Sno-Isle Libraries hires new executive director
MARYSVILLE – Lois Langer Thompson will be the next executive director for Sno-Isle Libraries.
Thompson is director at Hennepin County Library, which serves Minneapolis and the surrounding county. Her appointment was announced Monday following a nationwide search. Thompson and two other finalists recently spent three days in Snohomish and Island counties for building tours, public meetings and interviews.
Thompson said, “I look forward to working collaboratively with the board, staff members and communities to keep Sno-Isle Libraries as an innovative library and welcoming to everyone.
Thompson has been director at Hennepin County Library for 10 years. She led the merger of Minneapolis and Hennepin systems, built or expanded nine libraries and renovated 18 others and worked with the Friends of Hennepin County Library to increase annual funding from $250,000 to $1.2 million.
Under her direction, Hennepin County Library partnered with Somali, Native American and Latino communities to extend and embed library services in the community. Thompson is a member of the Public Library Association’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Task Force.
Thompson is expected to start at Sno-Isle Libraries on Dec. 3, 2018.
Jonalyn Woolf-Ivory, the current executive director, will retire Nov. 30 after more than 33 years with the library district and the past 16 years as executive director.
MPD K9 Ranger dies
MARYSVILLE – Longtime Marysville Police Department K9 Ranger has died.
Ranger, a German Shepherd, started with the MPD in July 2008 and retired in September 2016.
During his career, Ranger had 742 deployments and 393 captures. In retirement, Ranger became the family dog of K9 Officer Derek Oates, his former handler. Oates, a K9 officer for about 10 years, is now working with K9 officer Copper.
“Ranger’s passing has been an emotional time for Officer Oates and his family. After Ranger’s retirement he became a beloved member of the Oates family, as a family pet enjoying his retired years on their large property,” Cmdr. Mark Thomas said in an email Tuesday.
Thomas added that Ranger is the fourth retired K9 to have passed since the start of the Marysville program in 2001. Ranger was about 12.
Arlington girl SAFE Volunteer of the Month
ARLINGTON – Samantha McMahon of Arlington has been named Save a Forgotten Equine’s August Volunteer of the Month.
She was selected because of her constant presence at the farm in Redmond all summer. Sam has done everything from moving horses, to feeding them, to cleaning up after them, to grooming and bathing them, to polishing tarnished silver on donated bridles. Originally from Eastern Washington, Sam’s first exposure to horses was as a child with an aunt who had horses. Although she has never had her own horse, Sam would love to adopt a horse from SAFE someday.
While visiting her aunt, who works at SAFE, Sam comes with her to work every day. Her favorite SAFE horse is Bowie because she “loves all the hugs and kisses he gives me”. SAFE, a nonprofit, rescues and rehabilitates horses that have been starved, neglected or abused and provides them with veterinary care and training to help ensure them a safe and productive future. For more go to www.safehorses.org
Business gets new owners
MARYSVILLE – Joey Koncoski of Marysville is one of the two new owners of Ronk Brothers Heating and Cooling of Sedro-Woolley.
Following the retirement of Paul and Peggy Ronk, ownership was passed to Koncoski and family member Brian Ronk of Stanwood.
Ronk Brothers was founded in 1971.
Brian Ronk and Koncoski are making significant investments to streamline service, maintain quality customer service and to have a major expansion throughout the Northwest. It already serves Snohomish, Skagit, Whatcom, Island and San Juan counties.
“What sets us apart from the rest of the contractors in the Northwest is that we focus on customer service first, not last,” Koncoski said. “All too often, I hear about other HVAC companies scheduling service two months out or taking two weeks just to provide a quote. “We respect our customers’ time and understand that a malfunctioning furnace or cooling unit is a major inconvenience.” Their services include air conditioning, air duct cleaning, air filtration, ductless heat pumps, heat pumps, furnace repair, tankless water heaters, fireplace inserts, home energy analysis, metal fabrication, new construction and 24/7 emergency service. For more call 1-800-366-2619 or go to www.ronkheating.com.
Haggen raises fund for Red Cross
MARYSVILLE – Haggen is partnering with the American Red Cross to raise funds to provide relief for victims of disasters that affect millions of Americans every year.
Customers can round up their purchase to the nearest dollar or donate any amount at the cash register at one of Haggen’s 15 locations through Sept. 11.
Haggen is a longtime partner of the American Red Cross and raised nearly $70,000 in 2017. Past partnerships have included raising funds for the communities impacted by the Oso landslide of 2014.
Man pleads guilty in murders
EVERETT — The main defendant in a pair of torture killings in Snohomish County entered a guilty plea Monday to two counts of aggravated murder.
The plea leaves Anthony Hernandez-Cano, 18, with one possible sentence under state law — life in prison with no chance of parole — for playing the lead part in the executions of Mohamed Adan of Seattle and Ezekiel Kelly of Everett.
Passersby found Adan’s body July 1 near Blue Stilly Park outside of Arlington. He’d been stripped, bashed in the head, burned on his face and shot many times, in the torso and foot. He was 21.
Kelly’s body was discovered July 3 at an abandoned building on Beverly Park Road in Mukilteo. Security cameras at a fire station near Blue Stilly Park captured images of a car belonging to Hernandez-Cano’s girlfriend. Once detectives tracked Hernandez-Cano down, he admitted to the killings, implicated his friend Hassani Hassani as an accomplice, and rode with police to show them the places where the two men were beaten and killed.
Hernandez-Cano believed both men had “snitched” on him when he violated a no-contact order with his girlfriend, Lendsay Meza, 21, according to what he told detectives.
Pave Mountain Loop Highway?
DARRINGTON — A study focused on potential changes to the Mountain Loop Highway is on track to be completed by next summer.
A central question is whether the 14 miles of gravel road that go from Barlow Pass to White Chuck Road could be paved.
The study is being done by the Federal Highway Administration and will not make a recommendation on any specific plan. Instead, it is meant to lay out options, including their costs, timelines and environmental constraints, so that Snohomish County and the U.S. Forest Service can make decisions about the future of the road.
It’s an early step in what is likely to be a years-long process for the scenic byway that connects Darrington and Granite Falls.
Proponents have spoken about the need to improve access in a popular recreation area and to have an emergency route for people who live along the Loop or in Darrington. Opponents say roadwork would negatively affect the forest, waterways and wildlife, and note that stretches of it are prone to slides and other hazards that would make for difficult construction and maintenance.
