Narrow loss for Seahawks in preseason opener C1
Vaccinate children to prevent whooping cough, local doctor urges D1
SATURDAY, 08.15.2015
●
EVERETT, WASHINGTON
●
WWW.HERALDNET.COM
●
75¢ (HIGHER IN OUTLYING AREAS)
No fighting oil train fire Experts say firefighters likely wouldn’t be able to stop the flames and the best plan is evacuation and containment. By Rikki King Herald Writer
EVERETT — Each oil tanker car that passes through Snohomish County carries about 33,000 gallons. Multiply that by
100 to 110 cars per train. Often, it’s Bakken crude oil, which is easier to refine but far more volatile. The Pacific Northwest now is averaging 2.5 loaded oil trains per day, most headed toward refineries in
Skagit and Whatcom counties. Local firefighters have been talking about how they can be prepared if one turns into a fireball. The message from experts is that, most likely, local firefighters won’t be able to extinguish the flames. Instead, their focus will be evacuating the area and keeping
the fire from spreading into buildings, said Brad Reading, an assistant chief at Snohomish County Fire District 1. In his district, the railroad tracks run through downtown Edmonds and along steep waterfront bluffs toward Everett. See FIRE, back page, this section
Why McCleary is unique A detailed look at the court’s mandate to fully fund education
Demo work releases odor The smell is coming from creosote-soaked pilings that are being removed on the Mukilteo waterfront to make room for a new ferry terminal. By Sharon Salyer Herald Writer
See MCCLEARY, back page, this section
See ODOR, back page, this section
MARK MULLIGAN / HERALD FILE, OCT. 6
Fifth-grader Kayla Wilder raises her hand for help from technology teacher Deborah Wrobel at Woodside Elementary School late last year. Overcrowding in the school has made it necessary to dismantle the school’s computer lab. Instead of students going to the lab, computers are brought to their classes. The McCleary decision found the state has not adequately funded education and must come up with a plan to do so.
Associated Press
SEATTLE — Washington state is being fined $100,000 a day by the state Supreme Court because justices say lawmakers have failed to adequately pay to educate the state’s 1 million school children. Lawmakers have allocated billions of dollars toward
Business . . . . .A7 Classified . . . . B1 Comics . . . . . . C8
public schools, but critics say that’s not enough to meet the requirements in the state Constitution that education be the Legislature’s “paramount duty.” Washington isn’t the first state to go to court over money for public schools, but there are some unique elements of the lawsuit known as the McCleary case and the way Washington pays for public schools.
Crossword . . . C8 Dear Abby. . . . C9 Horoscope . . . C5
Lottery . . . . . .A2 Obituaries. . . .A5 Opinion. . . . .A10
How is Washington unique? In many states, education is a local concern, paid for with local tax money and supplemented for fairness and equity with state dollars. In Washington, education is a state focus, paid for with state taxes and supplemented with local taxes. Washington’s Constitution makes public schools the main
Sports . . . . . . . C1 Stocks . . . . . . .A8 Venture. . . . .A11
The Buzz What music festivals were like back in Grandpa’s day. Page A2
Clearing 72/54, C12
NOW RENTING!! NEW SENIORS 55+ APARTMENTS GREAT LOCATION!
STUDIO
Easy access to shopping, dining, & medical • Stainless steel appliances • Hardwood Floors • Social Rooms
Call today for a free, no obligation tour!
• Secure Bldg. • Outdoor Social Areas • On-site Laundry
Park Place APARTMENTS
6
42963 33333
9
VOL. 115, NO. 186 © 2015 THE DAILY HERALD CO.
from $645 LRG 1 BDRM
from $850
• Elevator • Dishwashers • Built-in Microwaves
1 BDRM
from $795 2 BDRM
Ask About Our Move In Special!
from $950
• Covered Parking Available • Pets OK!
3515 HOYT AVENUE, EVERETT, WA 98201 | 206-595-8852 www.parkplaceeverett.com | JTP37@comcast.net
1373370
By Donna Gordon Blankinship
DAILY
job of the state, implying that everything else, from prisons to roads to universities, is extra. In Washington, the state sets a teacher salary schedule, but contracts are negotiated locally, so teacher pay is not really uniform because local dollars are used to supplement the state salary schedule.
MUKITEO — Neighbors say that demolishing an old military pier to make way for a new ferry terminal has had an unintended consequence — an odor so pungent that it makes their eyes water, gives them headaches, and leaves them feeling nauseated. The smell is being created as creosote-soaked wooden pilings are removed from the water and lifted onto a nearby barge. The demolition work is the first step in a project to build a new $129 million ferry terminal, replacing the current 60-year-old terminal. Kevin Stoltz operates a computer networking business in an office next to his home that is uphill from the construction site. He said he first noticed the smell on a morning jog Tuesday. “When I got to the Sound Transit station, the smell was so bad I couldn’t even breathe,” he said. “I had a headache all afternoon.” Later in the day, he said he went to a room on the second floor of his home. The smell was “absolutely terrible,” he said. “Honestly, I thought we’d have to sleep at a hotel.” Neighbors directly up the hill from the construction site catch the on-shore breezes, and with it, the smell, he said. Terry Preshaw, an attorney who lives in the city’s Old Town neighborhood, said that while the stench wasn’t so noticeable Wednesday, it was “back with a vengeance” Thursday evening. The fumes created a burning sensation in her eyes and “permeated my lungs and nose,” she said. Preshaw said she was a biology major as an undergraduate. “There are thousands of compounds found in creosote harmful to humans,” she said. “I don’t understand how this was not considered in the grand planning that went around this entire project.” She called for demolition to be halted until the problem has been fixed.