My Everett News

Everett Herald Employees on strike, June 2024

According to the Everett NewsGuild, the new owners of the Daily Herald in Everett, WA want to inflict financial punishment on the paper’s unionized journalists for failing to meet unreasonable story quotas.

The journalists now urgently seek public support in their fight against these measures, which will inevitably degrade the quality of information this outlet can deliver.

As part of ongoing contract negotiations, Herald management has repeatedly proposed wages far below the cost of living in Snohomish County. They’ve paired those low wages with a $1-per-hour raise only for employees who consistently publish two to three stories per day. In other words, workers who miss the quotas would receive smaller paychecks.

Everett NewsGuild petitioning for a living wage. Oct 2023

The Everett NewsGuild reported on Nov. 30th that Carpenter Media offers new journalists just $20.50 an hour, which is $0.26 above Everett’s new large company minimum wage, going into effect on July 1st.

Herald workers are rejecting this unacceptable proposal and asking supporters to submit letters to the editor to the Herald before their next bargaining session on Wed., Dec. 11. Supporters should send letters to letters@heraldnet.com.

Everett NewsGuild members urged the public to use their letters to tell Carpenter Media Group:

• Management’s latest proposed wage minimum of $20.50 per hour, or $42,640 per year, falls far below the wage local journalists need to afford to live in the communities they cover. MIT’s living wage calculator estimates a single person with no kids in Snohomish County needs to earn $29.59 an hour, or about $61,500 a year.
• Tying wages to ridiculous story quotas punishes journalists for failing to meet arbitrary requirements. Harsh quotas incentivize stenography over real journalism. Herald readers want meaningful coverage, not bylines at any cost.

Departing members of the Everett Herald news staff during the massive layoff.

The wage proposal is not the first time Herald management has disregarded the value of its workers. Carpenter Media Group laid off half of the Herald’s newsroom staff this summer. Now, as journalists scramble to do more with less, Carpenter plans to hold their pay hostage to new, grueling quotas.

“This would essentially spam the front page of the Herald website with worthless content while good stories go untold,” said Jordan Hansen, a Herald reporter and Everett NewsGuild member. “Management has little respect for the work its newsroom actually does and this only serves to drive that point home. I question how this stands alongside ethical journalism and I’m not sure it can.”

Quality local journalism is more important than ever as the number of news outlets across Washington continues to shrink. The state has lost 20% of its newspapers since 2004, according to a 2022 report from the League of Women Voters of Washington. Sen. Maria Cantwell’s office reported in 2020 that Washington newsrooms lost 67% of their workers from 2005 to 2020, a higher share than the 59% loss nationally.

Carpenter Media, based in the South, owns more than 100 papers in the U.S. The company has continued its shopping spree and become one of the largest newspaper owners in the country, all while showing a pattern of acquiring local newspapers only to slash their staff.

Here in the Northwest, Carpenter bought about two dozen Oregon publications under Pamplin Media Group, the largest media company in the Portland metro area, and began layoffs there this summer. The company now appears poised to slash more jobs at other Oregon newspapers.

Photo credit: Britney Barber

As part of the budget approved by the City Council last night, all five Park Ranger positions have been eliminated.

Everett’s park rangers were tasked with managing Everett’s 45 parks.

As the eyes and ears of the parks, the rangers were often found driving from park to park, closing restrooms, locking the six gates, and providing support to other departments.

The city reassures us that the Everett Police Department remains in charge of park safety. Britney Barber’s interview of Ranger David Green clearly displays the rangers did play a role.

In the short term, the Parks Department plans to close some park restrooms and install portable restrooms that will remain open at all hours in the nine most used parks. They are also considering taking volunteers and leaving all park gates open.

Eliminating the Park Ranger program will save the city about $600,000 a year.

The five full-time positions were for four rangers and their supervisor. All but one ranger elected to participate in the Voluntary Separation Incentive Program (VSIP). The remaining ranger was reassigned to the Everett Utility Services department.

Kamiak High School

On December 4th, around 2 pm during school dismissal, officers responded to an online threat at Kamiak High School (10801 Harbour Pointe Blvd).

Officers from Mukilteo Police, the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, and the Washington State Patrol worked to search the area and identify any possible threats to the school.

Following the search, it was determined that there was no threat to Kamiak or the surrounding area. Nothing suspicious was located, and officers worked with students and staff to clear the campus.

It became apparent that several other schools around the state may have received a similar online threat. There is also information that the threat may have originated from an outside source, unrelated to Mukilteo.

There was a heavy police presence, and the area was congested as students and staff left in buses, vehicles, and on foot. We want to thank all students, staff, and community members
for their patience as officers worked to ensure the area’s safety.

Chief Illyn stated, “We take all threats of this nature extremely seriously. The safety of our kids in this area is our highest priority. I am grateful for the prompt response from officers and want to thank our neighboring agencies, including the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office and the Washington State Patrol for their assistance”.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is encouraged to contact investigators at crimetips@mukilteowa.gov or make an anonymous tip at mycrimereport.us.

Pawsome Park & Lodge is spreading holiday cheer with special events and exciting new features for Everett dog owners. Swing by during the specified times for a free dog photo with Santa.

Join Pawsome for festive Santa Photo sessions that celebrate your furry friends. Their professional pet-friendly photographers will capture the magic of the season with adorable photos of your pups.

Each session includes a free digital image delivered straight to your email after editing.

Upcoming Santa Photo Dates:

• December 7: 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
• December 11: 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
• December 14: 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
• December 18: 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Simply bring your dog to 2820 Rucker Avenue, Everett, WA, to join in the fun.

Overnight Boarding Now Open

Pawsome’s overnight dog boarding facility is officially open and accepting holiday reservations.

Whether you need a trusted place for your pup while traveling or preparing for the season, Pawsome Park & Lodge ensures a safe, loving environment with plenty of cuddles and care.

Expansion Coming Soon

Looking to the future, Pawsome Park & Lodge is excited to announce the upcoming addition of a 6,000-square-foot indoor dog park.

This innovative space will offer dogs year-round opportunities for play, exercise, and socialization. It’s the perfect complement to our existing amenities, including doggy daycare, self-wash stations, and more.

Holiday cheer is coming to Monroe for four days of the Holiday Spark at the Evergreen State Fair Park.

Join the organizers for this festive event, allowing the community to come together and celebrate the holiday season.

“The fair park hosts hundreds of events throughout the year and is a vibrant place for the community to gather year-round, not just the 11 days of the fair,” said Mike Ohlsen, Evergreen State Fair Park Manager. “We are excited to open up the fairgrounds for people to have fun, support local businesses, and spread some holiday cheer!”

Admission is FREE.

Dates & Times:

• December 5 and 6, 2024: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
• December 7, 2024: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• December 8, 2024: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Holiday Spark Brochure (click to expand)

Location: Evergreen State Fair Park 14405 179th Ave SE Monroe, WA 98272

Activities: 

• Holiday Bazaar (hosted by The Evergreen Fair Foundation)
• Entertainment: Costume Characters, Mr. & Mrs. Claus, live music and more
• Food: Elephant ears, burgers, chicken fingers, fries, coffee and other hot drinks
• Bingo
• In the Longhouse: Skykomish Valley Indian Education will be selling frybread and other refreshments
• Wine and beer garden with special Holiday Spark drinks
• Pony and carriage rides ($10 per person)
• Frosty’s Adventure Alley ($5 per child): Bouncy houses, games, snowball fights
• Peek back in time at the Shannahan Cabin
• Outdoor firepits and s’more roasting tents (s’more kits available for purchase)
• Winter Walk with inflatables and snow machine
• Cold weather clothing and food drive

Three festive themed igloos will be available for rent

Enjoy a private space to play a game, hang out with friends and family, and enjoy a treat or meal from one of our food vendors. Each igloo can fit 6 people comfortably. Igloo rental includes 1 VIP parking pass, decorations, games and activities. Outside food and activities are allowed. No alcohol is allowed outside of the designated beer/wine garden. Cost: $60 for 75 minutes. Reserve here.

Parking: Parking is FREE in the red/west lot. $5 parking available on the grounds.

Food and Warm Clothing Drive: Want to help give back to the community? We will be doing a food and warm clothing drive during this event. See a list of suggested non-perishable and unexpired donations here.

South County Firefighters responded to a report of a fire just after 8am today along Larch Way in Lynnwood.

When firefighters arrived at the 20500 block of Larch Way, they found a shed next to the home fully engulfed in flames.

The shed had been used as a living quarters by one of the residents.

Firefighters stopped the fire from spreading to the home and extinguished the fire within about 5 minutes of arriving.

Sadly, inside the shed, they found a deceased man in his twenties. No other injuries were reported.

The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office and Snohomish County Fire Marshal’s Office are investigating.

The Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management has launched an online survey to help residents report damage from the high winds that raced through the community starting Nov. 19, 2024.

The information may help make the case for disaster recovery resources, including potential storm damage assistance. The County is gathering up the data at the request of state emergency management officials, who will assess whether the community qualifies for federal relief funds.

“We want to do everything we can to make sure people who experienced storm damage that may be qualify for federal assistance get the opportunity to report those losses,” said Lucia Schmit, the County’s director of Emergency Management.

The survey can be found at: https://bit.ly/Report_SnoCo_Damage. It will remain open through Dec. 31, 2024.

“We are working to understand the extent of damages from the storm throughout our county,” Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers said. “Gathering this information from residents and businesses will be crucial as recovery efforts continue.”

The storm, described by meteorologists as a bomb cyclone, caused widespread damage. At its peak, more than 135,000 homes and businesses were reported without electricity. Dozens of roads countywide were blocked by downed trees and power lines. Executive Somers on Nov. 26 issued a proclamation declaring a state of emergency.

Work has been underway to capture damage to public infrastructure. The damage survey focuses on impacts to privately owned homes, farms and businesses.

Staff at Emergency Management has been documenting the storm’s impact since its arrival, anticipating the need to make a case for disaster relief. Many County residents already have helped, responding to a social media request for images of damage near their homes. The department compiled those images as an interactive story map that made it easier to see where the problems were reported, and to better document the scope of the recovery challenge.

The online damage survey provides residents a means to share more details about their losses – the first step in potentially qualifying for relief funds. People should be prepared to provide this type of information:

• Address of damaged property (Only primary residences qualify. No outbuildings).
• Primary cause of damage.
• County assessed value of the structure.
• Estimated value of personal property or contents lost.
• Brief description of impacts to structure or land and any unmet needs.
• Whether the property is insured: homeowners, renters or business.

Businesses that sustained losses from the storm are encouraged to participate in the damage survey. They also are urged to complete a worksheet documenting estimated economic injury from the storm. The form is used by the U.S. Small Business Administration in assessing disaster relief options. Completed business forms should be sent to: HSDamage@mil.wa.gov.

Emergency Management staff know that some people may not have reliable internet access or may benefit from assistance in completing the damage survey. The department is teaming up with partners and volunteers to host in-person events in the hardest-hit communities. People can find help with the damage survey at these times and locations:

1 p.m. to 8 p.m., Friday, Dec. 6, 2024
Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue, Station 81
12409 21st St. NE, Lake Stevens

1 p.m. to 8 p.m., Friday, Dec. 6, 2024
Lake Roesiger Fire Department
1205 S Lake Roesiger Road, Snohomish

1 p.m. to 8 p.m., Friday, Dec. 6, 2024
Evergreen State Fair Park, near Park and Ride
17433 U.S. 2, Monroe (Look for Emergency Management vehicles in the parking area on the west side of the fairgrounds, adjacent to the Park and Ride lot.)

Assistance with the survey also can be accessed during business hours by contacting Emergency Management directly at: DEM@snoco.org or 425-388-5060.