GLOBE THE MARYSVILLE
SPORTS: Marysville Getchell hosts Twilight Invite. Page 8
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2012 WWW.MARYSVILLEGLOBE.COM 75¢ WS
‘Pumpkins for Literacy’ kicks off Oct. 6
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Although the “Pumpkins for Literacy” program’s methods of allocating its funds underwent a slight revision a couple of years ago, its focus on literacy programs has remained intact. “We’ve been looking to simplify the process,” said Edmonds, who noted that Rotary had previously handed out checks for $1,000 each to every elementary school in Marysville, Lakewood and Arlington. “Pumpkins for Literacy” monies are now dispensed based on the needs of the schools and other organizations in question. While 100 percent of the Pumpkin Patch proceeds go to literacy programs in the community, these are no longer limited to books in local elementary school libraries. Last year, community groups were able to submit grant applications for after-school programs, English as a second language, adult learning pro-
BY KIRK BOXLEITNER kboxleitner@marysvilleglobe.com
SPORTS: Tomahawks top Chargers 42-7. Page 8
Kirk Boxleitner/Staff Photo
Molly Edmonds found it a challenge to heft some of the bigger pumpkins at the Rotary Club of Marysville’s “Pumpkins For Literacy” patch at the Plant Farm at Smokey Point on Sept. 29.
Marysville names Volunteers of the Month. Page 7
INDEX CLASSIFIED ADS 12-15 7 LEGAL NOTICES 4 OPINION 7 OBITUARY 8 SPORTS 11 WORSHIP
Vol. 120, No. 25
SEE LITERACY , PAGE 2
Chamber meeting debates charter schools BY KIRK BOXLEITNER kboxleitner@marysvilleglobe.com
TULALIP — Charter schools were the topic of debate at the Greater Marysville Tulalip Chamber of Commerce’s Business Before Hours on Friday, Sept. 28, as Ken Mortland and Shannon Campion hashed out Initiative 1240, a November ballot measure that, if approved by the voters, would allow a limited number of public charter schools in Washington state. Campion serves as executive director of the Washington chapter of Stand for Children, one of the groups supporting the initiative, while Mortland is a retired teacher from the Northshore
School District in Bothell, who taught there from 1970 to 2007. Mortland opened his remarks by asserting that public charter schools would compete with existing public education, rather than complementing it. He noted that while charter schools are required to have open enrollment, this does not necessarily include transporting students to the school, nor does it factor in the lottery system by which students at a number of charter schools are admitted. “There is evidence that charter schools sift out disabled or underachieving students,” Mortland said. “The demand on tax revenues increases as charter schools siphon away public edu-
cation money.” While Mortland believes that allowing charter schools in the state would contradict the state Legislature’s Supreme Courtmandated priority to ensure adequate education for all the state’s students, Campion countered by characterizing charter schools as allowing “the money to follow the students,” regardless of which educational options they choose. “The goal is to provide another option, to meet the needs of struggling students,” Campion said. “It recognizes that one size does not fit all.” Campion touted the greater SEE CHARTER, PAGE 2
Kirk Boxleitner/Staff Photo
Shannon Campion promotes charter schools at the Greater Marysville Tulalip Chamber of Commerce’s Business Before Hours on Sept. 28.
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LAKEWOOD — The Plant Farm at Smokey Point is again covered in pumpkins as the Rotary Club of Marysville’s annual “Pumpkins for Literacy” program gears up to kick off on Saturday, Oct. 6, and run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week, through Halloween on Wednesday, Oct. 31. Around a dozen Rotarians were joined by half a dozen friends and family members at the Plant Farm on Saturday, Sept. 29, to start placing pumpkins and preparing the site for visitors, whose dollars from their pumpkin purchases will go back into the surrounding community. “We’ll probably set out about 10 tons of pumpkins today, and 20 tons by later next week,” Marysville Rotary Pumpkin Patch Czar David Edmonds said on Sept. 29. “It should add up to about 40 tons total throughout the event.”