MY EVERETT NEWS

Drew Nielsen passed away last spring.

The City of Everett has a special process to name parks, property and city owned buildings after people. That process is underway now in an effort to re-name the Northwest Neighborhood Park, Drew Nielsen Park, after the former Everett City Council member who passed away last spring. Here’s the overview…

The City of Everett Historical Commission will hold a public hearing regarding a proposal to rename Northwest Neighborhood Park after Drew Nielsen, former Everett City Council Member. The proposed name is “Drew Nielsen Neighborhood Park.” The public hearing will be held during the Everett Historical Commission’s meeting on Tuesday, April 23, 2013, which begins at 6:30 P.M. The meeting will be held in the Hearing Room on the 8th floor of the Wall Street Building, 2930 Wetmore Avenue, Everett, Washington 98201.

Comments on this proposal may also be submitted in writing to the Department of Planning and Community Development, 2930 Wetmore Ave., Suite 8A, Everett, WA 98201, or by e-mail to Jmeston@ci.everett.wa.us. Written comments must be received by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, April 22, 2013.

For questions regarding this notice, please call (425) 257-7164.

In addition, the schedule for review of this proposal is anticipated to be as follows:
April 5 Mail notice of public hearing before Historical Commission on April 23, post the park with signs April 5 or 6
April 9 Board of Park Commissioners will consider the proposal and make a recommendation to the Historical Commission – The Park Board meeting will not be a public hearing, but the meeting is open to the public. (April 9, 2013, 6:00 p.m., Spruce Hall at Forest Park.)
April 23 Historical Commission holds public hearing and makes a recommendation to City Council
May 15 City Council public hearing and decision, 6:30 p.m. meeting

This schedule will put the proposal before City Council more than one year after Drew’s death as required by the city’s naming policy.

Have ideas for Everett Transit or Parks? Here’s your chance.

The city of Everett is looking for the public’s input on both parks and transit plans this week.

On Monday February 25th, Managers at Everett Transit are looking for questions or suggestions during a public meeting. It will be held from 5:30pm – 6:30pm on the 1st floor at Everett Station, 3201 Smith Avenue.

Earlier this year, Everett Transit increased its fares by 25 cents for all categories of riders. Click here to see the complete fare chart.

On Tuesday February 26th, the Everett Parks board will hold a workshop to announce the progress of Everett parks and help begin to shape the park system’s future. This will happen at Spruce Hall at Forest Park, 802 E. Mukilteo Blvd.

There will also be a Community Open House from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday March 14, in the Weyerhaeuser Room at Everett Station, 3201 Smith Ave. Learn how far the city of Everett has come in meeting existing goals, current department activities, help set new goals and ask questions.

Everett’s Board of Park Commissioners welcome community input as the board reviews the city’s existing parks strategic plan, which was adopted by City Council in March 2007.

You can click here for a mini-update on the strategic plan.

The new dock on Silver Lake is now open to the public

Earlier this week I posted pictures of a new dock on the west side of Everett’s Silver Lake. Today I noticed the security fence was down and I was able to get some information from City of Everett public information director Kate Reardon about the new dock…

The dock was constructed by Blackwater Marine of Kirkland at a cost of about $150,000.00 including removal & demolition of the old dock and steel pilings and fabrication & installation of new pilings and dock.

The dock is to be used for fishing and launching of non-motorized watercraft such as kayaks, rowboats, canoes and rafts. No gas-powered engines are allowed on Silver Lake except for emergency rescues and authorized sporting events.

The dock and surrounding area is not open to swimmers. They have to stay in the marked off swimming area to the east of the new dock.

The new dock is environmentally friendly and is made of high density polyethylene (HDPE) for an extremely long lifespan and the deck material is fiberglass to allow light penetration into the water.

The dock is at the south end of Thornton A. Sullivan Park

Everett’s Jetty Island is now open for the summer. With warmer temperatures expected later this week crowds are likely to build and this video from the City of Everett tells you what to expect. Is truly is an amazing resource for people in Everett. To learn more or make reservations CLICK HERE.

Join the 2nd annual Great American Backyard Campout this weekend at Silver Lake

Want to take the kids camping some place other than the back yard but not too far from home? This weekend the City of Everett Parks Department is holding a family camping event at Everett’s Thornton A. Sullivan Park on the shores of Silver Lake in South Everett. Here’s everything you need to know…

EVERETT – Experience the joys of family camping! Be part of the Everett’s second annual Silver Lake campout where you can learn everything you need to know for a safe camping experience and share campfire fun. Join us from 3 p.m. Saturday, June 23 through 10 a.m. Sunday, June 24 at Thornton A. Sullivan Park, 11405 W. Silver Lake Rd.

Whether you want to brush-up on camping skills or introduce your kids to affordable outdoor fun, this is your chance. Enjoy the beauty of Silver Lake, as we:
• pitch tents and build shelters for comfortable camping
• try Dutch oven cooking
• learn to build a campfire
• take a ranger-led nature walk, and
• enjoy a campfire program and s’mores

Relax as you fall asleep to the sound of wind in the trees and water lapping on shore. Wake to a free Sunday breakfast before packing up. Bring a cooler with something to grill for dinner and your own camping gear (tent, ground cover, sleeping bags, flashlights, camp dishes, etc.). Families that need to may borrow from a limited supply of tents and sleeping bags.

Advance registration is required and costs $15 per family (up to five people) or $5 per person. Register by calling the Recreation Office at 425-257-8300 ext. 2. The Great American Backyard Campout is presented by Everett Parks and Recreation in partnership with Alderwood REI.

Get ready for "Green Everett"

The City of Everett announced a new partnership with Forterra to become their latest “Green City”. Here’s the press release direct from city hall…

EVERETT – The City is working with Forterra’s Green Cities Program on a new plan, The Green Everett Partnership, which will provide a blueprint on how to help restore Everett’s forested parklands. The partnership includes the City, Forterra and The Boeing Co.

To start, Forterra will work with the City of Everett to develop a 20-Year Strategic Plan to help restore and maintain Everett’s forested parklands with invasive plant species removal, native species plantings, mulching and more. More information on the Partnership will be presented to local groups and organizations in coming weeks. Eventually, the Partnership will work with community volunteers to launch restoration efforts at Howarth Park and Thornton Sullivan Park at Silver Lake, and four other Everett parks to be determined.

“This special partnership allows us to plan and begin the restoration in our forested parks that we have wanted to focus on for quite some time now,” Parks Director Paul Kaftanski said. “People love being outdoors and in natural areas, especially when they live in urban settings. Our parks often are a great destination for all kinds of recreation. We want to keep them as desirable destinations as possible.”

Forterra’s participation in the Green Everett Partnership was made possible by a generous grant from The Boeing Co. This grant enabled Forterra to contribute valuable staff time and expertise needed to launch the program.

“The City of Everett and Forterra Green City Partnership is an exciting project that will help to restore the City’s wonderful wooded parklands for its citizens and neighborhoods,” said Gene Duvernoy, Forterra president. “Boeing is an important partner to the Green Everett Partnership providing necessary grant support to help get the program off the ground.”

The Boeing Co. is an instrumental partner at the table to make this project work.

“Boeing recognizes the importance of protecting and preserving our local lands and the benefits to a healthy community. Through the Green Everett partnership, our investment engages thousands of volunteers each year to help make Snohomish County community parks safe and accessible,” said Liz Warman, director of Boeing Global Corporate Citizenship for the Northwest region.

The Green Cities Program was first launched in 2004 with the Green Seattle Partnership, a joint effort between Forterra and the City of Seattle to restore and maintain 2500 acres of Seattle’s natural spaces. Urban natural areas are public assets that beautify and strengthen neighborhoods. They provide clean air and water, stormwater retention and reduced flooding, habitat for wildlife, carbon sequestration, noise buffers, and natural spaces where urban residents can connect with nature. It is critical to act now to restore these spaces before they are lost to invasive plant species and erosion.

The Green City Partnerships are a critical component of The Cascade Agenda, Forterra’s long-range plan for the sustainability of the central-Cascade region’s environment, economies and communities. The Agenda hinges on the idea that when you have great cities and towns in which people choose to live, work and raise their families, working and wild landscapes are saved from development sprawl. The Green Cities restoration work helps make our communities great.