Our towns

Published 9:00 pm Sunday, June 11, 2006

Big Lake historian speaking tonight

Melba Hall of the Big Lake Historical Society will be the guest speaker when the Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society meets at 7 tonight.

Hall will discuss a project gathering historical information about Big Lake School and other early rural schools.

For more information, call 360-435-4838.

Open houses set on U.S. 2 safety

The state Department of Transportation will host two open houses on Tuesday and Wednesday to gather public input on U.S. 2 safety improvements. The first open house is planned for 5-8 p.m. Tuesday at the Gold Bar Elementary School gymnasium, 419 Lewis St., Gold Bar. The second one will be 5-8 p.m. Wednesday at the Monroe High School commons, 17001 Tester Road, Monroe.

The department began a $1.3 million safety study of U.S. 2 in November to find out how to make the highway safer. The study is due by spring 2007.

People who can’t attend can share their ideas by going to www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/US2/rdp or by contacting project manager Renee Zimmerman at 206-464-1273 or ZimmerR@ wsdot.wa.gov.

Come learn about bats and reptiles

Children can learn about bats and reptiles at 1 p.m. Monday at the Granite Falls Library, 815 E. Galena St.

The “Bashful Bats and Roaming Reptiles” talk will covers topics such as, “Is a snake slimy?” and “How many insects can a bat eat in one hour?”

There will be interactive crafts about bats, lizards, snakes and turtles. The event is recommended for children age 5 and older.

For more information, call 360-691-6087.

Hawaiian dishes on group’s menu

The Culinary Arts Society’s theme this month is Hawaiian dishes.

The society is scheduled to meet 6:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Camano Senior and Community Center, 606 Arrowhead Road, Camano Island.

Society members will be bringing Hawaiian entrees and deserts.

Guests are invited for a $5 tasting fee. Membership is $10.

For more information, call 360-387-0222.

City Council meets tonight

The City Council meets at 7 tonight at the community and senior center, 1808 Main St.

Scheduled for discussion is a presentation about Julia’s Garden Foundation and public works projects.

For more information, call 425-334-1012.

Help raise money for police animals

“Pennies for Puppies and Ponies,” an annual fundraiser for the Snohomish County police dogs and mounted teams, will be held from noon-4 p.m. Sunday behind Marysville Junior High School, 1605 Seventh St.

Demonstrations will be given, and people can meet the officers and their animals.

Music will be provided by The Encounters, a rock ‘n’ roll band.

Games, T-shirts and coloring books will be on sale. Proceeds will benefit the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations Unit and the county’s volunteer search and rescue program.

For more information, go to www.policepuppies.org.

Chamber plans luncheon Tuesday

The Monroe Chamber of Commerce will have a membership luncheon at noon Tuesday at the Rock Church, 16891 146th St. SE.

The event’s speaker will be Bill Prenevost, who will give the annual “State of the School System” presentation. Prenevost will retire at the end of this school year.

For reservations, call the chamber at 360-794-5488.

Old-timers share stories about town

Longtime Snohomish residents will gather to share their memories on their town Wednesday. There also will be a slideshow of historic scenes around town. Refreshments will be provided.

The free event, which is sponsored by the Snohomish Historical Society, will start at 7 p.m. at the Waltz Building, 116 Ave. B.

Rotary Club has berries for sale

The Rotary Club of Snohomish will offer fresh local berries for sale as part of its annual charitable fundraising during June and July. The proceeds will help to support the club’s charitable activities.

The club offers strawberries, blueberries and raspberries. The prices and delivery dates are $26 for strawberries on June 20, $29 for raspberries on July 11 and $29 for blueberries on July 25. On each delivery date, the berries will be available from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, 1306 Lakeview Ave., Snohomish; at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, 2619 Cedar St., Everett; and at Merrill Gardens, 15465 179th Ave. SE, Monroe.

For more information, or to order berries, go to www.snohomishrotary.org or call 360-568-5629.

Charter panel meets Wednesday

The Snohomish County Charter Review Commission plans to meet Wednesday to discuss changes to the charter, which controls county government operations.

The meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the county administration building, 3000 Rockefeller Ave., Everett.

Planned discussions include transparency in government, interlocal agreements, the county performance auditor and a county ombudsman.

Information is available at www1.co.snohomish.wa.us; type “charter” in the search box.

Ham radio exams set for Thursday

The Stanwood-Camano Amateur Radio Club’s next meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday at Terry’s Corner Fire Station, 525 E. North Camano Drive, Camano Island.

A test session for people who want to obtain a ham license or upgrade their license is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.

Monthly meetings will alternate between Stanwood and Camano Island.

For more information, contact Joe Thomas, ham radio license WA7JT, at 360-387-2561.