Week in Review
Published 9:00 pm Saturday, July 29, 2006
Did you miss your news last week? Here’s a selection of the week’s top news items from across Snohomish County as they appeared in The Herald. For the full stories, go to cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/heraldnet.
Sunday, July 23
Everett plots next stage of downtown renaissance: Bargreen Coffee Co.’s roasting plant has presided over its block of downtown Everett’s Rucker Avenue for more than a century, changing little compared with the businesses around it.
Today’s head of the family business, Howie Bargreen, welcomes the big changes that he sees coming to downtown, even as they make his enterprise seem more out of place.
Officials are trying to lure at least 2,000 more people to live in the city. They’d like to make Everett’s downtown area a livelier place.
Eric Fetters, Krista J. Kapralos and Mike Benbow
Monday, July 24
Church’s expansion plans rile neighbors: A house of worship in the city’s Riverside neighborhood has turned into a lightning rod for residents critical of its expansion plans.
A few neighbors are so upset, they have picketed Sunday morning services at Bethany Christian Assembly for the past month, drawing bewildered looks from parishioners.
The flap focuses on the Pentecostal church’s desire to expand its large campus into a mature residential neighborhood with towering street trees and ornate houses.
David Chircop
Tuesday, July 25
Buddy, can you spare a dock? Waterfront property owners may have to get to know their neighbors if they want to put their boat in the water. Some of them would rather keep to themselves.
New shoreline regulations proposed by Snohomish County require that homeowners make every attempt to share a dock with a neighbor before building their own.
Lukas Velush
Wednesday, July 26
Hard reality hits schools as they build: Rising costs and abundant competition are straining school construction budgets and forcing districts to find creative ways to attract those willing to do the work.
In Granite Falls, the bid for a general contractor includes the potential for $1 million in bonuses if the winner finishes on budget and on time.
Melissa Slager
Thursday, July 27
Gay marriage ban stays: Washington state’s Supreme Court narrowly preserved the state’s ban on same-sex marriage Wednesday.
It also raised the possibility that a law allowing same-sex couples to wed could be written to withstand legal challenge.
By a 5-4 margin, the state Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the 1998 law defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman. The court ruled that definition is not discriminatory and the Legislature had a rational basis for making it law.
Jerry Cornfield
Friday, July 28
Hope in hunt for killer: Snohomish County sheriff’s detectives said they are tracking solid leads in their hunt for whoever killed hikers Mary Cooper and Susanna Stodden on a trail near Mount Pilchuck on July 11.
Investigators have identified people they want to interview, or in some cases talk to again, in connection with the killings.
Diana Hefley
Saturday, July 29
Money rolls in for ferry terminal: Mukilteo is closer to getting its new ferry terminal, a new park-and-ride lot is coming to the median of I-5 in south Everett, and better bus service on Highway 99 is on the way.
The Puget Sound Regional Council on Friday announced that $15.5 million in federal transportation grants is coming to the county over the next three years.
Washington State Ferries is getting $8.5 million, putting it closer to the $168 million needed to build the new terminal.
Lukas Velush
