AFTER 50 COLD YEARS, CUBA-U.S. RELATIONS WARM A6 n n n
Months of secret talks preceded historic accord Response in Miami signals major shift in Cuban-American community Celebrations erupt in the streets of Havana
THURSDAY, 12.18.2014
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EVERETT, WASHINGTON
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Shutdown averted; 2015 budget set The County Council unanimously passes a compromise spending plan. “Every one of us has things in this budget that we like and that we don’t like,” Councilman Dave Somers says. By Noah Haglund Herald Writer
EVERETT — Snohomish County Council members united on Wednesday to pass a
compromise version of the 2015 budget, averting the prospect of a government shutdown. Council members voted 5-0 for an amendment package that added about $232,000 in funding
each for the Sheriff’s Office and First Steps, a social services program for young mothers. The give-and-take also resulted in more money for the county Medical Examiner’s Office, which is undergoing restructuring to address longstanding management problems. That included keeping the morgue’s deputy director, who on Jan. 1 stood to lose his job after a majority of
the council abruptly erased his position. “It’s been a tough process for all of us and I’m glad we’re able to move forward,” Executive John Lovick said after the vote. The budget passage resolved an impasse between a majority of the council and Lovick’s administration. The council passed a $226 million spending plan before Thanksgiving on a 3-2
Happy life cut short Gerald ‘Jerry’ Olmstead had little time to enjoy full-time job
vote. Lovick vetoed that budget on Dec. 10, taking issue with several of the council’s cuts. The council’s action on Wednesday made Lovick’s earlier budget veto moot. The deal came after county staff members put in a week’s worth of long days to find common ground among elected officials. See BUDGET, Page A8
Military service claim still unproven A man involved in a 2013 standoff with deputies has yet to convince a judge that he was a U.S. Army Special Forces soldier. By Diana Hefley Herald Writer
PHOTO COURTESY EVERETT COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Gerald “Jerry” Olmstead loved his groundskeeper job at Everett Community College, and began working there full time Nov. 17 after five years as a part-time employee. He was killed in an accident Dec. 6 on I-5 near Smokey Point.
By Eric Stevick Herald Writer
EVERETT — In life, there are those who love their jobs and those who don’t. Gerald “Jerry” Olmstead, 51, loved his. It showed each and every day. For five years, he worked part time as a groundskeeper at Everett Community College. All the while, he hoped to
land a full-time position. His patience and work ethic were rewarded recently. He was hired full time, beginning Nov. 17. He beamed for days, several times telling his boss, EvCC’s facilities department director Thom Watson, “I won’t let you down.” He’d say the same thing to his co-workers. On Dec. 6, Olmstead was killed along I-5 near Smokey
Point. He was a passenger in a Dodge Ram that pulled over onto the highway’s shoulder. Olmstead got out to secure the load in the truck’s bed. When traffic suddenly slowed down in the nearest lane, an Arlington man, 23, swerved into the shoulder to avoid hitting the cars in front of him, according to a Washington State Patrol memo. Olmstead was hit and died at
the scene. The day before, Olmstead was gleeful as he handdelivered holiday wreaths across the EvCC campus. “Just wait,” he told office worker Joy Lott. “It’s going to be beautiful.” “He was just super excited about making other people happy,” Lott said. See JERRY, Page A2
EVERETT — A Snohomish man could face jail time if he can’t convince a Snohomish County judge that he has delved into the accuracy of his claimed military experiences as part of his court-ordered mental health treatment. Superior Court Judge Michael Downes said Wednesday that he hasn’t received sufficient records documenting that Tyler Gaffney is getting to the bottom of whether he has been truthful about his military service in the U.S. Army. Downes in January sentenced Gaffney to six months in jail for a Sept. 29, 2013, incident that involved a standoff with Snohomish County sheriff’s deputies. Gaffney assaulted his father and threatened to blow up and shoot police. He confronted deputies, armed with a Airsoft gun that resembled a M-4, an assault rifle widely used by the U.S. military. Deputies used less-than-lethal ammunition to subdue him. Gaffney later told detectives that he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder because of his combat experiences. He claimed that “he was a member of a super-secret Special Forces team,” who served in clandestine combat missions and had been awarded medals for his bravery.
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Business . . . . . A7 Classified . . . . B3
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Not lovin’ it Would be cause for rioting in the U.S.: A labor dispute at West Coast ports has triggered a critical shortage of french fries at McDonald’s in Japan (Page A7). As of Wednesday, super-sized portions are out — customers can only buy small servings. Dear Abby . . . D5 Horoscope . . . B6
Luckily, Japan’s still got a McDonald’s staple in that nation: a pattie made of shrimp and macaroni and cheese called gurakoro, which is Japanese for “dog’s dinner.” Have a cigar: President Barack Obama on Wednesday said the United States will break with more than
Lottery . . . . . . A2 Northwest . . . B1
Obituaries . . . A5 Opinion . . . . . A9
50 years of policy and resume normal diplomatic relations with Cuba (Page A6). Obama pledged to negotiate with Republicans who oppose normalized relations — presumably, by repeatedly whispering “Habanos Cohiba” in their ears. Don’t know much about history: On this day in Short Takes . . D6 Sports . . . . . . C1
1944, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the government’s wartime evacuation of people of Japanese descent (Today in History, Page D6). The ruling’s known as Korematsu v. United States — and more recently, as the decision that makes Citizens United look Solomonic.
— Mark Carlson, Herald staff
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