Applause

Snohomish High School will add to the Hall of Fame that it created in 1994, honoring eight Snohomish alumni during the halftime of the boy’s basketball game at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the school’s gymnasium. A reception in the cafeteria follows the game.

The eight Snohomish graduates were selected for helping to create and maintain the school’s history and traditions. Hall of Fame inductees are:

Dick Armstrong, former teacher, athletic director and head football coach, taught science and physical education and coached for 40 years, the last 32 at Snohomish, until his retirement in 1994. He led the Panthers to state championships in 1976 and 1978

Lawrence “Maggie” Bryant, graduate and Panther athletics booster, graduated from Snohomish in 1930, but stayed a semester longer to play football. Starting with the 1931 season and with the exception of his service during World War II, Bryant has attended every Panther game since then, frequently giving pep talks to the team or leading the Panther fight song.

Dave Eddings, author of best-selling fantasy novels, graduated from Snohomish in 1949. Following service in the Army and work with Boeing, Eddings published his first novel, “High Hunt” in 1973, followed by fantasy series he wrote with his wife, Leigh Eddings, “The Belariad” and “The Malloreon.”

Harold “Hal” Moe, former vice-principal, principal and district superintendent, worked in the district for 28 years, beginning in 1940 as vice-principal. He served in the Marines during World War II but returned to Snohomish where he was principal for 10 years and superintendent for five years. He also helped establish the school’s Marine Corps Junior ROTC program.

Ed Petersen, former band and music director, taught at Snohomish for more than 40 years. Under his direction, the Panther Band won State Champion Band titles in 1979, ‘89, ‘91 and ‘92. Petersen’s bands have played for President Reagan in 1985, played at the Great Wall of China in 1988 and played for the Taiwanese presidential inauguration in 1990.

Narda Pierce, former state solicitor general, graduated from Snohomish in 1973. After graduating from Harvard Law School in 1980, she served as Washington state’s solicitor general for 12 years, successfully arguing a court case on the separation of church and state before the U.S. Supreme Court in 2003. Pierce also has served as an assistant director with the Department of Ecology.

Albert Ullman, former U.S. congressman from Oregon, graduated from Snohomish in 1931. He represented Oregon’s 2nd Congressional District from 1957 to 1981. A World War II veteran, Ullman served on many congressional committees, concerning natural resources, the judiciary, the IRS and on Ways and Means.

Doris Wentworth, former teacher and community volunteer, began working in the district in 1968 and from 1973 to 1994 was coordinator of the special education program at Snohomish High School. She currently works with Snohomish County Kitchen, serving the homeless and hungry twice a week. She also volunteers with the preschool program at Central Primary School and with the Women’s Shelter in Everett.

Everett Public Schools Foundation gives grants

The Everett Public Schools Foundation recently awarded 48 classroom grants to teachers in the Everett School District. The foundation’s volunteer board members reviewed 72 grant applications from teachers throughout the district. The foundation estimates that 10,000 students will benefit from the 48 projects set to receive funding.

Classroom grants go to innovative teaching projects that are not funded by state or levy dollars, a foundation spokesman said. To see a list of all 48 grants that were awarded, go online to www.epsf.org. Individuals and organizations supporting the classroom grants include Phillips Medical, Idamae Schack, Schmidt Family Chiropractic and Judd and Black.

The Everett Public Schools Foundation is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to develop and provide community support to strengthen academic achievement in the Everett Public Schools. To help fund a classroom grant, call 425-385-4187.

Top volunteers help victims of violent crimes

Chris Neal and Fiona Lewis were recently named volunteers of the year by Families and Friends of Violent Crime Victims. The volunteers were presented with awards Jan. 30 in the office of Snohomish County Sheriff Rick Bart, who is chairman and president of the nonprofit agency. He and agency director Jenny Wieland Ward, along with Autumn Allen, a previous volunteer award winner, presented the awards.

Neal and Lewis were chosen by the staff of Families and Friends of Violent Crime Victims for their “unwavering support of victims rights and advocacy for victims of crime.”

Neal volunteers during the nighttime hours one week a month when people phone the agency’s 24-hour crisis line. She volunteers as a legal advocate in the courtroom to help victims whose loved ones have been murdered. She also mentors advocates new to the program.

Lewis has skills in crisis intervention and administrative support. She donates evening hours to the 24-hour crisis line and works with the executive director on special projects.

The agency is one of the oldest victim advocacy support groups in the nation and offers services to crime victims, their loved ones and the public.

Silver Lake Kiwanis give dictionaries to schools

The Silver Lake Kiwanis is donating 600 dictionaries to students at five elementary schools in the Everett School District: Cedar Wood, Lowell, Penny Creek, Silver Lake and Silver Firs. Students can use the dictionaries at school, then take them home at the end of the school year. The service club formed a partnership with the nonprofit Dictionary Project to make the donation.

Everett church sends solar ovens to Africa

Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Everett recently raised $1,725 to be used to purchase and ship 23 solar ovens to the African missions of Roger Ose Ministries of Minnesota. Funds were raised through donations by congregation members and a quilt raffle. The project, spearheaded by Pat Lindell, was sponsored by the Social Concerns committee of the church.

Solar ovens allow people with few resources to cook, bake, and boil water in an area where there is no electricity. In addition, no wood or fossil fuels are burned.

Churches interested in establishing a solar oven fundraising project can contact Lindell at 425-438-1447

A gift of soccer goes around the world

Steve Chittenden and Carol Williams, members of the Everett-Port Gardner Rotary Club, have been active in supporting efforts to help people in Central America and Africa.

The Rotary club supports the Hands for Peacemaking Foundation, a nonprofit agency that has taught villagers in northwestern Guatemala to make soccer balls, providing much needed jobs. The balls then are destined for True Vine Togo, a Christian ministry that helps orphans in Togo. The Rotary club also supports efforts by True Vine Togo.

Preschoolers assist in KidsDream auction

A half-dozen preschoolers had fun while helping to make a difference for foster kids in Snohomish County.

The children, who attend preschool together in Lake Stevens, celebrated Kiara Paisley O’Neill’s fifth birthday recently at Build-A-Bear workshop at the Alderwood mall. The kids picked out bears, bunnies and other cuddly animals to dress up and decorate.But the stuffed animals were not for the partygoers. Instead the toys were donated to help raise funds for KidsDream of Snohomish County, a nonprofit, volunteer organization that helps fulfill the needs and wishes of abused and neglected children who are in foster care.

The preschool’s owner Cindy Brengman accepted the donations, and the stuffed animals will be auctioned as part of a Valentine Gala event, “That’s Amore: Give your Heart to a Child,” set for Saturday at the Everett Events Center. Brengman serves as event chairman for the dinner, dance and benefit auction, which she hopes will raise more $30,000.

“The four- and five-year-olds who picked out and helped make the bears liked the idea of donating and helping out other kids while having fun at the same time,” Brengman said.

For gala information and tickets, call Brengman at 425-334-6563.

Snohomish Seniors raise funds for new building

Snohomish Seniors raised more than $4,000 for its senior center building fund during a recent rummage sale.

Snohomish residents donated a range of items and, with the help of volunteers giving more than 430 volunteer hours, those items were purchased for use by new owners. Unsold items went to a family that had lost its home in a fire as well as St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Marysville and area thrift stores, a Snohomish Seniors spokesman said.

School donates to efforts by St. Vincent de Paul

The St. Vincent de Paul conference of St. Michael’s Catholic Church parish in Snohomish recently recognized a Snohomish school for its assistance in efforts to help residents in need. For the past ten years, Totem Falls Elementary students, parents and faculty have given truckloads of food and gifts at holiday times, said Stan Roth of the organization. The donated items were distributed among families in Darrington, Stanwood, Maltby, Snohomish and Everett.

Home economics group elects new officers

Two north Snohomish County women have been elected to the board of Euthenics, a local organization for home economists.

Louise Burke of Tulalip was elected president and Carol Jacques of Arlington was elected adviser and historian. Both will serve two-year terms.

The purpose of the organization is to provide updated information on family and consumer science in schools and communities for the betterment of living conditions. The organization also provides scholarships to deserving students entering these fields.

Habitat volunteers make home for family possible

Volunteers, family and friends recently joined Stephanie Bates, 27, and her children Savannah, 10, Jacob, 9, and Loralai, 5, at the dedication of their new Habitat for Humanity home in Granite Falls.

The modest four-bedroom house is the first home the family can call its own, said Mary Fears, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Snohomish County. Like many other Snohomish County residents, Bates was priced out of the current housing market, Fears said.

Bates and her children had been living in a travel trailer owned by friends Paul and Kathy Kruse. Bates applied for a Habitat House two years ago. She met the income limits, was willing to work the “sweat equity” hours to build her home and demonstrated that she had the ability to make modest house payments. The family’s overcrowded living conditions and shared beds in the travel trailer were a big deciding factor, Fears said.

Volunteers, including employee crews from the Bank of America, a major sponsor of the home, began working every Wednesday and Saturday. Around 500 volunteers worked more than 15,000 hours on construction and in program and fundraising support. Now Savannah, Gavin, Loralai and their mom each will have their own bedroom. The family will be able to move in on March 1.