MYEVERETTNEWS.com

Got notice the State is changing their earlier plans for roadwork that will allow them to clean up arsenic in the soil that is causing contamination to run into the Snohomish River. Here’s a brief notice.

They will start with this closure and lane configuration which is different from information sent out earlier this year.

Motorists are about to notice temporary traffic changes from a Department of Ecology environmental cleanup project on East Marine View Drive at Riverside Road.

• Today and Friday a police officer will direct traffic while one lane of East Marine View Drive is closed.

• Starting Aug. 22, installation of detour signs will begin for a longer phase that will bring lane closures, including the northbound off-ramp from North Broadway to East Marine View Drive.
  
  Those detours will begin on Aug. 28.

The sequence of lane closures will differ from information mailed earlier this summer to addresses within a mile of the project. Phase 2 will go first, followed by Phase 1. Each phase will take an estimated 6 to 8 weeks to complete.

This project is one part of the ongoing Everett Smelter cleanup. Scroll to “What’s New” on that website for the latest details.

There is retail and office space available on the Evergreen Way side of the building at 6502 Evergreen Way.

The Everett Enhanced Service Facility entrance is off of Fleming with parking underneath for staff.

The ribbon was cut by Todd Madison (l) Sue Closser (c) and State Rep. John Lovick (r)

One of the common rooms with a fireplace and large windows.

There is a large pantry and nutrition center.

The back yard is open with several gathering spots.

It is housed inside the new building at 6502 Evergreen Way just north of Popeyes. There is commercial space on Evergreen Way on the lower level with the Enhanced Service Facility taking over the upper portion of the building stretching back to Fleming.

One of the issues driving the homelessness situation in Everett and elsewhere is few places offer services for those suffering from mental illness.

Patients who aren’t criminals but who need help and supervision to keep up their medication and have some stability are often released from places like Western State to live with relatives untrained to help or are just released into the community to fend for themselves on the street.

Everett is just the third city in the State of Washington to get an Enhanced Services Facility. The others are in Spokane and Vancouver.

Operated by Sunrise Services, Inc. the facility will serve up to 16 residents with 24 hour care.

“This is a safe and compassionate place for people with severe mental illness,” said Sue Closser who is President of Sunrise Services in Everett who is operating the Enhanced Services Facility. “This meets an unmet need in the community.”

Closser says they will ramp up slowly with a couple of clients a week until they are at capacity. Unlike at what you may find at a group home, the Everett Enhanced Services Facility has both a registered nurse and mental health professionals on staff.

The building is secure with sprinkler system and auto closing fire doors. There are cameras and all staff have call devices. The clients are free to come and go and can live at the facility for as long as they would like to stay. The building is airy and light filled, there’s a central pantry where residents can make snacks as well as enjoy three prepared meals a day. The State of Washington required extensive training of all staff prior to signing off on final operating permits.

This neighborhood in Everett has a long history of mental health service to residents. For years there was a two-story apartment that provided a place to live and other services to those suffering from mental illness on Madison street just west of Evergreen Way where Rodland Toyota now stands.

The facility is not low barrier housing. No drugs or alcohol are allowed and residents come via discharge from a psychiatric hospital. While no longer considered to have to be hospitalized they still require specialized support and care. This is not a treatment facility but assisted living for those with mental health support needs.

The building was a project guided by Todd Madison of Madison Properties who worked with Sunrise Services and DSHS in a unique public-private partnership to get the building complete. It’s taken a little over two years to bring it to this point. Here is our story from last year on the initial application.

Also here is a great FAQ to further help explain Enhanced Services Facilities. Click link for printable PDF:

Sunrise-ESF-FAQ

It may only be 16 beds but it is an important drop in the bucket to help deal with those who are homeless and suffering from mental illness on the streets of Everett and in the communities beyond.

This in from the Port of Everett today regarding one of the biggest improvement projects the Port has ever done.

The ceremonial sand was flying at the south terminal at the Port of Everett today. Photo credit Port of Everett.

The $36 million South Terminal Modernization project will ensure the Port’s facilities are ready to support the next generation of over-dimensional cargo, including aerospace parts for the new 777X.

At the groundbreaking ceremony, event attendees heard from leaders in industry and local, state, federal, and tribal government about the importance of the South Terminal for the economic future of Everett and the region. Officials from the Port, City of Everett, Snohomish County, Tulalip Tribes, U.S. Maritime Administration, the offices of U.S. Senators Murray and Cantwell, and The Boeing Company participated in the groundbreaking.

“I find it fitting that as we celebrate the Port of Everett’s centennial year in 2018, we continue to be forward-thinking, preparing the Port’s infrastructure to carry us into our next 100 years,” said Glen Bachman, Port of Everett Commission President. “Completing critical infrastructure upgrades like this will better position the Port and its facilities to handle the larger vessels and heavier cargoes now calling Everett, including aerospace parts for the new 777X and other opportunities on the horizon.”

“Today we celebrate the kick-off the much-anticipated South Terminal Modernization project that will bring more JOBS, PROSPERITY AND COMMERCE to the waterfront,” said Lisa Lefeber, Port of Everett Acting CEO. “Since 2015, the Port has invested millions of dollars to adapt its facilities to support the next generation of shipping, and this major infrastructure investment is a continuation of that effort. This project has come to fruition thanks to the strong, reliable and forward-thinking leadership of our Port Commission and the continuous support of our project partners at the local, state, federal and tribal levels.”

The South Terminal facility is a key piece of the Port’s overall Seaport Modernization efforts. It’s the largest of the Port’s docks by land footprint; however, the dock was originally built in the 1970s to support log operations, and in its current state, can only accommodate 500 pounds per square foot (psf). Modern cargo operations require a minimum of 1,000 psf. The South Terminal Modernization Project (Phase II) strengthens the remaining 560-feet of the 700-foot South Terminal dock structure (140-feet was strengthened as part of Phase I in 2015) and makes electrical upgrades at the wharf. Upon completion, the dock will be strong enough to accommodate two, 100-foot gauge rail-mounted container cranes and provide vaults for ships to plug into shorepower while at the dock. In 2017, the Port completed two rail upgrade projects totaling more than $8 million. With the help of the Port’s 2-percent for public access policy, the project is also generating $586,000 to the city of Everett to improve public access along the waterfront that doesn’t conflict with a vibrant working waterfront.

The Seaport Modernization was supported by dozens of businesses, educational institutions and public agencies in our region. It was also made possible by both of our U.S. Senators: the project received nearly $22 million in federal loans from the TIGER grant program established by Sen. Murray and FAST Lane grant program from Sen. Cantwell, as well as the Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) program.

The clinic is on 13th street in north Everett.

The check in area is open and inviting.

A family room where kids and parents can relax before their appointment.

No more trips to Seattle for imaging.

Ophthalmology program provides complete, coordinated diagnosis and treatment of pediatric eye disorders.

Extensive study went into making the artwork on the walls soothing for the patients.

Natural light also plays a big role throughout the new clinic.

“We don’t do emergency or primary care,” said David Stolte, director of North Sound Regional Clinics. “We compliment, not compete.”

The new 37,000 square foot clinic will provide services in more than 18 pediatric specialties, including audiology, cardiology, ophthalmology, rehabilitation and sports therapy.

Seattle Children’s first broke ground on the facility in May of 2017. The new clinic cost twenty eight million dollars and will replace smaller clinics in Mill Creek and over at the Providence Pacific campus. Those clinics closed on August 10th.

At the new facility they have 21 standard exam rooms and another 10 for specialty care. They expect to see 26,500 patients in the first year, doubling what Everett and Mill Creek have been able to handle combined.

“We’re excited that people in the north end no longer have to battle traffic to go to Seattle for services,” Stolte told MyEverettNews.com during a recent tour. “We have our own radiology department right here and can do fetal echoes and other testing that used to require a trip to Seattle.”

They expect to draw patients from north Seattle to the Canadian border. Stolte emphasized this is urgent care and not emergency care. They are not open 24 hours a day.

So how to determine when its appropriate to bring a child to Children’s or take them to the Emergency Room?

One thing to remember is Urgent Care is not intended for emergencies, but is appropriate for minor illnesses and injuries. Non life-threatening, non surgical.

Check out this printable pdf to see some examples.

Emergencies vs. Urgent Care

Seattle Children’s North Clinic in Everett Urgent Care Hours:

Open 7 days a week, including holidays

Monday through Friday: 5 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

To learn more about the Seattle Children’s North Clinic in Everett, Washington, see the services offered or get directions check out their website here.

Above are some MyEverettNews.com photos from a recent tour.

Click on the photo to enlarge.