Jay Cook, 20, and Tanya Van Cuylenborg, 18, more than 30 years earlier.

Talbott’s capture led to an historic first: In 2019, the murder of the two young victims became the first genetic genealogy case to make it to trial. And it happened right here in Snohomish County.

Scharf is technically retired now, but his passion for justice – however long it takes – compels him to consult with the sheriff’s office on unsolved crimes, even while taking care of his ailing wife.

His dogged pursuit of justice has brought painful but needed closure to family members.

Today, he remembers all his cold cases. But there’s one in particular – the tragic story of two Canadians

Jay Cook’s body was found under High Bridge on the east side of Snoqualmie River, south of Monroe.

Photo by Brian Soergel

All photos in this article courtesy of Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office except where noted.

with their lives ahead of them – taking what should have been a short trip to Seattle’s SoDo neighborhood to secure a simple transaction.

THE MURDERS

The story of what happened to the young man and woman from Vancouver Island is grippingly told in Pulitzer Prize winning author Edward Humes’ 2022 bestseller, “The Forever Witness: How DNA and Genealogy Solved a Cold Case Dou ble Murder.”

It began Nov. 17, 1987, when Jay and his girlfriend, Tanya, left their homes in Oak Bay and Saanich, respectively, to pick up a replacement furnace in Seattle for Cook’s father, who ran a heating service and repair business.

The regular supplier was unavailable, so they hopped into the Cook family’s bronze 1977 Ford Club Wagon van, promising to be back shortly.

They drove onto the ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles, with Jay’s plan to head east on Highway 101 before making the turn on SR 104 to catch the ferry in Bremerton.

But Cook missed the turn, which led the couple down Hood Canal. They made a stop to ask for directions, and eventually made it up Kitsap Peninsula to Bremerton.

It’s known they bought a 10:16 p.m. ticket to Seattle. But that’s where the trail ended for detectives later trying to trace their path.

A week later, a man scavenging for aluminum cans on Parson Creek Road south of the small Skagit County town of Alger found Tanya. She’d been raped and shot in the head.

Two days later, pheasant hunters discovered Jay’s body next to the Snoqualmie River south of Monroe. Their hunting dog found him under one of the bridge’s wooden support beams. He’d been murdered in a “ruinous, frenzied attack,” wrote Humes.

It was Thanksgiving day.

COLD CASE TEAM

Jim Scharf, a Vietnam veteran, began his law enforcement career in 1977 as a custody officer at Snohomish County Jail in Everett. After taking a job with the City of Snohomish, he returned to the sheriff’s office in 1984 as a patrol deputy, later serving two terms as sheriff.  Scharf worked homicides and crimes against children for years before then-Sheriff Rick Bart created a cold case team in 2005. The goal was to add a

Scharf was one of two detectives assigned to the team. He would go on to work with three different partners before retiring in 2022. His tally: 24 cases

His work was well-known in Puget Sound, but it was Jay and Tanya’s murder that put Scharf’s name in

– were certain that a truck driver named William Talbott II was the killer, but also knew his DNA was needed to link him to the murders. They had DNA taken from a palm print found on the couple’s van, abandoned in Bellingham a few days after Tanya’s murder.

Their break came May 18, 2018. Scharf had assigned a surveillance team to shadow Talbott as he made his daily deliveries of machine parts, as Humes recounts in his book.

That day in May, a paper coffee cup dropped from Talbott’s truck when he opened his door. Talbott didn’t notice it. But a deputy snatched the cup, and a print taken from it matched Talbott’s DNA.

“I got tears in my eyes then,” said Scharf. “I knew this thing was finally solved.”

The DNA had been painstakingly discovered through DNA research of Talbott’s family tree, traced by renowned forensic genealogist CeCe Moore after semen samples from Parabon NanoLabs in Virginia were delivered to the public ancestry database GEDmatch.

Scharf had always planned to retire in 2019, but Talbott’s conviction in Snohomish County Superior Court that year pushed his deadline back.

“When I arrested Talbott a year before that, I knew

Retired Sheriff Jim Scharf

William Talbott II

that genetic genealogy was a new tool that was going to be able to solve any case,” he said. “We had DNA evidence, so I decided to stay on and solve the five cases that we had DNA evidence on.”

After Talbott was sentenced to life in prison for two counts of aggravated first-degree murder, he appealed the conviction, citing what he called a biased juror. That appeal was overturned in December 2021 by the state appeals court but the state Supreme Court reinstated the guilty verdict in December 2022.

Today, Talbott is 60 years old and a prisoner at Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla.

CHUCK WRIGHT

Mill Creek resident Chuck Wright, a licensed mental health professional and certified traumatic stress specialist, knows James Scharf well. Wright has worked on numerous cold cases. For him, there was one that he remembers especially well.

In March 2005, Wright –who writes a column for Beacon Publishing – was asked to be a volunteer on the new and developing Snohomish County Sheriff’s

“I asked him to be a volunteer because I worked with him in peer support,” said Scharf. “He does debriefings. He was a retired Department of Corrections supervisor. He stayed as a volunteer on the cold case team until I retired.”

Wright’s job:

To review more than 60 cases and provide input on which had a high probability of being solved. One of the first he reviewed was that of a 20-year-

Chuck Wright stands under High Bridge along the Snoqualmie River, where Jay Cook’s body was found. He helped in the convictions of both William Talbott II and Terrence Miller, Jody Loomis' murderer, among others.

Photo by Brian Soergel

old woman by the name of Jody Loomis.

On Aug. 23, 1972, Jody decided to hop on her bike to where she boarded her horse, just east of Mill Creek off 35th Street SE. From her house on Winesap Road, Jody peddled to North Road, then from North Road down 164th Street SE and across Bothell-Everett Highway and up Penny Creek Road, now Mill Creek Road.

For an unknown reason, about three-tenths of a mile up the road, Jody took a left on to a logging trail. It was there where two individuals found her, barely alive. She had been raped and shot in the head. She died on the way to the hospital.

“I’m often asked out of all the 65 cases that I reviewed, why did this one really touch my soul,” said Wright. “Jody was heading out to ride her horse, and since my wife Karen and my granddaughter Katelyn are horse lovers, this greatly added to my interest.”

Jody’s murder occurred about a mile from Wright’s house.

Through the years, as he drove past the horrific crime scene, Wright often diverted his eyes to the location. When it was in his rear-view mirror, his thoughts returned to a nagging question: Who murdered Jody Loomis?

He received an answer April 10, 2019, when Sheriff’s Office detectives arrested Terrence Miller for Loomis’ murder. Miller, identified as a suspect through genetic genealogy, was arrested without incident at his home on 52nd Place West, in unincorporated Snohomish County with an Edmonds mailing address.

Miller pleaded not guilty in April 2019 in Snohomish County Superior Court to charges of first-degree premeditated murder. But just before his trial, in November 2020, Miller killed himself.

It was the second case that Scharf solved using genetic genealogy, receiving many hours of help from Wright. For Scharf, Miller’s arrest provided an unsettling coda to the case. Miller knew Scharf was after him, especially after seeing him on the “Washington’s Most Wanted” TV show.

“I found out after I arrested him that he had been on a bowling league with my brother,” Scharf said.

“(Miller) looked at my brother, who looks a lot like me, thinking that that guy’s brother is after me. He was looking over his shoulder because when we arrested William Talbott II, he kept the newspaper saying that he was caught using genetic genealogy.

“We found a newspaper in Miller’s house seven months after we arrested Talbott. He still had the newspaper sitting out on his table reminding him that we were after him.”

Wright felt a sense of relief after Miller’s arrest.

“What also motivated me to find Jody’s killer was I knew eventually we could solve this heinous crime,” Wright said. “And I wanted to make sure it was solved before I left the unit.”

Wright was also involved in the long hunt for Tanya and Jay’s killer.

“I spent a lot of time reading and rereading through large three-hole binders, taking notes and being involved in the group discussions on how to proceed with the case.”

On a trip in May to be photographed by High Bridge for this article, where Jay’s body was found, tears moistened his eyes as the bridge came into view.

‘THE FOREVER WITNESS’

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Edward Humes was living in Seattle when Scharf helped in Talbott’s eventual arrest.

“The role of genetic genealogy in ending this enduring mystery certainly intrigued me along with everyone else,” he said, “coming so quickly on the heels of the first big case solved this way, the Golden State Killer in California.”

The conventional wisdom after that first big case was that such solves would be a rarity. But the arrest in Jay and Tanya's case turned that thinking on its head.

“It wasn’t the fascinating science side of the story that made me certain I wanted to write ‘The Forever Witness,’” he said.

Jody Loomis was murdered in 1972 in what is now Mill Creek city limits. Genetic genealogy identified Terrence Miller as the killer in 2019. The case was one of Chuck Wright’s most personal – it happened about a mile from his house.

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Edward Humes has written the definitive book on the murders of Tanya Van Cuylenborg and Jay Cook.

Photo courtesy of Michael Goulding/Dutton

“That came with getting to know the people whose lives were so profoundly affected by this crime: Tanya and Jay and their families and friends, the genetic genealogist CeCe Moore, the seemingly unlikely suspect, William Earl Talbott II, and cold case detective Jim Scharf.

“Their tales are so rich, illuminating, and compelling that I felt I could write a book that doesn’t just focus on the inhumanity of a violent crime, but finds the humanity within that story.”

Humes visited all the major locations described in the book, including the lonely Skagit County road where Tanya’s body was found.

Visits also included the High Bridge, which is not far from Talbott’s family home at the time of the killings; the spots in Bellingham where their van and other possessions were found; the route they drove from Vancouver Island to Seattle, later paralleled by Tanya’s dad and brother as they frantically searched for the missing couple; their hometowns of Saanich and Oak Bay near Victoria; Talbott’s former home and haunts; and many others.

Scharf played a major role in Humes’ book, as you might expect.

“Obsessive attention to detail and phenomenal patience are job requirements for any successful cold case detective, and from my observations, Jim Scharf lives, breathes, dreams – when he can sleep at all – all his cold cases, not just this one.

“He also brings a tremendous amount of empathy and understanding of human nature to his work, dating back to his earlier detective assignments – he once hugged a confession out of a killer. A cold case detective has to be willing to try new approaches, knowing they might fail as often as they succeed, which is why Scharf got interested in genetic genealogy months before it made headlines in the Golden State Killer case. His obsession made him an innovator.”

PRIVACY CONCERNS

Although genetic genealogy has been extremely successful in solving seemingly unsolvable

GREG ELWIN: Service before self for his real estate clients

Throughout his long career as a law enforcement officer – eventually rising to chief of police in Mill Creek after over 25 years in Thurston County – Greg Elwin was a public servant. Now that he’s retired, he’s found a new calling, focusing on his clients as a real estate broker with Bellevue-based Raintown Realty.

“I have called the Puget Sound area home for most of my life, and I have a great appreciation for everything that makes the Northwest a tremendous place to live and work,” said Greg, who is based in Mill Creek. “I’m here to walk with my clients on their journey, to be a resource for them, to really just serve at the same level that I spent over 30 years in public safety.”

Greg realizes that buying or selling a home can be stressful. His background helps keep his clients grounded. “I want folks to know I’ve got their back, and that I’m here to take care of what they need, to anticipate and respond to what those needs might be. I like to bring my clients a service-before-self approach, the same as when I was in law enforcement.”

Those looking to buy or sell a home in Western Washington can gain from Greg’s vast knowledge of the area, as he’s lived throughout the region, from the South Sound to the north end of the greater Seattle/Everett metropolitan area and points in between. Though he knows Puget Sound, it is Mill Creek and South Snohomish County where he spends his time working with clients and friends.

Greg says that the whole of real estate can be somewhat like football; offense and defense are both football, but distinctly different when it comes time to play. In this way, listing a home for sale and helping folks buy a home can be the same way.

“It’s all football. And the rules are the same for everybody. But your strategies are different, and buying and selling homes is the same kind of thing. When I represent buyers or sellers, I have a really strong appreciation for the difference between the two.”

That means employing different strategies. On one hand, he’s committed to helping a seller get as much as they can for their property and help them get to that next level, whether it’s upgrading, downsizing, or relocating. And you want to ensure that they get the most money they can and help position them for the next chapter.

The flip side: Greg will work to help folks achieve their dreams, but also to protect their money and spend as little as possible. That way, buyers can use what they have left over to make their new house the home they want it to be.

So yes, there are subtle differences in representing buyers and sellers, but he approaches his clients the same way: He’s here to help.

“I’ll give you my guidance and my expertise and help along the way,” Greg says. “I believe my foundation of service, as well as my commitment to communications and relationships, positions me very well to serve the needs of buyers and sellers. As your agent, I will put your needs first and commit myself to helping you find or sell your home. If you need an agent in South Snohomish County, give me a chance to earn your business! I believe in putting people first and providing excellent service always. What can I do to help?”

TO GET IN TOUCH: greg@raintownrealty.com or 360-789-5557. www.gregelwin.com

Greg Elwin uses his expertise to help buyers and sellers realize their dreams.

Their tales are so rich, illuminating, and compelling that I felt I could write a book that doesn’t just focus on the inhumanity of a violent crime, but finds the humanity within that story.

A cup discarded by William Talbott II was used for testing against DNA connected to the murders of two young Canadians.

“That’s what you do every time you spit in a tube and send it off to 23andMe or Ancestry.com, then share the result with other users of the service in order to find your most distant relatives around the world. So in that sense, genetic genealogy’s future as a business is booming, unimpeded by privacy concerns.”

Humes says investigative genetic genealogy – law-enforcement using consumer DNA data in a novel way to solve crimes – has an uncertain future, but not because of privacy issues.

“Five years ago, it seemed we had entered an age of crime-fighting miracles, thanks to the pioneering work of hobbyists and citizen scientists who have shown the law-enforcement community how to do it.

“But since then, the feds and the states have dropped the ball. There has been none of the funding, legislation, transparency, oversight, or training that has lifted earlier forensic breakthroughs from obscurity to ubiquity. Many cops still don’t understand it.”

Most crime labs aren’t equipped for testing.

Today, genetic genealogy is not part of standard investigative procedures, even though it has just as much potential for use in active investigations as well as cold cases, Humes said.

Then there’s the profiteering problem.

Unlike other vital law-enforcement technologies, Humes said, two private companies have been allowed

The result: genetic genealogy remains a novelty instead of a mainstay in crime fighting, deployed in only a few hundred high-profile cases a year.

Humes said it could and should be used to identify suspects in up to 60,000 unsolved violent crimes a year, according to data from the FBI and forensics company Verogen.

In his book, Humes concludes that Americans may be sharing too much information with for-profit genealogy companies.

What would he say to someone who is considering supplying their DNA?

“Just go in with your eyes wide open and make an informed decision. Understand you may be helping to crowd-source criminal investigations with your DNA, though to be clear, the police access only very limited data, basically the names and emails of possible distant relatives of criminal suspects.”

But others – hackers and data miners – could learn a lot more than that once your DNA is out there.

“DNA data that, among other things, predicts health tendencies, would be incredibly valuable to potential insurers, lenders, and employers. Genetic genealogy is the ultimate secret buster, and in an age of rampant identity theft, it’s something to consider. You can always replace your credit card number with a new one. You only get one DNA code.” n

Above: Detectives found Tanya Van Cuylenborg and Jay Cook’s van at Essie’s Tavern in Bellingham in November 1987. Right: Angela Hillard shows the jury Talbott’s palm print, lifted off the van, far right.

: A ZZ PI

An American obsession

A long history, and made well in Snohomish County

By Maria A. Montalvo

Did you know?

When the Italian city of Naples was part of the Spanish Empire, food historians believe a Spanish viceroy brought tomato seeds to the Viceroy of Naples, creating the base for modern pizza.

Pizza! Who doesn’t enjoy it?

It’s beloved by kids and teens, adults, older adults, picky eaters,  and … just about everybody. There is something about pizza that appeals to all.

But have you thought to wonder: Just what is pizza? Is it the round, thin pie of red sauce and mozzarella with a sprinkling of oregano? Does flatbread with caramelized onions and pine nuts qualify as pizza, as well?

Niles Peacock of Niles Peacock Kitchen & Bar in Edmonds has a thought: “Pizza is the original comfort food!”

So let’s go back in time. Humans have hungrily consumed flatbread with toppings since at least the eighth century. Persian soldiers carried baked breads with cheese and dates on their shields as they marched into battle.

Ancient Greeks enjoyed “plakous,” flatbread with herbs, onions, cheese, and garlic. A pizza-like meal of pita with veggies even shows up in Homer’s epic tale “The Iliad.”

The Alsatian flammkuchen, French tarte flambee, German zwiebelkuchen, and the rectangu-

An employee at Brooklyn Bros. Pizza cuts a pizza into slices in Mukilteo.

Photo

lar coca coc from Valencia, Spain, all look a bit like pizza.

The word “pizza” first appeared in southern Italy in 997, and by the 16th century, Naples and pizza were just about synonymous. Naples grew into a bustling, densely populated waterfront city of laborers with little spare time and even less money, and pizza was cheap and easy to eat.

By the late 19th century, Naples was back under Italian control, and legend has it that Queen Margherita, bored with a fancy French diet, asked for this pizza she’d heard about. The Queen loved it, especially the version with mozzarella, red tomatoes, and green basil.

You know where this is headed – the Queen’s favorite was christened “Pizza Margherita.” (The colors on a margherita pizza resemble those of the Italian flag, so it was also an astute political act.) Pizza became a national cultural tradition, and soon after, Italians – looking for new lives in America – carried their recipes with them on their long voyages to New York.

PIZZA IN AMERICA

Pizza appeared in home kitchens and kiosks with the streaming of Italian immigrants to America, especially New York, but just like so many cuisines we now know well in the U.S., many Americans knew nothing of pizza until World War II.

Allied troops, stationed in Italy, loved the easy-toeat and delicious food and sought it out after returning home. The pizza served by Italian immigrants in America, as well as versions across Europe, soon consolidated under a single, Napolitan-style pizza with a crunchy crust, foldable base, and traditional toppings.

Perhaps that early migration to New York is why pizza is still claimed by New Yorkers and East Coasters alike as being the country’s truest pizzas. That belief has made it as far as the Puget Sound.

In the words of the team at Mukilteo-based Brooklyn Bros. Pizza: “We cater to a lot of East Coast transplants. We love hearing from our guests that we provide them with a slice of home.”

Like New York, Seattle also experienced a wave of Italian immigration by the turn of the 20th century. The Rainier Valley became the center of the Italian community, with Manca’s Café thought to be the first Italian restaurant in Seattle.

The first pizza pie hit the Palace Grill menu in 1948, with several pizza chains popping up around Seattle, including Pizza Pete in 1957, Pagliacci in 1979, the tasty Zeeks in 1993, fast-growing MOD Pizza in 2008, and more recently, Tom Douglas’ fabulous Serious Pie (that Yukon Gold potato pizza is a stunner).

Today, south Snohomish County has its own pizza.

Moto owner Lee Kindell inside his latest pizza restaurant, in Edmonds.

Photo by Brian Soergel

MUKILTEO

When I first visited Brooklyn Bros. Pizza in Mukilteo, a fellow East Coaster told me never to go anywhere else. It reminds me of the pizza place I loved as a kid in Philadelphia, and for good reason: “We strive to serve authentic New York pizza (no pineapple!),” said marketing manager Henry Yarsinske Jr., “and chose Everett for our first location based on the water quality and its similarities to Brooklyn tap water.”

Brooklyn Bros.’ dough is still handrolled daily at the Everett location, and the restaurant has a much-loved menu of classics, as well as Sicilian-style pizza – a thicker, rustic version. It’s difficult to decide between my beloved cheese pizza and the Signature NY Combos.

The Bensonhurst is a veggie delight, with artichoke hearts, olives, onion, sun-dried tomato, and roasted garlic, as is the very meaty alternative, the Bowery, with pepperoni, Italian sausage, and

roasted garlic. Luckily, we can get more than one pizza and return day after day. Brooklyn Bros. is proud of its presence in our area, founded in 2006 in downtown Everett using a “hard-won dough recipe and high-quality ingredients.” Brooklyn Bros. is my go-to pizza spot, and you will never be disappointed in Brooklyn with pizza. There are four locations, including Mukilteo on the Speedway and in Mill Creek on Main Street.

Brooklyn Bros. Pizza offers authentic East Coast-style pies with several styles of crust. Founded in Everett in 2006, it now has four locations, including Mukilteo and Mill Creek. Its dough is hand-rolled daily. Pictured: a meat pizza.

Photo courtesy Brooklyn Bros. Pizza

EDMONDS

In downtown Edmonds, there are a number of spots for a great pizza pie. Add the great atmosphere and a cocktail or two, and you’ve got a special night out.

Every night, Fire & The Feast, on Main Street, offers at least five specialty pizzas in its wood-fired oven. The restaurant has worked hard to perfect a gluten-free crust. The fantastic pizza crust is definitely the base of their variety of yummy pizzas, from the traditional Margherita to Spicy Sausage or the Primavera, laden with veggies.

Niles Peacock Kitchen & Bar is just a few blocks away in Edmonds, by the ferry. But this place exists on the other side of the pizza spectrum. Even if you are a pizza purist, like me, you quickly learn that Niles makes great pizza, and much of that is a result of his approach to the crust.

In addition to perfecting his recipe and approach, hiring one of the three American-certified Master Pizzaiolos, Peacock installed a double-decked Marsal pizza oven during the early days of the pandemic. When he was asked, “How good do you want to get at making pizzas?” he replied: “Among pizza chefs that are the best in the world, I want to be among that group.”

He’s on his way.

Peacock was recognized at the International Pizza Expo, win ning first place for best nontraditional pizza in the Northwest ern U.S., and he and his partner, Will Grant, recently returned from competing in Parm, Italy, with 770 pizza chefs from around the world.

Peacock was ranked in the top third with his American-style gourmet pizza, and Grant took seventh for best in the world. Niles Peacock Kitchen & Bar offers two styles of sourdough: Artisan New York, and a signature five-day classic Detroit. The restaurant’s selection of pies ranges from the traditional pepperoni to the outrageous More Cow Bell and crave-worthy Breakfast for Dinner. (Imagine my surprise when I took a bite of the pesto sauce-topped crust with mozzarella, parmesan, bacon, and sunny-side eggs. So tasty.)

Peacock is also a recognized mixologist, and the cocktails at his restaurant are nothing short of marvelous.

Back on Main Street, Edmonds also became home to the wildly popular, self-described “Seattle’s Odd Pizza” place, Moto, when it opened a location in Edmonds in 2023.

You have to wait months for your preordered pizza or show up outside the doors well before opening time at 5 p.m. to get one of the few available on the same day. The pizza is thick

Pictured from the top: A traditional Margherita pizza from Fire & the Feast (Edmonds.) A deep dish from Elliot Bay Pizza (Mill Creek), and award-winning Niles Peacock preparing a pizza at Niles Peacock Kitchen & Bar (Edmonds).

Humans have hungrily consumed flatbread with toppings since at least the eighth century.

Photo courtesy of Elliott Bay Pizza

Photo by Maria A. Montalvo

Photo courtesy of Fire

and square and so very different, but once you bite into these creations, you understand the hype.

Toppings range from pork belly and lime sauce to clams and bacon, and even lemon, dill, and Dungeness crab. Moto may not serve pizza you have seen before, but life is meant to be lived and pizza meant to be eaten, so go for it.

MILL CREEK

Elliot Bay Pizza started in Seattle, but its Mill Creek loca tion is locally owned and clearly beloved by its patrons. Its three-page menu features pizza, pasta, subs, and much more. Its classic cheese pizza and the Tivoli (pep peroni) bring together good ingredients and pizza-mak ing skills – the marks of good pizza.

The restaurant offers a selection of five sauces and dozens of toppings, so you can build your own pizza. It’s rightfully proud of a selection of rotating beers on tap. The folks at Elliot Bay are also incredibly kind and fun, and their attention to detail makes you want to return.

WE ALL LOVE PIZZA

As soon as humans learned to bake bread, we put something else on top of it and began enjoying a version of this simple food. Pizza has become decidedly Ameri can – it is all things under one name and yet still fiercely individual, representing whatever regional ingredients we hold dear.

As Bill Murray once said: “Unless you are a pizza, the answer is yes, I can live without you.”

Inset:

Artist's Corner - James Madison, Tulalip Tribes

James Madison is a master wood carver from the Tulalip Tribes who also works in glass, bronze, and stainless steel. His ancestry includes Snoqualmie, Snohomish, Skykomish, Duwamish, Skagit, and Tlingit bloodlines. “It is my goal to keep my culture alive and show that my people are not petrified. My sculptures are educational and provide historical stories from the area – I believe in the power of telling local stories through my art.”

Madison learned of his culture and carving skills as his father and grandfather told ancestral cultural stories. He later studied European art forms at the University of Washington.

“I like to make traditional art pieces with a modern twist. In order to help keep my culture alive, I needed to show my people’s art in different mediums.”

Throughout Lighthouse Park in Mukilteo, Madison has created artistic reminders of Native Americans present in the region for at least 10,000 years. In addition to a metal cube sculpture, he created an 18-foot, old-growth driftwood cedar log into what he calls “Mother Earth.” It represents earth, wind, water, and fire, elements integral to local Native American culture.

In addition, tribal cultural artworks Madison created can also be seen at the Mukilteo ferry terminal.

Tulalip Tribes artist James Madison stands in front of the glass wall he created for the new Mukilteo ferry terminal.

Madison’s “Mother Earth” at Lighthouse Park in Mukilteo. The 18-foot driftwood carving reminds all that Mother Earth is always watching.

Photo by David Pan

Photo by Martine Grube

Local grocery options still exist in era of chain mega-mergers

caters to customers who want to know they are buying quality meat and who also want a relationship with the farmers providing their food.

This is the essence of farm-to-table, the movement started 50 years ago by restaurateurs like Alice Waters of Berkeley’s Chez Panisse and, locally, by Ron Zimmerman and Carrie Van Dyck of Woodinville’s The Herbfarm.

Revolutionary for the time, Waters, Zimmerman, Van Dyck, and other chefs and restaurateurs on the West Coast began bypassing grocery middle-men and working directly with farmers to source meat and produce grown sustainably, but to high quality standards and perhaps most importantly, close to their restaurants. Sometimes the produce was grown mere steps from

standard.

Today’s farm-to-table options, with independent farmers selling directly to consumers who visit the farm or pick up produce at a local farm stand, live in stark contrast with consolidation in the grocery industry.

Last October’s announcement by Cincinnati-based Kroger and Boise-based Albertsons will bring two dozen grocery stores in Snohomish County under one corporate entity if the business deal is finalized as planned in 2024.

The merger makes good business sense for two corporations intent on maximizing profit, shareholder value, and supply chain leverage. However, Safeway and Albertsons customers who’ve been accustomed to

Photo courtesy of Hagan Family Farm

chains in recent years has sparked a resurgence of interest in the counterbalancing movement aimed at empowering both local farmers and consumers who want to know where their groceries are coming from.

and shopping for fresh local meat and produce is well within reach on the warmer days of summer. A short weekend drive up I-5 or Highway 2, a stop at a farm stand on the way home from work, or better still,

Country Farms in Edmonds has competitive prices, as well as a large array of quality local fruits and vegetables.

Photos by Brenda Kohlmyer

a produce box subscription delivered weekly, are all viable options for bringing farm fresh produce to your table in the coming months.

THE SCENIC ROUTE: VISIT THE FARM ITSELF

If you left the thickets of construction cranes behind and headed north to Mount Vernon on any April day, you’d likely have been headed for a visit to arguably the most famous farms in the region. But the tulip fields in Skagit County aren’t the only draw north of Everett, however.

During summer, you can pick strawberries, raspber ries, blackberries, tayberries (a cross between raspber ries and blackberries), and blueberries. U-pick berry farms range from the (self-described) no-frills Harvold Berry Farm in Carnation to the event-packed Biringer Farm in Arlington, which has been growing strawber ries since 1948.

Berry picking is especially fun with young children, but gauge everyone’s tolerance for crowds, noise, and activity in addition to the main berry picking event before deciding on a destination.

Harvold and other U-pick farms also plant corn and pumpkin patches to draw families out all summer.

Oxbow Farm and Conservation Center goes beyond U-pick and has a wide range of produce available at its seasonal farm stand in Carnation. In a true farm-to-table

experience, Oxbow offers memberships and volunteer opportunities for customers who want a consistent farm experience throughout the year.

Hagen Family Farm focuses on meat production and offers beef, pork, and lamb.

“We harvest beef every month of every year,” said Barbara Hagen, but pork is harvested about two to three times a year and lamb is sold in spring and fall, with the next harvest planned in September.

Buying farm-to-table meat and poultry is different than driving to the grocery store and picking up a pack of wings to cook after work.

Hagen’s customers know to contact the farmers in advance to arrange purchase and pickup, so this is less of a spur-of-the-moment event and more of a “we’ve planned ahead and have a freezer in the garage” endeavor.

If you’re in the mood for an over-the-water trip, take the Mukilteo-Clinton ferry and drive the length of Whidbey Island to KR Farm Stand. Situated in a meadow along SR 20 just south of Deception Pass, the stand sells produce from as close as Oak Harbor and as far away as Yakima.

In addition to its wide selection of chops, steaks, cold cuts, and more, Double DD Meats in Mountlake Terrace has more than 3,000 hot sauces.

Photo by Brenda Kohlmyer

If you’re just out for a day-trip, stop for the ice cream and local honey.

THE EXPEDITIOUS ROUTE: STOP AT THE LOCAL PRODUCE STAND OR BUTCHER SHOP

While Edmonds hosts farmers markets on a regular schedule, dinner happens every night and sometimes things come up midweek. When that happens, search out one of the permanent produce stands.

The Country Farms produce stand on the southwest corner of Highway 99 and 228th Street SW in Edmonds buys from Snohomish and Skagit county farms, but also brings in fruit and produce from Yakima, Wenatchee, Oregon, and Idaho, well within the 400-mile radius the USDA classifies as local.

With produce in the bag, take 228th east past scenic Lake Ballinger Park and the Mountlake Terrace Transit Center construction zone, and you’ll find a lowslung, ’50s-era strip mall in Mountlake Terrace with the specialty butcher shop Double DD Meats.

Featuring two long counters of fresh meat and cold cuts, and a 50-foot run of freezers stocked with beef, chicken, lamb and a few other options, the store is a mecca for people craving highgrade, locally-raised meat, but don’t want to buy an entire freezer full.

Second-generation owner Kim Nygard says customers have friends fly in from out of town, and Double DD Meats is first on their itineraries.

Before you – and your visitors – step up to the counter, wander the aisles and try to decide which of the many, many sauces, marinades, rubs, horseradish sauces, and mustards you want to accompany your meat.

In fact, the shelves are so well stocked you may notice them before you notice the meat counters. Nygard says there are about 3,000 different hot sauces alone, and way over 1,000 barbeque sauces.

When her son Justin was learning the

Owner Kim Nygard grabs a fresh cut of meat for a customer at Double DD Meats. The shop is typically packed with longtime fans and those who hear about it from word of mouth.

Photo by Brian Soergel

ropes, they made a bet about the number. “I started counting and I got to 2,500 and I stopped counting,” he said. “So I knew I’d lost that bet.”

THE ALL-IN ROUTE: SUBSCRIBE TO A PRODUCE BOX

The quintessential farm-to-table experience is buying a subscription for a summer of produce box deliveries. Over the years, farmers have begun to offer more options with their community-supported agriculture delivery services, and now most offer smaller boxes. However, small families or individu als may want to buy a subscription to split with a friend.

Local CSAs include Lowlands Farm, and One Leaf Farm in Sno homish, and Full Circle, which operates out of a farm in North Bend, but delivers throughout the region.

However, exercise due diligence and research other com panies offering farm-to-table meat. Barn-to-Door and Crowd Cow contract with farmers and sell meat through websites, essentially setting up as middle-men between consumers and farmers.

Barbara Hagen stresses that it’s important to keep the twostep “farm-to-table” process in mind.

“So many people don’t realize you can go directly to the farm er,” she said. “People think farm-to-table is just not going to go away” but to keep the movement, and local farming, alive, customers with tables need to directly seek out farmers with meat and produce. n

Owner Kim Nygard stands by one of Double DD Meats’ two long counters of local sourced meats and cold cuts.

Photo by Brian Soergel

No two days are alike

From beavers to birds to lizards, PAWS wildlife veterinary technician never knows what to expect

By David Pan

Wildlife veterinary technician Veronica Gordon has no idea what the day will bring

A Day in the Life

from a fracture needs physical therapy.

Later in the week, Gordon might work on a barred owl or peregrine falcon with serious wounds after they’ve scuffled with other birds. She sometimes is surprised by the unexpected, such as the arrival of a northern alligator lizard with a traumatic tail amputation.

All of the above and more can take place on any given day – and

Veterinary technician Veronica Gordon administers anesthesia to a black bear cub.

Veronica Gordon

All photos

courtesy of PAWS

PLAN A TRIP TO CLINTON WASHINGTON, WHIDBEY ISLAND

Hop aboard the Clinton/Mukilteo Ferry and enjoy a 15-minute boat ride from Mukilteo to Clinton. Once you disembark you are greeted by a FREE bus at the terminal that will take you into Clinton. Once you have arrived you will be greeted with shopping, markets, local art, breweries, and cuisine to your heart’s content.

Embrace the harmony of nature with several nearby parks and public beach access.

Whether you seek adventure, relaxation, or simply a getaway from the ordinary, Clinton welcomes you.

www.discoverclintonwa.com

DiscoverClintonWA @clinton_chamber_

actually did during a weekday shift this spring. You can count on it: No two days are alike at the PAWS Wildlife Center in Lynnwood.

“That’s what I like about it,” said Gordon, who moved from Massachusetts two and a half years ago to join the center’s veterinary team. “I think the variety is something that really draws all of us doing this work.”

The PAWS Wildlife Center includes an emergency hospital and specialized recovery facilities designed to rehabilitate sick, injured, and orphaned wildlife, restore them to full health, and return them to their natural habitats.

More than 260 species of mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles are treated at the center. The majority are birds and mammals. Amphibians and reptiles aren’t as common in Washington.

“We don’t see those as much,” said Gordon. “That being said, in the past week, we’ve gotten a frog and that alligator lizard.”

A SECOND SET OF HANDS

A wildlife veterinary technician’s duties are as varied as the species of animals treated at the Wildlife Center.

Gordon administers medication, runs diagnostic

tests like CT scans or radiographs, does lab work, puts wildlife under anesthesia, consults with veterinarians, and carries out treatment plans.

“We wear a lot of different hats,” she said. “But at the end of the day, we are a second set of hands for veterinarians we work with. We’re another set of eyes and ears. If this was like a general practice for dogs and cats, we would be the interface between the patient and the client for the veterinarian.”

Gordon earned her pre-veterinary degree at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She worked at the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA) Angell Animal Medical Center, a large emergency specialty hospital. She focused on exotic animals for several years.

She is licensed both in Massachusetts and Washington. The veterinary field is similar to the human medical field in that to be certified in a specialty, people have to do internships, publish papers, and complete a residency before taking specific boards.

“For wildlife that is still something that’s developing, and so my coworker Ian and I are licensed by the state,” said Gordon. “But we don’t have the specialty boards. It’s something that we are on a committee to develop.”

“You lose some of that personable and connection aspect,” Gordon said of wildlife. “With dogs and cats, you can pet them. You can talk to them. You can kind of build a rapport with them. Whereas all of our patients here are, rightfully as they should be and as we want, they don’t want anything to do with us. We don’t get that pet interaction that you do in the other field. And so I think it really comes down to caring about the environment, being really invested in the species.”

Each animal entering the Wildlife Center is unique, and that means Gordon and the medical team have to conduct research. It’s not like Gordon has a manual she can turn to.

“We’re trying things out and seeing if it works for the patient as opposed to having a lot of known information.”

MAKING THE ROUNDS

An admissions specialist is the first contact when a member of the public calls about an injured wild animal. The specialist determines whether a wild animal needs to come into the center and advises people on how they can safely get the animal into a container and transport it to the center with the least amount of stress possible.

One of the center’s four rehabilitators performs an initial exam, and based on protocols established by the veterinarian, the animal either sees a veterinarian or is euthanized. Those animals admitted are given about a day to stabilize.

“That’s when the veterinary team comes in,” said Gordon. “I evaluate all the patient records in the morning.”

The Wildlife Center has rounds every day, similar to medical rounds at hospitals.

The 30-year-old Seattle resident decided to pursue a career in the wildlife veterinary field in college. An internship with the Audubon Society left quite an impression. The organization operated a wildlife sanctuary where it hosted educational presentations with raptors.

“That was my first exposure to wildlife. Before that, I was that little girl picking up toads in the yard and trying to show them to other people, and other people were saying ‘no.’”

Many who enter the veterinary tech field are drawn by the prospect of working with animals, said Gordon. But those who work with wildlife often have different motivations.

“We discuss all of the patients that are under veterinary care with the other members of our hospital. This is where we bring up concerns. We talk about the logistics of care because not every wild animal loves being here, and sometimes we have to work together to figure out how we can minimize their stress. Each case is really unique. Then from there, we plan our day around the new patients, rechecks, and planned surgical procedures.”

On this particular day, Gordon and a veterinarian checked on the status of an eagle healing from a fracture. Gordon also attended to a great horned owl recovering from a fractured radius. Physical therapy was scheduled the next day.

PAWS animal care specialists inspect the beak and palate of an injured bald eagle.

DISCOVER FEDELTA HOME CARE: Your Trusted Partner to Age-in-Place

Aging is an inevitable part of life, and as we grow older, we may require additional assistance at home. Fortunately, you are not alone in this journey. Fedelta Home Care, an award-winning service based in Seattle, is dedicated to providing a wide range of in-home care services, including nursing care, companionship, respite care, post-hospital care, daily living assistance, longterm care, and end-of-life care.

Flanna Perkins, the CEO of Fedelta, emphasizes the importance of their work, stating, “We serve a vulnerable population of seniors and people with disabilities. Most of our clients are elderly individuals who may need help with personal care, meal preparation, or housework. Many of them live alone or lack the support they require. Our services play a vital role in allowing people to age comfortably in their own homes.”

Established in 2004, the company’s mission is to provide quality care to seniors in the comfort of their own homes. Serving King, Snohomish, and parts of Pierce County, Fedelta has recently expanded its services to Portland, Oregon. With a team of over 150 caregivers, including 60 registered and pediatric nurses, they have become the premier inhome care specialists in the Pacific Northwest.

Perkins acknowledges the invaluable contribution of their workforce, stating, “We owe our success to our exceptional caregivers and their unwavering dedication. It’s not just about providing a service; our caregivers become an integral part of our clients’ families. Over my 20-plus-year career, I’ve witnessed exhausted family members taking on the role of caregivers for their loved ones. It’s truly remarkable to see the relief we can offer to these families, allowing them to focus on being family members again.”

As CEO since 2022, Perkins takes pride in Fedelta’s reputation for delivering highly responsive and adaptable service. Care plans and long-term health goals are tailored to meet the unique needs of each client. The nursing and care teams are available by phone 24/7, ensuring continuous support. Fedelta is renowned for providing same-day home care and prompt initiation of care.

Perkins also commends the dedication of Fedelta’s caregivers, remarking, “Our caregivers demonstrate remarkable commitment, and we are immensely grateful for their sacrifices in their personal lives to provide the level of care our clients need.”

Fedelta’s primary focus is on delivering essential care to their clients. Whether families require respite care, assistance due to accidents or injuries, or round-the-clock home care, Fedelta is there to support them. The importance of family is deeply ingrained in Fedelta’s values.

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fedeltahomecare.com

“We put pins in his bones to stabilize it,” said Gordon. “We have the wing immobilized just like we would immobilize a human. We’ll do anything from laceration repairs to full-on orthopedic surgeries.”

Animals are usually anesthetized during physical therapy to reduce their stress, especially those in severe pain.

“We can take that bandaging off and then we can stretch the muscles and get them to remember the full extension that they should have with a wing and just to help with the ease of pain,” said Gordon of the treatment for a great horned owl.

“We’re making sure that all the important components to flight are still available to that patient, and then when they are ready to have the hardware out and start to fly on their own, it makes it arguably an easier time for them to do so.”

PHYSICAL WORK

The work of a wildlife veterinary technician can be very physical. Example: Gordon had to restrain a beaver being treated. She chemically sedated the beaver so it could be put under general anesthesia.

“He doesn’t want us to touch him, and he’s not going to let it happen, so we need to sedate him,” said Gordon. “We had to carry him in. We had to position him for X-rays.”

at the center have infected wounds or wounds left untreated for an extended period of time.

“For some of them, the wounds are beyond repair

CEO Flanna Perkins: “We provide an essential role so people can age in place.”

Fedelta’s mission is to provide quality care to seniors in the comfort of their own homes.

An injured beaver is treated and about to be placed in an incubator.

A great horned owl gets an inspection of its wing.

for us, and this was the case for the guy that we were just working on,” said Gordon. “He had some really advanced stage necrosis of tissue (blood flow cut off to bones), and these super-deep bite wounds that we’re assuming came from another beaver.”

Gordon and the veterinary medical team face death on a regular basis.

“All of us here in this field are super compassion ate and empathic people,” she said. “Each life has significant value to us – anything from a mouse to a bear. It matters. We see its value. We do our best. It’s definitely a huge drain. For a lot of us in the veterinary field, we put our hearts into it.”

should heal very readily on his own with some safe space.”

FULL EVALUATION

The medical team gives animals a full evaluation during the initial exam. The team checks on motor functions, how the brain is functioning, and how the limbs are being used. After the initial exam, animals usually are put under anesthesia for their specific treatment. To wild animals, people are scary and their presence causes stress, said Gordon.

Anesthesia is a complicated subject. It’s not like spays and neuters for dogs and cats where the majority of animals are healthy, said Gordon. Wildlife

As difficult as euthanasia is, Gordon and her colleagues recognize its need and value.

“It eases the suffering and pain and gives these animals that easy way out,” said Gordon. “It ends up being kind of an easier pill to swallow, because when you see these animals suffering it’s like we can give them that option. It helps us, too.”

A busy day got even busier as Gordon performed wound care on the right pectoral of a barred owl. Gordon has been tending to the wound for about a week. She also followed up with a peregrine falcon the center received from the Urban Raptor Conservatory in Seattle.

The conservatory monitors and bands birds. This particular peregrine falcon was 19 years old and was involved in a fight with another falcon or bird.

“He’s got lots of little punctures and a lot of bruising, and some people saw him midair entangled with another bird, and then he fell to the ground,” said Gordon. “He’s got a clavicle fracture that we’re dealing with right now. And then he’s got a skull wound, and we’re trying to figure out how much bearing that’s having on his neurological status.”

A less traumatic case involved a northern alligator lizard that found its way to the center. It’s the first of its type Gordon has seen at PAWS. Many lizards and

Gordon said she spends about 70% of her time working directly with patients and 30% of her time on administrative tasks.

THE MOST MEMORABLE PATIENTS

Gordon will never forget her first summer in Washington. In 2021, four burned bear cubs res-

A technician examines an injured harbor seal pup.

A blue heron is intubated for surgery.

“It was sad seeing those guys in so much pain,” said Gordon. The bears had to recover not only from their burns but also from other traumatic injuries, including smoke inhalation. The bears’ bodies were trying to deal with all the stress after their lives were thrown out of whack due to the wildfire. Day by day, week by week, the bears regained their strength.

“It was a lot of work. We were sedating those bears every other day for a few weeks, and there were three of them. We did a heck of a lot of work. They did great, and we felt really proud of them. They did a lot of hard work.”

The life of a wildlife veterinary technician, especially during the peak season from spring to mid-fall, can be

physically draining. It can be incredibly rewarding.

The highs of helping rehabilitate a bird, a mouse, a lizard, or a beaver (while one beaver had to be euthanized, Gordon noted that another had recovered from its injuries and was released earlier in the week) back to health seem to outweigh the inevitable disappointments.

“It’s amazing to know that you’ve made a difference and that animal can get back out into the wild and live its natural life and contribute to breeding or maintaining the ecosystem,” said Gordon. “Especially when it’s something intensive, you have a lot of investment in it. It’s like those DIY house shows where you see a really ugly house at the beginning. You get to see the beautiful one at the end. That’s kind of wildlife rehab.”

If you encounter an injured wild animal call 425-412-4040 for help. n

By purchasing products and services through our enterprises, you help trainees in our job training program receive the vital work experience needed to achieve living wage employment.

A rehabilitated seagull is released.

A black bear cub is released into the wild by the PAWS Wildlife Center.

A bald eagle prepares to fly off into its natural habitat after being rehabilitated by the PAWS Wildlife Center.

Ingredients:

Season to Taste

Lavender Days Cocktail Lavender Days Cocktail

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz Uncle Val’s Botanical Gin

• 1 oz honey-lavender syrup (see below)

• 1 oz fresh lemon juice

• 2 dashes Fee Brothers Rhubarb Bitters

Syrup Mixing Directions:

Honey-Lavender Syrup:

• 4 tsp butterfly pea blossoms

• 1 cup honey

• 1/3 cup agave syrup

• 4 tsp lavender flowers

1. Pour 1 cup boiling water over butterfly pea blossoms. Steep for 5 minutes.

2. Strain, then whisk in honey, agave syrup, and lavender flowers (we use culinary grade lavender from Pelindaba Lavender in Edmonds).

3. Allow to cool.

Cocktail Directions:

Pour ingredients into a shaker over ice. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon wheel.

Tuna

Tataki

Tuna Tataki

• 1 1/2 lbs fresh tuna loins

• 1/2 bunch scallions, julienned

• 1/4 cup red onions, thinly sliced, seasoned w/ lime juice & salt

• 1 watermelon radish or pink radish, thinly sliced & quartered

Aguachile Sauce Recipe:

• 1 cup fresh lime juice

• 1/2 bunch cilantro

• 1 English cucumber, peeled & seeded

Directions:

1. Blend all aguachile sauce ingredients in a blender, then strain & keep the sauce refrigerated.

2. Season fresh tuna loins w/ salt & pepper.

3. Heat grill and sear tuna for one minute on each side.

4. Thinly slice the tuna after it has cooled & plate.

5. Top with scallions, red onion, radish, cilantro & Fresno peppers.

6. Garnish with charred avocado, aguachile sauce & volcanic salt.

Aguachile

Aguachile

• 1 oz micro cilantro or regular cilantro

• 2 Fresno peppers, thinly sliced

• 1 avocado

• Aguachile sauce (see below)

• Volcanic salt

• 1/4 cup white onion

• 2 garlic cloves

• 2 Serrano peppers

• Salt & pepper to taste

Courtesy of

321 Main Street, Edmonds

Courtesy of

8404 Bowdoin Way, Edmonds

Expect the unexpected

day trips that go beyond the ordinary

By Chris Trujillo

This summer, you can take your kids to a pool. To a waterpark. To the beach. To a park playground.

All great options.

But although the Northwest summer is short, there are still plenty of picture-perfect days in store. So why not try something new, something both fun and educational, that can be had in one day?

You don’t have to fight traffic, crowds, and parking fees in Seattle. If you’re looking for something with less hassle, options in Snohomish County could surprise you.

You can walk side-by-side with a 6-foot llama from Peru. Feed an Australian kangaroo or look into the eyes of a 9-foot, 450-pound alligator. How about a hot-air balloon ride? Depending on the time of the year, you can even run your hands through the thick fleece of an affectionate and oh-so-cute alpaca.

Outback Kangaroo Farm, Arlington

The Outback Kangaroo Farm is a Snohomish Coun-

ty gem that is a bit under the radar.

“We’ve lived in Seattle for the last 20 years, and other than Canada, I can honestly say we’ve never taken our visitors north to see the sights,” said Allen Haller after visiting the farm. “We had no idea how much we’ve been missing. We’re excited to see more.”

Edmonds native Ray Strom, the former owner of C and J Trees in Edmonds, took over the farm 25 years ago. At 82, the spry man conducts educational and recreational tours, typically lasting 40-50 minutes. On one recent day, even after taking a fall earlier in the week, he was up and ready to go, knowing that a school bus filled

Barnabus the alligator at The Reptile Zoo in Monroe.

Photo courtesy of Reptile Zoo

Photo by Chris Trujillo

10-year-old Frankie Ferrari pets a kangaroo at Outback Kangaroo Farm in Arlington.

with students would arrive later in the day.

“There’s no keeping him down,” son-inlaw and part-time farm guide Bill Brindle said. “Ray loves this place, and he can talk your ears off. He knows everything about every animal on the farm.”

Stanwood’s Tanya Ferrari has regularly visited the farm for nearly 20 years. As part of home-schooling her children, she firmly believes that learning about all types of animals is instrumental to their education.

“We started coming here in the early 2000s,” Ferrari said. “At the time, my oldest daughter was around 5 years old, and we loved it. The adult kangaroos we see today were joeys (baby kangaroos) back then. They are now so big. It’s amazing. We try to teach our kids as much about animals as possible. The staff is so great. They are friendly and courteous and can answer all our questions.”

While the sights on the farm are remarkable, the sounds can be deafening. On many occasions, Strom

Bill Brindle, the son-in-law of Outback Kangaroo Farm owner Ray Strom, leads a llama as a family watches.

Photo by Chris Trujillo

would go silent, waiting for a break from the boisterous tenants. From the animals, that is.

“I don’t even notice the noise anymore,” said Strom. “I always find it enjoyable to see how everyone who visits just marvels over all the commotion on the farm.”

Roosters, rabbits, peacocks, and even a pot-bellied pig roam around freely. There are different areas where visitors will be delighted by the menagerie of furry and feathered residents, including kangaroos, wallabies, wallaroos, llamas, alpacas, Nigerian dwarf goats, peacocks, mini-donkeys, parrots, and emus.

Many of the animals are rescues.

The farm holds four daily tours, Thursday through Sunday, through October. Reservations not required. Children under 2 are free. Children ages 2-12 are $15, adults 13-64 are $25, and seniors are $10. Parking is free. Group rates are available, as are private parties. Reservations required for groups of 16 or more.

More information: theout backkangroofarm.com, 360403-7474.

THE REPTILE ZOO, MONROE

If you prefer something more exotic, head east to Monroe to The Reptile Zoo. Scott Petersen, known to many as the Reptile Man, founded The Reptile Zoo in 1996. He has since retired and has left the business to his family members. A former biology teacher, Petersen said he was inspired to connect the public with the natural world.

The Reptile Zoo, on Highway 2, is home to more than 85 species from around the world.

Photos courtesy of Reptile Zoo

All things reptile can be seen at The Reptile Zoo in Monroe, including snakes and lizards.

Touching the turtles at The Reptile Zoo in Monroe is encouraged.

And a few things are as unnerving as being eyeballed by an American alligator – it’s an experience you won’t forget. Although glass separates you from the gator, you instinctively find yourself backing up. And for good reason. Barnabus, at 9 feet and 450 pounds, is a big boss. It's the reason he’s one of the zoo’s most prominent attractions. Baskar, an albino alligator, also draws a crowd.

“We’ve had Barnabus since he was very young,” co-owner Isaac Petersen said. “It never gets old watching people react to his size. It’s always the same. But he’s not as scary as he looks.”

From the black mamba, the fastest and deadliest snake in the world, to the biggest snake of them all, the green anaconda, The Reptile Zoo is a sure bet to entertain and even leave you a little spooked.

“We definitely provide a unique opportunity for the public to get up and personal with our reptiles,” Isaac Petersen said. “We also have lizards, turtles, and tortoises. This has been a great place to be around since I was a kid. Not many kids get this type of education.” The best time to visit The Reptile Zoo is during the Friday night feeding, which runs from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Each week is different.

The zoo is open Monday and Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 5:30 to 8 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is $7.95 for ages 3-17, $9.95 for adults 18 and older. For Friday night feeding, admission is $12 for all ages. Infants 2 and under free.

Information: thereptilezoo.org, 425-971-0435.

ALSO WORTH YOUR TIME

Among other Snohomish County day-trip attractions is

the popular Alpacas from MaRS farm in Snohomish. Tours include an introduction on how the fleece is processed and turned into products. There are also workshop opportunities.

“I have never met anyone who wasn’t intrigued by our shearing process,” said farm owner Rebecca Suryan. “For people looking to take their visit to the next level, we also provide tours that end with a hands-on felt project using fleece from our own herd of Huacaya alpaca.”

After first discovering alpacas in the fall of 1997 and researching these wonderful creatures, the Suryans decided a lifestyle change was the right thing for the family. They sold their house in the suburbs and headed for the country.  As reported on the farm’s website, the farm’s unique name comes from “Mark and Rebecca Suryan”: Alpacas from MaRS. So no, the alpacas aren’t from the fourth planet from the sun.

UP, UP, AND AWAY

If you prefer something more exhilarating, the county has several hot air balloon companies, including Snohomish Balloon Ride, which opened in 1984 at Harvey Airfield. Want a sunrise balloon ride? A sunset balloon ride? A private balloon ride? You can take your pick through September at this popular attraction.

The balloons are big – nine stories worth. You can see a lot from high above the treetops, including the Olympics and Cascades. If it’s clear, you’ll spot both Mount Baker and Mount Rainier from a basket that holds eight to 10 guests, plus a pilot. Prices start at $269. Information: 425-903-7161, www.snohomishballoonride.com. n

A young customer gets an upfront view of the alpacas.

Guest enjoy a ride from the Snohomish Balloon Ride in Snohomish. The company, formed in 1984, offers clear views for miles when the weather is nice.

Rebecca Suryan is owner and manager at Alpacas from MaRS in Snohomish.

Photo courtesy of Alpacas from MaRS

Photo courtesy Robert Romaneschiof/Snohomish Balloon Ride

Photo by Chris Trujillo

ADVERTISING / MARKETING / MEDIA

Beacon Publishing, Inc.

Mukilteo Beacon

Edmonds Beacon Mill Creek Beacon

728 3rd Street, Suite D

Mukilteo, WA 98275

425-347-5634

mukilteobeacon.com edmondsbeacon.com millcreekbeacon.com

ARTS / EDUCATION

Edmonds Center for the Arts

410 4th Avenue N Edmonds, WA 98020

425-275-9595 ec4arts.org

Schack Art Center 2921 Hoyt Avenue

Everett, WA 98201

425-259-5050 schack.org

BARBERS

Mickey’s Hometown Barbershop

405 Lincoln Avenue Mukilteo, WA 98275

425-347-2712

CEMETERY / FUNERAL HOME

Beck’s Tribute Center

405 5th Avenue S Edmonds, WA 98020 425-771-1234

becksfuneralhome.com

Edmonds Memorial Cemetery & Columbarium

820 15th Street SW Edmonds, WA 98020

425-771-4741 edmondswa.gov/services/cemetery

CHAMBERS

Clinton Chamber of Commerce

PO Box 444 Clinton, WA 98236 discoverclintonwa.com

CLEANING SERVICES

The Maids Northwest

12811 8th Avenue W, #C201

Everett, WA 98204

425-353-8618 maids.com

Business Directory

COOKING CLASSES

Table for 12

320 5th Avenue S, Suite B Edmonds, WA 98020 425-967-5890 tablefor12.studio

EDUCATION

Edmonds College 20000 68th Avenue W Lynnwood, WA 98036 425-640-1697 edmonds.edu

The Learning Connection

9999 Harbour Place, Suite 104 Mukilteo, WA 98275 425-789-1770 tlcmukilteo.com

HEALTH CARE

Fedelta Home Care 9725 3rd Avenue NE, Suite 301 Seattle, WA 98115 206-582-0339 fedeltahomecare.com

HEALTH & WELLNESS

5 Elements Wellness 8490 Mukilteo Speedway, #105 Mukilteo, WA 98275 425-503-8871 5elementswell.com

HOME IMPROVEMENT

All City Fence 13603 Lake Road Lynnwood, WA 98087 206-324-3747 allcityfence.com

Northlight Custom Builders, LLC 9800 Harbour Place, Suite 201 Mukilteo, WA 98275 425-977-9661 northlightcustom.com

LANDSCAPING

Edmonds Garden Rescue Edmonds, WA 98020 425-329-5934

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION

HopeWorks 3331 Broadway Everett, WA 98201 425-610-4931 hopewrks.org

OUTDOOR LIGHTING

Outdoor Lighting Perspectives

Everett, WA 98208 425-658-2050 outdoorlights.com/north-sound

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

Community Transit 20110 46th Avenue W Lynnwood, WA 98036 425-353-7433 communitytransit.org/localfun

REAL ESTATE

Aranka Fruehauf

Windermere Real Estate North, Inc. Mukilteo, WA 98275

425-478-7270

HomesByAranka.com

Coldwell Banker Bain 108 5th Avenue S Edmonds, WA 98020 cbbain.com/edmonds

Connor Desy

206-214-5609

Chuck Easter

206-396-9070

Stacie Echelbarger

206-719-6212

Tyler Echelbarger

206-799-3877

Michaela Greene

425-879-6899

Nolan Greene

425-501-2226

Patti Greene

206-369-5429

John Haines

206-854-4403

Jim Hills

425-876-0927

Missi Huff

206-948-2565

Gvara Kirschner

206-353-1944

Laura Myers

425-771-6444

Emma Nolan

425-624-7233

Makenna Pellerin

206-327-2648

Forrest Reda

425-470-3672

Rachel Rowland

206-910-2723

Jean Sittauer

425-478-7712

Paul Sundberg

425-275-6359

Greg Elwin

Raintown Realty

Mill Creek, WA 98012

360-789-5557 raintownrealty.com

René Porubek, Broker/Realtor

Windermere Real Estate M2, LLC

9502 19th Avenue SE, Suite A Everett, WA 98208

425-478-8864

RealtyRene.com

RESTAURANTS

Anthony’s Homeport 456 Admiral Way Edmonds, WA 98020

425-771-4400 anthonys.com

Cabernets & IPA’s 204 Lincoln Avenue Mukilteo, WA 98275

425-405-3298 cabernetsandipas.com

Waterfront Coffee

101 Main Street, Suite 102 Edmonds, WA 98020

425-670-1400 waterfrontcoffee.com

RETAIL

Best Kept Secret

3616 South Road, Suite B-2 Mukilteo, WA 98275

425-822-6600

mukilteosamplestore.com

Duck Duck Books

713-505-5065 duckduckbooks.com

Vie & Vin 172 Sunset Avenue Edmonds, WA 98020

425-678-8280 vieandvin.com

RETIREMENT & ASSISTED LIVING

Cogir Senior Living 10605 NE 185th Street Bothell, WA 98011

425-487-3245

21500 72nd Avenue W Edmonds, WA 98026

425-776-3600

14905 Bothell-Everett Hwy Mill Creek, WA 98012 425-338-1580

cogirseniorliving.com

Harbour Pointe Senior Living 10200 Harbour Place Mukilteo, WA 98275

425-541-7598

hpretire.com

WINDOW WASHING

Clean & Clear Services 6127 139th Place SW Edmonds, WA 98026

425-218-6318 or 1-877-668-0866 cleanandclearservices.com