Tag: Washington State

  • Everett Public Schools Will Drop Naviance for SchooLinks This September — Here’s What Families Need to Know

    Everett Public Schools Will Drop Naviance for SchooLinks This September — Here’s What Families Need to Know

    Quick answer: Beginning September 2026, Everett Public Schools is replacing Naviance with SchooLinks as the platform every student uses for their state-required High School and Beyond Plan. The switch isn’t optional for the district — Washington’s Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction selected SchooLinks as the universal statewide platform, and EPS is one of more than 200 districts moving to it. Naviance keeps running through the 2025–26 school year. The biggest practical change for families: SchooLinks is built for parents and guardians to log in too, so for the first time in a long time, you’ll actually be able to see your kid’s plan.

    If you’ve been a parent in Everett Public Schools for more than a couple of years, you’ve probably heard the words “High School and Beyond Plan” enough times to tune them out. The plan is a state graduation requirement, every student in grades 7–12 has one, and most parents have only the dimmest sense of what’s actually in it. That’s about to change.

    Starting in September 2026, EPS is switching from Naviance — the platform students have been using for years — to SchooLinks, the new statewide platform Washington’s Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) picked for every district in the state. The transition isn’t a local district decision. It’s a state-level move, and Everett is just doing its part of it on schedule.

    Here’s what’s actually changing, why, and what it means for families across Cascade, Everett, Henry M. Jackson, and Sequoia.

    The state made the call, not the district

    Washington has required a High School and Beyond Plan for graduation for years. The plan starts in 7th grade and is supposed to follow the student all the way through high school — connecting their interests to their classes, their post-graduation training plans, and what they actually want to do for work.

    The problem was that every district was using its own platform. Some used Naviance. Some used Xello. Some used home-grown spreadsheets and Google Docs. When students moved between districts — and Snohomish County families move a lot — their plan didn’t move with them.

    In May 2024, OSPI announced that SchooLinks would be the new universal statewide platform. The 2025 OSPI Report to the Legislature laid out the transition timeline. Per state law, every district serving grades 7–12 has to be on SchooLinks by the 2026–27 school year.

    For Everett Public Schools, that means September 2026. Naviance keeps working through this current 2025–26 school year. Then the lights go out and SchooLinks comes on.

    What’s actually different about SchooLinks

    If you’ve ever helped a kid log into Naviance, you know the experience: the student logs in, parents don’t have an account, and the only way you find out what’s in the plan is if your kid shows you their screen.

    SchooLinks is built differently. The platform includes family access — meaning parents and guardians can log in directly, see their student’s plan, see what classes are mapped to what career interests, and engage with the planning process without having to lean over their teenager’s shoulder. EPS has flagged this as one of the biggest practical changes for families.

    The platform itself is the kind of career-and-college planning toolkit you’d expect in 2026. Students use it to set goals, plan coursework four years out, explore career fields, look at financial aid, and build out a résumé. The big difference from Naviance is that SchooLinks is designed to be the system of record for the state’s High School and Beyond Plan, which means the plan you build follows the student between districts and across the state.

    Why this matters for Everett specifically

    Everett Public Schools enrolls roughly 19,000 students across 26 schools, and the district has been running one of the higher-performing High School and Beyond Plan implementations in the state — the 2024–25 graduating class hit a record graduation rate well above the state average, and the district credits in part the work students do in their HSBP.

    The risk in any platform transition is that the plans students have already built in Naviance get stranded. EPS has said Naviance will continue through the 2025–26 school year, which gives counselors a runway to migrate plans, train staff, and roll the new platform out without dumping a half-finished plan on a junior six months before graduation. Families with a senior graduating in spring 2026 will finish their HSBP entirely in Naviance. Families with a 7th–11th grader will see the change next fall.

    The district has set up an email — hsbp@everettsd.org — for families with questions about the transition. School counselors are the front-line resource, and counselors at each high school will have specific guidance on what to do with existing Naviance plans during the transition window.

    How this connects to Career Connected Learning

    EPS has been pushing Career Connected Learning (CCL) for years now, and the SchooLinks transition fits into that bigger picture. CCL is the framework that ties classroom learning to extended learning (camps, after-school programs, clubs) and work-based learning (internships, apprenticeships, job shadows). The High School and Beyond Plan is the through-line that connects all of it for the student.

    In practice, that means a Cascade High student interested in aerospace can map a four-year course plan in SchooLinks, link it to Boeing-area internships through CCL, and track it all in one place — with their parents able to see the same view. That’s the use case the state is optimizing for, and it’s the use case Everett’s been building toward at the district level.

    What Everett families should do right now

    If your student has an active Naviance plan, you don’t need to do anything urgent. Naviance is still the official platform through June 2026.

    What’s worth doing in the next few months:

    Ask your student to show you their current plan. Even before SchooLinks rolls out, the High School and Beyond Plan is a real document and a real graduation requirement. Most parents don’t know what’s in it. Now is a good time.

    Check the EPS High School and Beyond Plan page at everettsd.org/college-career-readiness/high-school-and-beyond-plan for transition updates as fall 2026 gets closer.

    Watch for SchooLinks family-account information in late summer or early fall 2026. The whole point of the platform change is that you’ll be able to log in. Take the opportunity when it shows up.

    Reach out to your student’s school counselor if you have a junior or senior in spring 2026 and you’re worried about plan continuity. Counselors will have the most accurate, school-specific guidance.

    The bigger picture is that Washington’s High School and Beyond Plan is finally getting a single platform every district uses, every student carries with them between districts, and every family can see. Everett’s part of that’s happening this September.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    When does Everett Public Schools switch from Naviance to SchooLinks?
    SchooLinks officially launches for EPS students and families in September 2026. Naviance continues to be used through the 2025–26 school year, so seniors graduating in spring 2026 will complete their High School and Beyond Plan entirely in Naviance.

    Why is EPS making this switch?
    The Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) selected SchooLinks as the universal statewide High School and Beyond Plan platform for all districts. Every Washington district serving grades 7–12 is required to be on SchooLinks by the 2026–27 school year per state law.

    Will parents and guardians have access to SchooLinks?
    Yes — that’s one of the biggest changes. SchooLinks includes family access, allowing parents and guardians to log in and view their student’s High School and Beyond Plan and progress directly. Naviance did not support family logins for most districts.

    What is the High School and Beyond Plan?
    The High School and Beyond Plan is a state graduation requirement in Washington. Every public school student starts the plan in 7th grade and updates it through high school, mapping career interests to coursework, post-graduation training, and college planning.

    Will my student lose their Naviance plan when the switch happens?
    EPS has not published specific migration details yet, but the district has committed to a smooth transition with Naviance running through the full 2025–26 school year. Families with specific concerns about plan continuity should contact their student’s school counselor or email hsbp@everettsd.org.

    How many other Washington districts are on SchooLinks?
    OSPI announced in 2024 that 156 districts plus tribal compact schools, technical colleges, and charter schools committed to SchooLinks for the 2025–26 school year, joining 45 districts that launched the platform in 2024–25. By 2026–27, every district serving grades 7–12 will be on it.

    Does this affect Cascade, Everett, Jackson, and Sequoia high schools differently?
    No — the transition applies district-wide. Counselors at each high school will provide school-specific guidance on existing plans, but the platform itself is the same across all four EPS comprehensive high schools.

    Where can families ask questions about the transition?
    Email hsbp@everettsd.org or contact your student’s school counselor directly. The EPS website at everettsd.org/college-career-readiness/high-school-and-beyond-plan is the canonical source for transition updates.

  • Hurricane Ridge in May: What to Know Before You Go (Plus a Festival Worth the Drive)

    Hurricane Ridge in May: What to Know Before You Go (Plus a Festival Worth the Drive)

    Port Angeles sits at the edge of two worlds. Behind it, the Olympic Mountains rise sharp and permanent. In front, the Strait of Juan de Fuca stretches toward Vancouver Island. In May, both of those worlds are at their most alive — and this city of 20,000 is the gateway to some of the best spring experiences on the entire peninsula. Two things belong on your radar right now: Hurricane Ridge just opened for the season, and the Juan de Fuca Festival of the Arts is three weeks out.

    Here is what you actually need to know.

    Hurricane Ridge in May: Plan Before You Drive

    Hurricane Ridge is 18 miles from downtown Port Angeles by road — a 5,242-foot climb that ends in a meadow so wide and open it feels like the top of the world. In May, the snowpack is retreating, wildflowers are beginning to push through the meadow, and black-tailed deer are visible most mornings near the ridge road. On a clear day, the view spans the Strait of Juan de Fuca all the way to the Canadian Gulf Islands.

    But there is a catch: access is metered, and if you show up midmorning on a weekend without a plan, you may get turned around at the gate.

    Here is how the system works. The first 175 vehicles of the day pass through the Heart O' the Hills Entrance Station freely. After that, the next 140 vehicles are admitted on a one-in-one-out basis — as a car leaves the ridge, one more is allowed in. Once 315 total vehicles have entered, the road closes to private cars for the remainder of the day. On busy weekends and holidays, that threshold can be hit before noon.

    The practical advice: arrive before 9am. The drive from downtown Port Angeles takes about 30 minutes. An early start gives you the meadows in morning light, fewer people on the trails, and the best chance at seeing wildlife before the ridge fills up.

    One more thing to know before you go: the Hurricane Ridge Day Lodge burned down in May 2023, and the planned $80 million reconstruction is currently on hold due to federal budget constraints. That means there are no indoor restrooms, no café, and no heated shelter at the top. Portable facilities are on-site, but plan as if you are heading into a trailhead, not a visitor center. Bring layers — the ridge sits above 5,000 feet and the weather can shift fast — plus enough food and water for your time on the mountain.

    For current road conditions and real-time access status, call the Olympic National Park road report line at 360-565-3131. The Heart O' the Hills Entrance Station is located on Hurricane Ridge Road, Port Angeles.

    Juan de Fuca Festival of the Arts: Memorial Day Weekend in Port Angeles

    Three weeks from now, downtown Port Angeles transforms. The 34th Annual Juan de Fuca Festival of the Arts runs May 22–24, 2026 — Memorial Day Weekend — and it is the peninsula's premier music and arts event of the season.

    The setting alone is worth the trip. Five stages spread across the downtown waterfront, with the Olympic Mountains behind you and the strait in front. The music spans the full range: bluegrass, blues, jazz, folk, Americana, and more. The festival has been running since the early 1990s and draws performers and attendees from across the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

    Beyond the music, the festival runs a free artisan street fair with local makers and vendors, a beer and wine garden, a Kids Zone for families, and a Community Tent. The street fair is open to everyone — no ticket required to browse and shop.

    For visitors combining the festival with other peninsula stops: the Black Ball Ferry Line's MV Coho runs daily service between Port Angeles and Victoria, BC (90-minute crossing), making it possible to come in by boat and walk straight into the festival. If you are driving, US-101 brings you into the heart of Port Angeles.

    Ticket and lineup information at jffa.org.

    Plan Your Visit

    If you are coming to Port Angeles this month, the combination of Hurricane Ridge and the Juan de Fuca Festival makes for a full two-day itinerary. Arrive early on a weekend morning and drive the ridge before the vehicle meter fills — figure three to four hours for the drive up, a walk through the meadow, and the return. Come back down to Port Angeles for lunch at the waterfront, then explore the downtown arts district in the afternoon. If your timing lines up with May 22–24, stay through Memorial Day weekend for the festival.

    For planning: Olympic National Park entrance fee is $35 per vehicle (annual pass accepted). Hurricane Ridge Road opens daily from Port Angeles — check conditions at 360-565-3131 before you go. Juan de Fuca Festival runs May 22–24 downtown Port Angeles; full info at jffa.org. The MV Coho Ferry departs from the Port Angeles ferry terminal at the foot of Laurel Street; reservations recommended at cohoferry.com.

  • Belfair und Mason County für FIFA WM 2026-Besucher: Die stille Alternative im Pazifischen Nordwesten

    Belfair und Mason County für FIFA WM 2026-Besucher: Die stille Alternative im Pazifischen Nordwesten

    Wenn Seattles Hotels während der FIFA WM 2026 ausgebucht sind und internationale Fans weiter suchen, schauen die meisten nach Norden Richtung Everett oder nach Osten nach Bellevue. Reisende, die nach Westen schauen — über den Puget Sound mit der Fähre nach Mason County und der Gemeinde Belfair — werden etwas vorfinden, das die anderen nicht haben: Stille, Wasser, Wald und den echten pazifischen Nordwesten.

    Mason County auf einen Blick: Mason County liegt an der südöstlichen Ecke der Olympischen Halbinsel, begrenzt vom Hood Canal im Westen und dem südlichen Puget Sound im Osten. Kreisstadt ist Shelton. Belfair liegt an der südlichen Spitze des Hood Canal — einem natürlichen Fjord, bekannt für Austernzucht, Tauchsport und Ausblicke auf die Olympic Mountains. Entfernung von Seattle: 96 km auf dem Landweg oder 48 km über die Bremerton-Fähre.

    Warum Mason County für WM-Besucher?

    Der praktische Fall ist einfach: Seattles Hotelkapazitäten werden während der WM-Spielperioden stark eingeschränkt sein. Mason County bietet Unterkunftsmöglichkeiten — Ferienwohnungen, kleine Gasthäuser und Campingplätze — die verfügbar und erschwinglich bleiben werden, wenn Seattle, Bellevue und Everett ausgebucht sind.

    Der strategische Fall ist interessanter: Mason County ist, wo der pazifische Nordwesten wirklich lebt. Hood Canal-Austern werden wenige Kilometer von den Unterkünften der Reisenden geerntet. Die Olympic Mountains sind vom Waterfront aus sichtbar. Die Skokomish Nation, einer von neun bundesstaatlich anerkannten Stämmen auf der Olympischen Halbinsel, hat hier kulturelle Präsenz und Geschichte, der internationale Besucher im städtischen Tourismus selten begegnen.

    Anreise von Mason County zu den Spielen in Seattle

    • Washington State Ferry: Seattle–Bremerton — 60-minütige Überfahrt von Colman Dock im Stadtzentrum Seattle. Von Bremerton liegt Belfair 32 km südlich auf dem Highway 3. Gesamtreisezeit von Seattle: ca. 90 Minuten.
    • Landweg über Highway 16 und Highway 3 — Von Seattle über die Tacoma Narrows Bridge und nördlich auf dem Highway 3 durch Bremerton. Fahrzeit 75–90 Minuten ohne Verkehr.

    Hood Canal Austern: Ein Weltklasse-Erlebnis

    Das kalte, saubere Wasser des Hood Canal und sein erheblicher Tidenhub erzeugen Pazifische Austern (Crassostrea gigas) mit einem Geschmacksprofil, das ernsthafte Austernkenner zu den besten der Welt zählen. Taylor Shellfish Farms betreibt einen Einzelhandelsstandort in Shelton, wo Reisende lebende Austern, Muscheln und Geoduck direkt vom Erzeuger kaufen können.

    Für deutsche Reisende, die Austernkultur von der Nordseeküste oder Bretagne kennen: Hood Canal-Austern sind frischer und salziger als europäische Flachaustern, mit einem mineralischen Abgang vom Kaskadengletscher-Schmelzwasser, der diese Austern unverwechselbar macht.

    Outdoor-Aktivitäten rund um Belfair

    Lake Cushman

    Der Lake Cushman ist ein 1.600 Hektar großes Stausee in den Ausläufern der Olympic Mountains, 56 km nordwestlich von Belfair. Der See bietet Kajaken, Schwimmen und Wanderwegzugang zum Staircase-Bereich des Olympic National Park — einem der am wenigsten besuchten Abschnitte des Parks mit beeindruckendem Urwald aus Douglastannen.

    Theler Wetlands

    Das Theler Community Center und die Feuchtgebiete in Belfair unterhalten ein 5 km langes Wanderwegsystem durch Gezeitensümpfe, Wald und das Union River Ästuar. Die Feuchtgebiete sind eine Brutkolonie des Kanadareihers. Der Eintritt ist kostenlos.

    Praktische Hinweise für deutsche Reisende

    Mason County hat begrenzte ÖPNV-Infrastruktur — ein Mietwagen oder Ridesharing ist die praktischste Option. Mobilfunkempfang in Belfair und entlang des Highways 106 ist mit den großen US-Anbietern ausreichend. Sommertemperaturen in Mason County (Juli–August): angenehme 18–27 °C mit gelegentlichem Morgennebel, der sich bis Mittag auflöst.

    Häufig gestellte Fragen

    Wie weit ist Belfair von den WM-Spielen in Seattle entfernt?

    Belfair liegt ca. 96 km vom Lumen Field entfernt. Der schnellste Weg ist die Washington State Ferry von Colman Dock nach Bremerton (60 Minuten) plus 20 Minuten Fahrt nach Süden.

    Was macht Mason County und Belfair für WM-Besucher besonders?

    Hood Canal-Austern, Blicke auf die Olympic Mountains, Belfair State Park und Zugang zum Staircase-Bereich des Olympic National Park — Mason County bietet ein echtes pazifisches Nordwesten-Erlebnis, kein bloßes Ausweichquartier.

    Wo kann ich Hood Canal-Austern in Mason County essen?

    Taylor Shellfish Farms in Shelton verkauft direkt an Endkunden. Alderbrook Resort and Spa in Union serviert Hood Canal-Meeresfrüchte in einem Waterfront-Restaurant. Mehrere informelle Restaurants entlang des Highways 106 bieten lokale Meeresfrüchte in der Saison an.


  • Tagesausflüge zur Olympischen Halbinsel für FIFA WM 2026-Besucher

    Tagesausflüge zur Olympischen Halbinsel für FIFA WM 2026-Besucher

    Die FIFA Weltmeisterschaft 2026 bringt die Welt nach Seattle — und weniger als zwei Stunden vom Spielort Lumen Field entfernt liegt eine der ökologisch vielfältigsten und landschaftlich dramatischsten Regionen Nordamerikas. Die Olympische Halbinsel beherbergt gemäßigte Regenwälder, vergletscherte Gipfel, wilde Pazifikküste und kulturelles Erbe indigener Völker. Für internationale Reisende mit einem freien Tag zwischen Spielen ist die Olympische Halbinsel der Ausflug, der die Reise unvergesslich macht.

    Kurzübersicht: Die Olympische Halbinsel ist eine 9.300 km² große Landmasse westlich des Puget Sound, erreichbar mit der Fähre von Seattle oder Edmonds. Sie enthält den Olympic National Park — UNESCO-Welterbe und Internationales Biosphärenreservat — mit vergletscherten Gipfeln, dem Hoh-Regenwald (einer von nur vier gemäßigten Regenwäldern der Welt), 117 km wilder Pazifikküste und dem Elwha-River-Ökosystem.

    Anreise zur Olympischen Halbinsel von Seattle

    • Fähre Seattle Colman Dock – Bainbridge Island — Washington State Ferries, häufige Überfahrten (35 Minuten). Von Bainbridge Island ca. 90 Minuten Fahrt auf dem Highway 101 bis Port Angeles.
    • Fähre Edmonds – Kingston — Kürzere Überfahrt (25 Minuten) von Edmonds (30 Minuten nördlich von Seattle, mit dem Sounder-Zug erreichbar). Von Kingston nach Sequim oder Port Angeles ca. 75 Minuten.

    Drei Tagesausflüge zur Olympischen Halbinsel

    Ausflug 1: Hoh-Regenwald und Pazifikküste

    Der Hoh-Regenwald im westlichen Inneren des Olympic National Park empfängt bis zu 355 cm Regen pro Jahr und erzeugt ein Waldökosystem aus jahrhundertealten Sitka-Fichten, Rotzedren und Großblatt-Ahornen, die mit Clubmoos behangen sind. Der Hall of Mosses-Trail (1,3 km, leicht) gehört zu den meistfotografierten Waldlandschaften Nordamerikas. Von dort erreicht man in 40 Minuten Ruby Beach an der Pazifikküste — eine wilde Küstenlinie mit Meeresformationen und Gezeitentümpeln in einem Ausmaß, das in Europa seinesgleichen sucht.

    Ausflug 2: Hurricane Ridge und Port Angeles

    Hurricane Ridge liegt auf 1.597 Metern in den Olympic Mountains, erreichbar über eine 27 km lange asphaltierte Straße von Port Angeles. Im Sommer bietet der Kamm Panoramablicke auf die Olympic Range, die Strait of Juan de Fuca und Vancouver Island in Kanada. Wildblumen blühen im Juli und August. Schwarzwedelhirsche begegnet man häufig auf den Präriewegen — für deutsche Wanderer ein vertrautes, aber landschaftlich ganz anderes Erlebnis.

    Ausflug 3: Sequim und die Dungeness Spit

    Sequim (ausgesprochen “skwim”) liegt im Regenschatten der Olympic Mountains und empfängt nur 40 cm Regen pro Jahr — deutlich weniger als Seattles 97 cm. Die Stadt ist für ihre Lavendelfarmen bekannt, die im Juli blühen. Das Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge schützt die Dungeness Spit — die längste natürliche Sandnehrung der USA, die sich 8,8 km in die Strait of Juan de Fuca erstreckt.

    Mason County: Das östliche Tor zur Halbinsel

    Mason County liegt an der südöstlichen Ecke der Olympischen Halbinsel, begrenzt vom Hood Canal — einem natürlichen Fjord. Der Hood Canal ist eine weltklasse Austernzuchtregion; Taylor Shellfish Farms in Shelton verkauft direkt an Endkunden. Für deutsche Reisende, die europäische Austernkultur kennen, ist der Vergleich mit Hood Canal-Austern lohnenswert: mineralischer Abgang durch das Schmelzwasser der Kaskaden, frischer und salziger als europäische Flachaustern.

    Praktische Hinweise

    Der Olympic National Park erhebt Eintrittsgebühren — der America the Beautiful-Jahrespass (erhältlich an jedem Parkeingang) deckt alle nationalen Parks und Freizeitgebiete der USA für ein Jahr ab. Mobilfunkempfang im Inneren der Halbinsel ist begrenzt — Offline-Karten vor der Abfahrt herunterladen. Tankstellen sind im Parkinneren rar — in Port Angeles oder Forks volltanken.

    Häufig gestellte Fragen

    Wie komme ich ohne Auto zur Olympischen Halbinsel?

    Fußgänger können die Washington State Ferry von Colman Dock nach Bainbridge Island (35 Minuten) nehmen und dann Mietwagen oder geführte Touren in Poulsbo oder Port Angeles buchen. Olympic Bus Lines bietet Shuttleservice zwischen Port Angeles und Seattle.

    Lohnt sich ein Tagesausflug zur Olympischen Halbinsel während der WM?

    Ja. Der Hoh-Regenwald, Hurricane Ridge und die Pazifikküste bei Ruby Beach sind Naturziele von Weltklasse ohne Entsprechung in den WM-Gastgeberstädten. Deutsche Reisende, die Wanderungen in den Alpen oder im Schwarzwald kennen, werden das Maßstäbliche dieser Landschaft schätzen — die Olympic Mountains sind in ihrer Kombination aus Küste, Regenwald und Gletscher einzigartig.

    Welches Ziel auf der Olympischen Halbinsel ist von Seattle am nächsten?

    Sequim und die Dungeness Spit liegen ca. 2 Stunden vom Stadtzentrum Seattles entfernt — über die Bainbridge-Fähre, oder 90 Minuten über die Edmonds-Kingston-Fähre von Nord-Seattle oder Everett.


  • Everett’s Lenora Regional Stormwater Treatment Facility: The Complete 2026 Guide to the $8.7M Lowell Project Cleaning the Snohomish River

    Everett’s Lenora Regional Stormwater Treatment Facility: The Complete 2026 Guide to the $8.7M Lowell Project Cleaning the Snohomish River

    Quick answer: The Lenora Regional Stormwater Treatment Facility is an $8.73 million water-quality project breaking ground in April 2026 on a 0.27-acre, city-owned lot at the corner of Lenora Street and S 1st Avenue in Lowell, immediately adjacent to Lowell Riverfront Park. It is funded primarily by Washington State Department of Ecology Water Quality Combined Financial Assistance Agreement WQC-2025-EverPW-00177 in the amount of $8,733,920 — effectively the entire project cost. The facility will treat stormwater runoff from 146 acres of Lowell drainage (subbasins LW-9, LW-10, and LW-11) before it discharges into the Marshland Canal and the Snohomish River, removing total suspended solids, dissolved copper and zinc, total petroleum hydrocarbons, and total phosphorus.

    Why an $8.7M Stormwater Project Is Bigger News Than It Looks

    While most of Everett’s construction conversation in April 2026 has been about a $120 million stadium and 300 new waterfront apartments, an $8.73 million project is starting this month on a half-acre lot in Lowell that will quietly do more for the Snohomish River than any other capital project the city is funding right now. It is one of those projects nobody will livestream and nobody will design-render. It is also exactly the kind of work that determines whether Everett’s waterfront stays swimmable, fishable, and credible as a sustainability story over the next decade.

    Where It Is and What It Does

    The site is small — 11,944 square feet, 0.27 acres — at the northeast corner of S 1st Avenue and Lenora Street, immediately adjacent to Lowell Riverfront Park, on the west side of the BNSF railroad tracks. If you have ever parked at the Lowell Riverfront Trail to walk the dog, you have driven past it without noticing.

    The facility’s job is to take stormwater runoff from three drainage subbasins in Lowell — known to city staff as LW-9, LW-10, and LW-11, totaling 146.10 acres — and run it through a treatment train before it reaches the Marshland Canal system, which discharges into the Snohomish River. The first phase of the facility is a five-cell Filterra Bioscape system with two of the five cells fully functional at opening, giving the city a phased path to scale up treatment capacity as the surrounding subbasins develop further.

    What Gets Removed From the Runoff

    The contaminants the Lenora facility is designed to capture are the standard menu of urban stormwater pollutants:

    • Total suspended solids (TSS) — particulate matter that clouds water and smothers spawning gravel.
    • Total petroleum hydrocarbons — oil and fuel runoff from streets, driveways, and parking lots.
    • Dissolved copper — primarily from vehicle brake pads. Copper is acutely toxic to juvenile salmon at very low concentrations.
    • Dissolved zinc — from tire wear, galvanized metal, and roofing.
    • Total phosphorus — the driver of summer algae blooms downstream.

    The Marshland Canal discharges to the Snohomish River, which means everything the facility removes is something that does not enter the river — and does not enter Possession Sound or any of the salmon habitat between Lowell and the river mouth.

    The Funding Story

    The project is funded primarily by the Washington State Department of Ecology under Water Quality Combined Financial Assistance Agreement WQC-2025-EverPW-00177, in the amount of $8,733,920. That is roughly the entire project cost, which is why the City of Everett can deliver an $8.7M facility without putting it on the local utility bill.

    For Everett residents already absorbing the proposed $10.74-per-month utility tax hike going through council right now, the Lenora project is the rare piece of stormwater infrastructure that does not show up on your bill at all. The state Ecology grant covers it.

    Why Lowell Needed This

    Lowell is one of Everett’s most environmentally complex neighborhoods. It sits on a low riverfront bench between the Snohomish River and the BNSF tracks, with three small subbasins draining toward the Marshland Canal. The geography means stormwater from streets, parking lots, and roofs throughout the neighborhood concentrates fast and hits the river hard during rain events.

    The 146 acres covered by the Lenora facility include a mix of residential, commercial, and rail-adjacent uses. That mix is exactly the kind of urban runoff cocktail that does the most damage to salmon habitat, because dissolved copper from brake pads and dissolved zinc from tire wear behave like concentrated toxins for juvenile fish even at very low concentrations. Removing those before they reach the river is the difference between a healthy salmon return and a steady decline.

    How It Fits Everett’s Bigger Stormwater Picture

    Everett operates under a state-issued NPDES Phase II Municipal Stormwater Permit. Among other things, that permit requires the city to identify high-priority drainage areas and progressively install treatment infrastructure that meets state water quality standards. The Stormwater Management Action Plan (SMAP) the city has been refining for several years identifies the Lowell subbasins as priorities precisely because they discharge directly to a salmon-bearing waterway with limited dilution. The Lenora facility is one of the more visible deliverables of that plan.

    What It Means for the Lowell Riverfront Trail

    The construction site is immediately adjacent to Lowell Riverfront Park, which means anyone using the Lowell Riverfront Trail this spring and summer should expect periodic construction activity, equipment staging, and possible short trail detours along the affected segment near S 1st Avenue and Lenora Street. The city’s Public Works department will post detour signage if any trail closures become necessary.

    The good news for trail users: the facility is going on a small footprint at the edge of the park, not inside it. The trail itself stays intact. Once the facility opens, the only visible change at the site will be the Filterra system’s surface elements — bioretention cells, a small access path, and a city interpretive sign that the Public Works department typically installs at completed water quality projects.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Where exactly is the Lenora Stormwater Treatment Facility?

    At the northeast corner of S 1st Avenue and Lenora Street in Lowell, on a 0.27-acre city-owned lot adjacent to Lowell Riverfront Park, west of the BNSF railroad tracks.

    How is it funded?

    Primarily by a Washington State Department of Ecology Water Quality Combined Financial Assistance Agreement (WQC-2025-EverPW-00177) for $8,733,920 — effectively the full project cost.

    Will it raise my Everett utility bill?

    No. The state Ecology grant covers the project. This is structurally separate from the proposed $10.74-per-month utility tax hike currently before the City Council, which is a different revenue mechanism for general fund purposes.

    What pollutants does it remove?

    Total suspended solids, total petroleum hydrocarbons, dissolved copper, dissolved zinc, and total phosphorus — the contaminants most responsible for water-quality damage to juvenile salmon and downstream algae blooms.

    Where does the treated water go?

    The treated runoff discharges into the Marshland Canal system, which discharges into the Snohomish River.

    How big is the drainage area being treated?

    146.10 acres across three Lowell subbasins (LW-9, LW-10, LW-11). The treatment train uses a five-cell Filterra Bioscape system; two of the five cells will be fully functional at opening, with capacity to scale up.

    Will the Lowell Riverfront Trail close?

    Trail users should expect periodic construction activity and possible short detours along the segment near S 1st Avenue and Lenora Street. Public Works will post detour signage if any trail closures become necessary. The trail itself remains intact; the facility footprint is at the edge of the park, not inside it.

    Related Exploring Everett Coverage

  • Two Years of ZeroAvia at Paine Field: The Complete 2026 Guide to Hydrogen-Electric Aviation in Everett

    Two Years of ZeroAvia at Paine Field: The Complete 2026 Guide to Hydrogen-Electric Aviation in Everett

    Quick answer: ZeroAvia’s Propulsion Center of Excellence at Paine Field in Everett, Washington opened on April 24, 2024 as the company’s first U.S. manufacturing facility. Two years later, in April 2026, the 136,000-square-foot building remains the most significant single hydrogen-electric aviation manufacturing site in North America. It manufactures electric motors and power electronics for ZeroAvia’s ZA600 (600 kW) and ZA2000 (1.8 MW) hydrogen-electric powertrains, and supplies aviation-grade components to other electric and hybrid aircraft programs. The company’s public roadmap targets a 300-mile-range, 10–20-seat hydrogen-electric powertrain by the end of 2026 and a 700-mile-range, 40–80-seat powertrain by 2028.

    Why a Two-Year Anniversary Is Actually a Story

    On April 24, 2024, then-Governor Jay Inslee, U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-2), and U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene (WA-1) cut a ribbon at a 136,000-square-foot building on the south side of Paine Field. The building is ZeroAvia’s Propulsion Center of Excellence — the company’s first U.S. manufacturing facility, and the largest single physical bet in North American hydrogen aviation at the time.

    Two years later, the building is still here. The bet is still live. Most aerospace coverage in Everett is still about the 737 MAX North Line ramping up across the airfield and the 777X moving through FAA Phase 4A. But the quieter story two miles away is that Paine Field is now the anchor address for hydrogen-electric aviation in the United States — and the manufacturing capacity that has to exist before any commercial hydrogen flight ever happens is being built right here.

    What ZeroAvia Actually Builds at Paine Field

    ZeroAvia’s core technology is a hydrogen-electric powertrain. Hydrogen fuel cells produce electricity. The electricity drives high-output electric motors. The motors spin propellers. Water vapor is the only emission. The energy density of hydrogen — roughly 100 times that of the best lithium-ion batteries available today — is what makes the math work for regional aircraft, where battery-only designs run out of range long before they run out of seats.

    The Everett Propulsion Center of Excellence builds two specific things inside that powertrain: the electric motors that turn the propeller, and the power electronics — inverters, converters, motor controllers — that condition the electricity coming off the fuel cell. The facility supports both of ZeroAvia’s announced systems (the 600-kilowatt ZA600 and the 1.8-megawatt-class ZA2000) and a separate components business that sells aviation-grade motors and inverters to other electric and hybrid aircraft programs.

    That second piece matters more than most coverage acknowledges. It means the Everett facility is not betting everything on ZeroAvia winning the entire hydrogen aviation race. Every electric aircraft program in the world that needs an aviation-grade motor or inverter — small electric trainers, hybrid regional aircraft, electric vertical takeoff platforms — is a potential customer for components manufactured at Paine Field.

    Why ZeroAvia Picked Everett

    ZeroAvia announced Paine Field as its U.S. R&D site in January 2022 and broke ground on the manufacturing expansion the following year. The reasons it picked Everett look familiar to anyone who has watched aerospace site selection in Snohomish County:

    • The supply chain. Snohomish County is home to more than 1,350 aerospace-related business establishments — composite shops, precision machining houses, test labs, avionics integrators. Every one of them makes the job of standing up a new propulsion line easier than it would be in a city without aerospace muscle memory.
    • The workforce. The same machinists, engineers, and technicians who build Boeing wide bodies can build hydrogen fuel cell stacks and high-output electric motors. Aviation-grade manufacturing skills do not have a propulsion bias. The IAM 751 Machinists Institute pipeline that feeds the 737 North Line is the same pipeline ZeroAvia can recruit from.
    • The airport. Paine Field is one of the few general aviation airports in the country with the runway length, the FAA infrastructure, and the operational tempo to support flight testing of new propulsion systems. ZeroAvia conducts ground testing, hot-fire tests, and component validation directly on the airfield.
    • The state’s commitment. The Washington State Department of Commerce backed the original site selection with a state grant, citing aerospace cluster development and decarbonization as joint policy goals. The bipartisan congressional turnout at the 2024 ribbon cutting reflected that.

    The Public Roadmap, Two Years In

    ZeroAvia’s published roadmap targets two milestones the Everett facility is building toward:

    • End of 2026: A 300-mile-range hydrogen-electric powertrain in a 10- to 20-seat aircraft — the size class served today by the Cessna Caravan, the Britten-Norman Islander, and the De Havilland Twin Otter on short regional and commuter routes.
    • By 2028: A 700-mile-range, 40- to 80-seat powertrain — the size class served today by the De Havilland Canada Dash 8 and the ATR 42/72 on regional turboprop routes.

    If those targets land on time, the Everett facility will be the manufacturing site for the first commercially certified hydrogen-electric propulsion system in U.S. regional aviation. The launch market will not be transcontinental airlines. It will be the regional carriers, cargo operators, and corporate fleets that fly short hops where the energy density of hydrogen and the simplicity of an electric motor become competitive with a turbine.

    It is important to be precise about what 2026 means: the powertrain target is the propulsion system itself, not a passenger-carrying delivery. Aircraft integration, FAA supplemental type certification, and operator approval are separate gates that follow.

    What the Anniversary Tells Us About Everett’s Aerospace Future

    For decades, the propulsion expertise on Paine Field has been turbofan-and-turboprop. Boeing’s twin-aisle widebody program, the 737 MAX North Line ramping up now in Everett’s first single-aisle final assembly line, Pratt & Whitney suppliers, and GE Aerospace partners have all built around that single technology base. Two years of ZeroAvia at Paine Field has added a second propulsion technology base: hydrogen-electric. The two are not in competition for the foreseeable future — wide bodies will keep flying the long-haul missions that hydrogen cannot reach for years — but they are now neighbors on the same airfield, drawing from the same workforce, and supplied by some of the same Snohomish County vendors.

    That layered model — legacy aerospace and clean propulsion sharing infrastructure — is what makes Everett different from any other aerospace cluster in the country right now. The 777X is moving through FAA certification at one end of the airfield. ZeroAvia is building the manufacturing capacity for the next regional propulsion technology at the other.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Where exactly is ZeroAvia’s Paine Field facility?

    ZeroAvia’s Propulsion Center of Excellence is located on the south side of Paine Field in Everett, Washington. The 136,000-square-foot facility is the company’s first U.S. manufacturing site and houses both R&D operations and the production line for electric motors and power electronics.

    When did ZeroAvia open at Paine Field?

    The ribbon cutting was on April 24, 2024. ZeroAvia first announced Paine Field as its U.S. R&D site in January 2022 and broke ground on the manufacturing expansion the following year. The two-year anniversary was April 24, 2026.

    What does ZeroAvia manufacture in Everett?

    The Everett facility manufactures the electric motors and power electronics that go into ZeroAvia’s hydrogen-electric powertrains — including the 600-kilowatt ZA600 and the 1.8-megawatt-class ZA2000 — and aviation-grade components sold to other electric and hybrid aircraft programs.

    How does a hydrogen-electric powertrain work?

    Hydrogen fuel cells generate electricity. The electricity drives high-output electric motors. The motors spin propellers. Water vapor is the only emission. The energy density of hydrogen is roughly 100 times that of the best lithium-ion batteries, which is what makes the math work for regional aircraft.

    What is ZeroAvia’s roadmap?

    The public roadmap targets a 300-mile-range hydrogen-electric powertrain in a 10- to 20-seat aircraft by the end of 2026, and a 700-mile-range, 40- to 80-seat powertrain by 2028. Both are powertrain targets, not passenger-carrying delivery dates.

    Is ZeroAvia in competition with Boeing in Everett?

    No. Boeing’s commercial program in Everett is in widebody and single-aisle commercial aviation that hydrogen-electric propulsion will not reach for the foreseeable future. ZeroAvia is targeting regional aircraft in the 10- to 80-seat class. The two propulsion technologies share workforce, suppliers, and airfield infrastructure but operate in different market segments.

    Who attended the original ribbon cutting in 2024?

    Then-Washington Governor Jay Inslee, U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-2, the district that includes Paine Field), and U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene (WA-1, the neighboring district). The bipartisan turnout reflected the state’s commitment to aerospace cluster development and decarbonization as joint policy goals.

    Related Exploring Everett Coverage

  • Everett’s Lenora Stormwater Treatment Facility Breaks Ground This Month: A $8.7M Snohomish River Cleanup Project Quietly Starts in Lowell

    Everett’s Lenora Stormwater Treatment Facility Breaks Ground This Month: A $8.7M Snohomish River Cleanup Project Quietly Starts in Lowell

    Q: What is the Lenora Regional Stormwater Treatment Facility, and when does construction start?

    A: It is a $8.73 million regional stormwater treatment facility being built in April 2026 on city-owned property at the corner of Lenora Street and S 1st Avenue in Lowell, adjacent to Lowell Riverfront Park. Funded primarily by a Washington State Department of Ecology Water Quality grant, it will treat runoff from 146 acres of Lowell drainage before it discharges into the Marshland Canal and the Snohomish River — removing total suspended solids, dissolved copper and zinc, oil and total phosphorus.

    While most of Everett’s construction conversation in April 2026 has been about a $120 million stadium and 300 new waterfront apartments, an $8.73 million project starts this month on a half-acre lot in Lowell that will quietly do more for the Snohomish River than any other capital project the city is funding right now.

    The Lenora Regional Stormwater Treatment Facility breaks ground in April 2026. It is one of the projects nobody will livestream and nobody will design-render, and it is exactly the kind of work that determines whether Everett’s waterfront stays swimmable, fishable, and credible as a sustainability story over the next decade.

    Where it is and what it does

    The site is small — 11,944 square feet, 0.27 acres — at the northeast corner of the S 1st Avenue and Lenora Street intersection, immediately adjacent to Lowell Riverfront Park, on the west side of the BNSF railroad tracks. If you have ever parked at the Lowell Riverfront Trail to walk the dog, you have driven past it without noticing.

    The facility’s job is to take stormwater runoff from three drainage subbasins in Lowell — known to city staff as LW-9, LW-10 and LW-11, totaling 146.10 acres — and run it through a treatment train before it ever reaches the Marshland Canal system, which discharges into the Snohomish River.

    The first phase of the facility is a five-cell Filterra Bioscape system with two of the five cells fully functional at opening. That gives the city a phased path to scale up treatment capacity as the surrounding subbasins develop further.

    What gets removed from the runoff

    The contaminants the Lenora facility is designed to capture are the standard menu of urban stormwater pollutants:

    • Total suspended solids (TSS) — particulate matter that clouds water and smothers spawning gravel.
    • Total petroleum hydrocarbons — oil and fuel runoff from streets, driveways, and parking lots.
    • Dissolved copper — primarily from vehicle brake pads. Copper is acutely toxic to juvenile salmon at very low concentrations.
    • Dissolved zinc — from tire wear, galvanized metal, and roofing.
    • Total phosphorus — the driver of summer algae blooms downstream.

    The Marshland Canal eventually discharges to the Snohomish River, which means everything the facility removes is something that does not enter the river — and does not enter Possession Sound or any of the salmon habitat between Lowell and the river mouth.

    The funding story

    The project is funded primarily by the Washington State Department of Ecology under Water Quality Combined Financial Assistance Agreement WQC-2025-EverPW-00177, in the amount of $8,733,920. That is roughly the entire project cost, which is why the City of Everett can deliver an $8.7M facility without putting it on the local utility bill.

    For Everett residents already absorbing the proposed $10.74-per-month utility tax hike going through council right now, the Lenora project is the rare piece of stormwater infrastructure that does not show up on your bill at all. The state Ecology grant covers it.

    Why Lowell needed this

    Lowell is one of Everett’s most environmentally complex neighborhoods. It sits on a low riverfront bench between the Snohomish River and the BNSF tracks, with three small subbasins draining toward the Marshland Canal. The geography means stormwater from streets, parking lots, and roofs throughout the neighborhood concentrates fast and hits the river hard during rain events.

    The 146 acres covered by the Lenora facility include a mix of residential, commercial, and rail-adjacent uses. That mix is exactly the kind of urban runoff cocktail that does the most damage to salmon habitat, because dissolved copper from brake pads and dissolved zinc from tire wear behave like concentrated toxins for juvenile fish even at very low concentrations. Removing those before they reach the river is the difference between a healthy salmon return and a steady decline.

    What it means for the Lowell Riverfront Trail

    The construction site is immediately adjacent to Lowell Riverfront Park, which means anyone using the Lowell Riverfront Trail this spring and summer should expect periodic construction activity, equipment staging, and possible short trail detours along the affected segment near S 1st Avenue and Lenora Street. The city’s Public Works department will post detour signage if any trail closures become necessary.

    The good news for trail users: the facility is going on a small footprint at the edge of the park, not inside it. The trail itself stays intact. Once the facility opens, the only visible change at the site will be the Filterra system’s surface elements — bioretention cells, a small access path, and a city interpretive sign that the Public Works department typically installs at completed water quality projects.

    How this fits Everett’s bigger stormwater picture

    Everett operates under a state-issued NPDES Phase II Municipal Stormwater Permit. Among other things, that permit requires the city to identify high-priority drainage areas and progressively install treatment infrastructure that meets state water quality standards. The Stormwater Management Action Plan (SMAP) the city has been refining for several years identifies the Lowell subbasins as priorities precisely because they discharge directly to a salmon-bearing waterway with limited dilution.

    The Lenora facility is one of the more visible deliverables of that plan. It is also a piece of evidence that the regulatory machinery — state grant funding, federal water quality standards, city capital planning — can still produce concrete infrastructure on the ground in 2026, even when the larger civic conversation is about $14 million budget gaps and $120 million stadiums.

    The construction window

    The city has scheduled construction to begin in April 2026. Work on the facility itself is small enough that the duration is measured in months, not years. Public Works has not published a precise opening date for the first two functional cells of the Filterra system, but the project’s small footprint and the simple construction sequence point toward a late-2026 functional opening, with the remaining three cells brought online as the surrounding subbasins develop.

    Why we wrote about this one

    Most of Everett’s construction tracker right now reads like a developer brochure — apartments, restaurants, a stadium, a movie theater. That coverage is real and important. But the Lenora facility is a useful counterweight: a small, technical, state-funded piece of infrastructure that does not generate Instagram content but quietly determines whether the river the rest of the waterfront story sits next to actually stays healthy.

    Lowell residents in particular should know it is happening. The half-acre lot at S 1st and Lenora is going to look like a construction site for the next several months, and the trail-adjacent staging will be visible from the river. The reason for the disruption is also the reason it is worth it.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Where is the Lenora Regional Stormwater Treatment Facility being built?
    On a 0.27-acre, 11,944-square-foot city-owned lot at the northeast corner of S 1st Avenue and Lenora Street in Lowell, immediately west of the BNSF railroad tracks and adjacent to Lowell Riverfront Park.

    When does construction start?
    April 2026.

    How much does the project cost?
    $8,733,920, funded primarily by a Washington State Department of Ecology Water Quality Combined Financial Assistance Agreement (WQC-2025-EverPW-00177).

    What does the facility actually do?
    It treats stormwater runoff from 146.10 acres of Lowell drainage (subbasins LW-9, LW-10, LW-11) before that runoff discharges into the Marshland Canal and the Snohomish River. It removes total suspended solids, oil and total petroleum hydrocarbons, dissolved copper, dissolved zinc and total phosphorus.

    Who pays for it?
    Almost the entire project cost is covered by a Washington State Department of Ecology grant. Everett ratepayers do not see the project on their utility bill.

    What kind of treatment system is it?
    A five-cell Filterra Bioscape system, with two cells fully functional at opening and three more available for buildout as the surrounding subbasins develop.

    Will the Lowell Riverfront Trail be affected?
    The project site is adjacent to the trail. Trail users should expect occasional construction activity and possible short trail detours during the construction window. Permanent trail alignment will not change.

    Why does this matter for the Snohomish River?
    Dissolved copper and zinc from urban runoff are toxic to juvenile salmon at very low concentrations. Removing those pollutants before they hit the river is one of the highest-impact things a city can do for downstream salmon habitat.

    📚 The Exploring Everett Knowledge Cluster

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  • Snohomish County’s Charter Review Is on November’s Ballot Too — Here’s What Commissioners Are Weighing

    Snohomish County’s Charter Review Is on November’s Ballot Too — Here’s What Commissioners Are Weighing

    What is the Snohomish County Charter Review Commission, and what’s on the table this year?
    The commission is an elected, once-a-decade body of 15 commissioners who review the county’s constitution and can recommend changes to the November ballot. This cycle, they are weighing making the County Executive and County Council seats nonpartisan, and whether to write a budget-funding mandate for core county offices — like the sheriff, prosecutor, and assessor — directly into the charter. The commission held a public meeting on the Snohomish County campus in Everett on April 22 and plans to finalize proposals by the end of May.

    Everett voters will see at least two charter reviews on their November 2026 ballot.

    One belongs to the City of Everett, run by a volunteer committee appointed by the mayor and city council. The other belongs to Snohomish County — a separate body with separate commissioners and separate proposals, all of them touching how the county government itself is elected and funded. Because every Everett resident is also a Snohomish County resident, both sets of questions will land in the same ballot envelope in November.

    The county’s Charter Review Commission held a public meeting on April 22 at 5:30 p.m. in the Jackson Board Room on the 8th floor of the Snohomish County Campus at 3000 Rockefeller Avenue in Everett. It is one of a series of spring meetings the commission has scheduled in Lake Stevens, Everett, Arlington, and Mountlake Terrace to take feedback on its draft proposals before finalizing recommendations.

    How the county review is different from Everett’s

    The biggest structural difference is how commissioners arrive on the body. Everett’s Charter Review Committee is appointed by the mayor and city council from a volunteer applicant pool. Snohomish County’s Charter Review Commission is elected. County voters picked commissioners on the November 2025 ballot, in a once-in-a-decade race that rarely draws the attention of bigger contests but directly determines who writes the proposals residents will vote on a year later.

    The commission has 15 seats, with members drawn from across the five county council districts. Their only job is this review. When the cycle ends, the commission dissolves. The next one convenes around 2035.

    As with Everett’s committee, the commission cannot change the charter by itself. It can only recommend changes. The proposals it adopts go to the Snohomish County Council for additional public hearings, and then to the county auditor to be placed on the November general election ballot. Voters have the final say.

    Proposal one: make county elections nonpartisan

    The most attention-grabbing proposal on the table would remove party labels from Snohomish County’s top elected offices. Under the draft, the County Executive, each County Council position, and the County Prosecutor would appear on the ballot without a Republican or Democratic designation.

    The commission voted 11-4 in a March working session to keep the nonpartisan concept alive — enough support to carry the idea into the April public hearings but not a final recommendation. The commissioners who voted to keep it moving argued that county-level administration is largely about services — roads, public safety, courts, elections — that do not break down along partisan lines the way state or federal policy does. Commissioners who voted against it argued that party labels give voters useful information about a candidate’s general priorities, especially in down-ballot races where most voters know little about the individual candidates.

    If the commission’s final recommendation goes forward and voters approve it, Snohomish County would join a handful of other Washington counties and most Washington cities in electing local officials without party labels. The change would not affect state legislators, federal officeholders, or statewide races — just the county offices named in the charter.

    Proposal two: a budget mandate for core county offices

    A second proposal, raised by County Treasurer Brian Sullivan, would write a funding priority directly into the county charter. Under Sullivan’s request, elected leaders would be required to fully fund a set of core county services first in the county budget — before discretionary spending gets allocated.

    The core offices under the proposal are the county Assessor, Sheriff, Prosecuting Attorney, Treasurer, County Clerk, and Superior Court. “Fully funded” in this sense means each department is funded enough to perform its duties required by law.

    Supporters frame the proposal as a fiscal guardrail. If the general fund tightens in a future downturn, the argument goes, a charter-level mandate would protect basic functions like criminal prosecution, property assessment, and court operations from being cut first. Critics raise the opposite concern: locking funding priorities into the charter limits what a future County Council can do when budgets get tight, and could force cuts to services not on the protected list — public health programs, parks, planning — that residents also rely on.

    The commission has been evaluating the proposal through April and has not yet voted on a final version.

    Why Everett residents should pay attention

    Snohomish County’s government sits on Rockefeller Avenue in downtown Everett. When the County Council votes, it votes a few blocks from Everett City Hall, in the same building where the Charter Review Commission meets. Decisions about how the county is governed land directly on Everett residents because Everett is the county seat and its largest city — roughly 115,000 of the county’s 850,000 residents live here.

    The nonpartisan ballot question in particular would change something Everett voters see every November: whether the names next to county executive or county council come with a (D) or (R) attached. For Everett voters used to looking at those labels before deciding, the change would be visible immediately.

    The budget mandate is less visible but more consequential. Snohomish County runs programs Everett residents use regularly, from the Sheriff’s Office that supports some unincorporated areas around the city, to the Superior Court where serious criminal cases are heard, to the Assessor whose valuations drive every Everett property tax bill. Changing how the county has to budget those offices would change how every other county service competes for the remaining dollars.

    How residents can weigh in

    The commission’s meetings are open to the public and posted on the Charter Review Commission page at snohomishcountywa.gov/3520/Charter-Review-Commission. The April meetings across the county are part of the commission’s final listening period before it moves to adopt recommendations.

    The commission has said it expects to take action on all proposals by the end of May. That timeline would send final recommendations to the Snohomish County Council for additional public hearings through early summer, then to the county auditor’s office for ballot preparation. Voters would see the questions on their November 3, 2026 general election ballot.

    As with Everett’s city charter review, residents who want a say need to engage now. Once the ballot text is set by the auditor’s office in late summer, the proposals become up-or-down votes — no amendments, no changes to language, just yes or no on each question.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Who is on the Snohomish County Charter Review Commission?

    The commission has 15 elected commissioners representing the county’s five council districts. Voters elected them on the November 2025 ballot. The commission convenes for one review cycle and dissolves afterward.

    How is this different from Everett’s own Charter Review Committee?

    Everett’s committee reviews the Everett city charter and is appointed by the mayor and city council. The Snohomish County commission reviews the county charter and is elected by county voters. Both bodies can send amendments to the November 2026 ballot, but they operate separately and deal with different documents.

    What does “nonpartisan” mean on a ballot?

    It means no party affiliation appears next to the candidate’s name on the ballot. Candidates still hold personal political views and can be endorsed by parties, but the ballot itself does not identify them as Republican, Democrat, or any other party.

    Which county offices would be affected if the nonpartisan proposal passes?

    Under the draft version, the County Executive, each County Council position, and the County Prosecutor would become nonpartisan. Other offices, including the sheriff and assessor, are already nonpartisan under current state law or would remain unchanged.

    What is the Treasurer’s budget mandate proposal?

    The proposal, raised by County Treasurer Brian Sullivan, would require the county to fully fund six specified offices — Assessor, Sheriff, Prosecuting Attorney, Treasurer, County Clerk, and Superior Court — before allocating money to other programs in the budget. “Fully funded” means enough to meet each office’s legally required duties.

    When will the final ballot language be set?

    The commission plans to adopt recommendations by the end of May 2026. After that, the County Council holds its own public hearings, and the county auditor receives the ballot text in the late summer. Questions appear on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot.

    How do residents submit input to the commission?

    The commission accepts testimony at its public meetings and also accepts written comments. The Charter Review Commission page at snohomishcountywa.gov/3520/Charter-Review-Commission has the meeting schedule, contact information, and instructions for submitting comments electronically.

    Deeper Coverage in the Exploring Everett Series

    For a more comprehensive treatment of the issues raised in this article, see:

  • Everett Reactivates Flock Camera Network After SB 6002 Becomes Law

    Everett Reactivates Flock Camera Network After SB 6002 Becomes Law

    Why did Everett turn its Flock license plate cameras back on? On April 22, 2026, the City of Everett confirmed it had reactivated its network of 68 Flock Safety automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras after Governor Bob Ferguson signed Senate Bill 6002 on March 30, 2026. The new state law — the Driver Privacy Act — exempts ALPR footage from the Public Records Act, which had led a Snohomish County judge to rule in February that Everett’s footage was public record and forced the city to pause the network. Most of Everett’s cameras came back online April 7, though a Superior Court hearing on May 14 will test whether the earlier ruling stands.

    What just happened with Everett’s Flock camera network

    On Tuesday, April 22, 2026, the City of Everett confirmed that its network of automated license plate reader cameras operated by Flock Safety has been reactivated. The cameras had been paused since February after a Snohomish County Superior Court judge ruled that Everett’s ALPR footage qualified as a public record under the state Public Records Act.

    According to city officials, Mayor Cassie Franklin directed the Everett Police Department to restart the cameras in early April. Most of the network was back online by April 7, 2026, according to the city. The city filed a motion in Snohomish County Superior Court on April 3 asking the judge to vacate the February ruling in light of a new state law signed just days earlier.

    The state law that changed the picture

    On March 30, 2026, Governor Bob Ferguson signed Senate Bill 6002, known as the Driver Privacy Act. The law explicitly exempts ALPR footage from Washington’s Public Records Act. That single change reshaped the legal footing for every Washington city operating — or considering — a Flock network.

    SB 6002 also includes new guardrails that apply to every ALPR network in the state. According to the final bill text:

    • Agencies can retain ALPR data for no more than 21 days.
    • ALPR use is limited to specific categories of investigation.
    • Sharing data with federal agencies is prohibited.
    • ALPR collection is restricted near schools and health care facilities.

    The law’s stated purpose is to balance law enforcement access to license plate data with driver privacy — especially for people who might be targeted if their movements became discoverable through a public records request. The ACLU of Washington has objected to the law’s 21-day retention period, calling the provision unacceptable; the organization says the original version of the legislation contemplated a 72-hour retention window.

    What Everett Police say the cameras have done

    Everett launched its Flock network in October 2024 under a two-year, $550,000 grant-funded contract signed in June 2024. The city operates 68 ALPR cameras across Everett.

    According to Everett Police, in the months between the October 2024 launch and the February 2026 pause the cameras were used in more than 250 arrests, along with stolen vehicle recoveries and missing-person locates. The city points to those numbers as the case for bringing the cameras back.

    City spokesperson Simone Tarver addressed the restart directly. “This new state law ensures that we can protect the privacy of residents — including victims of domestic violence, harassment, and stalking — from anyone who may have had the intention of misusing this information,” Tarver said. She added that “the strategic and responsible use of technology remains a priority for the City.”

    How Everett got here: a 6-month timeline

    The Everett Flock story has moved quickly through the courts and the Legislature. Here is the sequence of events, drawn from court filings, city statements, and state records:

    • October 2024: Everett launches 68-camera Flock network.
    • February 2026: A Snohomish County Superior Court judge rules that ALPR footage is public record. Everett pauses its network.
    • March 5, 2026: Everett files an appeal of the public records ruling.
    • March 30, 2026: Governor Ferguson signs SB 6002 (the Driver Privacy Act).
    • Early April 2026: Mayor Franklin directs EPD to reactivate cameras.
    • April 3, 2026: Everett files a motion in Superior Court to vacate the February ruling.
    • April 7, 2026: Most of Everett’s cameras are back online.
    • April 22, 2026: The city publicly confirms the reactivation.
    • May 14, 2026: Hearing scheduled on Everett’s motion to vacate.

    The May 14 hearing is the next legal checkpoint. If the court grants the motion to vacate, the February public-records ruling goes away. If it does not, Everett and Flock opponents will continue to argue in court about what, exactly, SB 6002 does to a case that was filed before the law existed.

    The federal data-sharing question

    One detail from the Flock rollout has drawn separate scrutiny. Public records reviewed by reporters showed that from April to June 2025, federal agencies — including U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations — queried Everett’s Flock network. The access was possible because Everett, like many departments on the platform, had Flock’s “nationwide lookup” feature enabled until July 2025.

    EPD spokesperson Natalie Given described the feature. “While national look up feature was enabled, outside agencies would have had the ability to query all networks with the feature enabled en masse, including Everett’s,” Given said.

    Former Everett Police Chief John DeRousse confirmed that Flock’s user agreements restrict use to legitimate law enforcement purposes and prohibit civil immigration enforcement and First Amendment-protected activity. Under SB 6002, sharing ALPR data with federal agencies is now legally prohibited — a shift that formalizes what department policies had already required in many cases.

    Where other Washington cities stand

    Everett is not the only Washington city working through the Flock question. Each city has landed in a different place:

    • Mountlake Terrace canceled its Flock contract in December 2025 before the cameras were even installed, citing community division and public-records concerns.
    • Lynnwood terminated its Flock contract in February 2026, roughly seven months after installation, after resident pushback.
    • Stanwood is appealing a similar public-records ruling and reactivated its network on April 1, 2026.
    • Everett reactivated and is pursuing its motion to vacate, with the May 14 hearing as the next step.

    Those four trajectories — cancel, terminate, reactivate-and-appeal, reactivate-and-move — capture the range of policy responses a Washington city can take in the post-SB 6002 environment.

    What this means for Everett residents

    For most residents, the practical changes under SB 6002 are easy to summarize. ALPR data from Everett’s cameras can now be held for no longer than 21 days before deletion. Federal agencies cannot receive Everett’s data. ALPR collection locations near schools and health care facilities are restricted. Public-records requests for raw footage will be refused under the new exemption.

    What the cameras still do: read license plates as vehicles pass, flag plates against hot lists (stolen vehicles, Amber Alerts, felony warrants), and log timestamps and locations that Everett Police can query during an investigation. That operational picture has not changed. The governance around it has.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Are Everett’s Flock cameras back on?

    Yes. The City of Everett confirmed on April 22, 2026 that the cameras have been reactivated. Most of the 68-camera network was back online by April 7, 2026, after Mayor Cassie Franklin directed the Everett Police Department to restart the network in early April.

    What is SB 6002 and why does it matter?

    Senate Bill 6002, also known as the Driver Privacy Act, was signed by Governor Bob Ferguson on March 30, 2026. It exempts ALPR footage from Washington’s Public Records Act, sets a 21-day retention limit, prohibits sharing data with federal agencies, and restricts ALPR collection near schools and health care facilities.

    Why were Everett’s cameras shut off in February?

    A Snohomish County Superior Court judge ruled in February 2026 that Everett’s ALPR footage was a public record under the state Public Records Act. The city paused the network in response to the ruling while it evaluated its legal options.

    How many Flock cameras does Everett operate?

    Everett operates 68 Flock ALPR cameras across the city under a two-year, $550,000 grant-funded contract that was signed in June 2024.

    Can federal immigration agencies access Everett’s ALPR data?

    Under SB 6002, data sharing with federal agencies is now prohibited. Records show that federal agencies queried Everett’s network between April and June 2025 using Flock’s “nationwide lookup” feature, which Everett kept enabled until July 2025. That access is no longer permitted under state law.

    What happens at the May 14 court hearing?

    Snohomish County Superior Court is scheduled to hear Everett’s motion to vacate the February 2026 public-records ruling in light of SB 6002. If the motion is granted, the February ruling goes away. If not, litigation continues.

    How long can Everett Police keep ALPR data under the new law?

    SB 6002 caps retention of ALPR data at 21 days. The ACLU of Washington has said this window is too long and that the original version of the legislation called for 72 hours.

    Have any Washington cities walked away from Flock?

    Yes. Mountlake Terrace canceled its contract in December 2025 before installation. Lynnwood terminated its contract in February 2026. Stanwood and Everett have both reactivated their networks under SB 6002 but are still working through prior legal challenges.

  • Volunteers of America Western Washington: The Complete 2026 Guide to Every Program, Location, and How to Get Help in Everett

    Volunteers of America Western Washington: The Complete 2026 Guide to Every Program, Location, and How to Get Help in Everett

    Quick answer: Volunteers of America Western Washington (VOAWW) is headquartered at 2802 Broadway in Everett and responds to more than 315,000 requests for assistance a year across Snohomish County. Its programs include the no-documentation Everett Community Food Bank at 1230 Broadway, two Casino Road food pantries, the Carl Gipson Center for adults 50 and older at 3025 Lombard Avenue, the Trailside ECEAP preschool, rapid rehousing and rental assistance, crisis counseling, and a 24/7 crisis line. Main phone: (425) 259-3191.

    If you have lived in Everett for any length of time, you have probably heard the name Volunteers of America — most often shortened to VOA — and you may know someone who has walked through one of their doors. What most people don’t know is how big the operation actually is, or how many different kinds of help it provides from its Everett base.

    This is the complete 2026 guide to the organization, program by program, with every address and phone number a resident might actually need.

    The Headquarters: 2802 Broadway

    VOAWW’s administrative headquarters is at 2802 Broadway in Everett, WA 98201. The main line is (425) 259-3191. The mailing address for donations or general correspondence is PO Box 839, Everett, WA 98206-0839.

    The headquarters building is the front door for the whole network. If you don’t know which program you need, calling the main number and describing the situation will route you to the right team.

    VOAWW reports responding to more than 315,000 requests for assistance annually. A significant share of that volume is processed through Everett facilities and Everett staff.

    The Everett Community Food Bank: 1230 Broadway

    The VOAWW Everett Community Food Bank operates at 1230 Broadway, Everett, WA 98201 — a few blocks north of headquarters. Two policies shape who walks in:

    No documentation required. The food bank’s public materials are explicit: “There are no eligibility or documentation requirements to receive food.” You don’t prove income. You don’t bring paperwork. You don’t explain your situation.

    Grocery-store style. Guests walk through and select their own food rather than receiving a pre-assembled bag. Dietary restrictions, cultural preferences, allergies, and what kids will actually eat all matter, and the grocery-style model respects the dignity of the person shopping.

    Hours for groceries:

    • Monday, Wednesday, Thursday — 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
    • Second and fourth Tuesday — 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

    Donations accepted: Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
    Food bank phone: (425) 259-3191 ext. 13014
    Email: food@voaww.org

    The Casino Road Food Pantries

    In addition to the Broadway food bank, VOAWW runs two food pantries on Casino Road that put food distribution directly into the neighborhood that uses it most:

    The Village
    14 E Casino Rd, Everett, WA 98208
    Second, fourth, and fifth Tuesdays, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

    Bible Baptist Church
    805 W Casino Rd, Everett, WA 98204
    First and third Tuesdays, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

    Same no-documentation, grocery-style policy as the Broadway food bank. The Casino Road pantries are a partnership between VOAWW and the local neighborhood — a significant share of volunteer energy, food donation, and community ownership of the work comes from Casino Road itself.

    The Carl Gipson Center: 3025 Lombard Avenue

    The Carl Gipson Center at 3025 Lombard Avenue, Everett, WA 98201 is VOAWW’s membership-based community home for adults 50 and older, veterans, people with disabilities, immigrants, and other underserved communities. Phone: (425) 818-2744.

    The Gipson Center offers classes, meals, social connection, health programs, and a consistent community hub. For many Everett older adults, it is the anchor point of their week. For the city, it is one of the most concrete answers to “where do older adults find community here?”

    The Trailside ECEAP Preschool

    ECEAP (Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program) is Washington State’s publicly funded preschool for eligible children. VOAWW operates the Trailside ECEAP in Everett, offering free or reduced-cost preschool to qualifying families.

    ECEAP eligibility is based on income and need. Families who qualify can enroll children ages 3 to 5 for a full preschool experience at no cost. This is not daycare — it is a structured preschool program with school-readiness curriculum, meals, and family engagement services.

    Enrollment starts with a call to the main VOAWW line, (425) 259-3191.

    Housing: Rapid Rehousing and Rental Assistance

    VOAWW’s housing programs span the continuum from emergency rental assistance (one-time help to prevent eviction) to rapid rehousing (short-term rent and case management for people who have lost housing and are getting back into stable housing) to longer-term stabilization services.

    The practical version: if someone in Everett is at risk of losing housing, or has already lost it, VOAWW is one of the first places to call. The programs are capacity-limited — no one can promise assistance for every request — but the organization is a primary entry point for housing stabilization help in Snohomish County.

    To inquire about housing help, call (425) 259-3191 and describe the situation. The intake team will determine which specific program fits and what the next step is.

    Crisis Services and the 24/7 Crisis Line

    VOAWW operates a 24/7 crisis line serving Snohomish County and adjacent counties. For someone in mental-health crisis, experiencing thoughts of suicide, or needing immediate support, the crisis line is staffed around the clock by trained counselors.

    For immediate safety concerns, always call 911.

    The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is the national 24/7 resource as well, accessible from anywhere in the U.S. by calling or texting 988.

    How to volunteer with VOAWW

    Ongoing volunteer needs include food bank stocking and distribution, Carl Gipson Center programming, ECEAP classroom support, and administrative support at headquarters. Volunteer sign-up is at volunteer.voaww.org or by calling the main line.

    For employers and community groups interested in group volunteer days, VOAWW coordinates these through the headquarters staff.

    How to donate

    Financial donations: voaww.org
    Mail: PO Box 839, Everett, WA 98206-0839
    Food donations: Dropped at the Everett Community Food Bank, 1230 Broadway, Monday-Friday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

    Monetary donations are typically more impactful dollar-for-dollar than food donations because VOAWW’s purchasing power through food-bank networks lets each dollar stretch further than a retail purchase.

    The bigger Everett picture

    VOAWW is one of several major social service organizations operating in Everett — alongside Snohomish County’s own Veterans Assistance Program, Housing Hope, Cocoon House, Catholic Community Services, and a range of smaller neighborhood organizations. The specific thing VOAWW does that many others don’t is the no-documentation, grocery-style food bank at scale, combined with the older-adult anchor at the Carl Gipson Center and the ECEAP preschool.

    For a city the size of Everett, having a nonprofit of this scale headquartered on Broadway is not just operationally useful — it is part of what makes the city’s social safety net visible and accessible.

    Related Exploring Everett coverage

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Where is Volunteers of America Western Washington headquartered?

    2802 Broadway, Everett, WA 98201. Main phone: (425) 259-3191. Mailing: PO Box 839, Everett, WA 98206-0839.

    Do I need to prove income or bring paperwork to the Everett food bank?

    No. The Everett Community Food Bank at 1230 Broadway has no eligibility or documentation requirements. You walk in, you receive groceries, grocery-store style.

    What are the hours of the Everett Community Food Bank?

    Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., plus the second and fourth Tuesdays from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

    Where are the Casino Road food pantries?

    The Village (14 E Casino Rd) opens 2-5 p.m. on the second, fourth, and fifth Tuesdays. Bible Baptist Church (805 W Casino Rd) opens 3-5 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays.

    What is the Carl Gipson Center?

    VOAWW’s community hub for adults 50 and older, veterans, and people with disabilities. Located at 3025 Lombard Avenue, Everett. Phone: (425) 818-2744.

    Does VOAWW help with housing?

    Yes. Programs include emergency rental assistance, rapid rehousing, and longer-term stabilization services. Call (425) 259-3191 to inquire.

    How do I enroll a child in ECEAP preschool?

    Call (425) 259-3191. ECEAP is Washington State’s publicly funded preschool for eligible families. Trailside ECEAP is VOAWW’s Everett site.

    How do I volunteer with VOAWW?

    Sign up at volunteer.voaww.org or call the main line at (425) 259-3191.