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Tag: Local History

  • Boys & Girls Club of Snohomish County: The Complete 2026 Guide to the Everett Club’s 80-Year Legacy, Programs, and How to Enroll Your Kids

    Boys & Girls Club of Snohomish County: The Complete 2026 Guide to the Everett Club’s 80-Year Legacy, Programs, and How to Enroll Your Kids

    Q: What does the Boys & Girls Club of Snohomish County offer in Everett in 2026?
    A: The Boys & Girls Club of Snohomish County operates 27 clubs across the county, with two serving Everett: the main Everett Club (at its current location since 1965) and the South Everett/Mukilteo Club. The Everett Club serves nearly 1,000 members ages 5–18 annually with before and after-school care, summer camp, STEM programming, fine arts, sports leagues, teen programs, and the Power Hour homework help program. In 2026, the organization is celebrating its 80th anniversary — the Everett Club was the first one opened, in 1946.

    Everett’s Boys & Girls Club Turns 80 in 2026

    When someone opened the first Boys & Girls Club in Snohomish County in 1946, they opened it in Everett. Boeing was ramping up after World War II. The city was building its future. And a group of community members decided that kids needed a safe, positive place to go after school and during the summer months.

    Eight decades later, that original Everett Club is still operating — at its current location since 1965 — and the organization it helped seed now operates 27 clubs across all of Snohomish County. In 2026, Boys & Girls Clubs of Snohomish County is marking its 80th anniversary. It’s a milestone that most Everett families walk past or drive by without fully understanding what’s inside.

    What the Everett Club Actually Offers

    The Everett Boys & Girls Club serves nearly 1,000 members every year. Members are kids ages 5–18. The program menu is broader than most people know:

    Before and After-School Care

    For working families — and Everett has a lot of them, whether parents work at Boeing, at the Navy base, at the hospital, or anywhere else in the county — the daily logistics of school drop-off and pickup are a genuine challenge. The Club provides structured before-school and after-school care, giving parents predictable coverage during the working hours that don’t align with school schedules.

    Summer Camp

    Summer camp is the Club’s highest-demand program. It runs all day, spanning the full summer break, with structured activities, field trips, STEM projects, sports, and arts. For Everett families facing the annual summer care gap — the weeks between school ending and the next structured activity option — the Club’s summer camp is often the best-value option in the city. Summer 2026 registration is open now.

    Power Hour: Homework Help That Works

    Power Hour is the Club’s structured academic support program: a dedicated daily homework period with staff support, designed to help kids complete their assignments before dinner — which means more family time in the evenings and better academic outcomes. For families in Everett’s strong school district (Everett School District recorded a 96.3% graduation rate), the difference between a kid who has Power Hour support and one who doesn’t can be meaningful over time.

    STEM Programming

    Everett is an aerospace and technology city. The Club’s STEM programming reflects that — giving kids exposure to science, technology, engineering, and math in hands-on ways during the after-school hours. For a city where Boeing, Paine Field, and the aerospace supply chain are among the largest employers, planting early STEM interest in the next generation has both community and economic significance.

    Fine Arts and Teen Programs

    Fine arts programming gives kids exposure to visual and performing arts outside of school curriculum. Teen programs address the specific developmental needs of older Club members — leadership development, job readiness, college preparation, and mentoring opportunities that the younger programs don’t cover.

    Two Clubs Serving Everett

    The main Everett Club has been at its current location since 1965. The South Everett/Mukilteo Club extends the organization’s reach into South Everett, near the Casino Road corridor and the Mukilteo School District boundary. The geographic spread means the Club serves both North Everett families and South Everett families — including the high-density, multi-ethnic communities on Casino Road and the families in neighborhoods like Cascade View, Twin Creeks, and Westmont-Holly.

    Between the two Everett-area clubs, coverage across the city is substantial. The 27-club county network also means that families who move within Snohomish County don’t have to start over — they can find a Boys & Girls Club near their new address. For families on Casino Road specifically, the South Everett/Mukilteo Club is the relevant location.

    The Three Pillars: What the Club Is Actually Trying to Build

    Boys & Girls Clubs of Snohomish County organizes its programs around three pillars: Academic Success, Healthy Lifestyles, and Character and Leadership Development. These aren’t just marketing language — they’re the framework that determines how staff design programs and how they measure whether they’re working.

    Academic Success means Power Hour and homework support. Healthy Lifestyles means sports, nutrition awareness, and physical activity during hours when kids might otherwise be sedentary. Character and Leadership Development means the mentoring, conflict resolution, and civic participation programs that don’t show up in academic performance metrics but shape the adults those kids become.

    Enrollment and Access

    The Club’s accessibility model is one of its most important features: membership fees are deliberately kept at a level that doesn’t exclude working families. The Club actively provides access for families who need fee assistance. In a city with Everett’s economic diversity — Boeing engineers and warehouse workers, Navy families and recent immigrants — the Club’s accessibility across income levels is what makes it a community institution rather than a middle-class amenity.

    Summer 2026 registration is open now. Families can enroll through the Snohomish County Boys & Girls Club website or by contacting the Everett Club directly. For other community support resources in Everett, the Volunteers of America Western Washington guide and the Everett community services guide cover the wider network.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How do I enroll my child in the Boys & Girls Club in Everett?

    Contact Boys & Girls Clubs of Snohomish County through their official website or call the Everett Club directly. Summer 2026 registration is open now. Staff can also provide information on membership fees and financial assistance options.

    What ages does the Boys & Girls Club serve in Everett?

    Ages 5–18. Programs are tailored by age group, with separate programming for elementary-age children, middle schoolers, and teens. The summer camp serves the full range; after-school care focuses primarily on school-age children.

    Is the Boys & Girls Club in Everett affordable for working families?

    Yes. The Club’s membership model is designed to be accessible across income levels, and fee assistance is available. The Club has served working-class Everett families since its 1946 founding and maintains accessibility as a core organizational value.

    How many Boys & Girls Clubs are there in Snohomish County?

    27 clubs across the county as of 2026. Two serve the Everett area: the main Everett Club and the South Everett/Mukilteo Club.

    When was the first Boys & Girls Club in Snohomish County opened?

    1946, in Everett. That makes the Everett Club the founding club for the entire Snohomish County organization. In 2026, Boys & Girls Clubs of Snohomish County is celebrating its 80th anniversary.

    Does the Boys & Girls Club offer summer programming in Everett?

    Yes. Summer camp is one of the Club’s highest-demand programs, running all day through the full summer break. Summer 2026 registration is open now. It covers structured activities, field trips, STEM projects, sports, and arts across the full 5–18 age range.

  • Boys & Girls Club of Snohomish County Is Turning 80 — Here’s What the Everett Club Has Offered This Community for Eight Decades

    Boys & Girls Club of Snohomish County Is Turning 80 — Here’s What the Everett Club Has Offered This Community for Eight Decades

    📖 Exploring Everett — In-Depth Coverage of This Story

    Q: What does the Boys & Girls Club of Snohomish County offer in Everett?
    A: The Everett Boys & Girls Club serves nearly 1,000 members ages 5–18 annually with before and after school care, summer camp, STEM programs, fine arts, sports, teen programs, and the Power Hour homework help program. In 2026, the organization is celebrating its 80th anniversary.

    When the Boys & Girls Club of Snohomish County opened its first club in Everett back in 1946, the city looked very different. Boeing was still ramping up after World War II. Everett was building its future. And a group of community members decided that kids needed a safe, positive place to spend their time outside of school hours.

    Eight decades later, that same conviction is still the engine of the organization — and the Everett Club is still one of the most active in the county.

    In 2026, Boys & Girls Clubs of Snohomish County is celebrating its 80th anniversary. It’s a milestone worth understanding, because a lot of Everett families still don’t know what’s inside that building — or how accessible it is to get their kids enrolled.

    The Everett Club: What It Is, What It Does

    The Everett Boys & Girls Club has been at its current location since 1965 and serves nearly 1,000 members every year. Members are kids ages 5–18. The programs span a wide range: before and after school childcare for working families, summer camp with all-day activities, STEM programming, fine arts classes, sports leagues, and specialized programming for teens.

    The Power Hour homework help program is one of the most popular offerings — structured academic support during the after-school hours when kids are most likely to fall behind. For families navigating Everett’s strong academic environment — including the Everett School District’s record 96.3% graduation rate — after-school structure makes a real difference.

    The club’s three core pillars — Academic Success, Healthy Lifestyles, and Character and Leadership Development — aren’t just marketing language. They’re the framework that shapes how programs are designed and how staff measure outcomes.

    The South Everett/Mukilteo Club extends the organization’s reach into the southern part of the city, serving families closer to Casino Road and the Mukilteo School District boundary. Between the two Everett-area clubs, the coverage across the city is substantial.

    Turning 80 in a County With 27 Clubs

    Boys & Girls Clubs of Snohomish County now operates 27 clubs across the county — Everett, South Everett/Mukilteo, Lake Stevens, Marysville, Arlington, Lynnwood, Edmonds, Granite Falls, and more. But the Everett Club holds a particular distinction: it was the first.

    In 1946, when this organization was just getting started, Everett was the entry point. The 80th anniversary the organization is marking throughout 2026 carries that history. For families in Everett who have been sending kids to the Club for generations, this anniversary year has a specific resonance.

    Summer 2026: Registration Is Open Now

    Summer 2026 programming is now available for enrollment. The summer camp program offers all-day care with activities, special guests, and weekly themes — which makes it one of the more practical options for working parents who need full-day coverage during June, July, and August.

    Unlike school-year programming, summer camp is structured to keep kids engaged across a longer day. Themes rotate weekly, activities include both indoor and outdoor programming, and the Club’s staffing model ensures kids are actively doing things — not just being watched.

    Summer slots fill faster than most families expect. Registration is online at bgcsc.org.

    What It Costs — And Who It’s For

    Boys & Girls Clubs of Snohomish County is structured to be accessible to families at a range of income levels. The organization actively fundraises and seeks sponsorships specifically to keep membership fees from being a barrier. If cost is a concern, it’s worth asking — the Club has mechanisms to help.

    This is not a private enrichment program for one demographic. The Club’s entire model is built on serving kids who need it most — kids who benefit from having somewhere structured, safe, and run by adults who know what they’re doing during the hours between school dismissal and when a working parent gets home. It’s the same mission that drives organizations like Housing Hope and Cocoon House in Everett — a community that has a long history of building infrastructure around young people who need it.

    That mission has not changed in 80 years.

    How This Connects to Everett’s Bigger Picture

    The Everett School District posted a record 96.3% graduation rate. The Cascade High IB program is drawing families from across south Everett. EvCC and WSU Everett are within reach for teens thinking about what comes after high school. The Mukilteo School District is investing heavily in its south Everett service area.

    The Boys & Girls Club fits into this ecosystem as connective tissue — the place where kids build the habits, relationships, and confidence that make those next steps more likely to land. Academic success doesn’t happen in school alone. The Club is one of the few organizations in Everett specifically designed to fill the after-school hours well.

    Getting Started

    Both Everett-area clubs are part of Boys & Girls Clubs of Snohomish County, with unified registration at bgcsc.org/clubs/everett and a social presence through their Facebook page and @BGClubsSC on X.

    Eighty years in, the Club is still one of the best investments available to Everett kids and families. Summer 2026 registration is open. If your family hasn’t walked through the door yet, this is a good year to start.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What ages does the Boys & Girls Club Everett serve?
    The Everett Boys & Girls Club serves members ages 5–18 through before and after school programs, summer camp, sports, STEM, Power Hour homework help, and teen programming.

    Is there a Boys & Girls Club in South Everett?
    Yes. The South Everett/Mukilteo Club serves families in the southern part of the city, including areas near Casino Road and the Mukilteo School District boundary.

    How much does Boys & Girls Club membership cost in Everett?
    Membership fees are kept low by design. The organization actively raises funds to keep the Club accessible. Current pricing is available at bgcsc.org or by contacting the Everett Club directly.

    Is summer 2026 registration open at the Boys & Girls Club?
    Yes. Summer 2026 registration is open at bgcsc.org. The summer camp program offers all-day care with weekly themed activities and special guests.

    What programs does the Everett Boys & Girls Club offer?
    Programs include STEM, Power Hour (homework help), fine arts, sports leagues, teen programming, before and after school childcare, and summer camp — organized around Academic Success, Healthy Lifestyles, and Character and Leadership Development.

    When was the Boys & Girls Club of Snohomish County founded?
    The organization was founded in 1946 when the Everett Club became the first club in Snohomish County. In 2026, Boys & Girls Clubs of Snohomish County is celebrating its 80th anniversary.

    How many clubs does Boys & Girls Clubs of Snohomish County operate?
    As of 2026, the organization operates 27 clubs across Snohomish County, from Everett and Lake Stevens to Arlington, Marysville, Lynnwood, Edmonds, and beyond.

  • The Ten-01 Pub Has Spent 16 Months Earning Back a Hewitt Avenue Address — Here’s Why It’s Working

    The Ten-01 Pub Has Spent 16 Months Earning Back a Hewitt Avenue Address — Here’s Why It’s Working

    Some addresses carry weight. 1001 Hewitt Ave is one of them.

    For decades it was The Anchor Tavern, then The Anchor Pub. The last chapter under that name ended badly — the owner convicted of child rape, the building sold at public auction, the sign taken down. When Holly Heath and Shane Ratigan bought the place in 2024, they had a choice: carry forward a name locals associated with a dark chapter, or start fresh while honoring what made the address worth saving.

    They chose fresh. They named it The Ten-01 — after the address at 1001 Hewitt — and opened on January 17, 2025. Sixteen months in, it’s working.

    The Building Has Earned Its History

    The structure at 1001 Hewitt has been a bar since the 1930s, but the building itself dates to 1907. High ceilings, worn wood, walls that have absorbed a century of conversations. Heath and Ratigan knew this when they bid on it.

    “We’ve had our eye on this location for quite some time — it’s an incredible space in a historical building that we absolutely love,” the owners told My Everett News at opening. They spent months on renovations, cleaning up the space and the reputation simultaneously. The result is a room that feels lived-in without feeling tired. Long bar, booths along the wall, enough space to move without apologizing to strangers.

    The Food

    The kitchen does burgers, house-made pizzas, pub-style appetizers, and tacos. Nothing precious about any of it — these are things made to go with beer. The classic cheeseburger is half-price on Tuesdays, which is one of the smarter things a neighborhood bar can do if it wants regulars to show up mid-week.

    The price range is pub-appropriate. If you want elevated tasting menus you’re a few blocks east at Luca or The New Mexicans. The Ten-01 is not that. It’s the bar version of a homecooked meal — familiar and good.

    The Train Beer Tradition

    This is the detail everyone brings up first, because it earns it: whenever a train rolls past on the BNSF tracks right behind the building — which happens regularly on the corridor that runs through central Everett — you get $2 domestic draft beers. This is a tradition from the Anchor Tavern era that the new owners kept. Correct decision. It’s the kind of touch that tells you a bar understands what makes a neighborhood bar work.

    Freight trains on the BNSF line run through the evening and night. Regulars have been known to track them. We’re not saying you should, but we understand why.

    Events and the Weekly Calendar

    Thursdays: trivia at 7 PM. Live music is a regular weekend feature — the grand opening in January 2025 featured local bands Sugar Push and The True Romans, and the music programming has continued. Heath and Ratigan also own The Pinehurst Pub in North Seattle, so they have a working model for this. Regular events, consistent specials, a room that makes the next visit feel obvious.

    Where It Fits on the Hewitt Corridor

    The Hewitt Avenue food and drink scene has built itself into something genuinely interesting. Within walking distance of The Ten-01: Obsidian Beer Hall two blocks east, Vintage Cafe (50 years strong), R Harn Thai, STRGZR Coffee and Kitchen, and Luca Italian for a proper dinner. The Ten-01 slots in as the working pub — the place you end the night after dinner, or start the evening before a show at Angel of the Winds two blocks away.

    The Bottom Line

    Go, especially on a night when you can hear the trains. The address has earned a second chance and the current owners are honoring it. The building is a piece of Everett going back to 1907. The beer is cold, the food is solid, and $2 domestic drafts when freight passes through is one of those things you’ll be explaining to visitors for years.

    Address: 1001 Hewitt Ave, Everett, WA 98201
    Hours: Sun–Thu 3 PM–midnight, Fri–Sat 3 PM–2 AM
    What to order: Classic cheeseburger (half-price Tuesday), draft when the train rolls through
    Train beer: $2 domestic draft whenever a train passes
    Events: Trivia Thursday 7 PM, live music weekends
    Parking: Street parking on Hewitt, surface lots nearby
    Price range: $–$$

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is The Ten-01 Pub in Everett?

    The Ten-01 Pub is a community bar at 1001 Hewitt Ave in downtown Everett, WA, named after its address. It opened January 17, 2025, in a historic 1907 building formerly occupied by The Anchor Tavern and Anchor Pub.

    Who owns The Ten-01 Pub?

    Owners Holly Heath and Shane Ratigan, who also own The Pinehurst Pub in North Seattle, purchased the building at public auction and opened The Ten-01 in January 2025.

    What is the train beer deal at The Ten-01?

    Every time a freight train passes on the nearby BNSF tracks, The Ten-01 offers $2 domestic draft beers. It is a tradition carried over from the building’s previous ownership and one of the pub’s most beloved features.

    What are The Ten-01 hours?

    Sunday through Thursday: 3 PM to midnight. Friday and Saturday: 3 PM to 2 AM.

    Does The Ten-01 have food?

    Yes. The menu includes house-made pizzas, burgers, pub-style appetizers, and tacos. The classic cheeseburger is half-price on Tuesdays.

    Does The Ten-01 Pub have live music?

    Yes. Live music is a regular feature on weekends. Thursday trivia night starts at 7 PM. Check their Instagram @theten01 for the current schedule.

  • North Mason Food Bank: 44 Years of Feeding Our Neighbors

    North Mason Food Bank: 44 Years of Feeding Our Neighbors

    For 44 years, a small building at 24131 NE State Route 3 has been one of the most important addresses in our town. That’s home to the North Mason Food Bank — and if you haven’t needed it yourself, chances are someone you know has.

    Founded in 1982, the North Mason Food Bank has been quietly doing the work that neighbors do for neighbors: making sure no one in Belfair, Allyn, Grapeview, or Tahuya goes without food. Their mission statement says it plainly — “with dignity and respect, builds community, shares abundance, and nourishes lives” — and the way they operate reflects that. The food bank runs a client-choice shopping model, which means families walk in and select the items they’ll actually use, rather than receiving a pre-packed box. It’s a small but meaningful distinction that treats every visitor as a capable adult making real choices for their household.

    If you’ve never stopped in, here’s what to know. The food bank is open three days a week: Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 1:45 p.m., Wednesdays from 1 to 4:45 p.m., and Thursdays from 2 to 5:45 p.m. The building sits right along SR-3 in Belfair, easy to find and easy to access. To speak with someone directly, call (360) 275-4615 or email director@nmfoodbank.org.

    The food bank provides more than groceries. Basic hygiene items and referral services are part of what they offer — a recognition that food insecurity rarely arrives alone. For families navigating a tough stretch, that referral piece can be the thread that connects them to housing help, utility assistance, or other support in Mason County.

    Volunteers are the backbone of the operation. The food bank actively welcomes new volunteers, and a few hours a week during one of the three open shifts can make a real difference in how smoothly the pantry runs. If you’d like to help, visit northmasonfoodbank.org/volunteer or call (360) 275-4615. There’s no complex application — they genuinely need hands.

    The North Mason Food Bank is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, which means donations are tax-deductible. They accept food donations and financial contributions; the website at northmasonfoodbank.org has current information on what’s most needed. The food bank also works with AmpleHarvest.org, connecting local gardeners who have excess produce with the pantry — so if your garden is already outpacing your kitchen, that’s another way to contribute.

    Four decades in, the North Mason Food Bank isn’t a temporary fix or an emergency response. It’s part of the permanent fabric of this community — there when people need it, run by neighbors who chose to show up. If you haven’t connected with them yet, now is a good time to do it, whether you’re coming for services, dropping off a donation bag, or signing up for a volunteer shift.

    North Mason Food Bank
    24131 NE State Route 3, Belfair, WA 98528
    Hours: Tuesday 10 a.m.–1:45 p.m. · Wednesday 1–4:45 p.m. · Thursday 2–5:45 p.m.
    Phone: (360) 275-4615
    Web: northmasonfoodbank.org

  • Mason County Community Spotlight: Sweetwater Creek Waterwheel Park Opens in Belfair, Maritime History Exhibit Debuts in Shelton — May 2026

    Mason County Community Spotlight: Sweetwater Creek Waterwheel Park Opens in Belfair, Maritime History Exhibit Debuts in Shelton — May 2026

    Sometime in the early 2000s, a North Mason High School student named Travis Merrill put on work gloves and helped cut trail through a scrubby piece of land alongside Sweetwater Creek, just across state Route 3 from the Theler Wetlands in Belfair. He had no way of knowing then that roughly two decades later, he would be the one holding the scissors at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for a public park on that same ground.

    That moment came on a Friday morning in mid-April 2026. Merrill, now the Executive Director of the Port of Allyn, stood alongside Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group (HCSEG) Director Mendy Harlow and cut the ribbon officially opening Sweetwater Creek Waterwheel Park to the public. The crowd gathered for the ceremony understood why Merrill paused before he spoke.

    “This project has been a long time in coming,” he told the crowd.

    For many Mason County residents, the story of Sweetwater Creek Waterwheel Park is exactly the kind of story that makes this place feel like home — one where generations overlap, where the same people who grew up here are now the ones investing in its future.

    A Park Built on Partnership — and a Generation of Students

    The five-acre parcel along Sweetwater Creek has a layered history that stretches back further than most people realize. The property was formerly owned by the North Mason School District, and students at North Mason High School and Belfair Elementary have been part of the site’s story for years. Each spring, Belfair Elementary students release fall chum salmon fry into Sweetwater Creek after raising them in classroom incubators — a program supported by HCSEG’s Salmon in the Library curriculum. North Mason High School students have helped capture adult salmon and move them around the waterwheel as part of hands-on conservation education.

    Approximately 100,000 fall chum salmon eggs are placed in incubators on district property each season. The chum fry are raised until they’re ready for release, making Sweetwater Creek one of the most directly classroom-connected salmon streams in Mason County.

    When the property was transferred to the Port of Allyn in 2018, the vision expanded. The port owns the land, but the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group — whose offices are at the PNW Salmon Center, 150 NE Roessel Road in Belfair — is leading the development of the park. HCSEG Director Mendy Harlow has managed habitat restoration projects throughout Hood Canal since 2013 and has been a driving force behind turning Sweetwater Creek into both a functioning salmon habitat and a place the entire county can visit.

    When completed, the park will include an ADA-accessible interpretive loop trail, a freshwater fishing dock (the only ADA-accessible freshwater fishing access in Mason County), a picnic area with power and water, a natural play area for children, and a restored historic waterwheel with an interpretive center and ADA public facilities. The park officially opened March 31, 2026, with the formal ribbon-cutting ceremony following in April.

    Shaped by the Water: Mason County’s Maritime History on Display in Shelton

    Fifteen miles south of Sweetwater Creek, in downtown Shelton, another community story is unfolding inside the Mason County Historical Museum at 427 W. Railroad Ave. A new exhibit called “Shaped by the Water: The Maritime History of Mason County” is now on display through August 2026, and it traces the deep, often-forgotten ways that water defined everything about this county — who settled here, how they made their living, and what they named the land around them.

    The exhibit walks visitors through the growth of the shellfish industry in Mason County, which for generations was the economic engine that put Allyn, Shelton, and the Hood Canal shoreline communities on the map. It details the early ships of South Puget Sound that carried timber, oysters, and passengers between port communities before roads connected them. And it explains the changing role of Shelton’s waterfront — from active working port to the quieter shoreline the city has today.

    For residents of Hoodsport, Union, Grapeview, or Allyn, the exhibit offers something rarely seen: a county-wide lens on the water-dependent history that shaped every community along Hood Canal and South Puget Sound. The 1792 Discovery expedition receives close attention, including how local sites were renamed — Hood Canal for Admiral Samuel Hood of the British Royal Navy, and the inlets of South Puget Sound named for five lieutenants (James Budd, Henry Eld, George Totten, William Case, and Zachary Carr) and midshipman Thomas Hammersley. Those names are on every map of Mason County today.

    The Mason County Historical Museum is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The museum is closed Sundays and Mondays. Admission information is available by calling the museum or visiting in person at 427 W. Railroad Ave., Shelton.

    Why These Stories Matter Today

    What connects Travis Merrill cutting trail as a teenager in Belfair and a new exhibit tracing Mason County’s maritime roots in Shelton? Both are stories of people and communities taking deliberate stock of where they came from — and deciding it’s worth preserving, celebrating, and passing forward.

    Sweetwater Creek Waterwheel Park is the kind of place that Mason County needs more of: publicly accessible, ecologically meaningful, and rooted in the kind of student and community involvement that makes conservation feel personal rather than abstract. When a Belfair Elementary student releases salmon fry into a creek in March and then walks the same ADA trail with her family in summer, something important has happened.

    The maritime exhibit in Shelton is a reminder that the water shaping Mason County’s identity didn’t stop flowing in 1792 or 1900 or 1950. Hood Canal is still the reason Hoodsport exists. The shellfish beds still define Allyn and Grapeview. The tides still run through everything.

    Residents interested in visiting Sweetwater Creek Waterwheel Park can find it at the intersection of state Route 3 and NE Roessel Road in Belfair, directly across from the Mary E. Theler Wetlands Nature Preserve. The “Shaped by the Water” exhibit runs through August at the Mason County Historical Museum, 427 W. Railroad Ave., Shelton.

  • Cocoon House: The Complete 2026 Guide to Everett’s Only Nonprofit Dedicated to Ending Youth Homelessness

    Cocoon House: The Complete 2026 Guide to Everett’s Only Nonprofit Dedicated to Ending Youth Homelessness

    Quick facts: Cocoon House (2726 Cedar St, Everett) is Snohomish County’s only nonprofit dedicated exclusively to ending youth homelessness. Founded in 1991. Serves young people ages 12–24 through emergency shelter, drop-in services, transitional housing, and education and employment support. CEO Joseph Alonzo. The U-Turn Drop-In Center is free and open to any youth ages 13–24 — no eligibility requirements.

    When a teenager loses stable housing in Snohomish County, Cocoon House has been one of the consistent answers to that problem for more than three decades. In a region where housing costs keep rising and the youngest residents are often the most invisible, the organization’s consistency — running since 1991 with an expanding set of programs — matters more than most people realize. Here is the complete 2026 guide to what Cocoon House does, who it serves, and how to connect with it.

    What Cocoon House Is

    Cocoon House is the only nonprofit in Snohomish County focused exclusively on ending youth homelessness. It serves young people ages 12 to 24 through a continuum of programs designed to meet a young person exactly where they are — on the street, in an emergency, or in need of longer-term housing stability.

    The organization has expanded its shelter capacity by 350% since its early years. It now houses more than 230 young people annually through shelter programs and reaches over 1,000 youth, parents, and community members each year across Snohomish County through its full program network.

    The Programs

    Emergency Shelter — Ages 12–17

    The emergency shelter serves youth ages 12 to 17 who need immediate, safe housing. It is staffed, structured, and designed to feel as close to a real home as possible. Young people in the shelter have access to case management, basic needs support, and a plan for what comes next — not just a bed for the night.

    U-Turn Drop-In Center — Ages 13–24

    The U-Turn Drop-In Center is built for older youth who may not be ready for a shelter, don’t meet the age criteria for the emergency shelter, or need a lower-barrier entry point. There are no eligibility requirements beyond showing up. Walk in and you have access to hot meals, hygiene items, showers, laundry, clothing, transportation assistance, and case managers who can connect you to housing, healthcare, and referrals across the county’s service network.

    Outreach Center — Ages 12–20

    The Outreach Center extends the same core supports — meals, showers, clothing, drug and alcohol support, referrals, and case management — to youth ages 12 to 20. Outreach staff also work outside the building, meeting young people in the places where they actually are rather than waiting for them to come through a door.

    Young Adult Housing — Ages 18–24

    For youth who have aged out of the emergency shelter or who need more than drop-in services, Cocoon House provides transitional and permanent housing pathways. Director of Young Adult Housing Eric Jimenez and his team lead this work, connecting young adults to housing options and the support services that make housing sustainable.

    Education and Employment

    Director of Education and Employment Claire Petersen leads programs that help young people build the credentials and skills needed to stay housed long term. A safe place to sleep isn’t enough on its own — sustainable housing requires income, and income requires opportunity. This program works on both sides of that equation.

    The New Colby Avenue Youth Center

    Cocoon House has been developing a new youth center facility on Colby Avenue in Everett, expanding the physical capacity of its programs to serve more young people. The new center adds to the infrastructure available at the main Cedar Street location.

    Why Cocoon House’s Model Works

    The organization’s effectiveness comes from a tiered, no-barrier-to-entry model that serves youth across a wide age range without forcing them into a single pathway. A 14-year-old in an emergency is in a different situation than a 22-year-old who needs stable housing and employment support. Cocoon House’s programs address both ends of that spectrum and the points in between.

    The U-Turn Drop-In Center’s no-eligibility model is particularly important: it serves young people who might not qualify for or seek out formal shelter programs. Getting them through the door — with a meal, a shower, and access to a case manager — is often the first step toward a longer-term stability path.

    How Cocoon House Fits Into Everett’s Safety Net

    Cocoon House operates alongside other Everett-area service organizations as part of the broader safety net for vulnerable residents. Volunteers of America Western Washington provides services across multiple populations including adult housing and food access. The $23M Snohomish County housing and behavioral health award approved April 24 is funding three Everett projects including the Everett Gospel Mission and new affordable housing units on Broadway. Cocoon House is the youth-specific anchor in this network.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is Cocoon House in Everett?

    Cocoon House (2726 Cedar St, Everett, WA) is Snohomish County’s only nonprofit dedicated exclusively to ending youth homelessness. Founded in 1991, it serves young people ages 12–24 through emergency shelter, drop-in services, transitional housing, and education and employment programs.

    How does someone get help from Cocoon House?

    Youth ages 13–24 can walk into the U-Turn Drop-In Center at 2726 Cedar St with no eligibility requirements. Hot meals, hygiene, showers, laundry, transportation assistance, and case manager access are available to anyone who comes in. Emergency shelter (ages 12–17) has a separate intake process through case management.

    What age range does Cocoon House serve?

    Cocoon House serves young people ages 12 to 24 across its programs: emergency shelter (12–17), U-Turn Drop-In Center (13–24), Outreach Center (12–20), and Young Adult Housing (18–24).

    How many young people does Cocoon House serve each year?

    Cocoon House houses more than 230 young people annually through its shelter programs and reaches over 1,000 youth, parents, and community members each year through its full program network across Snohomish County.

    Who leads Cocoon House?

    CEO Joseph Alonzo leads the organization. Directors include Eric Jimenez (Young Adult Housing) and Claire Petersen (Education and Employment).

    How can people support Cocoon House?

    Cocoon House accepts donations, volunteers, and in-kind support including hygiene items, clothing, and non-perishable food. The organization also accepts referrals from schools, families, and community organizations. Visit cocoonhouse.org for current needs and volunteer opportunities.

    Is Cocoon House only in Everett?

    Cocoon House is based in Everett and is the county-wide resource for youth homelessness in Snohomish County, reaching communities across the region through its outreach programs. The main facility is at 2726 Cedar St, Everett.

  • Cocoon House Has Been a Safety Net for Everett’s Homeless Youth Since 1991 — Here’s Everything You Need to Know

    Cocoon House Has Been a Safety Net for Everett’s Homeless Youth Since 1991 — Here’s Everything You Need to Know

    Cocoon House (2726 Cedar St, Everett, WA) is Snohomish County’s only nonprofit dedicated exclusively to ending youth homelessness. Operating since 1991, it serves young people ages 12–24 through emergency shelter, drop-in services, housing programs, and education and employment support. The main U-Turn Drop-In Center is free and open to any youth who needs a meal, a shower, or a safe place to land.

    What Cocoon House Actually Does

    When a teenager loses stable housing in Snohomish County, there aren’t many places to turn. Cocoon House has been one of the consistent answers to that problem for more than three decades — and in a region where housing costs keep rising and the youngest residents are often the most invisible, that consistency matters more than most people realize.

    The organization runs several interconnected programs, each designed to meet a young person exactly where they are: on the street, in school, or searching for something more stable.

    Emergency Shelter (Ages 12–17)

    The emergency shelter is the most visible program. It serves youth ages 12–17 who need immediate, safe housing. It’s staffed, structured, and designed to feel as close to a real home as possible. Young people here have access to case management, basic needs, and a plan for what comes next.

    U-Turn Drop-In Center (Ages 13–24)

    The U-Turn Drop-In Center is built for older youth who may not be ready for a shelter or don’t meet the age criteria. It’s deliberately low-barrier: no eligibility requirements beyond showing up. What you get when you walk in: a hot meal, hygiene items, showers, laundry, clothing, transportation assistance, and access to case managers who can connect you to housing, healthcare, and other referrals.

    Outreach Center (Ages 12–20)

    The Outreach Center extends the same core supports — meals, showers, clothing, drug and alcohol support, referrals, and case management — to youth ages 12–20. Outreach staff also work outside the walls, meeting young people in the places where they actually are.

    Young Adult Housing

    For youth who have aged out of the emergency shelter or who need more than drop-in services, Cocoon House provides transitional and permanent housing pathways. Director of Young Adult Housing Eric Jimenez and his team lead this work.

    Education and Employment

    Director of Education and Employment Claire Petersen leads programs that help young people build the credentials and skills they need to stay housed long-term. A place to sleep isn’t enough on its own — sustainable housing requires income, and income requires opportunity.

    The Numbers Behind the Work

    Cocoon House has expanded shelter capacity by 350% since its early years, now housing more than 230 young people annually through its shelter programs. Through outreach, prevention, education, and the U-Turn Drop-In Center, the organization reaches over 1,000 youth, parents, and community members each year across Snohomish County.

    CEO Joseph Alonzo leads the organization, which earned the Best Nonprofit in Snohomish County honor in 2025 — recognition that reflects 35 years of community trust.

    For broader context: Snohomish County’s January 2024 Point-in-Time count recorded 1,140 individuals in 890 households experiencing homelessness. Youth are among the most likely to avoid official counts — which means Cocoon House is often reaching people the data doesn’t see.

    The Annual Butterfly Celebration

    Each year, Cocoon House holds its signature fundraising event, the Annual Butterfly Celebration. In 2026, the event is scheduled for May 7. The name reflects the organization’s mission: transformation. The event brings together donors, volunteers, and community members who want to support the work. Information and tickets at cocoonhouse.org.

    How to Get Involved

    Volunteer: Cocoon House actively recruits volunteers, particularly for meal prep sessions. The organization is currently looking for groups to support meal prep in Summer and Fall 2026. Details at cocoonhouse.org/volunteer.

    Donate: Cocoon House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN: 91-1497667). Monetary and in-kind donations support all programs at cocoonhouse.org.

    Attend a quarterly forum: Cocoon House holds quarterly community forums where leadership shares challenges, progress, and ways the broader community can help. The most recent forum was in February 2026.

    Spread the word: Much of Cocoon House’s impact comes from community members who know the organization exists. Knowing who to call when a young person is in trouble is itself a form of community safety.

    Why This Matters for Everett

    Youth homelessness is often invisible precisely because young people go out of their way to hide it. Cocoon House sits at the intersection of Everett’s housing challenges and its community strengths.

    The Snohomish County $23 million housing and behavioral health award approved in April 2026 included three Everett-based projects — a sign that the broader system is moving toward the kind of long-term investment organizations like Cocoon House have been calling for. Volunteers of America Western Washington operates in an adjacent lane — serving adults and families through the Everett Food Bank, Casino Road pantry sites, and the Carl Gipson Center — and together the two organizations represent the depth of Everett’s nonprofit safety net.

    On Casino Road, Stations Unidos has been working since 2014 on anti-displacement and economic stability for the corridor. Stable, affordable housing in neighborhoods like Twin Creeks directly affects the pipeline of young people who end up needing Cocoon House’s help. These organizations are part of the same ecosystem.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How do I get help from Cocoon House?

    Youth ages 12–24 can walk into the U-Turn Drop-In Center for immediate assistance — no eligibility requirements. For emergency shelter or housing programs, visit cocoonhouse.org or call their main line.

    Where is Cocoon House located?

    2726 Cedar St, Everett, WA 98201. The address was confirmed as current on Yelp in April 2026.

    Is Cocoon House open to youth from outside Everett?

    Yes — Cocoon House serves all of Snohomish County, not just Everett.

    How do I volunteer?

    Visit cocoonhouse.org/volunteer for current opportunities, including meal prep groups for Summer and Fall 2026.

    What is the Butterfly Celebration?

    Cocoon House’s annual fundraising gala. In 2026 it takes place on May 7. Visit cocoonhouse.org for tickets and information.

    Does Cocoon House help families, not just youth?

    The outreach and community programs reach parents and community members as well. The core shelter and housing programs focus on young people ages 12–24.

  • Vintage Cafe Has Been Feeding Downtown Everett for 50 Years and Is Still the Best Diner Breakfast on Hewitt

    Vintage Cafe Has Been Feeding Downtown Everett for 50 Years and Is Still the Best Diner Breakfast on Hewitt

    Where is Vintage Cafe in Everett, and what is it known for? Vintage Cafe is a women-owned, three-generation family diner at 1510 Hewitt Avenue in downtown Everett, founded in 1976 by Karen Staniford. It is celebrated for all-day breakfast — including the Vintage French Toast (made with French bread, egg, and crushed corn flakes), the Vintage Scramble, and the country-fried steak — served inside an 1800s brick building. The cafe is open Wednesday through Sunday 7am–8pm, closed Monday and Tuesday. Karen’s granddaughter Amber Lang now manages the restaurant.

    Vintage Cafe Has Been Feeding Downtown Everett for 50 Years and Is Still the Best Diner Breakfast on Hewitt

    Half a century. That’s not a marketing line — that’s the math.

    Vintage Cafe at 1510 Hewitt Avenue opened in 1976. In 2026, that makes it 50 years old. In an industry where the average independent restaurant doesn’t make it past five, the fact that the same family has been running this room for fifty consecutive years in the same building on the same block of downtown Everett is — to use the technical industry term — absolutely insane.

    And the food is still good.

    We’ve been writing about the Hewitt corridor all week. Heritage African at 2019. Luca Italian at 1712. The New Mexicans at 1416. The fact that Vintage Cafe has been quietly cooking eggs for the same neighborhood since the year Star Wars came out is the load-bearing fact that lets all those newer rooms exist. Vintage taught downtown Everett the habit of eating on Hewitt. Everything that’s opened since 2020 is, in some quiet way, building on that foundation.

    This is the breakfast room that earned the right.

    The Address, the Hours, the Building

    Vintage Cafe — 1510 Hewitt Ave, Everett, WA 98201

    Hours: Wednesday–Sunday, 7:00am–8:00pm. Closed Monday and Tuesday.

    Phone: (425) 252-8224

    Style: All-day breakfast, lunch, comfort food. Family-friendly. Cozy.

    The building itself is part of the story. Vintage Cafe occupies a brick storefront from the 1800s — the kind of structure that is increasingly rare in downtown Everett as redevelopment moves through, and the kind of room that gives the food its context. Brick walls. Stained glass. Old wood. Karen Staniford’s original instinct in 1976 was to lean into the romance of the building, and the granddaughter running it today still leans into the same thing.

    You walk in and you feel like you’re in a downtown Everett that mostly doesn’t exist anymore — except it does, right here, on this block.

    The Story You Should Know Before You Order

    Here is the part that local writeups have been telling for years, and that we are absolutely going to tell again because every Everett resident who eats here should know it.

    In 1976, Karen Staniford — a single mother — opened a restaurant and bar called The Alley in this Hewitt Avenue space. Quoting the HeraldNet obituary, this was at “a time when women were supposed to tend bar, not own them.” She had to fight to obtain her own liquor license. She had to fight to obtain a business loan. She was reportedly one of the first women in Everett to be issued a liquor license. Then she ran the place.

    The room was called The Alley, then Aaron’s, and in 2002 the name became Vintage Cafe — the version most of us know today.

    Karen Staniford passed away on August 31, 2022, at age 79. The restaurant has never changed hands. Her granddaughter, Amber Lang, runs it today. Three generations. Same family. Same building. Fifty years.

    That’s not a “neighborhood institution.” That’s a piece of downtown Everett’s actual civic infrastructure.

    What to Order

    The breakfast menu is the move and the breakfast menu has been the move since 1976. You can come for lunch (sandwiches, salads, country-fried steak) and you will eat well, but the breakfast platters are the thing this restaurant is built around. Roughly a dozen breakfast plates on the menu, average price in the $15 range — meaning two people can have a sit-down breakfast in a 200-year-old brick building for under $40 with coffee. In 2026 dollars, that’s a deal.

    The Vintage French Toast

    The signature item, and you need to order it at least once. The kitchen dips French bread in egg, then crusts it in crushed corn flakes before griddling. The corn flakes are not a gimmick — they are the texture trick that makes the difference between French toast that is essentially “soggy bread you eat with a fork” and French toast that has a real bite. Comes with your choice of meat and two eggs.

    The Vintage Scramble

    The other house signature. Eggs scrambled with a kitchen-decided mix of fresh ingredients — the sort of dish where the cook gets to flex a little and you get to see what they think a great scramble looks like that morning. It’s the daily-special inside a regular menu item.

    Country-Fried Steak with Country Gravy

    Ordered at breakfast, served with two eggs, country fries (their version of hash browns), toast, and jelly. This is the order if you came in hungry, you are not driving anywhere after, and you want the kind of breakfast that makes the rest of the day a victory lap. Homemade gravy, not a packet.

    Joe Coffee

    Yes, your espresso here is from Joe Coffee — the same fair-trade Pacific Northwest roastery that several of the better newer rooms in town source from. A 1976 diner pouring 2026-spec espresso is exactly the kind of small detail that says this kitchen pays attention.

    When to Come

    Wednesday–Sunday 7am to 8pm. The pattern we’d push:

    – Saturday morning around 9am — the room is full but not chaotic, all the regulars are in, and the kitchen is hitting its rhythm

    – Sunday before the Farmers Market opens at 10:30am (starting May 10) — fuel up at Vintage, walk three blocks west to 2930 Wetmore for produce

    – Friday early dinner — they’re open until 8pm, the dinner menu is real, and you’ll have the room more to yourself

    Closed Monday and Tuesday. Plan around it.

    The Hewitt Corridor’s Anchor Tenant

    The fact that Vintage Cafe has been here since 1976 is the load-bearing fact of the entire Hewitt Avenue food corridor. Across the last decade, Heritage African opened at 2019, Luca Italian opened at 1712, The New Mexicans settled in at 1416, Obsidian Beer Hall opened at 1420 in 2024, Sabaijai Thai at 1707, and a half-dozen other rooms came online — but none of them would have had a customer base on this block if Karen Staniford hadn’t spent 26 years (1976–2002) and then her family another 22 years convincing downtown Everett that you could want to eat on Hewitt.

    This is the restaurant that earned the corridor its right to exist.

    The Verdict

    In 2026, Vintage Cafe is 50 years old, owned by the same family that founded it, run by the founder’s granddaughter, and still serving the best diner breakfast on Hewitt Avenue. There is no version of “covering the Everett food scene” that doesn’t start here.

    If you live in this town and you’ve never been: that is a hole in your downtown-Everett education. Fix it this weekend. Order the French toast. Stay long enough to read the room. Notice that it is full of three generations of Everett locals at the same time.

    That’s the restaurant.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Q: Where is Vintage Cafe in Everett?

    A: 1510 Hewitt Avenue, Everett, WA 98201, in downtown Everett between 15th and 16th Street.

    Q: What are Vintage Cafe’s hours?

    A: Wednesday through Sunday, 7:00am to 8:00pm. Closed Monday and Tuesday.

    Q: How long has Vintage Cafe been open?

    A: The restaurant first opened in 1976 as “The Alley,” then “Aaron’s,” and was renamed Vintage Cafe in 2002. 2026 marks 50 years of continuous operation by the same family.

    Q: Who owns Vintage Cafe?

    A: The cafe was founded by Karen Staniford in 1976 and has been family-owned since. Karen passed away in 2022; her granddaughter, Amber Lang, manages the restaurant today.

    Q: What should I order at Vintage Cafe?

    A: The Vintage French Toast (corn-flake-crusted), the Vintage Scramble, and the country-fried steak with homemade gravy are the house signatures. Joe Coffee espresso behind the counter.

    Q: Is Vintage Cafe family-friendly?

    A: Yes — it’s a women-owned, three-generation family restaurant and is consistently family-friendly during its breakfast and lunch hours.

    Q: What kind of building is Vintage Cafe in?

    A: An 1800s brick storefront on Hewitt Avenue with brick walls, stained glass, and old wood interior detail. The building itself is part of the experience.

    Q: How much does breakfast cost at Vintage Cafe?

    A: Breakfast plates run roughly $15 on average, with about a dozen options on the menu.

  • Twin Creeks: How Everett’s Mall Neighborhood Renamed Itself After the Two Buried Creeks Beneath It

    Twin Creeks: How Everett’s Mall Neighborhood Renamed Itself After the Two Buried Creeks Beneath It

    There is a moment in every neighborhood’s life when it decides what it wants to be called, and a name a mall picked is rarely the answer.

    That moment came for Twin Creeks more than a decade ago, after a longtime resident said out loud what plenty of her neighbors were already thinking: she did not particularly want to live in a neighborhood named Everett Mall South. The complaint went to the neighborhood association. The association threw an ice cream social. People wrote suggestions on slips of paper. Twin Creeks won.

    The name stuck because it was honest. The neighborhood does, in fact, have two creeks. They run under it.

    The Two Creeks the Neighborhood Is Named For

    If you stand in the Everett Mall parking lot today, you are standing on top of the headwaters of Silver Lake Creek. Forested wetlands once covered the western half of the lot. The creek itself is largely buried now — culverted under the asphalt, threading under I-5, and finally surfacing again at Thornton A. Sullivan Park, where it empties into Silver Lake. It is the same creek that gives the lake its inflow.

    The other creek is North Creek. Its headwaters are just north of Everett Mall Way, and from there it begins one of the longer runs in the south Snohomish County watershed. North Creek flows through McCollum Park, past the Northwest Stream Center, down through Mill Creek Town Center, into Canyon Park, past the University of Washington Bothell campus, and eventually into the Sammamish River and on to Lake Washington.

    Two creeks, both buried at the start, both meaningful to the wider region. A pretty good naming choice for a neighborhood that wanted to be more than a mall.

    Where Twin Creeks Actually Is

    The neighborhood is bordered by Everett Mall Way to the north, 112th Street SE to the south, Interstate 5 to the east, and Evergreen Way to the west. Its center of gravity is the mall itself, and its northwestern edge brushes up against the Casino Road neighborhood.

    This is one of the south Everett neighborhoods where the city limits are uneven — the city has annexed much of the area over the years, but there are still residential pockets that sit in unincorporated Snohomish County. If your house is in Twin Creeks, it is worth checking which side of the city line it is on, because that determines which permitting office, which police agency, and sometimes which utility you deal with.

    Population is around 11,455 — large enough that Twin Creeks is one of the bigger neighborhoods in Everett by headcount, even though it doesn’t always carry the cultural weight of the older historic neighborhoods to the north.

    The Housing Mix

    Twin Creeks is mostly single-family homes, but it has more apartment options than many Everett neighborhoods. That mix is part of what makes it a practical place for people who don’t fit cleanly into one housing category — young professionals priced out of Seattle, families who need a yard but also need to be close to I-5, downsizers who want one floor and a small lawn.

    The housing stock is mostly post-1970, which means most of it doesn’t have the historic character of Northwest Everett or Port Gardner — but it also means the bones tend to be solid, the lots tend to be regular, and the systems (electrical, plumbing) are generally in better shape than older parts of the city. The neighborhood has steady turnover rather than dramatic price swings, which makes it a popular target for first-time buyers in the south Snohomish County market.

    The Trail That Threads Through It

    The Interurban Trail runs through Twin Creeks, the same trail that runs through Pinehurst-Beverly Park to the north and continues south toward Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, and eventually Seattle. For Twin Creeks specifically, the trail is the connector between the residential streets and the broader regional path network. You can pick it up near Everett Mall Way and ride or walk it for miles in either direction.

    Locals use it for commuting, for exercise, for getting to the mall without dealing with traffic, and for the occasional long weekend ride to Lake Forest Park or Edmonds. The trail is paved, mostly flat, and one of the most consistently maintained in south Snohomish County.

    The Mall, the Hub, and the Question of What Comes Next

    Twin Creeks is home to Everett Mall, which has been in transition for years. The redevelopment of part of the mall site into the Hub @ Everett — a mixed retail and service district — has been a slow, complicated process. As of April 2026, the Hub is roughly half open and the Topgolf piece of the original plan is stuck in development limbo.

    For Twin Creeks residents, the mall question is the existential question. The neighborhood was effectively built around the mall in the late 1960s and 1970s. If the mall keeps shrinking, the question of what replaces it — housing, mixed-use, more retail, parkland — is the question of what kind of neighborhood Twin Creeks becomes over the next twenty years.

    That’s not unique to Everett. Mall-adjacent suburbs across the country are working through the same question. But it is unusually live in Twin Creeks because the mall sits squarely inside the neighborhood, not at its edge.

    The Neighborhood Association

    Twin Creeks shares a chairman with the adjacent Cascade View neighborhood — Michael Trujillo serves as chairman of both — and the two associations meet jointly each month as the Cascade View / Twin Creeks Monthly Meeting. The shared meeting is listed on the City of Everett events calendar, and the city’s neighborhoods staff at 2930 Wetmore Avenue, Suite 10-A can connect residents with the most recent meeting time, location, and agenda.

    The shared chairmanship is a small detail with a big implication: Twin Creeks and Cascade View are talking to each other, not past each other. Two neighborhoods that share a creek system, share a school feeder pattern, and share the same questions about south Everett’s future have decided that doing the work jointly makes more sense than doing it twice. That is not how every neighborhood in Everett operates.

    What Long-Timers Say

    Ask someone who has lived in Twin Creeks since the late 1980s what has changed and you will get a fairly consistent answer. The traffic on Evergreen Way has gotten worse. The mall has gotten quieter. The trail has gotten busier. The houses are still mostly the same houses, but the prices are not the same prices.

    Ask someone who moved in five years ago and you will hear something different. They will tell you the neighborhood feels under-the-radar in a good way — not as expensive as the historic neighborhoods to the north, not as remote as Mill Creek to the south, close enough to Boeing that the commute to Paine Field is short, close enough to I-5 that the commute to Seattle is doable when traffic cooperates.

    Both versions are true. Twin Creeks is a neighborhood in the middle of a slow change, with deep roots and a name that finally fits. Up the road in Silver Lake, residents are working through a parallel set of questions about growth, density, and what gets built around an aging anchor — Twin Creeks just happens to have the mall instead of the lake at the center.

    What’s Next for Twin Creeks

    The big variables for the next decade are the mall’s redevelopment, the future of the Hub @ Everett project, the city’s comprehensive plan, and how the future Sound Transit Link light rail extension lands in south Everett. None of those are decided yet. All of them will affect Twin Creeks more than most neighborhoods in the city, because the neighborhood literally surrounds the parcel where most of the change will happen.

    Residents who want a voice in that change have a clear path: show up to the joint Cascade View / Twin Creeks meeting. Get on the city’s neighborhood notification list for Twin Creeks (the city maintains a Twin Creeks-specific alerts feed). Watch what the planning department does with the comprehensive plan as it lands in this part of the city.

    The neighborhood that named itself after two buried creeks is still here, and so are the creeks. The question is what gets built on top of them next.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Where is Twin Creeks in Everett?

    Twin Creeks is in south Everett, bordered by Everett Mall Way to the north, 112th Street SE to the south, I-5 to the east, and Evergreen Way to the west. It sits between Casino Road and Pinehurst-Beverly Park to the north and Silver Lake to the northeast.

    Why is it called Twin Creeks?

    The neighborhood is named after Silver Lake Creek and North Creek, the two waterways whose headwaters sit beneath and just north of the Everett Mall site. The name was chosen at a neighborhood ice cream social after a resident objected to the previous name, “Everett Mall South.”

    How many people live in Twin Creeks?

    The neighborhood has a population of approximately 11,455.

    Where does Silver Lake Creek go after the mall?

    Silver Lake Creek is largely buried as it passes the Everett Mall area. It runs under I-5 and surfaces again at Thornton A. Sullivan Park, where it empties into Silver Lake.

    Where does North Creek flow?

    North Creek flows south from its headwaters near Everett Mall Way through McCollum Park, the Northwest Stream Center, Mill Creek Town Center, Canyon Park, the UW Bothell campus, and eventually into the Sammamish River and Lake Washington.

    Who chairs the Twin Creeks neighborhood association?

    Michael Trujillo serves as chairman of both the Twin Creeks and Cascade View neighborhood associations. The two associations meet jointly each month.

    When does the Twin Creeks neighborhood association meet?

    Twin Creeks meets jointly with Cascade View as the Cascade View / Twin Creeks Monthly Meeting. The City of Everett events calendar lists the current schedule, and the city’s neighborhoods office at 2930 Wetmore Avenue, Suite 10-A can confirm the most recent meeting details.

    Is Twin Creeks fully inside the Everett city limits?

    Most of Twin Creeks is in the city, but there are still residential pockets in unincorporated Snohomish County. Residents should confirm their address with the city’s permitting and planning department to know which jurisdiction applies.

  • Moving to Port Gardner in Everett: A 2026 Relocating Resident’s Guide to Rucker Hill, the Bluff Bay Views, and a Neighborhood Built in 1890

    Moving to Port Gardner in Everett: A 2026 Relocating Resident’s Guide to Rucker Hill, the Bluff Bay Views, and a Neighborhood Built in 1890

    If you’re considering Port Gardner, this is the relocation read. What the bluff bay views actually mean day to day, what the architecture stock looks like in a 1890-platted neighborhood, how the walkability to downtown and the marina works, and how the neighborhood compares to Northwest Everett, Bayside, and Boulevard Bluffs.

    What Port Gardner Is

    Port Gardner is Everett’s second-oldest neighborhood — the original 50-acre townsite the Rucker brothers platted in 1890 as the founding act of the Everett Land Company. The boundaries are clear: Possession Sound and Port Gardner Bay to the west, the Snohomish River to the east, a combination of Hewitt and Pacific avenues to the north, and 41st Street to the south. That puts you immediately south of Northwest Everett and immediately west of Bayside, with downtown Everett at the neighborhood’s northern edge.

    Architecture Stock — What You’re Actually Buying

    Port Gardner has one of the most architecturally diverse housing stocks in the city for its size. On a single block you can find:

    • Queen Anne mansions from the 1890s — turrets, wraparound porches, ornate trim. Many are still in original-family ownership; supply at any given time is limited.
    • Craftsman bungalows from the 1910s and 1920s — smaller in scale, deep porches, built with care for materials. The most plentiful category in the neighborhood.
    • Mid-century cottages infilled during Everett’s wartime housing crunch — often the most affordable entry point into the neighborhood.
    • Maritime-influenced homes near the bluff — designed to capture water views, often with renovations that have preserved historic exterior detail while modernizing the interior.

    The practical implication for a buyer: the inspection conversation in Port Gardner is different from the inspection conversation in a 2010s subdivision. Older homes mean older systems, which means budget for some combination of foundation, electrical, plumbing, or insulation work depending on when the home was last updated. The flip side is that these are homes built when materials were better and craftsmanship was the assumption — many Craftsman bungalows in Port Gardner have outlasted three generations of newer construction.

    The Bluff Bay View, Honestly

    Almost everyone north of Hewitt has some kind of water view. Honest framing: bay views in Port Gardner are not the unobstructed open-water views of, say, an oceanfront in California. They take in Possession Sound, Port Gardner Bay, and — closer in — the Port of Everett’s working waterfront with its cargo cranes, marina, and (on weekdays) the cargo barges loading oversized Boeing parts. Some buyers find that working-waterfront foreground charming. Others want the postcard-clean view and end up choosing Boulevard Bluffs or another neighborhood instead. Walk both before deciding.

    Walkability — What’s a Real Walk From Here

    Port Gardner is one of the more walkable historic neighborhoods in Everett:

    • Downtown Everett: a short walk to the north — restaurants, the Historic Everett Theatre, Hewitt Avenue retail.
    • Grand Avenue Park: inside the neighborhood, with bay views and an active community use pattern.
    • Waterfront Place: a flat fifteen-minute walk down the hill to the Port of Everett marina, Boxcar Park, and the new Fisherman’s Harbor restaurants.
    • Everett Station / transit: a longer walk or short drive to the regional bus and Sound Transit hub, including the post-merger Community Transit network.

    Schools, Services, Amenities

    Port Gardner is in the Everett Public Schools district. Specific school assignments depend on the home’s address — verify with the district before contracting. There are no commercial corridors inside the neighborhood; restaurants, grocery, and most services are reached either north (downtown Everett) or down the hill (Waterfront Place). For most relocating buyers, that pattern is a feature, not a bug — the neighborhood stays residential and quiet.

    Comparing to the Neighbors

    How Port Gardner stacks up against the neighborhoods relocating buyers most often weigh against it:

    • Northwest Everett: The closest comparable. Slightly larger geographically, anchored by Everett Community College and Grand Avenue Park. Newer-resident energy. Our Northwest Everett guide covers the comparison in depth.
    • Bayside: Directly east of Port Gardner, between the neighborhood and the river. Different residential character; less of the historic-architecture density.
    • Boulevard Bluffs / View Ridge–Madison: Newer, family-oriented neighborhoods further south. Newer schools, newer parks, newer construction. The trade-off: less of the original-Everett story.

    The Right-Buyer Profile, Honestly

    Port Gardner is the right neighborhood if you:

    • Value historic architecture and want the inspection-conversation reality of older homes.
    • Want walkability to downtown and to the waterfront more than walkability to schools.
    • Like the working-waterfront character of the bay view rather than wanting an unobstructed open-water view.
    • Plan to invest in your home over time — many Port Gardner homes reward sustained restoration work with both lifestyle and resale upside.

    It’s the wrong neighborhood if you want new construction, family-oriented school catchments at the doorstep, or a neighborhood with commercial conveniences inside its boundaries. Both Boulevard Bluffs and View Ridge–Madison are better fits for those buyers.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Are most Port Gardner homes original?

    Many are, particularly the Craftsman bungalow stock from the 1910s and 1920s and the Queen Anne mansions from the 1890s. Mid-century cottages were infilled during Everett’s wartime housing crunch.

    How does pricing compare to Northwest Everett?

    Pricing is comparable to Northwest Everett at the historic-bluff level, with Port Gardner often slightly more for premium Rucker Hill addresses and slightly less for blocks further from the bluff. Our three-submarket Everett housing guide walks through the broader comparison.

    What’s the schools situation?

    Port Gardner is in the Everett Public Schools district. Specific assignments depend on the home’s address; verify with the district before contracting.

    Can I walk to the marina from a Port Gardner home?

    Yes. From Rucker Hill or the bluff streets, the walk to Waterfront Place at the Port of Everett is flat (well, downhill on the way out) and runs about fifteen minutes. The walk back is uphill.

    What’s the commute like?

    Downtown Everett is short. Paine Field and the Boeing complex are 10–20 minutes by car depending on traffic. Seattle is 30–45 minutes most days; Everett Station provides Sound Transit and bus connections. The post-merger Everett/Community Transit network covers the regional bus side.

    Is HOA membership required?

    The Port Gardner Neighborhood Association is a voluntary residents’ association — not an HOA in the legal/contract sense. Most Port Gardner homes have no HOA dues; verify on a property-by-property basis through the seller’s disclosure.

    Related Exploring Everett Coverage