Community Extra: Applause

GIVING

Dollar Tree customers donate

Customers at the Dollar Tree stores in Everett and Arlington gave donations for Easter baskets.

The donations went toward more than 190 Spring Baskets for children in the housing programs at the YWCA of Snohomish County.

C

ustomers also donated personal care products for mothers in various housing programs.

Jackson 5th-graders donate hats, scarves

Fifth-graders at Jackson Elementary School donated hats and scarves they had crocheted to patients at Seattle Children’s Hospital.

Heidi Zentz fr

om Children’s Hospital visited the school to pick up the donations on April 13. Before she left, the students taught her to crochet.

The students of Claire Baker’s class crocheted during lunch and recess. There were 15 fifth-graders who were attending regularly, so the group decided to make it into an official club last November.

“Everyone had to crochet a small section, and then they could turn in their hooks and quit forever,” Baker said. “But at the end of the project, most of them wanted to keep going.”

The club now meets once a week before school.

Zentz presented certificates of appreciation to students for their donations to the hospital. “Many patients keep the gifts they receive while they are in the hospital for many years after they are released,” she said.

HONORS

Everett NJROTC ‘most improved’

The Naval Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps at Everett High School is expected to receive an award next week for its improved performance.

The unit has improved significantly over the past few years. Credit for the improvement goes to their instructor, Cmdr. Richard Gile, who reorganized the unit in 2007. There were just 41 cadets then, but the number has reached a high of 119 this year.

“At the beginning of the 2007 school year, the Everett NJROTC unit was a nearly defunct, demoralized organization that was failing in almost every measure,” said Gile. But now, the school unit is considered as the most improved NJROTC unit in its area.

Everett High School principal Catherine Matthews said: “Everett NJROTC has gone from a program the community was almost completely unaware of to one which it relies on for its most important events from Color Guards to volunteers who contribute countless hours of service and do it with a smile on their faces.”

The Everett NJROTC unit has gone from no community service hours to more than 3,000 this year, Gile said. The unit has adopted and been adopted by several city departments including the Everett Senior Center, the Everett Parks Department and the Everett Animal Shelter.

Troop 19’s new Eagle Scouts

Boy Scouts from Everett’s Troop 19 were recently recognized for attaining the Eagle rank, the highest honor for a Boy Scout.

Stephen Bellrichard, Sean Moran, Luke Eichinger and Angelo Comeaux are sponsored by Immaculate Conception and Our Lady of Perpetual Help parishes.

Billrichard attends Western Washington University. Eichinger is a senior at Archbishop Murphy High School. Comeaux is a senior at Everett High. They live in Everett.

Moran, a freshman at Clackamas Community College, is from Lake Stevens.

Anti-DUI radio hosts honored

The radio show hosts were honored by the Snohomish County DUI and Target Zero Traffic Safety Task Force.

Shannon O’Kelley, president of Integrated Rehabilitation Group, an independently owned outpatient physical and hand therapy service, and Maury Eskenazi, radio personality for Fox Sports Radio KRKO (1380 AM), were honored at Snohomish County’s DUI Awards Luncheon held at the Snohomish County Courthouse.

Camano artist wins first prize

A watercolor painting of a Camano Island artist won the first prize in the 20th National Art Exhibition and Sale in Fort Collins, Colo.

Jack Dorsey’s watercolor “Back Porch Geraniums” won the award worth $1,500 in the exhibition and sale of Artists Association of Northern Colorado.

The juror of the art exhibition and sale, Don Sahli, had selected 88 pieces of art from 560 entries.

Dorsey’s home and studio are at 2772 S. East Camano Drive, Camano Island.

Hall of Fame for former songwriter

Former Everett songwriter Steve Wallace has been inducted into the Traditional Country Hall of Fame for two of his songs, “Heidi,” sung by Nashvilles Glenn Mayo, and “Guilty,” sung by Jenny Wilson.

Wallace has also been inducted into the Hall of Fame for his accomplishments in country music over the years.

County staffers recognized

Snohomish Conservation District has honored two Snohomish County staffers for their efforts to improve partnerships benefiting water quality and natural resource management within the district.

Snohomish County Surface Water Utility director, Debbie Terwilleger, and interim stewardship supervisor, Mike McGuiness, received the awards in a ceremony in March.

Celebrating its 70th anniversary this year, the conservation district works with farmers and landowners to promote and encourage conservation and responsible use of natural resources. It also provides educational programs, provides technical assistance and organizes numerous outreach events each year.

Arlington firefighters honored

Arlington Fire Department Chief Bruce Stedman honored Wayne Mitchell, Tom Jackson and Capt. Cary Stuart for their service in the fire department.

Mitchell and Stuart served for 15 years and Jackson served for five years.

Lake Stevens school employees honored

The Lake Stevens School District has announced recipients of the Apple Award for April.

Employees of the school district have been recognized for creating a positive, caring and productive school environment through exceptional effort, dedication or performance in their areas of responsibility.

The awards will be presented at the May 11 school board meeting.

April recipients of the Apple Award are:

Mollie Langum, food service supervisor for Lake Stevens School District; Shannon Porter, school nurse at Lake Stevens High School; Rosalyn McWatters, fifth grade teacher at Mount Pilchuck Elementary; and Travis Krause, science teacher at North Lake Middle School.

Fire District 4 honors members

Snohomish County Fire District 4 honored members at their 37th annual awards banquet at Lord Hill Farms.

Some special awards were also voted on by the membership of the department.

Shawn Osborne and Marcus McGee were named firefighters of the year. Lt. Jason Hodkinson was honored as officer of the year. Lt. Roger Whitney Mansfield received instructor of the year award. Firefighter paramedic Neil Broumley and firefighters Ian Condon and Chris Jorve were given emergency medical provider and rookie of the year awards respectively.

Years of service honors:

Two years: Firefighters Tony Alsted Jr., Wil Canate Jr., Efton Chism II, Ian Condon, Scott Deaver, Beau Froelich, Sheila Holloway, Chris Jorve, Jess Labalan, Mark Postma and Kevin Weed; firefighter paramedic Jesse Altizer and Ken Hopkins; and Chaplain Dave Kersten.

Five years: Firefighters Kirk Gomez and Matt Uplinger.

10 years: Firefighters Jon Bowen, Brent Potter, Cherie Gatterman and Lt. Merritt Cox.

15 years: Lt. Brian Zehe.

20 years: Firefighter Shawn Osborne and Lt. David Steele

25 years: Deputy Chief Ron Simmons.