Tag: Everett

New farmers market anchors larger project

EVERETT — If all goes as planned, Everett should have its own indoor, year-round farmers market as early as summer 2014.

Products at the Everett Farmers Market are likely to include fruits and vegetables, meats and fish, milk, cheese, yogurt and ice cream, as well as fresh-cut and dried flowers, local honey, soaps, beer and wine.

The market is part of a larger development on Grand Avenue with 220 apartments and underground parking. The development includes a 115-room Hampton Inn & Suites hotel that will face West Marine View Drive.

“This is an incredible project,” said Lanie McMullin, the city’s economic development director. “It supplies much needed downtown housing. The more residents downtown, the more everything downtown: the more services, restaurants, wine bars and retail.”

The 60,000-square-foot agriculture center would go far beyond fresh veggies. Fresh crops could be turned into products on site at a commercial kitchen and processing facility.

The commercial kitchen would serve as a job incubator, helping entrepreneurs get started making value-added products such as tamales and selling them on the spot without the expensive investment of a full storefront, McMullin said.

The market also would function as a distribution center, allowing farmers to more easily ship produce to Seattle restaurants and other customers.

The market could give downtown Everett a boost by drawing shoppers and getting a nucleus of people living in the area. The project also calls for restaurants, and the layout of the market should allow for special events such as fundraisers.

“People would have a place to walk to downtown,” McMullin said. “They can sit and listen to buskers, eat something, get a cup of coffee.”

Developer Lobsang Dargey of Dargey Enterprises is paying for the project using private investment money. No public money is being used to build or operate the market.

The developer will get a tax break from the city because the project qualifies for a multiple housing tax exemption meant to encourage that type of development downtown.

Dargey is the same developer behind Potala Village, one block southeast on the corner of Rucker and Pacific avenues. Potala Village includes apartments above street-level retail and restaurant space.

The farmers’ market development includes apartments that are on average 800 to 850 square feet, Dargey said. Inside, the apartments will be outfitted with what he called “condo-grade” amenities such as granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. Tenants of the building would have access to a conference room, fitness room and recreation area.

Outside the market, the developer plans a 4,000-square-foot public plaza at the main entrance, according to plans filed with the city of Everett.

A rooftop garden is planned and below the street-level market, the developer plans two levels of parking, including 229 parking spots for residents and 86 more for the public.

Photographers caught Tulalip culture of early-20th century

A century ago, photographers recorded the tribal culture

By Gale Fiege, The Herald

Everett Public Library Northwest History RoomEverett photographer Norman Edson made this picture of himself with two Tulalip elders in 1905.
Everett Public Library Northwest History Room
Everett photographer Norman Edson made this picture of himself with two Tulalip elders in 1905.

TULALIP — There he is.

In 1905, Everett photographer Norman Edson, then 26, jumped into the middle of his shot, knelt on one knee and squeezed his shutter release.

With his newsboy cap, dapper suit and bowtie, Edson’s attire contrasts with the heavy shawls of the Tulalip women at his side. They are weavers, sitting cross-legged on mats on the ground. One smiles, the other concentrates on her work.

Edson was one of several pre-World War I photographers who captured life on the reservation, creating a valuable record of the Tulalip people more than 100 years ago.

Everett Public Library’s resident historian David Dilgard plans to talk about the photographers at a presentation set for 6 p.m. Thursday at the Hibulb Cultural Center.

The lecture examines the work of Edson (1879-1968), Marysville-based photographer Ferdinand “Ferd” Brady (1880-1967) and J.A. Juleen (1874-1935) of Everett. In addition, it was at Tulalip that the well-known Seattle photographer Edward S. Curtis (1868-1952) began his nationwide quest to photograph all the North American Indian tribes.

“Each of these men left important bodies of photographic work, remarkable images of the Tulalip tribal community a century ago,” Dilgrad said.

Of the three photographers featured in Dilgard’s presentation, Juleen’s work survives most prominently in prints at Hibulb and in the collection of his glass negatives at the Everett library.

Juleen was known for his four-foot panoramas of Northwest landscapes.

Everett Public Library Northwest History RoomJ.A. Juleen's portrait of Tulalip artist and activist William Shelton was taken in 1913.
Everett Public Library Northwest History Room
J.A. Juleen’s portrait of Tulalip artist and activist William Shelton was taken in 1913.

At Tulalip, Juleen took photos of important events: the celebration at a newly completed longhouse and the dedication of a story pole by artist William Shelton, as well as portraits of Shelton and many others.

“Unlike Curtis, however, Juleen didn’t put people in tepees or pose them with other trappings,” Dilgard said. “He took pictures of people as they were and left us photographs of high quality.”

Edson was a student of Bert Brush, who had a photography studio on Wetmore Avenue. Dilgard calls Edson a renaissance man. He played the violin, studied birds and hand-tinted his black-and-white photos.

Brady was known in Snohomish and Skagit counties for his commercial work and his photo records of industry and development.

“There are wonderful images by Brady of the paper mill at Lowell, full of women employees who wore white blouses and their hair tied up in big bows,” Dilgard said. “Brady is one of the forgotten masters of the craft. He used available light at Tulalip, instinctively shooting photos that would become historically and culturally important.”

Mary Jane Topash, tour specialist at Hibulb Cultural Center, said that most of the photos in the museum from the early part of the 20th century are by the photographers Dilgard plans to talk about.

“It’s great to have the photos of special events such as Treaty Days, canoes landing at Tulalip Bay, important funerals,” Topash said. “They provide a time capsule and offer a wealth of information the tribes would not have without these photos.”

Dilgard said he is pleased to present information about the photographers.

“Hibulb is all about the families, language and culture of the Tulalip people,” he said. “To be invited in as an outsider, as these photographers were, is flattering, as I’m sure it was to Juleen, Brady and Edson.”

Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427; gfiege@heraldnet.com.

Tulalip’s early photographers

A presentation about the photographers who captured life on the Tulalip reservation in the early 1900s is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday at the Hibulb Cultural Center, 6410 23rd Ave. NE, Tulalip.

The program is free with museum admission, which is $10 for adults, $7 for seniors, $6 for students, $6 for military personnel and veterans and free to members of the Tulalip Tribes.

EMPOWER emergency preparedness fair, April 20

Educational event for the general public, communities of color, vulnerable populations

& emergency responders features speakers, food, displays

Source: Snohomish County health District
SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash. – Culture, ability, and language can make a huge difference in preparing for and responding to emergencies. The EMPOWER emergency preparedness fair will break down the barriers through a day of presentations, information sharing, resource tables, and demonstrations, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sat., April 20 at Everett Station, 3201 Smith Ave., Everett.
 
The event is free and open to the public, and includes complimentary continental breakfast and lunch. Walk-ins are welcome or you can register at Brown Paper Tickets.
 
The day will have two educational tracks: One for community residents to learn more about being prepared for emergencies, and another for emergency responders to learn ways to respond more effectively to a diverse community.
 
“This fair is for people who want to learn more about getting prepared for earthquakes, storms, and other disasters,” said Therese Quinn, event organizer and Medical Reserve Corps coordinator. “It is also for emergency responders and planners who want to learn more about working with vulnerable populations.”
 
Morning presentations follow a welcome by Snohomish County Sheriff John Lovick.
 
The emergency responder track will hear a hands-on diversity panel discuss “What you need to know when you respond in my community.” Panelists will include individuals from the Iraqi and Latino communities, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. The panel discussion will be followed by speaker Conrad Kuehn from the Northwest ADA Center, presenting “Disability Language and Etiquette.”
 
The community education track includes a presentation on how to prepare for an emergency and make an emergency kit. Following the kit demonstration, a panel will discuss the mission of emergency responders as public safety — and not immigration enforcement. Panelists include Dave Alcorta, Red Cross; Sgt. Manny Garcia, Everett Police Department; and John Pennington, Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management.
 
The lunchtime keynote speaker will be National Fire Academy Instructor Leslie Olson, who will talk about the importance of cross-cultural communication.
 
All presentations and the lunch keynote speech will be interpreted into Spanish and translated by Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) for the deaf and hard of hearing. 
 
The event is the result of community partnership among Snohomish Health District, Tulalip Tribes, Fire District 1, Starbucks, Communities of Color Coalition, Snohomish County Emergency Management, Medical Reserve Corps, Puget Sound Energy, City of Everett, and South Everett Neighborhood Center.
 
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.

Slide pushes Amtrak train off tracks in Everett

No injuries reported when Empire Builder derails in Everett

By Sharon Salyer, The Herald

Doug Ramsay / For the HeraldBurlington Northern Santa Fe and Amtrak officials examine the last two coaches of the Chicago to Seattle Empire Builder that derailed just north of Howarth Park in Everett on Sunday morning. There were no injuries in the derailment and passengers from the derailed cars were moved to the front cars as the train continued to Seattle with the two derailed cars being left behind.
Doug Ramsay / For the Herald
Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Amtrak officials examine the last two coaches of the Chicago to Seattle Empire Builder that derailed just north of Howarth Park in Everett on Sunday morning. There were no injuries in the derailment and passengers from the derailed cars were moved to the front cars as the train continued to Seattle with the two derailed cars being left behind.

An Amtrak train traveling from Chicago to Seattle was hit by a mudslide near Howarth Park in Everett on Sunday morning, derailing the last three passengers cars, which tilted but remained upright.

No injuries were reported among the 86 passengers and 11 crew members, an Amtrak spokesman said.

Three rail cars remained blocking the tracks. The rest of the train was decoupled and continued on to Mukilteo to discharge passengers, Rick Robinson, fire marshal for the Everett Fire Department. Passengers were bused to Seattle.

Sound Transit announced Sunday on its website that Sounder service was cancelled for Monday and Tuesday. Amtrak also said its train service would be affected between Vancouver, B.C., and Portland, Ore., until after Tuesday, with passengers being taken by bus.

After earlier slides this winter passenger trains have been barred from the tracks for 48 hours after a slide.

The tracks between Seattle and Everett have been plagued with slides in recent months.

“We’ve had more than 200 slides this past winter and spring,” said Gus Melonas, spokesman for Burlington Northern Santa Fe, which owns the tracks.

The landslide occurred about 8:30 a.m., affecting two coach cars and the train’s dining car.

The slide was triggered about 100 feet up a 200-foot cliff, depositing a patch of dirt and debris 15 feet deep and 30 feet wide along the tracks a quarter-mile north of Howarth Park, Melonas said.

The force of the slide was enough to “tip the rails over, not the cars, just the rails,” Robinson said.

Two ladder trucks, three engine trucks and two medic units were dispatched to the scene.

About one-quarter mile of track needed to be realigned with the repairs expected to be completed by Monday morning, Melonas said. No estimate of the cost to repair the track was immediately available.

The slide affected the inner line of two main rail lines. However, freight train traffic was not disrupted and two freight trains moved through the area Sunday afternoon, Melonas said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Standing tall for the fallen

A retired Marine’s journey aims to raise awareness for those wounded in war

Mark Mulligan / The HeraldChuck Lewis, a Marine Corps veteran living in Ronan, Mont., walks eastbound down U.S. 2morning toward Gold Bar on Monday, the second day of a 3,300 mile, 6-month journey across the U.S.
Mark Mulligan / The Herald
Chuck Lewis, a Marine Corps veteran living in Ronan, Mont., walks eastbound down U.S. 2morning toward Gold Bar on Monday, the second day of a 3,300 mile, 6-month journey across the U.S.

By Gale Fiege, The Herald

STARTUP — Retired Marine Corps Sgt. Chuck Lewis is walking for the fallen.

U.S. soldiers, sailors and Marines killed in war or those who returned with physical and mental disabilities are the focus of his cross-country campaign.

Lewis is committed to walk 3,300 miles from Everett to Washington, D.C., during the next six months to raise money and awareness for programs that help military veterans.

Lewis, 62, from Ronan, Mont., began his patriotic journey Easter morning at Legion Park in Everett where Bill Quistorf, an Army veteran who lives near the park, shook his hand. Lewis said goodbye to his wife and daughters and started walking down Marine View Drive to Hewitt Avenue headed to U.S. 2.

He won’t see his wife again until he reaches Kalispell, Mont. They’ll have another reunion in Dubuque, Iowa, and she plans to meet him in late September when he finishes at the Vietnam Memorial in the nation’s capital. Hoping to walk 25 miles a day, Lewis plans to reach Chicago, dip down to North Carolina and then up to Washington, D.C.

Lewis, a Vietnam veteran and retired electrical engineer, is pushing a flag-decorated cart loaded with a tent, a sleeping bag, clothes for any weather condition, a second pair of shoes and a solar panel to power his iPhone, which is interfaced with a SPOT global positioning system that allows his supporters to track his progress online.

He spent Sunday night at the Sultan Firehouse, where firefighters Steve Tonkin, Michelle Fox and Andrew Lowry decided to take Lewis out for supper.

“He’s got a long way to go, so we wanted to give him a good start,” said Tonkin, 47. “Chuck’s a good guy. I’m a veteran, too, so what he’s doing hits home in several ways.”

Though he was prepared for chilly rain, Lewis donned a pair of athletic shorts and a T-shirt Monday morning to continue his spring walk along U.S. 2 in the Skykomish River valley.

In Startup, Lewis wondered aloud if this was the community where he would begin to see some elevation gain.

“Is this where I start going up? I see the mountains ahead,” Lewis joked. “I already have a blister, but I’ve run 100-mile races and I’m prepared.”

While taking a break, Lewis told a story about two Marine Corps veterans who returned to Ronan last year from combat duty in Afghanistan. One came home missing his legs. The other killed himself three weeks later.

“In the military, these guys have a purpose and people who have their backs. When they get home, everybody is busy, so they have nobody to talk to. The economy is poor and they can’t find a job,” Lewis said. “I probably can’t help too many of these guys personally, but I can raise awareness and money for the programs that can.”

Lewis waves to the drivers who honk their horns. Occasionally people stop him to ask about his journey.

The side of his cart is decorated with a thermometer graphic that shows how much Lewis has raised for veterans. His goal is $50,000, but he has a second thermometer ready to go should people donate more.

Lewis invites people to walk with him through their towns. If anyone asks, he is able to give a presentation about his trip. He also welcomes help with places to sleep, shower and wash clothes.

To offer such help to Lewis and donate to the cause, go to www.walkingforthefallen.com.

Underwater robot will assist with rescue and recovery

By Rikki King, The Herald

The Snohomish County Sheriff's Office's newly acquired SeaLion-2 underwater robot, dubbed "Batman" by deputies, cruises in a South Everett swimming pool last week. Its controllers are seen above the robot. Photo: Mark Mulligan / The Herald
The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office’s newly acquired SeaLion-2 underwater robot, dubbed “Batman” by deputies, cruises in a South Everett swimming pool last week. Its controllers are seen above the robot. Photo: Mark Mulligan / The Herald

EVERETT — In the water, the robot looked like a curious critter.

It glided through the pool, poking its nose up to the surface to nudge at obstacles.

The robot is construction-equipment yellow, about the size of a small dog.

Nearby, specially trained deputies watched its movements on a computer screen, scanning the water through its “eyes.”

The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office recently acquired an underwater robot, a JW Fishers SeaLion-2, through a federal grant.

They call it “Batman.”

Batman went for a test drive last week at a community pool in south Everett. It splashed around and posed for pictures.

Its true missions are more somber.

The sheriff’s office got Batman in January, Lt. Rodney Rochon said.

Later that month, Batman helped them gather underwater visuals as they pulled a car from the Snohomish River. The bodies of two missing people were inside.

On March 16, Batman found the body of a fisherman who drowned in Silver Lake the day before.

Batman’s worth about $40,000, Rochon said. As part of the federal grant that paid for the acquisition, the dive team and the robot can be called to help with rescue and recovery operations throughout the region.

At least two children and two adults drowned in Snohomish County in 2012.

Rescues are the team’s top priority, Rochon said. In the cases when they can’t rescue someone, they try to find the body.

“We need to recover the victim so the family can get closure,” Rochon said. “It’s not just about the investigation.”

The robot also can be used to gather intelligence and limit the time human divers spend in the water, he said. It can weather harsher conditions and dive deeper — up to 1,000 feet — and for longer than people can. Deputies only can dive 100 feet for safety reasons.

The SeaLion-2 design is most popular with law enforcement, said Chris Combs, a spokesman for JW Fishers, the Massachusetts-based manufacturer. It weighs about 40 pounds. It has high-resolution color cameras in front and back and four motors to propel it forward, backward, up and down. Some models have sonar technology.

“The SeaLion-2 is really a pretty neat little machine,” Combs said.

The sheriff’s office also got to lease a SWAT robot for free for a while last year. On one mission, it helped dissolve a standoff in Marysville.

The lease ended a while back, and that robot went back home.

Noted writer to read at Everett library event

Source: The Herald

Timothy EganWhen you team up a Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times journalist with one of the most renowned photographers in Pacific Northwest history, you get an adventure story.

That story turned into the book “The Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis.”

The book is written by Seattle-based journalist Timothy Egan, who will read excerpts at a Friends of the Everett Public Library literary event.

The event is scheduled for 7 p.m. April 6 at the Everett Performing Arts Center, 2710 Wetmore Ave., Everett.

It’s free and open to the public. Donations will be accepted to support the annual children’s Summer Reading Program.

Books and wine will be for sale. There will also be a question-and-answer session with National Public Radio commentator, author and librarian Nancy Pearl, known for her spots on NPR’s “Morning Edition” and her best-selling book “Book Lust.”

Egan follows the story of Curtis, a Seattle resident and portrait photographer of great acclaim (President Theodore Roosevelt paid him to photograph his daughter’s wedding).

Though his renown was well-established, Curtis decided in 1900 to pursue his life’s work: to photograph all the intact Native American tribes left in North America.

After 30 years, Curtis completed the 20-volume set, “The North American Indian,” which left him broke and divorced.

Egan is sympathetic to Curtis’ plight in this journey and with journalistic detail, Egan delivers not just an adventure story but a biography as well.

For more information go to www.epls.org/.

Work expected to close Ebey Slough bridge over weekend

Herald Staff

MARYSVILLE — Unless it’s raining hard, the Highway 529 bridge into Marysville is set to close tonight and is scheduled to remain closed through the weekend.

People who drive the bridge over Ebey Slough will have to choose a different route from 8 tonight through 5 a.m. Monday. The weekend detour uses Fourth Street in Marysville and I-5. Bicyclists and pedestrians can be escorted through the closure if needed.

For the past year, demolition crews have used half of the new bridge as a staging area to rip down the old Ebey Slough bridge.

With the removal of the old bridge, drivers will finally be able to use all of the new, wider bridge after this last bit of work.

State Department of Transportation crews plan to remove the concrete barrier between drivers and the demolition staging area. Once the barrier is gone, the roadway will be striped for traffic in each direction. The bridge will reopen by Monday with four lanes for vehicle traffic and bike lanes on each side.

Transportation engineer Mark Sawyer anticipates that it will be a big change for drivers who use the bridge to commute and ease traffic during the evening commute from Everett.

When the weather improves in May, a final layer of asphalt will be applied.

The state built the new bridge to replace the 85-year-old Ebey Slough bridge.

For details, graphics and photos, go to www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/sr529/ebeysloughbridge.