Hike, picnic or paddle in peace at Spada Lake D6 ●
SUNDAY, 08.17.2014
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EVERETT, WASHINGTON
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Lake Stevens has ballooned in size since 2000, but that expansion has included few new roads, businesses or recreation options — something the city wants to change.
GROWING PAINS
OSO MUDSLIDE
Flood season carries new risk Time is running out to prepare for what might happen at the mudslide site once rainy weather sets in. By Noah Haglund Herald Writer
DAN BATES / THE HERALD
Children read and play in the Lake Stevens Library on Wednesday. The library, which at 2,400 square feet is the smallest in the Sno-Isle system, serves about 40,000 people; a bond measure to build a bigger library could move forward in the next year or two.
By Kari Bray Herald Writer
LAKE STEVENS — Just one annexation more and the city will finally surround the lake it’s named for. As Lake Stevens continues to grow, it’s set to gain up to 3 square miles and thousands of new households. The city has annexed more than 5 square miles since 2000, quadrupling its size and nearly quintupling its population. With growth, however, come growing pains. People who live in Lake Stevens say they have a hard time getting around the city’s meandering streets. Road
Snohomish is kind of putting us to shame here. They have the big library and new shopping and everything. — Ginger Washburn, who has lived in Lake Stevens for about 20 years
construction hasn’t kept up with the population. Neither has the number of stores, restaurants and parks, or the land set aside for them. “Snohomish is kind of putting us to shame here,” said Ginger Washburn, 41, who
has lived in Lake Stevens for about 20 years. “They have the big library and new shopping and everything. We haven’t really done anything around here.” In 2000, Lake Stevens was the 12th-largest city in the
county, with 6,361 people. Now it’s the fifth-largest city, with a population of 29,949, leapfrogging right over Snohomish, Monroe, Arlington, Mill Creek, Mountlake Terrace and Mukilteo. Lake Stevens is planning for 39,340 people by 2035. Because the city’s largest growth spurt happened right in the middle of the recession, officials chose to funnel limited resources into public safety. They kept up with police services, hired a few planners and designated funds to control milfoil in the lake. Mayor Vern Little said the See GROWING, Page A4
ARLINGTON — Danger lingers in the Stilly Valley, months after a mudslide buried an entire neighborhood. Snohomish County officials have kept close watch on the North Fork Stillaguamish River upstream and downstream from where a mountainside gave way on March 22, killing 43 people and violently reshaping the landscape. They’re most worried about what will happen after Nov. 1, the beginning of flood season. That leaves only two and a half months to prepare. They’re also on alert for further movement on the hillside itself, though they’ve noted nothing major since disaster struck in the spring. “We have to have eyes on the river, we have to have eyes on the slide,” said Debbie Terwilleger, the county’s director of surface water management. At the Stillaguamish Senior Center in Smokey Point on Thursday, Terwilleger was among more than 20 Snohomish County officials on hand to provide a public update on the slide recovery. Government officials outnumbered the audience by nearly four to one. The conversation touched upon future flood dangers, progress clearing debris, and an eventual memorial to honor the victims. A sheriff ’s sergeant addressed persistent — apparently unfounded — rumors of looting in the mile-wide area devastated by the slide. One member of the audience hugged several county officials as the meeting let out. “They have answered every question, they have held our hand,” said Rhonda Thompson See RISK, Page A4
LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES
A LOSS AND A CHANCE
Behind a camera, a retired deputy found his perspective had changed. Good Life, D1
Pacific Little League avoids elimination, beating South Dakota 7-5. Sports, C1
The suicide of Robin Williams puts a difficult subject in the spotlight. Julie Muhlstein, B1
Celebrations . . . A5 Classified . . . . . E2
Crossword . . . . D4 Dear Abby. . . . . D5
Horoscope . . . . D4 Lottery . . . . . . . A2
Moneywise. . . . E1 Movies . . . . . . . D5
Obituaries. . . . . B4 Viewpoints . . . . B7
Sunny 77/56, C10
VOL. 114, NO. 188 © 2014 THE DAILY HERALD CO.
SUNDAY
A NEW FOCUS
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