Looking back at 2017: Part 3 — Highlights from July-September

We continue our review of top stories from 2017. This installment covers July-September. You can see January-March here and April-June here.

July

Climate change resolution commits Edmonds to 100 percent renewable energy by 2025

July 1  When the Edmonds City Council passed its June 27 resolution supporting the Paris agreement on climate change, it also approved amendments by Councilmember Mike Nelson that call for city-owned buildings be powered completely by renewable energy by 2019; and the city’s community electricity supply to come from renewable sources by 2025.

Edmonds Kind of 4th on parade

Edmonds police arrest suspect after swastika painted on car at Westgate Chapel

July 5  Edmonds police reported yet another incident of swatiska painting, as a 21-year-old Edmonds man was arrested after the symbol was painted on a car at Westgate Chapel. According to Edmonds police spokesman Sgt. Josh McClure, the man was booked into Snohomish County Jail Wednesday for third-degree malicious mischief.

Fish oil spill on I-5 in Lynnwood causes delays for northbound commuters

July 7  A truck that leaked fish oil created a traffic mess for commuters heading northbound on I-5 through Snohomish County. The biggest part of the spill was near the 164th Street Southwest off-ramp in Lynnwood and was reported around 2:30 p.m. The right center lane of I-5 was darkened by fish oil as far back as 205th Street Southwest near Edmonds.

Police seek suspect after two stabbed in Edmonds Sunday morning

July 9  Edmonds police sought a suspect in the stabbing of two men at the Horizon Park Apartments, located across the street from College Place Middle School. Police were called to the scene at 10:40 a.m. after receiving multiple 9-1-1 calls. When officers arrived, they found one victim in the parking lot “with obvious trauma to his mid-section” from stab wounds, McClure said. Police then found a second victim, also with stab wounds, in an upstairs apartments. Both victims underwent surgery at Seattle’s Harborview Medical Center.

Council approves revised noise ordinance

July 12  City of Edmonds construction projects will soon be able to operate more easily outside current noise restrictions of 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily following a 4-3 vote by the Edmonds City Council. Private projects will also get more leeway. The measure now goes to City Attorney Jeff Taraday so he can draft an ordinance that reflects the changes. Public Works Director Phil Williams explained that staff modified the proposal based on several council requests, spelling out “how staff would evaluate a need or a request for a modification in the noise ordinance and what factors we would consider.”

Educators and supporters advocate, rally for smaller class sizes, better resources

July 12  A crowd of about 200 teachers’ union members, educators and supporters gathered outside the Edmonds School District administrative headquarters before piling into the School Board chambers.  “We’re here to ask the school board to do right by our kids as we begin to bargain,” Edmonds Education Association vice president Amy Frost said. Negotiations between the Edmonds School District and the Edmonds Education Association began in late May and early June.

Stabbing suspect caught in California

July 14  Marco Vicente-Dominguez, suspected of stabbing two men in an Edmonds apartment building July 9, was apprehended in California. Edmonds police said that detectives had information that placed Vicente-Dominguez in the Pasadena area. Police had issued a $1 million arrest warrant for the 24-year-old Vincente-Dominquez, who has been charged with two counts of first-degree domestic violence assault in the attacks on his male roommates, ages 30 and 35, allegedly in retaliation for a perceived inssult. Both of his victims remain at Harborview Medical Center following surgery for numerous stab wounds.

Supreme Court rejects Mukilteo’s suit, clears way for Paine Field passenger terminal

July 15  Opponents of a planned commercial passenger terminal at Everett’s Paine Field expressed disappointment after the Washington State Supreme Court rejected what many saw as the final appeal to stop the proposed construction of a commercial passenger terminal at Paine Field. Filed by the City of Mukilteo and the Save Our Communities citizens’ group, the suit maintained that the lease issued by the county in 2015 to New York-based Propeller Aviation, developer of the terminal, should be overturned because it was entered into without a full prior environmental process.

Peoples Bank officer really digs Edmonds

July 18  Not one for traditional golden-shovel groundbreakings, Peoples Bank Chief Financial Officer Lisa Leslie took the controls of a full-sized Komatsu excavator, turning over the first bucket loads of soil on what will be the new Edmonds Peoples Bank location, on the old Post Office site at 2nd and Main. People’s Bank will move across the street from its present location and occupy the corner space in the new building, a project of Edmonds 2020 LLC, late next year.

Edmonds CC students join tribal canoe journey at Olympic Beach

Edmonds’ Olympic Beach was the launch point for a tribal canoe journey involving Edmonds Community College students who are supporting the travel of three canoe families on their way to a large gathering in British Columbia. This annual celebration of the Native American canoeing tradition has been going on since 1989, and includes indigenous nations from the coastal Northwestern U.S. and Canada, plus participants who come from far away as Hawaii and New Zealand. Each year, the location changes, hosted by a different tribe.

Annual Walk Back in Time honors Spanish-American War veterans

Edmonds leads way as PUD installs new LED streetlights

July 26  The planned upgrade of Edmonds’ streetlights to modern LEDs is now underway, as Snohomish PUD contractor Potelco begins work replacing 1,600 outdated inefficient high-pressure sodium fixtures. According to PUD senior streetlight designer Dave Lindemuth, the new fixtures will last longer and use less energy, cutting both maintenance and operation costs. Originally planned to begin last year, the work was delayed in part due to concerns about potential environmental effects of the new lighting fixtures.

City will ask judge to decide issue of waterfront walkway in front of Edmonds condos

July 31  Whether the City of Edmonds can build a walkway on a public access easement in front of privately owned waterfront condominiums is a question headed for Snohomish County Superior Court. The Edmonds City Council voted unanimously  to authorize City Attorney Jeff Taraday to file a request with the court to resolve the dispute over the scope of the public access easement that the city owns in front of the Ebb Tide condominiums. The issue stems from plans by the city to add 300 feet of walkway to connect the “missing link” between the north and south sections of an existing waterfront walkway — which is now interrupted by a private beach belonging to the 20-unit Ebb Tide building.

August

Edmonds mayor appoints task force to focus on housing, homelessness

Aug. 1  Edmonds Mayor Dave Earling announced appointments to a Mayor’s Housing Strategy Task Force that will tackle issues like housing affordability and homelessness. “Many groups around the region are working on housing and homelessness issues,” Earling said. “We need our own approach, one that recognizes good examples from others but is tailored to our community, our people, our needs.” Affordable housing issues have taken center stage in Edmonds in recent months, with a low-income housing forum in late April drawing a crowd for discussion on problems and solutions.

Feeling the heat? Cooling centers now open throughout Snohomish County

Aug. 1  Several buildings in Snohomish County will serve as cooling centers during this week’s heat wave. They include the libraries in Edmonds (650 Main St.), Lynnwood (19200 44th Ave. W.), Mountlake Terrace (23300 58th Ave. W.) and Brier (23303 Brier Rd.), among others. They will all be open during their regular hours of operation.

New drop boxes fight the opioid epidemic, one prescription bottle at a time

Aug. 1  Members and staff of the Snohomish Health District were joined by elected and government officials at a ribbon-cutting commemorating the installation of the newest prescription drug drop-off box in the Edmonds Police Department lobby. The first of three sites in Edmonds to give people a safe and convenient way to dispose of unused prescription and over-the-counter medications, the drop-off box is a front-line strategy in the countywide effort to stem the rising tide of opioid addiction in our communities. The goal is simple: reduce easy access to powerful painkillers and other medications.

Kilgore leads in Edmonds School Board Position 4 race

Aug. 1  Deborah Kilgore was leading two other challengers in the race for the vacant Edmonds School District Director Position 4 seat, according to the first day of primary election results from the Snohomish County Auditor’s Office. A University of Washington researcher, Kilgore was far ahead of her two challengers, receiving 6,994 votes or 44 percent. Candidate Cindy Sackett, director of operations for the Washington Alliance for Better Schools, came in second with 4,446 votes, or 28 percent, and Cathy Baylor, a piano teacher who previously headed the school district’s Indian Education program, was just behind Sackett with 4,280 votes, or 27 percent.

Edmonds business owner Howard Chermak announces plans to retire, new ownership

Aug. 2  Long-time Edmonds business owner Howard Chermak announced that he is retiring. Chermak, founder of home remodeling firm Chermak Construction Inc., made the announcement during the Edmonds Chamber of Commerce weekly breakfast networking meeting. The new owner of Chermak Construction, effective Aug. 1, is Noah France, who owns Woodinville-based France Construction. Chermak said that he and France “have worked together for years.” France, who is an accomplished master carpenter, “is the most well-qualified person to take over Chermak Construction,” Chermak said.

As wildfire-induced haze continues, burn ban issued for Snohomish County

Aug. 3  With the wildfire smoke from British Columbia in the region, the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency has issued a Stage 1 air quality burn ban for King, Kitsap, Pierce, and Snohomish counties. Air pollution levels have become unhealthy for sensitive groups in many parts of the Puget Sound region. The pattern is expected to continue at least through Friday and possibly longer, the agency said.

Missing Maplewood teacher and dog safely airlifted off mountain

Aug. 3  King County Search and Rescue crews rescued a Maplewood Parent Cooperative teacher who got lost while hiking in the North Bend area. Kimberly Haines was first reported missing Monday night after she failed to return home from a hike she left for that day. After four days in the woods, she and her dog Rainey were located by rescue crews and airlifted off the mountain. She was taken to Swedish Hospital in Issaquah, and her dog was taken to a nearby veterinarian to be checked out. Both had suffered some minor scrapes, but appeared okay, according to King County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. B.J. Myers.

Hekinan delegation arrives to smiles, hugs and American comfort food

Aug. 4  The record heat and haze didn’t do anything to dampen the spirits of the 2017 Edmonds Sister City Delegation as they pulled in at Edmonds City Hall from Hekinan, Japan. But with temperatures in Hekinan this week in the 90s — with humidity to match — Edmonds felt like a refreshing break. After a short visit with host families to get settled, the delegates came back downtown to the Brackett Room for an American comfort food dinner of meatballs, spaghetti, salad, garlic bread and apple pie — just the ticket after passing many hours and time zones on their flight from Japan.

Baylor, Sackett headed for recount as order flips in school race

Aug. 4  Edmonds School Board candidates Cathy Baylor and Cindy Sackett appear to be headed for a recount for a chance to face Deborah Kilgore in November for an open position on the Edmonds School District 15 board. Returns posted showed Kilgore with 44.12 percent of district votes to 27.65 percent for Baylor and 27.63 percent for Sackett. That marked the first time that Baylor had been in second place. Sackett had held second both Tuesday and Wednesday.The top two vote getters in the primary advance to the Nov. 7 general-election ballot.

Fire causes extensive damage to Lake Ballinger neighborhood home

Aug. 6  A home that has been the subject of recent health and public safety complaints in Edmonds’ Lake Ballinger neighborhood caught fire, but a cause has not yet been determined. A neighbor reported the fire in the 23100 block of 75th Place West at 5:22 a.m., and the fire had spread to the attic of the one-story home by the time firefighters arrived, said Leslie Hynes, public information officer for Snohomish County Fire District 1. Four occupants were in the home and got out safely. The house has been known for years as a neighborhood eyesore, and has been the subject of complaints to the city due to garbage and debris accumulating outside.

Driveway improvements, more parallel parking considered for Sunset Avenue

Aug. 8  What’s next for much-debated improvements on Sunset Avenue in Edmonds? Possibly some additional parallel parking spaces, improvements for residents’ driveways and better signage, City of Edmonds Public Works Director Phil Williams told the council’s Parks, Planning and Public Works Committee. The city has “some unfinished business” regarding the scenic downtown roadway, Williams said — in particular, deciding how many additional parallel parking stalls could be added now that the controversial angle parking has been removed. As a result, parking on the street was reduced from 21 spaces to approximately 11, and the city is thinking about adding more parallel spaces.

The walls come down at Mar-Vel Marble as new arts center on way

Aug. 9  Crews began tearing down the former Mar-Vel Marble building at 2nd Avenue South and Main Street store to make room for a new arts center planned by Edmonds’ businesswomen Tracy Felix and Mary Olsen. The demolition started late Tuesday afternoon and by Wedneday morning, heavy equipment was tearing into the walls of a building that had housed a fabricating plant and showroom for cultured marble, onyx and granite products for over 30 years.

Hundreds rally at school district to push for teacher bargaining deal

The Edmonds School Board heard two and a half hours of public testimony from educators and community members hoping for a contract agreement between district and the Edmonds Education Association during the next period of negotiations later this month. The meeting followed a rally outside the Edmonds School District administrative building. Members of the Edmonds Education Association planned the rally after failing to secure a contract in the last round of negotiations. Approximately 300 attended the school board meeting after participating in the rally.

Taste of Edmonds cornhole tournament draws crowded field for $500 prize

Aug. 12  Forty teams of two competitors each tried their skill at the Taste of Edmonds’ first-ever cornhole tournament, competing for cash prizes by tossing bean bags over a 27-foot pitch and aiming for a 6-inch hole in the cornhole target board. With team names ranging from The Great Cornholios to Total Eclipse of the Corn, the teams competed in elimination trials on Friday and Saturday, with the top five teams from each day advancing to the finals on Sunday.

Driver fleeing police in rented Lamborghini arrested Saturday night after crash

Aug. 14  An intoxicated 23-year-old Marysville man who crashed a rented Lamborghini while fleeing police officers in Edmonds was booked into Snohomish County Jail. A 20-year-old woman who was a passenger in the vehicle was also arrested and booked for being a minor in possession of alcohol.

Teachers union agrees to contract with Edmonds School District

Aug. 15  A tentative agreement has been reached between the Edmonds Education Association (EEA) and the Edmonds School District, according to notifications from both groups. The tentative agreement is for a three-year contract. The agreement will next be presented to the EEA membership for a ratification vote during its meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 29. The Edmond School District Board of Directors will also vote on the agreement on Aug. 29.

New operator chosen for Willow Creek Fish Hatchery

Aug. 18  After 32 years of operating the Willow Creek Fish Hatchery for the City of Edmonds, the Edmonds chapter of Trout Unlimited is turning it over to Sound Salmon Solutions. In operation since 1985, the hatchery releases about 100,000 salmon fry each year into Western Washington rivers, some right here in Edmonds. It also provides a wealth of education programs to the community on salmon, maintaining healthy fish habitat, and the importance of protecting wetlands.

All eyes on skies as Edmonds eclipse enthusiasts take in rare event

Aug. 21  An estimated 80 eager eclipse viewers gathered on the upstairs plaza at the Edmonds library to view this rare astronomical happening. Many brought home-made eclipse viewers, commercially-produced glasses, and cameras to record the event. It was an Edmonds kind of eclipse celebration, with the morning fog clearing just in time for an unobstructed view of the sky. While not in the path of totality, according to NASA Edmonds saw an estimated 92 percent of the sun blocked at the event’s height. As the time of maximum coverage drew close, the skies visibly darkened, creating a feeling of late afternoon.

Baylor holds four-vote lead as recount ends early

Aug 24  Edmonds School Board candidate Cathy Baylor has come out of a recount with a four-vote margin over rival Cindy Sackett for second place on the Aug. 1 primary election ballot. That will give Baylor a place on the Nov. 7 general-election ballot. A hand recount Tuesday in the race for the open position on the Edmonds School Board showed piano instructor Baylor with 6,165 votes to 6,161 for Sackett, a former officer of the Edmonds Schools Foundation. Both candidates are behind educational researcher Deborah Kilgore, who got 9,824 votes and will face Baylor in November.

Cleanup work gets underway at former Unocal fuel terminal in Edmonds

Aug. 24  Contractors for Chevron Environmental Management Company began work this week on the cleanup project in the former Unocal Edmonds lower yard area adjacent to the Edmonds Marsh and the Edmonds waterfront. In this first phase, crews will excavate contaminated soil from the Detention Basin No. 2 area and remove it from the site in covered dump trucks to minimize the risk of spreading dust.

Lynnwood light rail extension running $500 million over budget, to open six months late

Aug. 24  Sound Transit’s long-awaited Lynnwood light-rail line is running $500 million over budget and is expected to open six months late, in mid-2024. The previous $2.4 billion estimate is now $2.9 billion, according to papers released at Thursday’s Sound Transit board meeting. Sound Transit blames soaring labor, materials and land costs in the overheated Seattle-area market, along with features being requested by communities.

Highway 99 plan and code update now in effect

Aug. 25  The City of Edmonds announced that the Highway 99 Area Plan and code update is officially on the books.  The Edmonds City Council adopted the plan and code on Aug.18 but, as with most ordinances, the effective date is about 10 days after adoption. The plan calls for both economic development and housing, especially affordable housing, in the area. Some of this will be “mixed use,” where businesses are on a prominent part of the site and residences are above the business or located on another part of the site. Transit-oriented development, where people living or working nearby can easily use transit, is encouraged.

Police, owner continue to seek leads in death of dog stabbed near Lake Ballinger

Aug. 31  Edmonds police are still investigating the death of a poodle mix named Mickey who was found stabbed, with some of his fur and skin removed, in the backyard of his Lake Ballinger neighborhood home Aug. 25. Mickey’s owners said they discovered the body around 10:30 p.m., about a half hour after letting the 10-year-old dog out in their yard. The property borders the Interurban trail right-of-way in the 23700 block of 74th Avenue West, just a block from Lake Ballinger.

Edmonds receives $700,000 state grant to move Waterfront Connector project forward

Aug. 31  Edmonds Mayor Earling announced the city has received a $700,000 state appropriation to support initial design, environmental work and permitting for the Edmonds Street Waterfront Connector project. The state money joins $295,000 in matching local funds from the City of Edmonds, the Port of Edmonds, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad (BNSF), Sound Transit and Community Transit. “This is exciting news for Edmonds as this is an important next step in accomplishing our goal of providing a safer, more reliable crossing for pedestrians and emergency vehicles at our downtown waterfront,” Earling said.

September

City of Edmonds recognized for solar energy promotion efforts

Sept. 5  The City of Edmonds has received national recognition for its efforts to promote solar energy. SolSmart, a program funded by the U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative, has awarded a Bronze designation to the city for promoting solar energy production and usage. According to an announcement from the city, Edmonds is the first city in the state to achieve this designation.

With students back to school Wednesday, district says it will monitor air quality for outdoor activities

Sept. 5  As Edmonds School District students begin classes Sept. 6, the district says it will monitor air quality for school-related outdoor activities. Smoke and falling ash was seen throughout the Puget Sound region Tuesday, blowing into the area from central Washington wildfires.” We are closely monitoring the air quality in our area districtwide  and will be evaluating the status of tomorrow’s outdoor activities, including recess, physical education, athletic practices and games, and after-school activities,” the school district said on its website.

Council OKs consultant for Hwy 99 planning study

Sept. 5  The Edmonds City Council unanimously authorized an agreement with consultant SCJ Alliance to begin the next phase of work on redeveloping Highway 99 through the City of Edmonds. According to the scope of work, the project will build on land use planning and zoning changes approved by the council in August for the two-and-a quarter-mile stretch of highway in Edmonds. “Now we can design a transportation system to fully implement that vision,” Public Works Director Phil Williams told the council.

Justice Department settles lawsuit alleging Edmonds landlords discriminated against families

Sept. 6  The U.S. Department of Justice announced that it has reached a settlement with the owners and manager of three Edmonds apartment buildings following allegations that they violated the Fair Housing Act by refusing to rent their apartments to families with children. The three apartment buildings involved in the settlement are located at 201 5^th Ave. N., 621 5^th Ave. S., and 401 Pine Street in Edmonds. They are owned and managed by defendants Debbie A. Appleby, Apple One, LLC, Apple Two, LLC, and Apple Three, LLC, of Stanwood, Wash. Under the settlement, the defendants will pay a total monetary settlement of $95,000.

Earling announces support for Conference of Mayors letter urging swift action on DACA

Sept. 8  Edmonds Mayor Dave Earling said that he has signed on to a United States Conference of Mayors letter urging the U.S. Congress to pass legislation regarding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program “to maintain safety and security for the 800,000 people who are adding to the richness of our country.” President Donald Trump decided earlier this week to terminate the program, which allows young undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children to continue to live, work and study in the U.S.

Edmonds honors those who lost their lives on 9-11

Sept. 11  As the community has each year since that awful day, Edmonds came together in the morning sunlight to remember the more than 3,000 people who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001 and to honor the 434 firefighters, 60 police officers, and 10 EMTs who selflessly ran into the collapsing inferno, never to emerge. Monday’s ceremonies began promptly at 9:11 am with the raising of the flag by an honor guard of firefighters.

Edmonds sandwich order gone wrong results in crash, arrest

Sept. 12  It started with a man and woman who weren’t happy about how a Subway employee on Edmonds’ Highway 99 was making a sandwich and it ended with a police pursuit and crash in Shoreline. That’s the story behind an incident that began around 4:30 a.m. Tuesday, when Edmonds police received a call from the Subway at 238th Street Southwest and Highway 99.

City Council discusses yet another funding request to finish work on Veterans Plaza

Sept. 12  A request for additional money to complete the final work on the Edmonds Veterans Plaza generated significant discussion during an Edmonds City Council committee meeting. This is the third time that city staff have come to the council for additional money to build the Veterans Plaza, which was approved for construction in December 2016. The plaza officially opened six months later, on Memorial Day 2017, but some construction tasks remain.

Veterans honor those who came home — and those still missing — during POW/MIA ceremony

Sept. 15  It was a heartfelt homecoming in so many ways, for so many, at the Edmonds Veterans Plaza. For an hour, local veterans  —  many of them Vietnam vets — remembered those who became prisoners of war or were declared missing in action during our nation’s conflicts. The occasion was national POW/MIA Day, and nearly 100 people gathered for the remembrance held in the new Veterans Plaza space, which officially opened at 5th and Bell on Memorial Day.

City Council: In Edmonds, it will be Indigenous Peoples Day, not Columbus Day

Sept. 22  Police say that the teenage Edmonds bicyclist involved in the vehicle-bicycle collision Sept. 21 near the intersection of Edmonds Way and 95th Place West suffered a broken ankle. The 17-year-old was “very lucky” to have not been injured more seriously, Edmonds police spokesman Sgt. Shane Hawley said. Police determined that the bicyclist was crossing against the light and the Edmonds driver of the vehicle that struck him had no opportunity to stop before colliding with the boy. As a result, no charges will be filed, Hawley said.

Councilmember withdraws her request for city newsletter subscriber emails

Sept. 23  Edmonds City Councilmember Kristiana Johnson said she is rescinding, “effectively immediately,” her public records request for more than 1,500 subscribers to the quarterly “Update on Edmonds” newsletter and City of Edmonds news releases. Subscribers were informed that their contact information was about to be released as part of the public records request by Johnson, who is running for re-election in November. Johnson said the request was made to so she could email information about her positions on the various issues in the upcoming campaign.

From DACA to health care to North Korea, Jayapal talks issues at Edmonds event

Sept. 29  U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-7th District) brought the latest in her series of “Java with Jayapal” meetings to Edmonds’ Canarino Gelato, where she spent an informal hour reporting to a group of mostly supportive constituents on a range of issues, and answering attendees’ questions. Jayapal was elected last November to represent the 7th Congressional District, which includes Edmonds.