Seahawks’ controversial rookie at minicamp C1
Boeing plans to close its ‘surge line’ for the 787 A9
SATURDAY, 05.09.2015
●
EVERETT, WASHINGTON
●
WWW.HERALDNET.COM
●
75¢ (HIGHER IN OUTLYING AREAS)
Council’s structure faulted Turf One Everett city councilman, frustrated by short notice over policy proposals, is calling for a return to committees. By Chris Winters Herald Writer
EVERETT — Recent policy proposals have caught some members of the Everett City Council off guard, prompting
one councilman to propose a return to council committees. Paul Roberts said that the council often doesn’t have much of a role in crafting legislation and doesn’t see policy proposals until city staff members present
them for discussion and a vote. For most of the simpler and more routine proposals the council takes up, that works well, Roberts said. But when complex proposals come to the council, members have to get up to speed quickly before a scheduled vote. Some of those issues have proved controversial. A series of measures addressing a budget
deficit, for example, drew criticism from the public and some council members because new taxes and fees were emphasized over cuts in expenditures. And recent ordinances to address the behavior of some homeless people have been met with resistance, with one See FAULTED, Page A2
On front line for funding
raises health worries
“Crumb rubber” material proposed for use in sports fields in Edmonds might expose children to noxious vapors that can cause cancer. By Sharon Salyer Herald Writer
GENNA MARTIN/THE HERALD
Dozens of Snohomish School District teachers and supporters gathered at Ferguson Park on Friday morning to protest the Legislature and issues of educator pay and large class sizes. Teachers in 29 districts across Washington are striking over school funding. Teachers in Granite Falls and Lake Stevens also walked out Friday.
EDMONDS — A nonprofit that contributed $2.5 million to build new sports fields at the former Woodway High School plans to explore possible health issues related to material used in the artificial turf. The Verdant Health Commission is the largest funding source in the first phase of what is envisioned as a $12 million project. Eventually, it will include a walking track, resurfaced tennis and basketball courts and four year-round turf fields that can be used for soccer and baseball. It could take three to five years to fully complete the project. The Edmonds School Board is scheduled to make a decision on the project at a meeting Tuesday. Construction is expected to get under way by the end of May or early June, according to the school district. The president of Verdant’s board, Fred Langer, sent an email to the Edmonds School District this week, saying that the five-member board would like to explore possible health effects from the so-called “crumb rubber” material used in the artificial turf “out of an abundance of caution.” See TURF, Page A6
Cities adopt rules on panhandling, camping Herald Writer
the buzz
GRANITE FALLS — Aggressive panhandling and unauthorized camping now are illegal here. The City Council unanimously passed two ordinances Wednesday. One bans camping in public parks, streets, sidewalks, alleys or bridges. The other makes it illegal to intentionally block people or cars. It outlaws aggressive panhandling, defined as begging with the intent to intimidate or compel someone into giving
money or goods. Officials say the problems are tied to homelessness and drug use. Three other Snohomish County cities have passed similar rules in the past 11 months. ■ Snohomish in June banned aggressive panhandling. ■ Arlington in July updated city code to prohibit panhandling and illegal camping. ■ Marysville in October approved rules that crack down on panhandling and nuisance properties. People who violate the new regulations in Granite Falls can
His bark is worse Always assume your dog is loaded: A veterinarian in Arkansas successfully operated on a Belgian Malinois dog that had eaten 23 live rounds of .308 caliber ammunition (Page A8). We appreciate gun owners who secure their ammunition, but it does tend to slow things down when you have to follow your dog around
the backyard to reload. Bonus punch line: Not only will that dog retrieve, it’ll shoot its own ducks. One more: Along with a dog license, that mutt is going to need a concealed carry permit. Because Google Glass was such a hit: Microsoft might be regaining some of its cool high-tech cred, and some are pointing as proof to the
get up to a $1,000 fine or 90 days in jail. Recently, there have been problems with people tearing apart park benches for firewood and sleeping in a replica train on display in town, said Sgt. Scott Robertson, who took over as the Granite Falls police chief in March. Families complain about finding drug paraphernalia in the train and at parks, he said. “This isn’t going to be ... used as a hammer,” Robertson said. “We’re going to offer resources. We want to work with people who
development of the HoloLens, goggles that project virtual objects before the viewer’s eyes (Page A9). Yes, how cool will it be for a virtual Zune mp3 player to magically appear before your eyes, or a virtual Clippy to pop into view and ask, “Looks like you’re trying to augment reality. Can I help you with that?” Consider yourself remind-
are really down on their luck and homeless, but on the other hand, when you’ve told the same people a number of times and the same problems persist, we need to have a way to deal with this.” Though there have been problems with illegal camping, aggressive panhandling is rare in Granite Falls, Robertson said. He hopes it stays that way but wanted regulations in place in case antipanhandling rules in other local cities cause homeless people to migrate to the next town. Instead of banning
ed: Tomorrow is Mother’s Day, and if you’re like most folks, you’ll get her flowers. More flowers are sold on Mother’s Day than are sold for Valentine’s Day, and florists are expecting record sales this year (Page A2). We’re considering a more practical gift for Mom, something to keep her safe, like a loaded dog, maybe a 12-gauge Basset hound.
—Jon Bauer, Herald staff
panhandling entirely, the rule is focused on actions that make pedestrians or drivers fearful, such as blocking traffic or refusing to back off when someone doesn’t give money. “It’s not against your right to ask for something, and make no mistake, some people need to ask for help,” Robertson said. “You have to have some sort of action by the person for this ordinance to apply. Just standing there holding a sign isn’t enough.” See RULES, Page A6
INSIDE Business . . . . .A9 Classified . . . . B1 Comics . . . . . . C8 Crossword . . . C8 Dear Abby. . . . C9 Horoscope . .C10 Glorious 74/52, C12 VOL. 115, NO. 87 © 2015 THE DAILY HERALD CO.
Lottery . . . . . .A2 Obituaries. . . .A7 Opinion. . . . .A12 Sports . . . . . . . C1 Stocks . . . . . .A10 Venture. . . . .A13
DAILY
By Kari Bray
6
42963 33333
9