Thank you, thank you, to the many businesses in the Smokey Point, Arlington, Marysville and Everett areas who so generously donated cash, prizes and merchandise for the Lakewood Class of 2008 Graduation Night Party.
A recent action by the Marysville School Board approved a settlement with an elementary school leader in the district who resigned after reaching agreement with the district that will pay her more than $175,000. An investigation instigated by the district, conducted by Terry Brandon could find that allegations against principal Jane Colson could not be substantiated.
During the past six months, my math and science students participated in a classroom economics project. Each day that a student was present in class, $100 was deposited into his or her checking account. In return, students were required to pay the bank if they broke a classroom rule that was established to provide a safe learning environment for all students.
I have been made aware of the fact that the Constitution and Bill of Rights mean very little without the Declaration of Independence. The purpose of the government that our forefathers created is to protect those God-given rights outlined in the Declaration of Independence.
We became residents of this community about three years ago, when we purchased property between Darrington and Arlington. This area was chosen because of the cool, quiet atmosphere and the beauty of the mountains. Along with this we found the small towns in this area contained about all the needs any family would have. What a change of pace and lifestyle that we had become accustomed to in the city, with the large department stores, shopping malls and discount centers.
I read with interest your June 11 story about the Marysville-Pilchuck High School 2008 Commencement ceremony. There were a couple of errors in the story: Elizabeth Hasseler’s name was misspelled and there is indeed a 2008 Salutatorian. She was not given the opportunity to address the guests, but Julie Zehnder is the M-PHS Class of 2008 Salutatorian. It’s no wonder that you misspelled Ms. Hasseler’s last name. The Commencement program had the same error in two of the three places her name was listed. Ms. Zehnder’s name was listed as the Salutatorian, but it was spelled incorrectly as “Sender.”
When that train whistle blows on Crown Ridge Boulevard, it signifies exceptional accomplishment. It represents a touchdown scored, a goal kicked, an accomplishment celebrated. On June 10, 2008, once again the sounding of the whistle represented an exceptional accomplishment, the turning of the tassel for 310 Arlington High School seniors — young men and women moving into the reality of being high school graduates.
On behalf of the members of the Arlington Masonic Lodge 129, we would like to thank all the families in Gleneagle who participated in the Lodge’s 3rd annual clothing drive, coinciding with the Gleneagle garage sale. Your donations were greatly appreciated. The Masons collected and sorted 50 yard bags full of clothing. The clothing was then given to the Kid’s Kloset and Helping Hands, both non-profit organizations here in Arlington. The clothing drive was once again a success, thanks to you.
What is Marysville’s Planned Parenthood Clinic contribution to the national abortion statistics? Have they gone down as the national trend has gone down? According to LifeSiteNews.com, Planned Parenthood reported 289,650 abortions and received $336 million in public funding in 2006, while their bottom line indicated $112 million profit.
On behalf of the Marysville Community Food Bank, I want to express our deep appreciation to all the Postal Workers who participated in the Letter Carriers Food Drive on May 10. We extend a special thanks to Rocky and Abe at the Marysville Post Office and Annex. The extra time and effort resulted in a collection of over 21 tons of food, all of which will remain in Marysville and will be distributed to the hungry in our service area.
On Friday, May 30, I was fortunate enough to participate in the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer fundraiser at Fanny’s Restaurant in Marysville. I saw a terrific family unit working together as one with the sole purpose of helping others.
Discussion, and even debate, on issues is a good thing. Democracy depends upon an informed and participating citizenry and we have too little public involvement in public issues. Fortunately, we have a local newspaper which not only reports on local events and issues, but reserves space for citizens to express their own views and concerns by submitting a ‘Letter to the Editor.’
The recent death of an incarcerated young man at the hands of his cellmate is a sad result of the mentally ill being incarcerated without proper treatment and care. The plight of the mentally ill cannot be ignored.
Another sad fact is that a very large percentage of those incarcerated are suffering from mental illness and, as in this case, are not getting medication or therapy.
