Our towns: North county

Published 11:24 pm Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Arlington

I-5 to be repaved

I-5 between Arlington and the Stillaguamish River is showing signs of wear and tear, state Department of Transportation officials say. State engineers are designing a $3.9 million project to repave nearly four miles of the freeway as well as onramps and offramps at State Route 530 and the northbound and southbound Smokey Point rest areas.

They hope to begin accepting bids for the project this year and start construction a year from now. The project is expected to be finished next fall.

The project will affect more than 40,000 vehicles that currently travel that stretch of I-5 each day.

More info: State Department of Transportation spokeswoman Sarah Thomas, 206-440-4470.

Volunteers needed to help fundraiser

Village Community Services is looking for volunteers to help with a fundraiser to benefit adults with disabilities.

For the sixth year in row, the group is planning its Taste of Decadence silent auction and dessert. The event is set for May 2 in Arlington.

Volunteers can help by serving as table hosts, decorating, setting up for the silent auction, checking in desserts, greeting guests and cleaning up.

Village Community Services is based in Arlington and helps disabled adults find jobs and other resources.

More info: Michelle Dietz-Date 360-653-7752, ext. 14.

Camano Island

Fundraising meeting for Camano Animal Shelter

Help plan fundraisers for the Camano Animal Shelter at a meeting set for this week at the Island County annex building.

The fundraising meeting for the Camano Animal Shelter Association is 7 p.m. Thursday inside the Camano Multi-Purpose Room at 141 N. East Camano Drive.

The shelter has an annual budget of roughly $100,000 and is in need of more funding to keep up with the area’s growing population.

In addition to planning fundraisers, today’s meeting offers people a chance to take charge of organizing events for the association.

More info: 360-387-7406.

Learn about plans for new building

A proposed county building for Camano Island is the topic of an open house set for this week.

Learn about plans for the Island County Annex Building from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at the Camano Multi- Purpose Room, 141 N. East Camano Drive.

The new building is intended to provide a centralized location for county services on Camano Island.

More info: Island County Public Works engineer Tony Martin, 360-678-7957.

Marysville

Historical Society tea scheduled for April

The Marysville Historical Society has scheduled its fifth annual Spring Tea for April 13.

The event is 2 to 5 p.m. at the Marysville Opera House, 1225 Third St.

Fifteen tables will be hosted by society members, complete with linen tablecloths and a showcase of china patterns. A prize will be awarded to the best-decorated table.

Sunday-best dress and fancy hats are encouraged. Food, a fashion show, a silent auction and more are planned.

Tickets are $20 each. Reservations and tickets are required.

More info or for tickets: Jennifer Ward, 360-659-9626, or visit the Historical Society at 1508-B Third St.,

Tulalip

Tribal leaders stress unity

Hundreds of Coast Salish people, who are members of American Indian and Canadian First Nations tribes in the Pacific Northwest, pledged last week to continue to work together toward federal recognition of tribal treaty rights and to preserve the environment that sustains their way of life.

The tribal leaders met at the Tulalip Indian Reservation for the Coast Salish Gathering, a semi-regular event they plan to hold every year from now on. The gathering is designed to help tribal leaders recognize their unity and cooperation, which they say dates back thousands of years, despite federal boundaries separating them.

The gathering was not open to the public. The tribal leaders who attended communicated, in part, in Coast Salish language dialects and in a style historically unique to the region’s tribes.

Stanwood

Open house on bridge replacement

State transportation officials plan to present an open house tonight for Stanwood and Camano Island residents interested in learning more about the replacement of the General Mark W. Clark Memorial Bridge, which connects Camano Island to the mainland.

The open house is 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Port Susan Middle School, 7506 267th St. NW in Stanwood.

State transportation engineers expect to begin construction next summer and complete the project in fall 2010. The old steel bridge, built in 1949, is partially corroded and too narrow for modern traffic levels. The new bridge, which will initially have two lanes, will be wide enough for a future expansion to include four lanes. Eight-foot-wide shoulders will allow room for bicyclists and pedestrians.

The project will cost about $33 million and will be funded by the 2005 gas tax.

More info: State Department of Transportation project manager Rahim Delli, 425-225-8750.