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July 25, 2015
The Arlington Times / The Marysville Globe
More disabled finding jobs BY STEVE POWELL spowell@marysvilleglobe.com
MARYSVILLE – Matt Young wanted to work at Grocery Outlet. He wanted to work there so much that he was willing to volunteer while owner Steve Gates evaluated his skill level. Even though he is disabled, Young impressed Gates so much that he got a job. “There’s something about him. He touched our hearts,” Gates said. It’s not the first time he’s hired a disabled worker. Gates has been doing it for about 10 years, working with a number of agencies who help disabled students with career development. It’s been tough for many people the past few years finding a job, but it can be even harder for people with disabilities. But thanks to various agencies, a number of local disabled folks have been able to find work. A few success stories spoke at a recent Eagle Wings disAbility Ministries Luncheon, and a few others found jobs since. The goal of the luncheon was to show local businessmen the benefits of hiring disabled employees. Ajay Caleb, a Rotarian and business analyst, said disabled workers are good for the bottom line for a number of reasons. “They want to work, they work harder, their performance is better, they come to work, they cost less, they’re safe and careful, and they stay at the job because they don’t want to go,” Caleb said. Most of the jobs are not full-time; more like 10-20
hours a week. Because retention rates are better, that saves companies money on rehiring and training costs. He added that Walgreens has hundreds of disabled workers nationwide, their morale is high, they are high performers and their customers like it. Carrie Morehouse of Work Opportunities said she hoped for about 10 at the luncheon and was ecstatic that there were 40. “Employers are getting it,” she said. “We have diverse communities that need diverse work environments.” Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring supports hiring disabled workers. He said when he first took office he started hearing from families whose disabled children were excited during school, but that would suddenly come to an end after graduation. “They’d be in front of the TV and slowly spiraling downward and losing energy,” Nehring said. “It was painful to hear that.” He said there are a number of organizations that help the disabled, but we “don’t consolidate it well,” he said. He said he would like the city to hire more disabled workers. “We’re not a large city, but we have big hearts,” he said. One young man hired recently by the city is Lukas Maki. He works in the parks department under Mike Robinson. He works five days a week, four hours a day at Jennings Memorial Park. He opens the gates each morning and makes
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Steve Powell/Staff Photo
Matt Young gathers carts at Grocery Outlet in Marysville. sure the restrooms and grounds are clean. If one of the barbecue shelters or the pavilion is being rented that day he cleans those up, too. He drives around the park in a utility vehicle. “He received some intense training, but is very capable,” Robinson said. Lynn Haslett of the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation works with disabled folks with a variety of abilities. The agency will find a good match, set up a work trial, help supervise and even help pay for a disabled worker for a period of time. Employers can also get tax credits. Rob Martin of the Rotary Club of Burlington talked about the hiring practices of the Costco there. He said disabled workers can do “parts of jobs really, really well.” As a result, instead of $22 an hour, they can be paid $14 an hour. He said they are not just cart attendants; they also do filing, work in the deli, in janitorial, and shipping and receiving. “They’ve changed our workplace in a positive way,” Martin said.
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Kristian Enge spoke about his job at the event. Enge, 27, works at Safeco Field for the Seattle Mariners. A loyal fan, he said it’s his “dream job.” He works in promotions, handing out hats, wristbands or whatever else is being given away. Ray Molstad, 22, also was there, with his grandmother Verna Molstad. He works as a lobby attendant at the McDonald’s in North Marysville. “He loves going to work. The transformation is amazing,” his grandma said. As for Young at Grocery Outlet, Gates said he likes to help disabled workers get their foot in the door. Many will work for him for up to three months just so they can put a job on their resume. “Everybody wants experience. Somebody’s got to give them a break,” Gates said. “Volunteering opens doors for them.” Young wanted to work there because “he likes the place,” Gates said. “It’s faithbased, low-key, with good, positive attitudes.” Young works three days a week, four hours a day. He bags groceries and does janitorial, stocking and other work. “Everybody has a disability of some sort,” he added. “We are kind and loving and help them succeed.”
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quarter mile road would access undeveloped land and would benefit Microgreen, AMT Senior and the redeveloped NW Hardwood site. “It’s my understanding it’s ready to go as soon as we vote,” Council Member Randy Tendering said. It was confirmed work could start as early as Tuesday, July 21. Public Works director Jim Kelly said the city owns three parcels, but others own the other two parcels. Three alternate routes are possible. He said it could still be a long process because to get federal funding there are strict regulations. Also at the meeting, the council made some costsaving moves. It decided to join two cooperatives — the Buyboard National Purchasing Cooperative and the Cooperative Purchasing Network. The collaborative purchasing power will save time and money because items already have been put out to bid. The networks sell everything from fire trucks and ambulances to cleaning supplies and toilet paper. “It’s another tool to pursue additional savings and get the best deal possible for our taxpayers,” city spokeswoman Kristin Banfield said. Council Member Chris Raezer asked when the city would go to one of those networks, rather than buying local. Banfield said there must be at least a 10 percent savings. “We buy local whenever we can,” she said. Raezer responded: “That’s good. It’s important to buy local. But we also have to be frugal with taxpayer money.” And, the council accepted the low bid of Stripe Rite Inc. of almost $48,555 to provide thermoplastic traffic control devices. The markings, that include arrows, will be placed in areas such as crosswalks and railroad crossings. Public Safety Director Bruce Stedman introduced new executive assistant
Stephanie Shook. He then introduced a number of men and women in uniform. “This is the safest place to be in town for the next half hour,” he joked. Penn Cook was sworn in as a new police officer. He comes from the Everett Police Department and put in 720 hours at the police academy. “Welcome to our family,” Stedman said. “It’s an incredible city to work for.” Anna Trenough and Matt Urtz were sworn in as firefighters. They spent about 600 hours at the state academy, Stedman said. “The average age (of our department) is going down, and that’s a good thing,” he added. Zach Goodsell, Drew Shannon and Kyle Drewry were sworn in as paramedics. Stedman said they spend about 3,000 hours each in school. “Think about it. It’s like taking the emergency room to the scene,” he said. During the public comment period, Kari Ilonummi urged residents to re-elect Tolbert. “It’s not time to look for somebody new,” he said. “We can do more together than when we’re against each other. She can’t be blamed for Congress.” During the city comment period, Council Member Marilyn Oertle said she was glad the 27-mile Whitehorse Trail from Arlington to Darrington received $1 million so the rugged route could be paved. “It’s the most beautiful trail you’ve ever seen,” she said. A few council members talked about working the city booth at the recent Street Fair. “Driving the shuttle I met a woman who has been coming to the Fly-In since the ‘70s,” Tendering said. Council members also talked about how glad they were to get state funding for Highway 531. Lawmakers told us there was “no money for anything,” Council Member Jesica Stickles said. “I’m glad we didn’t listen to them and still fought for it.”
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