10 years ago 1998
n If Lakewood Superintendent Wayne Robertson had his way, he would have Snohomish County Deputy Mike Anderson removed from duty and immediately pressed into service a a teacher. At a ceremony last Wednesday, Anderson was honored by both Lakewood schools and the Snohomish County Sheriffs Office, with County Executive Bob Drewel and Council member Rick Larsen in attendance, for his exemplary service in his new role as school resource officer. Robertson, who introduced Anderson and the program, mentioned how the deputy possibly missed his calling as an educator. Rich Curthurn, captain of the Snohomish County North Precinct, answered later by praising Anderson too, and refused Robertsons suggestion for a transfer. The School Resource Officer pilot program, instituted at the start of the 1997 school year, has received numerous accolades from community members, students and faculty members. The reason is due mainly to Andersons flexibility. He is unusual in his ability to wear many different hats, according to Lakewood High School Principal Kristine McDuffy. One minute hes teaching, the next counseling, she said. Not to mention breaking up fights or quelling disturbances. Unfortunately just minutes before the ceremony, he was called to prove his worth at just that, his least favorite part of the job. He, explained, after his late arrival, to the 40 people gathered in the Lakewood High School library, that he had just been assaulted by an unruly student and had to detain him. I take no joy in arresting students, he said later. If I do the job right that shouldnt happen. Andersons role finds him at every school in the Lakewood District at some time during the day. To both elementary schools he is the Drug Awareness Resistance Education teacher. Each semester he teaches seven classes of fifth-graders about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. To the Lakewood Middle School students he is a part-time counselor and a part-time friend. His office, housed at the middle school, serves as an outpost where law is tempered with fairness according to some students. At the high school, his duties range from teaching a newly form Peer Helpers Always There class to intervening in harassment problems, and he even finds time to discourage smoking around campus. Sheri Mobius, Andersons teaching partner, said it is his word that carries the weight for her. When he says something is going to happen it does., she said. And if we need help, hes there immediately. Kendra Becker, 17, a student in the PHAT class, has a significantly different view of uniformed police officers now. Our class has become friends with him, she said. People dont think of him as out to get people in trouble. Even though he is fair he wont let you step over the line and break the law without consequences. The SRO program spills into the community too. One felony assault and two misdemeanor assaults that occurred off campus this year were handled by Anderson because he was close by and could respond quickly sometimes with whiteboard marker still in hand. McDuffy believes that there have been practical results from Andersons presence. There has been less problems with thefts and aggressive behavior, she said. His presence is a powerful deterrent. The program was praised by both Larson and Drewel. I have always believed that society has a couple of treasures people who want to educate our children and people who want to protect us. What you have here is just an admirable partnership of those two positive forces coming together, Drewel said. And if we can develop a pattern to clone and find the people with similar passions it would be a crime not to export this to other schools.

25 years ago 1983
n Planning Commission spokesman Bill Roberts stated the objectives of th proposed Planned Rural Development ordinance, and the commission and members of the City Council discussed the merits. City Administrator Rick Deming sat back quietly through most of the discussion on the 14-page proposed ordinance at Monday nights council-planing commission session until the meeting was just about over. But, it still took a question from Mayor daryl Brennick, seeking a bottom line to the discussion. What are the fallacies of the ordinance? One right off the bat, Deming straightened up. We have all these densities, but we havent added (capacity) to our sewer system. Itll create problems for the future. The proposal, which would permit a mixture of single-family and multi-family structures in the same development, is scheduled for further discussion. Why were developing a PRD (Planned Rural Development) ordinance is to try to provide an opportunity to meet new building trends, Roberts explained. Lot sizes have to et smaller to offset the increase in building costs. Roberts said the proposal also seeks to arrive at a housing mixture that would maintain the character of a single-family development, pointing out the proposed ordinance seeks a 70-30 balance of single-family units to multi-family units. It would allow open space area in cases of more dense development, Roberts said. THere are some trade-offs. Such developments could cut down on the number of roads and the number of utilities to bring down costs. Roberts said such an ordinance would encourage creativity on the part of the developer. The concept of PRDs is that the developer gets a 20 percent increase in densities based on a 15-acre block. The other 15 acres in a 30-acre development the developer wouldnt get a bonus on. We need good general consensus on this. We dont think this is in its final stages. In PRDs, the bonuses are the big thing. Council member John Doyle said he didnt understand the necessity for more multiple family dwellings. There already are multiple family sites on Cedar that still lie vacant. Planning Commissioner Pat Glein said, Were really looking at PRDs for single families with open space and a multi-family mix; a possible solution to siting multi-family. Kathleen Abbott, who earlier this month presented the city with a petition with more than 100 signatures, stating the undersigned residents of the city of Marysville oppose multiple family housing on the far east side of Marysville along 67th Avenue NE between 76th Street NE and 64th Street NE. The petition continued, Multiple family housing there would been in conflict with our present neighborhood and would result in the wasteful use of the municipal services that would have to be extended out to that area Multiple family housing should be located closer to downtown Marysville. Abbott said she was spurred to the petition because of a particular planned development in the vicinity of 76th Street NE and 68th Street NE, stating that she is against the plan of 56 townhouse building, two stories high, in a cluster on 4.7 acres.

50 years ago 1958
n Passage of the proposed 10-mill excess levy for the building fund of the Marysville School District can mean more than a million dollars in state assistance, school administrators asserted last week. Approval of the levy is necessary, they said, to maintain the districts current eligibility for emergency classification whereby up to 90 percent of future project costs may be met by state allocation. Another tax levy proposal which will be on the March 11 ballot is a 5-mill levy intended to raise $32,000 for purchase of new buses needed for replacements. Future building program of the district includes construction of a new elementary and junior high school. Location of the grade school, which would be in use by 1959, has not yet been decided, but is proposed for either Tulalip Reservation or near the Hickok Road/Arlington Highway intersection. The new junior high school will be just east of Liberty School with possible completion by 1960.