10th inning rally for the win Jackson claims Wesco 4A South softball title, C1
THURSDAY, 05.15.2014
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Motocross gets go ahead Hearing examiner imposes long list of noise and other conditions
OSO MUDSLIDE
Water source back to normal Worried about possible contamination from slide debris, Arlington replaced its primary water supply with PUD’s at a substantial cost. By Chris Winters Herald Writer
ground, he needs to obtain a grading permit from the county. That’s likely a months-long process. Neighbors and environmentalists fighting the project are mulling their next steps. They’re skeptical that Strode’s plans will materialize as fast as he’d like. “We’re disappointed in the decision and we’re looking at it in detail and deciding what kind of action we’re going to take in the future,” said Paul Sheppard, president of the nonprofit Mountain Loop Conservancy, which is focused on opposing the track. Their options include asking the examiner to reconsider his ruling or appealing to the
ARLINGTON — Arlington residents are drinking their own water again. Even if people hadn’t noticed it, the city replaced its primary water supply with water from the Snohomish County Public Utility District for more than a month, at a cost that could run into the six figures. The reason: fear that contamination from the Oso mudslide would leech into the city’s well water. Haller Well, about 60 feet from the Stillaguamish River in Haller Park, supplies about 89 percent of the city’s drinking water, according to the city’s annual water quality report. When the slide blocked the North Fork Stillaguamish on March 22 and the river began to back up behind the mudslide debris field, the fear was that a sudden failure of the dam would send a flash flood downstream and damage the well. “We didn’t know what would be coming down that river,” Mayor Barbara Tolbert said. The decision was made to turn off the pumps and draw water from the county. The city maintains a long-term contract with the Snohomish County Public Utility District to buy up to 1,000 gallons of water per day.
See MOTOCROSS, Page A5
See WATER, Page A5
SOFIA JARAMILLO / THE HERALD
Garhett Carter rides a private motorcycle track Wednesday near Granite Falls.
By Noah Haglund Herald Writer
GRANITE FALLS — Dirt-bike riders gunned their engines in excitement this week over the prospect of a new off-road motorcycle track near the Mountain Loop Highway. They were reacting to a Snohomish County hearing examiner’s ruling that construction of a motocross complex can go forward, subject to a long list of conditions. The examiner imposed new measures to lessen the effects of noise, water runoff and erosion. The decision elated Gary Strode, one of the business partners who’s been trying for nearly a decade to build a motocross track in the county.
We’re disappointed in the decision and we’re looking at it in detail and deciding what kind of action we’re going to take in the future. — Paul Sheppard, president of the nonprofit Mountain Loop Conservancy, which is focused on opposing the track
“I hope to have the first main track built by the spring of next year and be riding motorcycles there next year,” Strode said. The proposal calls for building the tracks in the middle of forested property of more than 400 acres. About 80 percent of the land would remain wooded.
Construction would take place in five phases, including an earthen sound berm that could take up to 15 years to complete. When finished, plans envision four tracks that could host up to 800 riders and spectators at a time. Before Strode can break
Small budget, little time to promote Stilly tourism EVERETT — Arlington, Oso and Darrington are open for business. Community and business leaders are desperate to get that message out in the wake of the Oso mudslide, which killed at
least 41 people and cut off Highway 530. A temporary bypass road is open, but they worry that only a whisper of summer tourists will come to the towns along the North Fork Stillaguamish River. Many local businesses depend on tourist dollars to carry them through winter.
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“We’re concerned about having two winters,” Arlington Mayor Barb Tolbert said. The state Department of Commerce is bankrolling an advertising campaign to get tourists out to Arlington, Oso and Darrington. With summer quickly approaching, the campaign will
Google’s goggles You wouldn’t hit a guy wearing Glass, would you? Google is selling a test version of its wearable Internet device, Glass, from its website for $1,500. But a research firm said parts and assembly of Glass only amount to $152.47. And some people have raised priDear Abby. . . .D5 Horoscope . . .A4
have little time to reach its target audience. And at $150,000, it will be working with a small budget. “We’ll have to be nimble and stay up late,” said Wendy Becker of the Snohomish County Office of Economic Development. She is overseeing the campaign. The message, the medium — nothing has been decided yet,
vacy concerns because Glass can take photos and video surreptitiously (Page A7). So, while wearing your Google Glass, you’ll be the envy of every gadget hound who doesn’t mind looking like a dork, a sucker and a creep. Buzz it yourself: A former Bend, Oregon, police chief
Lottery . . . . . .A2 Northwest. . . . B1
Obituaries. . . . C4 Opinion. . . . . .A9
has left the department, but one of his legacies remains: A police cruiser that was turned into a barbecue grill and meat smoker (Page B1). We’ll leave a blank space here where you can write in your own pork products punch line:
she said. The county just awarded the contract Wednesday — to BrandQuery, a Mount Vernon-based company. Five firms bid for the work. Representatives from BrandQuery and county officials are See TOURISM, Page A5
Flying the adequate skies: Customer satisfaction with U.S. commercial airlines reached a record high of 712 points on a 1,000-point scale (Page A8). Customer complaints also have dropped, although that may be because most airlines have added a $39 fee to register a complaint.
—Jon Bauer, Herald staff
Sports . . . . . . . C1 TV . . . . . . . . . .D6
Toasty 78/56, C6
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the buzz
By Dan Catchpole
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