Everett Daily Herald, March 24, 2015

Page 1

It’s much more than exercise to Mukilteo belly dancer, B1

Little Leagues combine Drop in number of players prompts change in Everett, C1 TUESDAY, 03.24.2015

EVERETT, WASHINGTON

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Audit Lanterns of love sent skyward details airport issues OSO MUDSLIDE

State auditors find accountability concerns regarding the city of Arlington’s management of money and contracts. By Kari Bray Herald Writer

Love letters to heaven. The lanterns are held high above heads, illuminating those left behind, until they are strong enough to fly away. The surrounding darkness obscures the scarred mountain. Each lantern is let go. They rise one by one, forming a trail of 43

ARLINGTON — A longdelayed state audit released Monday found that the city has not properly managed money and contracts at its municipal airport. The report marks the conclusion of an accountability audit for city management during the 2013 calendar year. A September audit of Arlington’s 2013 finances found no problems with the numbers. An accountability audit is a separate investigation that looks at whether city operations follow federal, state and local laws. The issues listed in the audit all tie to Arlington’s airport. The city has run the airport since 1959. The airport’s 2013 operating budget totaled $3.27 million. Roughly 88 percent of that came from leasing space to more than 200 businesses and organizations. Oversight of those leases — or lack of it — is the source of most

See LANTERNS, Page A5

See AUDIT, Page A5

Andy Huestis releases into the sky a lantern that reads, “Adam — 3/22/14 — many happy days fishing,” in honor of Oso slide victim Adam Farnes on Sunday night. The families of those lost in the slide gathered to release 43 lanterns, one for each person who died one year ago. Huestis lost his sister, Christina Jefferds, in the slide. Go to www.HeraldNet.com for more photos of Sunday’s remembrance ceremony.

Story and photo by Genna Martin • The Herald OSO — Highway 530 is dark and quiet hours after hundreds gathered for a remembrance ceremony, marking one year since the slide. Rain fluctuates between showers and sprinkles. Suddenly, an Oso fire truck appears, lights flashing, leading a caravan of about two dozen cars carrying the mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, sons

and daughters of those lost. The rain stops. The families emerge from their cars, gathering to release floating paper lanterns, one for each of the 43 people now missing from their lives. A voice rises from the crowd, “Who is here for Denver Harris? What about Linda?” as lanterns are passed out to their families.

They help each other open and light them, one at a time. As the heat causes the fragile, white tissue paper to expand, names and messages written to each family member spring to life. “John, we will never forget” “Kaylee Spillers, love you!” “Adam, many happy days fishing!”

WSU awaits word on money for expansion in Everett OLYMPIA — Washington State University’s ability to continue expanding in Everett could become clearer this week. Majority Democrats in the state House are expected to release budget proposals that university leaders hope contain money for more classes and a

future home for the University Center of North Puget Sound. Lawmakers from Snohomish and Island counties will be poring through the documents as well. They have been pushing for inclusion of the funding. As of late last week, they had not been told what’s in the budgets or when they’ll be issued. “All you can do as a legislator is keeping reinforcing (to budget

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Comics . . . . . . B2 Crossword . . . B2

writers) what we want to see included,” said Rep. Mike Sells, D-Everett, who is a member of the House Higher Education Committee. WSU is seeking money in two budgets for the University Center consortium it manages on the campus of Everett Community College. It requested $61 million in the capital construction budget to

On the dot What, no .orgy? As the corporation responsible for Internet URL addresses prepares to release new suffixes beyond .com and .org, businesses, celebrities and others are buying up .porn, .sex and .xxx URLs to prevent anyone from creating a website with the Dear Abby . . . B3 Good Life . . . . B1

build a four-story, 95,000-squarefoot building envisioned as the center’s future home. It would be built in the north corner of the parking lot of the College Plaza shopping center, which is owned by the community college. WSU received $10 million in state funding in 2013 to design the facility. If most or all of the $61 million is secured this session, work could begin as early as

address TaylorSwift.sex or Microsoft.porn (Page A7). We can see why Taylor Swift is getting ahead of this, but what self-respecting porn peddler is going to go near the words “micro” and “soft”? Channel-surfing the vast cultural wasteland: Among tonight’s TV choices is

Horoscope . . . B8 Lottery . . . . . . A2

Obituaries . . . A5 Opinion . . . . . A9

“Surviving Marriage” on A&E, a blend of “Survivor” and couples therapy on a South Pacific island (The Clicker, Page B4). Expect the discussions to sound something like: “What I hear you saying is that you don’t like how I apply suntan lotion” and “We agreed not to fight in front of the Tribal Council.” Short Takes . . B4 Sports . . . . . . C1

July and be finished in mid-2017, university officials have said. Rep. Hans Dunshee, DSnohomish, is chairman of the House Capital Budget Committee and the lead writer of spending plan for construction. He declined to say if the WSU request would be filled. He said there is much competition for See WSU, Page A2

Don’t know much about history: On this day in 1765, Britain enacted a law that required American colonists to provide housing to British soldiers (Today in History, Page B4). A notice on the door informed soldiers that checkout time was July 4, 1776.

—Jon Bauer, Herald staff

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