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green, white, and blue flag meant to represent the bioregion of Cascadia, stretching all the way from British Columbia down to Oregon. And what did he slap on it? A big ol’ tree, of course — because the Pacific Northwest is full of lusty, drool-inducing nature. If you haven’t noticed, the Douglas fir trees here look real good. Why else would the Pacific Northwest attract so many lumberjack types? Summer is when all this sylvan outdoor goodness really shines. According to the Sperling’s Best Places research site, Seattle and Portland rank No. 1 and 2, respectively, in the nation for the most enjoyable summer, thanks to our long days, low humidity, and comfortable average highs (did I mention legal weed?). The Pacific Northwest is an incredibly biodiverse region, not only for its flora
Revel in your NW birthright:
grass and electronic festivals and concert series. They exist in the Cascadian wilderness in a variety of habitats: Washington’s Sasquatch lives in a giant gorge; Oregon’s What The Festival lives deep in the forest; British Columbia’s Pemberton Music Festival lives in the shadow of Mount Currie; There are probably three or four deep-sea, or even subterranean, Northwest music festivals yet to be discovered by explorers. When it comes to outdoor music in summer, you really can’t go wrong in Cascadia. The choice isn’t which show you should go to, but how many. Throw on your hiking boots, pop a few allergy pills (it’s a pollen clustercuss up here), and get ready to rock out near or atop lots of actual scenic rocks. This is your Cascadian birthright.
SOLAR-POWERED
SOUNDS
A bounty of outdoor music festivals inside A&E
FESTIVAL ISSUE
Sasquatch! music festival is May 22 through 25 at the Gorge Amphitheatre.
QUINN RUSSELL BROWN / FOR THE HERALD
FRIDAY, 05.22.2015
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Disputed raise reinstated The county executive’s office actually increased the amount of the salary hike for attorney Sara Bhagat. By Noah Haglund Herald Writer
EVERETT — Snohomish County Executive John Lovick’s administration has reinstated a controversial pay raise for an
attorney who oversees parts of the public defense system. Sort of. Lovick agreed last month to rescind Sara Bhagat’s 21 percent pay hike, after a majority of the County Council suggested
it was illegal under the county code. Soon after, Lovick’s office raised Bhagat’s salary again — this time by 25 percent, using a different method. Her current annual compensation of $108,124.92 is about $3,000 more than what she had been earning since last year as administrator for the county’s Office of Public Defense. The
new salary is retroactive to Dec. 31. County Councilman Ken Klein called the maneuver “inappropriate and wrong.” He said the amount of the raise was unfair to the county’s nearly 2,800 other employees, even if it adheres to the letter of the law. See RAISE, Page A6
New way to help homeless Police coordinate with social services in effort to offer support
MARYSVILLE PILCHUCK
A place to talk will be there Space has been donated to give teens affected by the school shooting somewhere to go for services and support during summer vacation. By Diana Hefley Herald Writer
PHOTOS BY MARK MULLIGAN / THE HERALD
John Hull (right), men’s director at the Everett Gospel Mission, talks with Marcie Hood — while petting her dog, Yogi — where she is camped along the Snohomish River on Thursday morning. Social service providers like Hull headed into encampments with members of the Everett Police Department to urge campers to seek help to get a fresh start.
EVERETT — It was more a social call than anything else. Teams of police officers and social workers spent their Thursday morning along the Snohomish River dropping in on homeless camps. They didn’t detain or arrest anyone, but did warn of that possibility down the road. Mainly, they explained it is time to think about moving on or, preferably, getting some help to make a fresh start. Nearby, big machines scooped and flattened earth where a 190-townhouse development is going in. Plans also call for more
than 200 single-family homes to the south. That means traditional spots to pitch a tent are disappearing on and beyond the former Eclipse Lumber Mill lumber mill site east of I-5. The riverbank denizens find refuge along ribbons of greenbelt, burrowing in among the horsetails, alders and brambles. The coordination between police and social service agencies and nonprofits is a new approach to an age-old challenge. “We are changing our culture. Ten years ago, officers would have thought, ‘We are the police and we make arrests. That’s what we do,’ ” said Everett police Capt. John
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Everett police officer Mike Bernardi (left) removes a man trespassing under I-5 in Everett.
Sit right back Surfing the vast cultural wasteland: In “The Island,” a new reality show debuting Monday on NBC, a bunch of average Joes marooned on the title landform must put their survival skills to the test by finding food and water, making a fire, building Dear Abby. . . .D5 Horoscope . . . B5
shelter, etc. (Short Takes, Page C12). And as for who will be crowned the winner, The Buzz’s money is on the contestant named Gilligan. Don’t know much about history: On this day in 1992, Johnny Carson hosted “The Tonight Show” for the final time (Today in
Lottery . . . . . .A2 Obituaries. . . .A7
Opinion. . . . .A11 Short Takes . . .D6
History, Page C12). Now, 23 years later, David Letterman is once again available to take over Johnny’s chair — but watch out, Dave: there’s Jay Leno, lurking in the lobby. Must be some hanging chads in there someplace: Speaking of David Letterman, the gap-toothed Sports . . . . . . . C1 Stocks . . . . . .A10
See TALK, Page A6
star’s late-night finale Wednesday drew 13.76 million viewers — Dave’s biggest audience in years, but still smaller than the audience for Jay Leno’s finale in 2014 (Page C12). The Buzz demands a recount. Where is George W. Bush’s Florida 2000 team when you need them?
— Mark Carlson, Herald staff
Regressive 64/55, C12
DAILY
Herald Writer
the buzz
By Eric Stevick
MARYSVILLE — It’ll soon be summer vacation for students at Marysville Pilchuck High School and plans are under way to open a place for them to talk to counselors and attend support groups while they continue to deal with the trauma of the October shootings. Therapists have been stationed at the high school since November, offering students one-on-one counseling and leading support groups. More than 100 students have participated. The community recovery team wants to continue these services for teens during the summer months and had been looking for an accessible location. It had hoped a federal grant would be in place to pay for an office in Marysville along a bus line. The team learned last month that the grant likely won’t be available until December. A property owner learned about the delay after reading a story in The Herald and offered to donate some space. “If we get the federal grant, we’ll reimburse for the rent. If we don’t, it’ll be donated,” said Marge Martin, the executive director of Victim Support Services. The team recognized that summer vacation could be difficult for students. “Over the course of the school year we’ve had our collective arms around them and there has been a support network,” Martin said. “We want to make sure they have a place to go if they need to talk.” Some students have mixed emotions about the upcoming break, therapist Nancy Hawley said. She and fellow therapist Michelle Pauley have been meeting with students at the high school to deal with the fallout from the violence. Seven months ago a freshman invited his friends to sit with
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