October 15th at 7pm – Special Guests: Whittier Principal Tony Wentworth, Evergreen Middle School Teacher and Whittier Mom Misha Hann, and Everett High School Teacher Kristin Gebert. We will get to hear what it’s like to lead, teach, and be a parent to kids while virtual learning from home due to COVID-19.
Watch the full replay on our Facebook page. There’s a report from Scott Murphy, our city council liaison, and the school update begins around 14 minutes in.
Physically Distant, but Together, Outside Park Clean Up held on October 3rd from 9 a.m. – to 12:30 p.m.
The original work party was cancelled due to smoke and unhealthy air quality conditions in September. We finally held our physically distanced park cleanup at Drew Nielsen Neighborhood Park – 1230 Colby with Holly James as our lead- October 3rd.
Guests: Jim Dean, Interfaith Family Shelter, Councilmembers Scott Murphy and Paul Roberts to cover the City of Everett Budget, Holly James to talk about our park cleanup on September 12th, the Districting Commission Public Meeting schedule and Council of Neighborhoods update by Tim and John. THANKS FOR ATTENDING! Please enjoy the recording. – Kari
Waterfront Place Apartment fire update(Update: July 23, 2020) EVERETT, WA
– Fire investigators and detectives have completed the majority of the onsite work at the Waterfront Place Apartments fire and have released the scene back to the property owners. Although the fire is still under investigation, and there is work to be completed to bring all of the pieces together, preliminary findings do not suggest there is any criminal activity associated with the fire cause. The magnitude of this fire scene required extra personnel and resources to ensure a proper and thorough investigation. Thank you to the Everett Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive (ATF), the Washington State Patrol Crime Laboratory Division (CLD), and several neighboring fire agencies for providing mutual aid to help process the fire scene in a timelier manner. Everett Fire Marshal Kurtis Brown would also like to recognize the onsite construction company, Graham, for their cooperation and the use of their personnel and equipment to aid in the onsite work. As stated in the previous news release, an early conservative estimate of damages for just the site of the primary fire is between $25-30 million. Damage estimates for the north structure on the property, areas outside of the initial fire zone, and damage to homes and property in the area are still being calculated. A second firefighter was injured, also with minor burns to his hands. He was treated and released at the hospital on the same night. Of the 53 fire apparatus at the scene of the fire, there were 28 suppression apparatus, such as fire engines and ladder trucks, 7 EMS apparatus, and the remainder falling under a miscellaneous category. The cost of the three fire apparatus damaged in the fire – a ladder truck, a fire engine, and an aid car – is still being assessed. The Everett Fire Department would like to recognize the residents and community members who took mitigating actions to protect their property and the property of their neighbors. At the same time, firefighters battled the blaze at the construction site and secondary fires ignited by falling burning debris. We want to thank all the mutual aid agencies who assisted with protecting the lives and properties of our residents and who responded to 9-1-1 calls for service while our department resources and personnel battled this four-alarm fire. Any further updates will be released as they become available. ###
Guest: David Simpson, Port of Everett Commissioner
Additional Commentary: Scott Murphy and Paul Roberts, Everett City Councilmembers
Moderator/Host: Kari Quaas, Chair
Here is the video from our meeting this evening. I apologize for some profanities early on through due to Zoom bombers! I do hope you watch and learn something or feel a bit more connected.My gratitude to David Simpson, Port of Everett Commissioner, Cat Soper with PoE, Scott Murphy and Paul Roberts, City Councilmembers, and our other attendees. It's nice to see smiling faces and cats! Take care and stay safe, all!- Kari Quaas, Chair
As we head into the weekend, my heart is heavy knowing the uncertainty, fear and loss our community is experiencing. It’s tragic to see cases continue to rise across our country and world. I see our city in a very different place than we were just a week ago – quiet streets, closed restaurants and storefronts, and empty schools and playgrounds. I am sad about the emergency situation we’re in, and how deeply it’s affecting us all.
I also feel incredibly grateful knowing that so many of you are hunkered down, staying home and staying healthy. Thank you. This is what we need to do. This is how we fight.
Although it may be difficult in this stressful time, I encourage you to use this time to take care of yourself and your family. Get extra rest, sleep in, go for a walk. Perhaps play a game with your kids, or cuddle up on your sofa and reread your favorite book. I can tell you my cats are using this time well and finding my lap or laptop whenever they can, reminding me to take a moment to breathe deeply and be grateful for my health, while I appreciate some kitten time. My daughter is missing friends and family, but I love seeing her face light up as she connects with Grandma and Grandpa via FaceTime. Please take care of yourselves and each other. Now, more than ever, is when we need to practice kindness and look for those opportunities to bring a little cheer to each other’s lives.
Snohomish Health District updatesVisit the Snohomish Health District’s website for up-to-date information on COVID-19, including updated case count information like the chart below that illustrates the cumulative case count for Snohomish County.Stay Home, Stay HealthyEverett Police would like to remind the public not to call 911 to report violations of the governor’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order, social distancing violations, or individuals outside of their homes. Everett Police will not actively seek out individuals failing to comply with the orders solely to charge them with a crime. Their goal is to seek voluntary compliance with the orders to keep residents safe and healthy, and will remind and educate those who are not complying, as appropriate. Everett residents may report concerns by e-mail to cv19violations@everettwa.gov.
For people experiencing homelessnessSnohomish County and community partners are expanding shelter capacity for COVID-19 emergency sheltering to provide immediate assistance for those most vulnerable to COVID-19 in Snohomish County. Expanded sheltering capacity helps protect everyone in the community against the spread of COVID-19, including people experiencing homelessness, particularly parents with children, veterans, and other vulnerable individuals. Exercise is important and Governor Inslee’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order still allows people to go outside for walks and exercise, as long as social distancing of 6 feet is maintained. We closed our parks gates, amenities and active areas (ball fields, beaches, sports courts, etc.) this week, but Everett parks and trails are open for passive recreation. If you do go outside for some exercise, stick to nearby parks or trails for a walk, bike ride or stroll with your dog (on a leash) and make sure you keep at least 6 feet between you and others, and avoid groups and crowds. If you feel sick, stay home.Everett for EverettNeed essentials and not sure what’s open? Visit coronavirus.wa.gov to learn more about what’s open and what’s prohibited during Governor Inslee’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy order. EverettforEverett.com also has a list of businesses that are open and following social distancing rules so you can shop local when you need essentials.
In the ongoing effort to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in our communities, the governor today ordered the closure of restaurants, bars and entertainment and recreational facilities statewide. He also placed additional limits on social gatherings. The new orders go into effect tonight at midnight and are in effect through March 31. Take-out, delivery and drive-thru food and beverage services are not banned.
These are unprecedented times and these circumstances are placing a tremendous burden on our local businesses, our economy and our overall quality of life. I know this isn’t easy. In fact, it’s awful. But if these very difficult, decisive actions truly slow the spread of COVID-19, our health care systems will have better capacity to respond and to save lives.
The virus we’re facing is serious.
Over the weekend, the number of COVID-19 cases in Snohomish County increased to over 200; the total in Washington has passed 900, and nationwide is nearly 3,500. Health officials warn these numbers could double every week – unless we take bold, immediate action. Our health care system is already overwhelmed and will not be able to keep up with increased demand for care. I therefore urge everyone in our community to take this health threat seriously, and to do your part to reduce the spread.
I’m asking our local employers to encourage teleworking for all staff for whom it is feasible to do so, and take other measures to isolate workers who cannot work remotely.
I’m asking our residents to avoid all non-essential interactions with others, and avoid all unnecessary travel outside the home.
And, I’m asking us all to look out for each other, and help where ever we can. That includes taking care of yourselves. Staying healthy is more important now than ever, so please practice good hygiene, get plenty of rest and exercise, and eat well. Many of our local restaurants will offer delivery or drive-thru service.
We have the ability to slow this pandemic down, but only if each and every one of us does our part. The severity of this is in our hands and I know that together we can get through this very difficult time.
I want us to look back on this with the knowledge that we did everything we possibly could to protect ourselves, our loved ones and our community.
