This week’s watchwords Back to school
Friday night lights
Stanwood-Camano, Lake Stevens and Granite Falls students head back this week. In Everett, a preliminary agreement between the teachers union and the district sends students back Sept. 9.
The Huskies, as well as high schools around the county, begin their football seasons with games Friday — or Saturday in a couple of cases.
MONDAY, 08.31.2015
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EVERETT, WASHINGTON
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Labor Day Weekend Enjoy the last hurrah of summer, with Labor Day a little later this year, on Sept. 7. But be careful with those cookouts — even with the recent rain, fire danger is high.
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Courthouse plans on hold Cost overruns, location and parking demands have all taken a toll on proposed construction of a new facility. By Noah Haglund Herald Writer
EVERETT — You can forget about construction starting on a new downtown courthouse this year.
As for next year? That’s still an open question. Snohomish County leaders might explore a smaller project to erase concerns about overspending the $162 million budget. They’re also entertaining
courthouse locations outside of Everett. And city leaders might soon give the county more breathing room by softening their line on parking demands that once had thrown the project in doubt. “It’s going to take a lot of work to get back to where we were in 2014,” County Councilman Brian Sullivan said.
County leaders at times have appeared on the verge of giving up. The path forward — if any — remains unclear. The County Council in early August postponed votes that would have started construction within weeks. Weighing on See PLANS, back page, this section
‘They dedicated their lives’ Thousands attend memorial service for three fallen firefighters
On the job for 56 years Clarence Robertson, who died earlier this month while still on the schedule, earned not a single cent while serving as a reserve deputy. By Eric Stevick Herald Writer
WENATCHEE — Several thousand people gathered Sunday to honor three U.S. Forest Service firefighters killed battling wildfires in Washington state. “They dedicated their lives to protecting our national forests and the people in the communities surrounding them,” Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell said in a eulogy. “And for that we should be grateful.” The memorial service for Tom Zbyszewski, 20, Andrew Zajac,
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26, and Richard Wheeler, 31, took place in Wenatchee. That’s about 90 miles south of where they died Aug. 19 near Twisp in Eastern Washington when flames consumed their crashed vehicle. More than 80 vehicles took part in a procession leading to the memorial service Sunday where more than 100 firefighters stood at attention. Dozens of civilians also took part, many
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holding U.S. flags and others with signs that said, “You are heroes!” Zbyszewski followed in his father’s footsteps as a firefighter. He was the youngest of the three who died, and a physics major at Whitman College with an acting bent. He was due to return to school in about a week. “Tom was the light of my life,” his father, Richard Zbyszewski, said in his eulogy. “My path I’m afraid will always be a little bit darker because I miss him so much.”
Wheels on the bus Go round and round: The Street Smarts column reminds drivers the start of the school year means an increase in traffic, adding about 14 percent more traffic to rush hour (Page A3). Of course, we could eliminate that 14 percent if young’uns walked the eight Dear Abby. . . . B3 Horoscope . . . B7
Zajac was the son of a Methodist minister from Downers Grove, Illinois. He was in his second year as a professional wildland firefighter for the Forest Service and earned a master’s degree in biology last year from the University of South Dakota. Zajac and his wife, Jenn, were married last year after hiking the 2,650-mile Pacific Coast Trail together in 2013. Jenn Zajac, in a statement read
miles to school we did. In four feet of snow. In shoes with cardboard soles. Carrying our books bound with a belt. Both ways. Are you ready for some practice? Seattle Seahawk players have differing opinions about whether Saturday’s third preseason game had some meaning or was
Lottery . . . . . .A2 Obituaries. . . .A6
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See MEMORIAL, back page, this section
just a “glorified practice” (Page C1). That’s opposed to the debate among the Seattle Mariners and whether the last month of the season has any meaning or if it’s just a glorified early start on next season’s spring training. Sorry, Bill; how about an airport? President Barack Stocks . . . . . .A10 Your Photos . . B1
See 56 YEARS, Page A2
Obama will change the name of Mount McKinley to Denali, a native Alaskan word for “the Great One” (Page A7). Donald Trump, R-Yuuuge, said he doesn’t object, but when he’s president he’ll further refine the name change to Mount Trump, which is his native word for “the Great One.” —Jon Bauer, Herald staff
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Firefighters salute at the beginning of the memorial service Sunday in Wenatchee for three firefighters killed in a wildfire. Richard Wheeler, Andrew Zajac and Thomas Zbyszewski died Aug. 19 in a fire near Twisp.
MONROE — Clarence Robertson proudly wore the badge and uniform. He quietly went about his business as a Snohomish County Sheriff ’s reserve deputy for 56 years. He was 80 Clarence when he died earRobertson, lier this month. 2013 Robertson didn’t get paid for all those countless hours and most certainly didn’t want any credit. He remained a loyal volunteer to the end and had even been on this week’s schedule for Evergreen State Fair duty. “He never let his age slow him down,” Sheriff Ty Trenary said. His colleagues described him as a calm, friendly and modest man who’d always bring homebaked rhubarb pie and cookies to share at fair time. Robertson was 24 when he joined the reserve force in 1959 — when gas cost 25 cents a gallon, the nation liked Ike and Alaska and Hawaii joined the union. It was a far different era for local law enforcement. “For many decades, there was only one deputy on patrol during the graveyard shift in the north precinct, and one in the south precinct, keeping the citizens of Snohomish County safe at night,” Trenary said. “More often than not, that deputy was Clarence.” In a 2013 interview, Roberston recalled a time when the sheriff ’s office had four patrol cars. There were no portable radios, no 911 and certainly no cellphones. Back then, he’d swing by call boxes scattered hither and yon to pick up his dispatch calls. Backup, if there was any, was many miles away.
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