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Tag: Everett

  • Kasch Park: Everett’s Premier Athletic Complex Just Got a Major Turf Upgrade — A Local’s Guide to South Everett’s Most-Used Park

    Kasch Park: Everett’s Premier Athletic Complex Just Got a Major Turf Upgrade — A Local’s Guide to South Everett’s Most-Used Park

    Q: What is Kasch Park in Everett?

    A: Kasch Park is the City of Everett’s premier athletic complex, located at 8811 Airport Road in the Westmont area of south Everett. It features four lighted multi-sport synthetic-turf fields, a four-field lighted softball complex, one Little League field, basketball courts, a Weevos-style playground, picnic shelters, restrooms, and walking trails. The park is open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and connects via trail to the nearby Loganberry Lane Dog Park.

    Kasch Park is the south Everett athletic complex everyone in town has played at — even if they did not know its name

    Kasch Park sits on Airport Road just past the Boeing fence line, inside the Westmont area of south Everett. If you have ever played adult-league soccer in Snohomish County, watched a kid’s softball tournament under the lights, or pushed a stroller through a quiet weekend afternoon while teenagers ran a flag-football scrimmage, there is a strong chance you have been here. It is the kind of public park that becomes invisible because it works. The fields show up on hundreds of league schedules every year. The playground stays full on summer weekends. The parking lot empties at 10 p.m. and refills at 6 a.m. the next morning, every day, year-round.

    And quietly, over the last few years, it has become a much better park than most south-Everett residents realize. Here is what makes Kasch Park the city’s premier athletic complex, what got upgraded recently, and what locals should know before their next visit.

    The basics: address, hours, parking

    Address: 8811 Airport Road, Everett, WA 98204
    Hours: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily
    Parking: Free, ample on-site lot

    The park sits between Airport Road and 100th Street SW, a quick drive from Boulevard Bluffs, Pinehurst-Beverly Park, Glacier View, and Westmont — and convenient to Boeing, Paine Field, and the Cascade High School zone for Casino Road and Pinehurst families.

    What Kasch Park has — by the field

    Kasch Park is the City of Everett’s flagship athletic facility. The amenity list is long enough that it is worth grouping by use case.

    Multi-sport turf fields. Four lighted, synthetic-turf fields sized for soccer but lined for multiple sports. After the most recent surface replacement, the fields are now playable for soccer, lacrosse, ultimate frisbee, flag football, and kickball. The lights mean evening league play continues year-round; the synthetic turf means rain rarely cancels a game.

    Softball complex. A four-field lighted softball complex with bleachers anchors the eastern half of the park. This is where most of Everett’s adult coed leagues, men’s leagues, and tournament play happens. Under a recent management agreement with NWS Holdings, the previously dirt infields on softball fields one through four are being upgraded with turf surfacing, additional fencing, and safety netting — improvements that bring the complex closer to tournament-grade specification.

    Little League field. One dedicated Little League diamond serves the park’s youth baseball programming.

    Basketball courts. Outdoor courts available for casual pickup play.

    Playground. The park’s playground, designed and built by PlayCreation, features a Weevos-brand structure with a Cozy Coaster Slide, Wee Pod Climber, and Boppity Bridge — the kind of contemporary play equipment designed for both motor-skill development and durability. Restrooms are immediately adjacent.

    Picnic shelter. A reservable picnic shelter is available through the City of Everett’s facilities reservation system at everettwa.gov.

    Walking trail. A short on-site loop connects the parking, playground, fields, and the trail spur that links to nearby Loganberry Lane Dog Park.

    Restrooms. Permanent restroom facilities are available on the playground side; portable toilets supplement the field areas during peak league season.

    Recent upgrades: what changed and why it matters

    The biggest change in the last few years has been the synthetic-turf replacement on the multi-sport fields. The original turf had aged out of safe play; the replacement re-lined the fields for soccer plus multiple secondary sports, expanding the park’s usable league bookings dramatically. The Wildlife Recreation Coalition lists the project among its supported recreation grants for the region.

    The second change is the softball management partnership. NWS Holdings now manages softball fields one through four under an agreement with the City of Everett, with infield turf upgrades, fencing improvements, and additional safety netting in progress. For league players, the difference is noticeable: fewer rainouts on dirt infields, better backstop coverage for tournaments, and a more consistent maintenance cadence.

    What has not changed: dogs are still prohibited from all field areas. The trail connection to Loganberry Lane Dog Park gives dog owners a nearby alternative for off-leash play.

    Who actually uses Kasch Park

    If you visit on a weekday evening between April and October, the parking lot will be mostly league players — adult coed soccer, men’s softball, kickball nights, and the occasional ultimate frisbee tournament. Weekend mornings tilt toward youth: Little League, youth soccer, and the occasional flag-football clinic. Weekday afternoons before 5 p.m. lean stroller crowd — the playground area is genuinely well-shaded in the summer and the layout works for parents with multiple kids of different ages.

    For visitors driving in from outside south Everett, the park is also a reliable rainy-day option. The combination of synthetic turf and field lights means scheduled play continues through Pacific Northwest spring weather that would shut down a grass-field park entirely.

    How to book a field or shelter

    The City of Everett handles all field reservations through the Parks Department. Reservations open seasonally; the most popular weekend slots fill quickly. Field permits are typically required for any organized group play of more than a casual pickup game. Picnic shelter reservations follow the same process. Both can be initiated through everettwa.gov/parks.

    NWS Holdings handles the softball-fields-one-through-four scheduling separately under its management agreement. League organizers should reach out through the City Parks office for the current contact path.

    Why Kasch Park belongs on every south Everett family’s short list

    The Everett park system has more famous names — Forest Park draws the headlines, Howarth gets the Instagram shots, Sullivan at Silver Lake has the destination amenity, Garfield is the playground showpiece. Kasch is none of those things. It is the working park. It is where Everett actually plays. And after the recent turf and softball-field upgrades, the working park works even better than it used to. For families in Westmont, Boulevard Bluffs, Pinehurst-Beverly Park, Glacier View, and Twin Creeks, Kasch Park is probably the single most-used piece of public infrastructure in the neighborhood. It is worth knowing the address, the hours, and the booking process the next time a Saturday plan goes sideways and the kids need a field.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Where is Kasch Park located?

    Kasch Park is at 8811 Airport Road, Everett, WA 98204, in the Westmont area of south Everett. It is convenient to Boeing, Paine Field, and the Cascade High School attendance zone.

    What are Kasch Park’s hours?

    The park is open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. The lighted fields support evening league play through the posted closing time.

    Does Kasch Park have a dog park?

    No. Dogs are prohibited from all field areas inside Kasch Park. The on-site trail connects to the nearby Loganberry Lane Dog Park, which is the closest off-leash option.

    Are there pickleball courts at Kasch Park?

    Not currently. Kasch Park’s primary courts are basketball and the multi-sport synthetic-turf fields. Pickleball courts in Everett are located at other parks; the City of Everett maintains a pickleball-court list at everettwa.gov/parks.

    How do I reserve a field or picnic shelter at Kasch Park?

    Field permits and picnic shelter reservations go through the City of Everett Parks Department at everettwa.gov/parks. Softball fields one through four are managed by NWS Holdings under a separate agreement; the City Parks office can route league organizers to the current contact path.

    What sports can be played on Kasch Park’s turf fields?

    After the synthetic-turf replacement, the four multi-sport fields are lined and approved for soccer, lacrosse, ultimate frisbee, flag football, and kickball.

    Is Kasch Park a good park for young children?

    Yes. The Weevos-brand playground, designed and built by PlayCreation, includes a Cozy Coaster Slide, Wee Pod Climber, and Boppity Bridge — equipment well-suited for early-childhood and elementary-aged kids. Permanent restrooms are immediately adjacent. The picnic shelter is reservable for parties.

  • Housing Hope Is Building a New Tomorrow’s Hope at 4526 Federal Avenue — The Quiet Powerhouse Behind Everett’s Affordable Housing

    Housing Hope Is Building a New Tomorrow’s Hope at 4526 Federal Avenue — The Quiet Powerhouse Behind Everett’s Affordable Housing

    Q: What is Housing Hope and what does it do in Everett?

    A: Housing Hope is an Everett-headquartered nonprofit that builds and operates affordable rental housing, supports homeownership through sweat-equity construction, and runs childcare and workforce-training programs for families exiting homelessness or poverty across Snohomish County and Camano Island. It manages more than 650 affordable units across 24 sites, has helped 328 households become homeowners through its Team HomeBuilding program, and is building a new 26,700-square-foot Tomorrow’s Hope Child Development Center at 4526 Federal Avenue in partnership with Compass Health.

    Housing Hope is the quietest big nonprofit in Everett — and 2026 is its biggest year in a long time

    If you have driven past the Compass Health campus at 4526 Federal Avenue lately, you have probably noticed survey stakes and site-prep work on the northeast corner. That is a 26,700-square-foot child development center that has been thirty years in the making. It belongs to Housing Hope — Everett’s largest affordable-housing nonprofit and probably the most consequential community organization in town that most residents could not pick out of a lineup.

    That is changing in 2026. Housing Hope has a new CEO. It is breaking ground on a new childcare facility that triples the capacity of its current Tomorrow’s Hope program. It manages more than 650 affordable units across 24 sites in Snohomish County. And it is doing all of this while quietly chasing a 1,000-unit goal by 2030. Here is what every Everett resident should know about the organization that is rewriting what affordable housing looks like in this corner of Puget Sound.

    What Housing Hope actually does

    Housing Hope’s mission is to promote and provide affordable housing and tailored services that reduce homelessness and poverty for residents of Snohomish County and Camano Island. That single sentence covers a lot of ground. In practice, the organization runs five integrated programs:

    Affordable rental housing. More than 650 units across 24 sites. Rents are set on a sliding scale based on household income and family size — not market rate. Housing Hope’s portfolio includes everything from single-room transitional units to family-sized apartments designed for households exiting homelessness.

    Team HomeBuilding. A sweat-equity homeownership program in which working families help build their own and each other’s homes. The program has produced 328 first-time homeowner households. Participants commit hundreds of hours of construction labor in exchange for a deeply discounted mortgage on a home they helped frame, side, and finish.

    Tomorrow’s Hope Child Development Center. Quality childcare for kids aged four weeks through twelve years, with a sliding-scale fee structure that prioritizes families currently living in Housing Hope properties or recently exited from homelessness. The current facility has operated for more than 30 years out of a former Sizzler restaurant building. The new building changes that.

    College of Hope. Workforce training, financial coaching, life-skills classes, and case management built directly into the housing-and-childcare model. Residents do not have to drive across town to access employment services — those services are delivered on-site.

    HopeWorks. A separate but affiliated social-enterprise nonprofit that runs job-training businesses (catering, landscaping, building trades) where Housing Hope residents and other low-income community members earn paychecks while building career skills. HopeWorks shares leadership with Housing Hope.

    Kathryn Opina takes over as CEO

    The Housing Hope Executive Board appointed Kathryn Opina as Chief Executive Officer for both Housing Hope and HopeWorks effective September 1, 2025. The announcement followed the departure of previous CEO Donna Moulton in early 2025 for family reasons. The leadership transition was reported by My Everett News and confirmed on the organization’s leadership page.

    Opina inherits an organization in the middle of one of its most ambitious capital phases in years — the new Tomorrow’s Hope facility, ongoing portfolio growth toward the 1,000-unit 2030 goal, and a continued role as the lead nonprofit voice in Snohomish County’s affordable-housing conversation.

    The new Tomorrow’s Hope is the headline project of 2026

    The current Tomorrow’s Hope center serves about 130 children. It has, in fact, outgrown the old Sizzler building it occupies. The new facility — sited at the northeast corner of Compass Health’s Federal Avenue Campus at 4526 Federal Avenue — solves three problems at once.

    First, capacity. The 26,700-square-foot building is designed to substantially increase enrollment beyond the current 130-child level. Second, integrated services. The new building includes on-site showers, laundry, a pantry, and computer stations — features that recognize many of the families using Tomorrow’s Hope are working through housing instability and need wraparound support to stay in childcare. Third, the partnership. Compass Health, Snohomish County’s largest behavioral-health provider, is leasing the corner to Housing Hope as a continuation of a 35-year partnership between the two nonprofits. Both organizations serve overlapping populations. Co-locating the new childcare center on Compass’s campus means a parent receiving behavioral-health support can drop their child off in the same parking lot.

    The site is in central Everett, walkable from several Housing Hope properties and on a Community Transit route. Construction is starting this year.

    Why Housing Hope matters for Everett specifically

    Snohomish County’s affordable-housing math is brutal. The 51.8% inventory jump that lit up the headlines in 2026 was concentrated in the market-rate single-family segment, not in the income-restricted units that working families actually qualify for. Housing Hope is the largest single producer of those income-restricted units in the county, and the bulk of its portfolio sits inside Everett city limits.

    That portfolio is also unusually integrated. Most affordable-housing developers build the building and walk away. Housing Hope builds the building, runs the childcare center next door, employs residents through HopeWorks, trains them through College of Hope, and has built sweat-equity homeowners out of dozens of its own former tenants. The model is not new — Housing Hope has been doing it since 1987 — but the scale (650+ units, 24 sites, 35-year partnerships with major institutions) is.

    For Casino Road residents, Boulevard Bluffs renters, and Twin Creeks families pricing out of Snohomish County’s higher-rent neighborhoods, Housing Hope is often the answer to “where do we go next.” The organization’s waitlists are long — as is the case for every affordable-housing operator in the region — but the units exist, and they keep getting built.

    How to engage with Housing Hope

    Housing Hope’s main offices are at 5830 Evergreen Way in Everett. The organization’s housing application process and waitlist information are available on housinghope.org, along with a current property list. For families seeking childcare, Tomorrow’s Hope information lives at tomorrowshopechildcare.com — and the new Federal Avenue location will list its enrollment process there once the building opens.

    For neighbors who want to support the work, Housing Hope accepts both donations and volunteer hours through Team HomeBuilding (no construction experience required for many roles). HopeWorks’s social-enterprise businesses also welcome contracts for catering, landscaping, and small construction projects. The organizations are 501(c)(3) nonprofits; gifts are tax-deductible.

    The bigger picture

    The story of Everett’s housing crisis usually focuses on what the market and the city are not doing — the stalled stadium financing, the utility-tax debate, the Sound Transit timeline that keeps slipping. Housing Hope’s story is the inverse. It is a nonprofit that has been quietly stacking units, training workforce, and feeding children for nearly four decades while the broader debate has gone sideways. The new Tomorrow’s Hope center, the new CEO, and the unbroken march toward 1,000 units by 2030 are the same story Housing Hope has been telling all along — just with a bigger building, a new face at the top, and an unmistakable signal that 2026 is when the organization plans to be louder about it.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Where is Housing Hope located in Everett?

    Housing Hope’s main administrative offices are at 5830 Evergreen Way in Everett. The organization manages more than 24 housing sites across Snohomish County and Camano Island. The new Tomorrow’s Hope Child Development Center is being built at 4526 Federal Avenue on Compass Health’s campus.

    Who is the CEO of Housing Hope in 2026?

    Kathryn Opina has served as Chief Executive Officer of both Housing Hope and HopeWorks since September 1, 2025. She succeeded former CEO Donna Moulton, who departed in early 2025.

    How many affordable housing units does Housing Hope operate?

    More than 650 affordable rental units across 24 sites in Snohomish County and Camano Island, with a stated goal of 1,000 units by 2030. The organization has also helped 328 households achieve homeownership through its Team HomeBuilding sweat-equity program.

    What is Tomorrow’s Hope?

    Tomorrow’s Hope is Housing Hope’s child development center. The current facility serves roughly 130 children aged four weeks to 12 years out of a former Sizzler restaurant building in Everett. A new 26,700-square-foot facility is under construction at 4526 Federal Avenue with significantly expanded capacity and on-site family services including showers, laundry, a pantry, and computer stations.

    How can I apply for Housing Hope housing?

    Housing applications and waitlist information are available at housinghope.org. Demand exceeds supply at every Housing Hope property, and waitlists can be long. The organization’s leasing staff can advise on which properties have the shortest current waitlists and what documentation is required.

    How can I support Housing Hope?

    Donations are accepted through housinghope.org and are tax-deductible. Team HomeBuilding accepts volunteer construction labor. HopeWorks’s catering, landscaping, and trades businesses welcome contracts from neighbors and local employers. Both organizations also publish event calendars on their respective websites.

    Is Housing Hope related to Volunteers of America Western Washington or Cocoon House?

    They are separate organizations with overlapping missions. Housing Hope focuses on long-term affordable housing and homeownership for families. Volunteers of America Western Washington runs the regional food bank and broader social-services portfolio. Cocoon House serves youth experiencing homelessness. All three are major Everett nonprofits and frequently collaborate through Snohomish County’s housing and homelessness coalitions.

    Deeper coverage on this story:

  • WHL Eastern Conference Final Heads to Game 5 in Prince Albert Tonight — and the Silvertips Are Still Watching for an Opponent

    WHL Eastern Conference Final Heads to Game 5 in Prince Albert Tonight — and the Silvertips Are Still Watching for an Opponent

    WHL Eastern Conference Final Goes to Game 5 in Prince Albert Tonight — and the Silvertips Are Still Watching to See Who They Get in the Final

    The Everett Silvertips have been on the couch since April 28, when Hayden Vanhanen scored the game-winner and Adam Miettinen tacked on an empty-netter to finish a four-game sweep of the Penticton Vees in the Western Conference Final. Twelve playoff games. One loss. Three series wins. A WHL Final berth and home-ice advantage in the bag.

    Now they wait — and Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final on Friday, May 1, may or may not deliver them an opponent. The Prince Albert Raiders host the Medicine Hat Tigers tonight at 7:00 p.m. CT (5:00 p.m. PT) at the Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert with the best-of-seven series tied 2-2.

    If the Raiders win, the series goes to a best-of-three. If the Tigers win, they head home with a chance to close it out at Co-op Place.

    Either way, the Silvertips’ WHL Final opens at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett next Friday, May 8. The opponent’s just the variable.

    Where the Series Sits

    The Eastern Conference Final hasn’t been the runaway some predicted when the No. 1 Raiders met the No. 2 Tigers. Prince Albert tied things up Wednesday night with a 6-3 win at Co-op Place, scoring three straight in the second period after going into the intermission tied 2-2. The series now stands 2-2 with three games left to play if needed.

    Medicine Hat coach Willie Desjardins didn’t sugarcoat it after Game 4. “We have to play better,” he told Medicine Hat News. Tigers forward Ethan Neutens said the team was “pretty lackadaisical in some areas of our game” and “weren’t winning our battles.” When you let the No. 1 seed in the East score three unanswered to take a swing series, that’s the kind of postgame quote you give.

    The remaining schedule:

    • **Game 5:** Friday, May 1 — Medicine Hat at Prince Albert, 7:00 p.m. CT (Art Hauser Centre)
    • **Game 6 (if necessary):** Sunday, May 3 — Prince Albert at Medicine Hat, 6:00 p.m. CT (Co-op Place)
    • **Game 7 (if necessary):** TBD if needed

    Why It Matters for Everett

    The Silvertips earned the right to host the WHL Final by going 12-1 through the West playoffs and finishing the regular season as the Scotty Munro Trophy winners (best regular-season record in the league at 57-8-2-1, 117 points). That means Games 1 and 2 of the WHL Final are both at Angel of the Winds Arena on May 8 and May 9 — regardless of which Eastern team comes out.

    But the matchup matters from a strategic standpoint, and from a fan-narrative standpoint:

    If it’s Medicine Hat

    The Tigers are a Top-2 seed with elite depth and a goaltender, Harrison Meneghin, who’s putting up sharp numbers. Medicine Hat plays a structured, neutral-zone-pressure style that has given Penticton-style transition teams trouble all year. They’d be the more rested matchup, too — they finished off Calgary in five and only got their fourth ECF game on May 1. The Tigers are the analytics darling.

    If it’s Prince Albert

    The Raiders are the higher seed and the physical mismatch favorite. They have the league’s best regular-season defensive rating, deeper experience at every position group, and Prince Albert plays a heavy, structured game that typically slows down high-flying Western Conference teams. Anders Miller’s 8-0 / 1.55 GAA / .948 SV% playoff resume gets stress-tested by a team built to grind possessions and win in tight.

    Either matchup is a real series. Neither team is going to be intimidated by the Silvertips’ 12-1 playoff record.

    What Tips Fans Are Watching For Tonight

    1. **Special teams.** The Raiders’ power play has carried them in this series. If Prince Albert keeps converting, they take this series in six.

    2. **Goaltending.** This Eastern Final has been a goaltending-deciding series — the team with the better third-period save percentage has won three of the four games so far.

    3. **The East’s third-period play.** Whichever team holds a third-period lead has won every game in this series. So when the puck drops at the Art Hauser Centre tonight, watch the second-intermission scoreboard. If a team’s up after 40, they’re probably winning.

    What’s Confirmed for the WHL Final at Angel of the Winds Arena

    • **Game 1:** Friday, May 8 at Angel of the Winds Arena
    • **Game 2:** Saturday, May 9 at Angel of the Winds Arena
    • **Games 3-4:** At the Eastern team’s home rink (Prince Albert’s Art Hauser Centre or Medicine Hat’s Co-op Place)
    • **Games 5-7 (if necessary):** Alternate between Everett and the Eastern host

    Tickets for Games 1-2 of the Final are on sale through the Silvertips’ website and Ticketmaster. Demand has been heavy ever since the Penticton sweep — the Tips are 12-1 in the playoffs and back in the WHL Final for the first time in a generation.

    The Silvertips Squad That’s Waiting

    Quick refresher on the team that Game 5 winners will face:

    • **Anders Miller:** 8-0, 1.55 GAA, .948 SV%. The best playoff save percentage among WHL goalies with 9+ games played, ever.
    • **Landon DuPont:** Already at 13 playoff points despite being a defenseman. Shooting from the point with NHL-prospect confidence.
    • **Hayden Vanhanen:** Game-winner Game 4 vs. Penticton; 14 playoff points and the team’s leading scorer.
    • **Carter Bear:** 10 playoff goals, including a shorthanded shift-changer in Game 5 of the WCF.
    • **Rylan Gould:** Two power-play goals in Game 2 of the WCF, including the loose-puck 2OT winner.
    • **Anders Miller’s brother in arms — AJ Reyelts:** Has played sparingly but stepped up with a goalie clinic in OT1 of WCF Game 2.

    This is a team that has scored 51 goals and surrendered 12 across 13 playoff games. They are 8-0 at home in the postseason. They have not allowed more than 3 goals in any playoff game.

    The Eastern Conference winner has a problem — and tonight in Prince Albert, that problem will get a name.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Who plays in WHL Eastern Conference Final Game 5?

    The Prince Albert Raiders host the Medicine Hat Tigers at 7:00 p.m. CT on Friday, May 1, 2026 at the Art Hauser Centre. The series is tied 2-2.

    What’s the WHL Final schedule?

    Games 1 and 2 are at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett on Friday, May 8 and Saturday, May 9. The series then shifts to the Eastern team’s home rink for Games 3 and 4. The series alternates from there if it goes longer.

    Does Everett have home-ice advantage in the WHL Final?

    Yes. As the Scotty Munro Trophy winners (best regular-season record), the Silvertips host the higher-seeded series throughout the WHL playoffs.

    When are Silvertips Final tickets on sale?

    Tickets for Games 1 and 2 at Angel of the Winds Arena are available through silvertips.com and Ticketmaster.

    What’s Anders Miller’s playoff save percentage?

    .948 across eight games — the best playoff save percentage among WHL goaltenders with nine or more playoff games played, in league history.

    How did the Silvertips get to the WHL Final?

    By going 12-1 through the Western Conference playoffs: a 4-2 first-round win over Spokane, a 4-1 second-round win over Kelowna, and a 4-0 sweep of Penticton in the Western Conference Final. They finished the regular season 57-8-2-1 (117 points), the best record in the WHL.

    Who’s the favorite if it’s Everett vs. Prince Albert?

    Toss-up. The Silvertips have the better playoff record and home-ice advantage; the Raiders have the deeper roster and a heavier style of play that has given high-octane teams problems all year. Vegas would probably set Everett at -130 to -150 in that matchup.

    Who’s the favorite if it’s Everett vs. Medicine Hat?

    Slight edge to the Silvertips. Medicine Hat has elite goaltending and structure, but the Tigers have shown vulnerability in this series and don’t have the same depth advantage.

  • Bryce Miller’s Second AquaSox Rehab Start Is Wednesday May 6 at Funko Field — Likely His Last Stop Before Seattle

    Bryce Miller’s Second AquaSox Rehab Start Is Wednesday May 6 at Funko Field — Likely His Last Stop Before Seattle

    Bryce Miller Is Back at Funko Field on Wednesday, May 6 — His Second AquaSox Rehab Start Could Be His Last Stop Before Seattle

    The Mariners made it official on May 1: right-hander Bryce Miller will make his second rehab start with the Everett AquaSox on Wednesday, May 6, with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at Everett Memorial Stadium.

    This is the start a lot of Funko Field regulars have been waiting on. Miller’s first rehab outing in Everett — back on April 24 against the Spokane Indians — was the kind of outing where everyone in the ballpark left going yeah, he’s back. Three innings, six strikeouts (five swinging, one looking), one hit, one walk, no runs. He went through the first two frames clean and worked out of a jam in the third by punching out Fitzer on four pitches with the bases threatening. The radar gun showed 98+ mph. His pitches looked like Bryce Miller pitches again.

    So Wednesday is the next step on a rehab calendar that, if it stays clean, almost certainly ends with Miller back in the Mariners’ rotation by mid-May.

    Where Miller Is in the Rehab Timeline

    By the time he takes the mound May 6, Miller will be making his fourth rehab start of 2026. The breakdown so far, per Mariners EVP and GM Justin Hollander:

    • **Triple-A Tacoma — April 18.** 1.2 IP, 33 pitches, 4 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 2 K. Velocity was building, command wasn’t there yet.
    • **Triple-A Tacoma — second outing.** Not his sharpest, but progress.
    • **High-A Everett (AquaSox) — April 24.** 3 IP, 47 pitches (35 strikes), 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K. Best outing of the rehab.
    • **High-A Everett — May 6.** Wednesday. Likely 4-5 IP / 60-75 pitches if everything’s healthy.

    Across his three outings to date, Miller has put up 8.2 innings of 3.12 ERA work with 12 punchouts. The fastball has peaked north of 98 mph — an encouraging sign as he comes back from the oblique strain that landed him on the injured list in spring training.

    In MLB rehab math, you typically build a starter back to 75-80 pitches before you call him up. Miller threw 47 last time. A jump to ~70 on Wednesday would put him in striking distance of one more rehab start (or none) before he rejoins Seattle’s rotation.

    Why a Funko Field Rehab Start Matters for Everett

    Bryce Miller in Everett uniform isn’t just a rehab assignment — it’s a homecoming. Miller pitched for the AquaSox in 2022, going 3-3 with a 3.24 ERA across 16 games (15 starts), striking out 99 and walking just 25. He held opposing hitters to a .194 average that season before getting the bump to Double-A Arkansas. He went from Everett to the Mariners’ rotation in roughly 14 months.

    For the AquaSox crowd, that 2022 season is part of why this Wednesday matters. Funko Field saw the version of Miller that became a 12-game winner with a 2.94 ERA across 180.1 innings in his 2024 breakout campaign with Seattle. Now they get to see him on his way back, working live against High-A hitters with a 98-mph fastball that’s already been doing damage in his rehab outings.

    It’s also one of the rare nights at Funko Field where the AquaSox aren’t the only story — the Mariners are. People drive in from Seattle for these starts. Walk-up ticket lines get long. The AquaSox front office is straight up about it: “Walk-up quantities may be limited as seats are expected to sell fast.”

    Tickets and Logistics for Wednesday

    • **First pitch:** 7:05 p.m., Wednesday, May 6
    • **Where:** Everett Memorial Stadium (Funko Field), 3802 Broadway
    • **Gates:** Season ticket holders 5:30 p.m., main gates 6:00 p.m.
    • **Tickets:** Online at AquaSox.com or by calling the front office at 425-258-3673
    • **Bonus:** It’s also Silver Sluggers Night (the second of 2026), Baseball Bingo from Tulalip Bingo & Slots, and $5 Wednesday — bring a Mechanics Bank coupon for a $5 Upper Reserved ticket.

    The AquaSox front office strongly recommends advance purchase. Funko Field can pack out for these starts, and Wednesday lines up with the kind of walk-up demand that empties the upper deck early.

    What to Watch For on Wednesday

    Three things the eye should be on if you’re at the ballpark:

    1. **Pitch count.** A jump from 47 to 65-75 pitches signals the rehab is on schedule. Anything below 60 might mean the Mariners want one more start in Everett before promoting him.

    2. **Fastball velocity in the third and fourth innings.** Anyone can sit 98 in the first. The question is whether Miller can hold velocity into the back half of his outing — the moment that tells the Mariners’ staff he’s stretched out enough.

    3. **The slider.** Miller’s secondary stuff was the difference between rotation Bryce and post-injury Bryce in 2024. If he’s confidently throwing his slider for strikes Wednesday, this rehab is over fast.

    What Comes After

    If Wednesday goes the way April 24 did, Miller’s rehab clock is nearly out. Major League rehab assignments are limited (30 days max for pitchers), and he’d be activated either before that window expires or moved between affiliates. The most likely scenario, assuming health: one more rehab start at the AquaSox or Tacoma level, then back to Seattle.

    For the Mariners, that timing matters. Bryce Miller-as-rotation-piece is a top-half-of-the-rotation arm. He’s the guy who went 12-8 with a 2.94 ERA over 180.1 innings in 2024. Getting him back into the major league rotation by mid-to-late May is one of the better things that could happen for Seattle’s playoff math.

    For Everett, this is the kind of moment that fits the city’s baseball identity perfectly: the future of the Mariners works through Funko Field. Always has.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    When is Bryce Miller’s next rehab start with the AquaSox?

    Wednesday, May 6, 2026. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. at Everett Memorial Stadium against the Hillsboro Hops.

    How did his last AquaSox rehab outing go?

    Miller threw 3 scoreless innings against the Spokane Indians on April 24 — 47 pitches, 35 strikes, 1 hit, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts, fastball peaking over 98 mph. The AquaSox walked off Spokane 2-1 that night.

    How much will Miller pitch on Wednesday?

    The Mariners haven’t given a specific pitch count, but rehab starters typically increase by 15-25 pitches per outing. A jump from 47 to roughly 65-75 pitches would be normal.

    How can I get tickets to see Miller pitch?

    Tickets are available at AquaSox.com or by calling the team’s front office at 425-258-3673. The team is recommending advance purchase — walk-up tickets may be limited.

    Why is Miller on rehab assignment?

    He’s coming back from an oblique strain suffered during spring training. He started his rehab with two outings at Triple-A Tacoma before stepping down to Everett.

    What’s Miller’s career record with the Mariners?

    24-21 with a 4.01 ERA across 74 starts and three big-league seasons. His best year was 2024: 12-8, 2.94 ERA, 180.1 IP, 171 K, 45 BB.

    Did Bryce Miller play for the AquaSox before?

    Yes. He pitched in Everett in 2022, going 3-3 with a 3.24 ERA across 15 starts and racking up 99 strikeouts. He was promoted to Double-A Arkansas later that season and made his MLB debut in 2023.

  • Brandon Eike Cracks Fifth Homer of 2026 in 6-4 Loss to Tri-City — Frogs Still Lead Series 2-1

    Brandon Eike Cracks Fifth Homer of 2026 in 6-4 Loss to Tri-City — Frogs Still Lead Series 2-1

    Brandon Eike Cracked His Fifth Homer of 2026, but the AquaSox Couldn’t Climb Out: Tri-City Wins 6-4

    The Everett AquaSox saw their three-game road winning streak end Thursday night at Gesa Stadium, falling to the Tri-City Dust Devils 6-4 on April 30 in the third game of a six-game series in Pasco. Brandon Eike kept the Frogs in it with a fourth-inning, two-run shot — his fifth long ball of the season — but the Dust Devils answered immediately with a bases-clearing triple from Capri Ortiz, and Tri-City’s bullpen held the line the rest of the way.

    The result drops Everett to 2-1 on the road trip and to a series lead of 2-1 with three games still to play. The Frogs sit just under .500 overall and head into Friday night’s 6:30 p.m. first pitch knowing they let one slip — but also knowing they’ve still won two of three on Tri-City’s turf, which is no small thing given how the Dust Devils have hit at home this year.

    How the Game Got Away

    Tri-City jumped Everett early. In the bottom of the first, Matt Coutney doubled, Ryan Nicholson doubled behind him to put runners at the corners, and Randy De Jesus drove in the first run with a double of his own. In the second, the Dust Devils added another when Jorge Ruiz scored on a fielding error after Gage Harrelson singled. 2-0 Tri-City through two.

    Everett answered in the top of the fourth. Matthew Ellis worked a walk, and Eike crushed his fifth bomb of 2026 — a two-run shot that pushed his RBI total to 12 on the season and tied the game at 2-2. That tie lasted exactly half an inning. Tri-City strung together hits in the bottom half, and Capri Ortiz cleared the bases with a triple to make it 5-2.

    The teams traded runs in the sixth: Axel Sanchez hit a sacrifice fly to bring Felnin Celesten home for Everett, and Ortiz answered with another RBI single off a Caleb Bartolero two-out triple to make it 6-3. The Frogs cut it back to 6-4 in the seventh — Curtis Washington Jr. and Carter Dorighi knocked back-to-back one-out singles, and Carlos Jimenez drove Washington in on a groundout — but Tri-City’s pen worked around the rest of the threat.

    The Eike Watch Is Real

    Eike’s fifth homer of 2026 puts him on a quiet but serious early-season pace. The fan-voice take: this kid is starting to look like a name to remember.

    His long ball Thursday was the type that doesn’t show up in highlight clips on national feeds — solo-ball-ish-with-a-runner-on, in a road park, with the team trailing by two — but it’s the second time this homestand he’s put a charge into one when the Frogs needed it. He’s now homered in two of the last six games, his slugging line is among the better marks on the team in this still-young season, and he’s quietly become the AquaSox’s most dependable power threat behind Luis Suisbel, who lit up Tri-City for 5 RBIs on Tuesday.

    For Mariners fans tracking the High-A pipeline: Eike is a 2024 draftee out of Cal who was assigned to Everett to start 2026. He’s older for the level relative to international signees like Felnin Celesten, but he’s also showing he can do damage right now, and that matters in a system that’s been hungry for left-handed power.

    The Top of the Order Is Working

    Even in a loss, the AquaSox table-setters did their jobs. Felnin Celesten singled and scored in the sixth. Curtis Washington Jr. and Carter Dorighi put back-to-back hits together in the seventh to spark the late rally. Matthew Ellis worked the walk that set up Eike’s homer.

    That trio — Celesten, Washington Jr., and Dorighi — is doing exactly what you want from your young High-A guys: getting on, making contact, putting pressure on opposing infields. The Frogs are 3-for-3 in road series wins so far when those guys go a combined 5-for-something on the night, and the team’s third game of this Tri-City series broke that pattern only because Capri Ortiz hit a baseball harder than anyone the AquaSox put on the mound could survive.

    What Friday Looks Like

    The series continues Friday, May 1 at 6:30 p.m. at Gesa Stadium. Tri-City is celebrating Cinco de Mayo Weekend by playing as the Vineros de Tri-City — a copa designed to honor the migrant workers behind the region’s wine industry — Friday through Sunday.

    After Friday and Saturday’s road games, Everett returns to Funko Field for a six-game homestand against the Hillsboro Hops May 5-10. That homestand is loaded: Silver Sluggers Night, Star Wars Night with postgame fireworks, the Mother’s Day Pre-Game Picnic, and — biggest of all from a Mariners-fan standpoint — Bryce Miller’s second AquaSox rehab start on Wednesday, May 6.

    What This Game Tells Us

    Three takes from a team that’s still figuring out who it is six weeks in:

    1. **The bullpen had a rough night.** Tri-City got 6 runs on the way to its first win of the week. The Frogs need length from the rotation back home next week — fortunately, Bryce Miller is up Wednesday.

    2. **Eike is real.** Five homers in April is no fluke for a High-A bat, especially one slugging at this level on the road.

    3. **Two of three in Pasco is fine.** The road trip isn’t a disaster. Friday and Saturday are the games that decide whether this turns into a statement series or a split.

    The Frogs are still in good shape. They’re still winning more series than they’re losing. And they’ve got a homecoming homestand and a Mariners rehab start on the calendar. Everett baseball is in a good place — Thursday night just wasn’t a good night.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What was the final score of the AquaSox vs. Tri-City game on April 30, 2026?

    The Tri-City Dust Devils beat the Everett AquaSox 6-4 on Thursday night at Gesa Stadium in Pasco. It was the third game of a six-game series.

    Who hit the home run for the AquaSox?

    Brandon Eike hit a two-run home run in the top of the fourth inning — his fifth long ball of the 2026 season. The homer pushed his RBI total to 12 on the year.

    What’s the next AquaSox game?

    Friday, May 1 at 6:30 p.m. at Gesa Stadium against the Tri-City Dust Devils, who are playing as the Vineros de Tri-City for Cinco de Mayo weekend.

    When do the AquaSox come back home?

    Tuesday, May 5 at 7:05 p.m. at Funko Field for the start of a six-game homestand against the Hillsboro Hops, the Arizona Diamondbacks’ High-A affiliate.

    When is Bryce Miller’s next rehab start?

    Wednesday, May 6 at 7:05 p.m. at Funko Field against the Hillsboro Hops. It will be Miller’s fourth rehab start overall and his second with Everett.

    What’s the AquaSox record so far in 2026?

    The AquaSox are 2-1 on the current Tri-City road trip and just under .500 overall heading into the back half of the series.

  • Military Spouse Appreciation Day Is May 8 — Here Are Four Resources Every NAVSTA Everett Spouse Should Use Year-Round

    Military Spouse Appreciation Day Is May 8 — Here Are Four Resources Every NAVSTA Everett Spouse Should Use Year-Round

    Quick answer: Military Spouse Appreciation Day is Friday, May 8, 2026. For Navy spouses connected to Naval Station Everett, the day is a useful prompt to act on four federally funded benefits that work year-round but are underused locally: the Fleet & Family Support Center (425-304-3735) for free career counseling and resume help; the MyCAA scholarship for up to $4,000 toward a license, certificate, or associate degree; the Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP) job board with 360-plus partner employers, including the federal government, Boeing, and Amazon hiring across Snohomish County; and the COMPASS spouse-to-spouse mentoring program at Everett. None of these require a deployment, a permanent change of station, or a special date — they require five minutes to start an account.

    Military Spouse Appreciation Day Is May 8 — Here Are Four Resources Every NAVSTA Everett Spouse Should Use Year-Round

    Friday, May 8, 2026 is Military Spouse Appreciation Day, an annual recognition observed on the Friday before Mother’s Day. It was first proclaimed by President Reagan in 1984 and has been marked by every administration since.

    At Naval Station Everett, where roughly 6,000 sailors and several thousand more family members are tied to one of the Navy’s smaller West Coast installations, the day usually shows up as a thank-you post on a base Facebook page, a discount at an off-base coffee shop, and a yellow ribbon or two on the marquee. That is fine. It is also not very useful.

    The more useful version of the day is a once-a-year nudge to actually open the federally funded programs that already exist for the spouse of an active-duty sailor — programs that work in May, in October, during deployment, between PCS moves, and the week the orders finally come through.

    Here are four of them, all available to NAVSTA Everett spouses right now, with the local phone numbers and the federal program portals attached.

    1. The Fleet & Family Support Center: 425-304-3735

    The Fleet & Family Support Center (FFSC) at Naval Station Everett is the local arm of the Navy’s Fleet and Family Readiness program. It exists to handle the parts of military life that the chain of command does not — career counseling, marriage and family counseling, financial counseling, deployment support, relocation assistance, and a Transition Assistance Program for sailors and their spouses.

    The phone number for the Centralized Scheduling Center is 425-304-3735. The email is ffsp.cnrnw@navy.mil. Both are listed publicly on the NAVSTA Everett Fleet & Family page.

    For spouses, the most-used FFSC services are:

    • Career counseling and resume review — free, one-on-one, with counselors trained on military spouse résumé issues like employment gaps from PCS moves and out-of-state license portability.
    • Spouse Employment Readiness Program (SERP) — workshops on federal hiring (USAJOBS, the Military Spouse Preference for federal positions), private-sector job search, and interview prep.
    • Financial counseling — including budgeting for a single-income household during deployment, debt management, and the Survivor Benefit Plan.
    • Relocation assistance — practical help with the next PCS, including the Smooth Move workshop and area orientation for incoming spouses.

    For a deeper look at what FFSC actually does for Navy spouses in Everett, our prior coverage at How NAVSTA Everett’s Fleet & Family Support Center Helps Navy Spouses Find Jobs walks through the spouse employment side in detail.

    2. MyCAA: Up to $4,000 in Education Funding

    The My Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) scholarship is a Department of Defense workforce-development program that provides up to $4,000 in education funding to eligible military spouses pursuing licenses, certificates, certifications, or associate degrees in portable career fields. The annual fiscal-year cap is $2,000, with a waiver available if upfront costs run higher.

    Eligibility is set by the spouse’s sponsor’s pay grade. Per the official MyCAA portal at Military OneSource, MyCAA is open to spouses of active-duty service members in pay grades E-1 to E-5, W-1 to W-2, and O-1 to O-2, plus spouses of National Guard and Reserve members on Title 10 orders in those same grades. The spouse must be able to start and complete coursework while the sponsor is on active duty.

    Practical use at Everett: many of the most common spouse career fields — medical assisting, paralegal certification, real estate licensing, IT certifications, early childhood education, dental hygiene — are MyCAA-eligible at Everett Community College, Edmonds College, and several Washington-state online programs. The MyCAA portal is where the Education and Training Plan is filed, and financial assistance can be requested within 30 days of a course start date.

    If the spouse is above the eligible pay grade band, MyCAA’s parent program — the Spouse Education and Career Opportunities (SECO) initiative on MySECO — still offers free career coaching, six-pillar career planning, and education counseling at no cost regardless of grade.

    3. MSEP: 360+ Partner Employers and Real Snohomish County Hiring

    The Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP) is the Department of Defense’s flagship employer-side program. Per the MSEP overview at Military OneSource, the partnership currently includes more than 360 partner employers who have collectively hired more than 100,000 military spouses since the program began. Partners commit to recruit, hire, promote, and retain military spouses — and post jobs to a dedicated, military-spouse-only job portal.

    The portal is at msepjobs.militaryonesource.mil. Spouses register once, then filter by location, industry, and remote vs. on-site.

    For NAVSTA Everett spouses, the relevant MSEP partner cluster in commuting distance includes major federal agencies (the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense civilian workforce, the U.S. Postal Service), large private employers with a Snohomish County footprint (Boeing, Amazon, Costco, Microsoft), national chains hiring locally (Starbucks, Home Depot, Lowe’s, USAA), and healthcare systems serving the region (Providence, Kaiser Permanente). The job board also surfaces remote-friendly employers, which matters for a spouse community where the next PCS is rarely more than three years out.

    One useful pairing: a NAVSTA Everett spouse can use FFSC career counseling (free, in person at 425-304-3735) to refine a federal résumé, then apply through MSEP partner federal agencies using Military Spouse Preference for non-competitive eligibility on certain federal positions. That combination — local human help plus federal hiring preference — is the part most spouses do not know exists until they ask.

    4. COMPASS: Spouse-to-Spouse Mentoring at Everett

    The first three resources are about money, jobs, and counseling appointments. COMPASS is about something different: it is a spouse-to-spouse mentoring program run by Navy spouses, for Navy spouses, with a chapter at NAVSTA Everett.

    COMPASS is a free, three-session program that pairs experienced Navy spouses (mentors) with newer Navy spouses to walk through what the lifestyle actually looks like — pay and benefits, the chain of command, deployments, healthcare, education benefits, and the social side of a duty station. The Everett chapter information lives at gocompass.org/everett.htm, which is the canonical landing page for sign-ups and upcoming session dates.

    Why it matters for Military Spouse Appreciation Day specifically: most of the federal benefits in this article take some persistence to actually use. Knowing they exist is one thing. Knowing how a spouse three years ahead of you actually used them — which counselor at FFSC was helpful, which course at EvCC actually got the certification through, which MSEP partner returns calls — is a different kind of knowledge. COMPASS is where that knowledge moves person to person.

    What Off-Base Everett Can Do on May 8

    For neighbors and businesses in Everett who want to mark Military Spouse Appreciation Day in a way that is useful and not performative, three small things work better than a yellow ribbon:

    • If you employ in Snohomish County and you are not yet an MSEP partner, look at the program. Application is at msepjobs.militaryonesource.mil. The marker on a job posting that an employer is military-spouse-friendly does real work in a community where roughly one in ten households has a military connection.
    • If you run a small business, post your hours and any May 8 spouse acknowledgment in plain language on your Google Business Profile. Spouses planning out the day actually use Google to find the businesses that show up.
    • If you are a neighbor, the most useful thing you can do is share this article (or any of the resource links above) with the Navy spouse you know. A specific phone number and a working URL beats a thank-you every time.

    For the broader picture of how Everett shows up for military families this season, see also our prior pieces on Month of the Military Child at NAVSTA Everett, SAPR resources for Navy families, and the 2026 PCS housing guide for Navy families choosing an Everett-area neighborhood.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    When is Military Spouse Appreciation Day in 2026?

    Friday, May 8, 2026. Military Spouse Appreciation Day is always observed on the Friday before Mother’s Day, a recognition first proclaimed by President Reagan in 1984.

    What is the phone number for the Fleet & Family Support Center at NAVSTA Everett?

    The FFSC Centralized Scheduling Center is reachable at 425-304-3735 or by email at ffsp.cnrnw@navy.mil. Services include career counseling, financial counseling, marriage and family counseling, relocation assistance, and deployment support, all free to active-duty sailors, their spouses, and immediate family members.

    How much money does the MyCAA scholarship actually provide?

    Up to $4,000 in total education benefits, with an annual fiscal-year cap of $2,000. A waiver to the annual cap is available if upfront costs exceed $2,000, up to the lifetime $4,000 limit. Funding goes toward licenses, certificates, certifications, or associate degrees in portable career fields.

    Who is eligible for MyCAA?

    Spouses of active-duty service members in pay grades E-1 through E-5, W-1 through W-2, and O-1 through O-2, plus spouses of National Guard and Reserve members on Title 10 orders in the same grade bands. The spouse must be able to start and complete coursework while the sponsor is on active duty.

    What is MSEP and how is it different from a regular job board?

    The Military Spouse Employment Partnership is a Department of Defense partnership with more than 360 employers who have committed to recruit, hire, promote, and retain military spouses. The MSEP job portal is military-spouse-only and surfaces only positions from those committed partner employers, which include major federal agencies, Boeing, Amazon, Costco, Microsoft, USAA, Starbucks, Home Depot, Providence, and Kaiser Permanente, among hundreds of others.

    What is COMPASS and how do I sign up at NAVSTA Everett?

    COMPASS is a free, peer-led mentoring program run by Navy spouses for Navy spouses. The Everett chapter sign-up and session calendar are at gocompass.org/everett.htm. The program runs as a three-session series and is most often used by spouses new to Navy life or new to a duty station.

    If I am married to a service member above the MyCAA pay-grade cutoff, are there still resources for me?

    Yes. The MyCAA scholarship has a pay-grade ceiling, but the broader Spouse Education and Career Opportunities (SECO) program does not. SECO offers free career coaching, six-pillar career planning, education counseling, and access to the MSEP job portal regardless of the sponsor’s pay grade. SECO is reachable at 800-342-9647 and at myseco.militaryonesource.mil.

    Can dependents who are not spouses use these programs?

    MyCAA and MSEP are spouse-specific programs. Other dependents have their own benefits, including TRICARE, the Post-9/11 GI Bill transferability (if the sponsor has elected to transfer benefits), and DoD-funded programs for military children that the Fleet & Family Support Center can help navigate.

  • Sabai Jai Thai Cuisine: The Best Thai Restaurant on Hewitt Avenue Is Hiding in Plain Sight

    Sabai Jai Thai Cuisine: The Best Thai Restaurant on Hewitt Avenue Is Hiding in Plain Sight

    Sabai Jai Thai Cuisine has been at 1707 Hewitt Ave since April 2022, and it is quietly one of the best Thai restaurants in Snohomish County. The name means “comfortable heart” in Thai, and the concept follows through: a family-owned kitchen, authentic regional recipes, and a dining room on the Hewitt walking street with a little patio out front. It’s the kind of place that rewards the people who actually pay attention to Everett’s food scene instead of defaulting to the chains out on Broadway.

    We’ve covered a lot of Hewitt Avenue over the past few months — Heritage African Restaurant, Luca Italian, The New Mexicans, Vintage Cafe, Obsidian Beer Hall. But this is the first time we’re giving Sabai Jai Thai the full treatment it deserves. Here’s the guide.

    The Kitchen: Bangkok Street Food Meets Thai Regional Cooking

    Sabai Jai Thai is owned by a couple with more than a decade in the Thai food industry. They built the menu around two ideas: dishes from specific Thai regions, and Bangkok street food — both treated as the real thing, not approximations for Western tastes.

    The seasonal menu rotates based on ingredient availability and keeps things interesting for regulars. The kitchen also uses house organic beverages and homemade desserts from a family recipe — the kind of touches that separate a restaurant that’s going through the motions from one that’s genuinely trying to do the food justice.

    What to Order

    Pineapple Fried Rice — one of the most-ordered dishes here. Made properly, with actual pineapple, cashews, egg, and protein in a wok, it’s a completely different thing than the stir-fried slop that passes for fried rice at most Thai-adjacent spots. Sabai Jai does it right.

    Avocado Curry — this is a standout. Not a traditional Thai curry you’d find everywhere, but a house development that works: the richness of avocado against a curry base is a combination that earns its place on the menu. Order it.

    Mushroom Pop — listed as an appetizer, and it functions as one, but don’t let it be an afterthought. The crispy mushroom preparation is one of those dishes that turns mushroom skeptics into believers.

    Gang Kha (Galangal Coconut Curry) — the traditional Thai coconut milk curry with galangal (a relative of ginger), lemongrass, and kaffir lime leaves. This is one of the dishes that tells you whether a kitchen understands Thai flavor architecture. Here, they do.

    Crab Fried Rice — for the protein upgrade. Real crab meat, seasoned properly, in fried rice that doesn’t resort to soy sauce overload as a crutch.

    Vegan, Vegetarian, and Gluten-Free

    This is one of the strongest aspects of Sabai Jai Thai’s menu: nearly every dish can be ordered vegan or vegetarian, with the protein either omitted or replaced. The kitchen doesn’t treat plant-based orders as an afterthought — the dishes are built so the vegetables and aromatics carry the flavor even without meat. Gluten-free diners are accommodated as well. If you’ve been burned before by Thai restaurants that claim “easily modified” and then deliver something disappointing, give Sabai Jai a real chance.

    The Space: Hewitt Walking Street Patio

    The restaurant is at 1707 Hewitt Ave, inside the Hewitt walking street corridor — the 4-block stretch of downtown Everett that has been quietly building into a legitimate dining destination over the past few years. Sabai Jai has indoor seating for a proper sit-down dinner and a small patio out front for good-weather evenings.

    The atmosphere is warm and cozy — not fancy, but considered. Tables with good lighting, a space that feels lived-in rather than branded. It’s a neighborhood restaurant in the best sense of the term. Parking: street parking on Hewitt or the nearby city lots on Hoyt or Norton.

    Hours

    Monday through Thursday: 11:00 AM – 9:30 PM
    Friday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
    Saturday – Sunday: 12:00 PM – 10:00 PM

    Phone: (425) 259-6365. Online ordering available through DoorDash and their own site at sabaijaithaieverett.com.

    Awards and Recognition

    Sabai Jai Thai earned Restaurant Guru recognition as one of the top Thai restaurants in Everett and Marysville in both 2024 and 2025. That’s a third-party signal, not just local boosterism — the food earns it. With 164 Yelp reviews (updated April 2026) and a consistent rating, this isn’t a hidden gem in the way of something no one knows about. But it’s underrated relative to how good it actually is, and it’s never had a full guide written about it. Now it does.

    The Hewitt Corridor Context

    Sabai Jai Thai is one of the anchors of the Hewitt food corridor — the stretch we’ve been documenting that now includes a Gambian-Senegalese kitchen at Heritage African, real Florentine Italian at Luca, Hatch green chile and posole at The New Mexicans, 50-year diner anchor Vintage Cafe, and a curated PNW beer hall at Obsidian. Authentic Thai from a family kitchen belongs on that list. Walk the street, eat well, end at Obsidian for a beer.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Where is Sabai Jai Thai in Everett?

    1707 Hewitt Ave, Everett, WA 98201 — on the Hewitt walking street in downtown Everett. Hours: Mon–Thu 11 AM–9:30 PM, Fri 11 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun 12–10 PM.

    Is Sabai Jai Thai vegan-friendly?

    Yes — almost every dish on the menu can be ordered vegan or vegetarian with simple modifications. The kitchen accommodates plant-based orders without the food suffering for it.

    What are the best dishes at Sabai Jai Thai?

    Pineapple Fried Rice, Avocado Curry, Mushroom Pop appetizer, Gang Kha (galangal coconut curry), and Crab Fried Rice are standouts. The seasonal menu rotates, so ask the server what’s current.

    How long has Sabai Jai Thai been open?

    Since April 2022. The owners have over 10 years of Thai food industry experience. Restaurant Guru named it one of the top Thai restaurants in Everett and Marysville in 2024 and 2025.

    Can I order Sabai Jai Thai online?

    Yes — through DoorDash delivery or their own online ordering at sabaijaithaieverett.com.

    Is there parking near Sabai Jai Thai on Hewitt?

    Street parking on Hewitt Ave and in nearby city parking lots on Hoyt or Norton Ave. The Hewitt walking street area is walkable from downtown parking structures.

    Is Sabai Jai Thai authentic Thai food?

    Yes — the owners draw on Thai regional recipes and Bangkok street food traditions, using organic house beverages and homemade desserts from family recipes. It’s not a generic Americanized Thai menu.

  • Das Bratmobile: Everett’s German Food Truck Is Making Uli’s Brats and Schnitzel From Scratch — And Most People Don’t Know It Exists

    Das Bratmobile: Everett’s German Food Truck Is Making Uli’s Brats and Schnitzel From Scratch — And Most People Don’t Know It Exists

    Das Bratmobile has been feeding Everett the real thing for years, and most of the city still hasn’t found it. A German food truck run by a brother and sister from Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany, Das Bratmobile is the kind of operation that food-obsessed locals discover and immediately tell everyone they know. It’s authentic, it’s handcrafted, and it shows up at the Beverly Food Truck Park with the kind of menu that makes you realize how many years you’ve been settling for inferior sausages.

    If you haven’t been, here’s everything you need to know.

    Who’s Behind the Truck

    Ferdi and Uschi moved to the United States from Pirmasens, a town in Rheinland-Pfalz in western Germany, in the early 1990s. They built Das Bratmobile themselves — not because it was the trendy thing to do, but because buying a pre-built food service trailer was too expensive and building their own was the only realistic path. That’s the origin story of a truck built with genuine stakes, not a lifestyle pivot. When you taste the food, that history makes sense. This isn’t a German-themed food truck. It’s a truck run by Germans cooking the food they grew up eating.

    The Menu: Uli’s Sausages, Schnitzel, and Frikadelle

    Das Bratmobile sources its sausages from Uli’s Famous Sausage, the Seattle institution that has been making old-world European sausages since 1982. If you know Uli’s, you know what that means: these aren’t grocery-store brats. These are serious sausages made with care from a supplier that takes the craft seriously. The lineup includes smoked, jalapeño cheddar, currywurst, and polish — mild to spicy, with something for every heat tolerance.

    The Jaegerschnitzel is a bestseller — a German classic done right: breaded and fried pork cutlet with mushroom gravy. When it’s made well, schnitzel is one of the most satisfying foods in existence. Ferdi and Uschi make it well.

    Then there’s the Frikadelle — a homemade German burger. Not an American burger with a German twist. A proper German pan-fried meatball patty, seasoned the way it should be, served with German-style potato salad. If you’ve only ever had American versions of this concept, the real thing will recalibrate your expectations.

    German-style potato salad rounds out the sides — vinegar-based, not the mayo-loaded American picnic version. It’s the right call alongside sausages.

    Where to Find Das Bratmobile

    Das Bratmobile rotates through several Everett-area spots. Your most reliable bet:

    Beverly Food Truck Park — 6731 Beverly Blvd, Everett. The park runs Monday through Saturday, 4–7 PM with a rotating lineup of 2–4 trucks. Das Bratmobile is one of the regulars here, alongside other standouts we’ve covered. Check StreetFoodFinder before you go to confirm they’re on the schedule that day.

    They’ve also appeared at Scuttlebutt Brewing’s Cedar Street taproom, the Everett Food Truck Festival, and at various events around Snohomish County. Scuttlebutt + Das Bratmobile is one of those pairings that doesn’t need a lot of explaining — a cold craft beer and a proper Uli’s brat is a complete evening.

    What to Order

    First visit: Get the Jaegerschnitzel. It’s the benchmark — if they can do schnitzel right, they can do everything right. Spoiler: they can. Add a brat on the side and get the potato salad. This is a two-hands meal.

    Second visit: Try the Frikadelle. It’s different from what you expect a “burger” to be, and that difference is entirely the point.

    For heat seekers: the jalapeño cheddar brat from Uli’s brings real spice without gimmick. Most vegetarian and vegan customers will find options with the potato salad and some of the sides — but this is fundamentally a meat-forward menu.

    Price Range and Parking

    Food truck pricing — typically $10–$16 per item. Cash and cards accepted. The Beverly Food Truck Park has surface parking on-site, free. When Das Bratmobile is at Scuttlebutt, street parking on Cedar Street or the nearby lots applies.

    Why This Truck Matters

    Everett’s food truck scene has real range: Uzbek street food at Tabassum, Indian chaat at The Food Atlas, Mexican-Cuban fusion at Mexicuban, Central Asian flavors at Beverly Food Truck Park regulars. Das Bratmobile adds German to that list — and it’s not a novelty version of German food. It’s the real thing, from people who know exactly what the real thing tastes like because they grew up eating it.

    We’ve covered food trucks in Everett before, and one pattern holds: the trucks worth returning to are the ones where the operators have a personal stake in the food being right. Das Bratmobile is exactly that. Ferdi and Uschi built this truck with their own hands. The food shows it.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Where is Das Bratmobile food truck in Everett?

    Das Bratmobile regularly appears at Beverly Food Truck Park (6731 Beverly Blvd, Mon–Sat 4–7 PM), Scuttlebutt Brewing taproom, and various Snohomish County events. Check StreetFoodFinder at streetfoodfinder.com/DasBratmobile for the current schedule.

    What sausages does Das Bratmobile use?

    They source from Uli’s Famous Sausage in Seattle — one of the best European-style sausage makers in the Pacific Northwest. Varieties include smoked, jalapeño cheddar, currywurst, and polish.

    What is Frikadelle?

    Frikadelle is a traditional German pan-fried meatball patty — similar to a burger but seasoned and prepared in the German style. Das Bratmobile makes it homemade.

    Is Das Bratmobile vegetarian-friendly?

    This is primarily a meat-focused menu (sausages, schnitzel, meatball patties). The German potato salad and some sides are vegetarian. Not the best choice for fully plant-based eaters.

    Who owns Das Bratmobile?

    Brother and sister Ferdi and Uschi, who immigrated from Pirmasens, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany in the early 1990s and built the trailer themselves.

    What’s the best thing to order at Das Bratmobile?

    Start with the Jaegerschnitzel — breaded pork cutlet with mushroom gravy. It’s their benchmark dish and consistently excellent. Add a brat and German potato salad to round out the meal.

  • Marina Azul Cocina & Cantina Is Open on the Everett Waterfront — And It Was Worth the Wait

    Marina Azul Cocina & Cantina Is Open on the Everett Waterfront — And It Was Worth the Wait

    Marina Azul Cocina & Cantina is open. After months of anticipation — we covered the signed lease back in September 2025 and the coming-soon preview in April — the restaurant from the family behind Cava Azul in Woodinville and Agave Cocina in Redmond and Kent has officially landed at the Port of Everett’s Waterfront Place. If you’ve been watching that new Restaurant Row building go up on Seiner Drive and wondering when you’d finally get a margarita with a marina view, the answer is now.

    We stopped by to see what the Eastside team brought to Everett’s waterfront, and the short version is: this is a serious restaurant. Not a tourist trap, not a chain spin-off. Marina Azul is the real thing.

    Where It Is and How to Get There

    Marina Azul Cocina & Cantina sits at 1500 Seiner Drive, Suite 102, inside the new Restaurant Row building at Fisherman’s Harbor, Port of Everett Waterfront Place. That puts it right next door to The Net Shed, steps from the marina esplanade, and inside the same development as Tapped Public House and South Fork Baking Co. Parking is in the Port’s main Waterfront Place lot — it’s free and plentiful. If you’re arriving by boat, the marina docks are right there.

    The Food: Elevated Mexican Done Right

    Marina Azul is not your average chips-and-queso operation. The team behind the Woodinville and Redmond locations built a reputation on elevated traditional Mexican — fresh tacos, meticulous sauces, and a kitchen that actually respects what Mexican cuisine can be. The Everett menu follows suit: fresh tacos in multiple styles, specialty items that change seasonally, and an approach to ingredients that puts flavor first rather than defaulting to the same four proteins everyone else uses.

    The menu accommodates vegetarians, vegans, and gluten-free diners — a detail that matters in 2026 when half your dining party has a dietary note. That said, don’t let the plant-friendly options fool you into thinking this is health food dressed up as a night out. The kitchen’s strength is in the preparation: salsas made from actual chiles, sauces that taste like they took time, tortillas that have texture. Come hungry.

    The Tequila Program: 100+ Bottles

    Here’s the part worth calling out explicitly: Marina Azul carries more than 100 tequilas. Not a shelf of well tequila with a few premium bottles for show — a genuine sipping tequila program curated by people who care. Blanco, reposado, añejo, extra añejo — it’s all represented. If you’re a mezcal person, they have that covered too.

    The specialty margaritas are the entry point for most tables, and they’re built from the same philosophy as the food: actual fresh ingredients, good base spirits, no neon-green mix. The craft cocktail list extends beyond margaritas into curated agave-forward options. This is a bar worth lingering at.

    The Space: Waterfront Views, Year-Round Patio

    The interior seats a proper dining room with views out toward the marina. But the covered patio is the move — Marina Azul designed it specifically for Pacific Northwest year-round use, which means it works in May when the sun is out and in November when it’s not. A heated, covered patio with marina views and a margarita in hand is a specific kind of good that Everett hasn’t had until now.

    The space is about 2,500 square feet inside plus the patio, which means it can handle a full dinner crowd without feeling cramped. Reservations are strongly recommended for weekends — this is going to be a destination restaurant for the whole county, not just a neighborhood spot.

    Who’s Running It

    The Everett location is managed by Alejandro and Esteban Ramos — nephew and son of the founding family behind the Eastside locations. This isn’t an absentee franchise situation. It’s a family operation that understands the Eastside concept and is extending it with the intention of doing it well in a new market. The family has been in the elevated Mexican dining space in the Seattle region long enough to know what separates a restaurant that becomes a fixture from one that opens and quietly fades. The Everett location has the backing to be the former.

    Hours

    Monday through Thursday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
    Friday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
    Saturday: 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM
    Sunday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM

    Weekend brunch service starts at 10 AM — which puts Marina Azul on the short list of actual waterfront brunch options in Everett. That list was previously very short. Note that they’re running a Mother’s Day special (May 11) — if you haven’t booked yet, call soon: (425) 241-9023.

    The Verdict

    The Port of Everett’s Restaurant Row has been building toward something for years, and Marina Azul feels like the piece that completes the picture. You’ve now got fresh fish at The Net Shed, craft beer and brunch at Tapped, pastries and espresso at South Fork Baking Co., and now elevated Mexican with a serious tequila program at Marina Azul — all within a five-minute walk of each other on the marina esplanade.

    We’ve been waiting for Everett’s waterfront dining scene to have a proper night-out Mexican restaurant. The wait is over. Go get a margarita and watch the boats.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Is Marina Azul Cocina & Cantina open in Everett?

    Yes. Marina Azul Cocina & Cantina is now open at 1500 Seiner Drive, Suite 102, Port of Everett Waterfront Place. Hours are Monday–Thursday 11 AM–9 PM, Friday 11 AM–10 PM, Saturday–Sunday 10 AM–9/10 PM.

    What kind of food does Marina Azul serve?

    Elevated traditional Mexican cuisine — fresh tacos, specialty margaritas, curated cocktails, and more. The menu includes vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options.

    How many tequilas does Marina Azul carry?

    More than 100. It’s one of the most extensive tequila programs in Snohomish County.

    Is there outdoor seating?

    Yes — a covered, heated patio along the marina esplanade designed for year-round use.

    Who owns Marina Azul Everett?

    The same family behind Cava Azul Cocina & Cantina in Woodinville and Agave Cocina & Cantina in Redmond and Kent. The Everett location is managed by Alejandro and Esteban Ramos. Public relations contact: Deba Wegner at Recipe for Success, Inc.

    Is Marina Azul good for a date night or special occasion?

    Yes — waterfront views, serious cocktails, and a menu that’s actually trying. Reserve a table for weekends.

    Is there parking at Marina Azul?

    Yes, free parking in the Port of Everett Waterfront Place main lot off Seine Drive. Accessible by boat as well via the marina docks.

  • For Boeing and Paine Field Workers: What Everett’s 51.8% Housing Inventory Jump Means for Your 2026 Buy-or-Rent Decision

    For Boeing and Paine Field Workers: What Everett’s 51.8% Housing Inventory Jump Means for Your 2026 Buy-or-Rent Decision

    For Boeing and Paine Field workers: Snohomish County’s housing inventory jumped 51.8% year-over-year in March 2026. For workers starting, transferring to, or continuing on the Everett 737 North Line or Paine Field campus, this is the best buying and renting window in three years — more options, less frenzy, and two new studio apartment projects opening in south Everett before year-end. Here is how to read the market from where you sit.

    What the 51.8% Inventory Jump Means for Aerospace Workers

    For workers who arrived in Everett in 2022–2024 and watched every rental unit disappear and every home sale go to a cash buyer with no contingencies, the March 2026 data represents a meaningful shift. Snohomish County now has approximately 2.8 months of housing supply — still a seller’s market, but far more navigable than the sub-1.5-month environment that was the norm during peak frenzy.

    What this means practically: you can take an extra day before making an offer. You can write an inspection contingency without automatically losing. You have more than three listings to choose from in any given price bracket. For new hires relocating from outside the Puget Sound area — workers coming in for the 737 MAX 10 North Line ramp, which opens midsummer 2026 with over 1,200 airline orders — this is the entry window. You are not walking into the 2022 market.

    Where Aerospace Workers Are Actually Buying and Renting

    Paine Field sits in south Everett / north Mukilteo, which means the commute catchment for North Line workers spans Silver Lake, Cascade View, south Everett neighborhoods along Highway 99, Mukilteo proper, and the I-5 corridor communities. In order of proximity to the Paine Field gate area:

    Silver Lake (98204): Closest residential zone to Paine Field with Highway 99 access. The former Econo Lodge at 9602 19th Street SE is being converted to 124 studio apartments by Sage Investment Group, with Phase 1 leasing opening August 2026. Market-rate, no income restrictions — the first new dedicated workforce rental product to hit south Everett’s 98204 zip code in several years.

    Cascade View (98204): Stable mid-century neighborhood directly south of Paine Field. Quieter than Casino Road, lower price points than north Mukilteo. Strong for first-time buyers looking in the $550,000–$700,000 range where the inventory increase has been most pronounced.

    Mukilteo: Premium location with waterfront access and ferry connection. Prices run higher (typically $750,000+), but commute to Paine Field is 5–10 minutes. For workers with dual incomes or buying rather than renting, Mukilteo remains competitive relative to comparable Seattle neighborhoods.

    North Mukilteo / Harbour Pointe: New construction and attached housing available. Longer-term upside tied to the Paine Field passenger terminal and the Everett Link Extension SW Everett Industrial Center station.

    Buying vs. Renting in 2026 for North Line Workers

    At 6.38% mortgage rates and a $738,000 county median, a conventional 20%-down purchase requires a $147,600 down payment and produces a principal-and-interest payment of approximately $3,850/month before taxes and insurance. For a single income in the $85,000–$100,000 range typical of experienced 737 North Line assembly workers, that payment is within range but not comfortable without a second income or a lower price point.

    The 51.8% inventory jump creates opportunity in the $500,000–$650,000 range — attached homes, condos, and smaller single-family properties in south Everett and Mukilteo where the supply increase has been sharpest. Workers willing to buy below the county median can find payments more manageable, and the employment-anchor demand from Boeing, NAVSTA, and healthcare employers provides some floor under Snohomish County prices even in a rising-rate environment.

    For workers newer to the North Line or not yet sure about long-term Everett plans, the rental option is cleaner in 2026 than it has been since 2021. The Sage Silver Lake studio project, existing Community Transit-accessible apartments along Casino Road, and the general inventory increase in the rental market all point to a more renter-friendly environment than workers faced during the post-COVID frenzy years.

    The Light Rail Variable

    The Sound Transit board votes June 30 on the revised ST3 System Plan. The SW Everett Industrial Center station — explicitly designed to serve the Paine Field employment cluster — is in the corridor covered even by a truncated extension scenario. For North Line workers buying near Paine Field with a 10-year hold horizon, the light rail calculus is favorable regardless of how the truncation debate resolves. The SW Everett Industrial Center station is not in dispute the way the downtown Everett Station terminus is.

    Frequently Asked Questions for Boeing and Paine Field Workers

    What neighborhoods are closest to Paine Field for Boeing workers in Everett?

    Silver Lake (98204), Cascade View (98204), Mukilteo, and north Mukilteo / Harbour Pointe are the closest residential zones to the Paine Field gate area. Silver Lake and Cascade View offer the most affordable price points. Mukilteo carries a premium for waterfront access and ferry convenience.

    Is the Everett housing market better for Boeing workers in 2026 than 2024?

    Yes. Active inventory is up 51.8% year-over-year with 2.8 months of supply — more options and less bidding-war pressure than 2022–2024. The median is still $738,000 and rates are 6.38%, but the frenzied market that forced workers to waive all contingencies has eased meaningfully.

    Are there any new rental apartments opening near Paine Field in 2026?

    Yes. Sage Investment Group is converting the former Econo Lodge at 9602 19th Street SE in Silver Lake into 124 studio apartments. Phase 1 leasing opens August 2026. Market-rate, no income restrictions, in the south Everett 98204 zip code approximately 15–20 minutes from the Paine Field gate.

    Will there be light rail to Paine Field?

    The Sound Transit Everett Link Extension includes a SW Everett Industrial Center station serving the Paine Field cluster. The June 30, 2026 ST board vote will confirm the timeline. The SW Everett Industrial Center station is less at risk in truncation scenarios than the downtown Everett Station terminus.

    What is a realistic home price for a Boeing worker buying near Paine Field?

    The county median is $738,000 but south Everett and attached housing in the 98204 zip code offers entry points in the $500,000–$650,000 range where the inventory jump has been most pronounced. At 6.38% rates, a $550,000 purchase with 20% down produces P&I of approximately $2,890/month.

    Related: Complete 2026 Housing Market Guide | Boeing North Line Workers Housing Guide | Sage Silver Lake Apartments