10 years ago 1997

Those with sodden basements and collapsed carports have to wait while state and federal officials decide if the recent bad weather caused a regional disaster or just a big, expensive mess. Snohomish County suffered at least $55 million in total damages from statewide snowstorms and floods around the New Year, according to the countys preliminary assessment. Marysville homeowners reported losses totaling over $550,000. If assessors from the Federal Emergency Management Agency agree the area suffered a disaster, the countys homeowners, businesses and local governments will be eligible for federal loans and grants. If not, everyone will have to pick up their own tabs, since insurance policies dont usually cover acts of God. Marysville engineers estimated city damage at $250,000. Other jurisdictions fared far worse the city of Mukilteo reported $1.9 million in damage to its roads and infrastructure, and the Port of Edmonds lost $15.3 million when waterlogged boats sand and a snow-laden moorage roof collapsed. Closer to home, the city of Arlington reported $284,000 in damage, Tulalip reported $110,000 and Lake Stevens reported $50,000 in damages. These numbers are only a fraction of the actual damage, said Mike McCallister, coordinator of the countys emergency management department. Theres probably another $50 million or $100 million out there we dont yet know about, McCallister said. If the county is tagged as a disaster area, claimants can prove losses and seek grants or long-term, low-interest loans from a centralized federal disaster center. Those in the private sector who didnt call to report damage will be just as eligible for possible FEMA money as those who did, McCallister said. However, FEMA money isnt free money. We dont want people to get the impression that were going to back a truck up to them and start throwing money, McCallister said. Snohomish County is one of 35 counties seeking federal disaster assistance from Washington, D.C. When Vice President Al Gore and FEMA Director James DeWitt toured the area Jan. 10, they saw big-ticket losses like a giant sinkhole in Shoreline. They missed the Tulalip Reservation which suffered $110,000 in damage to roads and its fish hatchery. Countywide winter storm damage is estimated at $28 million in public property and $27 million to private property. This does not include unreported damage to private property owners homes or businesses. The feds have our numbers and we believe theyre sufficient to make a disaster declaration, McCallister said.

A simple change of the word shall to may should solve a problem faced by the Lakewood School District if Smokey Point is annexed into Arlington, according to Arlington School District Superintendent Linda Byrnes. A proposed amendment to RCW 281.315.250 will be heard by the state senate education committee Jan. 24. This obscure state law requires that any district with all building located on one site will be absorbed by an annexing city. If Smokey Point were annexed to Arlington under current the current law, Lakewood School District would lose 29 percent of its assessed valuation and 25 percent of its enrollment to the Arlington School District, officials estimated. Byrnes and Lakewood School District Superintendent Wayne Robertson have been meeting with lawmakers to change the law. The Arlington School District has no interest in absorbing the Lakewood School District, Byrnes said. Byrnes and Robertson met with the state board of education in December to discuss ways to change the law without negatively impacting other districts. The state board agreed to introduce to the legislature an amendment to the RCW, as an agency request. The wording of the bill, written by the state board of education, changes only a few words in the original RCW: A simple, straightforward amendment in two paragraphs of this RCW changing shall to may will ensure that all school districts are treated the same and will protect small districts from financial distress through boundary changes, according to a document created by Byrnes and Robertson. Senator for the 39th District, Val Stevens, R-Arlington, agreed to sponsor the bill in the senate and Representative John Koster, R-Monroe, agreed to sponsor the bill in the House of Representatives. Byrnes and Robertson have also rallied support from Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island and Representative Jeri Costa, D-Marysville. Leadership in both the senate and house education committees supports the bill as well as government officials in Arlington and Marysville, and Snohomish County Executive Bob Drewell.

25 years ago 1982

Although she didnt know exactly what, Shirlee Nunley knew she had to do something to help the two teary-eyed women who came into her store almost two weeks ago. She knew there were many more just like those two women, and her heart went out to them. The women had come into T-Shirt Express to take advantage of the stores sale. They were asking Nancy to hold back some items until they had a little more cash. This month had been a little tight, they explained. They had just received their PUD bills. The two women Nunley talked to in one day were not the only ones she knew who were shocked by their double- or triple-sized bills. Nunley herself had been surprised when she got her $225 bill for two months, some three times greater than the year before. We were at the dinner table when I said to may family, Lets do something, Nunley said. Whether we get laughed at or made fun of, theres got to be some kind of future. Nunley, her husband Bob, and tow of their sons decided a friendly protest would be one way people could let PUD know they dont like or need the increases. The protest, which got underway one week ago, is being called PUD for Paying Under Duress. The Marysville resident is asking people to use kerosene lamps or candles two evenings next month. All she and her husband are stressing is to not use electric lights. Other electrical items can be used if desired. We want to see if people are willing to use kerosene lamps for two nights while watching TV, Nunley explained. If they are not willing to do this then we deserve the mess were in. The protest in not aimed to be drastic, rather a realistic measure the community can participate in, Nunley said. It was kicked-off with an advertisement in last weeks paper explaining what the PUD committees goals were. The ad explained the protest is not to be construed as a further conservation measure because most people already are conserving to the maximum. Maybe, just maybe, a black-out could be the beginning of a protest. Perhaps then more people will be motivated to share some of their talents which now lie dormant in apathy, the ad sated. What the committee hopes to accomplish by the blackout is to see how apathetic people are, Nunley explained. All we know is it will be a nuisance to PUD. If there is good response, people can go on and do drastic measures. She said some people want to pay only one-half of their bills as a form of protest. Nunley said the largest bill they had ever had was $99. She said this year there are four people home part-time, with most of them working six days a week. She said she and her husband run their wood-burning stove continuously and the bill was still $225. This is in addition to the $70 of wood they used in the two-month period. Duress means under threat, which is exactly what is happening, Nunley said. The duress come from the heavy rate hikes PUD has imposed over the past year. PUD customers could possibly see new hikes of 50 percent to 75 percent imposed in the next year to pay for two nuclear plants and rate increases from the Bonneville Power Administration.

50 years ago 1957

Several members of the Marysville Police Reserve and others interested in the contemplated Youth Center and Community Hall met in special session with the District 25 Board of Education Monday evening. Problems involved in the construction of such a building on school district property were discussed. Members of the school board expressed themselves as being in favor of such a project to be built on the Tenth Street school property. The board requested assurances that a corporation be formed to be responsible for consummation of a lease and the proper continued operation of the project. The group in attendance did agree to file articles of incorporation and then meet again with the board at some future date to work out details necessary to protect the public and all parties involved.