10 years ago 1997
It was described as history in the making. The North Snohomish County Economic Summit, Nov. 13, at the Tulalip Inn in Marysville brought representatives of eight jurisdictions together in one room something that had never been done before. The reason were here is to make decisions for Snohomish County so others dont make the decisions for us, said Tulalip Tribes Chairman Stan Jones. We are encouraging all jurisdictions to work together. Snohomish County Executive Bob Drewel concurred. We have to come up with finances and plans to build infrastructure to support the people and industry moving to north Snohomish County, he said. This is one of the last places in the state to have the opportunity to do these things right. Representatives of Arlington, Darrington, Granite Falls, Lake Stevens, Marysville, Smokey Point, Stanwood and the Tulalip Tribes participated in the conference put together by the Greater Marysville Tulalip Chamber of Commerce. The thrust of the message by guest speakers was to encourage local leaders to plan for and create healthy communities with solid bases covering economic and social well-being. The goals of the summit, said Facilitator Milenko Matanovic, are to stimulate, cooperate, increase knowledge and start a possible tradition. Matanovic is the founder of the Pomegranate Center, a non-profit organization in Issaquah devoted to helping cities and organizations realize culturally alive and economically sustainable communities. Healthy communities include economic success and strong social services and the infrastructure to meet both those needs, Matanovic said. Many city and business leaders focus only on economic development, while paying little attention to community development. He encouraged community leaders to challenge the status quo, to protect community treasures and maintain a strong vision of the future. Reducing waste of talent, time and creativity also is important. That includes providing infrastructure roads, water and sewer services as well as land use. For instance, he said, protecting agricultural lands close to communities would help protect food sources. The average chicken travels 1,500 miles from where it grows up to the dinner table, he said. Creating a successful community should include all generations. We need to envision communities as schools without walls, Matanovic said, which would create a sense of ownership and reduce rebellion. Leadership is an important element in the success of a community as well, which may require non-traditional ways of viewing a successful community. Jack Collins, executive director of the Northwest Small Cities Services, described such a leader as a civic entrepreneur. The characteristics of such a leader include an understanding of the global, complex nature of the economy, an entrepreneurial personality, working with other people and in teams, and being motivated by broad, enlightened long-term interests. He described such a catalytic leader as one who is a facilitator who evokes collaboration, is out-come focused and has a stake in getting results. A traditional leader, on the other hand, tries to provide the answer, develops a following and is a visionary. Leadership is the essential element in creating an economically and socially healthy community, he said. Unless there is someone in the community who will take the lead, it wont get done. Groups dont get stuff done, leaders get stuff done. Keynote speaker Tim Douglas said building successful communities will require an alignment of energy. Douglas was appointed director of the Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development by Gov. Gary Locke in January. Part of his job is to establish outreach teams and to help identify funding possibilities for projects. Locke is a taskmaster who wants to get things done, Douglas said. While many economic development groups are focusing on recruiting businesses, they often overlook the importance of the businesses already here. A recent survey found 85 percent of north county businesses have trouble finding and keeping qualified employees. The state is looking at enhancing community and technical colleges, Douglas said. We want jobs in Washington for Washingtonians, he said. Just what the next step is to creating the ideal communities discussed at the summit is not known. Getting everyone together in one room was the first step. The next step is up to those who attended. The ball is now in all our courts, said John McCoy, executive director of governmental affairs for the Tulalip Tribes and a member of the chamber board. The chamber is hoping the summit will become an annual event.

25 years ago 1982
It wont be long before a working knowledge of computers will be a prerequisite for even the most mundane entry-level white collar job and graduates of Arlington schools will be prepared and trained for that challenge, said Linda Weston, the high schools vocational director. The high school bought their first computers just over a year ago. Last week orders went out for 10 more machines to expand existing computer classes and to revolutionize business office teaching and learning. The typewriter as we have known it for a century is obsolete. School classes where the clatter of typewriter keys drowns out all other sounds will soon be a quaint historical memory. Instead, said Weston, the future promises silence and the more easily taught and learned art of keyboarding inputting data by stroking keys. Earlier this year when Weston approached District Superintendent Richard Post with her departments routine annual request for four replacement electric typewriters, she said the requisition had to be made quickly because the IBM machines used in the typing lab were no longer available to the general public. They simply werent being used anymore. Post asked her why the standard electric typewriters were becoming rare, she told the school board last week, and her response was that business was switching to electronic memory typewriters and word processors to the exclusion of the typewriter. The conclusion of her conversation, she asked, why teach old fashioned typing on old-fashioned machinery? Instead, it was decided to begin the switch to computers immediately. The availability of federal aid and state funds complimented the districts annual replacement budget and allowed the purchase of the 10 computers. The total cost of the 10 is $19,000, of which only $6,800 is local funding. Of the 10 new machines, four will go into typing classes where the remaining typewriters will be phased out for the most part in the next few years. Three computers will be added to the current computer class, and one each will be assigned to business office classroom, the career education class and to the schools business office where advanced students can use the computer in direct business application situations. Computer technology is advancing at a very rapid pace, and one of the advantages of the new machinery is its ability to keep pace with changes while remaining adaptable to older equipment. Al Coghill, high school English teacher, said, Its hard to say where the technology will be in a couple of years. But it wont be long, just two or three years, before computers will be the only way to go. In taking this step to change the typing teaching equipment and methods, Arlington joins a select group of state school systems trying to keep up with the requirements of technical change. While many districts are starting to teach computer use and science, only Seattle, Renton and Arlington are taking computers into the typing class. The new computers will also be more versatile than the typewriter. Each comes equipped with a standard 10-key pad to office machine calculations, and students will be able o use the machines to teach themselves with built-in teaching programs.

50 years ago 1957
The Arlington Eagle football squad, with a total of 6 wins and no defeats, clinched the Championship of the Cascade League on Friday night, Nov. 15, with their 42-7 win over the Twin City Cardinals from Stanwood. To win the championship the Eagles defeated Langley, Monroe, Oak Harbor, Concrete, Lake Stevens, and Twin City. In the lineup were Vern Kinney, Bill Darst, Mike Larson, Don Gibbons, Geo. Elder, Geo. Huffman, Glen Lawty, Darrell Jensen, Wes Evans, Ken Sather, Dick Danubio, Henry Gibson, Denny Hoidal, Rod Falor, Tom Santeford, John Case, Bill Rice, Ron Rosenbach, Fred Frye, Glenn Davis, Larry Bjorn, Doff Rosenbach, Glen Abrahamsen, Virg Frey, Dennis Allen, Dick Sass, Lon Langdon, Mike Larson, Tom Forsman, Bob Dutson, Craig Riker, Dennis Riker, Doug Hall, Curtis Holm, Albert Huff, Skip McCleod, Head Coach Larry Munizza and Assistant Coach Ralph Pistorese.