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Vol. 15 No. 18 n January 19, 2022 - January 25, 2022
MARYSVILLE • ARLINGTON • SMOKEY POINT • LAKEWOOD • TULALIP • QUIL CEDA VILLAGE
Local schools face closures, remote learning due to COVID By Christopher Andersson christopher@northcountyoutlook.com The latest wave of COVID has hit local school districts hard as six Marysville schools have had to close temporarily while districts in Arlington and Lakewood prepare for the same possibility. Marysville School District As of Jan. 14 six of Marysville’s schools were moved to remote learning: Totem Middle School, Quil Ceda Tulalip Elementary, Kellogg Marsh Elementary, Cedarcrest Middle School, Legacy High School and Heritage High School. “There’s specifically two reasons that schools have moved to remote learning,” said Jodi Runyon, director of communications, enSee SCHOOLS on page 4
PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER ANDERSSON
Kellogg Marsh Elementary School is one of the facilities that is scheduled to receive maintenance if the district can pass its Technology and Capital Projects levy in February.
MSD sends levies to voters on Feb. 8 ballot By Christopher Andersson christopher@northcountyoutlook.com
COURTESY PHOTO
Lakewood teacher Lisa Childress helps students with a math problem while teaching Algebra 2 at Lakewood High School on Jan. 11.
Marysville School District voters will decide on two replacement levies to help fund extracurricular activities, staffing, technology and maintenance in February. The Feb. 8 ballot will feature an Educational Programs and Operations levy and a Technology and Capital Projects levy, both of which are replacement levies.
That means they are meant to replace similar two levies that were approved by voters in 2018 and that will expire at the end of 2022. The estimated property tax for the Educational Programs and Operations levy will be $2.20 per $1,000 of assessed property value. That represents a rate reduction of an estimated $0.30 per $1,000 of assessed property value compared to
See LEVIES on page 2
Tolbert discusses challenges, accomplishments of 2021 By Christopher Andersson christopher@northcountyoutlook.com Arlington weathered another year of the pandemic in 2021 and hopes to continue infrastructure growth for the next year. Mayor Barbara Tolbert talked with the North County Outlook about how the previous year went for the city and the outlook for 2022 as staff prepare for the new year. “The biggest challenge was, of course, COVID-19,” said Tolbert. “It has affected everything from our staff, the city’s businesses and our residents." Federal funds provided to the
city to help with pandemic relief were distributed last year and will continue into 2022. “We’re glad to provide some of the grant relief to help with businesses,” said Tolbert. Those businesses who needed assistance to pivot to online or could benefit from the additional customers received some support to make that transition. Other groups that have had trouble also received some help with those funds. “We’re providing some of those funds for the tourism and leisure industry, which is one of the areas that is really struggling with its recovery,” said Tolbert.
Some of those pandemic relief funds are being distributed by Snohomish County which hopes to soon create a housing plan to help with unsheltered individuals. Tolbert said she hopes to see that housing begin in 2022 and support various areas of the county. In terms of business, Arlington had a successful year with about 150 new businesses opening up. “We have had success on new development,” said Tolbert. “The big news was the Amazon fulfillment center." Other big industry, such as an electric aircraft manufacturer, also opened up in Arlington in 2021.
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The biggest challenge was, of course, COVID-19. It has affected everything from our staff, the city's businesses and our residents.
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Barbara Tolbert
“I always look forward to more jobs in the city so people don’t have to commute,” she said. In 2022 the city hopes to begin more transportation projects to help with those new businesses. “We want to focus on infrastructure to catch up on the
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growth cycle that is happening faster than anticipated,” said Tolbert. “Traffic congestion continues to be a concern as we wait for new construction projects, particularly on Highway 531."
See TOLBERT on page 2
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A number of projects on that roadway, including a roundabout, are planned to help with congestion. The biggest improvement is a widening to more lanes in the eastern portion of the road. “We’re waiting on the final designs for the expansion of 531 so that it can hopefully begin construction in 2023,” said Tolbert. “That’s already funded, we just have to wait for the design." Federal funds are also being made available this year to help with congestion across the nation. “We’re looking forward to being able to compete for some of those funds,” said Tolbert. For public safety, the big-
LEVIES Continued from page 1
the previous rate. “Some of that has to do with a restriction in the amount that we can collect,” said David Cram, executive director of finance for the Marysville School District. The state restricts districts to a maximum of $2.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value or a limit per pupil, whichever is lower. “We have to do our calculation on both of those,” said Cram, which put the cap at roughly a rate of $2.20 per $1,000 of assessed property value. “That’s why you’re seeing a little bit less than what we’re currently doing,” he said. The Educational Programs and Operations is a standard levy used by nearly all school districts
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gest initiative last year for the city was giving up control of the Arlington Fire Department. “Another big accomplishment is the annexation of the fire department into North County Fire and EMS,” said Tolbert. “That gives them a more sustainable path of funding." By being part of a Regional Fire Authority the budget for local fire services are not affected by the fluctuations of sales tax revenue. Another change last year was the prohibition of fireworks during the Fourth of July. “One of the other bigger challenges was working through our fireworks ban,” said Tolbert. It was the first year the ban was active. “We think it went well
and was well received,” said Tolbert. The city has had a team of embedded social workers for a few years now and will soon add to that with mental health responders to respond to people in crisis who primarily need mental health support. The social worker program is meant to help individuals access programs to recover from drug addiction rather than treat those people as a criminal problem first. “Hopefully, we see these same successes expanded to people in a mental health crisis,” said Tolbert. Arlington police vehicles were also improved last year. “We have purchased some electric vehicles for our police fleet,” said Tol-
bert, who added the city hopes to expand that effort soon. “We want all of our city vehicles over the next couple of years to be electric,” she said. Finally, Tolbert said she was excited for the Arlington Youth Council’s efforts to hold a Youth Leader Summit in 2022. Youth council and leadership groups from Marysville, Lake Stevens, Tulalip and Everett plan to join together. “The youth have been hit quite hard from COVID,” said Tolbert, who added they have missed out on life experiences and had to deal with remote learning for many months. “They will focus on some of these issues that have cropped up for today’s youth,” she said.
in the state meant to collect funds to provide staffing for nurses, counselors and other staff and to provide money for extra-curricular activities. “This is critical to us to continue to offer the opportunities that we can to our students,” said Cram. “Whether it’s music or the arts, those funds are necessary for those activities." Local levies are the school district’s second highest source of funding, after Washington state. “It funds areas such as athletics and extracurricular activities like sports and the arts,” said Jodi Runyon, director of communications, engagement and outreach at the Marysville School District. Those students who need extra support also receive some of that funding through levies. “It helps to fund for the
offset that we don’t get from the state for students with disabilities,” said Runyon. The second levy is a Technology and Capital Projects levy that will maintain a property tax rate of $0.60 per $1,000 of assessed property value, which is in line with the previous levy. The funds will be used for continuing efforts to keep students learning with technology and for maintenance of various school facilities. “In the Marysville School District, at the secondary level we are a oneto-one district for devices,” said Runyon. Each student gets a Chromebook and has for a few years since the district originally passed their technology levy. The technology “allows our teachers to create rich learning content and our
students to access content anytime and anywhere,” said Runyon. When the pandemic forced schools to move to remote learning, many of their students were already prepared because of work with Chromebooks, she said. The technology funds also help with staff training to help them learn how to teach with these devices and for the software licenses for programs on those Chromebooks. “We’re helping to keep our teaching relevant and innovative,” said Runyon. Maintenance goals include work on the Marysville Pilchuck High School roof, stucco replacement at Cedarcrest Middle School and improvements to he Kellogg Marsh Elementary School roof and playground. Other schools need upgrades or replacements of their siding, HVAC systems or electrical systems. The district’s turf fields also need an upgrade. “Those are a pretty big expense,” said Cram. He said the district’s facilities need to be kept up to date to help students. “That’s creating an environment for our students so they can be successful,” he said. The district is mailing out information about the levies to voters during the week of Jan. 17 and said they are happy to answer questions. “We encourage anybody with questions to contact us at the school district,” said Runyon. Sure, you love our paper... but don’t forget to
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January 19, 2022 - January 25, 2022 NORTH COUNTY OUTLOOK
Local COVID rates continue to increase ____ “ By Christopher Andersson christopher@northcountyoutlook.com
Snohomish County has now had three straight weeks where the COVID-19 case rate has doubled, leading to case rates which far surpass any other time in the pandemic. “You don’t need to be an epidemiologist to know we have a problem here,” said Dr. Chris Spitters, Snohomish Health District health officer, during a press briefing on Jan. 11. “We’ve had successive doublings in the past three weeks, up to 11,000 cases reported in Snohomish County residents,” in the week of Jan. 2 to 8. About two percent of Snohomish County residents have had a positive COVID test in the two weeks between Dec. 25 and Jan. 8. “When you factor in those who were asymptomatic and those who were pursuing testing but unable to get it, that’s probably around 8 to 10 percent,” said Spitters. The two-week average case rate rose to 2,023 per 100,000 people, which is more than quadruple any of the peaks from previous waves of the disease. “It really does blow the lid off of prior peaks in the pandemic,” said Spitters. Current projections estimate another week or two of case rate increases followed by a slow decline. “This is a projection, not a promise,” said Spitters. Hospital capacity remains the biggest concern for local officials. On Jan. 7, Snohomish County hospital beds used for COVID-19 patients became higher than at any other previous point. “We’re up to 176 beds used in Snohomish County hospitals as of yesterday [Jan. 10],” said Spitters. “These figures eclipse the prior peak that was established about a year ago." Hospital occupancy is running high currently. “There’s very few available beds and this COVID
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surge has put pressure on the system to provide care and challenges on the ability to provide care for all individuals,” said Spitters. At Providence Regional Medical Center Everett the number of beds being used for COVID has increased 500 percent since Christmas Eve and the number of patients in intensive care has tripled since then, according to Jay Cook, chief medical officer at the hospital. “In the past three weeks we’ve really seen a dramatic increase of COVID cases in our community and in our hospital,” said Cook. More healthcare workers are becoming sick during this wave of COVID-19. “The Omicron variant is the predominant strain now and it is very transmissible. There has been a marked increase in the number of caregivers who have become infected, which is really affecting hospital staffing,” said Cook. Policies have been put in place to reduce hospital traffic. “We’ve also once again had to limit visitation to the hospital,” said Cook. They’ve also postponed
procedures which could be set back a couple of weeks without causing harm. “These are not trivial procedures. They are essential and need to be done, but the doctors have determined they are not likely to cause harm if they are postponed by two or three weeks,” said Cook. “By that time we hope that we can resume these procedures." Cook noted that patients receiving intensive care are typically unvaccinated. “We still see, and this has been consistent in the pandemic, that about 90 percent of the patients to be sick enough to be in our
intensive care unit are not vaccinated,” he said. As cases surge locally, the demand for testing has become strained as well. “As more people have become infected the demand for more tests has really skyrocketed and we recognize the need for more capacity to ensure that people can get tested when they need to,” said Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers. Multiple agencies are attempting to purchase test kits right now. “I’ve asked the Department of Emergency Management in Snohomish County to begin the process
You don't have to be an epidemiologist to know we have a problem here. We've had successive doublings in the past three weeks, up to 11,000 cases reported in Snohomish County residents.
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Dr. Chris Spitters
of purchasing an additional 150,000 home test kits,” said Somers. “Those kits are going to take a few weeks to arrive." Both the state of Washington and the Snohomish Health District are also
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planning to purchase test kits. The Health District is working on logistics about how to distribute those kits equitably to residents. “That is still three to four weeks off,” said Spitters.
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January 19, 2022 - January 25, 2022 NORTH COUNTY OUTLOOK
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Marysville Wedding Show set for Jan. 22 By Christopher Andersson christopher@northcountyoutlook.com Locals who are engaged or about to be can find local vendors at the annual Marysville Wedding Show which returns Jan. 22. The event is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Marysville Opera House at 1225 3rd St., Marysville. The wedding show is free and the first 100 attendees who register online will re-
ceive a swag bag. The event is offered as a way to interact directly with local businesses who can help with a wedding. “They’ll be able to go through all three floors of the Opera House and meet vendors,” said Chris Taylor, cultural arts supervisor with the Marysville Parks, Culture and Recreation Department. Vendors will include traditional wedding service
providers such as photographers, caterers and others. There will also be event specialists who are able to manage a lot of aspects of the wedding themselves. “If you want to set up your own photographers, caterers, officiants and all that you can contact them individually or you can talk to one of the event specialists here,” said Taylor. He said some people prefer to be hands on while others like to delegate that responsibility to others.
“If you are newly engaged or are considering it, this is a great one-stop shop to find what you need,” he said. Many people who are local and those who live around the Puget Sound stop by the event to see what Marysville vendors have to offer. “I really enjoy the opportunity to meet people from Marysville and outside of the city,” said Taylor. “They want to come here and see what services are in Marysville,” he added.
Seeing all the offerings in one place is also convenient for a lot of the visitors. “It’s just super fun to look at all the different opportunities out there,” said Taylor. It is easy to forget about all the different services that a couple can use to help make their wedding day easier and more memorable. “A show like this helps people remember what’s the one thing that you’re forgetting about,” said Taylor. This year’s wedding show will be similar to year’s past,
but with some additional safety measures due to the COVID pandemic. “We’re lowering the number of vendors in this year’s show so we can keep with social distancing,” said Taylor. He said the city wants people to feel safe and comfortable at the event. “Two years ago we had a good number of vendors and it was packed,” and that wouldn’t be feasible with the current pandemic, Taylor said.
SCHOOLS
Schools should be expected to go to remote learning for at least five days. “We’re not really putting a specific number for that, but it’s a minimum of five days,” said Runyon. The district is not considering moving the whole district to remote learning right now. District staff plan to communicate quickly when a school closure is made. “When a decision is made about a school, parents will get a communication from the district,” said Runyon. “There is typically one day of transition so the schools can prepare and make sure the students have everything they need." That day is meant to hand out devices and make sure students can access their online classrooms. “The school will communicate directly if there is going to be any changes with the model going forward,” said Runyon. “We are hopeful to keep our students in school, but health and safety
is a priority as we go through this." Arlington School District While Arlington has had to close a couple of classrooms they have not closed any schools completely, as of Jan. 14. The district is also seeing high levels of COVID in the schools with 282 students and staff currently reporting a positive COVID diagnosis. District staff is not considering a permanent move to remote learning currently or a district-wide closure, however temporary closures may be made. “A temporary move to remote learning may be a possibility for an individual classroom or school if we can’t maintain adequate staffing, supervision and/or operational services,” wrote Arlington School District Superintendent Chrys Sweeting in a letter to families. Due to bus driver shortages it is possible bus routes may be affected in the future as well, although there is no changes at this time.
Lakewood School District As of Jan. 14 the Lakewood School District has not had to close any schools completely but have plans prepared in case that is needed. “We have been completely open since the holiday break,” said Lakewood School District Superintendent Scott Peacock. The district hopes to make the smallest closures possible, said Peacock, preferring to close just a classroom or two instead of an entire school if possible. “We will shift on the smallest possible scale,” he said. “We have an emergency distance learning plan if we have to go to that." Parents will have a day after the announcement of a school closure to prepare. “We would be making the shift after a day off which will be taken to distribute laptops … then it would go to remote learning the next day,” said Peacock. If a school closes, Peacock said it would hopefully be for “the shortest time possible,” which he estimates as 4 to 10 days. The district, like the rest of the county, has seen increased cases because of the Omicron variant. “The number of students and staff sick in our schools are reflective of the high rate of infection in our community,” said Kristina Bowman, communications specialist with the district. “The Department of Health continues to point out that schools are not amplifying community transmissions because of a layered mitigation strategy: staff vaccinations, masks, distancing, contact tracing and testing, increased ventilation, handwashing, and communication to families to stay home when sick." Peacock wanted to thank everyone for maintaining safety measures, reporting illness and keeping children home while they are sick. “I appreciate the fact that we have parents and staff who are all working together,” he said. “They’re keeping the children safe while keeping schools open."
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gagement and outreach with the district. “One is a lack of staff that are required to safely operate a school … and the other factor is a high level of student absenteeism,” Runyon said. If a school reaches around 50 percent student absenteeism then district officials will begin to consider if the school should move to remote learning, she said. For staff absenteeism, it is more a matter if the school can safely continue to operate in person. “With staff, we look at each school individually, because it’s different at each school, and how we can sustain it if it’s going to be longer than a five-day window,” said Runyon. About 68 staff members and more than 200 students across the district currently had a positive diagnosis of COVID in the district’s Jan. 9 data.
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Council approves ADU ordinance The Marysville City Council okays ordinance dealing with mother-in-law housing units By Christopher Andersson christopher@northcountyoutlook.com Mother-in-law units will be easier to construct in Marysville after some small changes were recently made to the city code. The Marysville City Council approved an ordinance on Jan. 10 that makes changes to city law to be in compliance with recent bills passed by the Washington state legislature. The ordinance dealt with ‘accessory dwelling units.’ “An accessory dwelling unit, sometimes called an ADU or commonly referred to as a mother-in-law unit or accessory unit, is an independent living space that is self-contained,” said Haylie Miller, community development director with the city of Marysville. The small living spaces are typically built on land which already has a permanent residence. They can be built attached or detached from the main home. Washington state lawmakers have been making changes so that cities have less regulations regarding the units. “There have been a few legislative actions over the past few years." The goal is to increase the supply of smaller housing options that are more affordable. “The state is making these changes to make it so it is easier to build affordable housing options,” said Miller.
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Marysville city staff prepared changes to the city code in response to those laws from the state level. “The city passed this ordinance in order to address a number of state requirements,” said Miller. “These city regulations were definitely out of date." The resulting effect is reducing some of the regulations on ADUs and making it easier for those who want to construct them in the city. “This allows for more flexible options related to creating ADUs,” said Miller. Some ADUs will no longer be required to have a parking space. “There is no longer a parking requirement if it is located within one quartermile of a major transit stop,” said Miller. Previously, all ADUs were required to have one parking space and that requirement remains for those not near a ‘major transit stop.’ ADUs are now allowed to be larger as well. “The new code will allow for the size to be up to 50 percent of the primary residence,” said Miller. Some of the fees related to sewer and water hookups have been reduced as well. The Washington state legislature may continue to attempt to ease regulations on ADUs in the future. “There are some requirements that continue to exist that the state may lift in the coming years,” said Miller, such as a requirement that an ADU builder must either live in the ADU or in the primary residence, she said.
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Atchley appointed to MSD Board By Christopher Andersson christopher@northcountyoutlook.com Keira Atchley will resume her position in the District 3 Marysville School Board seat after being appointed during a Jan. 12 special session of the School Board. She was appointed with a 3-1 vote after interviews were held with three candidates from the district boundaries. School board member Katie Jackson was the sole dissenting vote. Atchley was previously appointed to the seat early in 2021. She was briefly in the news for appearing on Dori Monson’s Seattle talk radio show and expressing disagreement at racial equity training she received as an incoming board member. Her application to run for the seat did not come to the state in time for her to be listed on the November general election ballot. The only name on the ballot for District 3, Sherry Weersing, had also
dropped out of the race and had filed a statement of termination of cancellation of campaign to the state’s public disclosure office before November. During the general election Atchley ran a write-in campaign, but Weersing still received 80.3 percent of the vote. At the special session interviews, Atchley said she wanted to be a part of the school board to improve local schools. “To help ensure that our students in the community are receiving a great education and that I can advocate for the people within my district,” she said. “To make sure the students and teachers in my community are supported." She said that transparency, education and engaging with the community were all important for school board members. “The ability to not only listen, but to hear what the community needs,” said Atchley. “Allowing availability for families
to be heard,” she said. She said that board members need to be involved in their community and connected to their parents. “I want to be involved in the committee meetings and community meetings,” said Atchley. “Hopefully we can get more people involved so they’re aware of what is happening before it happens,” she said. Making tough decisions is also part of being a board member, she said during the interview. “I understand it is a very scrutinized position and it does come with a lot of pressure,” said Atchley. She said she hopes to “be able to explain those choices even when they are sometimes not the most popular opinion.” Atchley said that the school board should work for their students and staff. “We must find a way to support our teachers,” she said. “Academic success of every student is important.”
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January 19, 2022 - January 25, 2022 NORTH COUNTY OUTLOOK
Opinion
n BEING FRANK
Salmon recovery will take more than money
There’s no doubt about it. The Biden administration is working hard to pay the price for salmon recovery. The $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill is just an example. We have never seen so much political will and funding on the table for salmon habitat restoration and climate resilience. The tribes appreciate the unprecedented federal investment in salmon restoration. We applaud the efforts of leaders such as Sen. Maria Cantwell who is pushing to include salmon recovery in the president’s Build Back Better plan. We are grateful to our congressional delegation and our many partners who worked tirelessly for these historic opportunities. But as I write this, the great Northwest salmon resource is still dwindling and decades of hard work to protect and restore its critical habitat have not been able to keep up with destruction caused by overdevelopment, deforestation and uncontrolled exploitation of natural resources. Our fishermen are still sitting on the banks. They’re hungry and it’s only getting worse. My longtime mentor Billy Frank Jr. once said, “As the salmon disappear, so do our tribal cultures and treaty rights. We are at a crossroads, and we are running out of time.” We have been running out of time for decades. Substantial investments already have been invested in
Ed Johnstone
salmon recovery and, yes, there have been successes in a few locations. But, overall, the fish stocks are still dying. There are objectives that must be met if salmon recovery is to be achieved. The Biden administration must take action on our Treaty Rights at Risk initiative, which called on the federal government in 2011 to honor its obligations to the treaties we signed in the 1850s. Those treaties guaranteed us the continued right to fish, hunt and gather in our usual and accustomed areas – forever. Yet our fishermen are still not fishing. Federal and state agencies have to rethink their policies of permitting land uses that destroy salmon habitat. Those agencies continue to work in silos, failing to communicate and coordinate effectively with each other, and with the tribes. More effective federal oversight is needed. Moreover, our federal trustee must enforce existing rules and laws meant to protect habitat, such as the Endangered Species
Act, the Clean Water Act and court mandates, in a way that reflects the urgent needs of our shared resources. Federal permitting programs must improve shoreline and nearshore habitat protections and stop shoreline hardening. Water quality standards must be protected. Natural floodplain processes must be restored, and we must respond in meaningful ways to climate change. To help achieve these goals, President Biden should issue an executive order that directs federal agencies to prioritize their legal obligations and develop a strategic action plan to protect our treaty rights. These obligations should include authorization for agencies to modify federal regulations, direct discretionary agency funding to meet salmon recovery needs and recommend any necessary legislative changes. Long ago, our ancestors signed treaties ceding millions of acres of land and guaranteeing our right to harvest salmon as long as the rivers run. The government has an obligation to assure use of those ceded lands is protective of those harvest rights. It will take more than money to do that. We need bold actions from our federal trustee. We can’t afford to wait another 10 years. Ed Johnstone is the Chairman of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission.
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News from the Marysville Strawberry Festival The Strawberry Festival is accepting applications for our 2022 Royalty. We are looking for juniors or seniors in any of the Marysville/Lakewood schools. The Queen/King will receive $5,000, and the 2 Princes/ Princesses will each receive $3,500. The Alternate will be receiving $1,500. Plus, everyone is eligible for the Congeniality Award of $500. Judging this year will be done on each participant’s speech given to different business groups either in person or by Zoom. This is a fun way to earn a scholarship for college or trade school. Applications have been sent to the local high schools, please talk with your school counselor. The application can also be found on our website at www.maryfest.org or email us at Maryfest.org@gmail. com. Applications are due Jan. 31. We will be following all COVID restrictions while we travel and while participating in parades. The Strawberry Festival is in need of a building with a large office space, kitchen area and workshop/garage space. The garage needs to
The Berry Patch be large enough so we can put the float inside. The size of our float is 11’ wide by 33’ long. If you know of a building or know someone who has a building that we could rent or lease with a possible option to buy, please contact us at 360-659-7664 or email us at maryfest.org@gmail.com. Our theme for 2022 is "Strawberries Are Back." The Marysville Tulalip Chamber of Commerce is working with Maryfest to bring back the Golf Tournament at Cedarcrest Golf Course, Saturday, June 11, which will be our kickoff for Festival Week. We are very excited to have this event back and more details will be coming. Market applications are now open on-line on our website. This will be held Friday, June 17 – Sunday, June 19. If you would like to register for booth space, or would like to be part of our entertainment, please contact us at
North County Outlook is published every Wednesday and mailed direct to households and businesses in Marysville, Arlington, Smokey Point, Tulalip and Quil Ceda Village. Letters to the editor, community news and story ideas may be e-mailed to editor@northcountyoutlook.com, or sent to the mailing address below. The Publisher reserves the right to edit material for content, grammar, taste, style or length, and all submitted items are published at the sole discretion of the Publisher. News Deadline: Friday 5PM before publication editor@northcountyoutlook.com
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the above email address or go to our website at www. maryfest.org. Please check out our website because new information will be posted as soon as possible, as we are hoping to announce more new activities that will be available for everyone. All COVID restrictions will be followed during all our events. Interested in joining us for some fun and an opportunity to represent our city? The Festival could always use more volunteers. If you would like to become involved with the Strawberry Festival please call 360-6597664 or email us at maryfest.org@gmail.com. Our monthly meetings start at 6 p.m. and are held the third Tuesday of each month at our office at 1412 1st Street. We look forward to hearing from you and making new friends. In closing, did you know that the Strawberry Festival is Washington States third largest parade? We follow Seafair and Spokane’s Military Parades.
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Weekly Puzzle CLUES ACROSS 1. Requests 5. Calendar month 8. Invests in little enterprises 12. Bird sound 14. S. American plant cultivated for tubers 15. Car 16. Bullfighter 18. Hill (Celtic) 19. Strong criticism 20. Detector 21. When you hope to get there 22. Having the skill to do something 23. Legendary MLB broadcaster 26. Vulcanite 30. C. Asian mountain range 31. In a way, healed 32. Midway between east and southeast 33. Small appendages of insects 34. __ Greene, “Bonanza” actor 39. A place to bathe 42. Postal worker acces-
sory 44. Classical music 46. A way of wrecking 47. Terminator 49. You eat three a day 50. Pointed end of a pen 51. NATO official (abbr.) 56. Genus of clams 57. Boxing’s “G.O.A.T.” 58. A colorless, odorless gas used as fuel 59. Covered thinly with gold paint 60. Bachelor of Laws 61. Red fluorescent dye 62. Engineering group 63. Female sibling 64. Adjacent CLUES DOWN 1. What a thespian does 2. Footwear 3. Adjust spacing between 4. Witnesses 5. Who shows excessive fondness 6. Distinct form of a plant 7. National capital 8. Hunting expedition 9. Related to medulla oblongata
10. European country 11. Cola 13. Excluded from use or mention 17. Speak 24. Bloodshot 25. Make better 26. Keyboard key 27. Type of degree 28. Paddle 29. Peacock network 35. Not young 36. Baseball stat 37. One’s grandmother 38. Breakfast food 40. Bathroom features 41. Disease-causing bacterium 42. NY ballplayer 43. Got up 44. Prophet 45. Part of the mouth 47. Unnatural 48. Acronym for brain science study 49. Three are famous 52. Languages spoken in Patagonia 53. Freedom from difficulty 54. Widely used OS 55. Many people pay it
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Sports
January 19, 2022 - January 25, 2022 NORTH COUNTY OUTLOOK
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Lakewood wrestlers take on Mariner By Nathan Whalen christopher@northcountyoutlook.com
PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER ANDERSSON
Lakewood’s Punchy O’Hara grapples with a Mariner wrestler Dec. 10 at Lakewood High School.
The Lakewood wrestling team got some much-needed matches Jan. 10 against Mariner. No team scores were taken, and a second team scheduled to compete at Lakewood, Granite Falls, no-showed. “We wrestled really good. They’re young and inexperienced,” Lakewood wrestling coach Tom O’Hara said of Mariner’s wrestling program. “We want those guys to build their program.” Mariner brought nine wrestlers to the match and the participating wrestlers got the opportunity to compete twice Jan. 10. “I thought we wrestled well for not having wrestled since December,”
O’Hara said. Lakewood last wrestled Dec. 11 when wrestlers competed in the 36th Annual Spud Walley Invitational held in SedroWoolley. Spud Walley was one of eight wrestling tournaments in early December that health officials tied to a COVID-19 outbreak. The Snohomish Health District reported 80 confirmed cases of COVID-19 impacting 13 school districts throughout the county. Wrestling practices and matches were canceled for several weeks in December. O’Hara said the team could have returned to practice Dec. 28, but the snow that fell in the area starting Dec. 26 changed those plans. The wrestling team returned to practice Jan. 3. Even with wrestlers pre-
paring to compete, matches were canceled. Lakewood’s matches against Squalicum on Jan. 4 and BurlingtonEdison on Jan. 6, along with a tournament Jan. 8 at Shorewood didn’t happen. O’Hara said four wrestlers weren’t available Jan. 10 due to COVID protocols. Lakewood had two more matches that took place. The Cougars came up short, 51-30 against Sedro-Woolley Jan. 11, 51-30, and again came up short against Anacortes Jan. 13, 56-24. The Cougars were supposed to compete Jan. 15 in the Marysville Premier wrestling tournament, however, that event got canceled too. As of press time, Lakewood concludes its regular season Jan. 20 with a trip to Sehome. Match begins at 6 p.m.
Marysville swimmers split meet against Monroe By Nathan Whalen christopher@northcountyoutlook.com More swimmers at both Marysville Getchell and Marysville Pilchuck are qualifying for post-season competition. Swimmers at both schools compete together throughout the season and, on Jan. 13, competed against Monroe at Marysville Pilchuck High School. Marysville Getchell topped Monroe 98-79 while Marysville Pilchuck came up short 113-39. “We saw some best times, especially from our newbies,” said Meredith Jenks, who is the swim coach at Marysville Pilchuck and Marysville Getchell. Marysville Getchell sophomore Eli Christensen qualified in the 200-yard freestyle swimming in 2:10. Marysville Pilchuck sophomore Gabe Bowling swam 2:42 in the 200-yard individual medley. “He’s trying to close in on 2:30,” Jenks said. Allen Pringle, a freshman at Marysville Getchell, qualified for districts in the 100-butterly swimming in 1:04. Charger junior Alex Sin dropped eight seconds in the 100-yard freestyle swimming in 1:18 and freshman Kirill Zhurankou broke 30 seconds in the Sure, you love our paper... but don’t forget to
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50-yard freestyle. Freshman Landon Stackhouse dropped 21 seconds in the 100-yard breaststroke. Ryker Lichtenberg, Pringle, and Andrew Christensen have qualified for districts in several events. Marysville also sent three divers to Kamiak High School on Jan. 16 to participate in an 11-dive qualifier in a competition that combined Wesco 3A and 4A schools. Jenks said three divers qualified for the district championships. Marysville Getchell junior Nathan Huh-Orrantia placed second overall and first in 3A, Marysville Getchell Junior Brad Johnson placed seventh overall and third in 3A and Marysville Getchell junior Keith Kirkwood placed ninth overall and fourth in 3A. Divers will have two more district qualifiers to qualify for post-season competition. The teams also have an internal “ironman” award given to swimmers who have competed in every event throughout the course of the season. Jenks estimated that about half will complete that goal.
Crossword answers from page 6
“I always love seeing that camaraderie and support,” Jenks said of the swimmers at both schools. “That’s what keeps them coming back.” Marysville hosts Cascade Jan. 20 at Marysville Pilchuck High School and travels to Stanwood Jan. 27.
PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER ANDERSSON
Marysville Getchell’s Keali’i Mooring competes against Monroe on Jan. 13.
Legal Notices LEGAL NOTICE SUPERIOR COURT OF WASHINGTON FOR SNOHOMISH COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF JAMEY TODD OMAN, Deceased, NO. 21-4-02241-31, PROBATE NOTICE TO CREDITORS, RCW 11.40.030) THE CO-PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVES NAMED BELOW have been appointed as co-personal representatives of this estate. Any person having a claim against the decedent must, before the time the claim would be barred by any otherwise applicable statute of limitations, present the claim in the manner as provided in RCW 11.40.070 by serving on or mailing to the co-personal representatives or the co-personal representatives’ attorney at the address stated below a copy of the claim and filing the original of the claim with the court in which the probate proceedings were commenced. The claim must be presented within the later of: (1) Thirty days after the co-personal representatives served or mailed the notice to the creditor as provided under RCW 11.40.020(1)(c); or (2) four months after the date of first publication of the notice. If the claim is not presented within this time frame, the claim is forever barred, except as otherwise provided in RCW 11.40.051 and RCW 11.40.060. This bar is effective as to claims against both the decedent’s probate and nonprobate assets. DATE OF FIRST PUBLICATION: January 5, 2022. Co-Personal Representative: Ada Evans Co-Personal Representative: Jesse Oman Attorney for Personal Representative: Steven J. Peiffle, WSBA #14704 Address for Mailing or Service: P.O. Box 188, 103 North Street, Arlington, WA 98223 Court of probate proceedings and cause number: Snohomish County Superior Court, Cause No. 21-4-02241-31.
Thank You to Our Marysville, Tulalip & Arlington Police Officers North County Outlook will be publishing a salute and thank you to our Police Officers in Marysville, Arlington, Tulalip and Stillaguamish.
Publishes February 16 ▪ Deadline February 10 Call Sue, Jim or Carole today to reserve your space! 360-659-1100
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January 19, 2022 - January 25, 2022 NORTH COUNTY OUTLOOK
Communities
www.northcountyoutlook.com
n WHISTLING GARDENER
Saving the planet one garden at a time best way to take Have you care of our soils heard of “regenis to keep generative agriculerous amounts ture?" I hadn’t of organic matuntil recently, ter in and on but after a bit of them through research, I real- By Steve Smith the application ized that this “new” movement is at its of compost, either made base just an expansion of on site or imported from organic gardening and reputable sources. In the farming principles that can case of regenerative garbe adapted from commer- dening, this practice is also cial agriculture to our very coupled with a “no till” or own backyards. Here are “no digging” rule. The reasome components of this son for this is that when style of gardening that we we turn over our soils, by either rototilling or digshould all take to heart. Regenerative gardening, ging deeply (does anyone like organic gardening, is remember the popularity founded in the principle of “double digging”?), we that if we take care of our upset the distribution of soils then everything else soil microbes and also rewill work out for the best. lease carbon into the atmoFor the most part, I would sphere. In the beginning agree with this concept. The of establishing a garden
it may be necessary to do some rototilling, but once the grade is established, then making permanent beds and topdressing them with seasonal applications of compost results in very friable soil that only needs to be opened up with a fork when it is time to plant a new crop. Cover crops are also used sometimes to keep the power of photosynthesis working and then they are simply mowed down before planting. I have used all of these techniques over the years and I can attest to the fact that they work very well. Even in my ornamental landscapes where I am not growing a crop, seasonal composting works wonders. Another benefit of regenerative gardening is in
increasing biodiversity by planting a wide variety of plants, both native and exotic species, that help foster wildlife and insect populations. We need to remember that we don’t live in a vacuum when it comes to gardening. Everything is connected on the planet, whether or not we are conscience of it or oblivious. The more our gardening habits take that interconnectedness into consideration, the healthier our little patches of paradise will become and the happier our planet will be. Everybody wins. We hear a lot about “sustainable” practices, but I think “regenerative” or “restorative” techniques go one step further and not only repair damaged eco-
systems, but make them better for future generations. For every homeowner that takes it upon themselves to invest in improving their soil, planting more diverse landscapes, refraining from using toxic chemicals, and/or supporting the birds and the bees, the planet benefits. Imagine if all of our neighbors got with the program and started to improve their soils and yards — the effect would be compounded. Carbon would be removed from the atmosphere, healthy food would be produced and shared, enjoyable landscapes for recreating would be created, and maybe, just maybe, there would be a little less tribal acrimony in the world. Healing the planet one
garden at a time is not a difficult thing to do, it just takes a commitment to start the process and make it a priority. Garden centers have all the tools you need to make it happen — from weed-free organic composts and fertilizers that have been enriched with soil microbes, to natural remedies for pest and disease issues, to selections of useful and beautiful plants and of course knowledgeable staff, we are here to help. Let’s make it happen starting in 2022. Go team go. As always, stay safe and keep on gardening.
Steve Smith represents Sunnyside Nursery in Marysville and can be reached at sunnysidenursery@msn.com.