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Dispose of unwanted medicines on National Drug Take-back Day, April 27

Correct disposal helps prevent unintentional poisonings

Source: Snohomish County Health District

SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash. –Unintentional poisonings are at a record high in Snohomish County. The most recent information shows that in 2011 the number of such poisonings affected 150 county residents– more than triple the 46 reported in 2000. You can help reduce the chance of unintentional poisonings by disposing of your unwanted medicines on National Drug Take-back Day, April 27 at multiple locations in Snohomish County.

“Unintentional poisonings frequently involve prescription drugs,” said Dr. Gary Goldbaum, Health Officer and Director of the Snohomish Health District. He said they not only harm people, but improperly discarded drugs can also harm the environment when they enter septic systems and household trash.

To help protect the public’s safety and health, area law enforcement agencies and Bartell Drug will participate in National Drug Take-back Day, Saturday, April 27 at sites throughout the county. Find locations and hours on the Health District’s website, www.snohd.org, or call 425.388.3199. The sites accept unused, expired and unwanted prescription drugs, including narcotic painkillers and other medications.

All police departments in the county have drop-boxes available year-round, Monday through Friday, including the NCIS office at Naval Station Everett, the Washington State Patrol office in Marysville, and tribal police stations on the Tulalip and Stillaguamish reservations. Additionally, two Group Health locations and many Bartell Drugstores accept unwanted vitamins, pet medications, over-the-counter medications, inhalers and unopened EpiPens year-round.

Only law enforcement locations can accept controlled substances, such as Ativan and OxyContin. Leave all items in their original containers.

The Saturday drug-return hours support the US Drug Enforcement Agency’s “National Drug Take-back Day,” through participation by the Snohomish County Partnership for Secure Medicine Disposal. Partnership members include the Snohomish Health District, Snohomish County, the Snohomish County Sheriff’s office, the Snohomish Regional Drug and Gang Task Force, the Washington State Patrol, and all local law enforcement agencies.

Established in 1959, the Snohomish Health District works for a safer and healthier Snohomish County through disease prevention, health promotion, and protection from environmental threats. Find more information about the Health Board and the Health District at http://www.snohd.org.

Drop-Off Locations and Hours

The Snohomish County Partnership for Secure Medicine Disposal provides residents with secure medicine drop-off locations year-round. The hours listed below are for the Saturday, April 27 National Drug Take-back Day.

City: Arlington

Time: 10 am – noon

Location: Arlington Police Department

110 East Third Street

Arlington, WA 98223

City: Edmonds

Time: 10 am – 2 pm

Location: Edmonds Police Department

250 Fifth Avenue North

Edmonds, WA 98020

City: Everett

Time: 8 am – Noon

Location: Everett Police Department – North Precinct

3002 Wetmore Avenue

Everett, WA 98201

City: Lake Stevens

Time: 10 am – 2 pm

Location: Bartell Drugs (hosted by Lake Stevens Police Department)

621 SR 9 NE

Lake Stevens, WA 98258

City: Lynnwood

Time: 8 am – noon

Location: Lynnwood Police Department

19321 44th Avenue West

Lynnwood, WA 98036

City: Lynnwood

Time: 10 am – 2 pm

Location: Home & About Home Care (hosted by Snohomish Regional Drug & Gang TF)

15121 Hwy 99

Lynnwood, WA 98087

City: Marysville

Time: 9 am – 1 pm

Location: Marysville Police Department

1635 Grove Street

Marysville, WA 98270

City: Mill Creek

Time: 9 am – 1 pm

Location: Snohomish County Sheriff – South Precinct

15928 Mill Creek Blvd

Mill Creek, WA 98012

City: Mountlake Terrace

Time: 10 am – 2 pm

Location: Mountlake Terrace Police Department

5906 232nd Street SW

Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043

City: Snohomish

Time: 8 am – noon

Location: Snohomish Police Department

230 Maple Avenue

Snohomish, WA 98290

New coalition of regional leaders formed to oppose coal exports

Leadership Alliance Against Coal includes leaders from cities and tribes

Source: Office of Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn

SEATTLE – Leaders of city governments and tribal nations across the Pacific Northwest today announced the formation of a new coalition to oppose coal trains and coal exports. The Leadership Alliance Against Coal will work together to raise awareness about the damaging economic, cultural, and health impacts of coal trains and coal exports, as well as take action to protect their communities.

“These coal trains threaten the health of our communities, the strength of our economies, and the environmental and cultural heritage we share,” said Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn. “We will stand together to stop the coal trains.”

“For thousands of years Washington State tribes have fought to protect all that is important for those who call this great state home. We can no longer allow industry and business to pollute our water and land; we as leaders need to protect our treaty resources, our economies, and the human health of our citizens and neighbors,” said Brian Cladoosby, Chairman of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community.

The Leadership Alliance Against Coal grew out of conversations between leaders from cities and tribal nations concerned about the impact of coal trains on their communities. Alliance members are calling for agencies to work together to explore the impacts on the health of people living near the rail tracks and the coal terminals. They urge state and federal agencies to deny permits for coal export proposals, as their proposed benefits do not outweigh the likely costs to local economies, health, natural environment, and cultural resources.

The City of Seattle conducted a study that found coal trains could add an additional two hours of gate downtime at major street crossings of the railway by 2025. Similar delays are likely in cities large and small along the proposed route of these trains

Tribes are concerned that coal trains and the proposed coal terminals would violate their treaty rights and damage their cultural heritage, as well as cause economic and health impacts.

“The economic, environmental and health issues raised by this 19th Century proposal are below us as a city and a state,” said State Representative Reuven Carlyle. “We need to focus on high quality, innovative, entrepreneurial markets and ideas that lift us up – not unhealthy, dangerous commodities that assault our global economy.”

“The risks not only to our tribe can be devastating, but also to the entire region,” said Chairman Melvin Sheldon, Jr., of the Tulalip Tribes. “We’ve made substantial retail investments that depend heavily on quality of life. Tulalip supports job creation. We are one of the largest employers in Snohomish County and contribute to economic solvency in the Northwest. However, we do not support an industry such as this one that we believe will damage our natural and cultural resources or diminish existing jobs in our region.”

“This increased rail traffic will have a significant impact on our local community by among other things increasing traffic congestion, creating a higher risk of accidents, decreasing our ability to provide effective emergency response times, impacting local commerce, and interfering with local truck freight delivery systems also affecting the local economy,” said Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring.

“The proposed coal trains pose a detriment to the health, economy, and quality of life of the people and communities I represent,” said Councilmember Larry Phillips, Chair of the King County Council’s Transportation, Economy, and Environment Committee. “I stand united with neighborhood, business, environmental, tribal, and government leaders in protecting the prosperity and beauty of our state by opposing coal trains.”

“The City of Spokane cannot afford to have additional coal trains coming through that disrupt truck routes, emergency services and the health of our citizens,” said Spokane City Council President Ben Stuckart. “In addition we must address climate change as elected leaders and must take action. I am proud to be part of the Leadership Alliance and look forward to working with Tribal and elected leaders across the state to represent our communities.”

“The citizens of Edmonds, like so many in our region, are committed to protecting our environment, improving our public health and safety, and building our economy. Coal trains run counter to every one of these important goals,” said Edmonds City Councilmember Strom Peterson.

“Washington State has been a national leader in creating clean-energy technologies and jobs that promote sustainable global economic development. Coal exports promote damaging and unsustainable energy programs. Shoreline stands in opposition to the proposed coal export terminals and the environmental, health and economic damage that will ultimately result,” said Shoreline Mayor Keith McGlashan.

“The City of Bainbridge Island supports economic growth that does not jeopardize Washington State’s commitment to fight the serious impacts of climate change,” said Bainbridge Island Mayor Steve Bonkowski, on behalf of the City Council. “The City urges the Governor and the Legislature to work on a comprehensive policy opposing coal export terminals in Washington State.”

“What is most concerning to me are the affects and impacts created by increased coal export put upon down-line communities like ours and we are just expected to take it,” said Sumner City Councilmember Nancy Dumas. “There is zero direct benefit for pass through communities like ours, yet our taxpayers are expected to bear the burden of expense, responsibility and liability that the increase in coal train traffic bisecting and disrupting our towns will bring.”

“On Earth Day, the city also introduced our Climate Action Plan, the city’s roadmap to be carbon neutral by 2050. Despite all our efforts to invest in energy efficient homes and an active transportation system, we will not achieve our climate goals if we allow a massive expansion of coal exports through our community,” said Seattle Councilmember Mike O’Brien. “I’m proud to stand united with cities and tribes to oppose coal exports and promote a climate friendly future.”

The following individuals are members of the Leadership Alliance Against Coal:

• Mayor Mike McGinn, Seattle

• Councilmember Mike O’Brien, Seattle

• Councilmember Larry Phillips, King County

• Mayor Jon Nehring, Marysville

• Mayor Keith McGlashan, Shoreline

• Deputy Mayor Chris Eggen, Shoreline

• State Representative Reuven Carlyle

• Council President Ben Stuckart, Spokane

• Mayor Dave Earling, Edmonds

• Councilmember Strom Peterson, Edmonds

• Councilmember Nancy M. Dumas, Sumner

• Mayor Steve Bonkowski, Bainbridge Island

• Chairman Melvin Sheldon, Jr., Tulalip Tribes

• Chairman Brian Cladoosby, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community

• Councilmember Jay Julius, Lummi Nation

Earth Day and Sex: Watch Director’s Cut of Documentary on Global Population and the Environment, Livestreamed

Source: Indian Country Today Media Network

What is the true cost of overpopulation on the environment? In a world containing seven billion people needing food, energy and other means to survival, the question is ever more urgent as the effects of human-fueled climate change close in.

A 2011 documentary examines every facet of this question, from the point of view of those who serve as the gateway: women.

In honor of Earth Day the makers of the award-winning environmental documentary Mother: Caring for 7 Billion are livestreaming the hour-long film starting on Friday April 19. It will run continuously on the filmmakers’ website and on YouTube through the end of May.

“We want Mother to be viewed by as many people as possible for Earth Day because Mother holds up a mirror and shows people a very different way to look at their role on this planet,” said director and co-producer Christophe Fauchere in a statement.

“This is not your father’s population documentary,” wrote Grist senior editor Lisa Hymas upon the film’s release. “Mother takes a feminist/humanist view as it explores the issues of our exploding numbers.”

The opening sequence is stark, a black-and-white pile of squalling infants being powdered and diapered en masse by hands as big as they are. Between this sight and the camera, a row of bellowing babies files by on a conveyor belt. American Beth Osnes, the youngest of 10 children, serves as a protagonist of sorts, discovering along with the viewer her role in the population crisis. It makes her rethink her entire family-planning philosophy.

Simply put, “Our demand for resources is increasing, but the size of the planet is not,” says Mathis Wackernagel, executive director of the Global Footprint Network, an organization devoted to creating sustainability.

“We have reached a real important threshold in our relationship with the planet,” intones a voiceover. “We are the major agent of change.”

View the full film below as it is livestreamed, through the end of May.

Earth Day celebration at the Qwuloolt Estuary

Qwuloolt Estuary Restoration Project and earth Day Celebration

Article by Monica Brown

Ecologist Walter Rung demonstrates how to plant a native tree.
Photo by Monica Brown

TULALIP, Wash. – Community members chose to celebrate Earth Day on April 20th, by helping plant native trees and shrubs in the Qwuloolt Estuary located on the South end of Marysville. The Adopt a Stream Foundation (AASF) is guiding this portion of the project by planting the native trees and shrubs which have been made possible by a grant from the Washington State Department of Ecology through a $250,000 Allen Creek Grant. The main focus of the grant is to work with and inform nearby homeowners that live near the Allen Creek watershed about the restoration project. Walter Rung, Ecologist from the AASF says “We are going to door to door and talking to them about ways to help improve water quality in the creeks.”

A plastic shield is placed around the tree in order to help it thrive and prevent it from being cut down when the invasive species are removed from the area.
Photo by Monica Brown

A peek iside that the freshly planted tree.
Photo by Monica Brown

The expected outcome of the restoration project is to raise the population of salmon, and migratory birds that inhabit the Qwuloolt Estuary and it’s tributaries. Planting native vegetation is one way of helping to improve water quality. CK Eidem from the AASF informs, “Today we’re putting in about 100 potted stalk and 100 live stakes; potted stalk are potted plants and live stakes are a cutting from a tree which will grow into a shrub if planted at the right time of year,”

Other environmental changes are being made such as improving natural channel formation and eventually removing the tide gate. The tide gate is located just south of the storm water Treatment Facility and should be taken down within a year.

“We’re expecting once they remove the tide gate that there will be a lot more salmon in the creek,” said Walter Rung.

At the estuary project, informational booths and speakers informed people about how to protect the estuary and streams in the area by simple methods of not using toxic chemicals in their yards for weed control, disposing of pet droppings properly and regular maintenance their septic systems. Staff from Tulalip Tribes Natural Resources Department explained the stages and reason of the restoration project and provided delicious samples of Sitka Spruce tea and Nettle Tea.

Josh Meidav and Kelly Finley hosted The Tulalip Tribes booth.
Photo by Monica Brown

This project has been made possible through a large partnership between The Tulalip Tribes, City of Marysville, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, Sound Transit, Wash. Dept of Fish and Wildlife, Wash. State Recreation and Conservation Office, Natural Resources Conservation Services, Snohomish Basin Salmon Recovery Forum, Sound Salmon Solutions and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Outlet mall on Tulalip Reservation expands

Seattle Premium Outlets, located off Interstate 5 on the Tulalip Tribes Reservation, is opening more than a dozen new stores to attract a growing number of bargain hunters.

By Amy Martinez

The recession brought to a near-standstill all but one segment of shopping-center development in the past few years: the outlet mall.

While developers shelved plans for new full-price shopping centers amid a sharp downturn in U.S. discretionary spending, some stepped up the pace of construction of stores catering to bargain hunters.

Locally, Seattle Premium Outlets on the Tulalip Tribes Reservation soon will unveil a 100,000-square-foot expansion with more than a dozen new stores, including American Eagle Outfitters, Armani Exchange, Clarins, Diane von Furstenberg, Forever 21, MaxStudio and The North Face.

The expansion will give the 8-year-old shopping center half a million square feet and up to 125 stores starting in June. Current tenants Coach, Columbia Sportswear, DKNY, Polo Ralph Lauren and Tommy Bahama also will move to larger space in the new buildings off Interstate 5, near Marysville.

“People are looking for value, and this is what we offer,” said Michele Osgood, the outlet mall’s marketing manager.

Owner Simon Property Group, whose local portfolio also includes Northgate Mall, says its focus for new development is on premium outlets. Indianapolis-based Simon plans to open five outlet malls this year, up from two last year. In total, it has nearly 80 outlet malls in North America and Asia.

Outlet malls originated in the early 1980s as a way for brands to sell surplus stock at lower prices. Today, much of their merchandise is outlet-only, meaning the goods never appear at full-price stores. The change enables retailers to keep a growing number of outlets fully stocked, especially as they use technology to better manage inventory and avoid surpluses.

Analysts say the new frugality, born of the Great Recession, has turned outlet malls into shopping magnets for people who want name-brand merchandise but not at full price.

Sales at outlet stores rose 10 percent for the 12 months that ended in February, according to market-research firm The NPD Group. Meanwhile, non-outlet sales of apparel, shoes and accessories increased only 3 percent.

“The outlet mall continues to grow faster than the traditional retail market,” said Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at NPD. “Consumers, because they’re shopping less often, are willing to spend the day at an outlet mall and make it a longer endeavor.”

Seattle Premium Outlets, located about 100 miles from the Canadian border, is popular with shoppers from British Columbia and Alberta, many of whom stay overnight at the nearby Tulalip Resort Casino or Holiday Inn Express, said Osgood.

“The longer they stay here and shop, the more they can take across the border duty-free,” she said. “So there’s kind of an incentive for them to stay longer.”

But some wonder if a recovering U.S. economy might eventually put a damper on outlet sales.

“In the early 2000s, when the economy got better, outlet shopping plateaued,” said retail analyst Jeff Green. “The question becomes, when the economy gets better, will it plateau again? And I’ve got to believe it might. That’s because it’s the only segment of retail where you’re seeing new development.”

Shopper Evonne Noble, 35, of Seattle, held up a green sleeveless dress Friday during an outing with friends at the Tulalip outlet mall. The dress originally cost $80, but Noble paid $20 at the Banana Republic outlet store.

“I would not come up here without a plan,” she said over lunch at the mall’s food court. “There was this Kate Spade purse I was watching for a year and then I got it here for a few hundred dollars off.

“I hate shopping,” she added. “So I try to do it only a few times a year and be savvy about it.”

2013 Allen/Quilceda Watershed Earth Day Celebration

Saturday, April 20 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Qwuloolt Estuary Restoration Project Site,
Harborview Park, 4700 60th Ave. NE, Marysville, WA 98270

The first 200 participants get a free Earth Day T-shirt. Visit informational booths and stamp your shirt with all the parts of a healthy watershed. Informational booth topics include water pollution, salmon, the water cycle, native plants, controlling invasive plants and restoration projects.

Plant a native tree or shrub to help restore the Qwuloolt Estuary, then spread mulch to nourish new plants and suppress weeds.

Come prepared for all weather conditions; wear sturdy shoes or boots. Plants, tools, gloves, water and snacks will be provided for volunteers.

Drop in or stay for the whole event. Registration is not required but preferred for groups, to register please CLICK HERE

For more information contact Erin Martin at:

Email: Erin.Martin@snoco.org
Phone: (425) 388-3464, Ext. 4661

Directions from I-5:
Take exit 199 east into Marysville, travel east on 4th St NE
Turn Right (south) onto State Ave
Turn Left (east) onto 3rd St for approximately 1.7 miles
Turn Right (west) onto 52nd St NE,
52nd St NE turns south and becomes 60th Ave NE, Harborview Park is on the right (west) side of the street. Find parking in the Harborview neighborhood.

Financial Transparency Legislation Renews Controversy Over First Nation Chiefs’ Salaries

MIKE DEAL/WINNIPEG FREE PRESSAboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Minister Bernard Valcourt addresses reporters.Read more at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2013/04/18/financial-transparency-legislation-renews-controversy-over-chiefs-salaries-148898 — MIKE DEAL/WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Minister Bernard Valcourt addresses reporters.
Read more at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2013/04/18/financial-transparency-legislation-renews-controversy-over-chiefs-salaries-148898

By David P. Ball, Indian Country Today Media Network

Newly enacted federal legislation forcing First Nations to disclose their leaders’ salaries and spending online has been decried by critics who say the public is being misled by “myth” and stereotypes.

On Wednesday March 27 in Winnipeg, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Minister Bernard Valcourt attempted to announce that the First Nations Financial Accountability Act, known as Bill C-27, had received royal assent and become law. But advocates say that accountability already exists, and the Conservatives’ real purpose is to demonize Natives as corrupt and incapable of managing themselves.

Demonstrators cut short Valcourt’s press conference, one of them drowning out a speech by aboriginal advocate Phyllis Sutherland by beating a hand drum while shouting “Oppressors!” as she and the minister were ushered into a back room. Sutherland, an outspoken critic of her Manitoba band’s leadership—her chief reportedly earned $206,381 in 2009—brought the salaries of some First Nation chiefs to national media attention three years ago when she leaked the information to the right-leaning Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF). The federation launched an ardent campaign for transparency legislation by releasing data suggesting that dozens of chiefs earned more than the country’s Prime Minister and provincial premiers. Highest paid was the chief of Glooscap First Nation in Nova Scotia, population 304, who reportedly earned $978,468.

But aboriginal critics tore apart the federation’s method of comparing First Nations and Canadian politicians’ salaries. The organization included travel reimbursements for Natives but not Members of Parliament, for instance, and also inflated aboriginal incomes—which, under treaties, are not taxed on reserves—in order to compare them with Canadian politicians’ taxed salaries, a tactic that nearly doubled the leaders’ salaries in some cases.

“As far as I’m concerned, people have a right to know what their chief and councils are making and what their band finances are being spent on,” Sutherland, of Peguis First Nation in Manitoba, told Indian Country Today Media Network. “Where is all this money? Why didn’t they do anything for the people? There’s certainly no benefit to the people out there.”

Sutherland said her goal was to end alleged mismanagement and secrecy, especially as many Natives suffer from substandard housing and education.

“In every First Nations reserve I talk with, it’s always the same story: widespread corruption among leaders,” she said. “Not all of them. There are some First Nations doing wonderful things for their people. But I can’t see the problem with them having to post their salaries, honorariums and remuneration. It should be automatic.”

Pam Palmater, chair of Ryerson University’s Indigenous Governance program and runner-up in last year’s election for National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), says information on band finances already is provided to Aboriginal Affairs. Reserves must fill out 163 spending reports a year, she said, quoting AFN reports. On average, she added, chiefs actually make about $36,000—less than 80 percent of average per capita earnings in Canada.

“The financial information already is transparent,” Palmater told reporters. “That’s the myth that’s being perpetuated by this legislation. First Nations don’t get a single cent unless they submit audited financial statements. More than audited financial statements: On average they have to submit one report every three days.”

The AFN also opposed the legislation, saying that there are other ways to improve accountability on reserves without extending federal control over bands.

“First Nations have been clear in their commitment to accountability and transparency to all of our citizens,” said AFN National Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo. “Bill C-27 would not support this accountability, but instead gives more power to the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development. We do not support unilateralism that further entrenches us in a system that doesn’t work for our people or Canada. The answers lie in our communities and with our citizens, not with more control from Ottawa.”

Valcourt told reporters on March 27 that C-27 represents “an important step” toward First Nations’ self-sufficiency, and would help assure outside investors their money is well managed.

“In our quest for self-sufficiency and economic development, we have a whole youth there that is waiting [for] training and getting the skills they need to get the jobs that are available and can be available for them,” he said. “Investors need the assurance there is accountability and transparency. That’s why I believe this is an important step for First Nations all across Canada.”

‘American Buffalo’ Opens at National Museum of Wildlife Art

Source: Indian Country Today Media Network

Before you head to Yellowstone National Park this summer to see the real deal, stop at the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to see stunning paintings of bison from the early 18th Century.

The exhibit “George Catlin’s American Buffalo” opens May 18 and runs until August 18, featuring 40 paintings by the artist, who produced about 500 works based on the travels among 50 Native tribes in the 1830s, according to the museum. The show takes a “fresh look at the famous works of [Catlin] through the lens of his representation of buffalo and their integration into the lives of Native Americans.”

George Catlin, “Buffalo Bull, Grazing on the Prairie,” 1832-1833, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr.

“Catlin’s paintings illuminate in great detail the close ties between Native American tribes and bison in the 1830s, and his writings about the land and its native inhabitants have informed generations of conservationists as they wrestle with sustainable ways to manage America’s Great Plains,” said Adam Duncan Harris, curator of art for the National Museum of Wildlife Art, in a press release.

George Catlin, “Hee-láh-dee, Pure Fountain, Wife of The Smoke,” 1832 oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr.

The exhibition, organized by the Smithsonian American Art Museum in collaboration with the National Museum of Wildlife Art, is drawn entirely from the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s collection. For more info on “George Catlin’s American Buffalo” and the National Museum of Wildlife Art, click here.

“The Life of William Shelton, a Tulalip Indian” Documentary on Kickstarter

"The Life of William Shelton, a Tulalip Indian" on Kickstarter — “The Life of William Shelton, a Tulalip Indian” on Kickstarter

“The Life of William Shelton, a Tulalip Indian” documentary, which recently took first place for “Best Overall Film” at the Tulalip Hibulb Film Festival is now on Kickstarter. The film, produced by Lita Sheldon, Tulalip tribal member and Jeff Boice, is working to raise money to create a broadcast quality film that can be aired on TV stations and small independent theaters, along with raising funding for additional interviews, footage and to cover the cost of editing, post production and securing distribution rights.

Kickstarter is an online site home to everything creative, including films, games, music, art, design and more. All of the projects on Kickstarter are brought to life through the direct support of people willing to pledge money and show their support. “The Life of William Shelton, a Tulalip Indian” currently has 42 days to raise their goal of $30,000.

You can read about the project, the people behind it and the various items you can receive depending on your donations here.

Clean Sweep Week offers many activities

Source: The Marysville Globe Guest Opinion by Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring

As many community members are already aware, the City and a multitude of enthusiastic, civic-minded volunteers are readying for our 2^nd Annual Marysville Community Clean Sweep Week.

Clean Sweep is our weeklong blitz of free activities aimed at joining with neighborhoods, businesses and residents to get our collective spring cleaning off on the right foot, and hopefully inspire others along the way toward making Marysville a safer, attractive and more livable community.

Neighborhood Clean Sweeps, painting over graffiti, Adopt-a-Street litter control pickup, the Shred-a-Thon and PC recycling are just some of the free activities that will make for a busy week around Marysville’s streets and neighborhoods.

One free activity during Clean Sweep Week that can sometimes get overlooked is the annual Earth Day Celebration hosted and sponsored by the Allen/Quilceda Watershed (A/QWA) Team. That’s only because while most other activities are happening along busy streets or urban areas, the A/QWA Team’s popular native tree and shrub planting projects happen off the beaten path.

The Earth Day Celebration is an integral part of Clean Sweep Week, a testament to the importance we and all the Earth Day participating agencies place on preserving and protecting clean water and a healthy watershed. It’s no coincidence that it falls during Clean Sweep Week.

I invite you to come out and help at this year’s Earth Day Celebration, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, April 20 at the Qwuloolt Estuary Restoration Project Site in Harborview Park, 4700 60th Ave. NE, in Marysville.

The A/QWA Team chose the location to raise awareness about the Qwuloolt Estuary Restoration Project, which is lead by the Tulalip Tribes and includes various federal, state and local governments and agencies.

The Qwuloolt Estuary Restoration Project is a critical restoration project that will restore tidal influence to nearly 400 acres at the mouth of Allen and Jones Creeks. The event will include educationally focused booths, interpretive trail walks, face painting and a service activity.

The first 200 participants will get a free Earth Day T-shirt that can be stamped with all the parts of a healthy watershed at each of the booths. Participants will leave the event with a greater understanding of the elements within a healthy watershed and actions that they can take to improve our local watersheds. The service activity allows participants to get their hands dirty and implement a lasting beneficial change in the watershed.

This year participants will plant a native tree or shrub along the edge of the Qwuloolt Estuary restoration project and spread mulch to nourish new plants and suppress weeds. This is a fun, healthy way to do something good for the environment – if you don’t mind getting a little grubby.

To sign up, or for more information, contact Erin Martin at (425) 388-3463 Ext. 4661 or Erin.Martin@snoco.org.

The A/QWA Team is a diverse community group working together to implement the Quilceda/Allen Watershed Management Plan and to improve the overall water quality of streams in the Allen/Quilceda Watershed. The A/QWA Team community partnership is just one of the many important coordinating groups that accomplish the City mission:

“to provide quality, innovative and efficient municipal services which promote economic growth, thriving neighborhoods, healthful living and financial sustainability for our residents and businesses.”

The A/QWA Team provides education and outreach opportunities to the community and improvements the environment by actively working in Marysville and the greater Allen/Quilceda watershed. The Team is comprised of representatives from Adopt-a-Stream, City of Arlington, City of Marysville, Marysville School District, Snohomish County Conservation District, Snohomish County Surface Water Management (SWM), Sound Salmon Solutions, Tulalip Tribes, Washington State Department of Ecology and local residents.

Don’t miss this great opportunity to get of the house and give back to our natural environment by volunteering or simply celebrating.