Front Porch: Mayor pro-tem elected in Monroe

Published 9:13 pm Tuesday, January 19, 2016

New leadership

The City Council in Monroe has unanimously elected a new mayor pro-tem. Councilwoman Patsy Cudaback will fill in as mayor pro-tem when Mayor Geoffrey Thomas is unavailable in 2016. Monroe has a mayor government, meaning the mayor is elected by the people to run the city with help from a city administrator. The council sets policy and makes laws.

Learn about sheriff’s office: The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office plans a free 12-week Citizen’s Academy starting March 2. The class will meet Wednesday evenings in Cathcart, with two Saturday field trips. Attendees will learn about law enforcement and personal safety. The deadline to apply is Feb. 15. A background check is required. Applications are available at your local sheriff’s precinct, or at snoco.sheriff.org.

Beach watcher training: The Beach Watchers program run by WSU Snohomish County Extension is looking to sign up volunteers. Participants receive 80 hours of university-caliber training with field trips and expert lectures on topics such as salmon, water quality, native plants, ocean acidification and more. After the training, volunteers must commit to at least 80 hours of service over the next two years in areas such as beach education, water-quality sampling or newsletter writing. The training will be based out of McCollum Park, 600 128th St. SE, Everett, on Fridays from March 18 to May 27, with two Saturday field trips April 23 and May 14. Applications are due by Feb. 26. A $35 materials fee is required.

To learn more, contact Yolimar Rivera at 425- 357-6029, email yolimar.rivera@wsu.edu or go to www.beachwatchers.wsu.edu/Snohomish/training.