Tag: Snohomish County

Continuing the Exploration

Carl Setzer

My life orbits South Snohomish County, especially Lynnwood. This is where we settled at 10, where I graduated high-school, and now where I raise my son. Several decades of my life right here. I get out, we do “things”, and yet there always remains some place new. So many places, nearby, where my feet have not ventured. For instance, I’ve yet to do more than sail through the San Juans. I’ve never been off the ferry. Never! Perplexes many friends.

With so many opportunities in my proverbial backyard, my interest and fascination with this area grows. Thus, I continue my explorations. And with a new addition. I want to experience some place new, some place I’ve never been before. Whether a new town, new site, new restaurant, new park; I want to make a deliberate choice to seek out new stuff and do new things. Not to discount the stuff I already love, but to add a deeper richness to my knowledge of the area.

Some random ideas: a day trip to the San Juans (actually getting off the ferry), the parks on Whidbey, hikes in the Cascades, and (my favorite) and tour of local burger places (like Dicks, Win’s in Bellingham, Ray’s in Everett, Burger Mill in Marysville, etc…).

WA State Department of Transportation update for Snohomish County

Carl Setzer

I signed up for these email alerts some time back, and have greatly valued them. Thus, I share them with you, hoping you’ll gain valuable insight and the ability to manage your transportation needs.

Cheers! And, now, with no further adieu…..

 

WSDOT NEWS        Washington State Department of Transportation
Snohomish County  Highway and construction Updates – October 10, 2013

Daytime paving on SR 9
The weather is getting nastier and that means our construction crews are working against time.  For our SR 9 project, that means we’re making a huge push to get the stretch of highway from 212th Street Southeast to 176th Street Southeast widened to two lanes in each direction.  To do that, we’re going to need to pave during the daytime from Saturday, Oct. 12 to Friday, Oct. 18.  Crews will be laying asphalt as early as 8 a.m. on the weekend, 9 a.m. on weekdays and it could continue into the evening hours.

There will still be one lane in each direction open but drivers should prepare for traffic shifts from one side of the highway to the other and short-term closures of intersection side streets when no turns are allowed.  Also, there may be times when access to local business driveways is briefly blocked.

Why the daytime closures?  This kind of work is weather-dependent.  If you remember, September was the rainiest month in our state’s history, which pushed back most paving.  Now, our temps are dropping below 45 degrees at night and that makes asphalt cool too quickly to compact to the required standard, so we need to do it during the warmer daytime.  The good news is that once this asphalt work is complete, crews will temporarily stripe SR 9 to its final configuration, opening up two lanes of traffic in each direction in most areas of the work zone and that will significantly improve traffic in that area.

Prepare for nighttime SR 522 closures
If you’ll be out late in Monroe – and you know who you are – prepare for full closures of SR 522 from US 2 to 164th Street Southeast/Main Street a couple nights in the next week.  The closures will be 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. tonight (Thursday, Oct. 10) and Thursday, Oct. 17.  The US 2 ramps to SR 522 will also be closed and a signed detour will lead drivers around via Main Street, Fryelands Boulevard and US 2.

During tonight’s closure, the Snohomish County PUD will temporarily remove a power line so that crews working for WSDOT can install a noise wall in the area.  They’ll reinstall the line on Thursdaynight.  But don’t worry, there won’t be any loss of electricity during the work and the noise wall installation will happen during the day.  Also, SR 522 Fales/Echo Lake roads to 164th will also closemidnight to 4 a.m. Sunday to allow crews to move heavy equipment. A ll this is part of the SR 522 widening project, scheduled to be completed in late 2014.

Looking for feedback on I-90 tolling
We asked for your feedback and received thousands of comments during our initial outreach earlier this year for the proposal to toll I-90.  We gathered the suggestions we received from the public and other agencies and now we’re presenting a range of possible alternatives that could help us meet the purpose of tolling I-90: alleviate congestion across Lake Washington and help fund the remaining portion of the SR 520 Bridge Replacement and HOV Program.  About $1.4 billion is needed to complete the I-5 to Medina: Bridge Replacement and HOV Project.

Through Nov. 6, we’re asking for the public’s feedback again to help inform our analysis on which alternatives could meet the purpose of the study. We’re considering alternatives in several categories, including tolling, state or regional taxes, mileage fees, federal funding and new highway capacity.  As part of this, we’re hosting three public meetings, starting tonight, Thursday, Oct. 10, in Bellevue and then Oct. 21 on Mercer Island and Oct. 23 in Seattle.  WSDOT and the Federal Highway Administration will be on hand to listen to public comments at each meeting.  If you’re interested in speaking at a meeting, you can sign up online or on a first-come, first-served basis at the start of each meeting.  If you can’t make it to a meeting, check out our website to learn more about the I-90 tolling project and how to provide your feedback.

Bellevue College
4 – 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10
Bellevue College cafeteria
3000 Landerholm Circle S.E., Bellevue
Parking: Park in Lot 10 for easiest access to the cafeteria. Parking is free on campus after 3 p.m.

Stay plugged in
Projects are I-5 in Lynnwood/Shoreline, SR 529 at the Snohomish River Bridge and SR 531 in Arlington are all nearing completion though some of them require decent weather to finish.  Stay plugged in to all of the construction and maintenance closures by checking out our Snohomish County Construction Update or What’s Happening Now.

Questions, comments, suggestions, Halloween costume ideas?  Contact Mike Allende at allendm@wsdot.wa.gov.

Toys for Tots – 2013 Campaign Underway

Carl Setzer

I love the work that Toys for Tots does. Come, give them a hand.

Toys for Tots 2013 Campaign, Located at VFW Post 2100

2711 Oakes Avenue, Downtown Everett (yes, it’s warehouse space)

Check out www.toysfortots.org for hours

The US Marine Corps Toys for Tots South Snohomish County (from Smokey Point down south to include Shoreline…yeah, King County but we still love them (ed)) Campaign 2013 thanks Post 2100 of the VFW for the use, once again, of their facility as this year’s warehouse.  Located at 2711 Oakes Avenue, the warehouse will operate in a 3200 square foot basement.

Also, this year’s campaign received an awesome donation from the new Burlington Coat Factory’s “give back to the community” program.  Thousands of items, ranging from household, clothes and toys- were donated through the campaign to the Everett Gospel Mission; Cocoon House and the Boys at Girls Club at Trailside Village.

4th Annual Livable Snohomish County Summit and County Council Candidate Forum

Carl Setzer

A great opportunity to get involved, meet the candidates and stay informed.

 

4th Annual Livable Snohomish County Summit and
County Council Candidate Forum
Saturday, October 12, 2013  –  9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
PUD Building
2320 California Street, Everett

This event is FREE to everyone and will include a free lunch (with gluten and lactose free options). Because we are preparing lunch, we do need an RSVP so we can plan for food.
Please RSVP before October 8th to kristin@futurewise.org.

What does it take to build livable, sustainable communities?  How can we be a part of planning our neighborhoods? What do you want your community to look like in 20 years?

Snohomish County is making decisions now – about how and where it will put new homes and jobs – that will shape our future through 2035.  Every step of the County’s process there will be opportunities for you to weigh in and make sure the council adopts policies to make that growth create more livable, sustainable communities.

This is why you should join WEC on Saturday, October 12th at the 4th Annual Livable Snohomish County Summit and County Council Candidate Forum.

Keynote speakers will be Dr. Andrew J. Dannenberg, MD, MPH, Affiliate Professor at the University of Washington Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences in the UW School of Public Health and in the Department of Urban Design and Planning in the UW College of Built Environments; and Sara Schott Nikolic, Principal Planner with Puget Sound Regional Council.

The summit will include 12 breakout sessions covering a wide variety of ways we can build livable communities, films, informational tables and exhibits. There will also be a County Council Candidate Forum for the three council seats up for election in November.  This is a fabulous networking opportunity as well!

The event is hosted by Pilchuck Audubon Society and Growing Transit Communities and co-sponsored by Futurewise, League of Women Voters of Snohomish County, Snohomish Group of Sierra Club, and Transition Port Gardner.

Please RSVP before October 8th to kristin@futurewise.org.

Sno Co Traffic Update

Carl Setzer

Be forewarned, be prepared.

Full closure of SR 9 near Clearview next weekend
We really appreciate patience from folks as we hit the home stretch of the SR 9 widening project near Clearview.  The project is in a very weather-dependent stage right now as we try to finish the final paving in between rainstorms.  Keep your fingers crossed.

Next weekend, our contractor crews will close both directions of the roadway between 176th Street Southeast and 188th Street Southeast to install a signal bridge at the intersection of 180th Street Southeast.  Additionally, 180th will be closed between Snohomish Avenue and 83rd Avenue Southeast.  Drivers will follow a signed detour.Be sure to stay up to day with construction activities in the area by checking our Snohomish county construction update page.

The City of Everett will be Rockin’ on September 21st!

Carl Setzer
September 21st will be a “Festival like no other” in Everett
Five great events’ collaboration with Experience Everett and the Snohomish County Tourism Bureau
Bubble RunTM, Sept 21 – 9:00 AM
Comcast’s 10th Anniversary Block Party, Sept 21 – 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Everett Silvertips Home Opening Game of the 2013-14 Season, Sept 21
20th Anniversary Everett Coho Derby, Saturday/Sunday, Sept 21-22
Imagine Children’s Museum’s (ICM) Derby Days, Sept 21-22

Bubble RunTM to bring 5k run to Comcast Arena at Everett’s
10th anniversary celebration Block Party.

Bubble Run 5k fun run and Comcast Arena at Everett Block Party
at Comcast Arena, 2000 Hewitt Ave, Downtown Everett, WA
To register for Bubble Run go to http://www.bubblerun.com/events/seattle/.

Bubble Run is excited to announce that it will be a part of Comcast Arena at Everett’s 10th anniversary celebration on September 21st.  Bubble Run is a family friendly 5k fun run, during which participants pass through walls of colored foam at each kilometer along the course.  Averaging about 3,000 participants, the event is open to all ages and abilities and is a unique way to encourage healthy physical activity.

“So much fun! I’m so glad that I picked this one as my first 5k; it got me hooked!” said one runner in Irvine, California.  Bubble Run is focused more on fun and accessibility rather than finish times.  “We wanted to create an event that was like nothing anyone had seen before, as well as an atmosphere that feels welcoming rather than exclusive,” said Bubble Run’s owner, Brogg Sterrett.

The Everett Bubble Run will also benefit the Providence Children’s Center through a limited partnership with the Providence General Foundation.  Everett’s Providence Children’s Center is one of the largest neurodevelopmental centers in the state of Washington, serving more than 350 children and families every week.

AND, the Comcast Arena is turning ten! 

To celebrate this milestone, Global Spectrum, management for the Comcast Arena at Everett, is throwing a 10th Anniversary Block Party and everyone is invited!

For just the third time in the building’s history, Hewitt Avenue will be closed off to accommodate the day’s festivities.  The celebration begins with the Bubble Run 5K at 9 am with an anticipated attendance of 4,000 participants. After the race, the party begins!

From 11 am to 5 pm, guests can expect great music from local bands, delicious food and beverages from food truck vendors, and interactive games the whole family can enjoy. The night continues when the Everett Silvertips take to the ice at 7 pm for their season opener vs. Prince George.

The Block Party is one of the first events slated for the upcoming year that will celebrate the building’s 10th Anniversary.

Interested vendors should call 425.322.2626 for further information.

The activities are the result of an exciting collaboration with Experience Everett and the Snohomish County Tourism Bureau, both of which are encouraging out-of-town attendees to stay the night to fully enjoy the celebration, as well as the city’s many attractions.

Edmonds School District Superintendent Round Table : September 18

Carl Setzer

Join the Superintendent’s Roundtable – and a special request!!!!

On Wednesday of this week, we have our first Superintendent Roundtable.  After welcome and introductions, we will invite participants to share topics and areas of interest for this year’s programs.

In addition to this, Dr. Nick Brossoit has a special request for those who can attend the meeting.  There is a possibility of adding a Capital and Construction Bond measure to the February 2014 election, in addition to the Replacement School Programs and Operations Levy.  Dr. Brossoit would like to review this information with those who can attend and gather your thoughts and input in preparation for a series of public input session he will host on this same topic later this month.  If you can make space on your busy schedule; please attend.

“Our District , like most in the region, will be challenged with space needs within two years as we reduce class size in grades 1-3 and add full-day kindergarten,” Dr. Brossoit said. “We also need to address our highest priority facility needs that are currently backlogged, as well as safety improvements on all our campuses.”

 The Superintendent’s Roundtable is tomorrow, Sept. 18 from noon to 1:00 p.m. at the Educational Services Center, 20420 68th Ave. W, Lynnwood 98036.  Feel free to bring your lunch and we hope to see you there. We will also discuss topics for upcoming Roundtable conversations for the 2013-14 school year.

– from the Edmonds School District Website