10 years ago 1996

Even though the greens and fairways of Cedarcrest Golf Course still look a little too rough for monster truck racing, let alone golf, the $3 million renovation is staying on par, said course superintendent Mike Robinson. We spent most of the summer tearing it up and now were putting it back together, Robinson said. The bill for the municipal courses facelift is about $50,000 higher than expected because of hydroseeding and extra drainage work, said City Administrator Dave Zabell. A June start forced contractors to work long hours to meet seeding deadlines, Robinson said. Though the city was involved in a legal wrangle in May with another contractor who claimed to be the lowest qualified bidder, it was rain, not legal trouble that held up the start time, he said. There were only six days in May the contractor could have worked out there anyways, Robinson said. You can move earth, not mud. The course is 75 percent to 80 percent finished in dollars spent, Robinson said. All of the major earthmoving is complete, and about half of the fairways and three-quarters of the greens are seeded. Irrigation and draining, which included replacing the original water pipes from 1927, are done on 14 holes. October may seem like a strange time to plant grass, but hydroseeding and hydromulching which looks like pale green paint extends the planting window, Robinson said. It also helps compact the soil and keeps the seeds from pooling at the bottom of swales or hills. The strategy is for the contractor to do the seeding now, and city employees can fill in the thin spots this spring, he added. Evans-Hall has been working on erosion control for about a month, said course manager Don Shaw. Theyve used everything from fences to gravel and hay bales to keep the dirt in place over the winter. This will help keep silt from washing into Allen and Munson creeks, he said. When its done, the course wont be suited for the Masters Tournament; professional courses are usually about 6,000 yards long from the furthest tee, and Cedarcrest will be about 5,900 yards long, up from about 5,400, Shaw said. But loyal golfers accustomed to slogging through wet, bumpy grass along with serious golfers looking for a challenging game will be pleased, Shaw said. Weve promised golfers its going to be green and its going to be dry, Shaw said. We dont want to have egg on our face if we dont.
25 years ago 1981

City Council is studying the possibility of developing a boat launch and park on a nine-acre strip of land lying between the north and south routes of Highway 529. The strip, which comes under the heading of State Department of Transportation land, is bordered by Steamboat Slough to he south the waterfront being considered for a boat ramp. All the city has to do to obtain the land is to make a formal request to the Department of Transportation, said Les Hoge of Marysville, assistant project engineer with the DOTs Marysville office. Seeing the transfer would involve tow governments, there shouldnt be any trouble in Marysville getting the land. Hoge pointed out the particular stretch of land, which runs north from the slough to a point where northbound 529 departs the freeway, was being considered for parkland as early as 20 years ago. When we designed State Route 5, the same site was being considered for a park then, Hoge said. Thats why a foundation of sand was put in then. But, after that, the idea was dropped because of lack of interest. Its something we certainly are interested in, said Mayor Daryl Brennick. I think it would be nice to be able to work something out, but Im not sure the state would be willing to give it away. Both the mayor and Hoge agreed such a project should involve members of the community, pointing out funding could be a problem. I think it would be a good opportunity for local businessmen and fraternal organizations and clubs to get involved in making the necessary civic improvements, Hoge explained. Hoge added the state currently is considering the area a possible site for grindings taken off the freeway in a state upgrading project which could take place as early as next summer. That would only be a temporary storage place with the refuse material eventually being used for park-and-ride lots, Hoge said. I think a park for that area would be real nice. It certainly would enhance the entrance to the city. Many of the native trees (alder), which grew up after the freeway went through, could be saved and additional trees could be planted. Picnic type facilities could be installed at a later date. The city also has been entertaining a plan for a boat launch from a triangular piece of lowland lying immediately south of Ebey slough, west of the Ebey Slough bridge.

55 years ago 1951

Appearing in Everetts newspaper Monday, an advertisement gives notice to all hunters that the Tulalip flats, traditionally used as a hunting ground during duck season by generations of hunters here, is no longer open to the public. The Tulalip Reservation Gun Club, which is not a local group serves notice that it has tied up the area between Ebey and Steamboat sloughs beginning one-quarter mile west of the Great Northern tracks as a private preserve. According to local sources, the hunting club made a bid for the lease which was too high for any local group to meet. The news confirms rumors that had been circulating for several weeks.