The World Watch Institute lists 16 crops that can be used to make ethanol and/or bio-diesel. The group, reprinted in a recent Ode magazine, shows switchgrass at 1,150 gallons per acre and hemp at 1,000. Corn comes in at a paltry 345 gallons. Neither switchgrass nor hemp needs large inputs of fertilizer pesticides or water as does corn and neither is a food crop as corn is. This is an important issue because the increasing competition between corn as food for animals, including humans, and corn as feed stock for liquid fuels is causing the costs of such food as dairy products, cheese and butter, etc., and meats, such as pork and chicken, to skyrocket.
I would like to thank the Sunnyside PTSA and the Sunnyside community in Marysville for the support they have shown for the music program at Sunnyside Elementary School. On March 14, there was a garage sale at the school sponsored by the PTSA.
I was disappointed in the lack of balance in the recent story about the city of Marysvilles Bayview Trail. As anyone who has ever run, biked or pushed a stroller down the Centennial Trail can tell you, trails are family places that encourage healthy recreation. Studies have shown they actually reduce crime by creating public space. Most people consider trails a desirable amenity meaning property values increase, not decrease.
I totally agree with Councilman John Kosters Letter to the Editor. This is a breathtaking moment. Everything he said in his letter, I totally agree with.
A huge Hi-five and round of applause to our Arlington Eagles Hi-Q team and their dazzling victory in this years Hi-Q competition over Kamiak and Stanwood.
Rep. Jack Murtha is calling for humane treatment of our military. He has had the audacity to propose a plan that says we should never again send our troops into harms way under-equipped, under-trained and under-rested.
We need to talk some more. For over eight days I was stuck with jury duty and for a week after that I had the flu and I think jury duty was the worst of the two. Our justice system has a lot of flaws in it. There are a lot of things to fix. The idea in this nation of being judged by your peers is flawed. The way the average citizen thinks today I wouldnt want to be judged by them.
The Arlington Downtown Revitalization project has been a visionary example of what can be done when local government has enlightened leadership. The planning, the knowledge of what needs to be done daily and the open communications are absolutely incredible. The spirit of cooperation among the city, local businesses and the Strider Construction people shows how good a project of this magnitude can go.
On Friday, July 20, the staff of the Marysville Branch of Sno-Isle library hosted a Harry Potter party from 10 p.m. to midnight. Snacks, prizes and activities for all ages were provided in a safe and well-organized environment and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Many thanks again to our Marysville Branch of the Sno-Isle Library for another great event.
First of all, I want to thank you all for the wonderful articles recently about our veterans. Both the Arlington Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post and Aux 1561 and American Legion Post and Aux. 76 really appreciate the words of encouragement for all they do in the community. This is a lovely expression of the communitys gratitude and respect to our veterans. I also want to express how grateful we are to everyone who came to watch the parade, many of whom came up to the veterans and thanked them for their service, to the parents who explained to their children what being a veteran really means, to all that fly the flag, and to the schools that put on such awesome programs.
Recently the Everett Herald printed an editorial, followed by an Arlington Times story describing Arlington schools as dropout factories in a study conducted by Johns Hopkins University. The Arlington drop out rate is listed as 40 percent. It should be noted that the Johns Hopkins study used data from three years, not the four years usually considered in similar studies.
Thanks to Fannys
In his autobiography Mein Kampf, Adolph Hitler stated, For when a people is not willing or able to fight for its existence Providence in its eternal justice has decreed that peoples end. In the late 1930s, Hitler sensed the weakness and equivocation of the great European nations and knew that, if he moved with deceit and swift resolve, he would have a chance to crush Europe. It was, in the end, a close thing because Europeans had become complacent.
