Mariner cheer team: Competitive and kind

Number of participants increases after pandemic lows

by CHRIS TRUJILLO for the beacon

It takes more than talent to land a spot on the Mariner High School cheer team. Mariner coach Katrina Craddock only seeks athletes with impeccable character, kindness, and a strong sense of responsibility.

“They are athletes, but they are also kind athletes,” said Craddock, who’s in her 14th year as coach for the Mariner cheer squad. “You hear that stereotype sometimes about cheerleaders, so I focus a lot on leadership and respect and being kind in the classroom and at home. ”

Craddock said her tryouts can take as many as two weeks, while many other schools’ squads take two or three days.

“My process is lengthy,” she said. “I can get 40 to 50 kids who are interested, but many of them don’t realize the commitment that I expect from them. I have rules, like you can’t walk up and down the halls swearing up a storm. I really, really focus on that because if they are supposed to be leaders, they must lead by example, and I expect them to behave like that in and out of uniform. They are the school’s ambassadors.”

Although there are only 13 members on the team, it’s a good sign considering there were just 12 combined members in the last two seasons.

“This was the smallest tryout we’ve had,” Craddock said. “It’s been hard getting kids to come out because of the pandemic. But it’s picking up.”

Despite the low numbers, the Marauders fared well against nearly 30 schools in July at the University of Puget Sound cheer camp. Among the awards and trophies, the Marauders won the revered Gold Superior Evaluation Ribbon – which goes to the school that performs a routine it learned just that day.

“That’s a big deal, because it’s proof that they work well together, and that was my biggest thing because it shows that they can trust each other,” Craddock said.

The Marauders also grabbed first- and second-place trophies for other various routines.

“I was not expecting all the things we accomplished,” second-year captain and senior Lilly Chambers said. “I was worried going in because every team has ups and downs, but everyone really pushed them- selves. And I feel like we as a team created a stronger bond.”

Lilly Chambers, junior Ja’Kyrie Darby-Wheller, senior John Vesin, and sophomore Leili Nurieva were selected to try out and earned all-American awards.

“We won awards that I was windblown that we won,” said Darby-Wheeler, a freshman mentor. “I don’t think about individual awards because cheer is a team sport. We have so much potential, and I think what we did at camp is great.”

Craddock’s only four-year team member, lars and the best essay on why you want the Grill wins. Soon, mail arrives by the wheelbarrow and things really start cookin’ at the Spitfire Grill.

• “Unnecessary Farce,” May 26-June 11 (directed by David Alan Morrison)

Two cops. Three crooks. Eight doors. Go. In a cheap motel room, an embezzling mayor is supposed to meet with his female accountant, while in the room next-door, two undercover cops wait to catch the meeting on videotape. But there’s some confusion as to who’s in which room, who’s being videotaped, who’s taken the money, who’s hired a hit man, and why the accountant keeps taking off her clothes.

Shows are Thursdays-Saturdays at 8 p.m, Sundays at 2 p.m.

Tickets available at 425-774-9600, office@edmondsdriftwoodplayers.org, or www.edmondsdriftwoodplayers.org. The last day to purchase season subscriptions is Sept. 28.

Performances are at Wade James Theatre, 950 Main St., Edmonds.

Chambers, received the Pin-It-Forward Award, an act of kindness award.

“There are 15 staff members at camp, and each one will choose one student for performing an act of kindness, and it can be anything,” Craddock said. “And Lilly was the first one picked.”

The Marauders’ cheer team is heading into the heavy part of the season, preparing to cheer at football and basketball game.

Leadership Snohomish County announces new exec

Leadership Snohomish County has announced AJ Adamski as its new executive director. She has over 20 years as a teacher and school administrator.

“Throughout my career in education, I have often witnessed the focus on what people could not do. From the simple, ‘you can’t come late to class,’ even when reliable transportation was out of reach for their families, to the racial bias in the qualification process for the highly capable programs that prevented students of color from being admitted.

“As I read through the mission and purpose of Leadership Snohomish County, I was struck with the opportunity to be a part of an organization that focuses on what people can do. We are thrilled to have AJ join our team,” said Board President Rochelle Lubbers. “AJ’s passion for education, equity, and system work makes her an asset at LSC and we know she will do amazing.”

Inflation in the Puget Sound region has spiked by 10.1% over the past year, with the price of gas rising 48.4% year-over-year. As people in Snohomish County look for ways to save money, some are finding a lesser-known local public transit option: commuter vanpool service.

Snohomish County-based Community Transit has seen a growing interest in its Vanpool program.

“We’re hearing more and more from people looking to save money. They are thinking about gas and wear and tear on their vehicle, or maybe getting rid of a car they only use to get to work. They’re so excited when they hear about Vanpool and what we can do for them,” says Vanpool Customer Service & Sales Specialist Kristen Ryan.

Community Transit’s Vanpool service provides groups of three or more with a van they can use to commute together. The low monthly fare covers all vehicle-related expenses, including a comfortable and clean van, gas, insurance, maintenance, and an alternate ride home in an emergency.

Vanpool riders split the cost of the monthly fare. Many local employers also cover some or all of the cost of taking Vanpool, adding even more savings.

Vanpool rider Jonathan Blank, who works for the Safeway Seattle Division, had been commuting to Bellevue from the Shelter & Behavioral Health Partnership Program, which will add new units to house an estimated 36 individuals, among many other housing and behavioral health projects.

Investments from the Partnership Program and Days Inn hotel purchase will create 110 spaces in 2022 alone, representing a 17 percent increase in Snohomish County’s system capacity.

“With these one-time federal funds, we have an opportunity to make transformational investments in our housing system,” Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers.

“By increasing our bridge housing capacity, we can provide safer places for vulnerable residents, create stability to support communities’ overall health and well-being, and make Snohomish County an even better place to live, work, and play – for everyone”

“Housing with onsite services will be a strong base of support for those individuals working to build a better life for themselves and their families,” said Councilmember Stephanie Wright, whose District 3 includes Edmonds.

“This project will increase public safety, while reducing many of the dangers and roadblocks experienced by our most vulnerable populations.”

The facility will serve unsheltered adults in the county. In addition to time-limited bridge housing, individuals will have access to wraparound services, including food, hygiene, employment services, legal services, and mental health and substance use disorder services.

The facility will also have 24/7 on-site staffing and services.

“Providing shelter for those in need and significantly reducing public safety challenges related to chronic homelessness is a top priority for Everett residents,” said Everett May- available for drivers to use. The chargers are adjacent to public parking spaces and capable of charging the average EV in approximately 30 to 60 minutes.

“We are proud that this project increases accessibility to public charging for our customers and drivers along I-5 and Highway 2,” said PUD CEO/General Manager John Haarlow. “Projects like this make it easier for drivers to switch to an electric vehicle.”

Both ChargePoint fast chargers are CCS and CHAdeMO compatible and have a capacity of 62.5 kilowatts.

The PUD received $154,000 in grant funding from the Washington State Department of Ecology to cover partial project costs. The grant is part of the $113 million the Department of Ecology received from the Volkswagen settlement for violations of state and federal Clean Air Acts.

Snohomish County for more than 15 years when he decided to try Vanpool.

“My commute is more enjoyable taking Vanpool,” says Blank. “We all work at the same location, so it gives us a little time to decompress from our workday on the way home. On top of that, we get home faster due to the HOV lane use, and it saves us time and money.”

Vanpools can use carpool lanes and may get preferred parking at many work sites. They also have access to priority ferry boarding and can bypass certain tolls, which is a big draw for people looking to reduce the time and stress of commuting.

“Taking Vanpool has helped me be smarter about my carbon footprint –where I drive and when – especially with the current cost of fuel,” says Blank.

To qualify for a Community Transit Vanpool, your commute must start or end at a location within Snohomish County. Anyone who qualifies can either join an existing vanpool or start their own. Community Transit’s Vanpool team is available to provide assistance to anyone interested in learning more about Vanpool.

“We are here, and we’re real people who are ready to help you. We can walk you through your options and help you find a vanpool to join or start your own. Getting started really isn’t hard, and people love their Vanpools once they get going,” says Ryan. Visit communityransit.org/govanpool to learn more.

The task force worke d for two years and concluded with two reports that made 49 recommendations centered around increasing the orca’s food supply, decreasing disturbance by boats, reducing pollution and addressing impacts from climate change and human population growth.

“It’s important that we save Southern Resident orcas. They are an iconic and treasured species in Washington and throughout the Pacific Northwest. They hold significant cultural value to native tribes and all Washingtonians,” Inslee said.

“If they go extinct, we would suffer an unacceptable loss to our environment, economy and culture. These animals have been sacred to countless generations of people residing here. I don’t want to imagine a state without our beloved orcas.” or Cassie Franklin.

“Snohomish County’s purchase of the Days Inn will provide shelter to some of the most vulnerable members of our community. This is a necessary action to making all our residents safer,” said

“I applaud our community for taking this necessary step in addressing this pressing and ongoing need. As we have seen in the area around the mission, collaborative and innovative approaches that benefit all neighbors is the way,” said Sylvia Anderson, CEO, Everett Gospel Mission.

“We were successful with the pallet project because business leaders, government, law enforcement, and nonprofits came together to bring about the workable solution we are now experiencing.”

“The County has taken great strides in assuring they close the widening gap caused by homelessness. I am very excited and confident that this project would be most beneficial for those who have been disproportionately affected by homelessness,” said Vivian Obah, CEO Helping Hands Project Organization.

Increasing shelter and housing capacity was identified as a consistent community priority throughout the Office of Recovery & Resilience’s (ORR) pandemic recovery outreach efforts, and increasing bridge housing specifically was a top-voted issue at three of the five in-district Recovery Roadshows, including the District 2 Recovery Roadshow in Everett.

Somers established the Office of Recovery & Resilience to guide the county’s recovery work by ensuring federal pandemic relief is administered quickly, effectively, and equitably. Information on the county’s recovery work can be found at www.snohomishcountywa.gov/recovery.

Southern Resident orcas are unique because they eat mostly Chinook salmon, whereas other orcas have a more diverse diet. They also differ in size, fin shape and markings.

In 1995, the Southern Resident population numbered 99, and today numbers 74 whales, the lowest number in more than 30 years. The task force set a goal to increase the number of whales by 10 in 10 years.

“We hope this website will provide valuable information and inspire everyone to join our efforts to save these beloved whales,” Galuska said. “There is much work to be done and it will take all of us pulling together to save them. We hope the website is an additional way for people to find out how they can help the Southern Residents,” Galuska said.

Please visit the website for more information on events and activities you can do to learn about orcas. Info: www.orca.wa.gov.

This is an ongoing problem, and the City has failed to address it with any reasonable solutions, only excuses and now some misinformation.

The reality is, Mukilteo Police, Washington State Patrol and even the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office can enforce speeding and noise infractions on the Speedway. While funding is always an issue, the finger pointing as to jurisdiction is not a valid excuse.

Affected Mukilteo residents would be much better served if Mukilteo officials would stop making up excuses and focus on how to make some of the solutions –already proposed – work.

What’s with the council-approved work on the central waterfront park between the ferry terminal and the soon to be demolished NOAA building? The City hasn’t even cleaned the area up yet. It’s politics. Same thing with the area next to the Edgewater Beach trail.

And the speed humps on Mukilteo Lane and evaluating/converting the current speed bumps to speed humps? It’s actually on the council extended agenda for November, so the discussion will be starting over again.

Through personal experience on multiple u from GOLD page 4 occasions, I’m not holding my breath. Some City officials have an incorrect understanding of the facts and history behind speed humps in general. Others are just grabbing on to false information they’ve heard to justify not doing something that has overwhelming support from residents. are usually provided free.

I still think she should not have done this. Several other brothers stopped me in the next week to say they thought both the brother and the woman were in the wrong.

Others, I dare say, seem to have selective memory of what actually happened in the past and why.

Finally, one other item completely missing from the City’s agenda is any discussion whatsoever of actions to discourage nighttime flights at Paine Field, which has been a big problem for many Mukilteo residents and will be for even more in the future, not to mention the current safety issues.

Last week, after the control tower closed, an Alaska flight had to do a 360 after turning final because a Cessna 172 was in the pattern. That really is a problem.

For more information, or if I’ve offended any City officials (again), let’s discuss. Drop me a note at kstoltz@citynetwork.com.

Here’s how they work. A computer automated phone system would call your mom at a designated time each day to check in.

If she answers, the system will assume everything is OK. But if she didn’t pick up or if the call goes to voice mail after repeated tries, you (or whoever her designee is) would get a notification call. If you are not reachable, calls are then made to backup people who’ve also agreed to check on your mom if necessary.

The fallback is if no one can be reached, the police or other emergency services personnel will be dispatched to her home.

To find out if this service is available in your mom’s community, call her local police department’s nonemergency number. You should also check with the Area Agency on Aging in your mom’s area – call 800677-1116 for contact information.

If, however, her community doesn’t have a call check-in program, there are businesses like CARE (Call-Reassurance.com) and IAmFine (Iamfine.com) that offer similar services for under $15 per month.

Technology devices: You may also want to invest in some simple technology aids to keep your mom safe. One of the most commonly used devices for this is a medical alert system that cost about $1 per day. These systems come with a wearable “help button” that would allow her to call for help 24/7.

Another option that’s becoming increasingly popular is smart speakers, like Amazon Alexa or Google Home. These devices work with third-party applications – AskMyBuddy.net and MySOSFamily.com – that would let your mom call multiple emergency contacts with a simple verbal command.

And be sure to check out Amazon’s Alexa Together (Amazon.com/AlexaTogether), a new $20 monthly subscription service that helps families support and keep tabs on their older loved ones who live alone through an Alexa-enabled device.

Send your senior questions to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC “Today” show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

The Pickpocket: I was walking through Grand Central Terminal in midtown Manhattan, having just arrived on a train from where I had stayed the night before with an old friend. As I was walking through the grand concourse holding an overnight bag in one hand and my attaché case in the other, a man bumped into me.

Having been raised in New York City, my reaction was automatic and swift. I immediately reached for my wallet (in the right hand rear pants pocket of my suit). To my surprise there was a hand attempting to reach into my pocket and snare my wallet.

I think the swiftness and relative strength of my hand blocking his hand surprised him. There was an apparent second and last attempt to remove the wallet. I, again, successfully blocked this attempt. What I then noticed was this guy faced directly away from me and walked very quickly away.

I later found out that this is a standard technique of pickpocketers – so they cannot be identified by the victim. I also found out that if the pickpocketer is successful, as they walk away they pass the wallet or whatever they have taken to another party so if the pickpocket is stopped they are not carrying the stolen item.

Okay, now onto the “good people.” ’ll start with a lifelong friend, also who happens to be a fraternity brother from my undergraduate school days. Let me say that first, if I ever need a favor, from helping me do a task, to giving me a ride somewhere, this friend has always done it. If I ever need to discuss anything at all, he is available to lend me a sympathetic ear.

I cannot assign a relative value to this friendship. Suffice it to say that I cherish the friendship. Here is but one example. When my wife and I were dating, pre-marriage, she was sort of living with me in a small apartment. My parents planned a visit, and it was just assumed that they would stay in my place while I stayed with a friend.

In fact, I slept on the sofa in the living room while they took my bedroom. Of course, what was my live-in girlfriend supposed to do? My friend graciously offered to let her stay with him and his live-in girlfriend. Problem solved. (Remember, in those days, live-in girlfriends/boyfriends were still a bit nontraditional. It simply was not done, or if done, not made obvious.)

Last, I will add my wife to this list. Again, at over 50 years of marriage, she has been at my side through thick and thin. She is my best friend. My confidant, and always available to talk about anything.

I feel as if I could not live without her. I guess having at least two such close people to me does make me one of the luckiest people in the world.

1.“___ a Rock” (1966 hit)

2.Bric-a-___ 3. Authority 4.“… ___ quit!”

5.Barnyard pecker

6.Story starter

7.Chemistry Nobelist Otto

8.She pounded the East Coast in 2011

9.Spinal column features

10.Fencing weapon

12.“Bad” in the wind!

The pair also regaled us with interesting facts about the environment and pointed out different trees such as the Douglas Fir, Western Hemlock and Western Cedar. The latter was the “tree of life” for the Coastal Native tribes, who used the wood and bark to make lodges, boats, tools, clothing, fishing nets and even diapers.

For more in-depth information about the area, there are placards along the route with details about the ecosystem, forest, conservation, and stewardship. I learned, for example, that Camano is over 13,000 years old and is a glacial moraine, which explains why the rocks on the island are rounded and smooth.

Also of note is a creek on the property, which is home to several types of salmon.

To gain participants’ confidence with the zipline experience, the course starts with a short and low-to-the-ground line. It then builds to longer and higher lines.

I felt like a monkey swinging from one tree to the other, and the feeling of freedom of flight was delicious.

There’s really no effort involved in ziplining, as you’re just along for the ride, which means you can spend the time taking in the views.

This is an opportunity to have a bird’s-eye perspective of the landscape, so don’t shut those peepers! If you’re lucky, you might

Automotive

CARS

1994 Acura Legend: $7,499; 121,989 miles, two owner car, Automatic, all leather interior, sunroof, new tires in front-good rubber in back, new battery, timing belt replaced at 98,000 miles, never been smoked in, always been garaged, current with all services. (707)666-5722.

Donations

Donate your car to charity. Receive maximum value of write off for your taxes. Running or not! All conditions accepted. Free pickup. Call for details, 855-635-4229.

even see wildlife scurrying around the forest floor or perched in the trees.

Midway through the tour, there’s a hydration stop, with access to water and the farm’s refreshing homemade lavender lemonade. A selfie station is set up for anyone wanting a pic of themselves in full zipline regalia.

And if you aren’t able to get that perfect photo of yourself, there are cameras placed

Employment

FOOD SERVICE

Edmonds Landing Retirement and Assisted Living currently has job openings for full time, part time servers/wait staff in our dining room. Various weekly and weekend shifts. Please call, email or visit us at: Edmonds Landing, 180 Second Ave. S, Edmonds, WA 98020, 425-744-1181, office@ edmondslanding.com

WRITING at a few spots along the course to capture the action.

The Beacon is hiring freelance reporters. If you’re interested in covering important topics and making a difference in the Mill Creek community, contact us today. Great opportunity for those with an itch to write again or those just starting out and looking to add to their resumes. Email a couple of samples of your writing to edmonds editor@yourbeacon.net with FREELANCE in the subject line.

The final activity is a descent from the platform to the ground via a rope. You’ll be reassured to learn it’s a controlled descent, so just hold on and let the guides do the work.

There might be a bit of apprehension as you step down into the gaping abyss, but, once you realize the ride is slow and